STR Markers for Human Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

STR Markers for Human Identification - Essay Example As all living things contain DNA, and all DNA exhibits variability both among and within species, any biological material associated with a legal case carries in it information about its source (Mark A. Jobling e'tal).The major advantage of DNA based technique is requirement of very small amount of sample like drop of body fluid, cigarette butts , or hair is enough to determined the identity of criminal or person related to crime. There is almost century old history of forensic genetics started with human ABO blood group polymorphisms. It was used for quite long time but having few drawbacks it was not used quite frequently in present investigations. The major back trough occurred in 1984 when Alec Jeffreys identified the hyper variable loci known as MINISATELLITE. The banding pattern obtained from this micro satellite known as DNA fingerprinting and was widely used since it discovery. The only drawback of this system is complicated data and difficulty to interpret. Than Development of 'single-locus probes' (SLPs) here it revealed only a single, highly polymorphic, restriction fragment length polymorphism. And hence simplifying interpretation. In Typical SLP based investigation four SLPs were used successively to probe a Southern blot, yielding eight hyper variable fragments per individual.( Mark A. Jobling e'tal). ... Being sensitive, high discriminating power and reliable in case of mix sample qualifies STR as perfect forensic tool. Fig 1 shows chronologic evolution of forensic genetics (Nat Rev Genet. 2004 Oct; 5 (10):739-51.) STR (Short tandem repeat): STR, short tandem repeat are short sequences of DNA normally of length 2-5 base pairs. and one can fine numerous time repetition of these sequences. There are almost 10,000 published STR sequence available in different literature. most widely used STRs are tetra or penta tendon repeat as there are certain advantage of smaller repeat over larger one, like it can withstand DNA degradation and avoids preferential amplification during PCR. Similarly short repeat is getting attention in terms of genetic diseases like tri-nucleotide repeat associated Huntington disease. STR markers are mainly classified under two category 1) Autosomal STR and 2) Y-chromosomal STR. 1) Autosomal STR:Initially there were four simple STR were used but there were high probability of similar matching hence later on it raise two more Complex STR along with PCR assay targeted at the XY-homologous amelogenin genes. As Forensic experts realized the capability of STR based identification system more attention was provided toward development of standard technique. In this line four more loci were added in to the over all process and name as SGM plus. Based on this development effort were made to set up STR database to mention record of individual having crime history. There are some differences between the overall techniques employed for STR typing in different countries and legal systems. For example in USA FDI CODI Shaving 16

Leadership and Management Paper Essay Example for Free

Leadership and Management Paper Essay Ursula M. Burns is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Xerox. She has held this position for the last five years. She started out as a summer intern in 1980, and signed on in 1981. From then until she became CEO she has led several business teams and positions within Xerox, all along growing within the company. According to Fortune, she is the 22nd most powerful woman in the world. In addition to the Xerox board, she is a board director of the American Express Corporation and Exxon Mobil Corporation. Burns also provides leadership counsel to community, educational and non-profit organizations including FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), National Academy Foundation, MIT, and the U.S. Olympic Committee, among others. She is a founding board director of Change the Equation, and President Barack Obama appointed Burns vice chair of the President’s Export Council (Xerox: Ursula Burns, CEO, 2014). Leadership and Management Holding a management title does not necessarily equate to holding leadership skills. Leadership is defined in many ways, and depending on who you ask can simply be â€Å"coordinating the work of others†. However that is taking a very limited view on leadership. Leadership is a combination of rationale, inspiration, science, and art. It is said, â€Å"Leaders are thought to do the right thing, while managers do things right† (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2009). Not all leaders are managers, look at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is argumentatively the most important Civil Rights leader, however many would not look to him as a manager. According to Forbes, Ursula has made Xerox a profitable and viable company, this past year, Burns helped Xerox generate adjusted earnings per share of $1.09, up from $1.02 in 2012, and  post $21.4 billion in full-year revenue (Forbes, 2014). Her skills as a manager aided in building Xerox to the power-house they are today. Burns is responsible for the largest acquisition in Xerox history, and has allowed them to invest in business services, which is a $600 billion industry. Making these decisions requires hard decisions, including outsourcing, closing offices that are not performing well, and adopting a work from home culture. Because of this Burns has found herself on the 2014 Worst CEO list put together by 24/7 Wall Street and Glassdoor. Burns received a positive review from fewer that the 140,000 employees Xerox gained in the business services acquisition. Only 30% approved of her performance (Brown, 2014). Also something that does not help Burns gain leadership approval is the fact that she was paid on average $13 million dollars for 2010 – 2012, while over 500 people were laid off. While Burns has made moves in hopes of ensuring the stability of Xerox there are some that are calling for her to be fired. Burns’ recent letter to shareholders showed just how badly the transaction had go ne. Over the course of 2010 to 2013, revenue, net income and operating margins are flat to down. In particular, revenue fell 1% to $21.4 billion in 2013. In the fourth quarter, revenue dropped 3% to $5.7 billion. Net income was down 1% to $1.2 billion last year. In the fourth quarter, the drop was 4% to $311 million (McIntyre, 2014). When measuring success of a leader, there are many ways to do that and depending on which way is chosen could render different results. Using unit performance indices, Burns appears to be very successful as a leader. Unit performance indices can be used to examine what impact leaders have on the â€Å"bottom lines† of their organizations. Since she has taken over as CEO, Xerox shares have gone up 50% and the S P is higher by nearly 100% (Brown, 2014). Based on this information and her average salary the board must be happy with how she is performing. However, another way to measure success is by subordinates ratings of effectiveness. Subordinates may be relatively satisfied or dissatisfied, may be motivated or unmotivated, may feel relatively committed or uncommitted to the organization, or may believe their leader is relatively effective or ineffective. Because Burns has found herself on the worst CEO’s list of 2014 it can be said that she has been unsuccessful as a leader (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2009). Conclusion Overall it is important to remember that there are many dynamics to measuring leadership and management. Leadership and management can have many different meanings. Burns is a prime example of this. I believe she is an effective manager, because businesses are in the business of making money and her shareholders are happy. She also sits on the board of several inspirational companies like FIRST and Change the Equation, which could have many people looking at her leadership abilities. However, when it comes to Xerox her primary focus is making the shareholders happy, when could indicate she is not being a true leader in a way that motivates, inspires, encourages, or simply speaks to their employees. Refrences Hughes, R.L., Ginnett, R.C., e Curphy, G.J. (2009). Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hills. Xerox: Ursula Burns, CEO. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.xerox.com/about-xerox/executive-leadership/ceo/enus.html McIntyre, D.A. (2014). Time for Xerox Board to Fire CEO Burns. Retrieved from http://247wallst.com/investing/2014/03/20/time-for-xerox-board-to-fire-ceo-burns/ Brown, A. (2014). Xeroxs Ursula Burns Named One of Worst CEOs in Corporate America. Retrieved from http://madamenoire.com/418058/xeroxs-ursula-burns-named-one-worst-ceos-corporate-america/ Forbes: #22 Ursula Burns. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/profile/ursula-burns/

Strategy Of Tesco To Nigeria Commerce Essay

Strategy Of Tesco To Nigeria Commerce Essay This report seeks to analyse the different modes of entry into a foreign market available to an organisation, showing their relevant strengths and weaknesses. For the purpose of this, Tesco Plc. has been chosen, showing the various entry modes available to the organisation as it seeks to diversify into the Nigerian grocery market. In an attempt to evaluate these entry modes, this report has been structured into three main parts: First, PESTLE and Porters five forces as tools used to assess the attractiveness of a given market were analysed showing their strengths and weaknesses. The second part of this report focuses on the value chain and SWOT analysis as analytical tools which can be used by an organisation to gauge its internal capabilities. Finally, the different entry modes available to Tesco such as; exporting, licencing, franchising, joint venture and wholly foreign owned enterprise (WFOE) were discussed and the most appropriate mode of entry recommended. 1.0 INTRODUCTION Strategy is a long term direction of an organisation (Johnson et al 2011). It is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a specific goal, directed towards the achievement of the set objectives of an organisation. According to Jones and Hill 2010, strategy is a set of related actions that managers take to increase their companys performance. It shows the plans and actions carried out by managers in an organisation to improve its performance and gain a position of advantage over its competitors. Strategy shows the position of the organisation in relation to its external environment, the strategic choices and directions available to the organisation and the action plan on how to achieve the strategies in line with the organisations goal and objective. Strategy is a design or plan for achieving a companys policy, goals and objectives; it is a design or plan that defines how policy is to be achieved (Davies 2000). Huff et al 2009, sees strategy as a purposeful attempt to achieve an objective. This shows that the strategic plan of an organisation is intended and directed towards the achievement of the objectives of the organisation. Corporate Level StrategyThree levels of strategy exist in an organisation; Business Level Strategy Operational Level Strategy Figure 1: Levels of strategy (Adapted from Johnson et al 2011) The corporate level strategy is a strategy that affects the overall scope of the organisation, the business level strategy is a strategy made at the strategic business units in an organisation and such strategy does not affect the whole organisation. While the operational level strategy deals with the processes or people used in implementing both the corporate and business level strategies. In an attempt to understand these concepts defined above, this report will address the market entry potentials and the different modes of entry available to Tesco in its bid to internationalise into the Nigerian grocery market, using relevant tools and framework. This report will be structured to address three different tasks: First the analytical tools used in gauging the attractiveness of a given market such as; PESTLE, Porters five forces, Porters Diamond, Scenarios, BCG matrix etc. Secondly, analytical tools such as Value chain, SWOT, Strategy canvas, Ansoff matrix, Value network etc. used to gauge the internal capabilities of an organisation, with emphasis laid on the value chain and SWOT analysis, will be assessed. Finally the different modes of entry available to Tesco, such as exporting, licensing, franchising, sales subsidiary, joint venture, wholly owned enterprise will be discussed in details in this report and the most appropriate mode of entry recommended for the organis ation. 2.0 ANALYTICAL TOOLS USED TO GAUGE THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF A MARKET A strategic decision maker has a range of analytical tools which could be used for this purpose, such as; PESTLE, Porters Five Forces, Scenario Analysis, Porters Diamond etc. these analytical tools helps the manager to assess the attractiveness of a given market in terms of cost, profitability, competition and other external factors which might influence the smooth operation of the organisation in the market. Scenario Analysis: Scenario analysis helps strategic decision makers to manage and minimize relevant risk and it also helps them to address key uncertainties which might arise in future. A scenario may depict an explanation of how some future state evolves including the sequence of events, conditions or changes that precede or cause the future states to occur (Linneman et al, 1983). Porters Diamond: This tool proposes that the characteristics of the national environment influence the competitive advantages of a nation (Mann and Byun 2011). Four interrelated determinants of national advantage have been identified in the work of Dogl et al 2012, that influence competitive advantage of organisations such as; factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries and firm strategy, structure and rivalry. In order to assess the attractiveness of a given market, emphasis will be laid by this report on the PESTLE and Porters five forces, bringing out their relative strength and weaknesses. 2.1 PESTLE ANALSIS Pestle analysis is in effect an audit of organisations external environmental influences with the purpose of using this information for strategic decision making (CIPD 2010). It is an important macro-environmental audit tool, which shows the various factors in an organisations external environment likely to affect the operation of the organisation. These factors includes; political, economic, social, technological, legislative and environmental. Pestle analysis consists of carefully determining all these factors and finding out exactly in what way and to what extent these factors influence a certain organisation and it also provides the organisation with vital information about its environment; hence it is a mandatory analysis (Marketing Minefield 2012). Organisation Legislative Environmental Economic Social Political Technological Figure 2: PESTLE Framework of an organisation (Adapted from Marketing Minefield) Political: This represents the way through which the government and political situation of a country influence the performance of an organisation. Political forces can influence marketing decisions by setting the rules by which the business will be conducted (Jobber 2010). Some of the political factors which