What to do with waste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What to do with waste - Essay Example To imagine, the amount of wastes being generated in hundreds of million to billion tonnes per year on a global scale should be alarming to the point we could not at all afford to neglect the issue and show meager efforts toward resolution of the encompassing matter. Actually, no exact statistical figures convey the immense number that must be dealt with since there are unreported cases of waste generation in several countries yet we can only be certain of the fact that waste quantities increase as they vary in direct proportion with human activities, material and energy consumption, as well as the widely experienced technological growth through time. The world has long struggled at managing waste disposals and treating wastes due chiefly to insufficient funds and appropriate fields of study that lack resources in terms of skilled researchers or interested experts who may be visualized together as solid passionate teams in creating ideas and innovating systems that efficiently address waste problems. Given this ever-worsening scenario, thus, we are brought to ask in serious enthusiastic tone â€Å"What do we and can we really do about our wastes on this planet in order to save mother nature, human health, and probably settle other critical concerns thereafter?† At one aspect, we can think of the fossil fuel crisis that affects almost everyone in the world and consider the equivalence fossil fuels make with contemporary wastes. By common knowledge, we are aware that fossil fuels are derived from organic remains of prehistoric plants and animals that undergo natural process of anaerobic decomposition. It normally takes 700 million years for decaying plant and animal matters to be fossilized upon exposure to extreme levels of heat and pressure. So how exactly would wastes, in relative measure, account for the risks of fossil fuel depletion? The point of advantage lies at discovering wastes as possible substitute for fossil fuels based on similar useful compo nents such as coal, natural gas, oil, or petroleum which may be recovered from a bulk of wastes’ organic composition. A successful content analysis must illustrate, by comparative studies, how wastes could feasibly become a good alternative for such non-renewable source of energy as their commonalities basically indicate that wastes are rich in carbon, hydrogen, and other elements capable of evolving heat energy upon combustive mechanisms. Once we have wholly figured such feasibility of producing energy with wastes through large volumetric yields of hydrocarbons, the next approach would be to come up with practical tools and methods relevant for the task. Hence, realizing the full potential of wastes in the context of possibly replacing fossil fuels should in part respond to the main query. Moreover, in the attempt to carry out energy conversions via exothermic reactions with wastes in solid and gaseous states, it would be necessary to establish medium to large-scale fuel pla nts just as what Dr. Martin Linck proposed to do in aiming for a 300,000-gallon per day production of fuel. An article written by Earth Times online columnist Dave Armstrong entitled â€Å"What to do with waste? Make our own fossil fuels!† notes Dr. Linck’s attendance and discourse during the 244th meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia where a scientific breakthrough known as the Integrated Hydropyrolysis and Hydroconversion Process (IH2) was introduced. According to Armstrong, â€Å"IH2 was developed by Dr. Linck’s Gas Technology Institute (GTI) in Des Plaines – Hydrogen from the waste and many cheaper catalysts move the processes by which the ‘feedstock’ raw materials are converted into the oily products.† Apparently, in this setting, wastes enter a type of modern technology which would manufacture gaseous hydrogen and oils as ready-to-use fuels. At this stage, we may further extend thought to the probability of ad opting designs for fuel production at optimum level and we may to some degree be glad on

Psychology (various techniques for developing memory) Essay

Psychology (various techniques for developing memory) - Essay Example I studied the poem I had developed for 2 minutes. One hour later, I attempted to recall both the acrostic poem and the concepts to which it was related. 3) I sung the poem, The Ballad of Rudolph Reed, by Gwendolyn Brooks out-loud to the tune of the nursery rhyme, Humpty-Dumpty. I practiced singing the poem three times and then one hour later I attempted to recite the poem from memory. 4) My final experiment consisted of attempting to remember a list of 10 items by using the techniques of the Loci method. The list I attempted to remember was as follows: Tomatoes, Trumpet, Scissors, Wallet, Motorcycle, Sofa, Elephant, Newspaper, Subway train, and Faucet. I walked a route familiar to me within the vicinity of my home in accordance with the technique. I assigned one of these items to each of ten locations within the designated route and practiced associating the items and the image of the location. An hour later I retraced my steps, attempting to remember the list by association with the locations on the route that I had selected. The four experiments produced various different results. Personally, I found that the technique for developing an acronym or using an acrostic to remember concepts and lists were particularly useful. These two experiments produced by far the best results.

