Strategic and Organisational Analysis of Li Ning Co. Ltd. The WritePass Journal

Strategic and Organisational Analysis of Li Ning Co. Ltd. Introduction Strategic and Organisational Analysis of Li Ning Co. Ltd. Introduction1. Examine the problems associated with Li Ning trying to become a global brand. From a marketing perspective, what do you think Li Ning should do to address those challenges?1.1 The competition with local and international rivals in domestic market1.2 Country of origin (COO) effects and the brand image1.3 The product portfolio and RD 1.4 Price decision1.5 International marketing1.6 Distribution agreements1.7 Culture dimensions   2. Considering the current stage of the internationalization of the company, for a market of your choice, develop a foreign market entry strategy.2.1 The choice criteria for the market chosen2.2 The analysis of market entry strategy 2.3   Key marketing mix activities for initial entry to the US marketReferencesRelated Introduction Li Ning Co. Ltd., one of China’s leading sports-apparel makers was founded from a family business by the well-known Olympic gymnastics gold medallist, Li Ning (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). With the reputation of its founder, the extension of its product range, some influential sponsorships and the success of penetrating second- and third- tier cities in the Chinese market, Li Ning has gained the popularity and high brand awareness in China, also a high market share. However, when the international companies began to value and target at the growing Chinese sportswear market, Li Ning gradually faced an intensified competition from international firm like Nike and Adidas in Chinese market, as well as from few local rivals in terms of the price, such as Anta and Peak. Li Ning firm has made some internationalization efforts in recent years like export activities, building its RD centres abroad and other attempts, but it remains overwhelmingly China focused and all the actions aim to es tablish a global brand in Chinese consumers’ eyes. Besides, those internationalization attempts did not bring any considerable revenue. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the challenges which Li Ning may face in the process of establishing its global brands and put forward the feasible international brand strategy and the foreign market entry strategy by referring to some theories of international marketing. The paper proceeds first by discussing some problems associated with Li Ning trying to be a global brand respectively and rational recommendations will be raised during the discussion. Second, the suggestion about the market choice and a foreign market entry strategy will be illustrated in terms of three aspects: the choice criteria for the entry market, the selection of entry mode and some key marketing communication strategies. 1. Examine the problems associated with Li Ning trying to become a global brand. From a marketing perspective, what do you think Li Ning should do to address those challenges? Facing the fierce competition from international and local rivals, the company reaches an agreement to build its international strategy and its global brand apart from protecting the domestic market. However, Li Ning has to take some potential problems into account in the process of internationalization and seven related considerations will be illustrated in this part. 1.1 The competition with local and international rivals in domestic market It can be seen that some well-known international brand such as Nike and Adidas possess relatively high market revenue in Chinese sportswear industry, as well as Li Ning and Anta, two top domestic brands (appendix 1). As far as Li Ning concerned, how to block international brands and also successfully retain the local market is one of the key points to become a global brand. Looking at the entire Chinese market, Li Ning positions itself as a competitive rival in providing price-quality bargains product and penetrates different levels of Chinese markets through its extensive network of distributors, sub-distributors and retail stores, especially in second- and third-tier cities where about 76% of Li Ning’s stores are located (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). However, temporarily leading position may be weakened when global brands gradually shift their focus to less developed regions in China where incomes are rising and consumers’ brand loyalties and shopping preferences have no t been established (Burkitt, 2010). With regard to global sportswear marketers, Nike and Adidas have both aimed at China as their second largest market in the world and put a lot of efforts in first-tier cities of China, like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. They set up their own retail channels like flagship stores or brand centres respectively in Beijing to create strong brand and retail experience (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). With higher brand positioning and name recognition, international brands are more effective in capturing market share in major cities where Li Ning has not paid more attentions. In order to become a global brand, Li Ning realizes that more emphasis should be put on the market of top- tier cities, but the reality is that Li Ning may have to use lower prices to distinguish its brand in this stiff competition with international firms (Burkitt, 2010). Thus, Li Ning needs to rethink its brand positioning both in local and international markets rather than only rely on price-quality bargains and utilize marketing communications to boost its brand awareness which will be discussed in the later paragraph. 1.2 Country of origin (COO) effects and the brand image In the eyes of most Chinese consumers, Li Ning’s brand identity is always associated with its founder, a national sport hero, so it is easier for Chinese consumers to understand and recognize Li Ning’s logo design, ‘flying red flag and initials of its founder’. Taking consumer ethnocentrism into consideration, domestic consumers may have more favourable attitudes to this brand because of the company’s history and culture. ‘Consumer ethnocentrism’ which was introduced by Shimp and Sharma (1987), refers to the consumer prefers domestic goods due to strong nationalistic beliefs and feelings. As the chief executive of Li Ning Co. said, ‘we want people to look at our brand and feel proud that they are part of something- proud of China’s growth’ (Burkitt, 2010). In addition, with the potential growth and importance of younger segments, Li ning has moved its sight towards them However, using consumer ethnocentrism to affect the purchase decision of young urban Chinese may not work, because Javalgi and White (2002, p. 568) summarized that ‘younger, better-educated and high-income consumers seem to be less ethnocentrism to foreign goods and services’, as well as people who are more open to foreign cultures. Besides, country of origin (COO) also has a negative impact on product and brand evaluation among young Chinese consumers. Many Chinese young consumers, especially teenagers, are keen on the American culture and other western cultures, such as freedom, risky spirit and personality, so they are more likely to choose a global brand which originated from western countries. While in the eyes of international consumers, it is hard for them to make any resonance with Li Ning without related cultural background, and they may perceive its logo as being similar or a copy of Nike swoosh. Similarly, think of the effect of COO, international consumers will use COO cues when they meet the unfamiliar brand and the bias against products generally from developing countries, so some country-image stereotypes, such as low price or low quality may hurt Li Ning’s brand image. Thus, in order to weaken the negative COO perception, Li Ning should alter the consumer attitude towards the product and brand through marketing communication and give its brand a unique identity. Thinking of Nike and Adidas, they both have their unique global identities which are created and preserved by variety communications such as advertising, celebrity endorsement and marketing campaigns. Therefore, there is still a big gap between Li Ning and global brands in terms of brand awareness and brand image. In order to attract the younger generation worldwide, Li Ning need to find out and build its unique brand image through redesign a more differentiated brand logo and slogan, strengthen the product range and design, and also create more targeted marketing campaigns. 1.3 The product portfolio and RD Sportswear can be divided into the following categories: professional sportswear, casual sportswear and fashion sportswear (Euromonitor International, 2007) and there are some overlaps among these groups. Based on the statistic from Euromonitor International (appendix2), it is shown that fashion sportswear, which is the hybrid of casual sportswear and fashion wear, is growing more rapidly than other sportswear segments in China market, so the company which can rapidly discover this potential demand and launch the new products will differentiate itself from rivals. Nike and Adidas have experienced substantial growth after they introduced fashion sportswear series, and yet, in this segment Li Ning has left behind other global brands’ steps. Besides, the global sneaker company has also developed new technologies which would be introduced into high end product to differentiate its brand because international consumers believe that global brands usually develop new products and tec hnologies faster than rivals (Holt et al., 2004), such as the Nike Air max 360 (features a foamless mid-sole technology), the Adidas 1 (includes a microprocessor technology)(scribd.com/doc/39006282/Athletic-Footwear-Industry-Analysis accessed 22 April 2011). In short, there is still a long way to go for Li Ning to catch up with those global brands in new product development and the range of product line, especially in new technologies and high end products. Now Li Ning, which established two RD centres abroad, has recognized product research and development as one of important steps to its internationalization strategy. Making full use of that can help Li Ning develop high-end products which can stimulate its starting point for brand positioning, better satisfy customers’ needs for fashion or performance and also upgrade the brand image. It is also recommended that Li Ning could also try to get access to some professional and well-known designers who have rich experience of customers’ preferences and global fashion trends to design its product. 1.4 Price decision On the basis of pricing strategy prototypes (Solberg et al., 2006), Li Ning falls into the global price follower position. Its price decision can be summarized as follows: first, under the same quality but it is much cheaper than international competitors, meanwhile it provides higher quality, but more expensive than local rivals. Second, Li Ning has to lower down the price in domestic market when larger and more experienced global brands have put pressure on it. Third, Li Ning has limited preparedness for its international attempts and set the price slightly cheaper than Nike and Adidas on its direct access to the foreign market (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). Holt et al. (2004) mentioned that international people think it is rationale for global brand to charge premium price if offering more quality and guarantees than others, three opportunity for Li Ning to reduce the pressure from globally branded counterparts and set a better price to increase its profitability are to identify the ni che market or a new segment or to develop a new technology which is difficult for its rivals to imitate (Solberg et al., 2006). 1.5 International marketing As the increasing level of income and the improving quality of life, the purchase decision among Chinese people less depend on price and functionality, but more on brand image, product design and style (Euromonitor International, 2007). Similarly, the main competition for market share among global brand lies in non-price competitions and the brand loyalty is quite high in this industry, In retrospect to the success of two dominators brands in the sporting goods industry, Nike and Adidas, they have some things in common for their international marketing communication strategy: using extensive marketing campaigns, creative advertising and celebrity endorsements to establish a differentiated brand image (scribd.com/doc/39006282/Athletic-Footwear-Industry-Analysis accessed 22 April 2011). In addition, due to their leading roles in the global market, they have a financial advantage on marketing and advertising expenditures, also on access to endorsement. Even though Li Ning’s canno t compete with them for these marketing resources, it has also sponsored different international sport events and teams, as well as some world well-known sports stars (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). However, those efforts aimed to increase its brand awareness among Chinese consumers rather than international consumers. Facing those difficulties of establishing popularity with brand-conscious consumers, two feasible strategies may help Li Ning create more targeted advertising and marketing campaigns. First, with the growing fashion trend in sportswear, the celebrity in other areas, such as music or film could also produce the similar influence as sports celebrity on younger targets, so using music celebrity endorsement may rejuvenate the brand image and enlarge the potential buying groups which not only includes the sports fans. Second, Li Ning can sponsor some competition like basketball, soccer or running at region level to fit targets’ particular needs. After all, the quality and suitability to the wearer are more convincing than other factors. 1.6 Distribution agreements The management of existing domestic channel distributors and the access to distribution opportunities in global markets constitute another barrier for Li Ning’s internationalization attempts. In terms of the domestic market, Li Ning has took the leading role of establishing a national franchised distribution system in 1993 (http://brand.icxo.com/htmlnews/2008/08/13/1304126_0.htm accessed 26 April 2011) and this entry mode helps its open average 840 stores per year mainly focus on second- and third- tier cities from 2004 to 2008 (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). Second, Li Ning also has its wholly ownership retail stores- 11 flagship stores located in major first- tier cities, but they are only accounts for 7.8% of Li Ning’ total revenues, others generated from sales to franchised distributors ibid. Third, with the rise of e-commerce, Li Ning cooperated with two big online trade platforms, ‘taobao and tanyou’ to launch the online sportswear store in 2008 (http://bra nd.icxo.com/htmlnews/2008/08/13/1304126_0.htm accessed 26 April 2011). This marketing alliance gathers each advantage, and also let Li Ning gain the knowledge about e-channel which has laid a good foundation for setting up its official online store in 2010 and optimizing the new official website ibid. However, the network channel seems be lack of the interaction between customers and products, so the online shop could be better used to disseminate and strengthen its brand image rather than generate revenue. With regard to the global market, the big brand company prefer to select the local distributors with experienced management teams, nationwide distribution abilities and sufficient resources to help them expand its global market rapidly (Frost Sullivan, 2008). Besides, the prominence of a brand among global customers also has an important impact on retailers, so retail stores would be more likely to leave shelf space for the brand which has established a history of good sales (tttp://www.scribd.com/doc/39006282/Athletic-Footwear-Industry-Analysis accessed 22 April 2011). Therefore, the small scale of Li Ning means it has no position to compete with Nike and Adidas in local distributors when entering a new market. Li Ning has to work harder on overcoming the relationships with foreign retailers who may narrow its entry to the foreign market and having its goods seen comparing to its international rivals. Apart from that, franchising and running its own name stores could be considered, both of them can boost company brand presence and are high control of assets, but meanwhile the former one involves complex operation procedure and long time to select and the later relates a high risk and high investment. 1.7 Culture dimensions Hofstede (1994) defined that the category of people which shares the different cultures can be a nation, region , gender culture or age group. Foremost, it is important for Li Ning to assess the cultural differences among regions of China, first-tier cities versus other less developed regions. Consumes in different regions of China have their own distinct characteristics and shopping preferences. Second, ‘power distance’, one of Hofstede’s (1994) national culture differences dimensions, refers to the level of inequality between followers and leaders, should be considered among Chinese young urban consumers who are more fashion demands on sportswear and more brand-consciousness (Frost Sullivan, 2008). In order to display their identity and personal value among their reference groups, they are more likely to spend on global brand. Even one may feel ‘lose face’ if he or she wears with a local brand compared to others who wear the global brand. Thus, if Li Ning not redefines its brand image or just simply pretending to be western, it is unable to compete with those high-ended international brands among Chinese young urban consumers in first-tier cities of China. Additionally, organisation culture management is another factor should not be neglected on Li Ning’s way to be a global brand. The brand culture is derived from the company culture, so the primary task for a strong global brand is to build its unique company culture and transfer the company into a modern management enterprise. Originally, Li Ning grew from a family business which later becomes a big obstacle to the development of the brand. The incoherence between enterprise management mode and its business development urge Li Ning reform the enterprise personnel and recruit professional talents in production, research, marketing and other areas (http://pp.hw01.com/a/1003/10/1210467_2.htm accessed 24 April 2011). Soon afterwards the specialization and standardization of the management help the company experience a rapid growth in business.   