Tradition: Lost And Kept :: essays research papers

Tradition: Lost and Kept Each culture in the world follows its own customs and traditions. These traditions, however, are sometimes broken to allow a compromise in their society, or are still kept throughout the culture's existence. In the story The Rain Came, an African tribe faces a harsh and desolate time because their tribe is experiencing a severe drought and as a result the livestock is dying from dehydration, the crops are drying out, and the tribe's Chief is called upon to remedy the situation. Following their tribe's tradition on asking the gods for assistance, the Chief discovered the only way to eliminate the drought is by sacrificing his daughter in a traditional ritual. The events that follow will show how the tribe's customs will be kept and lost. Tradition is shown in many parts of the story. The first example of tradition is evident in the scene where the Chief speaks to the ancestors to change the sacrifice; he loves his only daughter dearly and does not wish her to die. Unfortunately, he could not abandon his position as Chief and let the people die from the drought either. In the tribe, it was customary for the Chief to have several wives and children. The Chief married five wives and the fifth one brought him a daughter. Another tradition that was shown in the story was the explanation of how Oganda (the chief's only daughter) received her name. Her name meant "beans" because her skin was smooth, very much like the skins of beans. A last example of tradition is the sacrificing of Oganda. She is scheduled to be sacrificed to a lake monster in order for the tribal villages to receive precipitation and water. In modern days, we would check the local satellite forecast for the area and determine when to conserve water during a drought. However, in this story, tradition must be followed to allow the people to live and thrive, or does it? Revealing the parts of the story where tradition is kept is important in order to compare with the part where tradition is lost and compromised. The Chief keeps tradition when he arranges a meeting with all the family members except Oganda to discuss her sacrifice to better the chances of survival for everyone else. Oganda believes that her family is discussing her marriage and her morale and hopes increase until her family informs her of the situation. To the villagers, it was a great honor to let a woman's daughter to die for her country. To the Chief, it was a great and sad loss for his only daughter would

A Single Tear

Paintings can have all sorts of meanings. Usually, painters use these pieces of art to express themselves on things they cannot normally do. Sometimes, it can also be a product of imagination. At times, they want to visualize a series of events into one artwork. These paintings turn out to be abstracts but along the lines and colors used, there is still a hidden meaning enclosed in them. This what makes paintings interesting and mysterious.The lithograph represents the typical Indian leader amidst struggles and tests of life. No matter how strong and determined a leader is, he still has his weak moments and the snow and wind symbolize the stumbling blocks. But no matter how difficult it may seem to be, the leader is always a leader and he must not let his fears bring him down.The Indian Chief showed his strength by leading his people in their exodus. Even if he is uncertain of what is about to come, he kept his people together and hand in hand, they are to face the challenges.Just by his name alone, I think Mr. Echohawk is an Indian himself. If not, he probably has strong affiliations with Native Americans. This Indian Chief which he portrayed intensely could be his ancestors. Maybe he learned of their story about the hard times undergone by the American Indians not so long ago.And since he was not there and could not be there, he imagined what might have taken place through this painting. Since it is difficult or impossible to describe through paintings the feelings of this Indian Chief, he used a single tear to speak for his emotions.The single tear that streamed from this warrior’s face signifies leadership. It does not mean that a good leader would not feel apprehensions anymore. Further, it does not mean it would make the Indian Chief less of a man if a tear drops from his face. Like a normal humanA Single Tear  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2being and any other leader, he feels scared too. But this Indian Chief is driven by willpower and fortitude to deliver his people to safety. The leader also felt fear but his responsibility to his people vanquished these feelings of doubt and insecurity to what the future holds.The single tear reveals the imperfection of the human race regardless of our color and tribe. By imperfection, it means that each person despite of his stature and position becomes fragile sometimes. The Indian Chief in the painting is experiencing vulnerability but he must live up to his dignity and sense of worth.As to his case, what urged him not to give up is for the sake of his people who look up to him being the person in command. If he surrenders, then his people would lose hope. His courage marks the fate of the American Indians.The single tear also denotes faith and hope. Faith in that after the storm, the sun will shine for the Indian Chief and his people. Faith that the snow and wind is only temporary and it will end somehow. Hope is a positive outlook from which they get their strength to surpass all these trials and hardships. Hope that a brighter life is in store for the native community.History tells us that the Native Americans have a rich past which upholds both their ups and downs. They acknowledged their victories and defeats and learned from these experiences which made them a stronger community despite chauvinism and discrimination from the whites. What is important for them is their unity and pride as a race of principled people.  Finally, I really view this painting by Mr. Echohawk as an emotional one. It portrays a mixture of passion and sentiment. I wish my readers can see this painting for themselves. Rest assured that anybody can definitely empathize with me. Just like any struggling race, the American Indians are trying their best to save their bloodline in the midst of globalization and modernity. This trait is the one I truly appreciate.

