Habit, Moral Character and Politics Free Essays

As indicated by Moore and Bruder (2005), our one of a kind and particular ability to reason was named by Aristotle as ethicalness. There are two sorts of uprightness †when we study or exercise our thinking capacities, we are supposed to be mentally temperate. At the point when we utilize our thinking to direct our driving forces and hungers, we are supposed to be ethically temperate. We will compose a custom exposition test on Propensity, Moral Character and Politics or then again any comparable point just for you Request Now As indicated by Aristotle, ethicalness (regardless of whether scholarly or moral) involves propensity. Which means, your ethical character (or good excellence) depends on your propensities. What you do consistently (propensity) will shape your character. For instance, since the time I was youthful, my mom consistently instructed us to provide for the less lucky (not really cash, food and dismissed toys will do). Truly, I was truly not into it yet I’d preferably be compelled to give something over glance at the harsh essence of my mother. Hehe! Therefore, giving in the end turned into a propensity to me. Furthermore, I should state, that propensity help manufactured the liberal and accommodating character that I have today. With respect to moral character and governmental issues, we should initially discuss moral decisions. Moore and Bruder said that numerous ethical decisions are additionally political decisions. For instance: â€Å"Is it legitimate for an administration to limit its citizens’ freedom? † or â€Å"When, if at any point, is fine and detainment genuine? † Thus, to make right political decisions, a government official must have a solid good character from which to draw his choice that will influence the state’s residents. Both Plato and Aristotle accepted that the state is a living being that has a reason. To Aristotle, its motivation is to advance acceptable life (satisfaction) for people. A state lawmaker should then have a solid good character (or the political will) to do what is ethically option to maintain easy street for the state’s residents. Aristotle additionally said that a decent government official or legislator will look for a political request where the residents will build up the ethically right (best) propensities from which they will build up their own ethical characters. On the whole, on the off chance that you need a pioneer to advocate what is ethically directly for the residents, at that point that pioneer ought to have a decent good character. Reference Moore B. Bruder, K. (2005). Theory: The Power of Ideas. USA: The McGraw-Hills Organizations. The most effective method to refer to Habit, Moral Character and Politics, Papers

Analyzing Eye of the Tiger essays

Examining Eye of the Tiger expositions Artists and musicians utilize diverse scholarly components to decorate various parts of the sonnet. Some utilization the components to make the peruser take a gander at specific pieces of the sonnet distinctively and others may utilize them to give a sonnet feeling. In Eye of the Tiger, Jim Petik utilizes symbolism to contrast the battle of individual with that of a tiger and furthermore redundancy to tell the peruser that an individual ought to never abandon their fantasies. The melody is written in song structure, which likewise improves the principle thought of not surrendering by demonstrating the peruser that fantasies do work out as expected. In the third refrain, Petik utilizes symbolism to make the peruser imagine a tiger chasing its prey. The initial two lines of the verse Petik composes, Face to confront, out in the warmth. Hangin intense, stayin hungry. He is looking at the hardship of an individual attempting to arrive at his objectives to that of a tiger chasing for food. In the last two lines of the refrain it says, Still we riot, for the slaughter with the ability to endure. In those two lines, Petik consolidates the two distinct universes utilizing the word road referencing the individual, and slaughter referencing the tiger. Eye of the Tiger is intended to be an inspiring melody; thus, Petik rehashes certain lines ensuring that, whoever the peruser may be, they will have the most grounded lines embedded into their psyche. He rehashes the hold back three distinct occasions all through the melody and the most significant line in the abstain is, Its the eye of the tiger. The eye of the tiger is the look in someones eyes when they have an inclination that theyre relentless. Petik rehashes that equivalent line four additional occasions toward the finish of the melody which gives the peruser an enduring impression that the person in question has the eye of the tiger. He additionally rehashes the expression risin up once toward the start of the tune, and afterward ag... <!

Top 10 Communication Tips 2011 #1 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Top 10 Communication Tips 2011 #1 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog We do our best to keep up with the volume of inquires our office receives but the reality is that size of our staff and the number of inquiries/applications makes it hard to keep up.   In past years the blog has featured a top 10 list with the intent of helping applicants receive the most efficient service possible from our office.   We know you want answers quickly and we want to do everything in our power to make that possible. Each year this list is updated in an effort to make communication with our office as easy and efficient as possible.   10 entries will be featured over the next couple of weeks and then compiled into a single entry for easy reference. In reviewing all of the entries please understand this is not an attempt to   dissuade you from contacting our office, rather the hope is to provide information that will allow you to receive a response as soon as possible and avoid delays. Number 1 â€" Always use the same email address when communicating with our office â€" this includes the email you use when you start your application. In addition we recommend NOT using an employer email address and always including your email address in the signature of your message (below your name). It is common for people to have at least three email addresses:   personal, work, and school (e.g. an alumni account). We highly recommend that you pick one email address and use it for your application and all communications with our office.   Doing so helps us to research your situation in the quickest and most comprehensive manner possible.   With several thousand people applying, just finding someone’s record can be a challenge. The first thing I do when I start to research an applicant’s inquiry or question is to plop the email address into my search bar.   If all of the emails are from the same account the process is greatly simplified. Also, I cannot tell you how often applicants email our office with a question and use a different address than the one on their application.   When looking someone up in our system   I do so by email address.   Thus if you email with a different address than the one you used when applying it takes much longer to pull up the appropriate application record. From personal experience I recommend against using an employer email address. The primary reason is that if you are admitted to SIPA you are going to leave your employer and your email account will be terminated.   Using your personal email address will avoid complications that can arise when you might request an email address change.   While it is possible to update your email we have several software systems so it can take time and possibly lead to missed communications. Do not be tempted to use an email address that you think will impress us.   For example you might feel that you should use your work email address because the company name is “impressive.”   Please use the email address that you consider to be your permanent address and one that you check frequently.   It is far less impressive to have to amend your record in our systems over time consistency is what impresses us.   Plus, we will see your employment history in your resume. The following are two bonus tips. First, please include your email address in the body of your email â€" for example below your name (an email signature with your email address included is highly recommended).   Sometimes emails get forwarded to other parties and only the body gets sent along.   If I just get the body and the header is left off, we have no email address to respond to and this leads to delays while we try to track down email contact information. From my experience this is a very common problem when people forward me emails from their Blackberry or mobile phone.   I cannot tell you the number of times a SIPA faculty or staff member has forwarded me a message and there is no visible email address.   So, just to make sure, I recommend setting up an email signature that includes your full email address. Second, make sure to check your junk mail box every now and then.   Every once in a while someone will send me a message and it will inexplicably end up in my junk email.   I recommended that you add our email address to your “approved sender” list and check your junk mail every once in while to ensure our messages are not being sent to where you will not be able to view them in a timely fashion.

Analysis of Nike Inc. - 9194 Words

The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies Master in International Project Management [pic] Corporate Strategy: Analysis of Nike, Inc. Students: Bodea Irina Paula Miu Alina Petrisoaia Dan Popa Andrei Ticmeanu Andrada 2012 The brand name â€Å"Nike† is one of the most recognized around the globe. The name is synonymous with high-quality athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories in the minds of many people worldwide. Perhaps it is the compelling marketing that commands attention. Or maybe it is the association between the brand name and its famous endorsers, such as Tiger Woods and†¦show more content†¦He also wrote a book entitled â€Å"Jogging† in which he explained how to run for fun and fitness. During Bowerman’s tenure at the University of Oregon, he had coached a young middle distance runner named Phil Knight. Knight wrote a research paper arguing that cheaper, high-performance Japanese shoes could overthrow German dominance of the U.S. athletic shoe industry. On a trip to Japan, Knight contracted with the Onitsuka Tiger Company to sell its quality athletic shoes in the U.S. He made up the name Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) in 1962 and formed a partnership with Bowerman in 1964, each partner investing $500 in the business (Nike Timeline, 2006). Bowerman designed most of the prototypes and made suggestions for improvement to the Tiger Company, while Knight distributed the shoes from his father’s basement and out of the back of his car at track meets. In 1965, Jeff Johnson, Knight’s former track competitor at Stanford University, became the first full-time employee of BRS. Under his guidance, BRS opened its first retail outlet in Santa Monica, California, in 1966 (Nike Timeline, 2006). In the following year, the company was incorporated. In 1971, Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student that Knight met at Portland State University, designed the swoosh for $35. Later that year, Jeff Johnson devised the name Nike, after the Greek goddess of triumph and victory.Show MoreRelatedNike, Inc. Case Analysis844 Words   |  4 PagesNIKE, Inc., is a company that was founded in by William Jay Bowerman and Philip H. Knight in 1964, and was originally called Blue Ribbon Sports, Inc. It’s name was changed to Ni ke, Inc. in 1971. It’s base of operation is located in Beaverton, Oregon. NIKE, Inc., is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities worldwide. Entirely owned Nike subsidiaries include ConverseRead MoreA Market Analysis Will Be On Nike, Inc.1336 Words   |  6 PagesThis market analysis will be on Nike, Inc. using the Porter’s Five Forces designed by Porter, (2008): 1) Competitive Rivalry within the Industry, 2) Bargaining Power of Suppliers, 3) Bargaining Power of Customers, 4) Threat of New Entrants, and 5) Threat of Substitute Products. Nike was founded in 1964 by Bill Bowerman a track coach at the University of Oregon who developed lightweight, durable running shoes along with Phil Knight one of his runners and a student of business at the University. AlmostRead MoreMarketing Analysis Of Nike Inc.3315 Words   |  14 Pagesthe a uthor highlights the marketing analysis of the leading athletic footwear, Nike Inc. Nike is headquartered in the United States. The author examines the marketing strategies of Nike with the help marketing models such as Ansoff Matrix and Boston Consulting Group Matrix. The author even focuses on the segmentation, targeting and positioning of the products, consumer behaviour towards Nike and conducts a PESTLE analysis. It gives a brief introduction of Nike conveying the foundation and formationRead MoreFinancial Analysis Of Nike Inc.1803 Words   |  8 PagesFinancial Analysis of Nike, Inc. Statement of purpose In this paper, I am going to present some of the key financial components of Nike and the growth that made it the extraordinary, multinational corporation that it is today. Company description Nike Inc. is one of the largest companies in the world that specialize in the design, development, and worldwide marketing and selling of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, and accessories. It currently has about 26,000 employees, 20,000 retailers inRead MoreStrategic Analysis of Nike Inc12147 Words   |  49 Pages6 Profile of CEOÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…..p.7 Competitor s ProfileÂ…Â…Â…Â….Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….p.7 Industry ProfileÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…..p.8 Company AnalysisÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…p.9 Industry AnalysisÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…......p.24 Top Competitor AnalysisÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….p.25 Other External ForcesÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….p.26 Key OpportunityÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…..Â….Â…p.27 Key ThreatÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…pRead MoreNike, Inc. Business Strategy Analysis3636 Words   |  15 PagesDUTA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY | NIKE, Inc. Business Strategy Analysis | Issues in Strategic Information Management | BIS301 | Elia Sagita Wijaya E1000235 | Table of Contents I. Executive Summary 2 II. Background and Assumptions 2 III. Mission Statement, Goals and Objectives 2 IV. Remote Environment 3 A. Economic Factors 3 B. Social Factors 3 C. Political and Legal Factors 4 V. Porter’s Five Forces 4 A. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 4 B. BargainingRead MoreCase Study Analysis: Nike, Inc.3361 Words   |  14 PagesANTONIO, PAUL ERIC G. 03 JUNE 2012 BUSINESS POLICY Case Study Analysis: Nike, Inc. Executive Summary Nike, Inc. has had three years of shifts of revenue and profit increases. During the case years studied (1999-2001), the net income in 2001 for Nike, Inc. (589.7M) increased by only 1.8% over 2000. Increases from 1999-2000 were much more significant 28.3% (579.1M). For the year 2001, revenues at Nike increased by 5.5% over 2000 to 9.489B. Since 1997, the company’s success includeRead MoreA Portfolio Managers Analysis of Nike Inc. Essay1029 Words   |  5 Pagesdecision to make while looking at Nike Inc. financials: whether Kimi should buy Nike shares or not for the fund Group she was working for. Kimi needed to consider all aspects of Nike Inc. financial position. On July 28,2011 Nike Inc. held a analyst’s meeting to disclose their fiscal year 2001 as well as to revitalize the company who wasn’t performing well. Thus, the meeting showed that Nike Inc. experienced some difficulties during the past years. First, Nike Inc. revenues have reached a plateau sin ceRead MoreCase Analysis of Nike, Inc.: Cost of Capital731 Words   |  3 Pageswe can doubt about sensitivity analysis done by Kimi Ford (portfolio manager) too. Because her assumptions such as Revenue Growth Rate, COGS / Sales, S A / Sales, Current Assets / Sales, and Current Liability / Sales have been adopted from previous income statements and balance sheets from 1995 to 2001. Perhaps, we can take new assumptions. Generally, the case issue is to examine if the share price of Nike is undervalue or overvalue and the common stock of Nike Inc should be added to the North PointRead MoreA Financial Ratio Quarterly Trend Analysis of Nike, Inc.4463 Words   |  18 PagesA Financial Ratio Quarterly Trend Analysis of Nike, Inc. Stock Symbol: NKE Listed on the New York Stock Exchange In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Course: FIN 6406 Report Completed By: 1. Introduction A financial ratio quarterly trend analysis was completed to provide the reader with a clear assessment of the financial health of the company: NIKE International. Just knowing that this company chose a symbol that references the winged goddess of victory seems to have been a

