Examine Hamlets Relationship with Gertrude Essay Example for Free

Examine Hamlets Relationship with Gertrude Essay At the beginning of the play, during Hamlets first soliloquy, Hamlet contemplates suicide because he is so furious with his mother for marrying Claudius within a month of his fathers death. This is when Hamlet comments, frailty thy name is woman to express his bitter feelings towards his mother for not only the speed of her remarriage and betrayal of his father, but the dexterity to incestuous sheets. The situation, and Hamlets reaction to it, is a trigger of an increasing negative attitude towards all women, viewing them as weak. It is shown through his relationships with Gertrude and Ophelia. The audience learn through the other characters that Hamlet has shown affections towards Ophelia; whether they are genuine and lasting feelings is uncertain as Leartes advices Ophelia that they are not. Leartes asks Ophelia to hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood;/ A violet in the youth of primary nature. Leartes not only says that Hamlets feeling towards Ophelia is short-lived nonsense of his youth but highlights that for he himself is subject to his birth. Polonius also echoes a negative portrayal of Hamlets relationship with Ophelia as he advises her to be somewhat scaner of your maiden presence. Ophelia sees that Hamlets feelings are genuine as he hath importuned me with love / In honourable fashion and hath given countenance to his speech with almost all the holy vows of heaven. However, she is obedient and follows the wishes of her brother and father to keep as watchman to my heart or to not give words or talk with the Lord. The rejection of Hamlet by Ophelia is a significant influence in him believing that frailty thy name is woman as Ophelia could be seen as weak for following the orders of others who assumed that Hamlets affections could not be trusted when she, herself, believed them to be true. Hamlets reaction to Ophelias rejection is extreme and she is affrighted by his state of knees knocking each other with a look so piteous in purport/ As if he had been loosed out of hell. His bitterness has been exaggerated by the antic disposition that he has adopted since learning that his father was murdered by his uncle from his fathers ghost. This would make him feel even more anger towards his mother for marrying Claudius. He is manipulated by the Ghost who encourages his frustration for her when he says, shameful lust/ The will of my most seeming-virtuous Queen. Hamlet is in a vulnerable position as he is shocked by the revelations and is still grieving his father; it is comforting to ally his own feelings with his fathers in his resent towards Gertrude for marrying Claudius so soon after the Kings death and is quick to believe that he is a murderer. Hamlet follows the Ghosts orders to not seek revenge on Gertrude but to leave her to heaven. Hamlets despise for Gertrude festers within him through the play and with it, his views of women. Hamlet follows the Ghosts wishes not to take action against Gertrude and as a result he makes Ophelia suffer for his hatred of his mother. The extreme behaviour which Ophelia reports to her father leads Polonius to believe that he is mad with the very ecstasy of love. Ophelia was obedient to her fathers wishes and did repel his letters, and denied/ His access to me. In contrast to Hamlets mad behaviour a letter written by him to Ophelia shows his strong feelings of affection towards her as he says, To the celestial and my souls idol, the most/ beautified Ophelia. The language is passionate in a very exaggerated style and shows that Hamlet had powerful emotions for her, and a rejection would cause an exaggerated reaction also. In conversation with Polonius, Hamlets bitter feelings towards women come out through quick and crude puns: Let her walk not I th sun. Conception is a blessing, but not as your daughter may conceive. This echoes Hamlets comment that frailty thy name is woman as the punning suggests women are improper and easily influenced. In Hamlets next meeting with Ophelia he is harsh towards her and denies sending her letters but speaks abruptly to her, making connections between chastity, beauty and immorality. He repudiates Ophelia, the woman he once claimed to love, in the harshest terms and urges her to go to a nunnery as she wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners and comments unfavourably on the flirtatious tricks of women such as lisp and nickname. Hamlet says we will have no more marriage, this is not only because he believes women make monsters of their husbands but the resent of his mothers marriage to Claudius is also implied. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent to find out what is troubling Hamlet he feels betrayed his mother as his mother and Claudius are together plotting together ways spying on Hamlet; his mother is being led by Claudius. He goes on to say that he has lost all interest in life, Man/ delights not me; no, nor woman either. He talk of men and women separately suggesting that they are different creatures. During the play Hamlet is cold towards both Gertrude and Ophelia, when his mother asks him to sit by her he refuses as metal more attractive. He comments, how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within these two hours, and speaks of country matters crudely to Ophelia. Hamlet is thinking about the way his mother has acted and as he cannot confront her he offends Ophelia. Even though it is not suggested that Gertrude connived at her husbands murder, but by marrying Claudius she is guilty by association, None wed the second but who killed the first. It reminds the audience the way in which the circumstance has changed him to believe frailty thy name is women. Once the play has been stopped, Gertrude asks to speak to Hamlet which is when he confronts her about his feelings as before he had to hold my tongue. He tells her that it was Claudius blasting his wholesome brother. He asks why she would desert his father for his uncle and aggressively shames her in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed/ Stewed in corruption, honeying, making love/ Over the nasty sty. The audience recognise the crude language that he used when speaking to Ophelia as he condemns the frail women. Gertrude is convinced mainly by Hamlets insistence and power of feeling, which illustrates her frailty and tendency to be dominated by powerful men and her need for men to show her what to think and how to feel. Ophelia is driven mad by her fathers death and it contrasts strongly with Hamlets, differing primarily in its legitimacy: Ophelia does not feign madness to achieve an end, but is truly driven mad by the death of her father. After Poloniuss sudden death and Hamlets subsequent exile, she finds herself abruptly without any of them. She is obsessed with death, beauty, and an ambiguous sexual desire, expressed in startlingly frank imagery: Young men will dot, if they come tot, By Cock, they are to blame. Quoth she Before you tumbled me, You promised me to wed. Shakespeare has demonstrated her chaste dependence on the men in her life; similar to Gertrudes character. Ophelia is in such a frail state when in the same situation as Hamlet their fathers both murdered she commits suicide, which Hamlet also contemplated in his first soliloquy. Ophelia is associated with flower imagery from the beginning of the play. In her first scene, Polonius presents her with a violet; after she goes mad, she sings songs about flowers; and then she drowns amid long streams of them. The fragile beauty of the flowers resembles Ophelias own fragile beauty, as well as her nascent sexuality and her exquisite, doomed