Obesity and Pregnancy Essay

Have you ever leisurely walked down an isle at Target and noticed a pregnant women waddling from side to side and thought to yourself man she is fat? Well she really is. Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and increased health problems. Maternal obesity is a major risk factor in short term for both maternal and fetal complications, including maternal and fetal mortality, miscarriages, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders, marcrosomia and caesarean sections. A baby could be affected by these tragic events up until the age of 18. This rise of the obesity rate has a devastating impact on implications for the nation’s health care system and the population’s future quality of life. The normal weight for women is (BMI 19. 8– 25. 9), (BMI 26– 29) for overweight women and a BMI over 30 is considered obese. BMI is known as Body Mass Index, which is a number calculated based on weight and height. Pregnant women gain excess weight due to the lack of exercise. The majority of women do not know that they can continue exercising at least three times per week during pregnancy. Women should be more informed about everything they should and should not do during their pregnancy. The most common type of exercise for pregnant women is walking. Gardening, aerobics, and usage of exercise machines are also means of exercising. Exercise also has many other beneficial health effects such as reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers as well as improved quality of life and emotional status1. If you conceived the child then why not exercise instead of a chance at miscarrying it? A pregnant woman’s diet is an essential part of her pregnancy. times out of 10, a pregnant woman constantly hears from her peers that she needs to eat more since she is eating for two. We forget the fact that she could potentially become obese. From a doctor’s standpoint, he should take the initiative to urge the mother not to go overboard with eating. Both mother and baby need a balanced diet full of varied fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, unsaturated plant-based fats, fiber and calcium. Refined grains, most processed foods and foods high in sugar and saturated fats should be avoided. The development of the baby’s organs and bones depend on obtaining sufficient nutrients from the mother. Despite the fact that pregnant women do not need to become obese they also do not need to diet during pregnancy. Maternal obesity is associated with an overall higher rate of labor induction, which requires higher oxytocin and prostaglandin doses than for women of normal BMI. Oxytocin is responsible for stimulation of milk ejection (milk letdown) and for stimulation of uterine smooth muscle contraction at birth. Prostaglandins are important mediators of uterine activity. It is very common for an obese woman to have a cesarean section instead of a natural pregnancy. Obese women are two to three times more likely to have an emergency cesarean due to factors such as a large baby or failure to progress. Why would you want to go through the agony of getting cut open like a dissected pig when it isn’t necessary? Maternal overweight and diabetes (gestational and type 2) has repeatedly been associated with a number of delivery complications, which includes prolonged birth, birth asphyxia, shoulder dystocia, injuries to the baby and the mother, increased use of instrumental vaginal deliveries and cesarean sections, and postpartum hemorrhaging2. Some long-term effects are also associated with obesity in pregnancy such as an increased risk of having diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life. During pregnancy, serum markers of inflammation are raised in overweight and obese women when compared with their normal BMI counterparts2. Other problems during pregnancy also link with chronic inflammation. Cord blood from babies born to obese mothers also has lower mean vitamin D concentrations when compared to those born of women with normal BMI. A fetus depends on maternal skin exposure for activation of vitamin D, but if the mother is obese then it is likely that she is vitamin D deficient. There is consequently significant scientific evidence to support the requirement for maternal vitamin D sufficiency in pregnancy for normal development of the fetal brain and skeleton. Folate deficiency is also common in obese pregnant women. Folate deficiency in the general pregnant population is associated with an increased risk for fetal neural tube defect, and this risk is reduced by the use of pre-conceptual folate2. Data from the National Maternal and Infant Health Survey showed that among the women who gained more than the recommended weight during pregnancy, greater than 30% retained an average of 2. 