Analysis Of The Writing Of Martin Luther King Jr.

â€Å"An Analysis of Discrimination in Society Today and Critique of the Writing of Martin Luther King Jr., â€Å"Indian Education†, â€Å"The Catbird Seat† and â€Å"How My Country has Caught me Up† Discrimination is an action that negates public involvement or human right to the classes of people based on prejudgment. Those who discriminate are troubled by others who are different from themselves. However, there are some people who connect with those of different races easily, and then there are others who are single-minded and want to be intolerable. In America, discrimination has been just as common now as ever before, just in more various ways. Although racism is most common, discrimination against gender, and disability, is just as common. Discrimination is still a huge problem in today s society; over the past few years there has been more and more reports teenagers committing suicide because they are judged at school for being different. Gender and disability discrimination are often recognized and thus frowned upon, but overall, discrimination seems to be â€Å"undetectable† to society—that is, ignored, even though its damaging effects are in plain sight. T here are many people who are deemed unworthy of respect because of race, gender, and disability. I believe all humans should be treated equal, regardless of age, race, gender, social status, religion because, as in the words of Emmanuel Chukwudi Eze, â€Å"All humans in the whole word belong to the same natural genus† (39). TheShow MoreRelatedThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln924 Words   |  4 Pagesit paved the way for African-American to fight for freedom. It also changed the focus of war and freedom for slaves became a new focus of war. Moreover, Martin Luther King Jr. was not a United States president, however, he too paved the way for African-Americans. He was a Civil Rights activist, leader, Baptist Minister and Humanitarian. King is historically known for bringing equality for all regardless of race. Americas Library emphasizes, â€Å"He was famous for using nonviolent resistance to overcomeRead More Letters from a Birmingham Jail Essay1534 Words   |  7 Pagesthe criticism. Martin Luther King Jr. is writing a letter from inside the jail of Birmingham in April of 1963. This letter King wrote was in response to a letter he received from the religious leaders after King is making a stand against the racial issues in Alabama. These leaders stand firm in their letter when they say that when rights are being denied, they should be handled in the courts with negotiations and not in the streets. The authorities have placed Martin Luther King Jr. against his ownRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr.862 Words   |  4 Page sactivist, Martin Luther King Jr. and Greek Philosopher, Socrates, understanding the overall purpose each of their journey’s these men ultimately shared a common goal. In this proclamation, I will prove that without a doubt, Socrates would have agreed with Martin Luther King’s ideas of civil disobedience. Socrates was a man in search of wisdom, truths, and justice, who simply refused to accept the discernable deficiency of evidence which sustained such injustices. Martin Luther King Jr., a man inRead MoreAnalysis of Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail962 Words   |  4 Pagesintangible, it is still necessary. Some forms of inspiration come as passionate love while others appeal as injustice. Martin Luther King Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail was a response to A Call for Unity by eight white clergymen. His inspiration for writing the letter was the clergymens unjust proposals and the letter allowed him to present his rebuttal. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively crafted his counter argument by first directly addressing his audience, the clergymen, and then using logosRead MoreUse And Manipulation Of The English Language1394 Words   |  6 Pages The proper use and manipulation of the English language, skills so difficult to learn, reap a great deal of power when maste red. As hyperbolic as it sounds, being able to use and manipulate the English language properly into our writing and speaking can be very influential in advocating ideas towards a community. â€Å"As a speaker, you have some influence on the extent to which others see you as having authority† (Fontaine and Smith 13). To gain authority over an audience, one must write and speak withRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay1266 Words   |  6 PagesPower Analysis: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail A statement from eight white clergymen from Alabama prompted Martin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail†. This statement criticized Kings actions of non-violent protests against racial segregation and the injustice of unequal civil rights in America (Carpenter elt al.). The eight clergymen considered Birmingham to be â€Å"their† town and King was disrupting the â€Å"Law and Order and Common Sense† established in coping with racialRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. Essay1553 Words   |  7 PagesMartin Luther King Jr. From the Apostle Paul to Martin Buber: Martin Luther Kings use of Historical and Religious Figures in his Letter From Birmingham Jail In his Letter From Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is addressing his fellow clergymen in response to their accusations of his unwise and untimely activities. Like most other reformers, he finds his greatest rationalization and defense from the word of God. Considering the religious affiliation of his audience, King appealsRead MoreMlk Rhetorical Analysis Essay example1178 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical Analysis on Martin Luther King Junior’s Letter from Birmingham Jail In Martin Luther King Junior’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, MLK uses ethos, logos, and pathos powerfully and effectively to present his argument that the discrimination of African Americans all over the country is unbearable and should be outlawed forever. King wrote the letter in Birmingham, Alabama after a peaceful protest against segregation which was King’s way of reinforcing his belief that without forceful, directRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King s Speech1460 Words   |  6 Pagesrhetorical analysis asks us to look not only at what a text says, or the meaning of the text, but also at how that meaning is created in the text. For this assignment, I want to challenge you to not just analyze the â€Å"ethos, pathos, and logos† of a text, but to delve deeply into how the text moves us to identify with its message, and to think, feel, or act in a specific way. One of the reason why this text became the most popular text of our century. First of the speaker Martin Luther King Junior deliverRead MoreAn Analysis of Martin Luther King Jrs Letter from Birmingham Jail776 Words   |  3 PagesEssay analysis Letter from Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr (African Studies Center, 2013). :Letter from Birmingham Jail is a powerful piece of writing that graces the writings by Martin Luther. Part of the power lies in the use of rhetorical devices such as ethos, logos, and pathos in the letter. Luther used these stylistic devices and literary approaches to express his message, intention and express the mood of the letter making a masterpiece like no other letters before.

Honesty Lie and Friendship Relationship Free Essays

In a friendship relationship honesty is the most important trait one should have. Although many traits such as respectfulness, trustworthiness and caring are also important to have one believes that honesty is the number one trait. Honesty means telling the truth, having good intentions and being sincere. We will write a custom essay sample on Honesty: Lie and Friendship Relationship or any similar topic only for you Order Now To establish a friendship relationship one should be able to believe in each other. An example of this is believing in each other is when a friend borrows money and they say they will return it the next day. They are giving their word. If they just keep the money and never return it to back then they are considered to be a dishonest person and the friendship can fall apart. Instead they should be honest and tell the truth of why they couldn’t return the money and maybe the friendship could be restored. Having good intentions speaks about having good character. When one has good intentions then one can be believed in. For instance if a friend tells another friend that a particular person has a crush on them, this action may cause resentfulness because they may have a crush on another person. Even though the intentions were good intentions the actions could become disastrous because the relationship will be broken. Another form of honesty is if one goes into class and a cell phone is left behind on a chair; what would one do: A: keep it or B: tell the teacher? On one occasion this was, while entering the classroom one found a cell phone and one gave it to the teacher. By making the right choice one’s peers were able to identify one’s honesty. Setting a good example is the best thing to do. Not everyone is as honest, on one occasion one’s phone was stolen from one’s backpack, one was very unhappy. Due to not having enough money to purchase another cell phone one has had to adjust to life without a cell phone. There are many dishonest people everywhere. One’s belief is that if the item doesn’t belong to one then one must return the item. Being sincere with each other is building a positive relationship. No matter how difficult it is to tell the truth one is better off being sincere than to lie about it. The friendship may be hindered if the truth is not said as it occurs and the friendship may be lost. When one lies about things then one continues to lie very easily to others in fact one can actually think that one is telling the truth. One guesses one can become a compulsive liar. By always practicing telling the truth one will not have those types of problems. In conclusion, the reader may not agree to above essay, yet one believes that honesty is what keeps a friendship relationship in good standards. Being sincere is to tell each other the truth no matter how difficult it may be. By being careful with one’s intentions can prevent hindering the friendship by ensuring one’s actions are the right ones. How to cite Honesty: Lie and Friendship Relationship, Essay examples