2. Considering the current stage of the internationalization of the company, for a market of your choice, develop a foreign market entry strategy. Li Ning makes many efforts step by step and has gained a little experience in exploring the foreign market and during the period of 2008 Beijing Olympic Game, Li Ning has become a brand widely recognized in the west due to the fact that its founder lighted the Olympic flame wearing Li Ning’s shoes magically (English website). Besides, at the end of June, 2011, Li Ning launched its new logo and English slogan to refresh its global brand image. All those efforts make clear that Li Ning has fully prepared to expand to the foreign market and it is worth learning that all possible entry strategies must share one element which the essential for the success of internationalization, that is, commitment (Yip et al., 2000). Specifically, many aspects of the firm should be committed to the entry market: organization structure, human recourses, marketing mix strategies and market research ibid. The rest of this essay will respectively focus on the choice of which country to enter and the related entry mode and key marketing mix activities. 2.1 The choice criteria for the market chosen Based on Whitelock’s (2002) summary of international market entry method, a comprehensive market entry decision cannot disassociate different approaches from one to another, so the choice criteria for the US market relies on the combination of experience-related, resource-related and competition-related considerations (Madhok, 1996). Experience-related considerations drawn from the Uppsala model will be assessed firstly. This model put an emphasis on a firm’s previous experience and the capabilities acquired from that (Madhok, 1996), also considers the concept of ‘psychic distance’ which refers to firms are suggested to entering the market which is psychically close and they have certain knowledge basis to reduce the uncertainties and risks in the process of internationalization (Whitelock, 2002). According to Hofstede’s (1994) summary of five dimensions of national culture differences, China and the Unite State have a big difference in cultural background, and the extended psychic distance seems more problematic for Li Ning in terms of understanding the American culture and being lack of local customers’ preferences and behaviours. However, if Li Ning enters into some cultural similar market, like some Asian countries, lower brand awareness and risks still exist. Besides, the ne gative effect of a Chinese brand also set a barrier to enter in those psychically close markets. Instead, if Li Ning could have a good performance in the US market, then its status of an international brand will not be questioned; at the same time, some previous efforts made in the US market, such as indirect export activities, the establishment of RD centre and a small retail store, can also bring a lot of feedback and information about the US sportswear industry and the local customers. Second, resources-related considerations mainly focus on the characteristic of the environment and interactive networks in it. From the tables in appendix 3, it is shown that US is the largest globally sportswear market and holds in the top position in the total sportswear expenditure per capita in 2008 (approximately $232.8) which was far more than that in China (approximately $7.4). Moreover, the sportswear expenditure in 2008 represented 0.49% of the US GDP per capita (Chu, 2010). On the other hand, the US sportswear industry seemed to be affected by the global financial crisis and increased by only 0.5% in 2010, but this industry may experience a promising rise after the economic recovery (Frost Sullivan, 2010). As far as the relationship with potential consumers is concerned, the prosperity of a good interaction lies in effective marketing strategies including celebrity endorsement, creative advertising and technological expertise in product design ibid. Similarly, those style- conscious and image-conscious consumers respond will them with more brand-consciousness and stronger brand loyalty. In terms of competition-related considerations, two elements should be addressed: the intensity of competition in the entry market and Li Ning’s strategic brand positioning. Undeniably, the sportswear industry of US market is a relatively mature industry which is dominated by a few large firms, such as Nike and Adidas who have already gained their strong brand image; Nike’s products are considered to be high quality and stylish, while superior performance and professional are associated with Adidas (copy). Additionally, there are some relatively high entries barriers set by them, such as higher brand awareness, unique brand image, and established agreements with big named athletes, celebrities and retailers. They even launch the product for every sector of the market in terms of price and intended purpose (for performance, lifestyle or fashion) ibid. However, some smaller firms which specialize in particular purpose of shoes can also successfully capture particular segm ent in the US market, such as K-Swiss in tennis, Vans in skate and lifestyle shoe ibid. In summary, there are three reasons to support Li Ning enter into the US market: First, previous efforts made and the network built in that market. Second, the big US sportswear market size and the potential market opportunity seem very attractive for Li Ning’s foreign expansion. Third, the success cases of sportswear firms who target at the niche market or design for a particular activity in such a competitive environment also contribute to Li Ning’s entry strategy. 2.2 The analysis of market entry strategy After deciding which market to enter, the firm should concentrate on how to go there, that is the selection of entry mode. Yip et al. (2000, p.15) stated that various entry modes-export strategies, licensing, franchising, joint ventures and others â€Å"differ in the degree of control the firm exerts on foreign operations.† Several recommendations on that will be given then. First, Li Ning has adopted a few entry modes to test the US market previously, including indirectly exporting its products to the American market at the beginning of the 1990s, building a small RD centres in Portland in 2008 and more recently establishing its first US retail stores in Portland (case) and the purpose of doing that is to acquire some local resources and experience to better understanding the US market. Because of the fierce competition in the US sportswear industry, great control on channels, high brand presence and local expertise should be Li Ning’s priority to select the entry mode, so the suitable entry strategy could be the combination of direct export through both company owned overseas facilities and some local well-known retailers, such as Footlocker, Finish Line, and franchising. Meanwhile, those entry modes involve relatively moderate control and investment in marketing channel activities by the parent firm (Goodnow and Hansz, 1972), as well as certain risks. Besides, the United States market which shows a greater equality among society level and has a more stable cultural environment could be an advantage to pursue an entry strategy involving greater control and investment in marketing channel activity. Second, the image and positioning of distributors or partners is a very important criterion. Based on Arnold’s (2000) seven rules of international distribution, it is not necessary to look for the best distributor who has already served major customers with similar product line. The choice of partners should regard the distributor with an image or strategy which is in line with the brand image Li Ning wants to maintain. For example, if Li Ning decides to position itself as mid- to high-end sportswear marketer in the US market, it should not choose any discounted retailer or other partners who may lower Li Ning’s brand image and may cooperate with some retailers who specialize in stocking goods with high price point and the newest trends. Third, the e-commerce of the United State is well developed, but online stores are only used by few shoes retailers and sportswear makers, so it is too early to evaluate its effects. However, making full use of the e-commerce can make up Li Ning’s limited access to local distributors and sports celebrities, and this business model is cost-saving and low risky. However, choosing the right entry mode is only the necessary condition due to the possibility of country-specific problems and contingency. In order to enhance the possibility of successfully entering a new market, some cultural dimensions between China and Unite State cannot be neglected. First, according to Hofstede’s (1994) summary of dimensions of national culture differences, China (20) and Unite State (91) lie in the two extreme sides of the individualism dimension which indicate China is a society with collectivist culture and strong relationships among members, families and groups, while the population of the United State are more individualistic and self-reliant attitudes and relatively loose bonds with others ibid. This difference may result in consumers’ various responds to promotion strategies. Word of mouth and reference groups seem more effective among Chinese consumers. Second, similarly, the comparison in power distance dimension also displays a big gap. There is a high level of inequality of power and wealth within the Chinese society that means consumers more prefer to choose the brand which is desired by many people or can represent their social status and high standard of living; however the United States shows a greater equality among society level and has a more stable cultural environment. Thus, an in-depth research about the real reason for US consumers’ brand loyalty needs to be conducted, whether the unique brand image, celebrity effects or the product design. 2.3   Key marketing mix activities for initial entry to the US market The related products and marketing mix activities should meet the common needs of local customers, so before achieving the US market, the firm should identify the US sportswear market segment and decide its product and brand positioning. Li Ning does not have clear targeted segmentation in China and the brand positioning is also very vague, but compared with other rivals in domestic market, Li Ning’ brand tends to focus on mass to mid-end markets both in sports footwear and apparel and the price also set in the middle level (Chu, 2010). Next, some specific suggestions will be given in the following aspects: product portfolio, brand positioning, price decision and the marketing communication strategy. First, sports products can be designed for various sports areas. Li Ning positions itself as the global brand for running and badminton because of the fact that Adidas covered football area and Nike firmly held the basketball area worldwide (case). Linked to the condition in the US market, running footwear has been experiencing the biggest growth and its sales accounts for 25% of total athletic shoe sales (copy). Thus, the running product is suggested to be the focused product category for Li Ning. Then according to the consumer-specific usage with the running product, consumers can be divided into three segments: performance-orientated, causal-orientated and fashion-orientated customers; and this division can also be used in the domestic market. Another point cannot be ignored is the unity of product size system with the target region must be implemented because normally foreign people have larger-size feet. Li Ning has experienced the consequence of this defect by closing its Maast richt store in Netherlands (Meuer and DiVito, 2010). Actually, Li Ning has learned from the former lesson and remodelled the size of its product with the same method which Nike and Adidas have used. Regarding the brand positioning, Li Ning needs a strategic brand positioning to break out the US market. Li Ning has currently developed a big multi-brand family in domestic market including the well-known Li Ning brand, the French top outdoor brand- AIGLE, the international leading brand in badminton and pingpang- Hongshuangxi and a hypermarket brand advocated fast fashion- ZDO. In order to avoid foreign consumers linking the low price to the brand and lower the brand image, it is better to only establish and launch the high-end brand in the US market at first. Thinking of the price decision of the US market, Nike, such a big global brand, also launches low price product to reach all areas of the market (copy), so it is risky to compete with them in the US market by adopting a low price strategy. To be a global price follower is more appropriate for Li Ning to first enter the US market, so Li Ning need to obtain some formal marketing research about market intensity information and the average retail price of the US market from local agencies and rivals’ company reports, then picks up the leading competitor based on the product positioning and set the price which closely follows its rival’s price of similar product. Furthermore, the price decision should always be in line with the brand positioning. As Nagle and Holden (1995) claimed, price can be used as a competitive tool only when the company seeks more advantages by offering a less expensive product but with same values than its competitors. Thus, overall middle to high pri ce brackets should be applied in the US market due to the high brand positioning of Li Ning’s product. Finally, referring to the marketing communication strategy, creative advertising, celebrity endorsement and sponsoring events all play an important role in helping the company build a good brand image and gain the popularity in the US market. On one hand, the design of local advertising is very important. Li Ning can cooperate with some local professional agencies specialize in branding and advertising which may maximize their local resources, knowledge and experience to better deliver the brand message. On the other hand, although the excellent performance on 2008 Beijing Olympic Games has vigorously promoting Li Ning’s brand to the whole world, owing to those global brand’s unbeatable economies of scale and scope as well as financial advantages in their home market, Li Ning has to make use of some specific local collaboration or sponsorship to promote its products, such as the athletics competition at regional or national level, the NBA basketball competition, some lo cal running community. References Arnold, D. (2000), â€Å"Seven Rules of International Distribution†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. (Nov-Dec), pp. 131 – 137. Burkitt, L., â€Å"Li Ning takes on Nike, Adidas†, The Wall Street Journal, Index 18, September 29, 2010. Hofstede, G. (1994), â€Å"The Business of International Business is Culture†, International Business Review, Vol. 3(1), pp. 1-14. Holt, D.B., Quelch, J.A. and Taylor, E.L. (2004) â€Å"How Global Brands Compete†, Harvard Business Review, September, pp. 68 – 75. Javalgi, R.G. and White, D.S. (2002), â€Å"Strategic Challenges for the Marketing of Services Internationally†, International Marketing Review, Vol. 19, pp. 563-582. Meuer, J. and DiVito, L. (2010), â€Å"A Grand Entrance? Li Ning’s Emergence as a Global, Chinese Brand†. RSM Case Development Centre, www.ecch.com Solberg, C.A. (2008), â€Å"Product Complexity and Cultural Distance Effects on Managing International Distributor Relationships: A Contingency Approach†, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 16. (3) Whitelock, Y. (2002), â€Å"Theories of Internationalization and Their Impact on Market Entry†, International Marketing Review, Vol. 19(4), pp. 342-347. Yip, G.S., Biscarri, J.G. and Monti. J.A. (2000), â€Å"The role of the Internationalisation Process in the Performance of Newly Internationalising Firms†, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 8(3), pp. 10-35. Online Sources Chinese No.1 Sportswear Brand- Li Ning’s World [online]. 10 March 2010. Available from http://pp.hw01.com/a/1003/10/1210467_2.htm [accessed on 24 April 2011] Economics of Management and Strategy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, Athletic Footwear- Industry Analysis [online]. 01 May 2006, Available from scribd.com/doc/39006282/Athletic-Footwear-Industry-Analysis [accessed on 22 April 2011] Euromonitor International. Industry Overview [online]. 2007. Available from guococap.com/marketSensor/IPO_Prospectuses/01368/E113.pdf [accessed on 20 April 2011] Frost Sullivan. Industry Overview [online].   26 May 2008. Available from hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/20080526/03813_342257/E112.pdf [accessed on 20 April 2011] Frost Sullivan. Industry Overview [online]. 01 Feb 2010. Available from http://pg.jrj.com.cn/acc/HK_DISC/stock_NT/2010/02/01/00953_000934073_9.pdf [accessed on 20 April 2011] The History and Development of Li Ning’s Brand [online]. 13 August 2008. 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How to Write a Perfect Receptionist Resume (Examples Included) If you’ve been a receptionist before, you know that this can be a highly demanding position. You’re expected to be sunny, friendly, and able to manage whatever comes your way as you answer phones, greet guests, provide information, manage appointments, etc. You may also be expected to handle any number of tasks throughout the office. It’s a role that requires a lot of finesse and people skills, and great organization to boot. As a potential receptionist, you want your resume to make sure that these qualities shine through. You find receptionists in every industry and just about every company, so let’s look at three sample resumes from receptionists in different industries: one just starting out in a corporate environment, a legal receptionist, and a medical receptionist. first up is candace, who is seeking a receptionist position to boost her administration skills and experience.Download this resume in Microsoft WordCandace Jones 567 Cantwell Avenue, Apt. 4dPittsburgh, PA 74747 candacejones@emaildomain.comSeeking to support Bryant Financial Management as a receptionist with strong communication and organizational skills.Key skillsInterpersonal skills:Professional, friendly demeanor on the phone, via email, and in personDependable and punctualCustomer serviceTaking initiative to accomplish what needs to be doneProblems)How to Write a Perfect Occupational Therapist ResumeHow to Write a Perfect Physician Assistant Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Receptionist Resume (Examples Included)How to Create a Perfect Retail ResumeHow to Write a Perfect Sales Associate Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Social Worker Resume (Examples Included)How to Write a Perfect Truck Driver Resume (With Examples)