innocence. Despite Hamlets harsh treatment of Ophelia, Hamlet is grief-stricken and outraged when declaring in agonised fury his own love for Ophelia. He fights with Laertes, saying that forty thousand brothers / Could not, with all their quantity of love, / make up my sum. This shows that his despise of women could not overcome his love for Ophelia in the same way that Hamlet had trusted his mother to believe he is not mad but not tell Claudius that is an act, even though he had felt betrayed by her throughout the play. Therefore, Hamlet was shattered by his mothers decision to marry Claudius so soon after her husbands death, Hamlet becomes cynical about women in general, showing a particular obsession with what he perceives to be a connection between female sexuality and moral corruption. This motif of misogyny, or hatred of women, occurs sporadically throughout the play, but it is an important inhibiting factor in Hamlets relationships with Ophelia and Gertrude. He urges Ophelia to go to a nunnery rather than experience the corruptions of sexuality and exclaims of Gertrude, Frailty, thy name is woman. Gertrude seems to have a powerful instinct for self-preservation and advancement that leads her to rely too deeply on men much like Ophelia who is also submissive and utterly dependent on men. As these are the only two significant women in Hamlets life it is easy for him to conclude that frailty thy name is women.

Augmentative and Alternative communication (AAC)

Augmentative and Alternative communication (AAC) Introduction: Communication is one of human basic needs. It is an essential part of life that no one can live without it. It is a process of transferring information, ideas, attitudes, or feelings from an individual to another individual or to a group of individuals. The process includes the exchange of experiences between individuals; under the shared common understandings of media or symbols that contain the information in the messages. Communication can occur with at least 2 persons; each being both message senders and receivers simultaneously through the interchanging of these 2 roles. Sending or receiving messages can both be in verbal and nonverbal forms. The verbal communication is considered the basic form of communication. In verbal communications, an individual needs to use several organs such as larynx, vocal cords, tongue, mouth, lips, teeth, and jaws, in order to produce sounds (Ruben, 1983). One can express ones needs to others with the verbal communications. They require fewer interpretations, given that both parties use the same language. Nonverbal communications, on the other hand, include communications through gesturing, nodding, or shaking ones head, touching, facial expressing, moving lips, writing on paper, using pictures, having eye contacts, and etc. They are used as a complimentary of the verbal communications, or are used when verbal communication is impossible (Peel, 1995; Beis, 1996; Sundee, et al., 1998). The nonverbal communications may occur when persons are in quiet places where no voice is allowed, when both parties are in distant and sound cannot be sent from one to another, or when a person has physical conditions that ability to speak is limited, for example in patients on respirator with endotracheal tubes (Verity, 1996; Happ, Garret, oesch, 2003). Normally, the vocal cord vibrates and produces sound when the air flows through it. When the endotracheal tube is inserted, air will flow through the tube introduction not through the trachea and the vocal cord (Ruben, 1984; Guyton Hall, 2000) obstructing the sound making process (Sitzer, 1993; Hafsteindottir, 1996). Patients with good conscious, who cannot verbally communicate, are affected both physically and emotionally by inability of speaking. Need for Study: Clients with endotracheal tube on Mechanical Ventilation tube experienced pain and discomforts. Several complications that can occur include injuries and irritations of the oral mucosa, throat, trachea, pharynx, and larynx. Psychological effects included anxiety, stress, fear, sleeplessness, and in some clients the feeling of social separations. Clients with good conscious, who cannot verbally communicate, are affected both physically and emotionally by inability of speaking. Communication is important in order to provide effective nursing care that respond to clients needs. Effective communication improves the quality of care. The literature suggests that in many facilities AAC intervention is inadequate and that there is a need for increased education of nurses and other caregivers in the area of communication . Leathart observed 8 nurse-patient interactions in an intensive therapy unit (ITU). Patients were intubated but alert and able to com-municate. Patients communication was mainly comprised of replying to yesà no questions. Seven of 8 nurses reported dificulty communicating with patients in ITUs. Reasons cited were dificulty lip-reading, lack of patient feedback, Hafsteind-ttir (1996) described patient frustration with alternative means of communication. The frustrations stemmed from physical weakness, poor vision, and hand tremors (associated with dificulty writing). None of the patients recalled receiving instructions about communication methods. Over half of ventilated patients who participated in a study by Lohmeier and Hoit (2003) reported that they had no history of speech therapy, and only 5 of the 50 respondents had ever received AAC interventions. Problems or frustrations with speech were reported by 36 participants, suggesting a need for increased communication intervention for this population. Happ et al. (2004) investigated 36 records of patients who received mechanical vVentilation and who died during hospitalization in 8 ICUs during a 12-month period. No uses of picture boards, letter boards, or electrolarynx devices were documented. Their findings indicated that most communication consisted of yes/no responses to caregivers questions about orientation or pain, suggesting that nurses controlled the communicative interactions. Wojnicki-Johansson (2001) asked nurses to evaluate the communication of 22 patients who had been mechanically ventilated in the ICU. Nurses reported functional communication in 19 patients, however, this conflicted with the reports of 13 of the patients, who indicated that nurses had failed to understand their needs during their stay in ICU. Six patients reported that no functional communication was achieved, whereas nurses reported this to be the case for only 2 patients. Eight patients reported that nurses were unable to understand their messages. The author suggested that nurses should critically evaluate their communication skills and frequently verify the content of communication with patients. Fried-Oken et al. (1991) interviewed 5 patients who reported negative emotional responses to the sudden onset of communication difficulties, the most common response being fear. Patients reported that some caregivers and family members did not know how to use their AAC systems and emphasized the need for increased training in this area. Hall (1996) studied communication by observing interactions between nurses and their patients who were on ventilators. Hall concluded nurses seemed more concerned about meeting their need to provide specific information to the patient than to discover what the patient might want. The author questioned whether nurses have the skills and knowledge to respond to and/or assess nonverbal communication and felt that this warranted continued investigation. Statement of the problem: A study to assess the effectiveness of Augmentative and Alternative communication (AAC) towards fulfilling the needs and satisfaction of among the clients with endotracheal tube on Mechanical Ventilation in Govt Rajaji Hospital. Madurai. Objectives of the study: The objectives of this study are to: To assess the level of patients fulfilling needs and satisfaction after administering the aided augmentative and alternative communication. To evaluate the effectiveness of administering the aided augmentative and alternative communication. To associates the level of Satisfaction and selected demographic variable. Hypothesis: 1. There will be no significant association between the level of satisfaction and selected demographic variables 2. There will be a significant difference between the level of communication and patient satisfaction among the endotracheal tube on Mechanical Ventilation patients after administering the augmentative and alternative communication. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION Effectiveness It refers that effectiveness relates to how well a AAC works in practice or what the indent results Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) refers way of communication that provide an alternative method by using devices such as paper and pencil and picture board etc Needs In this study need refers that patient fulfill his physical, physiological, therapeutic, social, psychological, spiritual needs by means of alternative communication. Endotracheal tube on Mechanical Ventilation It is a surgical procedure and after the surgical procedure the patients are having impaired verbal communication. Assumption Delimitation

Strategic Alliances In Integrated Supply Chain Management

Strategic Alliances In Integrated Supply Chain Management The objective of the study is to offer a theoretical framework to explain the positive impact of interdependence between strategic alliance partners with regard to the integration of work activities, information and alliance outcomes from the perspective of supply chain management. Methodology This approach adapted is a secondary approach where in the evolution of strategic alliances is comprehensively studied thus establishing the needs of organization across various time periods. Literatures of strategic alliances are approached from a strategic and supply chain perspective. Findings In the dynamic and ever changing business environments, strategic alliance has become an indispensable tool for the effective and efficient performance of a supply chain. With rapidly changing product life cycles and decreased durability of technologies, strategic alliances no longer became a strategic option; it became a necessity for an organization to survive the competition. Research limitation The information in this article is based on a sample literature available in this area. So the scope of information discussed in this article is limited to this literature sample. Practical implications The review of this literature highlight the importance of strategic alliances in supply chain management from the strategic perspective and explain the importance of information technology for effective integration of supply chain. Introduction For the purpose of this study, a strategic alliance is a trading partnership which links certain business processes of two or more companies which may augment effectively the competitive strategies of the firms involved while providing mutual benefits by exchanging technologies, skills, resources, or products. A strategic alliance can vary in form, function and framework. Increasing market competition, reduced product life cycle, high capital investment, increasing demand for innovation and new technologies are bringing additional pressure on companies to come up with new strategies for sustainable competitive environment (Denise Cristina Nishimura, 2010). In addition to these, all the exogenous factors like political, economic, social, technological and ethical factors related to automotive industry were the antecedents for automakers to engage in alliances. With the fundamental shift in power to the customer and customer dictating the terms of the market, issues of interdependence among members of supply chain became more critical. Winning customer loyalty becomes more difficult in this volatile environment and it becomes difficult for firms to compete in this competitive environment with inefficient and ineffective supply chains. So organizations rather than maintaining traditional arms-length relationships and having silo type structures, should strategically segment their supply chain partners and form durable arms-length relationships to allocate different levels of resources to each group (Damien Power, 2004). With ongoing globalization and increased competitiveness in the market place, it becomes difficult for the organization to have foot hold across many countries which require huge investment, technological agility to serve local customers and to overcome various environmental constraints like governmental regulations etc. So companies by forming alliances can share the financial, technological resources and can effectively serve multi-domestic markets. Strategic alliances are an instrument for combining co-operation and competition in corporate strategies. Patterns of co-operation and competition can be categorized into three groups (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000): Co-operate while competing: Companies may continue to compete while they co-operate in some business areas in order to learn from each other to strengthen weak areas. Co-operate among them and compete with others: Companies may form alliance to compete with strong third parties. Co-operate, then compete: Companies co-operate among themselves to gain competencies and compete once they achieve a common standard. Major Alliances in Automobile Sector Source: Adopted from Kang, N. and K. Sakai (2000), International Strategic Alliances: Their Role in Industrial Globalization. Evolution of Strategic Alliances In the evolution of automotive industry it started with artisan production, passed through Henry Fords mass production to the present state State of the art technologies. Throughout the evolutionary past automakers formed alliances in the form of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Strategic alliances have been formed between firms on a national or international basis. The current form of alliances is distinguished from the past forms. In the new alliances firms remain independent from each other. During the arrangement there are common goals, but each firm has its own strategic goals. The partner firms are frequently collaborating reciprocally in their core areas of their competences rather than in peripheral businesses (Denise Cristina Nishimura, 2010). As on 2004, 80% of the passenger cars have been manufactured by the ten firms of the five industrialized countries. The strategic alliances in the passenger car industry happened mostly among countries like USA, European Union, Japan and Korea. General Motors and Toyota, Ford and Mazda, Chrysler and Mitsubishi have formed strategic alliances (Ayegul Samsunlu, 2006). Out of these only small number of companies leverage on supplier relationships, involving suppliers in their key business processes. Traditionally companies followed multi-supplier model, avoidance of long term contracts to enforce high bargaining power and keep the margins low. In this model organizations view themselves as individuals which are creating value to the customer by producing the deliverables. This is later dominated by a co-operative model where in companies share vital information to the suppliers, recognize areas of common interest, areas of distinctive competence among suppliers to leverage on their resources and