The Five Major Structure of the Brain free essay sample

The brain is composed up of roughly 77 to 78% of water, 10 to 12% lipids, 8% proteins, 1% carbs, 2% soluble organics, and 1% inorganic salt. The brain can actually grow as it obtains more knowledge. The brain is made up of the five major structures: the myelencephalon, metencephalon (the hindbrain), mesencephalon (the midbrain), diencephalon, and the telencephalon (the forebrain). The myelencephalon is a structure of the medulla oblongata. The medulla transmits signals between the spinal cord and the upper areas of the brain. It is the lowest area of the brainstem. This area of the brain carries signals between the body and the brain. The functions of the myelencephalon include autonomic functions, breathing, digestion, heart rate, swallowing, and sneezing. The mentencephalon is located under the rear area of the cerebrum and above the medulla oblongata. This structure is made up of the cerebellum and pons (the connection to the cerebellum). The functions of the metencephalon include arousal, balance, cardiac reflexes, muscle movement and maintenance, and sleep. We will write a custom essay sample on The Five Major Structure of the Brain or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Along with the myelencephalon, they represent the hindbrain. The mesencephalon is the midbrain structure of the brain stem. It is what bridges the hindbrain to the forebrain. The functions of he mesencephalon include controlling sight response, eye movement, pupil dilation, body movement, and hearing. Within the mesencephalon is the tectum, which controls visual and auditory responses. The tegmentum is another part of it, which controls awareness, attention, and motor functions. The telencephalon is at the front of the brain and is made up of the basil ganglia, the cerebral cortex, the olfactory bulb, and the corpus striatum. The functions of the telencephalon include: determining intelligence, personality, sense of smell, sense of touch, sensory impulse interpretations, organization and planning. The diencephalon is located in between the cerebral hemispheres and is greater than the midbrain. It is composed of the thalamus and hypothalamus structures. The thalamus acts as a relay point for nerve impulses that are inbound from around the body that are then dispatched to the appropriate area of the brain for processing. The hypothalamus controls hormone secretions produced from the pituitary gland. These hormones control growth and instinctual behaviors such as eating, drinking, sex, anger, and reproduction. The hypothalamus also controls when a new mother begins to lactate. Some of the functions of the diencephalon include: sensing impulses moving throughout the body, controlling autonomic functions, endocrine functions, motor functions, homeostasis and basic senses such as hearing, vision, smell, and taste. The cerebrum is the bigger portion of the brain and it consists of 85% of the overall weight of the brain. It has a unique outer surface with deep wrinkles, which is the cerebral cortex that consists of â€Å"gray matter†. The cerebrum is what makes the human brain as powerful as it is. Unlike animals that have larger brains such as elephants, dolphins, and whales, we have the most developed cerebrum. Its high development is due the fact that it’s compressed very tightly in our skulls, covering the remainder of the brain and the deep folds aid in maximizing the surface area of the cortex. The cerebrum is composed of two hemispheres, which consist of four lobes or regions. The frontal lobes are located behind the forehead and are involved with speech, thought, emotion, learning, and movement functions. The parietal lobes process sensory information such as temperature, touch and pain. They are located behind the frontal lobes. The occipital lobes are involved with vision and are located in the back of the brain. Last but not least, there are the temporal lobes, which are involved with hearing and memory. They are located near the temples. The next biggest portion of the brain is the cerebellum, which sits below the back end of the cerebrum. It coordinates our muscle movement and keeps our balanced controlled. It consists of both grey and white matter, and is what transmits signals and messages to the spinal cord and other parts of the brain. As the preceding paragraphs show, the human brain is an incredible and complex organ. However it is a highly sensitive and delicate organ, and requires great protection.

Taiwans Economy Transformation

Mothers Day Celebrations Around the World

Mothers Day Celebrations Around the World Although the idea of honoring mothers on a special day was known as far back as ancient Greece, today Mothers Day is celebrated in many countries, in many different ways, and on different dates. Where Did Mothers Day Originate? The credit for the American Mothers Day observance goes to three women. In 1872 Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910), who also wrote the lyrics for The Battle Hymn of the Republic, proposed a Mothers Day observance dedicated to peace in the years following the Civil War. Such annual observances were held in Boston in the late 1800s. In 1907 Anna Marie Jarvis (1864-1948), a Philadelphia teacher originally from Grafton, West Virginia, began her own efforts to establish a national Mothers Day. She also wished to honor her own mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis (1832-1905), who had first promoted the Mothers Work Days in 1858 as a way to improve the sanitary conditions in her town. She later worked to relieve suffering during and after the Civil War. With the support of churches, business people, and politicians, Mothers Day came to be observed on the second Sunday in May in most U.S. states within several years of Ann Jarvis campaign. The national Mothers Day holiday became official on May 8, 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution, but it was more of a patriotic day on which flags were flown in honor of mom. Ironically, Anna Jarvis, who later tried in vain to combat the increasing commercialization of the holiday, never became a mother herself. Mothers Day in Europe Englands Mothers Day observance goes back to the 13th century when Mothering Sunday was observed on the fourth Sunday of Lent (because it was originally for Mary, mother of Christ). Later, in the 17th century, servants were given a free day on Mothering Sunday to return home and visit their mothers, often bringing along a sweet treat known as the mothering cake that was to be kept until Easter. In the UK, Mothering Sunday is still observed during Lent, in March or early April. In Austria, Germany, and Switzerland Muttertag is observed on the second Sunday in May, just as in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Italy, Japan, and many other countries. During the First World War, Switzerland was one the first European countries to introduce Mothers Day (in 1917). Germanys first Muttertag observance took place in 1922, Austrias in 1926 (or 1924, depending on the source). Muttertag was first declared an official German holiday in 1933 (the second Sunday in May) and took on a special significance as part of the Nazi motherhood cult under the Hitler regime. There was even a medal- das Mutterkreuz- in bronze, silver, and gold (eight or more Kinder!), awarded to mothers who produced children for the Vaterland. (The medal had the popular nickname of Karnickelorden, the Order of the Rabbit.) After World War II the German holiday became a more unofficial one that took on the cards-and-flowers elements of the U.S. Mothers Day. In Germany, if Mothers Day happens to fall on Pfin gstsonntag (Pentecost), the holiday is moved to the first Sunday in May. Mothers Day in Latin America International Mothers Day is observed on May 11. In Mexico and much of Latin America Mothers Day is on May 10. In France and Sweden Mothers Day falls on the last Sunday in May. Spring in Argentina comes in October, which may explain why their Mothers Day observance is on the second Sunday in October rather than May. In Spain and Portugal Mothers Day is Dec. 8 and is more of a religious holiday than most Mothers Day celebrations around the world, although the English Mothering Sunday actually began under Henry III in the 1200s as a celebration of the Mother Church. German poet and philosopher, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Von Vater hab ich die Statur, des Lebens ernstes FÃ ¼hren, von MÃ ¼tterchen die Frohnatur und Lust zu fabulieren.

International Dimensions Of Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Dimensions Of Business - Essay Example Briefly, the Haier Company came in existence by the year 1984 in a Qingdao, in the Shandong province. Following this, the company specifically does manufacture home appliances over 15,100 products. Consequently, the above data did basis on 96 categories of different specifications. Back in 2006 April, the Haier firm had come to 6,189 mark of original technology products that they had manufactured. To add on that the company did acquire software certificates of about 589 from intellectual property rights. Essentially, the Haier products in marketed their products in over 100 different countries. Apparently, the Haier Company sponsored the Beijing 2008 Olympics games (Nancy & Allison, 2008, p.90). In summary, the company has its headquarters in the Shandong province at a place known as Qingdoa in the republic of china. Additionally, the company has almost 50,000 employees worldwide and has over 240 subsidiaries. Concerning the financial status, the company has revenue of about 103.4 bi llion RMB that is global. Consequently, this averages to 68% annual growth between the year of 1984 and 2005.Haier Company is the most profound company that has undergone dynamic changes. Furthermore, it is now the most successful company globally. Therefore, it is important for one study the company. The company gathers a range of issues that are comprehensive for one to learn. Some of the subsidiaries that came to be on the list were Qingdao Haier Company, limited on the stock exchange of the Shanghai as well as the Haier electronic group limited that was listed in the Hong Kong stock exchange. As most companies, the Haier had to have business tock as follows: manufacturing and product development, trade, research on technology and lastly the finance services. Notably, the company did stick on its line of production for several issues namely; freezers, microwave ovens, washing machines, televisions, computers, mobile phones and lastly commercial air conditioners. In the summary of the introduction Haier Company came into existence in the year 1984, in the Qingdao city in the province of Shandong, and lastly, it is in china. It was the first white goods company of the china republic and eventually, it did distribute its products in five continents, which are 160 countries. The company had over 70 thousand employees over the world. Ranking Subsequently, during the year of 2006, Haier Company was in 86th position out of 500 of most prominent brands. Notably one of its achievements was that this is the only company that came to top 100 positions consecutively for three years. It is noteworthy that the company improved its reputation in that it was the first among the Chinese brands to acquire appropriate recommendations in its financial reports globally by the year 2006. The reports came in generation by the Canada state and in addition, the group got world climate rewards from the U.S.in summery, this is few achievements of the Haier Company. The productions of the Haier Company Following this, the Haier Company did manufacture a wide range of products from refrigerating cabinets, air conditioners, computers, water heaters, and home theater, televisions, and mobiles phones among the many that have not been in mention. Furthermore, Haier is leading in the technology domains of home furniture that are integrated by intelligence, digitization, and extensive integration of circuits. Haier’ global branding deal Company did aim at getting to a position of local brand in several markets worldwide in concurrence with the superior competitiveness of the product in relation to tough corporate operation. International business structure comprises of the universal design network, production, distribution and as far as procurement of after sale services (Shaw & Onkvisit, 2008).

Plantain Vs Banana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Plantain Vs Banana - Essay Example The name Musa paradisiaca was given to the plantain group which are cooked and consumed while still starchy† (Robinson 21). Through further classification the two fruits became known scientifically as M. balbisiana and M. acuminata (Robinson 1). Bananas and plantains share the same source of origin in Southeast Asia (Robinson 1). Today, the banana and plantain are abundant in slightly different parts of the world. Historically, the banana traveled from its origin to more tropical climates around 500 A.D, then ended in the Caribbean and South America about a thousand years later (Robinson 14). Most modern bananas are grown in the Caribbean region. In contrast, the plantain traveled from its origin of Southeast Asia and is now produced primarily in South America. Physically, bananas and plantains appear similar except for their color. Bananas are typically yellow when ripe and green when not ripe. Plantains are green when not ripe and black when ripe. A plantain is longer than a banana, and has a thicker skin (Chiquita Bananas). The major differences between plantains and bananas are their taste differences and their popular uses. Although they appear similar on the outside, inside they are quite different and are used for different purposes. According to the Chiquita banana website, bananas are much sweeter than plantains and are typically eaten raw (Chiquita Bananas). Bananas are considered a fruit while plantains are considered members of the vegetable family. Plantains can be eaten raw, but are mostly eaten when they have been steamed, baked, boiled, or fried. Plantains are used as though they are a vegetable and are a staple in Central American and South American diets. Interestingly, plantains are produced primarily in South America and consumed locally. â€Å"Only 1.62% of the world plantain production is exported† (Robinson 6). Bananas became popular in the United States after they started being imported