Being an Anthropologist Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Being an Anthropologist - Assignment Example For the purpose of this assignment, the selected location was Metro Cash & Carry Italia in Pordenone. In order to keep the research more specific, I spent more time in a particular section of the store where customers were selecting meat, pasta and cheese. A detailed analysis of customers visiting store on Friday afternoon indicated that concepts like race, ethnicity, physical features, kinship, food taboos govern the way different social and cultural groups behave. A critical analysis of the situation studied helped in understanding the definition of culture. According to Hansen, Scheffer, Rathje and Schulz (2009), culture is an element that provides uniformity in a specific social system. While earlier concept of this uniformity was only limited to ethnicity and race, there are other cultural traits that introduce uniformity in a particular demographic segment. Hence, culture is expected to develop coherence in a group of people. While analyzing the location where this observation took place, it was noticed that the departmental store did not reflect a typical architecture of other Italian buildings. Instead, it was customized considering the nature of business and types of customers expected to visit this place as it was humongous and quite capacious allowing hundreds of customers to shop simultaneously. Since it was Friday afternoon, there were not many customers in the store due to which my observations remained limited to fewer customers. The store was at moderate temperature however one could easily identify the smell of cartons used for storage of different items. This smell varied when one moves from one section to another i.e. smell in poultry section was different than that in cheese. Further analysis indicated that most of the buyers were from Italian ancestry with visible relevance to lower and middle social classes. I did observe some Asian and Muslim customers. It was hard to identify if they were from China, Korea, Japan or any other country fro m Asia. However, their attire and age indicated that some of them were teenagers probably students whereas rest were middle age Muslim women covering their heads. An interesting factor was presence of more Italian people in the sections of pasta and cheese. They were easy to recognize due to dark colored hair and olive complexion. It was observed that these customers appeared to have more melanin in their skin as compared to most of the Asian customers. However, few Asian customers who were either from India or Pakistan appeared to be having a darker skin tone as compared to Italian customers. According to Haviland, Prins, Walrath, and McBride, 2012), presence of melanin is affected by several factors such as inheritance, high altitudes and solar radiation exposure. These factors affect the skin tone of people from different ancestry. Such traits help in understanding the concept of race related to different geographical location and their related adaptations. Since communication wa s not performed with these customers therefore my observations were only limited to cultural and biological aspects whereas linguistics was not included. A critical analysis of these customers and their cultural profile helped in understanding that despite having common biological ancestry, they are segregated into different social groups due to their different cultures (Orzech, 2005). Although humans are typical primates, there are various elements that make them more unique to other forms of primates. However, shorter upper limbs, feet used for walking instead of grasping, erected pelvis and spinal cords are some characteristics that makes humans different than non-human primates (Palomer College, 2012). Another

