Antitrust Revolution in The International Joint Venture

Antitrust Revolution in The International Joint Venture Introduction As corporate competition intensifies, businesses, especially multinational corporations are gradually expanding towards international boundaries to explore emerging markets. New business globalization strategies are emerging and firms are now adopting cross-border business partnerships known as International Joint Venture (IJV) approaches to enhance the growth of their businesses.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Antitrust Revolution in The International Joint Venture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Joint Ventures are different organizational entities developed through agreeable terms of two or more firms with the intent of achieving certain strategic purposes. According to Beamish and Lupton (75), â€Å"joint ventures aid firms in accessing new markets, knowledge, capabilities, and other resources.† While open international trade associations among nations have opened doors for successfu l multinational corporations to engage in joint ventures, multiple issues arise from IJV practice. Although the practice may deem significant and successful over time, the shared ownership often experience instability risks in the partnership as the joint venture involves different parent companies (Beamish and Lupton 75). Therefore, this essay analyses the case of IJV between General Motors and Toyota. Overview of the Case Years after the realization of International Joint Venture as a business practice that enhances global business expansion, corporate firms from the United States, United Kingdom, and Asia Pacific regions started working jointly. China and Japan opened free trade to many European nations and multinational companies from different nations amalgamated to venture in the burgeoning economies (Li et al. 52). Around 1980s, the automobile industry grew exponentially subsequently leading to international joint ventures between multinational companies from the United State s and those from Japan (Beamish and Lupton 75). By February 17 of 1983, General Motors of the United States entered into a production memorandum with Japanese Toyota Company purposely for mutual business growth (Kwoka 46). General Motors reached a consensus with Toyota following its troubled motor business in the United States and general exports, following the shooting of oil price around the Middle East. Toyota Company was by then leading in the production of small cars that satisfied consumer. None of the corporate firms could ascertain that this international Joint Venture between these great multinational could lead to one of the prime controversial corporate antitrust instigations of the modern days (Kwoka 46). The quandary that emerged after the mutual agreement was whether it would lead to an increase in production of smaller cars domestically manufactured by GM in the US or pricing wrangles between the two partners.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Beamish and Lupton (80) assert that, â€Å"organizations engaging in mergers and acquisitions may spin off joint ventures that do not fit the strategy of the new parent.† Multiple antitrust questions emerged since the inception of the joint venture between the two companies as corporate analysts focused their attention on several emergent issues (Kwoka 48). Making a decision on the relevant automobile market became a dilemma for the two partners, issues about the economic impact of the venture, and operational efficiencies in the joint venture as well, became questionable matters between the companies. While international joint ventures provide multinational corporations with opportunities to explore emerging markets and share business strategies, some joint ventures come with malice intentions than mutual benefit (Steensma et al. 495). Shortly after breaking down its mutual agreement with Ford at around July 1981, General Motors Corporation now known as General Motors Company presented a joint venture proposal to Toyota Company. General Motors Company has had a mixture of success and failure throughout its operations in the automobile industry (Kwoka 47). Knowing that its market of large-size fuel guzzler cars was in jeopardy and gradually dwindling following the dramatic rise of oil across the world, General Motors ensnared Toyota into a partnership. The two companies under agreeable terms were to invest equally in a joint business enterprise that Toyota Company would operate (Kwoka 47). The agreement also allowed a General Motor sub branch located along the West to produce some corolla-branded General Motor vehicle. The giant Japanese automobile company was still reluctant to form a joint venture with General Motors on the basis that operating costs in Japan were considerably lower as compared to operational costs in the United States (Kwoka 47). Ho wever, following demand for small cars that would be cost effective as presumed, the Toyota Company entered into bilateral relations with General Motors. Under the umbrella of the two companies who agreed to invest equally in the twelve-year partnership deal, the newly developed venture received a new name, NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc (Kwoka 48).