Punishment And Rehabilitation In The Community Criminology Essay

Punishment And Rehabilitation In The Community Criminology Essay Critically evaluate the use of the prison as a sentence of the court in England and Wales over the last 20 years. The 1990s witnessed a sharp rise in the politicization and in the severity of sentencing policy (Maguire et al, 2007). Since the 1990s legislation has been heavily criticised, this saw the abandonment of key pillars, yet the rise of others. Therefore, The Criminal Justice Act as somewhat revolutionised bringing forward newer legislation over the years that have impacted on the way sentences are used. The change in government from Conservative to New Labour also saw a bewildered mixture of new polices, which have contributed and influenced the use of the prison. Since the post war years the prison population began to expand, which led to a sense of crisis for the government from two perspectives. The first was in terms of social control. The significant and rapidly rising prison population had the potential to be perceived as a breakdown in social order. The other area of concern was due to the expanding prison population and the increase in expenditure. At the time the government were trying to reduce expenditure and instigate new community sentences to limit the number of offenders who actually went to prison. Consequently, there have been many theorists who have attempted to structure the criminal justice system. There have also been new ideologies for how the prison should be used as a sentence. By analysing the use of the prison it will help to define contemporary prisons in western societies, not least since there is considerable consensus that the penal system in England and Wales has been in a state of ever deepening crisis since the 1960s (Maguire et al, 2007). Statistics show a major increase in the prison population. In 1989 the prison population was 48,600 throughout the year and in 2008 the prison population increased to 83,190. Crime measured by the British Crime Survey (BCS) fell from 18.5 million offences in 1993 to 11.7 million by 2003/04. BCS crime fell by around a third in England and Wales at the same time as the prison population increased by two-thirds (Home Office 2008). These statistics suggest that the use of the prison has been very effective by how recorded crime rates have fell over the years and that the number of offenders going to prison as increased. However, it strikes controversy due to the increase in prison populations. In 1997, Labour had created 16,000 more prison places when the Government were trying to reduce expenditure in that area. The lead up to the 1991 Criminal Justice Act witnessed a shift in penal policy. The ongoing concerns of ever growing prison numbers accompanied a widespread disenchantment with the rehabilitative ideal and concerns were raised about the matching of sentences to offenders rather than the crime (Brownlee 1998). The conservative government had issued major changes to the sentencing framework influenced by retributivist theory and the concept of just deserts where offenders were punished in proportion to the crimes they had committed. Also the 1990 white paper, Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public introduced new legislation in the criminal justice system. Now, Community sentences could be used as alternatives rather than the use of imprisonment. Home Office (1990) also claimed a more consistent approach to sentencing so that criminals get there just deserts. The central aims of sentencing were just desserts and proportional sentences; however, deterrence was demoted as a sentence. This criticism was made of the 1991 Act and 1993 Act as there was an unworkable hybrid sentencing framework. The Criminal Justice Act 1991 was clear that the main sentencing decision was to calculate offence seriousness and a proportionate (commensurate) sentence. Prison therefore, was used to keep people in custody by the seriousness of the offence (Easton et al, 2005). Consequently, the use of the prison had changed by acknowledging the seriousness of the offence, whereas before anybody who committed a crime would just go to prison. Thus, somebody convicted with murder would go to prison, whereas somebody who was vandalising would more likely pay a fine or have a community sentence depending on the circumstances. This significant piece of legislation appeared to pave the way for community sentences, and indeed the Probation Service to play a central role in criminal justice policy. Courts were now guided by seriousness thresholds, which required them to justify why a sentence was either serious enough for a community penalty, or so serious that only a custodial sentence could be warranted (Cavadino Dignan 2002). By 1993 however the incoming Home Secretary made it clear that he was an advocate of custodial measures for offenders in his statement Prison Works. The 1993 Criminal Justice Act rescinded on some of the positive aspects of the earlier 1991 Act, and marked a resurrection of law and order rhetoric in determining criminal justice policy. By 1995 in the Green Paper Strengthening Punishment in the Community, despite the considerable changes brought about to community sentences by the 1991 Criminal Justice Act, the claim was made that probation supervision was still regarded as a soft option. The subsequent White Paper Protecting the Public clearly emphasised the need for community sentences to have a punitive rather than rehabilitative focus, and called upon these sentences to be physically, mentally or emotionally challenging with a stress on personal responsibility and discipline. The rapid increase in the prison population and the numbers sent to prison represented a radical break with the virtual stability of previous decades. Even so, two considerations should be borne in mind before attributing the total responsibility for the increase in prison population solely to Michael Howard. First there is some evidence that public opinion took a more punitive turn in the 1990s, which might explain why the anticipated public outcry against Howards policies was so muted, and why the mass media were largely supportive of these policies (Hough, 1996). Ryan (2002) also argued that a series of moral panics was manipulated by politicians to win the support of voters for a tougher law and order platform. Populist Punitiveness had a major effect on legislation because it became central to the concerns of the general public and there responses to crime. A synopsis of the 1991 and 1993 Criminal Justice Act highlight the use of the prison by how serious the crime is. The prison is used to confiscate liberty and by 1993 and the use of community sentences made it more definable by the level of crime committed by using seriousness thresholds. However, by 1995 they recognised that the probation service was to soft and needed amendments. The use of the prison was now seen as a last resort or for very serious offences. In addition, public opinion had a major influence on crime, which is argued one of the reasons why the prison population is said to be so high due to the publics view and fear of crime. In May 1997, the Conservative Party was ejected from power as Labour; Led by Tony Blair enjoyed a landslide victory. Tony Blair, thought to alter Labour to New Labour, and one of the ways he did this was through public image by becoming tough on crime (Mathews 1999). Labour introduced a various amount of legislation, which led to the circulation of community penalties. This was evident in the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act, which created the Drug Treatment Testing Order, and the 2000 Criminal Justice and Court Services Act. This brought about the Probation Order, Community Service Order and the Combination Order. Two further sentences were also created that are the Exclusion Order and the Drug Abstinence Order. However, the Drug Abstinence Order was later abandoned as it was proved unworkable; this could be due to Populist Punitivism. The conservative government have a right wing approach, whereas New Labour comes from the left. This however, had little effect for the use of the prison as labour emphasised on the conservative approach to crime and made it stronger. Although there was new legislation that gave the court more power and options over the offender, prison numbers continued to rise. This was also apparent when David Blunkett became Home Secretary as the prison population started to rapidly grow months after (Guardian 2001). In 2001, the prison crisis of over crowding, and the fiscal problems were highlighted again, which resulted in new legislation from results drawn from the Halliday Report. The review was born out of a belief that the present sentencing framework suffers from serious deficiencies that reduce its contributions to crime reduction and public confidence (Halliday 2001). The report highlighted key limitations and suggested new approaches to strengthen the criminal justice system. One of the highlighted problems was the short prison sentences of less than 12 months and that they had no effect on the offender. It was also noted that persistent offenders do not appear to receive significantly longer prison sentences. Halliday (2001) shows that in a sample of male offenders aged over 18 and sentenced in1998, the average sentence for burglary for an offender with 10 or more previous convictions was only 4 months more than somebody with no convictions. The Halliday Report led to the White Paper in 2002, Justice For All, which sets out the Governments far reaching proposals for the reform of the criminal justice system and resulted in the 2003 Criminal Justice Act. The Halliday Report noted that just deserts and the punishment fitting the crime are key features of the statutory framework set up in 1991 and that there is nothing wrong with this in itself. However the report now focuses on three tiers of seriousness established by the Act: fines, community punishment and custody (Easton, 2005). This created a new framework and therefore saw the collapse of just deserts. Instead of focusing on just how serious the crime was for punishment, the court now had power to punish the offender in many of different ways depending on the offence. From the 2001 Halliday Report and the 2002 White Paper the new findings created a new framework to sentences. The Act clearly sets out the purposes of sentencing, which include retributive, deterrence and reductive, reform rehabilitation, public protection, and reparation, (Criminal Justice Act 2003). The Halliday Report also influenced the new legislation in 2003 by identifying a gap in the sentencing framework. The Act replaced all the adult community sentences with a generic community sentence. This allowed the courts to attach requirements to this community sentence from a number of options; supervision, unpaid work, activities, prohibited activities, accredited programmes, curfew, exclusion, residence, mental health treatment, drug rehabilitation, alcohol treatment, attendance centre (for under 25 yr olds) (Criminal Justice Act 2003). The Criminal Justice Act 2003 also introduced a number of other measures such as Conditional Cautions, Strengthened deferment of sentence to include an element of probation supervision, Custody Plus, Intermittent Custody, new Suspended Sentence Order; however, these measures show unclear boundaries between community and custodial penalties. Thus, the argument against this is whether the courts will favour a custody followed by a rehabilitative sentence and that they will become more popular, which will help reduce overcrowding. Faulkner (2002) prior to the 2003 Criminal Justice Act urged caution in seeing the introduction of a new sentencing framework as the answer to addressing crime. He states that: If the new sentences are to contribute to reduced rates of crime or re-offending, they will at the very least have to be applied in the context of a prison system which is no longer distracted by overcrowding, of a well-resourced and innovative National Probation Service. This may sugge st that there is a covert meaning under the new framework for the use of imprisonment. By utilising community sentences it is thought that this will free prison space, which will stop over crowding and make punishment worth while. However, statistics show far greater use is being made of the prison and probation service because in 1996, 85,000 offenders were given a custodial sentence and 133,000 were given a community sentence. By 2001, both had increased by 25 per cent, with 107,000 offenders given a custodial sentence and 166,000 offenders receiving a community sentence (reference). The use of the prison as changed significantly over the years, with a major influence from the change in government and the change in the sentencing framework. Originally, the prison was used for any type of crime but due to over crowding the government came to recognise that the prison should be used for the more serious offences and introduced the community service for petty crimes. Community service was perceived to free up prison space and the fiscal crisis, however the prison population kept expanding over the years. This could be due to the numbers of offenders caught and sentenced as police powers had expanded or the increase in the overall seriousness of the crimes brought to justice or the increase in the sentence severity for specific offences. New legislation allowed the courts to have an option, however, this soon expanded focusing more on community services using the prison as the last resort. Nobody wants to go to prison; therefore by issuing a community service it is g iving them a strong warning using the prison as the most feared punishment. Individuals who then break the community service punishment will then be sent to prison. A new Act came Criminal justice and immigration act 2008 brought forward the release date of prisoners serving sentences greater than 4 years imposed before 4 April 2005. It did not apply to prisoners serving life sentences or serving sentences for violent or sexual offences. This section came into force on 9 June 2008. This was in order to alleviate prison overcrowding. prisons are for suspects refused bail and detained before trial, or convicted but not yet sentenced, are held in custody to ensure that the course of justice proceeds to its conclusion and that everyone concerned is protected against the likelihood of harm in the interim. The system needs to ensure that the increased investment in prison and probation is targeted effectively to reduce crime and maintain public confidence. The use of prison and probation has increased by over a quarter since 1996, even though the number of people arrested and sentenced has remained broadly constant. The growth is due to the increased severity of sentences, which is linked to the fall in the use of fines. terrorists #3 strikes mandatory life sentence 2003