Biography of William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Biography of William Shakespeare Essay William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-in Avon, England. From the year 1594 onward he was an important member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men members of theatrical players. Written records give little information of the way in which Shakespeare’s professional life was his artistry. All that can be said is that over the course of 20 years, Shakespeare wrote plays that intensify the range of human emotion and conflict. Even though birth records dont exist, church records were found that a William Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity Church on April 26, 1564. From this, it is believed he was born on April 23, 1564, and this is the date known as William Shakespeares birthday. William was the third child of John Shakespeare, a leather merchant and Mary Arden. William had two older sisters Joan and Judith, and three younger brothers, Gilbert, Richard and Edmund. Before Williams birth, his father became a successful merchant and held official positions as alderman, an office resembling a mayor. there is no record of Shakespeare attending schools, students have written that he most likely attended the Kings New School in Stratford, which taught reading, writing and the classics. Being a public officials child, he could have had free tuition if he wanted too ,. But misbelieve regarding his education has led some to raise questions about the authorship of his work and even to wonder if he even was real or a made up character of a great writer whom just made up the name to hide behind the name and keep people wondering . William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582, in Worcester. William was 18 and Anne was 26 she got pregnant of Their first a girl they named Susanna, was born on May 26, 1583. Two years later, on February 2, 1585, twins Hamlet and Judith were born,. Hamlet later died of unknown causes at age 11. By 1592, there is evidence William Shakespeare earned a living as an actor and a playwright in London . In the September 20, 1592 edition of the Stationers Register there is an article by London playwright Robert Greene that takes a few jabs at William Shakespeare: there [William Shakespeare] is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers that with his tigers heart wrapped in a Players hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene . Students differ on the interpretation of this criticism, but most agree that it was Greenes way of saying Shakespeare was reaching above his rank, trying to match better known and educated playwrights like Christopher Marlowe . Thomas Nash or Greene himself. In the 1590s, documents show William Shakespeare was a managing partner in the Lord Chamberlains Men, a acting company in London. After the crowning of King James the 1 in 1603, the company changed its name to the Kings Men. the Kings Men company was very popular, and records show that Shakespeare had works published and sold as popular literature. The theater culture in 16th-century in England he was not highly admired by people of high rank. However, many of the nobility were good patrons of the performing arts and friends of the actors. Early in his career, Shakespeare was able to attract the attention of Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton, to who he dedicated his first published poems Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594). It was a four-day ride by horse from Stratford to London, so it is believed that Shakespeare spent most of his time in the city writing and acting and came home once a year during the 40-day Lenten period, when the theaters were closed. By 1599, William Shakespeare and his business partners built their own theater on the south bank of the Thames River, which they called the globe . Shakespeare was very innovative, adapting the traditional style to his own purposes and creating a freer flow of words. With only small degrees of variation, Shakespeare usually used a metrical pattern consisting of lines of unrhymed words , or blank verse, to compose his plays. At the same time, there are passages in all the plays that come from this and use forms of poetry or simple phrase . With the exception of Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeares first plays were mostly histories written in the early 1590s. Richard II and parts 1, 2 and 3 and Henry v dramatize the destructive results of weak or corrupt rulers and have been interpreted by drama historians . Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period: the witty romance A and Much Ado About Nothing, the charming As You Like It, and Twelfth Night. Other plays, possibly written before 1600, were Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. DEATH Tradition has it that William Shakespeare died on his birthday, April 23, 1616, though many students believe this is a myth. Church records show he was interred at Trinity Church on April 5, 1616. In his will, he left the bulk of his possessions to his eldest daughter, Susanna. Though entitled to a third of his estate, little seems to have gone to his wife, Anne, whom he didnt seem to care much for This has drawn speculation that she had fallen out of favor, or that the couple was not close.

Subsidiary Perspective of a Mobile Phone Service Company

Subsidiary Perspective of a Mobile Phone Service Company Global Integration Background The literature review looks into the various resources related to the study on the subsidiary perspective of a mobile phone service company towards MNC global integration. This would justify the significance of the study in terms of the clarification and application of concepts as well as contribution to knowledge or research gaps. The literature review is structured to start with a clarification of the research issue for purposes of determining linkages to available literature before moving on with the identification of the parent, intermediate and immediate literature. Afterwards, debates or differences in perspectives based on various literatures, together with the gaps or unresolved questions follows. The literature review ends with a summary of developments in literature pertinent to the research topic. The Research Issue Investigating the subsidiary perspective of a mobile phone service company on MNC global integration has a number of research implications. One, the subsidiary perspective of firms on global integration determines the success of the global business operations through value chain configuration and marketing standardization. Another, the subsidiary perspective of a mobile phone service company on global integration also provides a contextual basis of the issues and problems experienced by the subsidiary and the mother company in achieving value chain integration and marketing standardization for its entire global operations. Integration and standardization are important to successful international business operations. Concurrently, it becomes important to clarify the concepts of global integration and subsidiary relations together with the sub-concepts under these general principles to provide a sufficient framework for the study. Categorization of literature covering these concepts an d sub-concepts fall under parent, intermediate or immediate literature with most of the literature constituting parent and intermediate literatures. This implies the need for empirical research investigating the application of these concepts and