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Antitrust Revolution in The International Joint Venture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apart from equal investment agreement, the initial agreement about the joint venture was that the establishment intended to venture into the production of the new compact cars lasting, and not any other cooperative deal (Kwoka 49). Moreover, Toyota Motor would dominate the top management, control labor relations, provide car-assembling components, and design the cars in the bilateral business. More importantly, agreed NUMMI venture would operate for only 12 years. Legal Issues in the Case Despite joint venture largely depending on agreeable terms and concession between the two or more business partners, legal issues must remain acknowledged in partnership deal (Beamish and Lupton 80). In the process of entering into agreements about the formation of NUMMI both General Motors and Toyota Company breached some legal regulations that control bilateral trades. In the context of the United States business and trade regulations, before engaging in any mergers, corporate partnerships, business acquisitions, joint ventures like NUMMI, parent organization must respect federal laws (Kwoka 47). For an international joint venture involving companies from the United States and other countries become acceptable, the agreements must comply with the stipulations of the Federal State Commission (FTC) of the United States. As the FTC has the capacity to impose certain restrictions within the joint venture, especially anticompet itive issues, companies engaging in a joint venture must consider engaging the FTC in their agreement (Kwoka 49). General Motors and Toyota failed to comply with FTC regulations. The FTC has the power to minimize restrictions that encourage anticompetitive effects of bilateral trades and capitalize on the competitive benefits through federal antitrust acts (Kwoka 50). Based on the case reports, the FTC alleged that it was not aware of the joint venture between General Motor and Toyota and that it did not approve the partnership. Following such allegations, the FTC sought to challenge the joint venture of GM-Toyota legally through the United States antitrust laws. Many Asian countries have been using protectionist measures in the international trade and this meant the GM-Toyota agreement would probably have issues of industrial competitiveness. The FTC filed a lawsuit against the joint venture between General Motors and Toyota predominantly to protect and improve the industrial compe titiveness of United States corporations in the global market (Kwoka 50). Joint ventures approved by the FTC were rarely subject to antitrust actions from private organizations. Controversially, Americans fear of losing international competitiveness resulted in approval of the GM-Toyota joint venture.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Whereas the agreement of General Motor and Toyota Company on the NUMMI joint venture breached the FTC antitrust regulations stipulated under the Hart-Scott-Rodino act of 1976, the venture commenced although with legal prejudice (Kwoka 49). In this scandalous joint venture, the five Federal State Commissioners also practiced legal intolerance by deliberately consenting and approving the controversial joint venture. The United States federal law enforcers themselves played fowl in protecting the national interest in terms of international competitiveness as denying GM to produce small cars would ruin their international business competence (Kwoka 50). As an independent federal administrative agency, the FTC had the mandate to abolish or legitimize a consented joint venture. Apart from the five federal trade commissioners taking part in the investigation of the joint commission as requested, an independent private economist investigated the claims (Kwoka 50). Despite the report from th e private consulting economist suggesting that the GM-Toyota venture was unlawful, FTC voted on 3-2 margin and illegally approved the venture. Economic Analysis Relevant to the Case The United States has been very sensitive and competent in protecting its international supremacy, especially through the international markets and trade (Steensma et al. 495) Illegalizing the agreed joint venture between General Motors and Toyota could have resulted to serious economic implications for the United States. Automobile industry of the United States has been in the forefront in promoting growth of national economy and the ruling of FTC must have focused on the enhancement of economic efficiency. According to Steensma et al. (492), â€Å"the extent of control by foreign or local entities on joint ventures also has important economic implications.