5 kgs at 10 to 18 months postpartum as opposed to retention of 1 kg among women who gained at the recommended level1. If women are encouraged to keep weight off during their pregnancy then they won’t have to face obesity postpartum. Researchers are still in the process of finding other ways to prevent obesity during pregnancy such as efficient ways to diet. Provision of weight management services to advise and educate regarding obesity-associated obstetric risk and weight optimization prior to conception is strongly recommended2. One thing that women would not normally categorize as such a big issue is regularly monitoring their blood pressure, which would be a start of becoming a healthy mother. Screening for gestational diabetes, using a 75 g OGTT, should be undertaken in all women with BMI 30 kg/m 2 between 24 and 28 weeks gestation2. No women should want to look and feel as fat as an elephant. Therefore, it is beneficial to continue physical activity after having a baby. The measurement of psychosocial attributes in the postpartum period has largely focused on postpartum depression and social support, with little attention to the role these and other psychosocial factors may play in health behaviors associated with weight retention and activity3. During pregnancy, some women are distressed about their weight and think they have a negative body image. Some say that they feel as if they are as big as a house. Postpartum depression has received much attention among clinicians because 10-16% of women meet diagnostic criteria for major depression. Women with excessive pregnancy weight gain (>20? kg) gain up to 10. Â ±2. 1? kg of adipose tissue4. If a woman plans on having another child after being obese during the first pregnancy then she will most likely be obese during her second pregnancy. One would not believe something so detrimental to your health, such as a smoker continuing to smoke during pregnancy would produce no weight gain. It is astounding that those who don’t smoke could gain more than those who do. The Stockholm Pregnancy and Weight Development Study on 1423 women concluded that, apart from pregnancy weight gain, only smoking cessation can be considered as a predictor for persistent weight gain after 1 year postpartum4. Lactation is known as something to facilitate weight loss after pregnancy. Production of milk is an energy-requiring process and has been calculated to increase energy requirements by ~ 500? kcal per day4. This is due to the fact that the net efficiency of milk synthesis in women is high. Weight changes after delivery are dependent on factors other than lactation status. Sarah Leigh, a 30-year-old obese pregnant mother, found out she had gestational diabetes. Sarah was very self-conscious about this situation and does not wish to report anything other than her name and age. She describes the daunting changes she had to make in her day-to-day lifestyle. Sarah Leigh had to check her blood sugar levels up to six times a day. The sugary sweets that Sarah Leigh usually enjoyed would now have to be cut out altogether. There would be no chocolate and fruit even had to be eaten in moderation. Even though Sarah Leigh made the changes to her diet, her blood levels were still high and she had to be put on medication to control the diabetes. Sarah Leigh explained how even though she felt deprived of all her favorite foods she feels healthier. Sarah enjoys her new lifestyle of eating a wide variety of foods. As long as she eats in moderation then her blood sugars remain balanced. Sarah talked about how there were times when she just wanted to taste a chocolate bar, but she knew that she and the baby were better off without it. Sarah would like to express to everyone that if they feel they have a slight chance of having gestational diabetes to go to your doctor immediately. The sooner it is treated then mother and the child are in better shape. Behavioral interventions, such as advising women of the recommended weight gain ranges, and promoting healthy dietary intake and regular exercise during the prenatal and postpartum periods may prove important in preventing obesity and the related health problems later in life. People should keep in mind that body weight tends to increase with age, irrespective of whether women have children or not. A pregnancy should be carefully planned. Two lives are at stake instead of one.