sub-concepts to actual business contexts, which the present study attempts to fulfill. The Parent and Intermediate Literature This section covers the parent literature, specifically those explaining the basic concepts involved in the study especially global integration and organizational structures of multinational corporations involving subsidiaries. Existing literature sufficiently covers the definition of global integration as well as the organizational structure that involve business operations in various markets through subsidiaries. Definition of Global Integration Existing literature on global integration have not been able to arrive at a consensus on the definition of global integration. Haspeslagh and Jemison (1991) explained that global integration actually carries a different meaning for various parties involved in different situations. This means the possibility that a subsidiary, operating on a distinct market environment, can develop a different perspective and understanding of global integration relative to the mother company or other subsidiaries operating in different markets. Although, there is no clear consensus on the definition of global integration, Schweiger and Goulet (2000) stated that the different perspectives commonly revolve around the combination of the assets and human resources of the target and the buyer or the subsidiary and the mother company. The concept of coordination has found close links to global integration. Mintzberg (1983a; 1983b) stated that coordination constitutes a fundamental element of management and since the management of global operations involves coordination, then integrating the operation of subsidiaries with the operations of the mother company necessitates coordination. However, even with the close links between global integration and coordination, there are distinctions between these two concepts, with the extent of difference covered by various perspectives. On one hand, Martinez and Jarillo (1989) described the close links between the global integration and coordination by using these two concepts as synonyms describing the same situation. The authors also defined coordinative mechanisms as administrative tools used in developing integration of the various business units of a business organization. On the other hand, Kobrin (1991) provided a clear variance between global integration and coordinati on. Global integration also meant transnational integration that involves the processes of product standardization, technology development centralization, and manufacturing linkages that is either horizontal or vertical. As such, global integration was characterized as a change process involving centralization, combination, concentration, and standardization. Coordination also meant cross-border coordination that pertains to the business efforts directed towards the alignment of the operations of various business units to ensure the completion of the tasks of these units in contributing to aggregate productivity. Global integration has also found links to value creating activities at the level of the business headquarters. Goold, Campbell and Alexander (1994) and Burgelman and Doz (1996) stated that global integration pertains to the manner that headquarters creates value encompassing its international operations. This definition of global integration provides a limit to the scope of the concept to cover only business units forming part of a multinational corporation. This means that global integration does not involve business units considered as external to the firm. In addition, existing literature also discussed the definition of global integration by looking at its opposite or contrast concepts. Through the process of contrasting, these resources have been able to determine the areas not covered by global integration (Hambrick Finkelstein, 1987). Bartlett (1986) considered local autonomy as the opposite of global integration with local autonomy referring to the independent management of the operations of different business units under a single multinational corporation so that decision-making in the local level is made without need of consulting the other business units or headquarters. Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) identified local responsiveness as another opposite of global integration. This is similar to independent decision-making exclusively based on the particular context of the local market without need to consult decision with other business units or the corporate headquarters. However, Prahalad and Doz (1987) explained that business f irms could achieve high levels of responsiveness and integration. As such, the more rational opposite of global integration is local autonomy. Based on existing literature covering the definition of global integration, the definition used in the dissertation is cross-border integration, encompassing value-creating activities and marketing standardization, arising between business units operating in different markets but falling under a single multinational corporation. This definition limits the scope to business units forming part of a multinational corporation but operating in particular markets. This definition fits the requirements of the study in investigating the perspectives of subsidiaries on global integration that involves a subsidiary and headquarters as the units of data collection and analysis. Elements of Global Integration Based on the definition of global integration, this has two specific elements, which are the configuration and coordination of the multinational corporation’s value change and the standardization of marketing strategies. Existing literature have differentiated the configuration and coordination. Porter (1985) explained that configuration of the value chain pertains to the spatial decisions of the multinational corporation covering the location or site of business units together with the number of business units within the multinational corporation and in the different sites. Lim, Acito and Rusetki (2006) developed the concentration-dispersion perspective to encompass decision-making on spatial issues. Porter (1985) stated explained that coordination refers to the manner and extent that the activities of the different business units are combined as opposed to being autonomous. Lim et al. (2006) introduced integration-independence perspective as the concept that covers the combination of activities of various business units forming part of a single multinational corporation. The configuration and coordination of value chain processes of business units belonging to a single multinational firm includes t he sourcing of raw materials and basic service components, production processes and linkages, marketing strategies, distribution networks, and support activities encompassing the operations of business units located in different countries but comprising the sub-units of the multinational firm. Available literature also covered marketing standardization, which Jain (1989) describes as the extent of the uniformity in the experiences of customers of the different business units operating in various countries. Here, classification of literature depends on internal and external focus. Literature on strategies focus on business activity as the core basis of analysis so that these looks into the manner that business units apply uniform policies given specific business contexts. Literature on international marketing carries an external focus by considering the uniformity in the marketing mix applied across the