are likely to influence an organisation include; Political stability Tax policy and reforms Trade restrictions Consumer protection laws Government policies and rule of law The political instability evidenced in Nigeria at present and other government policies and laws are likely challenges to Tescos internationalisation strategy to Nigeria. Economic: Prevalent economic conditions in a given country will pose a great challenge to the operations of an organisation. According to Kotler et al 2008, the economic also consists of factors that affect the consumer purchasing power and spending pattern. Some of these factors are; Income distribution Labour cost Fluctuations in interest and exchange rate Rate of economic growth Inflation Cost of living Income distribution, poor infrastructure and inflation in Nigeria are some of the factors Tesco should consider before moving into the Nigerian market. Socio-cultural: Changes in the socio-cultural trends of a country such as the population growth rate, health, social attitudes, age distribution and cultural beliefs of the country can affect the operation of an organisation and therefore have a direct impact on the demand for the companys product. Technological: The rate of technological advancement today will pose a challenge to an organisation. Rapid change in technology is a huge factor that will influence an organisation. Hence organisations have to be aware of the current technological trend of the environment in which they carry out their business. Some of the technological factors likely to influence an organisation are; Internet and various information systems Speed of technology transfer Impact of emerging technologies. Research and development Legal: Laws such as, health and safety laws, consumer protection laws, licensing laws, competition and employment laws prevalent in any country will affect the smooth operation of organisations. Environmental: These are laws or factors on the surrounding environment of an organisation which can influence the way the organisations operates. Factors such as environmental laws and regulations, waste disposal, energy consumption, geographic location are likely to affect an organisation. 2.2 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF PESTLE ANALYSIS STRENGTHS It provides the organisation with a better understanding of the prevailing conditions in their business environment. It helps organisations to detect or anticipate future problems and take necessary actions to avoid or cushion its effect. Opens up available business opportunities for the organisation to exploit. It encourages the development of strategic thinking within an organisation. WEAKNESSES PESTLE analysis could be time consuming and expensive to carry out. It does not take into consideration key players in the organisations industry such as the competitors (analysed by the five forces) which could be a great force to reckon. The analysis needs to be reviewed on a regular basis for it to be effective. Results of the analysis are often subjective and could be based on assumptions. 2.3 PORTERS FIVE FORCES Bargaining power of Suppliers Bargaining power of Buyers Threats of new EntrantsThe five forces framework helps to identify the attractiveness of an industry or sector in terms of the competitive forces (Johnson et al 2008). It offers a way of assessing the likely strength of competition in any given market (Blythe 2006). Competitive rivalry Threats of Substitutes Figure 3: Porters Five Forces Model (Adapted). The aim of the Porters five forces analysis is to identify the nature, strength and impact of these competitive pressures so that individual forms can create strategies that defend them from their impact or influence them in their favour (Kippenberger 1998). It forms a useful starting point for undertaking a competitive analysis (Brassington and Pettitt 2006). Threats of New Entrants: This refers to the possibility of new firms entering into the industry. New entrants into an industry have the potential of increasing the level of competition in such industry, thereby reducing its attractiveness. Some of the barriers of entry into an industry are; Economies of scale Capital requirement Customer Loyalty Experience Government restrictions (Licensing) The entry barrier in the Nigeria grocery market is low; hence this will not pose a challenge to Tesco moving into the country. Although there will be a strong retaliation from companies operating in the industry such as Shoprite and Spar. Threats of Substitutes: substitutes are products or services with similar benefits or attributes to a companys product. This may exist when the demand of a companys product reduces due to a change in the price or performance of a substitute product. Determinants of threats of substitute include, Price and performance of substitutes Relative switching costs to substitute products. Bargaining Power of Buyers: If the buyers have a high bargaining power, they can demand lower prices, product or service improvements and this will in turn affect the profit of the organisation. The most important determinant of buyer power is the size and the concentration of customers (Karagiannopoulos et al 2005). Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The bargaining power of suppliers will definitely affect the attractiveness of a given market. If suppliers of a companys products possess high power, they tend to fix the prices of their products and might eat up the profits of the company. Suppliers tend to possess more powers when; There few and concentrated suppliers Switching cost is high Suppliers provide a specialist or rare input. The bargaining power of suppliers in the Nigeria market could be between medium to high and Tesco has to consider this before moving into the country. A backward integration of maybe an alliance with the suppliers will be a good strategy to adopt in order to avoid the effect of suppliers powers. Competitive Rivalry: These are organisations in the same industry with similar products and services, also targeting the same customers. Threats from competitors are the most important challenge facing an organisation. The major competitors in the Nigerian grocery market which could pose a challenge to Tesco are, Shoprite, Spar and Mega Plaza. Tesco in order to avoid the effect of these competitors could be either cost focus by offering quality products at a reduced price or focus differentiation by targeting a different segment of the market. 2.4 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE FIVE FORCES STRENGTHS The five forces shows the attractiveness of a given market It provides a detailed analysis of the key players in the industry such as the suppliers, buyers and competitors. It is a useful tool used in strategic planning in organisations. It opens up the relevant threats in the companys industry such as the threats from competitors. WEAKNESSES The model fails to consider other macro-environmental factors such as political, economic, legal etc. (like the PESTLE model) which might affect the operation of an organisation. Porters model does not pay much attention to non-market sources of change in an organisation (McGowan and Mahon 2000). It does not consider the possibility of creating a new market. 2.5 COMPARISON OF THE PESTLE AND PORTERS FIVE FORCES From the discussions of both analytical tools, the PESTLE focuses more on the macro-environmental factors that can affect an organisations operation and fails to take note of the key players in the organisations industry such as suppliers, buyers and competitors whose impact could also affect an organisation. The five forces while trying to bridge the gap by analysing the organisations immediate environment, took into recognition the buyers, suppliers and competitors, which is an important player in the industry. However, it fails to have a broader view and consider other factors within the organisations external environment which can affect the operation of the organisation. 