Apple Inc. Secrets Revealed

Apple Inc. Secrets Revealed Apple sparked the personal computer revolution in the 1970s by introducing Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 80s with the Macintosh. Apple Inc. is committed to bringing the best computing experience to creative professional, students, educators, and customers around the globe through innovative software, hardware, and Internet offerings APPLE INC. CASE STUDY Apple Inc. has survived in a competitive and dynamic market to become one of the leading companies in the electronics industry. This case study reflects on some aspects of the company including history, products, competitors, innovation strategy, business strategy, and strategic management. The study will then examine the key success factor of the company and conduct a SWOT analysis. History and Background Apple is an American company founded by Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Jobs in April 1976. Initially, the company was primarily involved in developing and selling personal computers. The company was then incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. in January 1977 and renamed to Apple Inc. in January 2007. The current owners of Apple Inc. are the major shareholders such as Tim Cook, Arthur Levinson, Craig Federighi, Albert Gore Junior, Bruce Sewell, and institutional shareholders such as The Vanguard Group. Over the last six years, Apples income has been consistently on the rise. In the year 2015, the company made $53.4 billion annual profits, the highest in the companys history. It is not clear from Apple Companys Website what the mission statement of the company is. However, Steve Jobs mission statement for the company in the 1980s was: To make a contribution to the world by developing tools for the mind that bring progress to humankind. A relatively new mission statement for the company states: Apple sparked the personal computer revolution in the 1970s by introducing Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 80s with the Macintosh. Apple Inc. is committed to bringing the best computing experience to creative professional, students, educators, and customers around the globe through innovative software, hardware, and Internet offerings. For high-quality custom essay writing services, sign up and order paper online You could be asking yourself what exactly the company produces. Apple Inc. has come a long way and is now a world leader in the electronics industry. The business has developed several products and services and has over 375 retail shops worldwide. The company is popular for its hardware products such as the Mac line of computers, the iPhone Smartphone, the Apple iWatch, the iPad tablet computer, and the iPod media player among others. Apple Inc. is also known for its software products such as iOS and OS X operating systems. Apple Innovation Strategy To Apple Inc. innovation is more of a culture than a process. Apple has produced innovative products that have propelled it to the pinnacle of the information technology and electronics industries. However, the company does not just focus on developing beautiful and innovative products; they also have a very innovative business model. For instance, it is apparent that the success of iPod and iPhone can be attributed to the fact that these products were matched with iTunes and App Store respectively. It is also interesting to note that Apple Inc. has crossed many industry-defined boundaries to establish an innovation-friendly business ecosystem. The business deals with hardware, software, entertainment, and logistics, and has made significant impacts in these industries. For example, App Store is the largest collection of mobile applications which makes the Apple iPhone even better. Apple iTunes which is an innovative business model provides an interface that is easy to use on which people pay for music they like if they get it at their desired prices. Apple Company has demonstrated, through their terrific innovation management, that product design and user-friendliness are major determinants of success in the modern business environment. Apples Main Competitors Apple deals with many different products. As a result, the company has to compete in several different markets. Each of these markets has other big producers controlling significant market shares. For instance, Microsoft is the major competitor in the market for computer operating systems. Amazon and Microsoft have their own smart tablet and have carved out a significant market that used to be largely dominated by Apple. Samsung remains the biggest Apples competitor in the Smartphone market. Google challenges Apple in different market fronts such as cloud storage where Apple iCloud has to compete with Google Drive. Apples Success Factors Despite the nature of competition that Apple Company face, the company happens to be one of the most successful businesses in the United States and the world in general. So we seek to understand what factors fuel Apples success. Below is a rundown Apple Inc. success factors. 1. Innovative Activities: Apple Inc. is successful because it has been consistent on the issue of innovation. Innovation is one of the strongest cultures of the company. Over the past decade, Apple Inc. launched the following game-changing innovations: The Apple iPhone The Apple iPod The Apple iTunes The App Exchange The App Store Through innovation, Apple has managed to survive for 30 years in a market that is highly competitive and dynamic. 