integrate suppliers to their business process for effective and efficient performance of supply chain activities. In this organizations view themselves as a part of supply chain which creates value to the customer. This integration process among various partners of the supply chain is further facilitated by development in technological solutions that integrates information that surpasses organizational boundaries. This concept of supply chain further evolved into supply networks where in many firms in the supply chain are a part of different supply chains (Damien Power, 2004). Reasons for Strategic Alliances One of the reasons the automobile industry allies with foreign firms is to survive global competition under a weak relationship between the government and the industry (Hyun Young LEE, 2005). The reasons for forming strategic alliances changed over a period of time. Reasons for Alliances (Source: Adopted from Margarita Isoraite Importance of Strategic Alliances) Strategic alliances are supposed to create value for partner firms and their customers. This value is generated through synergy among the partnered firms. A large number of factors are responsible for creating the value like access to common resources, fit between partners needs, cost sharing, market penetration, scale economies etc (Bing-Sheng Teng, 2003). An alliance can create value in three possible ways. They are (Bing-Sheng Teng, 2003) Increases unit sales Lowering average costs per unit Increasing the customer willingness to pay An alliance along with leveraging on the competencies should also overcome the issues associated with partnering. In August of 1966, Nissan took over Prince. Besides the Nissan-Prince merger, six separate auto producer tie-up arrangements were negotiated in the late 1960s; Toyota-Hino (1966), Toyota-Daihatsu (1967), Fuji-Isuzu (1967), Mitsubishi-Fuji-Isuzu (1967), Mitsubishi-Isuzu (1968), and Nissan-Isuzu (1966). Toyota-Hino and Toyota-Daihatsu mergers materialized. It is notable that the product lines of three companies were complementary; Toyotas passenger cars, Hinos trucks and Daihatsus mini cars. All three firms were profitable in their primary line of products. This alliance created value because the activities in which these firms are competent are complementary, so the companies leveraged on these to generate added value. On the other hand, the four negotiations involving Mitsubishi, Isuzu, and Fuji failed because they could not overcome the various obstacles; product line ov erlapping, management independence, and antagonism between firms (Hyun Young LEE, 2005). The aims of strategic alliances are product differentiation, reduction in development costs, optimization of manufacturing capacity, reduction in time to market, improving productivity, speeding up the product development cycle, spreading the high cost of RD and leveraging know-how where ever. For example, GM has created strategic alliances. It has created strategic alliances with Suzuki for small cars. It has created strategic alliance with Toyota for technology, Honda engines for Hummer, Fiat for regional dominance and Isuzu for diesel engines and trucks (Ayegul Samsunlu, 2006). Some prime reasons for strategic alliances are (John D. Daniels, 2009) To spread and reduce Costs At a small volume of business, it may be caper for companies to contract the work to a specialist rather than handle it internally. A specialist can spread the fixed cost across many companies. Similarly a company having excess production and sales capacity that it can use to produce or sell for another company. Using this capacity for production or selling, the contracting company reduces its costs by not investing in fixed assets. Ford (US) had an alliance with a Japanese carmaker, Mazda. Ford focuses on cost reduction through communalization of car platforms, power trains (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000). Synergy and competitive advantage Achieving synergy and a competitive advantage may be another reason why firms enter into a strategic alliance. Competition becomes more effective when partners leverage off each others strengths, bringing synergy into the process that would be hard to achieve if attempting to enter a new market or industry alone (Margarita Isoraite, 2009). To specialize in competencies The resource based view of the firm holds that each company has a unique combination of competencies. Companies seek to improve its performance by concentrating on those activities that best fits its competencies, depending on the alliance partners for supply of products, services or support activities for which it has lesser competency. To avoid or counter competition Sometimes markets are not large enough to hold many competitors. So, companies have to band together so as not to compete. To Gain Knowledge Many companies that are open to new ideas and have the capacity to implement innovations, pursues collaborative arrangements to learn partners technology, operational practices, or home markets so that their own competencies will broaden and deepen, making them more competitive in future. To gain location specific Assets Cultural, Economic, Political and competitive differences among countries may create barrier for organizations to operate abroad. Then companies may seek local organizations to collaborate for managing local operations. General Motors and Ford are forming alliances with Japanese firms to build on their capacity and presence in the region. General Motors is jointly developing mini-vehicles for Asian markets with Suzuki and will assemble these vehicles in Suzukis factory in Japan or other Asian countries (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000). To overcome Governmental Constraints All the countries limit foreign ownership in some sectors. So companies have to partner with local organizations to serve these markets where 100% FDI is not permissible. Fastest means of entering markets Collaborative arrangements offer a faster initial means of entering multiple markets. Moreover, if product conditions favor diversification, it is more compelling to establish a foreign collaborative arrangement. To minimize exposure in risky environments Companies worry that political and economic changes will affect the safety of assets and their earning in their foreign operations. One way to minimize losses is to minimize the asset base in foreign countries by collaborations. Types of Strategic Alliances These alliances range from relatively noncommittal types of short-term, project-based cooperation to more inclusive long-term equity-based cooperation namely mergers and acquisition, joint ownership, joint venture, formal cooperative, informal cooperative. Horizontal Alliances In the automobile industry, horizontal alliances occur when an automaker links with another automaker with reciprocal collaborations in joint activities. Partners can setup joint production/infrastructure to achieve economies of scale, or joint sales in order to gain more market share, or basically to transfer technological knowledge. Licensing (John D. Daniels, 2009) In Licensing, a company (the licensor) grants rights to intangible property to another company (the licensee) to use in a specified geographic area for a specified period. In exchange, the licensee pays a royalty fee to the licensor. Used for Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks and other intangible properties. The economic motive behind licensing is for faster start-up, lower costs or access to valuable resources. The advantages of licensing are Licensor can cover many markets in faster speed at low cost Licensor gets tie-ups with local distributors. Understands local market Disadvantages of