3.0 ANALYTICAL TOOLS USED TO GUAGE THE INTERNAL CAPABILITIES OF A COMPANY Analytical tools such as the value chain, SWOT, value network, strategy canvas etc. are available for use by a strategic decision maker to assess the internal capabilities of a company moving into a new market. However, for the purpose of this report, the SWOT analysis and the value chain will be used, showing their respective strengths and weaknesses. 3.1 POTERS VALUE CHAIN A value chain is an interrelated series of processes that produces a service or product to the satisfaction of the customers. It involves internal linkages between a firms core processes, its supporting processes and its external linkages with the processes of its customers and suppliers (krajewski et al 2007). A value chain therefore refers to all those activities that support the process of value creation in an organisation. There are a lot of activities grouped into the primary and supporting activities that shows the internal capabilities of a firm as it creates value for the whole organisation. IT Infrastructure Supporting Activities Inbound Logistics Human Resource Margin Finance Procurement Outbound Logistics Services Marketing and Sales Operations Margin Primary Activities Figure 4: Porters Value Chain (Adapted) According to Kippenberger 1997, the value chain is designed to show the total value of a firm and consists of the firms value activities aimed at improving its margin. The values chain evaluates each activity in the organisation and the way it creates or adds value to the whole organisation through its margin (profit). The way an organisation creates value through its activities creates a good position about the organisation in the minds of its customers. This suggests that if an organisation creates adequate value through its activities and its relationship with its customers, it will gain a competitive advantage over its competitors and increase its margin as well. For Tesco to survive in the Nigeria grocery market, it is important that it understands and improve on its internal capabilities (resources and competences), thereby creating adequate value through its activities as this will give it a competitive advantage over its competitors. A companys competitive advantage largely depends on how it manages all its value creation activities in relation to competitors in the same industry. Tesco can create value for its through its activities by: Offering unique product or service. High quality and low-priced products (being cost focus). Immediate response to the changing environment and customer needs. Developing distinctive capabilities to meet the needs and demands of customers effectively. 3.2 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE VALUE CHAIN STRENGTHS The value chain shows the activities and the processes involved in creating value in an organisation. Information provided by the value chain forms a basis for an organisation to develop alternative strategies. It enables an organisation to identify its internal capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. Value chain helps the organisation to determine its value creation to customers; this will enable them to note areas of improvement. It reveals an organisations competitive position with competitors in the same industry. It enables organisations to determine their strategic position and make good strategic decisions. WEAKNESSES The value chain analysis is designed only for the organisations internal purposes. Value chain activities of an organisation cannot exist individually; hence cooperation between the activities is required for the chain to function properly (Glaser 2008). It focuses more on profit and how to increase the margin of the organisation. 3.3 SWOT ANALYSIS Undesirable DesirableA SWOT analysis is a structured approach to evaluating the strategic position of a business by identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It provides a simple method of synthesizing the results of the marketing audit (Jobber, 2010). A SWOT analysis of an organisation shows a summary of the organisations traits or competences, which are its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the competitive factors it faces in its environment (opportunities and threats). A good SWOT analysis of an organisation will expose the opportunities available to the organisation as well as the threats which could pose a challenge to the smooth operation of the organisation. A proper understanding of the SWOT of an organisation will enable the organisation to convert its weaknesses into strength and the threats in its environment into opportunities. Strengths Weaknesses Uncontrollable Controllable Threats Opportunities Figure 5: SWOT Framework (Adapted from Novicevic et al 2004) The SWOT analysis shows a summary of the firms marketing situation which encompasses the findings form the internal and external strategic analysis that provides the back-end planning perspective of controllable and uncontrollable variables/events (Novicevic et al 2004). According to Duarte et al 2006, a SWOT analysis is a way to analyse the environment, allowing for the segregation of the environment into internal strengths and weakness and the external opportunities and threats as well as positive and negative environment. For Tescos internationalisation strategy, a SWOT analysis of the company should be properly carried out to assess its internal capabilities through its strengths and weaknesses, and its ability to survive in the environment by overcoming the threats and turning them into opportunities. SWOT analysis of Tesco Plc. is shown below; Strengths Weaknesses Strong brand image Unique products Strong financial position Large size Good customer service High reliance on the UK market Exposed to macro-economic issues in some markets Opportunities Threats Strategic alliances Diversification into new markets Increase international growth Develop additional services Strong and stiff competition Economic recession Political instability and government policies Fluctuations in exchange rate Figure 6: SWOT Analysis of Tesco Tesco has to adopt the conversion and matching strategies in order to use its internal capabilities to overcome its weaknesses and threats in the environment. Hence, weaknesses can be converted to strengths, threats into opportunities and its strengths matched with the opportunities. 3.4 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS SWOT analysis is used to assess an organisations competitiveness, capabilities and core competences. It guides the organisation in setting objectives for strategic planning and decision making. It exposes the opportunities available to an organisation as well as the threats. It aids the organisation to take advantage of its strengths to address the weaknesses. WEAKNESSES High dependence on external factors relies on the PESTLE analysis and other environmental scanning models. It does not provide solutions or offer alternative decisions to issues identified. While SWOT is useful to profile and enumerate issues, it does not provide actual strategies to implement and take advantage of opportunities while leveraging strengths (Helms et al 2011). 