† The FTC commissioners and knew the perceived importance of the joint venture between the two companies to the economy of the United States. Failure to approve the venture during the moment of rising oil prices would hamper the sales of big fuel guzzlers produced by GM and other automobile companies in the United States; hence, affecting the national economy and its business reputation. Multinational corporations from Asian, Europe, and America have been essential in balancing the global economy through their involvement in international trade (Steensma et al. 493). However, the joint ventures agreed upon by these multinationals normally raise economic questions ever since bilateral agreements become acceptable. General Motors-Toyota joint business was likely to suffer from implications of cooperative behavior. Determining the relevant product or the compact car, that NUMMI would design was an economic question to consider in the General Motor-Toyota partnership. Japan during this moment was the leading exporter of automobiles in the United States, and therefore, the NUMMI partnership would affect Japanese car exports to the United States (Kwoka 51). Although the initial plan and target of General Motors targeting in the joint venture would have, to develop small cars that satisfy consumers in the American market, economics of market viability emerged. Although American domestic market could produce potential consumers, 200,000 to 400,000 units of new vehicles would exceed the market capacity. This meant that it was essential to identify a potential geographic market for the surplus production and export purposes to enhance further global outlook. The United States has several automobile companies that have always been competing for the same domestic market (Kwoka 60). Considering the American domestic automobile market for the newly designed vehicles was ambiguous as the market already had potential car manufactures and related production facilities. Economists always consider cars as differentiated goods where consumer behavior relies on consumer attitudes and perceptions on the car designs. Not all the differently designed cars imported into America or homemade earn the anticipated market reputation and the likelihood of the new cars to triumph in the market were unpredictable. America also had restrictions on imported cars and only allowed 1.68 million units annually (Kwoka 52). The concept of demand and supply in the economics of a market directly emerge from this viewpoint. The signing of General Motors-Toyota joint venture came shortly after the United States and Japan mutually introduced the Voluntary Restraint Agreement (VRA) to limit certain Japanese imports into the United States (Kwoka 56). The VRA is a form agreeable business engagement of that the United States adopted to regulate excess automobile imports from Japan. The VRA was a principle that was to become effective in two years from 1981. For economical perspective, VRA is a willful reduction of exports from an exporting country or without any coercion from trade tariffs and quotas developed by the importin g country (Kwoka 56). From the Japanese side, economists believed that it was a malicious plan by the United States government and its automobile industry to destroy the Japanese flourishing automobile market and industry. It was likely that following reduced imports of Japanese imported vehicles, Americans would rely on their domestically produced vehicles (Kwoka 56). If VRA would persist prior to the agreement, huge economic implication would befall Japan as a nation. The General Outcome of the Case Prior to its development and commencement, the reality about the unexpected and unforeseen economic consequences of the joint venture began protracting with time. The notion that General Motors was to pick the ideas of assembling small cars from the NUMMI joint venture and integrate it into its plans became futile (Kwoka 72). Limiting the size of the venture and its operational duration in the United States, predominantly to give General Motors a chance to pursue its plans of assemblin g small cars went unsuccessful. General Motors was unable to begin domestic assemblage of small cars, especially of Isuzu R-Car as per their anticipated plans and other small cars (Kwoka 74). Another foremost intention of the NUMMI joint venture was to assemble and produce small cars through Japanese artistic knowledge and management at considerably low operational and market expenses (Kwoka 75). Despite producing efficient automobile manufacturing techniques, the facility required lesser human capital than the earlier GM plant, but was still a high labor turnover. Conclusion Although international joint ventures are powerful business techniques that enable corporate organizations to undertake cross-border partnerships and expand internationally, numerous implications are unseen. The general optimistic perception is that joint ventures between multinational from different companies result in effective exploration of new markets, knowledge, and skill sharing among other significant r esources. Reason being that joint ventures depend on parent organizations with differing management practices and marketing strategies, managing the partnerships often becomes challenging. â€Å"These companies may have competing or incongruent goals, differences in management style, and in the case of international business, additional complexities associated with differing government policies and business practices† (Beamish and Lupton 75). The case of International joint venture between General Motors and Toyota Company is a replica of the above notions. Many multinational firms normally enter into joint venture accord principally to develop new products or services as witnessed in the case of General Motors and Toyota Company. Unknown is the logical fact that the survival of