licensing can be diffusion of technology and losing the market to licensee. The licensee can become a potential competitor. In the alliance between GM and Russian Avtovaz, GMs licensed its technology to Avtovaz, to produce sport utility vehicles in Russia (John D. Daniels, 2009). Joint Ventures A joint venture is defined as a co-operative business activity, formed by two or more separate firms for strategic purposes, which creates a legally independent business entity and allocates ownership, operational responsibilities, and financial risks and rewards to each partner, while preserving each partners separate identity or autonomy (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000). The independent business entity can either be newly formed or the combination of pre-existing units and/or divisions of the partners. Joint ventures generally aim at making the new company a self-standing entity with its own aims, employees and resources (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000). Some reasons for joint ventures are Exploiting Capabilities and Expertise (Nishith Desai, 2011) Companies having complementary skills and capabilities engage in mutual co-operations, so that they can contribute to the co-operation. Each of the members concentrates on their competencies and depends on their partner for complementary skills so that the total value generated by the partners will be more than the value generated individually. Leveraging Resources (Nishith Desai, 2011) With the globalization, it became difficult for one company to pool all the resource like financing, skilled manpower to serve various markets. Access to labor, capital and technological resources have become driving forces for modern businesses to withstand the competitive dynamics in the changing environment. Managing the business across the borders became more complex compelling the companies to form alliance by entering into a Joint Venture. Advantages of Joint venture includes entering a foreign country against FDI regulations , sharing risks as well as costs, established channel partners and relations of the partner etc (John D. Daniels, 2009). Disadvantages include conflict of vision/interest, both parties not contributing equally, lack of complete control, Market sharing leading to market contraction etc (John D. Daniels, 2009). Examples: Hero Honda started in 1984 as a joint venture between Hero Cycles of India and Honda of Japan. After that it became the largest two wheeler manufacturer in India. In August 2011 the company was renamed Hero MotoCorp with a new corporate identity after the joint venture dissolved. Acquisition (Eszter Molnar, 2009) The fastest way of entering new markets is by acquisition where the larger firm purchases more that 50% of stake in the smaller firm. It enables the buyer to benefit from existing structures, brand, relations, channels and business knowledge in case of a foreign takeover. Advantages (John D. Daniels, 2009). Saves time and quick to market due to well established distribution and sales channels Competition in the market remains unchanged Disadvantages (John D. Daniels, 2009). Obsolete technology Resources might not be in best class Processes and practices might not be world class Example: Porsches gambit, where in it steadily increased its stake in Volkswagen since 2005 and became the majority stake holder in Volkswagen by October 2008 (Eszter Molnar, 2009). Tata motors after the acquisition of British Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) business became a major player in the international automobile market. The main reason for the acquisition would be acquiring intellectual property rights related to the technologies. Merger Merger is an horizontal equity alliance, where two companies often of about the same size, decide to go forward as a single company that remain separately owned and operated. An ominous merger was the DaimlerChrysler when the German based Daimler-Benz merged with US based Chrysler Corporation in 1998. It is known as Merger of Equals, but it didnt last long and they separated in 2007. Later Chrysler made a strategic alliance with Fiat under the terms that Fiat will take 35% of stake in Chrysler in exchange for supplying high fuel-efficient power train technology and small and medium sized vehicle platforms. This alliance helped Chrysler to penetrate European and South American markets and Fiat to get access to US market (Eszter Molnar, April 2009). Vertical Alliances Vertical alliances occur when the automaker builds relationship with suppliers who provide goods and services in any business process along with the vertical chain. Basically vertical relations were mostly based on the decision making process of make-versus-buy. Making decision means that the automaker produces in-house. One of the main reasons behind it is to protect its core competitive advantages. Buying decision means that the automaker purchases or outsources the production of goods or services. The shift in the strategic outlook from organizational view to supply chain view is compelling organizations to produce the core products in-house and contract the production and control of peripheral parts from strategic supply chain partners. Nowadays, in the automobile industry 30% of the parts of a car are produced by automakers, while the other 70% of the parts, which would be assembled in the final product, are produced by suppliers (Denise Cristina Nishimura, 20 10). Contract Manufacturing (John D. Daniels, 2009) In contract manufacturing, the parent company approaches a firm known as contract manufacturer with a design/formula. Once the contract is finalized then the contract manufacturer manufactures the components/products for the hiring company. The company becomes free from managing the labor but technological diffusion will occur but only for manufacturing process. Examples like manufacturing contracts between a major carmaker and a local Chinese firm, Toyota/Tianjian Automotive Industrial and Renault/Dandong Automotive Works. Turnkey Operations (John D. Daniels, 2009) Turnkey operations are a type of collaborative arrangements in which one company contracts with another to build complete, ray to operate facilities. Companies building turnkey operations are frequently industrial-equipment manufacturers and construction companies. Customers for turnkey operations are frequently governmental agencies. Strategic Outsourcing Strategic outsourcing is the alternative way for the company to accomplish its value chain activities rather than performing the entire value chain activities. In the current market place there are quiet a good number of companies that are specialized in some activities. Outsourcing these activities to the specialized companies strengthen the companies business model either by improving the efficiency by decreasing the cost or by enhancing the effectiveness by creating differentiating advantage in terms of quality, variety, speed of the supply chain. Subcontracting is necessary because it facilitates firm to concentrate on its core competencies; it allows for an economic method of production; suppliers are encouraged to specialize, which allows economies of scale in technology; to encourage smooth production by utilizing sources of supply. Economic Dualism theory suggests that large companies create dual economy by subcontracting, in which they can expand their resources in times of fortune and reduce capacity in times of recession, thus using sub-contracting as a cushion against economic cycles. However this theory fails in present conditions where subcontractors are seen as partners sharing risks, rewards and revenues (Paul D Cousins, 2003). This outsourcing can be entire