Is Frankenstein Guilty of Crimes Againts Nature Research Paper

Is Frankenstein Guilty of Crimes Againts Nature - Research Paper Example But this proposition of Frankenstein’s crime against nature can be challenged by a simple rhetorical question, â€Å"Does Frankenstein create a real monster?† Textual evidences ultimately show that Doctor Frankenstein has not created a real monster as per the assumption that man cannot grasp the secrets of life and death; rather his ignorance about how to nurture his creature that apparently looks like an evil causes the final havoc he suffers in the end of the novel. By successfully creating a childlike imitative being, in the very first place he proves that the secrets of life and death are obviously knowledgeable by man. Meanwhile he nullifies the supposition that seeking the secrets of life and death is nothing profane. But Frankenstein’s true crime is that he abandons his creature immediately after its birth. Obviously this crime is caused by his ignorance about his responsibility that greater knowledge imposes upon him. Thus Frankenstein commits crime again st nature by refusing to play the motherly role of nurturing the creature; but not by seeking the secrets of life. Mary Shelly’s scheme to humanize the monster essentially refutes the claim that man should not, more accurately cannot, achieve knowledge beyond what nature allows. The horrible look and ferocious appearance of Frankenstein’s creature are not enough to prove his failure to achieve the unknowledgeable. Indeed his success lies in his ability to create a being that can learn; that possesses a mind and the essence of man. Frankenstein commits crime against his creature by abandoning it. Indeed his crime does not seem to be a deliberate one. Rather it evolves from his ignorance about the truth of his creature’s nature. If Frankenstein were responsible enough, instead of being repulsed by the creature’s horrible look he could train him to be socialized. But like