Craven Books Issues

The purpose of this paper is to give and provide detailed information about the reason why Craven Books was having issues on the implementation of the new information technology system which should help to improve the performance of the business. Other than that, the implementation of this new information technology system nearly makes Craven Books face bankruptcy and lost many customers.In this paper, 3 issues that lead Craven Books faced failure in the implementation of the new information technology system will be chosen to discuss in detailed. Each issue will be discuss in detailed together with any related case studies that can take as reference and recommendations to eliminate and cope each issue.Company’s BackgroundCraven Books is a distributor of comics and magazines and books. The company was founded and evolves in the market place in the late 1960 as it founder, Peter Craven started to distribute sci-fi and horror books through direct mail. In 1970’s, the busi ness began to be known in the market place by buying comics in bulk from both the American publishers and the second hand comic market and sell this on their customers in the United Kingdom by using a mail order catalogue. This had helped the company to grow in the market place and be known by many other customers. Because of this the company had been able to encounter growth both in profit and in the number of their regular customers.In this regard, the company decided to use a new information system as part of their business strategy. In 1990’s, this plan has been initiated as Craven Books invest in new integrated information systems that will include all business operations of the company, from ordering, to processing, accounting and warehousing. All in one information system which aims to ensure that they will provide quality service to their customers and to make their logistics be more dependable. However, upon implementation of such project, the company’s expect ation has not been achieved and worst, it weakens the competitiveness of the company and the competitive advantage  that it builds had been destabilized.Reasons That Cause Unsuccessful Of Information Technology System According to the video that was showed in class which is titled ‘The Great IT Horror Story’, there were many reasons that lead the implementation of this new information technology system into disaster and chaos to the business. In addition, people who were relevant to the cause of this incident were being interviewed too and they also gave out their own opinion on why this disaster can happened and what preventions or actions should be made to cope and prevent the issues on the implementation of the new information technology system.As mentioned, due to the objective to have and efficient distribution system, the management of Craven Books has decided to create an IT system. At first, the new system was expected to and should provide great time, effort and savings for the company to achieved the company’s objective but upon implementation of the new systems, the company’s expectation has not been achieve and even worst, it weakens the competitiveness of the company and the competitive advantages that the Craven Bookstore built had been not stable. In the video, it shows the common or classic mistake that make by the small business which also make by Craven Books that lead to this failure. Through this report, the following are the reasons why the new system in Craven Books was a failure.1.) Unable to determine the suitable IT system One of the first reasons for the failure of the system is the over-ambitious of Craven Books’ management that unable to determine the best IT system to use, to prepare a strategic plan before the implementation which lead to the result in choosing the IT system that is unfit to the company. Due to the reason that the company wants to be more competitive immediately, they pick the s ystem without even trying to identify whether the system really works or not. Furthermore, there wasn’t anyone is in charge of the systems to teach the employees to use the new system.2.) Rely too much on software consultants Another mistake was that Craven is relying too much on its software consultants, did not try to review or assess the given system to test its efficiency and effectiveness before it implemented. The consultant’s suggested Craven to go for an existing system because the implementation of customized system was a bad choice to achieve Craven’s purpose or objective; it’s like putting a third wing on a jumbo jet as the thing was going so fast that the desire result wouldn’t be achieved. Besides that, the project will not employ a staff to monitor, so that when the system went wrong there was no one has to take responsibility on it.The company was giving choice on the standard package that provide the advantages of the low cost and t he another one is tailored solution which give the advantage to use the tailored solution that can modified the system that suit to the business but on the other side this method is more expensive than the standard package.3.) Disaster strikes After the implementation of the new system, Craven faced some disaster strikes, they lost most of their major or main customers and almost more than 60% of the staffs were being dismissed. Because of the failure in the new system, it brings many negative feedbacks to the company. This leads many issues that reduce the company’s performance such as the conflict that happen in the actual situation with the result shown in the computer system.Despite that, the inaccurate of the weight device that was implant in the computer system always give wrong measurements and this problem had lost customers and created many angry customers due to the wrong orders were being deliver to the customers. In order to manage this disaster, the company had t o fire most of the staff and changes back the system to old system. The computer disaster cost Craven about $1 million dollar.4.) No one to blame or responsible for the failure of system Another reason of this failure of new system that there wasn’t anyone is responsible or managed to the project and the absent of a project team leaders that should be accountable to the system and lead the project into success. In the end, the suppliers and Cravens blamed each other for the result that it should be the responsibility of the company’s management because they didn’t do any preparation or strategic planning before the implementation of the project.In this report, we have picked 3 reasons that cause the unsuccessful of the new information system which was implemented by Craven Books to discuss:1. Unable to determine the suitable system for business 2. Rely too much on software consultants 3. No one to blame or responsible for the failure of systemIssue 1 The first r easons which cause the unsuccessful of the new system that we would like to discuss is the failure of Craven Books’ management level to determine the suitable system that can help the company to achieve objective and improve performance. The management level of Craven Books cannot decide and determine the appropriate system to the company because they were over-ambitious to improve their company’s performance and competitiveness quickly.In the end, they didn’t develop a strategic plan before the implementation of the new system. Other than that, they also didn’t conduct any testing on the new system to identify whether the system really can help the company to reach their objectives. Furthermore, there wasn’t anyone is appointed to handle and in charge the systems to teach the user or employee the proper method to conduct the new system.Example case As for example, a similar case study has been chosen in order to compare and discuss with this issue . This shows that Craven Books wasn’t the only victim of the information technology disaster. The similar case that happened under the same reason as Craven Books is FoxMeyer Corp. during 90’s.Due to the intense competition among competitors, FoxMeyer was in a great need of a solution that would have helped the company to achieve a complex supply chain decisions and improve the company’s performance. During the early 90’s, the company’ management level decide to focus on a business strategy of transferring the company into low cost distributor to increase competitive advantage and also provide differentiated services to different target customers.Based on the supply chain analysis that had been developed by the company, it was decided that an ERP system would provide a perfect solution for FoxMeyer to achieve the company’s objectives and goals. In  1992, the company had decided to hire Arthur Andersen consulting company to implement the SA P (R/3).The implementation of SAP In September 1993, FoxMeyer had contracted with SAP, Anderson Consulting and Arthur Andersen & Co. to implement the R/3 software. This multi-million dollar project had covered the entire supply chain and was the first information system launched in the pharmaceutical industry that utilized extensive technology coupled with automation of warehouse functions. In the end, the system didn’t provide expected result and the performance was unacceptable. It was completed late, failed to deliver expected benefits and went over budget due to huge expenditures for new computers, software and new warehouse. In 1996, FoxMeyer was forced to file for bankruptcy and was taken over by its largest competitor – McKesson Corp for only US$80m.In 1998, the bankruptcy trustee of FoxMeyer launched 2 lawsuits against SAP and Andersen Consulting. FoxMeyer charged SAP with fraud, negligence and breach of contract for convince them to invest in a system that fai led to achieve the company’s objective which leads to the bankruptcy of FoxMeyer while Anderson Consulting was charged with negligence and breach of contract for failing to properly manage the implementation but both defendants denied the allegations and blamed FoxMeyer for mismanagement.Reasons why FoxMeyer faced failure of ERP system There are many reasons why FoxMeyer faced failure in the ERP system which should assist the company to achieve goal and some of the reasons are same with the issues which were the reasons that lead to Craven Books information system disaster too.The reasons that lead to FoxMeyer’s ERP failure are: 1. Poor selection of the software – SAP R/3 was originally developed and designed for the purpose to business such as manufacturing companies and not for business such as wholesaler, especially those doing large number of transactions.This software has never been used for wholesale distributor before because this software lacked many req uirements needed for successful  wholesale distribution. SAP R/3 was inflexible software, it required many time and a large amount of financial investment if it require any modification and this software was unable to handle large number of orders. These weaknesses were the reason why this software was not suitable to FoxMeyer because this company handled orders from thousands of pharmacies and each of pharmacy had hundreds of items.2. Lack of contingency planning – FoxMeyer didn’t prepare any contingency planning to deal with the changes in the business operations. For example, one of FoxMeyer’s major client which was accounted for more than 15% of FoxMeyer’s business, declared bankruptcy shortly after FoxMeyer’s launched the ERP system.3. No end user involvement – The implementation of this ERP system was done using a top-down approach. The planning was performed by FoxMeyer’s upper management, Andersen Consulting and few technica l people. Only a few end users were participated in the planning, analysis and design process. In the end, there was a communication gap between the end users and the system planners.4. No restructuring the business process was done – SAP was not fully integrated and worked effective because FoxMeyer was incapable to reengineering their business processes in order to make the software to work more efficient.5. Lack of system testing – Due to the reason of rushed schedule, some modules testing was skipped. Other than that, the system was not properly tested to detect any problems when the system handling large amount of orders. There wasn’t enough testing and lack of time to modify or debug the system to ensure its functionality.6. Over-ambitious project scope – FoxMeyer’s project team members and information system staff were unfamiliar with the system hardware, system software and application software. In the end, the project scope was enlarged wi th simultaneous implementation of computerized warehouse project.  Other than that, some technical issues on complication were not managed properly by the staff and this incurred extra expenditures and time.7. Poor management support – At first, the management level were supportive and committed to the implementation of ERP system but once the implementation started, management were unwilling to acknowledge any system problems. Furthermore, management failed to identify the timeliness and resources needed in the implementation process.Recommendations According to the case of FoxMeyer, the case is very similar with Craven Books’ case especially in the reasons that both company can’t identify suitable software for company and insufficient of preparations or pre-activities before the implementation new system. In order to eliminate and cope the issues, Craven Books should follow these recommendations before the implementation of new system.1. Software selection à ¢â‚¬â€œ A project steering committee should be created and should involve high level of expertise, both technical and operational in the software selection process. They should do some research in different software, compare and assess their pros and cons to identify the suitable software which best fit the business needs.2. Contingency plan – A contingency plan should be develop to handle the situation when the system failure. Stipulate clearly the roll back procedures or develop new contingency plans to prepare for the breakdown of any system modules and for the total new system.3. Stakeholders’ involvement – Any new project implementation should get the involvement of all stakeholders which also include end users and customers of the company. All related parties should understand the purpose of the project and voice out their opinion especially in the earlier stage when any critical issues are just evolving.4. Thorough testing – An organized comprehens ive testing plan should be develop, encourage user participation in the testing process and make sure proper testing situations are done to the new system.5. Realistic project scope – Project scope should not be over-ambitious, it should be clearly identified with realistic targets.6. End user support – All employees and end users should be well trained to handle the new system. Response and address to the end users’ concern to reduce any negative feelings to the new systems. Identify the need of any changes on agents and create a high and positive morale to meet the new challenges.7. Post implementation review – Quality assurance and control programs should be develop to ensure the system checks are done. Develop business metrics to measure and compare the project’s estimated results with project’s actual result that have been achieved. Prepare an evaluation report and