function like Nike outsourced its manufacturing function or it can be a part of the function like many companies outsource the management of their payroll/pension systems while keeping the HRM activities within the system. A survey estimates that some 56% of g lobal product manufacturing is exported to manufacturing specialists (Hill Jones, 2008). What to Outsource With customer being the key focus in these present dynamic environments, companies keeps on trying to increase the total value generated to the customers by increasing the gap between customer willingness to pay and costs associated with the product. To achieve this companies outsource activities that they think the specialized company will generate more value by performing that activity. In the environment of growing customer demand for supply chain efficiency and effectiveness it is recommended for the company to perform the supply chain activities that it has distinctive competence and outsource the rest of activities. In many cases out-sourcing helps companies to obtain better operational expertise that would be difficult for the company to develop in-house. Outsourcing is growing at a rate of 23% per year because companies are discovering that they do not need to do everything themselves. Yet, not all processes are outsourced. Outsourcing the wrong process could be counterproduc tive, expensive, or even fatal to a company (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002). Core vs. Non-Core (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) The most crucial aspect of outsourcing is in making the distinction between the core competencies, which should be kept in-house, and the non-core activities, which are candidates for outsourcing. One element of the core vs. non-core distinction is the issue of controlling ones destiny. Becoming excessively dependent on partners reduces the strategic options available to a company. Processes that nurture the core, protect the core, or help the company exploit its core competencies are also held internally. Companies need to think carefully about what they wish to sow, nurture, and reap in-house in order to harvest long-term profits. Five-Stage Model (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) Prof. Fine enumerated five variables that predict the wisdom of in-sourcing vs. outsourcing. Modularity of components/processes: Modular elements are potential candidates for outsourcing than integral elements of a product or business Quantity of providers: The fewer the number of providers, the less outsourcing makes sense Clock speed: The faster the clock speed, the more you want to in-source. Importance to customer: If the customer cares about it, dont outsource it. Benchmark performance level: if you have best-in-class performance on the process, dont outsource it. Value Equation (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) A value equation used by Unilever to evaluate the added value generated by outsourcing activities to supply chain partners is Net Value = Internal Value from Focus + External Value from Provider Transaction Costs This equation helps only quantitatively where as many qualitative parameters like whether the activity is core or non-core should also be considered. For activities that are non-core, the equation helps the company assess the value of outsourcing that non-core activity. Although the equation looks like a simple financial model, many of the terms have qualitative elements (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002). Value Equation: Internal Value from Focus (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) With outsourcing, management and employees can focus more on what is important. So organizations create more value by focusing their valuable resources on their core activities and thus increase the value to the customer. Value Equation: External Value from Provider (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) Providers can create value by being more efficient, more effective, or more innovative than the internal counterpart. This value is the key part of the value proposition. The source of the providers value can fall into one of two categories: Value from high economies of scale Value from high levels of expertise. Specialist provider achieves scale economies by aggregating volumes of activities from multiple companies through standardization and decreases the unit costs across the supply network. Value from high levels of expertise occurs when the provider can accumulate large quantities of knowledge that would be hard for each client company to replicate. Value Equation: Transaction Costs (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) Transaction costs are inevitable in the outsourcing. Costs of internal transactions which are in general informal are very low and hidden where as the transaction costs with the outsourced company are visible and substantial. Extra transaction costs arise from having to formally specify what the partner is to do, managing that external activity. Companies decompose transaction costs into 3 categories: Oversight costs: Cost of managing the relationship, performance, information exchange etc. Switching costs: Cost of changing from insourcing to outsourcing Risk: The potential costs of problems associated with the outsourcing arrangement Evolution of Outsourcing Subcontracting model has changes drastically over last two decades. One of the most common strategies was Multiple Sourcing, which arises from the principle Not to keep all your eggs in one basket which was adequate when competition is local or national. With companies becoming global, competition has intensified, time to market cycles has to be kept low, increased innovations as customers demanding high quality products, at competitive prices became difficult with multiple sourcing strategy. This shifted the focus of companies towards Parallel Sourcing strategy where companies use single source within model groups and multiple sources for different products. This provides buyer benefits of sole sourcing like closer working relationships, information sharing etc and benefits of multiple sourcing like security of supply and market pricing (Paul D Cousins, 2003). This approach is followed by what is called Network approach which is complemented by concepts of Supplier tiers. In this approach suppliers are organized into Tier I (Major assemblers) followed by Tier II (Sub-assemblers). This kind of supply structure has become popular with in automotive and aerospace industry where in it allowed buyers to work with fewer, sophisticated suppliers. As a result buyers rely on fewer, powerful suppliers for supply of sub-assemblies (Paul D Cousins, 2003). With these high levels of dependencies, scholars are considering near paradigms like agile, lean and mass customization techniques. These paradigms are creating high degrees of integration across supply chain that will require more sophisticated relationship management across supply chain partners. If managed properly firms can reduce costs, decreases time to market and increases responsiveness to customers at lower costs (Paul D Cousins, 2003). Benefits of Out-Sourcing Cost reduction and cost savings Out-sourcing reduces the costs if the price you are paying for the company is less than the costs that you incur if the same activities are performed in-house. Specialist companies are able to perform activities at a lower cost as they can realize economies of scale by performing the same kind of activity for various companies. These specialized companies invest more in efficient-scale manufacturing facilities/processes to spread the costs against large volumes and bring down unit costs. Specialists