joint ventures will solely depend on the stipulations of the memorandum signed and the behaviors of the parent companies. The case of General Motor and Toyota may remain the most controversial and com plicated, especially when one observes the economic sense of the venture and the government stipulations that existed in both countries. General Motors was hopeful that the joint venture would spur its domestic market through the production of small-size cars, but finally received mixed fortunes of mostly failure. The FTC commissioners illegally accented the joint venture between the two companies in favor of protecting the image and competitiveness of the United States in the global market. Reliance on automobile corporations to enhance domestic economy and disproving the joint venture would lead to extreme detrimental economic implications for the United States. Playing fowl and accepting the joint agreement through a federal renowned FTC afterwards brought General Motors to economic tumble. Whereas Japanese and their Toyota small automobile techniques successfully managed to employ their efficient techniques to assemble the anticipated cars, some issues derailed the joint venture . The quandary about getting the most appropriate geographic market and competitiveness between the Japanese and the Unites States market emerged. The hidden agenda of General Motors was to manipulate Toyota’s small-cars technique and devise means of integrating the plan into their own designs. Everyone in the United States, including the presidentially appointed FTC thought that the NUMMI venture would be cost effective in its operations and optimistically increase the number of small cars that the American market desired. In the end, General Motors failed to explore its earlier plan of autonomously developing small cars in the United States using their own approaches. Toyota stuck to the earlier agreements and efforts to become independent in the small-car business went futile. Therefore, while joint ventures may present firms with growth opportunities, parent firms determine their success. Beamish, Paul, and Nathaniel Lupton. â€Å"Managing Joint Ventures.† Academy of Management Perspectives, 23.1 (2009): 75-94. Print. Kwoka, John. â€Å"International Joint Ventures: General Motors and Toyota.† The Antitrust Revolution: Economics, Competition, and Policy. 1st ed. Ed. John Kwoka and Lawrence White. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. 46-79. Print. Li, Jiatao, Katherine Xin, Anne Tsui, and Donald C. Hambrick. â€Å"Building Effective International Joint Venture Leadership Teams in China.† Journal of World Business 34.1(1999): 52-68. Print. Steensma, Kevin, Jeffrey Barden, Charles Dhanaraj, Marjorie Lyles, and Laszlo Tihanyi. â€Å"The evolution and internalization of international joint ventures in a transitioning economy.† Journal of International Business Studies 39.3 (2008): 491–507. Print.

Heinrich Himmler, Nazi SS Head Oversaw the Holocaust

Heinrich Himmler, Nazi SS Head Oversaw the Holocaust Heinrich Himmler was a key figure in the Nazi party and leader of the feared SS. He was also responsible for turning the racist and anti-Semitic ideology of the Nazi movement into a shockingly efficient killing machine. Himmlers fanatical devotion to Hitler, as well as his fascination with the pseudoscience that fortified Nazi beliefs, made him one of the main architects of the Holocaust. The unlikely rise of Himmler from an unimpressive clerk-like figure running a small farm to one of the most powerful men on earth was attributed to his penchant for organization. Upon his suicide, soon after hed been captured and the Nazi regime had crumbled, the New York Times noted that Himmler had â€Å"raised wholesale slaughter to a science.† Fast Facts: Heinrich Himmler Known For: As head of the Nazi SS elite troops, he terrorized much of Europe and masterminded the HolocaustBorn: October 7, 1900 in Munich, BavariaDied: May 23, 1945 in Luneberg, Germany (committed suicide after being captured)Spouse: Margarete Concerzowo, known as MargaChildren: Gundrun Himmler, born 1929 Early Life Heinrich Himmler was born in Munich, Bavaria, on October 7, 1900. His father, Gebhard Himmler, was a schoolmaster. Early in his career, Himmler’s father had been appointed the tutor of Prince Heinrich of Bavaria, and Himmler was named in honor of the prince. Growing up in a middle-class family with an older and younger brother, Himmler developed a great sense of pride in German traditions. When his older brother joined the military in World War I, he wrote in his diary that he wished he was old enough to enlist. He did eventually join the German army and received training, but the war ended before he saw action. Following the war, Himmler studied agriculture and seemed destined to be a farmer. Like other young and angry Germans, he responded to his country’s defeat and perceived humiliation by the Allied powers by becoming interested in nationalist political movements. He officially joined the small Nazi Party in August 1923. He was involved in a minor role, manning a barricade and holding a Nazi banner in the Munich beer hall putsch that November. After the failed takeover attempt, he escaped prosecution and avoided prison, unlike Hitler and other participants. Rise to Power As the Nazi Party