2. Retail Distribution Network: Generally, Apple distributes its products through direct sales, retail stores, online stores, and value added resellers. Apple opened its largest US retail store in Boston to increase its domestic sales. This comprehensive local and international market network is one of the factors that have significantly influenced the success of Apple Inc. 3. Well recognized brand: Apple is one of the most popular brands in the electronics industry. By focusing on customers and product quality, Apple has established itself as a reputable and respectable brand. As a result, it has millions of customers around the world who are loyal to the brand. To some extent, the brand sells the companys products. 4. Advertising Differentiation: Since the company was founded, Apple Inc. has been recognized for its creative approach to advertising. Its advertisements are unique in that they are planned in such a way that they imitate a setup of selling its products to creative people. The most noticeable advertisement campaign include the Super Bowl Commercial of the 1980s, Think Differently in 1990s, and The iPod People in 2000s. Apple Strategic Management At the core of Apples strategic management is the customer. To compete effectively, Apple seeks to understand what the customer wants and responds accordingly. Apple has remained competitive for three decades because it has always maintained an open mind and created designs that meet or exceed their customers expectations. Apple Inc. also embraces innovation and quality as important features of its strategic plan. A couple of years ago, the company reiterated that it would embark on a plan to compete on the basis of quality. Production of high quality and unique products has facilitated the establishment of a reliable brand which now has cult-like following around the world, and this has placed Apple at the top particularly in the Smartphone market. Apple  Business Strategy Apple Inc. relies on Generic Business Strategy (Porters Model) and Intensive Growth Strategy. These strategies directly influence the companys strategies when it comes to marketing and pricing among other areas of business. The Generic Model influences the features that differentiate Apple and its products from competitors. On the other hand, Apple Company uses innovation and product development as its core intensive growth strategy. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis highlights the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that Apple Inc. faces. 1. Strengths A strong brand image Financial strength Market leadership in several products High-profit margin Well-developed supply-chain infrastructure 2. Weaknesses High prices compared to competitors Technical issues to do with product functionality Narrow product range Incompatibility of Apple products with other companies products 3. Opportunities Product diversification Research and development Increasing product compatibility Establishment of strategic partnerships with other companies elsewhere in the world 4. Threats Intensified competition from China, South Korea, and India Loss of the companys innovative potential due to the demise of inspirational founder, Steve Jobs Increasing manufacturing cost How Apple Inc. Changed the World It is apparent that Apple is now one the most profitable companies in the world. However, the company had to make radical changes in the world to get there. For instance, the Macintosh was the first mass-market personal computer to use graphical user interface. This innovation has had a major impact on how the world knows and uses the computer today. For high quality and original essays, sign up and go to write my essay. You can also view our free essay sample. From the foregoing discussion, it is clear that innovation has been core to the success of Apple Inc. Strong brand, a well developed retail distribution infrastructure, and advertising differentiation have also been key success factors for the company. Although the company has a number of weaknesses and faces several threats, the company also has many areas of strength, and the opportunities for growth are numerous. Thus, there is a potential for further growth in the future.

Strategic Analysis (SWOT and PEST) of Elecdyne The WritePass Journal

Strategic Analysis (SWOT and PEST) of Elecdyne SECTION 1 Strategic Analysis (SWOT and PEST) of Elecdyne SECTION 1INTRODUCTIONSWOT ANALYSIS OF ELECDYNEPEST ANALYSISFinal Recommendations:SECTION 2METHODOLOGYINTERNATIONALIZATIONCHINAINDIABRAZILCOUNTRY OF INVESTMENTREFERENCESRelated SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION As it is written in the case study about Elecdyne that the company is actually facing problems and is unable to grow itself since the last 2 years. Elecdyne is a Japanese company based in Tokyo and was established in 1990. They initially started with 5 employs and now it has 100 employs producing a range of Elecdyne products such as televisions, VCRs, DVD players, MP3 players, hi-fi equipment etc using technology licensed from a number of   Japanese and European multinationals. It currently supplies only to the Japanese market. The problems that Elecdyne is facing is the general threats (and opportunities) that is been created by an increasingly globalized business environment like innovations in the products, rapid increase in the technology and changing in the nature of competition. Now the company needs to focus on how it will come out of this situation through an analysis and SWOT analysis will give a brief idea about the company’s internal and external factors. SWOT ANALYSIS OF ELECDYNE Before we do a swot analysis of Elecdyne first we should what actually swot analysis is? SWOT analysis is basically method to look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of any company. Usually we do swot analysis just to see at the internal and external environment of the country just to analyze the environment that whether the conditions are favorable or not. This technique   was created by   Albert Humphrey. PEST ANALYSIS Before doing pest analysis first we should know about pest analysis. PEST analysis has 4 things in it which are Political, Economic, Social and Technological. The reason of doing it is to know about the macro environment. â€Å"In analysing the macro-environment, it is important to identify the factors that might in turn affect a number of vital variables that are likely to influence the organization’s  supply and demand  levels and its costs† (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1991; Johnson and Scholes, 1993). â€Å"PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations.† (Kotler 1998) Final Recommendations: The above analysis shows the current situation of Elecdyne and it shows that the company is in a very bad position. To get out of such situation the company needs to make some strategies and these strategies are discussed below: As we know that Elecdyne is working in the Japanese market since the last 20 years and so they have a pretty good knowledge about Japanese market. Their experience can play a vital role in operating in that huge market. First of all they have to do some research and find out that what type of products do customer need and should focus on that. As Elecdyne is not very much advanced in the technology so of course they should also focus on the technology. For example now Blu-ray technology is getting very common in the world and Japan being a very advance country in technology so Elecdyne should focus on improving the technology in its products. Another problem that Elecdyne is facing that its losing its key employs and it should focus on retaining them. Elecdyne needs a cheap labour which is very difficult to find in Japan because in Japan the wage rate is very high so Elecdyne needs to relocate their location and look for some place where there is very cheap wage rate and they should also look for low price raw material so that the production cost can also reduce. Recently japan has been from the worst disaster of earthquake so Elecdyne can also focus on the CSR activity by which their name can also be known in the social activity in Japan. Elecdyne should also focus on technology for selling its products all around the world and the best way of doing that is the internet. If people from all around the world can get access to the rpoducts of Elecdyne so their sale can increase but as I have mentioned above that they should try to reduce the prices of their products because the biggest competitor Elecdyne has is Sony which is a huge name in world and of course if the products of Sony and Elecdyne will be of same price so people will definitely prefer Sony but if Elecdyne products will be cheaper so people might choose the products of Elecdyne. The main strategies that Elecdyne should focus on are as follows: Relocation of production where there is cheap labour and raw material. Should improve the technology. Make easy access of their products all around the world through the internet. SECTION 2 Elecdyne is a Japanese company which is operating in Tokyo and currently only selling their products to the local market. As the current situation of the company is below average and it has stopped growing since the last 2 year and due to that it has start losing its key employs to their competitors. Now the company is focusing on internationalization and looking to relocate the company and want to minimize its cost. They are looking for cheap labour rate and cheap raw material which is not possible in Japan because Japan labour rates are high. The employs of Elecdyne are well educated and most of them have done their higher education from USE, CANADA and UK which clearly means that when going internationally English landguage is not going be an issue for the emplos. As I have mentioned before that main reason of going to another country is to minizing the cost. METHODOLOGY The method that will be used is PEST analysis which actually focuses on the macro environment of the country. INTERNATIONALIZATION After having lots of discussions and meetings among the top management the three countries that they have decided to choose are, China India Brazil CHINA China is one of the biggest countries of the world having the area of (3,705,407 sq mi) (wikipedia.com) with the biggest population (1.3 billion) (google.com 2011). China currently has the GDP of $4.99 trillion (google.com) with a growth rate of 9% (tradingeconomics.com). China today is one of the biggest industries of producing goods because of its cheap labour and huge man power. The policies of Chinese government are relatively easy and most of the products are produced or assembled in China. When investing in China the companies 1st should look at the Marco environment of the country and for doing that pest analysis is the best way of doing that. INDIA India again is one of the biggest countries of the with the population of 1.17 billion (google.com) with the total land of 1,269,219 (sq mi)   which is 7th in world (Wikipedia.com). Since the last decade India’s economy has been boosting up doing to lots of foreign investments. The GDP of India is 1.31 trillion US dollars (google.com) with a growth rate of 8.3% and ranking 10th in the world as far as growth rate is concern. In India when companies want to invest so there are no complications when it comes to the government policies because the companies only need to report to RBI (Reserve Bank of India). The Indian government also support the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and the taxes on the business sector are not very high so this also gives a relief to the foreign investment. India has a very huge man power as they are 17.3% of the world population (Wikipedia.com) and due to this the labour rate in India is relatively cheaper than other countries of the world. To see t his in more details