also save costs through learning effects more rapidly than the clients. These companies learn fast how to operate the processes more efficiently compared to its clients. Since most of the out-sourced companies are based at low-cost global locations, costs can easily drive down (Hill Jones, 2008). Enhanced Differentiation Companies should be able to differentiate its final products by out-sourcing certain noncore activities. These companies can provide more reliable products by strongly focusing and achieving competence in that activity thus decreasing the defect rate. Most of these specialized companies have adopted Six Sigma methodologies and bring down error rates, thereby increasing the reliability of product. For example carmakers outsource specific kinds of vehicle component design activities such as microchips and headlights to the specialists who have earned reputation for design excellence (Hill Jones, 2008). Focus on core business Strategic out-sourcing makes the managers to focus their energies and companies resources in performing the core activities that can create sustainable have more potential to create value and competitive advantage. By this companies enhance their competence and push out the value creation frontier and create more value for their customers (Hill Jones, 2008). Flexibility Companies gain access to new technologies and use suppliers technology to accelerate new product development. Companies can also adapt to changing business environments by changing suppliers if the existing suppliers using technologies that are obsolete. Thus companies mitigate the risk of investing in resources/technologies that have short life cycles (Yijie Dou and Joseph Sarkis, 2010). Local Expertise Partners also bring local expertise to the relationship. Although global companies would like to create economies of scale based on world-wide uniformity, such uniformity is not always possible. Local government regulations impact ingredients or packaging. Local customs and trends affect marketing or product mix. Supplier partners (l

Computers :: science

Computers The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers. This quote, relayed by Sydney G. Harris, has many meanings to it. The basic meaning that Harris is trying to convey is that one should â€Å"open up his/her minds† and realize what is really occurring, not what is being covered up. These days, the tendency is generally for one to think about how one day, computers might be able to think like humans, and the problems that that might generate, but people don’t realize the real problem, which is if humans start thinking like computers, that would be by far more devastating than the preceding. One of the meanings communicated through this quote is that we, as individuals, must comprehend that we are humans and therefore we should think and act as humans, and not computers. This statement is reinforced by the word danger in the quote. This word makes one think that this reality is, in fact, something that can have a negative effect on him/her or on his/her life. When one notices an abrasive word such as danger, his/her attention is immediately applied and set on the mindset that this is something out of the ordinary, and it is most likely treacherous. Through this quote, a very extraordinary message is expressed, that of which is that although technology is very beneficial in the sense that it makes life much easier for us, if used inappropriately, it can also be as destructive as it is helpful. For example, a car helps us get around from point A to point B much faster than walking. Over the years, it has improved its durability and safety to better suit humans and their demanding requirements. However, there have been numerous accidents and many lives have been lost due to the automobile. This shows that if misused, cars can cause more destruction than they can help. The same goes for any technology. If any technology is misused, it can cause more destruction than it can help. The destruction may not be only death, but a variety of other things. Through this quote, Mr. Harris is trying to differentiate between a human’s lifestyle and a computer’s lifestyle. By saying that the real danger is that men will begin to think like computers, he is saying that when we go to the future, we will generally be lazy.

history Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1790 a new nation was on the rise. With the help of the French, the people of the thirteen colonies of America had united together to defeat the greatest empire of the world. This was the shining moment of America. Freedom was theirs, and this is what they have been wanting since the pilgrims arrived almost two centuries before. They were now going to take on an even greater task then fighting the British: establishing a system of government that would be fair and that would be accepted throughout all of America. One thing the founding fathers knew they had to do was establish a document that would unite the states under one system of laws, so they would be a single country. The Articles of Confederation were too weak and could not meet the demands the country as whole needed, so they drafted a new constitution. This new constitution was a brilliant document that expressed how there is no true sovereign power because the power ultimately lies in the people. This document, created in the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, was to become the foundation for our country and is still the chief document that the America of today follows. Nevertheless, there were still some people opposed to this document. The Anti-federalists, as they were called, believed that if the constitution was enacted then the central government would become too powerful. They believed America would then become a tyrannical government, which is what America fought so hard to get away from. The anti-federalists said a bill of rights was needed to stop the national government from being tyrannical. It was clear that this country would need a bill of rights, so one of the main jobs of the first   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‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gaines 2 Congress was to create one. In 1789 twelve amendments were approved by congress and by the end of 1791 they had been ratified by the states and had become the Bill of Rights. They were the first ten amendments to the constitution, and they prevented a national government from ever becoming too powerful. These docum... ...told Washington that the list of prisoners from the rebellion had risen to about 150. Hamilton also informer Washington the rebels were no longer an assembled force, but some small parties not really causing much damage. The hype and rebellions slowly died down and on July 10, 1795 Washington issued a pardon to those who were imprisoned, but not yet sentenced. Also, Washington had already pardoned the two who were sentenced to death, and most of the people who were arrested were already acquitted because of a lack of evidence. Because of this event, the new Federal Government asserted its rights over the individual states, while also making the government more democratic and allowing the right of dissent without committing treason (Department of Treasury). The states were able to unify as one to overcome a challenge. This event showed that the constitution could indeed work, and that the national government must posses some power in order for the country to stay as a whole. This was just one obstacle that America would be faced with in its short history, but it showed that a government whose intent is truly for the people and by the people can survive and withstand any obstacles.