Birth Control Essay Example for Free

Birth Control Essay Birth control is a way or method used to prevent pregnancy. There are different kinds of methods of birth control that can be used by man and woman. All of these methods have positive effects or sides. The pros of birth control are the following: (1) lessen the possibility of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) (Pros and Cons of Different Contraceptive Methods ); (2) it is helpful in preventing pregnancy, but the degree of the effectiveness of the birth control method depends on the type of method that is being used by the couple (Pros and Cons of Different Contraceptive Methods ); (3) allows active participation of men in the prevention of pregnancy (when using condom or withdrawal method) (Pros and Cons of Different Contraceptive Methods ); (4) it helps regulate the menstrual cycle of a woman; (5) it lessens the pain and difficulty of having a menstruation (Pros and Cons of Different Contraceptive Methods ); (6) prevents or lessen the possibility of having uterine and ovarian cancer, anemia, ovarian cyst and pelvic inflammatory disease (Pros and Cons of Different Contraceptive Methods ). There are also some other pros of birth control method but it depends on the method that the couple is using (Birth Control Pill Faq: Benefits, Risks and Choices). There are many types of birth control. The following are the types of birth control that is being used: (a) male condoms which are also called as barrier because it blocks the sperm cells from getting near or into the egg cells; (b) oral contraceptives or birth control pills prevent the ovary from releasing eggs; (c) female condom is also called as a barrier because it prevents or blocks the sperm cells from reaching the egg cells; (d) Depo-Provera hormonal injections is a type of birth control that uses hormone progestin. Continuous injection of this for more than two years has an adverse effect on woman; (e) spermicides; (f) contraceptive sponges is also a barrier type of birth control. Although using this type of birth control would still have a risk of having a toxic syndrome. Woman that are very sensitive to spermicide nonoxynol-9 are not encourage to use this type of method; (g) diaphragm and cervical caps also blocks the sperm cells going inside the cervix. This type of method needs the assistance of the doctor for proper usage and fitting of the cervical cap or diaphragm; (h) intra – uterine devices is used and placed inside the uterus to prevent the sperm cells from entering it and reaching the egg cells; (i) surgical sterilization or tubal ligation is a permanent birth control that needs a surgical process; (j) periodic abstinence or natural family planning. In this type of birth control, the woman should have the knowledge about the fertility process so that this method would be successful (Birth Control Methods ). There are some mild health risks related to the use of birth control methods. But there is also one severe health risk when using birth control method such as pills for a longer period of time like cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, cardiovascular accident or stroke, high blood pressure and other cardio related diseases (Birth Control Methods). Both man and woman are responsible in birth control planning. They have an active participation in the birth control method. Although their physician would prescribe a pill or appropriate birth control method, still the couple would be responsible to the possible outcome of that method. They are the one who can observe to the negative or positive effect of that particular method. When a serious or life threatening situation or death happens, the couple is more reliable than their physician. In choosing birth control method, couples or person that is going to use it must consider if (1) it will affect your health like if they have history of breast cancer, have high blood pressure, has low density of the bone, diabetes, sexually transmitted disease (STD), and heart disease; (2) those possible side effects of the method; (3) frequency of having sexual intercourse; (4) the benefits that the method can give; (5) the quality of that certain drug or method in birth control; and (6) the possible outcome if ever the couple decided to have a child (Birth Control Guide). Shop Lifting Shop lifting is very common especially on malls and convenient stores. People shop lift because they need that particular thing or that they can’t afford to buy the things they wanted to (Teenagers Shop Lifting). Some shop lifters that has the money to buy things thinks that shop lifting gives them the adrenalin rush or thrill that cannot be caught, they think that what they have stolen is not important and they also think that they are not stealing because the owner or the store can afford to buy that again or the store is insured (Teenagers Shop Lifting). In some cases, people shop lifts especially students because of peer pressure. Shop lifters always carry a small bag or large jacket with a large pocket or umbrella (Preventing Shoplifting). Those things can be use to shop lift. Store management or staff should also be aware and alarm when a person puts down their bag because they may place the thing they get simply by dropping it into the bag (Preventing Shoplifting). There are also times that shop lifters are into a group (Preventing Shoplifting). Some of them will distract the attention of the staff while the others do the crime. Shop lifters can be seen mostly in malls that are crowded and convenient stores. The similarities of these two places are that they have a big space and do not have enough staff that would assist and guard the clients or buyers. Those shop lifters know that in places were there’s enough employee to assist and guard them, they won’t be able to the deed because there’s a big chance of getting caught while in malls and convenient store, they can easily place the things they get and hide it in their bags or clothes without being notice by the employees. Shop lifting is a crime that can be categorize as light. In some states, the fine depends on the amount that the shop lifter stolen while the jail time depends on the repetition of the incident (Zukowski). The penalty or fine ranges from 40 to 1000 dollars and the jail time is only 30 days up to 6 months (Zukowski). The society and justice system give the offenders a second chance to correct their action. If they are going to repeat their action, they will be punished again with a higher penalty and possible longer jail time. Compiling an Annotated Bibliography ? â€Å"Birth Control Guide† Ed. US Department of Health and Human Services: FDA Consumer Magazine, 2003. This article focuses on different approved birth control methods. It also provides information about the different types of birth control method and also the severe health risk that may be obtain from the prolonged use of contraceptive pills. ? â€Å"Birth Control Methods†. 2005. Planned Parenthood of Connecticut. June 27 2007. http://www. ppct. org/medical/services/bc_method. shtml. This article talks about different birth control methods. It also provides knowledge about pros and cons of different types of birth control method especially tubal sterilization. ? â€Å"Birth Control Methods† Ed. Us Department of Health and Human Services: National Women’s Health Information Center, 2005. This article provides birth control methods that can be use. It also provides knowledge on what they should take into consider when choosing a birth control method. ? â€Å"Teenage Shop Lifting†. 2006. Indian child. com June 26 2007. http://www. indianchild. com/parenting/teenagers/teenagers_shop_lifting. htm. The article provides the reasons why teenagers try to steal and ways to handle and persuade them. ? â€Å"Birth Control†. 2007. Cool Nurse. June 25 2007. http://www. coolnurse. com/birthcontrol. htm. The article tackles about having safe sex with the use of birth control methods. This provides idea or knowledge about the effectives of each method and the reasons why it is not recommended for teenagers. ? Preventing Shoplifting. Namibian Police 2007. The Namibian Police Force carries out their duty by informing the public of the different crimes and ways how to handle that situation. They encourage the public to have an active participation in fighting the crime to maintain the peace and order in their place. ? Birth Control Pill Faq: Benefits, Risks and Choices. 2007. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. June 25 2007. http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/birth-control-pill/WO00098. The staff focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of taking contraceptive pills. The staff also discusses other contributing factors that make birth control pills unsafe to use than any other birth control methods.

The Handmaid’s Tale Essay -- Literature

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, like so many other dystopias before it, seeks to warn of disaster to come through the lens of its author’s society. In the breadth of its dystopian brethren, Huxley’s Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale reflects not a society destroyed, but a society reorganized to disastrous effect. The reorganization of Offred’s world is not one of simple misogyny, corruption, or political ideas, instead, as in 1984; the focus of this new world order lies in the destruction of the individual and with that, all concepts of personal gain, satisfaction, and desire. In its place, the new world order thrusts a quasi-communist idea of community. Personal sacrifice is instilled in the populace as the greatest good, and the death or misery of one individual is negligible when compared to the decided ‘good’ of the community. In a true echo of communism, the handmaids bear children fo r those who cannot, truly in the stead of â€Å"from each according to their ability, to each according to their need† (Marx). In this Americanized distortion of communism, the community is placed on a pedestal above all else, and through this emphasis the cross-class destruction of individuality is assured. By echoing the most prominent issue of the time, communism, and detailing it with unique aspects of American society, Atwood creates a realistic nightmare that warns not of the dangers of a particular political ideology, but of the loss of individual identity and the concept of self. The first people to have their individuality stripped away are, perhaps surprisingly, not the women of Offred’s world, but the low ranking men. This destruction of masculine individuality begins long before the events of the book... ...as A Handmaid’s Tale’s most potent warning. With Gilead, the dangers of deifying society at the cost of its people are shown to be damning, dooming the society to eventual collapse and obscurity. In this, Atwood argues against excessive ideas community and for individualism and a reasonable amount of selfishness, as Ayn rand puts it, â€Å"man’s right to exist for his own rational self-interest† (Rand 42). By creating a world of such individual belittlement, Atwood provides a powerful example of the dangers something much like communism, the destruction of the self. Works Cited Atwood, Margaret Eleanor. The Handmaid's Tale. New York: Ballantine, 1985. Print. Marx, Karl Heinrich. Critique of the Gotha Program. Moscow: Progress, 1970. N. pag. Print. Rand, Ayn. The Virtue of Selfishness. New York: Signet, 1970. WorldCat. Web. 7 Feb. 2012.

Persuasive speech outline Essay

Believe it or not, according to choices.com, about 3,000,000 teens drop out of high school each year. That’s approximately 7,000 a day. This is not only hurting their success and the amount of money they can earn, but also the economy of the entire United States. Although some people might think every teen should be able to make the decision to drop out or stay in high school themselves, but teens need to realize the consequences that come with dropping out. When you’re is a young teen you may not be thinking about how your decisions can affect your future, without a high school education you cannot attend college, this will make it harder for you to find a high paying job, let alone a job at all. II. Need Step A. When a person is a young adolescent, they’re thinking about now, not the future, and they may regret the decision to drop out later. ââ€" Most of the teenagers that end up dropping out of high school are thinking about how much they don’t want to be at school or how they cannot handle the workload. ââ€" Sometimes teens have actual trouble in school and going to regular high school isn’t the best option, but they still need to get an education somehow, even if its online classes. In other cases, teens just don’t want to go to high school, and that’s their reasoning for dropping out. They aren’t thinking about their future. ââ€" According to State Representative Martha Waltz of Boston, few, if any, 16 year olds have the wisdom and knowledge to understand the lifelong consequences of ending their high school education at 16