grew, Himmler became a key figure. In 1925, Himmler joined the SS (Schutzstaffel, the Nazi paramilitary organization), which had originally been a thuggish group of bodyguards tasked with protecting Hitler at public gatherings. As the second-in-command at the SS, Himmler dealt with fairly mundane tasks such as increasing party membership, collecting dues, and canvassing for advertisements for the party’s newspaper. In 1927 Himmler met his future wife, Margarete Concerzowo, known as Marga. They married in July 1928, and with Marga’s money they bought a small farm about ten miles outside Munich. They kept hens and grew some produce, and proceeds from the farm augmented Himmler’s salary from the Nazi Party. At some point, Hitler recognized Himmler’s fanatical loyalty and talent for organization, and in January 1929 he appointed him Reichsfuhrer SS, essentially making him the head of the organization. Himmler had a grand vision for the SS. He saw the black-uniformed troops as elite soldiers for Hitler, modern-day knights in service to the Nazi movement. As Hitler moved to seize power in Germany in the early 1930s, Himmler made plans to increase the size and power of the SS as well as its racial composition. In 1932 he issued a marriage code for the SS. Based on the concept of Blut und Boden (blood and soil in English) expounded by Nazi theorist Richard Walter Darre, the code stressed the racial purity of SS members. By Himmler’s orders, prospective members of the elite group had to prove they were of pure Nordic stock. Potential wives of SS members had to submit to physical examinations and prove they were free of Jewish or Slavic ancestry. Himmler became fixated on the idea of selective breeding. Heinrich Himmler, left, and Adolf Hitler review SS troops. Getty Images   Building the SS Himmler accelerated SS recruiting, and by 1932 the organization had grown to more than 50,000 men. Within a few years, the SS grew to more than 200,000 and became a formidable presence in German life. A major boost to Himmler’s plans came when he happened to meet a young German who had been forced out of the German navy. Reinhard Heydrich had family connections which led him to Himmler, and Himmler, believing Heydrich had intelligence experience, hired him to perform a particular mission: build a spy network within Germany. Heydrich had not actually worked in military intelligence, but he was a fast learner and before long he had an efficient network of spies and informers. An early sign of what was coming occurred in 1933 when Himmler and Heydrich opened the first concentration camp. The Dachau camp was created to hold political dissidents and it served as a warning to anyone who opposed the Nazi regime. Throughout the 1930s Himmler acquired more power. In 1934 he participated in the notorious Night of the Long Knives, the purge of the leadership of the SA, the Nazi stormtroopers, an organization which rivaled the SS. Having won the power struggle with the SA, Himmler became known as a major figure in the Nazi leadership. In 1936, the New York Times published a front-page article noting that Himmler had become the head of all â€Å"Reich Police.† By the end of the 1930s the SS had become the dominant force within the Nazi Party. And Himmler as head of not only the SS but the Gestapo, the secret police, was established as the most powerful figure in Germany after Hitler. Heinrich Himmler inspecting a camp holding Russian prisoners of war. Getty Images Directing the Holocaust Himmler’s main historical significance was for the role he played in the Holocaust, the Nazi’s systematic slaughter of millions of European Jews. From his early youth Himmler had been an ardent anti-Semite, and he eagerly used his great power to persecute the Jews in Germany. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, militarized units of the SS were part of the invasion force. Under Himmler’s direction, SS troops were tasked with removing undesirable populations, which generally meant Jews, from areas conquered by German troops. SS units called Einsatzgruppen rounded up Jews and killed them in massacres across Poland. When the German forces attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941, SS units followed to conduct racial cleansing at a vast level. Himmler’s work at eliminating Jews in Europe moved quickly. By late 1941 large-scale massacres by SS troops had occurred. At the Wannsee Conference in January 1942, Heydrich laid out SS plans to come up with a Final Solution for Jews in Europe. This plan for mass murder was followed by Himmler after Heydrich was assassinated by partisans months later. Himmler directed the mass murder of millions and paid close attention to what was happening in the concentration camps. It is known that he visited the death camp at Auschwitz on two occasions. At times he issued detailed orders about how the camps should be run, even explaining in detail how much food prisoners should be given. He also authorized the gruesome medical experiments conducted by Nazi doctors who used concentration camp prisoners as subjects. As part of the Nazi campaigns in Eastern Europe, many Jews were forced to live in ghettos, where they were isolated in overcrowded and brutal conditions. Himmler took a great interest in the Warsaw Ghetto, and when the Jews rose