the pest analysis of India will give a much better idea of the Macro environment of the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Political   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Economic Government supports the FDI For industries taxes are very low. No precedning approval needed. The company only has to report to RBI(Reserve Bank of India) within 30 days of foreign investment Labour is relatively cheaper Has enough man power Boost in the GDP in last decade ($1.31 Trillion  US dollars)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Social   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Technological Can decrease the unemployment in the country. Has a rapid increase in the technology in the last decade. BRAZIL Brazil is another country whose economy is boosting up. We have talked about India and China but Brazil’s economy is also rapidly increasing and currently its GDP is $1.57 Trillion US dollars (google.com) and the rate from which it is increasing is with the rate of   0.7% (tradingeconomics.com) in the last year. The government of Brazil is inviting the international business which is resulting in less employment and increase in the economy. The trading policies are also not very strict and taxes for trading are relatively low. The only issue that Elecdyne can have is Brazil is very far away from Japan and the cost in the logistics will be high. The government of Brazil also supports the FDI To see that Brazil will be a good option for Elecdyne to invest here is the pest analysis of Brazil. COUNTRY OF INVESTMENT As we have done pest analysis of 3 countries to find out that in which we have to invest and by doing that what I will recommend is to invest in India. India is one of the biggest democratic country of the world. The very first reason of doing this is the tax rate of India on the business is very low and India government is still looking for foreign companies to invest in their country and the biggest reason of doing is to decrease the unemployment from the country. Being the 2nd biggest country in the world (as far as population is concern) the employment in India is still a problem with the people of India. The only problem that Elecdyne might have in India is there is some corruption in the government. If we see into this so this may not effect Elecdyne but still there might be a possibility that this might affect the company. Another factor that India has a very low labour rate and if we compare the currency of India and Japan so there is not a very huge difference but if we comp are the currencies of other countries that we have analysed so India will be the cheapest. When it comes to logistics so the distance between the two countries is not too much. The transportation that can be used are, rail, trucks, plane etc. India is a very advance country and they also have technology and if Elecdyne need some technology they can import it without worrying of high taxes. When investing in India Elecdyne is not require to wait for a long time all they have to to do id the report to the RBI( Reserve Bank of India) just before the 30 days of investment. Since the last 6 or 7 years now the stability in India is very good and companies who have invested in India have minimize their cost and due to a huge population in India the number of buyers have increased. The biggest competitor of Elecdyne is Sony and as we discussed above that Elecdyne have to minimize the price of its products so that people prefer their products because of low price there are people in India wh o are price oriented rather than quality so in my opinion India is the best country to invest. REFERENCES Albert Humphrey (1960s) Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis (Accessed on 26th march 2011) Kotter and Schlesinger (1991), Johnson and Scholes (1993) Available at: coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/pest-analysis.php ( Accessed on 26th march 2011) Earthquake-report.com (2011) Available at: http://earthquake-report.com/2011/03/16/catdat-estimated-direct-loss-after-japan-tsunami-100-billion-us/ (Accessed on 26th march 2011). Wkipedia.org(2011) Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_area (Accessed on 27th march 2011). Google.com(2011) Available at: google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdimet=ny_gdp_mktp_cdidim=country:CHNdl=enhl=enq=what+is+the+gdp+of+china (Accessed on 27th march 2011). Trading economics.com Available at: tradingeconomics.com/Economics/GDP-Growth.aspx?Symbol=CNY (Accessed on 27th march 2011) Google.com(2011) Available at: google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdimet=sp_pop_totlidim=country:INDdl=enhl=enq=what+is+the+population+of+india (Accessed on 27th march 2011). Google.com Available at: google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdimet=ny_gdp_mktp_cdidim=country:INDdl=enhl=enq=what+is+the+gdp+of+india (Accessed on 27th march 2011) Indexmudi.com Available at: indexmundi.com/india/gdp_real_growth_rate.html (Accessed on 27th march 2011) Wikipedia.com Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population (Access on 27th march 2011). Google.com Available at: google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdimet=ny_gdp_mktp_cdidim=country:BRAdl=enhl=enq=gdp+of+brazil (Accessed on 27th march 2011). tradingeconomics.com Available at: tradingeconomics.com/Economics/GDP-Growth.aspx?Symbol=BRL (Accessed on 27th march 2011)

Pension Plans in the United States After Retirement