Renewable energy sources

Traditionally, wood is the main form in which biomass is used as an energy source. The biomass is used to boil water to provide steam to turn turbines. In Great Britain most commercially produced wood is used for timber, but when a conifer plantation is felled, there are branches and low-grade timber that can be used for fuel. Straw left over from harvesting cereal crops can also be used to produce energy. When used for energy the cost of collecting, storage and transporting bulky problems is a problem. Most examples rely on a community-based collection used locally in a close plant or used on the farm that produced the straw and is widely used in Denmark and the USA. Stubble used to be burnt, but this was made illegal in the UK. Most stubble is used for bedding. When burnt straw leaves ash, which contains nutrients, which can quickly be extracted from the soil by the new crop. This method is still used in many developing countries. It is very rarely ploughed in as it takes along time to biodegrade and as it does so it creates anaerobic pockets in the soil. Wood can be exploited as a renewable resource if fast growing species are used. In the UK willow is used (popular was also used once). The plants are grown close together then once a sufficient root system is established they are coppiced. Then all new growths when of the correct length are harvested and chipped. Once the willow is dried and then used. This is often used on low quality land (marginal) or set aside, or areas where biological control is being encouraged. Biomass to Gasohol Fermentation of sugar by yeasts converts the energy in sugar biomass to ethanol, which can then be used as a fuel. Gasohol is made of 80-90% unleaded petrol and 10-20% ethanol and is used in cars (It can be used in pure form, but petrol is added to stop people drinking it). The sugar is obtained from sugar cane and sugar beet. This form has been relatively unsuccessful. Sugar cane is grown in tropical areas, where as sugar beat is grown in temperate countries. The sugary sap is extracted and then treated to make molasses, which is then stored until it is needed for fermenting. Ethanol is a much cleaner fuel and produces much less pollution, but it is much more expensive to produce. Especially as the farmers can also sell the crop to be made into refined sugar. This production is unlikely ever to work due to politics and the oil industry. In the end it can not be considered as a real alternative ,as 80-90% of it is made from a fossil fuel. Once the sugar is extracted the fibrous residue (bagasse) is dried and then burnt as a fuel to ferment the malasses. 1) Growing and cropping of sugar. 2) Extraction of sugars by crushing and washing cane. 3) Crystallization out of sucrose (for sale) leaving the syrup of glucose and fructose (molases) 4) Fermentation of molasses to yield dilute alcohol. 5) Distillation of dilute alcohol to give pure ethanol, using bagasse as a power source. A more promising is oilseed rape which has been used to power buses in certain areas of the UK as part of a trial and in Italy, it is added to diesel and can be added to make up 30% of the mixture (rpae methyl ester, RME). It produces fewer sooty particles and no sulphur dioxide. Also coconut oil in Philippines, palm and castor oil, Brazil and sunflower oil in South Africa. Domestic waste Disposal of domestic and industrial waste has become a large problem around the world. In the UK about 300kg of waste is produced per person per year. Dumping the waste causes many problems e.g. leakage of pollution and using up land. It might be possible to burn the fuel for energy (cellchip in the UK in London does this but people have to separate some of the waste first. However, all the houses that take part close to the plant reciev free hot water.) Some landfill sites have been constructed to collect the gas (methane) produced from the anaerobic conditions for use. Agricultural waste (Biogas) Biogas can convert the energy in biomass into biogas, a gaseous fuel that consists mainly of methane, by fermentation. Typically biogas is made of: 65% methane, 35% CO2, with tracea of ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and water vapour. usually dung (slurry) from farm animals is used in the fermentation process so that waste products are turned into something useful, as the leftover sludge can be used as a fertiliser. The digestion process occurs in 3 stages: 1) Aerobic bacteria convert lipids and carbohydrates in the biomass into sugars, fatty acids, amino acids and glycerol by hydrolysis (0-10 days, acids cause pH to fall). 2) Acetogenic bacteria convert sugars and other products of stage 1 into short-chain fatty acids e.g. acetic acid = acetogenesis (stages 2+3, 10-45 days acids used up, pH increases, methane produced.). 3) Anaerobic bacteria convert the fatty acids into methane = methogenesis. Conditions must be anaerobic as the bacteria are only active when there is no oxygen present. They are called obligate anaerobes. Temperatures must be kept between 30-40o because the bacteria are sensitive to temperature changes. The reactions take place in a digester. It must be i) Strong and large enough to hold large volumes of liquid and withstand pressure build up. ii) Gas-tight and allow aerobic conditions to be maintained. iii) Have an inlet for loading material, an outlet for the gas and a way of unloading the residue. iv) be buried in the ground to help withstand pressure and act as an insulator. Often several digesters are used together to maintain a continuous supply of gas. It provides a useful way of getting rid of animal waste. (eutrophication)