up in a rebellion in the spring of 1943, he gave orders to conduct a brutal campaign that amounted to extermination of the residents. As World War II expanded and the Germans began to suffer defeats, Himmler made plans to create SS guerrilla units which would conduct warfare against the Allies in the event Germany was forced to surrender. In 1944 he was put in the field at one point to command troops, but as he had no real military experience, he was ineffective. Hitler called him back to Berlin to command troops positioned there. Downfall In early 1945, when it became evident that Germany would lose the war, Himmler tried to reach out to the Americans to make a peace deal. He hoped to evade prosecution as a war criminal. The American commander in Europe, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, refused to consider Himmler’s peace offer and declared him a war criminal. Hitler was enraged by the betrayal and stripped Himmler of his power. As Germany was collapsing, Himmler sought to escape. He shaved his distinctive mustache, dressed in civilian clothes, and tried to blend in with the refugees traveling on the roads. Himmler was stopped at a checkpoint manned by British soldiers and he was able to produce fake identity papers. However, he aroused the suspicion of the British, who took him into custody and turned him over to intelligence officers. When questioned, Himmler admitted his real identity. While being searched on the night of May 23, 1945, Himmler managed to put a vial of poison in his mouth and bite down on it. He died minutes later. A dispatch by the Reuters News Service published in the New York Times on May 25, 1945 was headlined Himmler Outsmarted Himself. The story noted that Himmler, who had created a system of Germans often having to show identity papers to members of the Gestapo, would have had a set of fake identity papers created for himself. But in the chaos of the war’s end, few refugees on the roads still had their papers. Himmler’s pristine set of papers was what drew attention at the checkpoint. Had he simply claimed he was a refugee trying to walk home and had lost his papers, the British soldiers at the bridge might have waved him along. Sources: Heinrich Himmler. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 7, Gale, 2004, pp. 398-399. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Reshef, Yehudacxv, and Peter Longreich. Himmler, Heinrich °. Encyclopaedia Judaica, edited by Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik, 2nd ed., vol. 9, Macmillan Reference USA, 2007, pp. 121-122. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Himmler, Heinrich. Learning About the Holocaust: A Students Guide, edited by Ronald M. Smelser, vol. 2, Macmillan Reference USA, 2001, pp. 89-91. Gale Virtual Reference Library.SS (Schutzstaffel). Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction, edited by John Merriman and Jay Winter, vol. 4, Charles Scribners Sons, 2006, pp. 2434-2438. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

The Aesthetics of the Dell Corporate Blog Assignment

The Aesthetics of the Dell Corporate Blog - Assignment Example This is important as the blog contains a lot of information for the viewer. The Dell Corporate also acts as a landing page for all of the company’s other smaller blogs about events, education as well as health care. The dominant colors are white and sky blue keeping in line with the very minimalistic, business-like layout of the page. The page starts out with an excerpt from the latest blog entry on the left hand side with links to new blog posts on the right hand side. As we scroll further down, 80 percent of page space is dominated by latest blog posts on the left hand side, while the left hand side is reserved for miscellaneous links differentiating the Dell blogs by language and location. There is also a search bar on the left hand side. Ample white space on the page lets the design breath nicely and ensures that page looks well put together and clutter free despite the huge amount of information it contains. The text font is an ode to the minimalist approach and is the st andard clean web typography font Arial in 9 point size. The headings are an 11.5 font size in Arial font, colored sky blue. Overall, the blog is clean, readable and very corporate! The Writers of the Blog   Most of the blogs are written by Lionel Menchacha who is the chief blogger for the Dell corporate blog. Other writers include Matt Domsch, Linux Technology Strategist and Bill Gorden, GM smart phones division. These folks have been at Dell from 10 to 25 years and are uniquely knowledgeable about its businesses and processes. Content Included In the Blog The content on the blog mostly includes news about the company. The posts are informative and the blog is regularly updated with new posts. The blog successfully outlines the company’s activities throughout all of its international units. Posts like â€Å"Making the Cloud a Possibility in Government† and â€Å"Why Big Data is a Big Deal for Energy† clearly demonstrate the emphasis on industry knowledge by De ll. The blog also contains informative posts for public, these includes topics such as cyber bullying etc. The Dell corporate blog is basically a landing page. This means the company has a large number of smaller blogs