Pension Plans in the United States After Retirement Pension plans are one of the key methods to successfully saving for retirement in the United States, and though the government does not require businesses to provide such plans to its employees, it does offer generous tax breaks to companies that establish and contribute to pensions for their employees. In recent years, defined contribution plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) have become the norm in terms of small businesses, self-employed individuals, and freelance workers. These monthly set amounts, which may or may not be matched by the employer, are self-managed by the employees in their personal savings accounts. The primary method of regulating pension plans in the United States, though, comes from its Social Security program, which benefits anyone who retires after the age of 65, depending on how much one invests over the course of his or her life. Federal agencies ensure that these benefits are met by every employer in the U.S. Are Businesses Required to Offer Pension Plans? There are no laws that require businesses to offer their employees pension plans, however, pensions are regulated by several governing agencies in the United States, which largely helps define what benefits larger businesses must offer their employees - like health care coverage. The  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Department of State  website details that the federal governments tax collection agency, the Internal Revenue Service, sets most rules governing pension plans, and a Labor Department agency regulates plans to prevent abuses. Another federal agency, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, ensures retiree benefits under traditional private pensions; a series of laws enacted in the 1980s and 1990s boosted premium payments for this insurance and stiffened requirements holding employers responsible for keeping their plans financially healthy. Still, the Social Security program is the greatest way in which the United States government requires businesses to offer their employees long-term pensions options - a just reward for working a full career before retirement. Federal Employee Benefits: Social Security Employees of the  federal government- including  members  of the military and civil service as well as disabled  war  veterans- are offered several types of pension plans, but the most important government-run program is Social Security, which is available after a person retires at or above the age of 65. Although run by the Social Security Administration, the funds for this program come from payroll taxes paid by both employees and employers. In recent years, however, it has come under scrutiny as the benefits received upon retirement  only cover a portion of the income needs of its recipient. Especially because of the retirement of many of the post-war  baby-boom generation early in the 21st century, politicians feared the government wouldnt be able to pay all its obligations without increasing taxes or decreasing benefits for retirees. Managing Defined Contribution Plans and IRAs In recent years, many companies have switched over to what is known as defined contribution plans wherein the employee is given a set amount as part of their salary and is thus tasked with managing their own personal retirement account. In this type of pension plan, the company is not required to contribute to the savings fund of its employee, but many choose to do so based on the result of the employees contract negotiation. In any case, the employee is responsible for managing his or her salary allotment intended for retirement savings. Although it is not difficult to set up a retirement fund with a bank in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), it can be daunting for self-employed and freelance workers to actually manage their investments into a savings account. Unfortunately, the amount of money these individuals have available at retirement entirely depends on how they invest their own earnings.

Describe how Management By Objective (MBO) can provide better Essay

Describe how Management By Objective (MBO) can provide better efficiency in setting, planning and accomplishing organizational goals - Essay Example The management by objective is a technique that is applied which is based on set objectives that are achievable by the company, the divisions and the employees. These objectives then are considered as a measurable contribution of the individuals in the company to the success in the achievement and completion of the goals of the whole organization (Drucker 121-30). Due to the fact that MBO is based on the aim to be a measurable management technique, the activities and job assignments are then gauged in measurable and numerable quantities. The number of activities done constitutes an important role in the assessment of performance of the employees. For that matter, the quantity of work done can be incorporated to the type and quality of activity that is undertaken (Drucker 121-30). The application of MBO can be on the different levels of the organizational system, thus, covering different forms of activities. Included in such activities are human resources, maintenance services, research and development, sales, finance and most importantly production. The said management technique became widely known as the setting up of quotas in different types of jobs and organizational roles. When the said term is heard, the vision of numerable work values is perceived (Deming 24, 54; Drucker 121-30). The MBO is focused on the establishment of specified objectives that can be achieved through the course of operation. In addition, the quality of the work undertaken in the process of achievement of such goals is also given high regard. The acknowledgement of the division or individual employee with the most commendable performance is practiced for motivation in the said system (Garrison and Raynes 121). There are different of advantages that can be associated with the MBO, thus, it is considered as one of the management techniques commonly applied.