Political Development in Ghana

Political Development in Ghana Introduction In Africa, Ghana has been as one of the pioneering states. Ghana is a country of very many firsts-in-Africa in that it was the first African country to gain independence from its colonial masters. After independence Ghana was the first state to start one/ single party rule. Ghana was also the first new African state to suffer from a series of military coups. Ghana was also among the first African states to suffer from economic depressions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Development in Ghana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was also among the first African nations to formulate and implement ideologies to mobilise its citizen towards economic growth. Finally, Ghana was the first country in Africa to carry out a peaceful transition from a military rule to civilian rule. Since independence, Ghana was highly viewed as the state, which would set benchmarks for other developing states in Africa. A lthough Ghana is currently an example of good governance and democracy, the road to political stability has not been smooth. Ghana and its people have endured a lot of turmoil and political conflicts coupled by economic recession and ethnic conflict. This history has affected its people and leaders in various ways. History of Ghanas Political and constitutional development Ghana is predominantly a multi-ethnic state, with the Akan community forming about 49% of the total population. Ghanas population demography is probably the most important tool that has helped it develop over the years. Since the Akan share a common language, it has helped foster a sense of nationhood. During the colonial era, the British used indirect rule over the colony of Ghana. This meant that traditional chiefs became accountable to and served the interests of the colonial masters. Although, by virtue of this, the traditional chiefs consolidated a lot of power, leadership was distorted because the traditiona l values of leadership such as customary checks, accountability and justice were eroded. By the end of the Second World War, there was a lot of political agitation, which led to the formation of various political organisations. Through the efforts of Kwame Nkrumah, the colonial government agreed to constitutional reforms. In the early 1950s the gold coast as Ghana was referred to, was finally given internal self-governance. When the constitutional developments happened in the mid 1950s, Ghana became the first state, in the south of Sahara, to declare independence. Ghana as a state gained its independence from the British colonial master in 1957 (Bennett, 1973, p. 665). After independence, Ghana faced various challenges ranging from the need to channel resources from foreign companies to local developmental issues, shift of ownership of companies from foreign to local ownership, and the need to invest in sectors that were viewed as neglected by the colonialists such as social service s and education sector.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nkrumahs government in light of these challenges and the proposed system of governance succumbed to pressure and was finally overthrown in a military coup in 1966 (Bennett, 1973, p. 667). When Ghana achieved independence, there was no external debt, but during and after the coup it had accumulated an external debt of about $790 million. Nkrumahs view of industrialisation being led and controlled by the state had failed miserably. From this time onwards, Ghana was to undergo a series of turmoil characterised by military coups and civilian government rule for at least three decades (Price, 1984, pp. 173-174). Later in the late 1970s, Richard Jerry Rawlings led a group of low ranking military officers to overthrow the existing military government led by senior military officials. This coup was extraordinary in the sense t hat most of its leaders were young officers. One of its main objective was to clean up, the military junta went after people and senior military leaders who encouraged and benefited from corruption court martialed them and later carried out executions. Barely after four months in office had, Rawlings handed over power to a new elected government only to overthrow it again in another coup after two years. Rawlings government adjusted the form of governance that mainly favoured farmers and export businesses. Although the power of corrupt leaders and civil servants may have been eroded, however the fundamental causes of patronage ideology to political control had not yet been dealt with (Sederberg, 1971, pp. 179-84). In 1992, Ghana passed a new constitution, which paved way for the holding of democratic elections under a multi party system of governance. The new constitution was a move back to the presidential system but alterations were made so that ministers could also serve simultan eously as members of parliament a provision that the earlier constitutions had removed. This was done to encourage cooperation between the executive and the legislature and this was informed by a case in which the third republic parliament rejected a budget presented by the executive. After the rebirth of multi-party politics in 1992, Ghana has held successful elections in 1996, 2000 to date (Williams, et al, 2009, pp. 102-114). Political and socio-economic development With the advent of the new constitution, Ghana moved from military rule to a presidential system of governance. The authors of the new constitution dispensation were opposed to the strict separation of powers between the executive and the legislature, hence allowed for the provision of the president appointing some ministers from the legislative assembly.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Political Development in Ghana specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More T his was in reaction to the third republic parliament, which rejected the proposed budget, which was later referred to as legislative obstructionism. The authors were careful not to return the country to the events of the third republic but on the other hand, they did not want to go back to the Westminster parliamentary system, which was earlier propagated by the Nkrumah government. This enabled the president to pick a majority of ministers from parliament and some from the private sector, which ensured that he got the required ethnic balance in his cabinet. The president had the ability to appoint ministers from regions or areas that his political party did not have a strong hold on and hence had no members of parliament to appoint ministers. These policies emphasised on both a national interest in a strong presidency and a cooperative legislature with emphasis on the need of the cabinet to be ethnically balanced (Botchway, 1972, pp. 81-88). After shifting to constitutional democrac y many development aid partners complained about the slow rate of economic reforms as politicians and not technocrats were now taking major decisions. Parliament, which was mostly dominated by Rawlings party, was unable to pass a petroleum tax bill and fought against civil service reforms in 1993. Rawlings administration is also credited with the starting of the National Institutional Renewal Program, which was mandated, with the task of enhancing and encouraging good policy development, public sector management and creation of an appropriate wage and grading system. Later on the following year, an attempt to impose value added tax was withdrawn following massive outcry and opposition from the public and opposition parties. However, the liberalisation of state owned enterprises was hastened and some of the most profitable state organisations sold raising more revenue than was actually anticipated (Armstrong, 1996, pp. 72-78). During 1994, the government embarked on a process to form ulate a national development policy framework that was to be famously known as the Ghana –vision 2020. The main highlight of this policy document were development of agriculture, sustainable macroeconomic environment, development of human resource, encouraging entrepreneurship and poverty eradication, with the main goal being to sustain an economic growth rate of 8% GDP.Advertising Looking for essay on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the 1996 general elections, most parties came out with various economic manifestos to challenge the incumbent, with various opposition leaders promising to complete the vision 2020. Opposition parties to the battle against unpopular reforms made by the Rawlings government such as cost sharing and cost-recovery in health and education sector, promising to better the welfare of the citizens. The emergence of independent print and electronic media after the 1992 referendum, and the constitutional provision that state owned media should provide equal coverage of the ruling party and opposition rallies, made the campaign very exciting. Although Rawlings party won the vote the opposition lead by John Kufuor were able to gunner 40% of the total vote and captured 66 parliamentary seats (Evans-Anfom, 2003, pp. 431-433). It was however demonstrated during the 1996 elections that during competition for votes that government is at times forced to sacrifice sustainable macro-economic mana gement and fiscal policy prudence for the temporary gain of political mileage. This is evidenced by failure to pass the petroleum tax law and commissioning of unbudgeted projects. This election also revealed that there was a huge tendency of the population to vote as regional and ethnic blocs, which has come to become the norm in subsequent elections. After the elections and politicking was over the reforms were re-ignited as parliament passed the petroleum tax law, VAT was introduced, independent regulatory organisations in the telecommunication, water and electricity were created, and electricity tariffs were increased to cushion operating losses. The vice president spearheaded the national institutional renewal program in 1997 and ensured that civil service reforms were implemented with urgency. Various programs were initiated to improve the government human resource capacity, monitoring systems and the budget (Leite, 2000, pp. 36-42). Ghana was able to reduce the incidence of po verty, the population of citizens living under poverty conditions declined from 51% during the promulgation of the new constitution in 1992 to 43% in 1999. Generally, the school enrolment figure had improved, health services were improved with the help of various donors, gains were also made in the provision of social amenities and general infant mortality had reduced by 25% (SandbrookOelbaum, 1999, pp. 42-45). Political development and democracy Before the 1992 elections, there was very limited space for democratic elections to take place. This can explain why most of the politicians, citizen and other sceptics did not expect the current system to survive for long. There had been a lot of previous history of military coups just after democratic elections. After the elections that ensued during the 1996 and 2000 elections, only did it become apparent that multiparty and democracy were here to stay. However, the approach did not correspond to the ideal westernised form of democracy w here parties would campaign on their institutional policy and developmental records; in Ghana, it took a shift to political patronage mechanisms. Chieftaincy in Ghana is considered as the pivot around which administration of the society is centred. This has been made possible through a constitutional provision that is devoted to chieftaincy. These provisions safeguard the institution against any interference, politicisation and manipulation from the state. For example, parliament is restricted from making or conferring any authority power to remove a chief from his office; this is only a preserve of the regional, national, divisional and traditional counsel of chiefs. The national counsel comprises of about 32,000 traditional chiefs who command influence in their regions, although they are not assigned any specific role in the formal government (Ayee, 2007, pp. 141-143). The chiefs are most effective in rural settings where the arms of government are not that strong or are not fully felt on the ground. In rural communities where there is no access to government institutions such as a police station, government office or court residents are forced to seek redress from the local chiefs. These critical role-played by chiefs in the dispensation of justice is also recognised by formal jurists. It is also noted that would be potential investor in such of land and other investment activities also have to appear before the local chiefs. Although chiefs are restricted by the constitution from engaging in political party activities, they usually serve as the link between the government and the local communities. Government officials and politicians who visit the jurisdiction of the chiefs are required to pay the chiefs a courtesy call. The president is also required to consult the chiefs before making appointments to the district assemblies (Biswal, 1992, pp. 22-33). Ghanas constitution has decentralisation of executive power through formation of local governments. This has greatly helped to bring government services close to the citizens and at the same time has encouraged economic growth. Ghana has a multi-tiered government structure that comprises of municipal, metropolitan and district assemblies (MMDAs) which act as the basic level of decentralised government. MMDAs are autonomous, have their own structures, and are basically accountable to the local society that they represent. However, the state is allowed by virtue of the law and practice to exercise fiscal, political and administrative power over them. The president is the appointing authority of the chief executives who head the MMDAs based on approval from at least two-thirds majority of the district assembly. The government is also charged with the responsibility of financing district assemblies despite the fact that they are also required to generate their own revenue. There have been complains that government funds usually arrive late and that they are specifically budgeted for a spe cific purpose; this makes it difficult for district assemblies to channel this funds to locally identified projects (Tettey, Puplampu Berman, 2003,pp. 45-52). In matters of administration, the constitution provides for the creation of a local government service (LGS). However, the autonomy of the local government service from the national civil service has not been achieved. Generally, the powers and the agencies of the MMDAs are extremely wide. They are described as the highest political power in the district, charged with the development of the district including harmonisation, coordination and integration of all developmental functions in the district. It was envisaged that decision-making structures would follow a bottom up approach but this has not been actualised. In many regions, these policies used as the foundation building blocks of the local government system have collapsed mainly due to the lack of financial resources (Ayee, 2007pp. 144-146). Even though Ghana goes throu gh competitive elections and is largely viewed as an example of good democratic state in Africa, the president dominates the legislature. They have a minimal influence on the presidential policies and agenda. Members of parliament are not allowed to introduce any legislation independent of the state. Descent from members of parliament is suppressed by the fact that, party officials can expel a member if he or she is deemed to be rebellious. These facts dictate how members of parliament interact with the executive, constituents and fellow members of parliament. Members of parliament usually encounter a lot of pressure from their constituents in need of development projects and personal assistance but rarely get pressure for them to back any particular legislation. Votes made by members in parliament do not necessarily affect the member’s re-election since parliamentary elections are not based on party policies or ideologies (Ghana Center For Democratic Development, 2005, pp. 1 2-18). Conclusion Ghana has been able to rise from a near extinction of political structures to one of the model democracies in Africa. It has been able to overcome most of the challenges that inhibit the development of many new developing nations in Africa, but some area still need to be improved for it to achieve better prosperity such as improvement of tax collection, challenges of corruption and misuse of public funds and the reliance of patronage for political support. All in all the gains Ghana has made makes it a nation to be emulated by other African states. Reference List Armstrong, R P 1996, Ghana, country assistance review. World Bank, Washington, D.C Ayee, J R A 2007,Ghana at 50: government, politics, and development.,s.n.]. Accra? Bennett, V P 1973, The Motivation for Military Intervention: The Case of Ghana, The Western Political Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 4, p. 665. Biswal, T P 1992,Ghana, political and constitutional developments. New Delhi, Northern Book Centre. Botchw ay, F A 1972,Political development and social change in Ghana: Ghana under Nkrumah; a study of the influence of Kwame Nkrumah and the role of ideas in rapid social change, Black Academy Press, Buffalo, N.Y. Evans-Anfom, E. 2003.To the thirsty land: autobiograp[h]y of a patriot. Achimota, Ghana, Africa Christian Press. Ghana Center for Democratic Development.2005Decentralization, economic governance, and private sector development in Ghana.Legon, Accra, Ghana, Ghana Center for Democratic Development. Leite, S P 2000, Ghana: economic development in a democratic environment, International Monetary Fund, Washington, Dc Price, R M 1984, Neo-Colonialism and Ghana‘s Economic Decline: A Critical Assessment, Canadian Journal of African Studies, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 173-174. Sandbrook, R Oelbaum, J 1999, reforming the political kingdom: governance and development in Ghanas fourth republic. Center for Democracy and Development, Accra, Ghana Sederberg, P C, 1971, the Gold Coast under Colo nial Rule: An Expenditure Analysis, African Studies Review, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 179-204. Tettey, W Puplampu, K P Berman, B J 2003, Critical perspectives in politics and socio-economic development in Ghana., Brill, Leiden Williams, Y et al, 2009, Power and Change Analysis, ODI and Ecorys; Ghana