business units. (Yip, 1997) The extent of uniformity in the aspects of price, product, place and promotion determines the level of uniformity in the experiences of the firm’s customers in different countries. Rationale for Global Integration After identifying the definition of global integration as limited to cross-border decisions encompassing business units belonging to the same multinational firm and covering the areas of value chain configuration and marketing standardization, the next area that involves clarification is the rationale for engaging in global integration. Available literature provided two distinct perspectives, which are environmental contingency and strategic choice, explaining the rationale for global integration. While the distinctions between these two perspectives is theoretical, these determines the driving factors for global integration as either industry forces and other factors in the external environment or firm-specific capabilities and other factors within the internal environment of the multinational firm. The distinctions reflect similar characteristics as the debates on environmental determinism as against strategic choice (Astley Van de Ven, 1983; Hrebiniak Joyce, 1985). In addition, the distinctions between the two perspectives are parallel to debates involving the positioning-oriented view (Porter, 1985) as opposed to the resource-based view (Barney, 1991) or the dynamic capabilities view (Eisenhardt Martin, 2000). These perspectives highlight one aspect or more reasons for engaging in global integration so that focusing on only one perspective would provide the study with a limited theoretical foundation (Morgan, 1997). As such, these perspectives require consideration to allow the study to gain insight on the multi-dimensional reasons of justifications for global integration. Advocates of the environmental contingency perspective propound the basic assumption that industries hold different potential for globalization. As such, firm strategists play the important role of identifying the trends and influencing factors affecting the industry as bases for the determination of the appropriate strategy addressing the needs and demands of the industry (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1989). In application, a number of best practices have emerged as generic strategies for various industry trends found to lead to positive performance (Prahalad Doz, 1987). This implies that the environmental contingency view favors the development of contingencies (Galbraith, 1973) that considers the alignment or congruence of the structure of the firm and the strategies implemented by the organization with the environment within which the business firm operates. These contingencies find expression in the different types and levels of structures and corresponding strategies that have evolved. A simplistic typology is the description of global firms as evolving from ethnocentric to polycentric before finally becoming geocentric (Perlmutter, 1969). This means that the structure of multinational firms evolves according to this evolutionary process and the strategy of multinational firms depend on the best practices determined for the different evolutionary stages. Another simplistic structure and strategy is one determined by technological drivers (Levitt, 1983) so that the organizational structure revolves around the enhancement of technological capabilities and the strategies involve the standardization of products through a uniform technological capability in order to enhance the homogeneity of customer experiences. However, the simplistic perspectives received criticisms for not being able to cover other important business factors. An alternative perspective involves mixed strategies (Douglas Wind, 1987) so that standardization occurs for some products and product components become while differentiation occurs for others. In application, the mixed strategy involves standardization marketing mix aspects in a given region, market or market segments and differentiation for one or more of the marketing mix components for different regions or markets. The rationale for the mixed perspective is that achieving a universal strategy is not possible since some strategies receive rational support in some market context but not in others even if the same products, brand and company is involved but operating as different business units (Ohmae, 1989). This implies that the purpose of global integration is not really to derive a universal structure and strategy but to provide a way for the multinational corp oration to rationalize its mixed strategies across regions or markets and tie these efforts to address common goals. Most of the typologies that emerged later on found basis on mixed strategies. One manner of classifying multinational firms is through worldwide integration, national responsiveness, and administrative coordination (Doz, 1980). This developed the concept of transnational firms and propounded the important role of administrative coordination to facilitate administrative and structural shifts directed towards the achievement of the benefits of integration on a global scale and responsiveness on a national level. This manner of classification revolves around firm level analysis. Another typology, which considered the industry perspective, distinguished industries as either multidomestic or global (Hout, Porter Rudden, 1982). This means that the structure and strategy selection of business firms depend on the characteristics of the industry within which the firm belongs, which is either multidomestic or global. Another typology that considered the industry level perspective distinguishes strategy selection based on whether the firm falls under multinational or transnational industry (Bartlett, 1986). The author explicitly developed the transnational concept. This means that integration and responsiveness act as the forces that pressure firms to move towards the transnational model. Hedlund (1986) further expanded this typology by introducing the concept of heterarchy to describe the business units of international firms organized into non-hierarchical networks moving toward the goals of integration and responsiveness. The characterization of international fi rms as networks was carried by other literature through the development of the concept of independent network (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1990) and differentiated network (Nohria Ghoshal, 1997). Another typology emerged as the alternative by combining the firm and industry level perspectives to come up with four distinctive strategies of multinational firms, which are purest global, export-based, high foreign investments together with extensive subsidiary coordination, and country-centered (Porter, 1986). Purest global and export-based strategies are variants of global strategy; country-centered strategies are similar to the multinational concept; and high foreign investment with extensive subsidiary coordination is similar to the transnational concept. Another alternative emanates from the integration and responsiveness factors to influence the introduction of the types of strategies into global, multifocal and locally responsive. Integration on a global level considers multinational customers, multinational competitors, intensity of investment, intensity of technology, cost reduction pressures, universal needs, and raw materials and energy access. Local responsiveness pres sures the firm to consider variations in customer needs, variances