3.5 COMPARISON OF THE VALUE CHAIN AND SWOT The value chain focuses on the internal capabilities of the organisation as it strives to improve on its activities to create more value while satisfying the needs of its customers. It fails to analyse external threats to the organisation or opportunities which could be explored by the organisation. Also, the value chain seeks to improve the margin of the organisation through it activities, rather than evaluate the strengths and opportunities which could be of great help in improving the margin of the organisation. SWOT analysis on the other hand, while trying to look at the internal capabilities of the organisation through its strengths and weaknesses, also considers the relevant threat and opportunities in the organisations environment. This guides the organisation in setting its objectives for strategic planning and decision making. Hence, an understanding of the SWOT analysis is very essential for any organisation as this will form the basis upon which it creates value for itself. 4.0 INTERNATIONAL MARKET ENTRY MODES There are several foreign market entry modes available to organisations seeking to internationalise into new markets. According to Sun, H. (1999), entry modes are seen as the forms of capital participation by an organisation in international enterprises and two basic entry modes exist; wholly owned subsidiary and joint venture. Internationalisation strategy of an organisation will involve great resource commitment; hence the mode of entry is a very important strategic decision to avoid failure. However, for Tescos strategy to enter into the Nigerian market, the following entry modes are available to them; exporting, licencing, franchising, alliances, mergers and acquisition, sales subsidiary, joint venture and wholly foreign owned enterprise(WFOE). 4.1 EXPORTING According to Joynt, P and Welch, L. (1985), most organisations begin their international operations through exporting rather than other means of entry such as licensing or foreign direct investment. Exporting as a mode of entry into a foreign market involves the exportation of countrys product into a foreign market. This could be driven by the need to extend customer base, increase profit, or due to limited growth potential in the home country. Exporting is particularly important in the exchange world system and it is largely used as a mode of entry into foreign markets for manufactured goods firm, especially those in the early stage of internationalisation (Khemakhem 2010). Exporting could be either direct, where the goods of an organisation is exported directly to a partner firm in the country or indirect through the use of intermediaries. 4.1.1 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF EXPORTING STRENGTHS It is considered as the easiest, simplest and most used mode of entry. Risk involved is minimal due to limited investment. It creates an opportunity for the organisation to study the overseas market preferences before investing in the country. Exporting helps an organisation to achieve economies of scale by manufacturing its products in one location and exporting to a larger market. It is cost effective and improves the margin of an organisation. WEAKNESSES Trade restrictions and laws in some countries could pose a huge challenge to exporting. Transportation cost and distribution channel problems. Stiff competition from indigenous firms. Export licenses and custom laws may vary in different locations. 4.2 LICENSING This is a form of contractual agreement whereby the licensor grants access to property rights which could be patents, trademark or know-how to the licensee in exchange for some form of payment. According to Okoroafo (1992), licensing is seen as direct investment royalties, license fees and other fees for the sale of intangible property rights including patents, industrial processes, trademarks, copyrights, designs, know-how, techniques etc. 4.2.1 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF LICIENCING STRENGTHS Licensing creates an opportunity for future investment into a given market. It enables expansion with limited direct exposure to risk and low investment. It creates rapid entry into a foreign market. Creates access to new markets not easily accessible by exports or other modes of entry. It maximizes return from an investment. WEAKNESSES There is limited control due to the contractual agreement. Difficulty in identifying what to licence. Terminating the agreement might be difficult till the expiration of the contractual duration. Licensing can create competition as the foreign partner might become a competitor. 4.3 FRANCHISING Franchising is a special form of licencing in which the franchiser makes a total marketing program such as brand name, logo, products or method of operation, available to the franchisee for a fee (Gillespie et al 2004). Franchising is often used for indirect entry into a foreign market and most local service firms get the exclusive right to a marketing concept, which may also include right to a certain operational mode (Gronroos 1999). In franchising, the franchisee obtains the right to sell the franchisors product or use his brand name or logo for business purposes, this method has been adopted by organisations in recent times and its mostly seen in the fast food industries. 4.3.1 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF FRANCHISING STRENGTHS Franchising encourages rapid growth and expansion. It involves a low cost of investment with minimal risk. Franchisor can tap on the franchisees wealth of experience, financial and managerial capabilities. Franchising improves brand development. WEAKNESSES There might be cases of the franchisee giving the brand a bad reputation. Control restrictions on how the business would be run by the franchise agreement. There might be reduced margins or profit if the franchisee fails to manage the business efficiently. Difficulties experienced by the franchisee may directly affect the franchisor. 4.4 JOINT VENTURE Joint venture is a form of strategic alliance where two or more organisations pull resources together to create a separate legal entity. It is seen as a contractual agreement and a mode of entry into the foreign market, whereby a foreign firm brings in its wealth of experience and expertise to create a business with an indigenous organisation. Joint venture allows the firms to pull and combine their resources together for the purpose of creating a new entity. The parties involved share the risk, expenses and profits from the venture together. According to Davis et al 1996, joint venture provides a vehicle for the cooperation between organisations with different but complementary strategies. 4.4.1 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF JOINT VENTURE STRENGTHS It creates access to organisations into foreign market and increases their distribution network. Inherent risk involved in the business, operating expenses and losses is shared between the two organisations. Joint venture pulls resources, expertise, core competencies and capabilities from different organisation to create a new entity. It creates synergy, sharing of skills, technology and experience between the organisations involved. It gives competitive strength to the new organisation and creates a stronger defence against competitors. WEAKNESSES There might be conflict of interest between the organisations. Problem of control and management of the new venture. Profit is shared between the organisations involved in the venture. Cultural differences, economic and political systems in the foreign environment might pose a challenge to the venture. 4.5 WHOLLY OWNED FOREIGN ENTERPRISE This is a mode of foreign market entry where an organisation creates its own enterprise in another country. For instance, Tesco moving into the Nigerian grocery market and open new Tesco stores. This mode of entry is different from the others because the organisation has sole ownership and management of the new enterprise. A wholly owned enterprise is seen as a permanent enterprise in the host country wholly owned by the entrant, where profits and responsibilities are assigned exclusively to th