pass to stakeholders to review the results.Issue 2 The second issues are that the company relied too much on their consultants and suppliers who provide the system. This could be issues for Craven because they did not review the system, all the procedure just follows the consultant’s suggestion, they did not test the efficiency and the effectiveness of the system before it implemented.The consultant’s suggested Craven to go for an existing system, the suggestion for Craven’s purpose was a bad choice, and it’s like putting a third wing on a jumbo jet. The things were going fast but at the end it does not work. Craven is too much reliance to the outside consultant. Craven did not do any reference check to the consultant; they just hired the consultant and just rely on the consultant to do the implementation of the new system for the company.Consultant is playing an important role when a company wants to implement a new system. The consultant responsible for the whole systems, to provide the software solutions and other recommen dations based on the assessment. Consultant do give advice, but they frequently also perform tasks that  result from that advice. Those tasks can range from running a public relations campaign to building a customized order fulfillment system. The consultant may integrate customized software into a business or organization’s processes in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the systems and to minimize manpower or the costs.For example, a fitness centre could benefit from the integration of proprietary software that tracks the progress of the gym’s members, in the form of measurements and other personalized data. A consultant, might specialize in the creation of such software for the fitness centre, and pitch the software to various business and organizations within the fitness industry. As software can perform a wide variety of functions, a software consultant might deliver software solutions to a wide variety of industries. Businesses and organizati ons will often hire one or a firm on a contract basis, if such expertise is not already is available in-house. For example, a real estate company that already employs a computer programmer, webmaster, or other information technology professionals might also hire a consultant who can create a database of properties customized to suit the company’s information management needs.If the consultant fail to perform their tasks, there is many possible failure for the project and will impact the whole company as well. The company will face cost overruns, over budget and project delay due to the poor project management by the consultant. The consultant is not focus on the organizations change systems and lack of attention to the business process reengineering. Some consultants have never done the things they consult on. In innovation circles this means they have never been managed a team of people, never prototyped an idea, never filed a patent, never taken creative risks, so instead o f banking on their experience, or even their knowledge of the experience of others, they make stuff up, there is an issues arise from that.Recommendation There is no one to blame with this implementation, the company should cancel the whole project and kick out the consultant. For the implementation of the new system, Craven should seek a qualified and experienced consultant but  not just book knowledge. A good consultant has valuable experience in one or more areas of specialty, and they can use this experience for the company advantages. Craven at start should select the right consultant firm, next is to get the consultant involved early and set up a clear and formal communication system allowing the company to communicate with the consultant what they needs to be clearly understood and turn into designing the software that suitable for the company.Craven should having an interview session to choose the consultant from the hundreds out there, have a reference check on the consul tant to check their background to ensure they have a good background and don’t have any bad reputation out there, also have to review what they have done before, for example if they have any success implementation job before and when choosing a suitable consultant don’t forget the fact that the company will need to work closely with this person for months and sometimes years, so have to choose carefully to ensure the consultant can work with the employees, the consultant should has the ability to communicate effectively and gather accurate details regarding to the business process.Craven buy the system from the supplier and trying to get more advice from consultant is not wrong. However, the mistake of Craven is they relied too much with the supplier and consultant that they did not carefully review the advice and do a better decision before implemented the system. Craven can collect all the opinion and suggestion from the consultant but have to review and have a meeti ng with top management to consider the possible consequences that may affect the company as a whole. The top management have to consider cautiously and have to discuss the feasibility to implement the new system, coming out with a better outcome for the better future for the company.Planning is very important before the consultancy process so that the business is able to set out the objectives that they want to achieve after implemented the new system in the company. In addition, Craven has to ensure that they are hiring a consultant that has adequate knowledge about the system implementation. A consultant with adequate experience has the ability to identify the specific needs of the business based on the knowledge that  they have acquired over the years.Craven should not rely on the suppliers. Suppliers can supply with the templates and best practices that can take the company a good part of the way but Craven still need to define what is constitutes success and failure, progress and set-backs, also set a deadlines. Top management of Craven should have the responsibility to the company, they must have to know that suppliers are just selling the software and the implementation, the decision of the management made will directly affect the future for the whole company. Craven have to know what their business processes up front is, and don’t let the suppliers software define for the company.Issue 3 The third reason that causes the new system implementation failed is nobody is responsible on the system. Based on the case study, the intension of Carven Book decided to implement new system for enhancing their company competitive and more effectiveness for company system, but there were not one to follow up and back up the systems after implementationThis failure happened to be nobody to handle or managed the systems or the lack of system team members and leader who have experience in this information system field followed all the requirements needed to make the project successful. Hence, Carven management lack of experiences and it is a first time of system implementation to the company. Before these, all the company’s transactions, orderings, delivering was under manual systems. Due to company willing see improvement of the information system, they started their first try to implement the computer system.Besides that, Cravens argued the responsible of information supporting should be provided and back- up by the supplier of the software, on the other hand, supplier re-blamed back they do not have any responsibility on this issue since they just developed the ready software and sell to their customer needs. Both parties involved blamed to each other for the consequent that it is the sole mistake of the management of the company because they did not again, strategically planned the project.Due to the issue arose, below are the recommendations parts can be given:Employing IT technical support background people as company employee As result of new system transformation of company, Carven may consider to employ new staff from the specific IT field as company sources for supporting and back- up Company new system implementation as a team with the former management. Forming a department or a group member into â€Å"system development & supporting group† with collaboration with the company system user for supporting company system.Hence, Carven may appoint management manager as the department head whose job scope is leading the whole team of members to solve the problems what the system user met during implementing period. At the beginning stage, department manager has to conduct the new system education to company system user through system trainings & lessons for the current staffs.Normal situation can be seen in the beginning of new system implementation, the most of the users were lacking of experiences in applying the new system in their workplace, especially for Carven employee who is the first time who use the new system in 1990s. After few months of training and lesson, company system users will be more familiar and useful to systems.It can be seen that they have more capability and acceptable for using the new software in this period. In this system implementation stage, department manager may regard the system support in more upper and deeper level on the system error or system problems which maybe faced by the company users. System users must voice up the issue and the problems which they faced and handled to the IT group. Through this issue arose, IT supporting group must size up the situation and problems at the first and try to resolve it for the current company demand.Some of the time, company may change their company strategy or follow the customer’s need changes, it will affect directly into company information system procedure and lastly system user will also be affected through the transformation. That situation may generate some dispute and problems betwee n the system and the users. IT development group have to follow up it  and back up anytime with those issues arise.Their job scope not only on the back up the system, however they also involved in protecting and upgrade the software system if there have any disputes between the system and user or customers. The reason that some of outdated or old system code or services transaction, it was not be used by the company, thus IT group should upgrade into new version.Do not rely too much on the Suppliers and ready software It is important that always picking a reliable suppliers and ready software company for future better support. Some of the ready software company and suppliers who are not too much experience and have depth software knowledge will drag the effectiveness when any problems arise. IT support Group or specific manager must always take noted the software version depend company need to the suppliers in anytime for the better system using. Besides that, IT group members may pint out the problems which is software shortcoming or deficiency to the supplier then has a period meeting with ready software suppliers in a quarter year once for system information updating.Another important factor should be taken note by company user are not rely too much with the suppliers. If they faced any issues from the former system, it will drag down company performance once supplier cannot give the system support on time. Company implement information systems may hire and develop their own IT support group in company for nearest support and backup.Benchmarking with other company One of the business strategies can be applied in Carven book is benchmarking. Benchmarking is the process of comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry bests or best practices from other industries. Dimensions typically measured are quality, time and cost. In the process of best practice benchmarking, management identifies the best firms in their industry, or in anoth er industry where similar processes exist, and compares the results and processes of those studied or the â€Å"targets† to one's own results and processes. In this way, they learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, the business processes that explain why these firms are successful.The objective of benchmarking is to understand and evaluate the current position of a business or organization in relation to â€Å"best practice† and to identify areas and means of performance improvement. This process is used in management and particularly strategic management, in which organizations evaluate various aspects of their processes in relation to best practice companies' processes, usually within a peer group defined for the purposes of comparison.This then allows organizations to develop plans on how to make improvements or adapt specific best practices, usually with the aim of increasing some aspect of performance. Benchmarking may be a one-off event, but is often treated as a continuous process in which organizations continually seek to improve their practices.Company can choose benchmarking with other not the same field company which is best practice in information system owning to understand other company system. Through the benchmarking, company send out some IT supporting group member out to benchmarking company learn their best system culture and how they implement the system in their company. Thus, the benchmarking project may exchange the views and experience between the benchmarking company and current company each other together during their visit.Once the benchmarking project finished, IT supporting group member may discuss with current company system user concerning the good practice and services from benchmarking company respectively as well as learn from it and improving the deficiency of current systems. Also, it is vital that any new system developing or changing must according or depending to present company’s ne ed and requirement.Recommendations from the video In the end of the video, there were some recommendations were given the computer journalist-Lynn Clarke. She suggested that the company should consider the business priority than the technology and simplify or rationalized the business as possible. Moreover, she also gave comment that the company should utilize the time to in prepare and design strategic plan before making any decisions in choosing the suitable system that fit the  company. So, in order for Craven Books to solve its problem and continually to have a competitive position in the market place, a strategic planning must be done before the information technology system was created to prevent any more problems and major downturn.Conclusion As for conclusion, nowadays all the industries need information technology in order to become the strongest in the marketplace. It shows that to be competitive in this modern world, information system should follow up too. This is to e nsure that the company is achieving to the needs of its stakeholders and to meet the requirement that the customers wants.However, in order for Craven Books to solve the problem and continually have competitive position in the marketplace they must bear in mind that creating new systems for the company, they need to do strategic planning, having a meeting among all top management in the company to discuss about the possible for the implementation, and to have enough preparation to implement the new systems in order to prevent all the possible problems happened during the implementation stages.