in the distribution channels, existence of substitutes and adaptations, market structure, and regulatory demands. These pressures then comprise the areas of strategy determination for international business firms. In addition, another strategic area that considers the factors of integration and responsiveness revolves around knowledge and capabilities sharing between corporate headquarters and the various business units (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1989). Based on the development of various typologies, three general structural and strategic distinctions emerge, which are the multinational, transnational and global configurations. These types involve different integration strategies. The global configuration involves the strategy of tight integration of the value chain processes of the different business units resulting to a high level of centralized strategic resources including knowledge and research and development (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1987a; 1987b). This means that the activities of the business units are likely to revolve around the utilization of raw materials and application of service policies instead of focusing on activities that promote the independence of the business units. Moreover, the business units under the global configuration are unable to function without consulting company headquarters. As such, the high level of centralized control leads to the importance of a strong centralized leadership and decision-making. This would likely involve limited development and innovation from the business units operating in the peripheral markets. The network flows between corporate headquarters and the business units revolve around products. Thus, firms adhe ring to the global configuration tend to achieve high levels of integration because of centralization but low levels of responsiveness on a national level because of the lack of development and innovation coming from the business units operating in various national contexts. The multinational or multidomestic configuration pertains to the fostering of high levels of autonomy on the part of the subsidiary units because of the corresponding high degrees of decentralization in decision-making (Roth Morisson, 1990; Harzing, 1998; 2000). This means that the business units or subsidiaries are self-sufficient in their operations on a national level. As such, the subsidiaries enforce value chains that can stand alone in their country of operations (Leong Tan, 1993). Corporate headquarters manage this situation by considering the business units as independent firms but manages the productivity of the subsidiaries through output controls, especially financial measures. The output controls comprise the integrating factor for the different subsidiaries since this measures their adherence to overall firm goals (Muralidharan Hamilton, 1999). Moreover, an informal network exists between the top managers assigned in the corporate headquarters and the expatriates serv ing as representatives of the headquarters in the subsidiaries (Gupta Govindarajan, 2001). Multinational business units exercise relatively high levels of independence because of the minimal intervention and interference from the corporate headquarters except only the application of output controls. The derivation and enhancement of knowledge occurs locally instead of coming from headquarters for dispersion in the different business units. Concurrently, the flow that involves corporate headquarters and the business units encompasses financial resources. Thus, the application of the multinational configuration leads to a high level of responsiveness on a national or local level but resulting to limited integration. The transnational configuration involves the creation of international business firms with the simultaneous capability for responsiveness on a local level, integration on a global level, and learning on a worldwide level. This configuration involves the ability to consider various areas of responsiveness or ambidexterity, which refers to the ability to target conflicting demands at one time (Birkinshaw Gibson, 2004). Nohria and Ghoshal (1997) described the transnational configuration as both differentiated and interdependent. As such, the transnational configuration involves greater integration relative to the multinational configuration but involves greater responsiveness relative to the global configuration. This means that the activities of the business units covering aspects of the value chain becomes integrated physically and coordinated strategically. The subsidiaries the play pre-determined roles within the context of the multinational goals instead of just focusing on the ma ximization of opportunities in the local level. Creation of knowledge involves a higher level of dispersion compared to the global configuration because the objectives are sharing of knowledge derived on level of the peripheral units. The manner of integration then involves mechanisms of socialization instead of output measures as in the multinational configuration. This means the development of standardized norms across the business units (Mintzberg, 1983a). Flow of resources is also expanded to encompass resources, products as well as knowledge across the various business units. Overall, the rationale for global integration based on the environmental contingency perspectives depends on the typology of the operations of business firms. The different typologies carry corresponding structural frameworks and strategic activities directed towards the achievement of the one or both objectives of integration and responsiveness. Proponents of the strategic choice perspective focus on internal factors and pressures in determining structure and strategy for international business firms constituting the rationale for engagement in integration. As such, the focal areas of the strategy choice view include resources, capabilities and processes (Ghoshal, 1987). Concurrently, available literature focused on the two concepts of strategic integration together with corporate parenting that provide distinct multinational firm capabilities. Strategic integration covers the manner that management develops value that encompasses value creation of the different business units forming part of the international firm. Moreover, strategic integration has links to the combination and cultivation of the different resources of the international firm such as the intangible assets together with capabilities in the long-term through the process of coordinated deployment from the corporate headquarters to the business units. However, the subsidiaries have room to enhance further assets and capabilities to respond to their particular business contexts. (Burgelman Doz, 1996) Another view of strategic integration is as pertaining to dynamic capability that is based on particular strategic and structural routine activities (Eisenhardt Martin, 2000). This means that integrating factors comprise the routine activities common in all the business units. Capabilities for strategic integration receives importance in the case when managers intend to shift from one configuration to another but there are variances in the levels of resource needs, strategic requirements, and structural frameworks involved in the configurations. Strategic integration as a capability is also important in situations involving the shift from a weak to a stronger implementation of a given configuration. (Teece et al., 1997; Eisenhardt Martin, 2000) This means that the