Living with Damage to the Hypothalamus Essay -- Brain Neurology Medica

Living with Damage to the Hypothalamus Living with some-one who has a tumor or lesion; caused by an accidental trauma to the head, a stroke or a penetrating projectile, ect., can affect many aspects of normal life. Damage to the hypothalamus can produce many different problems in the body. According to James Kalat; the hypothalamus is a small area near the base of the brain just ventral to the thalamus. It has wide spread connections with the rest of the forebrain and the midbrain. The hypothalamus contains a number of distinct nuclei. Partly through nerves and partly through hypothalamic hormones, the hypothalamus conveys message to pituitary gland, altering its release of hormones. Damage to a hypothalamic nucleus leads to abnormalities in one or more motivated behaviors, such as feeding, drinking, temperature regulation, sexual behavior, fighting, or activity level (Kalat, 2004). Some of the most predominant diseases that affect the family and the home life are; neurophysical diseases, adenohypophysical diseases, and other hypothalamic syndromes. The most common neurophysical diseases affected by damage to the hypothalamus are: Diabetes Insipidus, (SIADH) Syndrome of Inappropriate ADH Secretion and Cerebral Salt Wasting. Adenohypophysical diseases include: Panhypopituitarism (Simmonds Disease), abnormalities in growth and Cushing Disease and Cushing Syndrome. Other Hypothalamic syndromes that would affect family life include: Precocious Puberty, Adiposogenital Dystrophy (Froelich Syndrome), disturbances in regulation of temperature, appetite and sleep, lastly the Pineal Gland and Melatonin (Bostrom, 2003). The Hypothalamus serves as the â€Å"head ganglion† of bo... ...ontributing to a healthy relationship. Open communication may help family members deal with feeling of guilt, self-esteem, anxiety, and empathy towards the victim. Also, support for the spouse in planning the patient’s care regarding the specific issues and problems is extremely important for both parties. References Boller, Francois. (1982). Sexual Dysfunction in Neurological Disorders. New York, New York; Raven Press. Bostrum, Donald. (2003). Psychiatric Nursing. St.Louis; Mosbey Publishing. Engel, Jerome., Williamson, Peter. (1997). Fundamental Mechanisms of Human Brain Function. New York; New York; Raven Press. Kalat, James W. (2004). Biological Psychology. (8th ed.).Belmont; Wadsworth/Thompson Learning. Ropper, Allen H., Victor, Maurice. (2002). Manual of Neurology. (7TH ed.). International Edition, McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Korean Wave

The Influences of Korean Wave on Vietnamese Youth During the first two decades of the 21st century, the Korean wave has spread to many countries around the world, including Vietnam. The Korean wave had a profound influence on the psychology and interests of the Vietnamese people, especially the youth. Therefore, the study titled â€Å"The Influences of Korean Wave on Vietnamese Youth† will find out the effects of the Korean wave on young people’s behaviors.On the other hand, the study also helps Vietnamese enterprises gain more experience about the success of this phenomenon so that they are able to take advantage of these effects on their business, which targets Vietnamese customers. Overview about Korean Wave In the last two decades, the Korean wave has earned a very huge popularity in many countries around the world. Following the initial surge of interest in Korean television dramas and popular music, nowadays all things made in Korean ? from food, movies and dances to fashion and language ? are quite the rage.The Korean wave is establishing itself as a global phenomenon that has already washed over East Asia and is now reaching the shores of Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Korean Wave in the World The Korea Tourism Organization conducted an online survey of 12,085 non-Korean visitors from 102 countries on its website from May 11th to May 31st, 2012. The questionnaire, which included seven questions related to Korea, had been provided to the interviewees in different languages to see what makes the foreigners interested in the Korean wave.The survey conducted asked the interviewees to select an item of the Korean wave that interested them the most. The results showed a little more than 53 percent of 6,447 respondents picked K-pop. This was followed by TV dramas with 33 percent, films with six percent and others with seven percent. By age group, 49 percent of the respondents were in their twenties, followed by those in their thirties at 18 percent, teenagers at 17 percent and those in their forties at eight percent.The survey showed that, nowadays the Korean wave has been spread not only in Asia but also around entire world: from Asia to Europe, from America to Oceania and it is continuing to spread worldwide, where it is being consumed by an increase in global audiences. More importantly, most of the attracted people are in their 20s and teenagers who are enthusiastically consuming the images and messages offered by the Korean wave. Korean Wave in Vietnam Since the government of Vietnam and South Korea established an official diplomatic relationship, the Vietnamese audiences have more chances to enjoy Korean dramas.Especially, during the final years of 20th century, many Korean television series were introduced in Vietnam through the exchange culture programs or promotional products offered from huge economic Korean groups. These films like â€Å"Yellow Daisy† (1997), â€Å"First Love† (1999), â €Å"Winter Sonata† (2002), â€Å"Jewel in the Palace† (2003), brought a fresh feeling to the Vietnamese audiences and were also the first step of the Korean wave beginning in Vietnam.Moreover, this stage also saw a rapid development of information technology and mass media that made this wave closer to the audiences, especially the youth between 13 and 22 years old who were attracted easily more than other age groups. In the recent years, taking advantage of dramas’ fame, the Korean wave has been expanding to Korean music and fashion that has become an overwhelming cultural tendencies up to now. Three Main Aspects of Korean Wave on Young Generation Korean DramasDuring the last five years of 20th century, the Vietnamese dramas became boring because they were influenced strongly by the traditional viewpoints in society. In contrast, at this time, the first appearance of the Korean dramas with romantic love, complication in family relationship help the Vietnamese a udiences be more satisfied with their entertainment needs. In addition, with the similarities in culture as well as the development of the mass media, Korean dramas have been accepted easily and have become more popular in Vietnam.From the finding of our survey about the favorite movies, which was researched from 75 young people belonging to the 13-21 year olds in Ho Chi Minh City, the data was described by the pie chart below: [pic] As the chart shows, more than 30% of the interviewees pick Korean drama as their favorite film that also occupies the largest part in the chart. Following that, Chinese drama and European & American movies account for 23% and 25% respectively. The two last sectors are Vietnamese drama and the others with the figures being 11% and 10% respectively.From the information above, it can be clearly observed that Korean drama is now dominating major attention of young Vietnamese audiences and it leaves strong influences on their lives. One of the most important reasons making the youth interested in Korean dramas is the beautiful appearance