Nissan Corp Swot Essay

Global interdependence: possible new marketsGovernment regulations: abroad in other countries as well as US and the US; global warming, CAFE standards, safety issues Growth of existing market: widen market New entrants: threat of potential inclusive of generation X,Y and baby boomersnew competitors Strong economy: economy not faltering;Changing market tastes: need for consumers still buyingcontinuous innovation to appeal to ifferent segments Nissan’s reputation: leads the industryShortage of resources: workforce in reliability, performance, and design dissatisfaction, hiring good talent Emerging technologies: innovative through the development of technologies for improving fuel economy and reducing fuel emissions Introduction This Case Paper will examine accessible information about Nissan Corporation and determine its position in the world market through a business SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). Through this analysis, we hope to see where the Nissan has been and make suggestions as to where the corporation should go to improve their bottom line, increase market share, and plan for future products to ensure their viability in the world automobile marketplace. Market Analysis Nissan’s focus in establishing a multi-cultural company begins with regaining global market share. The company has learned from past mistakes and is determined to succeed, developing a common vision and a global ompany culture that will need to be a main driver for continued strength (Associated Press, pgs. 1-8). For instance, establishing a brand name and personality that is sensitive to nationalistic cultures. Strategic alliances and joint ventures are growing in importance in the automobile industry and Nissan is no stranger to the competition. Nissan’s mission statement delivered by Mr. Ghosn in the Automotive News World Congress in 2001, is evidenced in how the company exploits synergie s to create positive alliances with other manufacturers (Ibid). For example, Nissan’s announcement to venture with Ashok Leyland to build small trucks and other light commercial vehicles in India gives them an opportunity to enter a market that in recent years has been dominated by its competitors, Toyota and Honda. This venture will produce at least 100,000 vehicles annually for sale in India and for export, as it will facilitate the construction of a plant near the southern Indian city of Chennai to manufacture and export compact cars to Europe. The deal with Ashok Leyland will broaden Nissan coverage in the Indian market in addition to providing new LCV (lightweight commercial vehicle) products for emerging markets which will sell for around $3,000. 00. Ashok Leyland’s strengths in large and mid-sized trucks combined with Nissan’s strength in smaller vehicles creates a positive synergy (Ibid). According to Mr. Ghosn, partnering globally is an opportunity and the Chinese market is no exception. China is Nissan’s third largest single market, after North America and Japan. Vehicle production has grown over the past ten years. However, the major source of growth has been the production of passenger cars (The Business Review, pg. 7). Passenger car production has doubled in the past ten years. This shift is in response to a change in market conditions and in a desire for Chinese manufacturers to enter the global auto passenger car market. Consumer demand is also increasing and in order to satisfy this demand, auto production has been increasing. The demand for autos is expected to continue (Ibid). According to the Wall Street Journal, the car craze in China has just begun. There are two factors that create possible opportunities for Nissan: 1) the country has the world’s largest population and as incomes rise, so will the hopes of buying an auto some day. 2) the market may grow to 8 million vehicle sales annually by 2010. Nissan’s new line of cars in China will be designed and engineered in Japan, based on a common â€Å"B† platform shared with Renault that centers on smaller engines. Annual sales of the entire family of cars are expected to reach 200,000 units globally and will be launched in other markets over the next couple of years (Financial Times, pg. ). However, the threat of inadequate roads and the government’s changes in regulating how autos are purchased will make the costs unpredictable. On a financial scale, the banks are under pressure to control credit, so auto loans may not be easy to acquire. North America accounts for nearly 40% of Nissan’s global sales, and in each of the past years sales have exce eded those in Japan, with the gap widening each year. Nissan is spending several billion dollars on new models, and the U. S. assembly plant in Canton, MS is aimed at maintaining momentum (Ward’s Auto World, pg. 1). The most significant automotive development in North America is continuing growth in the luxury segment and the increasing popularity of cross/utility vehicles. Nissan is on track to rebuild its image and regain brand value. In the past, customer satisfaction was good, but the model lineup was limited. Now, with the Q45, M45, G35 sedan and coupe and the FX models, the market has begun to recognize that Infiniti provides a range of real luxury models (Ibid). According to Bloomberg, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. led Asian automakers’ U. S. sales gains in September as Toyota Motor Corp. posted a third straight decline. Accord helped boost sales by 9. 4 percent. Toyota’s 4. 4 percent drop marked the first time since 1995 that Japan’s largest automaker logged three consecutive months of lower U. S. sales. Sales of the five year-old Corolla model, Toyota’s second-most popular in the U. S. , dropped 8. 5 percent and demand for the company’s light trucks declined amid rising gasoline prices. Industrywide U. S. sales fell for a fourth consecutive month, by 2. 9 percent to 1. 31 million light vehicles (Bloomberg. com, pgs. 1-3). Toyota’s old models like the Corolla are dragging down while Honda and Nissan have brand-new models. Nissan reported a 6. 7 percent increase in sales (Ibid). Nissan, sixth in the U. S. , sold 94,269 vehicles, helped by higher demand for midsize Altima and Versa compact cars. Nissan’s market share edged up 0. 7 percentage point to 7. 2 percent. The Japanese are becoming more aggressive in terms of incentives and pricing, which makes them more competitive against South Korea’s largest automaker. The company faces tough competition from Japanese and Korean auto makers like Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi, which are rapidly gaining ground in the European markets. Asian manufacturers are continuing to fortify their position in the crucial North American and European market. It can also expect stiff competition from Toyota and BMW (Ibid). Nissan believes that growing the business means introducing new products and has created the Nissan Revival Plan to realign their cost structure. Significant amounts of money are funneled back into product development, mostly going towards the North American market. This means there are opportunities for new innovations that will bring the company in line with a mix of vehicles that are currently on the road. Its R&D costs in FY 2006/2007 stood at JFY 464,839 million, an increase of 3. 9% when compared to JFY 447,582 million in FY 2005/2006. The company increased its investment on R&D activities to launch a host of new products throughout the year (Ibid). In 2007, Nissan launched a new version of its minicar, namely, Pino E, which is a 2WD model and equipped with a three-speed automotive transmission. It is claimed to offer a fuel economy of 21. 0 km/1. Furthermore, the model is considered safe and environmentally friendly, as it features anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake assist (BA) and electronic braking force distribution (EBD) systems. It is low emitting, complying with the 2005 emissions regulations in Japan. In March 2007, the company also developed a new engine technology that helps balance between responsiveness and fuel efficiency, high power and low emissions (Ibid). Today, Nissan stands behind its offerings; that fundamentals of the business are strong, products are attractive to customers, and the company is poised for sustained, profitable growth. Environmental Concerns In researching the issues of automakers in regards to the environment, many nations as stated in The Wall Street Journal, are concerned about climate change and energy security. One of the most important issues all automakers are faced with on a global scale is the reduction of emissions, more specifically carbon dioxide or CO2. Concerns for the future in the minds of the majority are setting new goals for automakers of vehicles with internal combustion engines to become more efficient if they are to remain profitable or even in existence, which is further backed by a global treaty known as the Kyoto protocol (Wall Street Journal). In the protocol’s drafting of new rules they are intended to cap emissions of CO2, the gas widely blamed for global warming can potentially pose a major threat. According to scientists, it is reported that the rise in the earth’s average atmospheric temperature is largely due to this major contributor CO2 which will bring changes to the global environment, and therefore affect our daily lives (Ibid). According to the Wall Street Journal, a debate is raging in the US over how much time automakers actually need to boost fuel economy, and whether setting stringent targets will compromise safety by encouraging car makers to use lighter materials. Additionally, the US has not adopted the Kyota protocol and is under less pressure to reduce CO2 emissions as they are in Europe. Therefore, Nissan’s global prominence puts the auto manufacturer in an â€Å"opportunity† position by making concentrated efforts in advanced technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at every stage of the vehicles life cycle and their corporate activities, from manufacturing and transportation to use of Nissan’s vehicles by its consumers. Nissan, currently the third largest automaker out of Japan has opportunity to grow stronger from the threats of one and two automakers Toyota and Honda respectively, who lead the market in alternative fuel development (Wall Street Journal). According to Nissan’s Green Program, it is Nissan’s view that internal combustion engines will continue to be the main power source of vehicles globally in the years ahead. Therefore, Nissan therefore takes a stance of reducing CO2 emissions through the development and widespread adoption of advanced technologies for improving the fuel economy of gasoline engine vehicles. Currently in the works for Nissan is the development of cleaner diesel engine vehicles that run on biofuels made from plants and other reusable sources (Ibid). Nissan estimates that over half of the vehicles they sell by 2050 will need to be electrically powered if they are to reach their long term goal of reducing CO2 emissions. Nissan’s threat has been its major competitors in developing hybrid electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles and electrical vehicles. Other companies such as Toyota are setting the bar in alternative fuel sources which makes them a profitable industry leader with the obvious threats of gas prices that change virtually on a daily basis (Ibid). Nissan History and Innovation Nissan Motors’ history dates back to the 1930s when Jidosha Seizo Co Ltd was established in 1933 in Yokohoma City, Japan. Its beginnings as a munitions company was short lived when the company was renamed to Nissan Heavy Industry Co Ltd and introduced the first Datsun, manufactured after World War II. After the company began exporting the cars to the US in 1958, it gained popularity due to its small size and high fuel efficiency. Subsequently, in 1980, Nissan Motor established Nissan Motor Manufacturing Corp. USA to strengthen its market potential in North America (ABI/INFORM Global pg. 1). Today, Nissan supplies a widespread customer base classified across regions, namely, Japan, the US, Asia, Europe and General Overseas Market, which includes Mexico and Canada. This market includes 150 dealers and 2,500 outlets worldwide (Ibid). This is the age of globalization and the worldwide interdependence of resource supplies, product markets, and business competition. Nissan has succeeded in meeting its challenges due to its focus in valuing diversity both in its workforce and through understanding customer needs. This is evident in how the company plans ahead and is always looking for new ways to improve current performance. For instance, the company learned from past mistakes; failure to recognize changing customer focus in non-growth sectors, and being competitively focused rather than market focused. Also, finding the right people and the right plan to maximize growth is key (Nissan News, pg. 8). Shiro Nakamura Nissan’s automotive designer is known as â€Å"The man behind the Nisan Look† and has developed some up-to-date, eye-catching designs that have no resemblance to the old models, and the company is optimistic that sales will increase once the current plan to launch 28 new cars during fiscal year 2008. Most of the changes are defined to the upper body and adjusted to make it more like the Altima (Business Week, pg. 1). Nissan’s innovations stem from producing a product that their customers want. Their philosophy is that investing in a product that will bring value and satisfaction to its customers will build loyalty as well as expand that market base. Nissan’s models include Maxima and Sentra cars, Altima and upscale sedans, Frontier pickups, the 350Z sports car, and Xterra and Pathfinder SUVs. In 1999 French automaker Renault took a 37% stake in Nissan, and installed president and CEO Carlos Ghosn (nicknamed â€Å"Le Cost Killer† based on his talent for turning red ink black) who has since returned the company to profitability. Renault now owns almost 45% of Nissan. According to Hoovers, Nissan fiscal year end sales in March were in millions, $80,583. 7. Net income in millions was $4,427. 8, and 1 year net income growth was 7. 0%. Their top competitors were General Motors, Honda, and Toyota (Hoovers. com, pg. -2) Generation â€Å"X† consumers can identify with the sports world, ESPN’s X Games. Games showcase the world’s most dangerous events. The â€Å"X† generation is also playing a big role in the fashion world, thus the automotive industry has been one of the leaders driving the â€Å"X† growing trend. Jaguar’s Web site prominently features a glowing X to promote the new â€Å"Jaguar X-Type: a car for a new generationâ⠂¬ . And Nissan has scored big with the model Nissan Xterra. This trend is enabling Nissan to tap into a pool of younger car buyers. The vehicle has attracted many new buyers, some of which have never purchased a Nissan before. The Xterra is aimed to attract 25 to 35 year old drivers. Marketing tactics fill viewers with scenes of athletes doing extreme outdoor exercise, and pushing their SUVs to the extreme. Polls cited that men were most affected with the advertisement than women. 13% to 9%. According to the Gallop polls, the ads scored highest among those 30 to 39 years old, which is right where the company was trying to segment. The 25 to 35 year old target market (USA Today, pg. 2-3). Baby Boomers on the other hand are most attracted to the Nissan Murano, or Nissan Bevel. Nissan’s long term vision for 2015 is that future vehicles will save lives by installing a series of sensors that can detect sobriety of a driver and can immobilize the car. Other features include detecting operational changes, such as drifting out of a lane, at which time the system navigation system alerts the driver with voice message alerts and the seat belt is tightened. Nissan is currently testing an on-board breathalyzer and road sensors to help reduce accidents. Other plans to develop an Intelligent Transport System Project and road sensors will help reduce accidents (Nissan. com, pg. 1-2) The company understands the importance of agility in a dynamic 21st century market and is continuously reinventing itself to stay ahead of the competition. Sometimes, this means taking risks. Most recently, the company made an announcement that it was moving its headquarters from California to Tennessee. The new facility will accommodate 1300 plus employees and favorable for business, not to mention contributing to the infrastructure and supporting the community with more jobs. It’s inevitable that there could be some unforeseeable threats perhaps with current labor force. Some issues could be that they are not in agreement with the transfer and choose to leave the company, thus the need for new hires. Other potential threats are the risk of new competitors in the area, and developing a new sense for the new market. The California population may not have the same tastes and likes as the Tennessee population, thus Nissan could expend additional resources to substitute products and services (Tennessean. om, pg. 1-4). A strategy for the future that Nissan could consider would be to offer a motorcycle product. Exploring and pursuing this opportunity would allow them to remain competitive and also to offer products to meet different needs. Honda, BMW, and Suzuki, all of whom offer cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles, Nissan too should visit the idea of offering a motorcycle. Over the years Nissan has developed quality products that are dependable, hi ghly functional and desirable; this being an advantage for Nissan. Along with remaining competitive, the high price of fuel recently would make a Nissan motorcycle more appealing. The motorcycle would alleviate fuel expenses and consumption. The Nissan motorcycle would also be appealing in geographic locations such as Japan, China and major cities in the United States that do not have the space on roads for larger vehicles. Nissan plans to offer a concept vehicle that resembles a car and a motorcycle. This vehicle is called â€Å"Urge† and offers state of the art gaming systems that allow the driver to use the gas and brake pedals to play. When considering the pricing of a Nissan motorcycle and remaining competitive, Nissan should consider that Honda and Suzuki offer motorcycles at reasonably affordable prices. Suzuki offers several types of motorcycles to include cruisers, motocross, and sport bikes all at reasonable prices ranging from $6,000. 