international business firm employs various combinations of value chain integration and marketing standardization for particular configurations. To ensure integration and standardization, coordination mechanisms comprise important means of unifying processes and outputs across the different business units. Parenting theory evolved to apply to multi-business contexts, specifically the manner that corporate parents influence the operations of subsidiaries in order to add value to the operations of the business units (Goold, 1996a; 1996b; Goold Campbell, 1991; 2002; Goold, Campbell Alexander, 1998). The parenting theory does not particularly focus on integration. Nevertheless, the descriptions of the parenting strategies capture the situation of multinational firms and the manner that corporate headquarters affect the dynamics or workings of the subsidiaries. Since integration involves limitation on the freedom of operation of the business units, the role of the parent company becomes important in achieving effective integration. This means that according to the parenting theory, the rationale of engaging in integration lies in the significance of the role of the parent company in providing effective integrative factors intended to enhance the output and process outcomes across the diff erent business units. Parent firms can create value for the company in four ways. First, the parent company can apply a stand-alone policy, which means that the strategy and performance of the business units are affected minimally by the parent company. Integration at a minimal level of influence occurs through output standardization (Mintzberg, 1983a), which is implemented through financial rations serving as the targets of the subsidiaries. Second, the parent company can increase its influence on the subsidiaries by implementing synergistic practices and transfer of knowledge and best practices to the business units (Mintzberg, 1983a), specifically activities such as standard work systems, standard norms of practice, and training of workers. Third, parent companies can further enhance its influence on the business units by extending the reach of its central functions to the business units. This extent of influence is nearer integration as strategic change instead of coordination. Fourth, an even greater influence on the business units can be made with the parent company altering the corporate portfolio through the acquisition or removal of operations to facilitate restructuring. This also involves greater parallelism with integration as strategic change instead of a coordinative process. Fifth, parent companies can extend their influence to an extent that covers the influence of purchasing firms during post-mergers (Schweiger, 2002). These different extents of influence applied by the parent company translate into different rationales for integration given different multination firm contexts. Regardless of the extent of influence employed by the parent company, it is necessary that the parent company that constitutes the corporate center constitutes a resource in itself through varying levels of influence or provide alternative processes that derive resources for the business units in order for the level of integration to achieve value to the subsidiaries and justify the engagemen t in integration. In addition, there are also parenting styles (Goold, Campbell Alexander, 1994) that describe the manner that the parent company relates to its subsidiaries. First is the financial control style that involves decentralized decision-making of the business units that usually apply in small business firms (Hout et al., 1982). Second is the strategic planning style that involves an influential staff involved in a wide range of areas of operation in the business units (Hout et al., 1982). Third is the strategic control style involving top-down planning but bottom-up implementation that is achieved through the balanced consideration of financial objectives and strategic milestones. These parenting styles provide the factors that have to be present for parent companies to create value for the business units and provide a reason for the type of integration. Integration Challenges After discussing the definition and rationale for integration, the succeeding discussions look into the integration challenges experienced by the multinational firms. Existing literature classify these challenges into those experienced by corporate headquarters and those felt by the subsidiaries. Corporate headquarters experience a number of integration challenges. First is ensuring the creation of value to support the extent of integration. This means that the integration should create greater value compared to the previous status of the firm (Goold, 1996b). Second is preventing any misguided intervention that depend on the context of business units since excessive guidance can thwart much needed innovative action on the subsidiary level (Goold Campbell, 2002). Third is enhancing the quality of execution and support staff services of the company headquarters (Goold Campbell, 2002). Fourth is avoidance of multiple levels of parenting that could lead to redundancy and contradictions (Goold Campbell, 2002). Fifth is the management of various kinds of intra-firm reporting so that the type of reporting should match the simplicity or complexity of the multinational firm (Prahalad Doz, 1987). Sixth is the avoidance of the building of empires at headquarters by clearly establish ing the roles of top management in maintaining corporate entity and adding value to the subsidiaries (Goold Campbell, 2002). Subsidiaries also experience problems in integration. First is achieving structural and strategic fit (Jemison Sitkin, 1986a; 1986b; Olie, 1994; Carleton, 1997) given variances in administrative heritage (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1989) that requires the development of a common administrative infrastructure. Second is managing opportunism among the subsidiary managers within the context of agency relations (Jensen Meckling, 1976; Eisenhardt, 1989a; 1989b) through risk management and agency clarification. Third is ensuring the commitment of the subsidiary managers since commitment determines the success of the integration process (Kim Mauborgne (1991; 1995) by developing a perception of fairness of the integration (Greenberg, 1993). Available literature on the problems experienced by the subsidiaries provide significant foundational information for the study by providing concepts that relate to the study on the perceptions of subsidiaries, particularly the managers of the subsidiaries regarding the integration. The factors of attitudes, commitment and cooperative behavior are the problem areas of integration on the subsidiary side but these also comprise determinants of the perceptions of subsidiaries towards integration. Immediate Literature This section covers immediate literature since the integration capabilities and the modes of managing the subsidiary provide the determinants of the perspectives of subsidiaries towards integration, similar to the part on the problems experienced by the subsidiaries discussed in the previous section. Integration Capabilities A number of integration capabilities are important in the integration initiative. Since integration involves actions and responses not only from the company headquarters

Analysis of Blakes London :: Blakes London Essays