with the familiar formula being the handsome boys and beautiful girls with their perfect make-up. In addition, most of the characters always dress in fashionable clothes with hairstyles that not only attract the young generation to the content of the film but also create the fashion waves in reality.Another side, Korean dramas are generally consistent with the psychology of young people. To be more specific, instead of some love stories with unhappy endings, the recent Korean films such as: â€Å"Boys over flowers†, â€Å"Dream High†, â€Å"You’re Beautiful† focus on the honest emotions of high school students with many funny and interesting details but not less romantic. Finally, an important point of Korean television series is the introduction of Korean culture, especially cuisines. According to Huang â€Å"Kim Chi, one of the traditional Korean foods, has become a [sic] accompaniment of the acceptance of Korean TV dramas† (2009, p. 26). In this way, these films lead young viewers to the content of the films as well as make the curious about them. Korean Music After the significant success of dramas, the Korean wave has continued expanding its influences on the young Vietnamese generation by the appearance of Korean music, also known K-pop as Shin Hyunjoon (2009) states â€Å"As the danceable rhythm and catchy melody performed by good-looking singers and groups swept across East- and Southeast Asia, Korean pop music has become one of the main components of the so-called Korean Wave† (para. 2).According to our finding in a survey of 75 young people in Ho Chi Minh City, it can be clearly seen that the interest level in Korean music occupied a minority of the total interviewees. [pic] As regards details, 35% of young respondents picked K-pop as their favorite music. This was followed by European & American music with 27%, Vietnamese music with 21%, Japanese music with 11% and others with 6%. The results above shows that K-pop dominates the music market of the Vietnamese youth due to some reason below: Firstly, Korean songs always satisfy the tastes of young audiences with their dynamic melodies.In addition, with the joyful voices and ear-catching rhythms, these songs overcome the barriers of language in order to become closer to young listeners. Secondly, Korean songs also attract young people’s attention to their perfect images. To be more detailed, handsome boys and beautiful girls who have professional dancing skills perform most of the music videos. Besides, these clips are carefully combined with the effects from the colorful lights to create the bright picture. That is also the reason why the song Gangnam Style by PSY becomes famous and creates a new Korean wave up to now.According to the BBC, PSY became the first South Korean artist to hit number one on the UK music charts and his song became the first Korean song to reach No. 1 on YouTube (October 31st ,2012) Finally, an important element contributing to the success of Korean songs is the content or message from the video clip. Actually, these stories affect the Vietnamese music market because they may be so colorful and full of energy or may be so sad with a lot of tears by some love stories which the main actor or actress gets cancer.Take the Single â€Å"Chuyen Nhu Chua Bat Dau† of well-known singer â€Å"My Tam† as an example of this. This song is also a sad story following the Korean style and it touches the hearts of the youth lightly. My Tam is very smart when choosing this song to register with Youtube and she became the first Vietnamese to be an official partner of YouTube (Tuoitrenews, August 2nd, 2012) Korean Fashion Fashion, which affects everybody’s lives by getting them involved in something has become an inevitable part of young people.Gradually, Korean fashion is one of the strongest elements , which affects remarkably to the youth. According to survey about the fashion styles from the poll of the youth, Korean fashion was the most popular style, accounting for 93% of the overall interviewees. It was followed by Vietnamese fashion with 34%. Obviously, overcoming the culture barriers in modern society, the upward trend of Korean fashion has penetrated deeply into the lives of many young Vietnamese. A reality has shown that â€Å"in the streets of Ho Chi MinhCity and Hanoi, fashion conscious young Vietnamese have adopted the darker makeup colors, thinly shaved eyebrows, body-hugging clothes, and square-toed shoes of Seoul fashion† (The Russia Journal, Jan. 25th 2002, p. 33). [pic] Besides, the youth seem to  be more fashionable and want to please each other, â€Å"stars of such dramas have become shining idols in those nations and fans there emulate the fashion, hairstyle or makeup of Korean stars† (â€Å"Hyundai heavy industries report on pop culture†, 2004).To clarify, most of young people love the Korean fashion style due to its popularity and current fashion trend. Moreover, another reason that convinces the level of explaining the fashion choices is that the Korean fashion style suits their styles and helps them express their personalities. In addition, Korean fashion has many similarities with Vietnamese fashion with 40% and 28%, respectively. Subsequently, 10% of young people are interested in the Korean fashion style because they want to be like their Korean idols. [pic] The Positive and Negative Influences of Korean WaveObviously, these analyses above indicate that nowadays, the Korean wave leaves significant impacts on the Vietnamese people in general as well as the young generation in particular including both positive and negative aspects. Positive Influences Through admiring the Korean stars in dramas and music as well as for their fashion styles, Vietnamese youth can not only satisfy their own entertainment needs but also learn beautiful and fashionable dressing styles, smart and educated behaviors from their Korean idols in the films. Another positive effect is a number of Korean stars will be able to ecome shining mirrors for the Vietnamese youth due to their efforts in both entertainment and education. Take Kim Tae Hee, a beautiful actress is famous not only for her professional performance but also her admirable academic achievements, as an illustration of this. She always topped the class with a perfect G. P. A during the period of high school. After graduating, Kim Tae Hee continued her studies at Seoul University, the most prestigious University in Korea. Negative Influences The Korean wave has spread rapidly throughout Vietnam without selecting to be suitable for the Vietnamese tradition.This means that through this wave, the majority of young generation gradually forget Vietnamese culture. In recent years, many young couples prefer wearing â€Å"Hanbok†, the Korean traditiona l dress in their weddings, to â€Å"Ao dai†, the Vietnamese traditional dress, for example. In addition, they also try to memorize the information about their favorite stars rather than the celebrities of our country Another significant drawback that should be noted is that a group of young people have an excessive devotion to their idols, which exceeds the acceptable limits of Vietnamese culture.Moreover, a large number of young people spend too much time and money on dressing up and applying make- up like the Korean style, and hunting for clothes, which are rather similar to their idols. The consequence is the appearance of inappropriate fashion styles and hairstyles everywhere, especially in the big cities. Opportunities from Korean Wave in business The Korean wave brings positive images that become a transporter of other Korean products such as technologies, fashions, cosmetics, tourism and entertainment services.Based on the influences of the Korean wave, Vietnamese ente rprises can apply some effective