00 to under $10,000. Honda also offers cruisers, motocross, and sport bikes. Honda motorcycles range from $3,000 to $13,000. In order to lure prospective buyers into purchasing a Nissan motorcycle, Nissan should strive to offer its motorcycles at reasonable prices, similar to Suzuki and Honda. The price range for motorcycles made by BMW is slightly higher starting at $8,000 to $15,000. BMW has offered a motorcycle since 1923. Its tenure along with the fact that consumers have learned to trust the German made motorcycle are what keep BMW competitive. Offering reasonably priced and desirable styles similar to BMW, Honda and Suzuki is a great opportunity that has not been approached by Nissan. The cruiser styles offered by Honda, Suzuki and BMW resemble that of a Harley –Davidson motorcycle without the high cost. The market for Nissan motorcycles is positive with the increasing cost of fuel and the ages of future drivers. Most of the baby boomer generation have become accustomed to the quality of Nissan vehicles and would be approaching retirement age in the next few years. Nissan’s release of motorcycles would segment the soon retired baby boomers as a fun and recreational of transportation. The Nissan motorcycle would also segment the new drivers of today which in a few years will be the young generation to market to. Nissan would have to be conscious of expenses in marketing and production of the motorcycle, a product never offered and could use the business model already established by its competitors offering both motorcycles and automobiles in the industry. According to Analysts, the economy is not faltering and people are still hopeful for the future. It is a race to the finish line, and who ever gets there first wins. It will be interesting to see how automobile manufacturers will implement new strategies (Economy Today, pg. 1) Nissan Technologies –Past and Future New technologies were as important to Nissan’s past as they are to Nissan’s future. Nissan has always addressed environmental issues, including the development of clean power sources for vehicles and recycling of natural resources. Nissan has been able to release one new model after another with fuel-efficient direct-injection gasoline engines and direct-injection diesel engines since 1997. This has led to the expanding application of the Hyper CVT (continuously variable transmission) , the Extroid CVT, the Tino Hybrid and the two-seater Hypermini electric vehicle in the early part of 2000 for efficient fuel economy (Nissan global. om). Nissan’s history goes back to an automobile factory started by Masujiro Hashimoto in 1911 called the Kwaishinsha Co. In 1914, a box-type small passenger car was completed and in the following year the car made its debut on the market under the name of Dat Car. Another predecessor of Nissan was Jitsuyo Jidosha Co. , Ltd. , which im ported machine tools and components from the U. S. , and was one of the most modern automobile factories of its time. Kwaishinsha Co. and Jitsuyo Jidohsa Co. merged in 1926 to form Dat Jidosha Seizo Co. , and two years later to the establishment of Nissan Motor Co. Ibid). In preparation for post war capital investment in Japan, Nissan developed two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities leading to the advancement of motorization and increased traffic accidents; and contributed to the problem of air pollution. Nissan developed its first Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV) in 1971 and over the years created a reputation for excellence in engineering and advanced technology. Nissan has developed weight-reducing materials, engine management systems for controlling combustion, and using CAD/CAM systems and industrial robots (Ibid). Recently, Nissan has also been localizing R;D operations, which has now advanced decision-making through the regional headquarters in North America and Europe. Nissan’s local operations in their respective regions oversee product development, manufacturing, procurement, fund-raising and mutual complementation of parts between companies (Ibid). Nissan’s Vision Nissan is developing corporate activities centered on automobile manufacturing based on their vision of â€Å"enriching people’s lives. In order for cars, which provide mobility, to truly become reliable partners for our customers, a number of issues including global environmental issues, traffic accidents and congestion problems must be tackled as part of a long-term vision (Nissan global. com). The global automotive industry is entering an era that will change almost every facet of the car in the future to come. Nissan’s global vision includes the pursuit of environmentally sustainable technologies creating one of the greatest engineering competitions in history that has the potential to deliver significant benefits to humanity (Ibid). To realize our vision, Nissan is developing technologies based on a framework called the â€Å"Orchard† concept. † This concept allows Nissan to embrace technologies in a comprehensive manner (Nissan global. com). In order to create a distinct value in order for customers to choose their cars, Nissan is likening its approach to the management of a fruit orchard in which â€Å"fruit† is planted and raised. The process has three phases, one – the Harvest Plan, two – Seeding and Growth and three – Soil Enrichment. The Harvest Plan takes into account social needs and market demands for the commercialization of technologies and the timing of releases. Seeding and Growth will implement strategies for the realization of the Harvest Plan and to formulate development of schemes. Lastly, Soil Enrichment will create value for the long term by researching reliability improvement and analysis technologies (Ibid). Some of the proposed solutions are more efficient fuel-cells for electric cars, bio-fuels, advanced diesel fuels or combinations of these solutions. However, the most effective solutions will not be decided by engineers. It will be decided by consumer demand, which is the most powerful force for global environmental progress. Every new car buyer in every country gets a vote by exercising their right to choose, thereby dictating both the pace of future change and its direction (Ibid). Nissan’s vision is to invest massively in R&D in pursuit of new technologies. This has not always been the case. Due to perilous financial decisions, in 1999 Nissan could not afford to invest in the core of its brand identity – technological innovation. Today, Nissan’s R&D budget is much healthier than the level of 1999 due to significantly increased efficiency of their R&D activities. This has led to an environmental blueprint known as Nissan’s â€Å"Green Program 2010†. Also taking advantage of the alliance with it’s parent company, Renault, Nissan is able to focus on specific promising technologies – such as advanced lithium-ion batteries and other areas, such as clean diesels. Nissan’s vision includes the determination to be the leader in environmental progress. It is Nissan’s belief that motoring can be both green and fun allowing consumers to expect new technologies that will enhance dynamic performance (Ibid). Some of the latest technologies being embraced by Nissan are the X-Trail Fuel Cell Vehicle, Ultra-low Friction Diamond-like Carbon (DLC), the Super Motor, and the Compact Lithium-ion Battery. Nissan continues to raise the practicality of FCVs, which are being developed as the most eco-friendly vehicles. The X-Trail FCV provides increased cruising range. (Nissan global. com). The FCV also provides improved acceleration. The new model features a Nissan-developed fuel cell stack that is more efficient than the previous stack resulting in maximum power of 90 kw compared with 63 kw in the 2003 model. Ultra-low Friction Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) is Nano-technology based on ultra-low friction technology. Nissan has substantially reduced friction between engine parts by developing the first technology in the world to combine a hydrogen-free diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating with special oil. Energy is lost due to friction that arises between the hundreds of parts that comprise an engine. This ultra-low friction technology uses nanotechnology in order to reduce friction by approximately 40% compared to conventional engines. The DLC works by use of a hydrogen-free DLC coating, improves binding with the engine oil, and results in the formation of a firm ultra-low friction film when special oil additives are added. It is now possible to reduce overall engine friction by 25% (Ibid). The Super Motor and Compact Batteries Nissan has independently developed the Super Motor based on an all-new concept. One motor provides output through two shafts, enabling it to function as both a motor and a generator. This innovative technology has a wide range of potential applications (Nissan global. com). The Super Motor can dramatically reduce the size and improve the efficiency of the drive unit compared with the use of two conventional motors. Independent control of the power obtained from the two shafts. The Super Motor has rotors positioned on both the inside and outside of one stator, enabling power to be delivered through two shafts by use of a new technology to apply compound current to the Stator coils (Nissan global. com). Nissan has succeeded in independently developing a laminated lithium-ion cell that displays an exceptionally high output characteristic. This cell is the result of many years of lithium-ion battery research that began in 1992. The laminated cell is featured from the 2003 model X-TRAIL FCV (Nissan global. com). The laminated cell design and high-power electrode technology improve power output by 1. 5 times and reduce the volume by more than half compared with the conventional cylindrical cell. The thin cell construction also enables a thin module design for a substantial improvement in battery ooling efficiency. Locating the battery under the floor achieves compact and highly efficient vehicle packaging, including a low, flat floor, among other advantages. Compared with the cylindrical cell, the laminated cell has fewer components and is extremely compact and lightweight. Moreover, Nissan has succeeded in achieving higher power output through material improvements made to the lithium manganate positive electrode and the carbon negative electrode (Nissan global. com). Executive Summary Like any other automobile manufacturer, to stay competitive in today’s world markets, one must consistently innovate and stay one step ahead of the competition. In the past, automobile manufacturers have been first in presenting more fuel efficient vehicles, increased gasoline mileage rating through body redesign, and have introduced new safety features for the yearning public marketplace. Nissan current project in India is to try to regain market share from its competitors Toyota and Honda by creating Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV’s) which are small cars that can be sold for around $3,000. 00. This innovative idea can create a brand new market segment of customers who could not, up until this point, afford to purchase and operate a vehicle. Along with being fuel efficient and maintaining competitive, Nissan’s offering a motorcycle would be an added strategy to pursue. Dealing with the myriad of different cultures across the globe is also a major focus of Nissan’s Chief Operating Office Carlos Ghosn who realizes that the creation of multi-cultural company can flourish and grow through exploiting it synergies, believes that feeding off each other’s strengths, and minimizing its weaknesses are key. Automobile manufacturers like Nissan can never be â€Å"one size fits all†, but they can certainly try to understand and adapt to different cultures to maximize desired commonalities and maximize profits. These days, partnering globally cannot be realized without including China. China is Nissan’s third largest single market (only after North America and Japan). Although vehicle production has significantly increased over the last ten years, passenger car production has actually doubled in the last ten years due to market conditions and Chinese automobile manufacturers ntering the car market. China has a great position in the future manufacturing of automobiles because of increased income and an already over-inflated population. However, threats of inadequate roadways, governmental regulations on how automobiles are purchased, and pressure on Chinese banks to â€Å"control credit† may temporarily slow the process. North America has captured 40% of Nissan’s global sales and has caused an ever-widening gap with Japanese sales which has been increasing each year. Nissan has recently spent several billion dollars on new models and a new U. S. ssembly plant in Mississippi to ensure that this momentum continues. Nissan believes that growing this business means introducing new products while realigning cost structures. Large sums of money are being placed back into product development – most geared towards the North America market. Although the United States never signed onto the popular Kyoto protocol which planned to significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions in the world, many other nations did because of the ever growing concerns of climate change on a global scale which many believe poses a worldwide threat. Nissan, however, has proactively realized this concern and has taken advantage of this opportunity by making concentrated efforts in advancing technology that reduces carbon dioxide emissions â€Å"at every stage† of the vehicle’s life cycle. Nissan is vigorously working on the creation of cleaner diesel engines that run on biofuels made from plants and other renewable sources. The threat to Nissan has been its competitors who are developing hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Toyota has lead this aspect of the automobile industry, and has been setting the bar in alternative fuel sources making them the very green and very profitable company that envisions change in the industry. Nissan began exporting cars to the U. S in 1958 and gained popularity because of its small size and great fuel efficiency. Today, Nissan has developed new eye-catching designs that do not resemble older models. Nissan is very optimistic that sales will increase significant once these 28 new models are launched during the 2008 year. But the look of new models alone isn’t all Nissan is after. Safety features such as installing a series of sensors that can detect alcohol levels in the driver will alert the car to slow and/or become immobilized. Corporate agility is also a key factor as is shown when Nissan moved its headquarters from California to Tennessee, which accommodates over 1300 employees, supporting the community with more jobs, and reducing significant overhead. New technologies developed at Nissan have addressed environmental issues including clean power sources for its vehicles and recycling of natural resources. Nissan has envisioned that the future of their company will greater enrich peoples lives through global environment issues, and reducing traffic accident and congestion problems. Some of Nissan’s proposals include more efficient fuel-cells for electric vehicles, bio-fuels, and advanced diesel fuels. The most important facet that Nissan realizes is that effective solutions will be decided by consumer demand, not engineers. Nissan has constructed a â€Å"Green Program 2010† which has become their environmental blueprint for success in the industry.