Analysis of Blake's London In the formal approach method to critical analysis, it is essential to read William Blake's "London" mechanically. Blake uses his rhetorical skills of alliteration, imagery, and word choice to create his poem, but more importantly to express the emotional significance that is implied. William Blake's poem, "London", is obviously a sorrowful poem. In the first two stanzas, Blake utilizes alliteration and word choice to set the mournful atmosphere. Blake introduces his reader to the narrator as he "wanders" through the "chartered" society. A society in which every person he sees has "marks of weakness, marks of woe." Blake repeatedly uses the word "every" and "cry" in the second stanza to symbolize the depression that hovers over the entire society. The "mind-forged manacles" the narrator hears suggests that he is not mentally stable. In the third stanza, Blake utilizes imagery of destruction and religion. This imagery is a paradox, which implies some religious destruction like the apocalypse. The "chimney-sweeper's cry" symbolizes the society trying to clean the ashes that causes their state of depression. Blake uses the religious imagery of the "black'ning church" to represent the loss of innocence, and the society's abandonment of religion. The use of the soldiers creates an imagery of war. The "hapless soldier's sigh" symbolize how men are drafted into war and have no choice but to serve their country. As these soldiers unwilling march to the beat of the country's forceful drum, they know their lives will be taken, as their "sigh runs in blood down palace walls." Blake uses this sense of destruction to explain how people are forced to repair the "weakness" and "woe" of their society. The fourth stanza of "London" unravels the complex meaning of the poem. The "youthful harlot's curse" symbolizes how the youth's sinful deeds will effect the next generation. Their "curse" causes the "newborn infant's tear" which exemplifies how the new generation will have to correct the mistakes of the previous generation.

The Benefits of FFA Membership Essay -- Expository Essays Research Pap

The spacious, mute auditorium is suddenly turned into a buzzing social center as the large double doors are swung open by thousands of enthusiastic young members of the National FFA Organization. Although the topics of their conversations may range from discussions on recent use of Global Positioning Satellites in tractors, to arguments over the greatest country singer of all time, these young people all have one thing in common. They are all wearing the blue corduroy jacket of the FFA, proudly displaying the FFA emblem on the back, embroidered with blue and gold thread. These members are standing in the center of Freedom Hall; the main auditorium used to hold the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. They are anxiously awaiting the first session of the first National Convention to be held in Kentucky. Amidst the sea of blue and gold, one member stands silently in awe of the multitude of people. The sleeves of his blue jacket hang stiffly at his side and the copper zipper shines brightly; both signs of a brand new jacket-- a brand new FFA member. His face looks passive as if he really doesn't know how to react, but the sparkle in his eyes betrays his excitement. This is the first FFA activity he has attended as a high school freshman. To the average person, the boy looks quiet and shy. However, a seed of strength is beginning to take root inside this young man. Through being involved in this convention as well as many more FFA activities in the young man's career in FFA, a world of possibilities is opening up for his future. The National Future Farmers of America program was started in 1929 by a group of young people desiring an organization in which they could take agricultural education classes, practice their l... ...eles Times, 5. Retrieved on March 20, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe (Newspapers) on the World Wide Web: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe.htm. Prominent Former Members of the FFA. (2001, September 13). National FFA Organization. Retrieved March 19, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ffa.org/htm Sheshadri, T. (2001, December 26). Student recognized for agricultural acumen. The San Diego Union Tribune, N1-4. Retrieved on March 20, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe (Newspapers) on the World Wide Web: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe.htm. Tenney, A. (1977). The FFA at 50. Alexandria, VA: Future Farmers of America. West, S. (2001, September 20). FFA more than cows, plows. The Houston Chronicle, 6. Retrieved on March 20, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe (Newspapers) on the World Wide Web: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe.htm. The Benefits of FFA Membership Essay -- Expository Essays Research Pap The spacious, mute auditorium is suddenly turned into a buzzing social center as the large double doors are swung open by thousands of enthusiastic young members of the National FFA Organization. Although the topics of their conversations may range from discussions on recent use of Global Positioning Satellites in tractors, to arguments over the greatest country singer of all time, these young people all have one thing in common. They are all wearing the blue corduroy jacket of the FFA, proudly displaying the FFA emblem on the back, embroidered with blue and gold thread. These members are standing in the center of Freedom Hall; the main auditorium used to hold the National FFA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. They are anxiously awaiting the first session of the first National Convention to be held in Kentucky. Amidst the sea of blue and gold, one member stands silently in awe of the multitude of people. The sleeves of his blue jacket hang stiffly at his side and the copper zipper shines brightly; both signs of a brand new jacket-- a brand new FFA member. His face looks passive as if he really doesn't know how to react, but the sparkle in his eyes betrays his excitement. This is the first FFA activity he has attended as a high school freshman. To the average person, the boy looks quiet and shy. However, a seed of strength is beginning to take root inside this young man. Through being involved in this convention as well as many more FFA activities in the young man's career in FFA, a world of possibilities is opening up for his future. The National Future Farmers of America program was started in 1929 by a group of young people desiring an organization in which they could take agricultural education classes, practice their l... ...eles Times, 5. Retrieved on March 20, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe (Newspapers) on the World Wide Web: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe.htm. Prominent Former Members of the FFA. (2001, September 13). National FFA Organization. Retrieved March 19, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ffa.org/htm Sheshadri, T. (2001, December 26). Student recognized for agricultural acumen. The San Diego Union Tribune, N1-4. Retrieved on March 20, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe (Newspapers) on the World Wide Web: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe.htm. Tenney, A. (1977). The FFA at 50. Alexandria, VA: Future Farmers of America. West, S. (2001, September 20). FFA more than cows, plows. The Houston Chronicle, 6. Retrieved on March 20, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe (Newspapers) on the World Wide Web: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe.htm.