about every one of its interests and this landing page is used to manage and house all these blogs. The corporate blog features content from across the wide range of smaller bogs. Content of the Most Recent Post The most recent post on the blog is titled, â€Å"Our Story: Tracing Dell’s Solutions Heritage with Precision†. The author is Michael Dell, CEO Dell Corporation. This post is marked â€Å"Direct2Dell† specifying that the post was written exclusively for the main corporate blog and not one of other little blogs. In this post, the CEO outlines how the company entered into the workstations market during the mid-90s. It is written in the general interest of employees, shareholders and customers. The post is basically an introduction to an embe dded YouTube video about the same. The Target Audience Dell’s corporate blog serves as a newsletter of sorts for the employees. The posts are frequently based upon the latest developments within the business and products of Dell. According to an introduction the blog, it is intended for the â€Å"millions of Dell customers and employees interested in technical support, learning and conversation about the power to do more with technology.†Ã‚  (Direct2Dell) The Best Features of the Blog The best

Roma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Roma - Essay Example Early Rome was a monarchy, ruled by Etruscans kings, but after only seven of them had ruled, the Latins took power over their own city and transformed Rome into a republic. As a republic, the Rome was ruled by a group of leading citizens who began to take control of all Italy. Gradually, the Latins constructed a political organization (Senate) and designed the Roman constitution. Under the Roman constitution, the senate appointed a consul, who ruled Rome like a king, but only for a year, hence adopting notions of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy. Between 500 and 300 B.C. two social groups, patricians (nobles) and plebeians (commen men), evolved from the citizenry. The "Struggle of the Orders" – a struggle of legality between patricians and plebeians led to modifications of Roman constitution (History Guide). Owing to the Roman penchant for power and control, Rome was at war during most of the years as a Republic especially the three Punic Wars (264-146BC), in which Rome conquered Carthage (North Africa), Spain, France and other parts of Europe. Julius Caesur was one of the most famous citizens of Roman Empire for his rule and military campaigns (Roman Empire). Upon his death, the Roman world was divided between Marc Anthony, Octavian and Lepidus starting off a number of battles. With the battle of Actium, the Roman Republic transitioned itself into the Roman Empire ruled by Octavian. The Roman Empire was a much prosperous regime than the Roman republic with even more territorial expansion towards Western Europe and Middle East. At the peak of its power, around AD 150, Rome commanded the supreme realm ever seen in Europe at that time. Unlike the Greek empire under Alexandre, the captured nations profited from Roman rule as the Latin way of life and infrastructure building was inflicted u pon conquered societies such as Roman public baths, roads, water supplies, housing etc. Education (creation of

The development of information technology Essay Example for Free

The development of information technology Essay The development of information technology presents attractive solution for businesses as they can develop and deliver better services to customers. This condition happens as the results of easier and simpler purchasing scheme like using web-based application (e-commerce), connectivity to multi suppliers, and faster product delivery. In many industries like manufacturing and hospitality, the adoption of information technology is undoubtedly important. Dell, a well-known computer manufacturer, for example, enables customers to design their own personal computers, which influence how Dell manages the order with some suppliers to fulfil the customer needs. Similarly, BMW, a luxury automobile manufacturer also presents similar feature. The information suggests that customers’ demands are diverse and require special attention to manage them. Concerning the initiatives to satisfy customers, this paper will elaborate discussion about the adoption of supply chain logistic management in business by selecting appropriate software applications that support logistics and supply chain management. The three vendors that are examined are Oracle, SAP, and Microsoft. 1. Background Logistics refers to management of corporate operations that involve acquisitions, storages, moving, and delivery of goods within the supply chain. Any barrier in supply chain will result in the late delivery of goods or deferred services. The situation suggests that logistics management is critical part in a company that determines the company’s success. Due to the importance of receiving raw material, processing, and delivering products; the discussion of logistics management evolve into supply chain management (SCM) that provide benefits for the company including faster time-to-market, reduced costs, and allow all parties in the supply chain to better manage current resources and plan for future needs. Concerning the logistics issue, this paper will discuss about the plan to acquire support from key stakeholders at SaveWithUs and users for a project to implement the application. The plan include information about who would be contacted, what information would be presented, and the type of support that would be sought. In addition, we will also describe about the chosen vendor, why the vendor was chosen, and a proposal to create a project to implement the application. 