strategies in Vietnam. The first strategy is the collaboration with Korean stars for marketing and development of the products in Vietnam, using Korean idols as models for advertising products, for example Lee Min Ho playing a role in advertising Lotte Pie and Jang Dong Gun modeling for Close Up toothpaste. By holding some events in Vietnam and connecting stars’ images with product concepts, producers can increase the demand and interest of Korean fans, then they can increase the consumption and revenue.The SoundFest Music Festival on April 14th, 2012 was a very successful event sponsored by Samsung and Coca Cola. Instead of buying tickets at a high price to satisfy their passion for seeing Big Bang – a well-known South Korean pop band, fans also had chances to go to the festival free if they won the promotional prize from Samsung and Coca Cola. Korean fans found a code under Coca Cola bottle caps or sent the IMEI number of Samsung phon es to get the tickets. Besides increasing the revenue, producers also upgraded their image and value in their market.The second strategy is that companies can take full advantages of this wave to trade on fashion and cosmetic products because the image of Korean actors and singers significantly affected the youth’s consumption tendencies. The local distributors can import Korean fashion and cosmetic products to put up for sale in the Vietnam market. Besides that, they should also consider designing and producing fashion products with the Korean style so that they can match the youth’s taste. The third strategy is to develop tourism packages designed for Korean fans.Tour packages that combine concerts, shopping and sightseeing help tourist not only understand the Korean entertainment industry well, but also can visit the wonderful places and studios in the dramas, such as the snow mountain in Sonata Winter and the palaces in Dae Jang Geum. The reality has shown that Vie travel Company cooperated with Korean Air to make the Korean tour package in August 2012, which combines some special activities on music festival and travelling tour. This is a shinning signal for cooperation between Korea and Vietnam in tourist industry.The forth strategy is designing restaurant and coffee shop with Korean styles. Although the prices at the restaurant are expensive, the youth willingly spend their money on enjoying special Korean food. The youth can find Korean entertainment, such as movies and music discs, posters of famous singers and actors and the lasted fashion magazines, in these coffee shops. This is also a place to exchange cultural things, the Korean fans can share information and open a club for practicing the Korean language.The Korean wave may bring many opportunities to Vietnamese enterprises so that if they can catch the chance and understand the wave well, they can have wise strategies to develop their businesses in the future. Conclusion The result of our survey of 75 young people in Ho Chi Minh City about the influences of the Korean wave on Vietnamese youth proves again that the Korean wave not only spreads around the world but also has a direct impact on Vietnamese youth, especially from three elements: drama, music and fashion.Besides that, we can also find out the concrete psychology and interests of the Vietnamese youth for business strategies. Therefore, the Vietnamese policy makers are able to make reasonable policies to encourage the development of the Vietnamese entertainment industry. This creates the dynamic to propagandize Vietnamese art and culture around the world to bring more profits for the Vietnamese entertainment industry. On the other hand, the Vietnamese entertainment industry can benchmark the Korean wave to reach around the world so that we are able to create a same phenomenon in the near future.

Free Essays on My Dad

My Dad The first six years of my life were the best. I lived with my dad, my mom, and my younger brother in an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Every season of every year is worth remembering. In the fall, Mom and I would go across the street to Central Park, stand among the scores of people, and cheer for Dad, who ran the New York City Marathon virtually every year. When my dad ran, he had self-satisfaction in his eyes and perseverence in his heart. In the winter, Dad would carry me on his shoulders through the snow-covered "Great Lawn" in the heart of Central Park. I remember one time when he took me ice-skating near there. In the spring, Dad would bike-ride through Central Park; I would be buckled in the seat behind him, loving every minute of our field trip. In the summer, we would all go to my cousins' house in New Jersey for a great family reunion full of kisses, hugs, games, and of course, barbeque. Every minute I spent with my Dad was a wonderful adven ture that was always exciting†¦especially the Harlem Globetrotters game that my best friend and I went to with our dads. I remember when I was about four, I always wanted to ride the Merry-go-Round in Central Park. Dad accompanied me there and I couldn't wait to sit on the horse as if I was a little cowgirl. As we stood in line, I felt the excitement in my bones. Then, it was my turn. I got on the Merry-go-Round, sat on my horse, and the Merry-go-Round began to "go-round". I flipped out. I wanted to get off that horse, it was scaring me so much. Dad got me down off the horse and we sat together in one of the seats on the carousel and enjoyed the remainder of the ride. Another time, when I was maybe in the third grade, my mom had to go away on business, so I had the benefit of spending the entire weekend with my dad†¦and my brother. Dad allowed me to have a few friends over for a sleepover at the apartment[with my mother's approval, of course... Free Essays on My Dad Free Essays on My Dad My Dad The first six years of my life were the best. I lived with my dad, my mom, and my younger brother in an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Every season of every year is worth remembering. In the fall, Mom and I would go across the street to Central Park, stand among the scores of people, and cheer for Dad, who ran the New York City Marathon virtually every year. When my dad ran, he had self-satisfaction in his eyes and perseverence in his heart. In the winter, Dad would carry me on his shoulders through the snow-covered "Great Lawn" in the heart of Central Park. I remember one time when he took me ice-skating near there. In the spring, Dad would bike-ride through Central Park; I would be buckled in the seat behind him, loving every minute of our field trip. In the summer, we would all go to my cousins' house in New Jersey for a great family reunion full of kisses, hugs, games, and of course, barbeque. Every minute I spent with my Dad was a wonderful adven ture that was always exciting†¦especially the Harlem Globetrotters game that my best friend and I went to with our dads. I remember when I was about four, I always wanted to ride the Merry-go-Round in Central Park. Dad accompanied me there and I couldn't wait to sit on the horse as if I was a little cowgirl. As we stood in line, I felt the excitement in my bones. Then, it was my turn. I got on the Merry-go-Round, sat on my horse, and the Merry-go-Round began to "go-round". I flipped out. I wanted to get off that horse, it was scaring me so much. Dad got me down off the horse and we sat together in one of the seats on the carousel and enjoyed the remainder of the ride. Another time, when I was maybe in the third grade, my mom had to go away on business, so I had the benefit of spending the entire weekend with my dad†¦and my brother. Dad allowed me to have a few friends over for a sleepover at the apartment[with my mother's approval, of course...