Impact of bollywod on society

Movies have been the source of entertainment from time unmemorable. This is considered as a family bonding time these days. Few enjoy watching movies at home as a family to save economy, and some people Like going to theatres as a family calling it a day to relax and having fun. In both ways movies are tools of relaxation. Is this the case or movies are tools that instigates violence, differences in societies, bring out sexual indecency in the very living room of houses?Allegorical stories, novels and movies can cause a huge revival and Inculcate revolutionary thoughts If the correct message Is conveyed In a right fashion and with implicitly that the uneducated and educated can be enlightened alike. Allegorical movies can help tremendously to make the point across. Most of the Indian movies have some theme and moral they have to convey to the public. They bring awareness to the people what in going on in the world. Not everyone is educated and this media Is a powerful tool to bring t o light things happening so that even the uneducated In a remote village knows about everything.Some movies talk about the social justice being denied to the poor, talking about the racial and caste rejoice people face everyday in life all around the world. Some historical movies bring to life the ancient history that is slowly fading away bringing out the beauty of the culture of different civilizations of the past. There are movies that talk about the evils Like child marriages, women being abused and treated badly by the male dominating world. He corruption In the government and higher authorities, the cover up of the companies not to let the public know about the inferior quality of their products or how they pollute the environment and the autocratic nature of the landlords. There are times when there was a huge revolution happening because the public started thinking and this big screen has huge Impact on how people voted In the elections also. Evils Like child sex traffic Is beautifully brought out along with the old practices and taboos of the societies that still exist in a country that talks about technology and growth.We come to know about the murders happening because of the dowry system, how women are abused at workplace, how there are child abuse in houses that are respected in society saying Just because people live in marble houses, soonest mean they do not have same struggles Like others do. How love is treated as crime in a culture where men and women are not allowed to talk and how this evil brings a male dominant society to always have a winning shot, while women have to stay submissive even if beaten up.How arranged marriages to strangers can cause pains and how adjustment in new place is a Herculean task and how a woman shows her strength to build her and her family with patience and love all these are shown delicately and powerfully saying being a house wife Is also a full UT how a man Juggles between his Job, and his family life and so me times how his sacrifices goes unnoticed all are shown in Indian movies impregnated with morals and principles. Thus movies bring out delicate things that are happening in the lives of people in a very artistic way.This is truth that many are fans of these heroes and heroines and every punch dialogues and message they send out becomes a Veda for the layman. Keeping this in mind if people make movies that channel these lives that look unto these artists as role models, there is sure to come a dramatic changes in their lives ND how they will face the world with goodness and positive attitudes. These movies can easily make or easily break the lives of those who are fascinated by movies and not take it as entertainment.Some movies also bring out the evils of terrorism, how a nation should stay strong and united and how hard work is always the essence of progress. ‘Evil never wins' is the theme in most of them. ?But it can also cause imitation of the violence and the thwarted min d can follow a movie and do the same evil to the society. What we say and what we try to convey should not drive them to take weapons but should make hem see that evil dies and those who take a weapon will die of that for sure.Of course it would not be complete if I do not mention about some movies that are produced for commercial purposes having some sexual content to it, fascinating dream and stunt scenes adding flavor to the movie, but still the themes could definitely convey a message holding some moral lesson. Revealing body and scanty clothing does not help the confused adolescent to keep calm, every one would have felt this way at one point of time, nothing to feel ashamed of this.But when these reportage the child to explore things, which he is not supposed to makes things more and more detrimental. It should also kept in mind, how movies are made and not include sexual content in movies that is family type ones. Unwanted double meaning dialogues and unwanted contents should be avoided no matter how much commerce it brings to the bank. I do believe if we use this powerful and double-edged tool correctly it would always be a great source of enlightenment and empowerment and many good messages can be sent to the world that would make the society a better one.