National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal Essay

The life, works and writings of Dr. Jose Rizal is the most worthy to honor him our foremost National Hero and he was acknowledged to be â€Å"The Greatest Malayan†. Today, we enjoy more freedoms and material advantages, all thanks to the revolutionary heroes like Rizal, who led them all in the nobility of his character and life, the applications of his talents, and utmost sacrifice of his life. In an act of political martyrdom which he faced with serenity and dignity that converted even some of his enemies to his cause, Rizal destroyed the moral authority of the Spanish Empire in the Philippines. Besides, Rizal in his many travels abroad, they have come to appreciate our nation more. It is really difficult to compare heroes. But, even using different yardstick, like who was the one that succeeded in fighting for our freedom, then we shall have to admit that Andres Bonifacio failed against the stronger armies of Spanish and America, respectively. Now, as for Rizal, who used the pen (a weapon mightier than the sword), he waged a non-violent crusade and suffered political martyrdom. Now and then we come across some Filipinos who venture the opinion that Andres Bonifacio and not Jose Rizal, deserves to be acknowledged as our first National Hero. but, as far as what we know Rizal never held a gun, a rifle or a sword in fighting for the liberty of our country in the battlefield. His consuming life purposes was the secret of his moral courage, physical courage, was one of his inherited. But the high courage to die loving his murderers, which he at last achieved that cannot be inherited. By his writings of his Novel (NOLI ME TANGERE) which awakened Filipino nationalism and paved the way for the Philippine Revolution, he proved that the pen is mightier than the sword, and because in this writer’s humble opinion, no Filipino has yet been born who could equal or surpass Rizal. Lastly, the most admirable was his complete self-denial, his complete abandonment of his personal interest in order to think only of those of his country. Prepared by: Crestian D. Ras REACTION PAPER Income Taxation Taxation is a system by which a government takes money from people and spends it on things such as education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, and defense. Taxes are the lifeblood of the government. It is therefore necessary that they collected on time to defray the government expenses. It is a compulsory obligation by any individual who are resident on a particular community conducting such obligation. In terms of the distribution of taxes, and of the amount contributed by a taxpayer, the government imposed normal tax rate on individual taxpayer depending on its income. Besides, the government gives personal and additional exemptions to the taxpayer in order to reduce its contribution in taxes. For instance, the head of the family was given a privilege to deduct 50 000.00 pesos from its compensation as his personal exemption and with a minimum of four children as his additional exemption with the amount of 25 000.00 pesos each. In addition, it is important to file on time or in advance rather than to be delay in order to avoid surcharges, interest and other penalties. And it is to be noted that the late filling and payment is considered as one violation as long as the filling and paying to wrong Revenue District Office is another violation.

Nike – good or bad?

Nike is good: A factory called Samyang in Vietnam (a factory under Nike contract) seems to be keeping satisfactory working levels within the building. It employs 5,200 people, most of them being women. The factory is made up of six big buildings with well-kept surroundings. Inside, there are fans keeping the workers cool, fire extinguishers about in the case of an emergency, and workers can easily access goggles, masks and gloves if they need them. Workers get double the local average of $54 per month and an annual bonus of at least one month's salary. Other factories get a lot less – in rural areas, factories pay $35 per month, in suburbs they pay $40 per month, and in cities, $45 per month. In state-owned factories (factories owned by the government), workers get a surprisingly low $15 per month! All this money they are getting has allowed most of them (three quarters) to buy a television, many to have a motorbike, some to have phones, etc. Not only does this improve their life, but it also allows other businesses such as petrol stations, electronic repair shops, etc. to function properly and make money too. This is called the multiplier effect. Nike has made changes to improve health and safety. In 1998, it replaced the very hazardous petroleum-based solvents with less harmful water-based ones. In 1999, an expert in the field went to verify Nike had actually done this at the Tae Kwang Vina factory in Vietnam. The investigator found that Nike had indeed replaced the compound and had also installed local exhaust ventilation systems. They also discovered that Nike had trained certain staff personnel aspects of health and safety. Nike is bad: Nike does not own the factories their clothes are manufactured in. This means they can leave at any time, leaving thousands of workers unemployed and fighting for their life while they find another job. For example, on February 22nd 2008, the BJ&J factory in the Dominic Republic announced that it was going to slowly fire workers and close. The factory, owned by Korean company called Yupoong, was making Nike caps at the time. In the Tae Kwang Vina factory mentioned earlier, some health and safety issues remained. Some sections of the factory were still exposed to hazardous chemicals, and to high heat and noise levels. In 1997, it was found that workers in a different factory were being exposed to 100 times the legal limit of Toluene, a toxic gas. Nike gets its clothes made in countries with free trade zones where it is illegal or extremely difficult for workers to organise into trade unions. It is practically impossible for workers to get better conditions (such as better pay, improved health and safety, etc.) when they cannot get together and form a united group to approach their boss. However, this said, some factory workers have done it before and achieved what they were protesting for. The Ching Luh Nike factory has 21,000 employees, and in June 2008, after going on strike for 2 days, they managed to get Nike to increase their wages by $6 a month. Some people think that the minimum wage in countries is enough to survive because the cost of living in that particular country is lower too. The chart below proves this to be wrong with three primary countries that Nike manufactures in. Nike doesn't pay lots to its workers. In many countries, they live way under the predicted living wage. The table shows the average wage of all the factories in that country, and the living wage in each. The data presented is only an average. Some factory workers earn only $1.60 a day, where the price of three meals a day is $2.00.