The Norton Anthology of English Literature Essays

The Norton Anthology of English Literature Essays The Norton Anthology of English Literature Essay The Norton Anthology of English Literature Essay Alexandra Briscoe stated on bbc. co. uk in the Elizabeth’s Spy Network on WWW, that Queen Elizabeth lived under constant threat from Catholics since she was a staunch protestant. Initially William Cecil (later known as Lord Burghley) overlooked the secret intelligence services and protection of the queen. Later Francis Walsingham, one of the most loyal ministers worked as the spymaster and supervised the secret network of spies protecting the queen’s life. Francis Walsingham an intelligent, serious, disciplined, quick-witted, ruthless and qualified lawyer with strong protestant beliefs was appointed as Secretary of State in 1568. â€Å"He was strict and almost a Puritan in his religious beliefs and passionate in protecting the country from Catholic threat. † Spies were posted in various countries to pass on the information about politics and attitudes of Catholic nations towards England. The intelligence reports enabled Walsingham to trace the links of various Catholics in other countries to that in England and annul the plots and conspiracies. Most of the spies recruited were undergraduates from Oxford and Cambridge, they had to undertake long journeys and sometimes even risk their lives to collect strategic information to safeguard the nation and the queen. Intelligence work involved deciphering the information received as code from various sources. The text was written in invisible ink such as lemon juice or milk, which could be read by heating the paper over the candle. Simple messages would be written alongside to the original text to mislead. Another form of passing information was by shuffling the letters or substituting with numbers, symbols and zodiac signs. Once the key was worked out it would transform into some meaningful secret messages. In order to succeed Walsingham had to establish a spy school to train the new recruits. For security reasons Queen Mary of Scotland was moved frequently and closely guarded, which she never knew. It took about 20 years for Walsingham to track down the fact that she was corresponding with a group of catholics led by Anthony Babington. Walsingham provided the minutest details of correspondence that Mary was having with Babington to Queen Elizabeth and finally when Babington wanted Mary to participate in the plot. She was caught red-handed and all others in the plot too were tracked down to be executed publicly in a brutal manner. After trials in the court Mary was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. Mary was executed on February 08, 1587 in the Great Hall at Fotheringhay, due to nervousness the executioner missed aim and took three blows to severe her head with his axe, horrified onlookers stated that her lips continued to move in silent prayer for fifteen minutes. The queen distrusted the puritan leanings of Walsingham but appreciated his actions and had not provided proper funding for his activities. Walsingham died three years later in 1590. Alexandra Briscoe stated on bbc. co. uk in the Poverty in Elizabethan England on WWW, that the main reasons for poverty during Elizabethan era was due to a dramatic rise in population from three million to four million, rise in fertility, fall in death rate and inflation due to debasing of coins by Henry VIII, which was rectified in 1560 by Elizabeth’s government. Queen Elizabeth’s government also introduced various acts to tackle the problem of poverty; in 1563 the first of the many acts categorized the poor into ‘deserving poor’ and ‘undeserving poor. ’ A series of acts were introduced in the parliament in the following years 1563, 1572, 1576, 1597 and 1601. Some acts were very harsh, but were modified according to the prevailing conditions. The poor laws introduced played a crucial role and indicated a â€Å"progression from private charity to welfare state. † The laws guaranteed minimum subsistence to the destitute. The acts of 1597 and 1601 remained well into the nineteenth century which remains as a tribute to the Elizabethan era. In the concluding remarks I would like to state that Virgin Queen Elizabeth I asserted her power in the then male dominated society by executing total control over the people with the help of well managed ministers and advisers. Most important among them was Francis Walsingham, who provided the best security with well knit intelligence network available in those days. As is evident she was a very good orator and could win over the people just by talking out. The various laws introduced in her era were infact the guiding principles for the future generations. Thus Queen Elizabeth I stood apart from the rest of the women in that era. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. The Sixteenth Century Topics (2006). Page retrieved on October 01, 2006 from www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/ElizabethI.html.

Character Review from the Movie 12 Angry Men Essay

Character Review from the Movie 12 Angry Men - Essay Example Based on the knife, the inability to remember details of a movie, fighting with his father earlier in the evening, and eyewitnesses who saw him kill his father and leave the apartment, the young man should by all accounts sent to the electric chair. However, in this case, one juror, number 8, doesn't believe the defense case was convincingly portrayed and while not necessarily believing the boy to be innocent, needs to understand the facts of the case, and cannot in good conscience vote to send this young man to die. He has reasonable doubt, and voices it by voting not guilty. Juror 8, in 12 Angry Men, works from a place of virtue, principles, and good character at all times. By knowing his duty as a public servant, he does not allow idle chatter to distract him from the task, his selfish reasons to overpower, and he comes from a place of fairness and equality. Even when presented with the facts of the trial, his intuition continues to question what is right and wrong and stands by his principles. Using the virtuous approach to ethics, he listens to his inner voice, and listens to each fact once again in order to understand. As they begin to speak about the case, a number of facts exposed as exaggerated or untrue reveal themselves. The first piece of evidence being a knife so special the shopkeeper has never seen one like it before. Not quite believing the knife to be one of a kind, and following his instincts cause him to break the law by going to the kid's neighborhood and buying a similar knife. Now a lawbreaker, we may think his credibility shattered; however, he informs the other jurors of his intention of a greater good, and choosing to do something wrong in order to obtain it. In the Utilitarian approach, we see the consequence of the action is what determines right and wrong not the act itself. Was the result a good consequence for all and justifiable to produce the equality for all If so, then it was the right course of action. However, if Juror 8 continued to break the law in order to prove his point, the balance of ethics tipped, and the ends would not justify the means. An eighteen-year-old kid whose father beats him daily should be a prime suspect in the father's murder; however, juror 8 does not believe he seems like the type. Placing himself in the kid's shoes, juror eight tries to feel what the kid feels, and advocates why each fact does not convince him. Principled actions of compassion and empathy are universal and good by themselves. As a good leader would, juror 8 requests each person put themselves in the shoes of the accused - by posing questions and making it personal. "It's possible" is a favorite phrase of juror 8, and recommending another vantage point to each "fact", he shows each man a human side of things. He asks them if they have ever lived near an "L" train, if they have ever said they would kill someone without meaning it, and not remembered details of a day. Again, if the balance tipped to the principle side of ethics, analysis of each act and consequence would cause us to not move toward a resolution or ask entirely too many questions in order to understand.Eleven jurors believe themselves to be good-hearted people who are there to perform a duty. Good people do not necessarily make good decisions as mentioned in the reading. Juror 8 asks them to look at the consequences of their own actions - voting to send a kid to die

REWARDS AND BENEFITS IN VOLVO CAR COMPANY - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Essay

REWARDS AND BENEFITS IN VOLVO CAR COMPANY - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example In this regard, experts (Arnold & Silvester, pp. 12-19, 2005) have identified major change in the perspective and attitude of employers towards their employees, and this indicates creation of different innovative policies and strategies to ensure motivational workplace environment for the workers. Specifically, performance and reward management is one significant component of HRM that plays a crucial role in every organisation, and analysis has indicated that organisations are nowadays relying heavily on the factors of benefits and rewards as modes and tools of ensuring organisational success by guaranteeing efficient and productive performance of the employees. Particularly, this paper is an attempt in the same series of efforts that will focus on identification of various types of benefits and pay systems existing globally, as well as, reward strategies of Volvo Car Corporation that will allow understanding of the topic in realistic manner. Different Forms of Rewards Rewards play a crucial role in every human life, and particularly, it is an understanding that reward is one of the components that drive the society to develop and grow in different aspects. This works in the organisational setting as well; however, before identifying different forms of rewards and pay, experts (Robbins et al., pp. 39-47, 2009) have suggested that it is very important that employers should put efforts to ensure integration of rewards’ methodology with organisational objectives and mission, as non-integration often have resulted in failure of the strategies. For instance, if organisational mission is to become a market leader, Corporation will have to keep a higher-paying reward system to retain best talent from the market, and if mission is to survive and go with flow of the market, and then a lower-reward system will work as well. Following are some of the common forms of pay and rewards: Fixed Pay This is the most common and conventional form of compensation that includ es payment to employees on a fix-pay methodology, usually on monthly basis (Rothwell et al., pp. 23-25, 2009). In this kind of method, employees get fix monthly payment despite of any change in performance or productivity. It is an observation that organisations are now moving away from the fixed pay methodology due to dominance of other modern reward and performance management systems. Variable Pay Method â€Å"Why should I make an extra effort for this job? Why should I try to contribute and think more about the organisational goals and success† (Langton, pp. 46-76, 2000)? Abovementioned is one of the common statements that one can hear from employees in a fix-pay system that resulted in the creation of variable pay method system that â€Å"bases a portion or all of the employees’ earnings on some individual or organisational formula or measure of productivity† (Torrington, Hall, & Taylor, pp. 365-348, 2005). Analysis has indicated that 60% of the organisation s in the United Kingdom are depending on the variable pay system to compensate and motivate their workers. One of the major benefits of using this system is reduction of fixed labor costs, and this system enables the organisations to focus more on the level of productivity and performance that is often not possible or not workable in fixed pay method. Besides these pay systems,