2. Design of Logistic and Supply Chain Management 2. 1 Needs Assessment and Support The basic need of establishing supply chain management is to lessen a company in managing process in order to ensure that the required materials and equipments are available when needed at the right time. Since supply chain management involves information technology, therefore, I would list some contacts that may support my implementation plan for supply chain management (SCM) software. The contacts are as following: Table 1 Contacts and Type of Supports Contacts Reasons to Contact Type of Supports Managements (CEOs/managers) Decision makers Agreement on put investment on SCM software to improve supply chain management Purchasing Dept Purchasing staffs become key people that involve in the supply process Justification that SCM application will lessen their jobs in managing supplies and inventories

Pesticides Essay -- essays research papers

Pesticides Problems with formatting There are many important issues in the world regarding the environment and it's affects on the average person. Though, the one that hits closest to home, worldwide, is the trust that individuals have in the food that they consume. Yet pesticides are still found daily in foods all around the world. Pesticides are toxins that are used by produce growers universally to control pests that can destroy crops. These toxins are being ingested by humans in the forms of fruits and vegetables that have remaining toxins on them. How safe are these toxins to humans and what is being done to safeguard the environment as well as the health of individuals? Does the average person consume harmful amounts of poison at every meal? If the levels are unsafe, why is this problem continuing to get a blind eye from the people who are supposed to protect society? These questions when asked only lead to more questions. Until things are done to change the systems of pesticide usage universally, society can never be sure as to the long term effects on our environment and what they are eating or giving to the future of our world, the children. In some foreign countries pesticides are used more frequently with legislative control than in the United States. In Mexico and South America, for example, many of the pesticides that the United States and Europe have banned, wind up being used on a majority of their produce crops. The largest problem with this is that Europe and the United States import from South America for produce all of the time. What good does it do to ban harmful agricultural chemicals to be used on domestically grown crops if crops in other countries are grown with these same harmful chemicals, and are then allowed to be imported? Mexico and South America are the leading suppliers of produce for the earth's population because their climate is very conducive to year around crops. Unfortunately those countries are also known for their large amount of insects of all varieties. These insects are steadily becoming more and more immune to toxins that are sprayed on crops. More than five hundred insects, one hundred and fifty plant diseases and two hundred and seventy weeds are now resistant to pesticides. Results are that U.S. growers as well, are steadily forced to apply more and stronger toxins. As the amount an... ...TM Loops, Marilyn. "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children: What Are the Issues?" National Network for ChildCare Online. Internet. 11 Oct 1998. Available http://www.exnet.iastate.edu/pages/nncc/Nutrition/pestic.infant.html "Our Vanishing Wildlife." In Harmony. Online. Internet. 11 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.inharmony.com./pestwild.htm "Pesticide and Food Safety." California Environmental Protection Agency: Department of Pesticide Regulation July 1997:1-2. Online. Internet. 11 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.cdpr.ca.gov. "Pesticides and Food Safety." IFIC Jan. 1995: 1-13. Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998 Available http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/agfacts/pesticides/pesticides.html Pimental, David. "Environmental and Economic Costs of Pesticides." Bioscience Nov. 1998. Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998 Available http://207.82.250/251/cgi-bin/getmsg? Wheat, Andrew. "Toxic Bananas." Multinational Monitor Sept. 1996: 9-15 Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.essential.org/monitor/hyper/mm0996.04.html Zuckerman, Seth. "Across the Great Divide." Sierra Sept. 1992: 20-21. Online. Internet. 7 Apr. 1998. Available http://207.82.250/251/cgi-bin/getmsg?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pesticides Essay -- essays research papers Pesticides Problems with formatting There are many important issues in the world regarding the environment and it's affects on the average person. Though, the one that hits closest to home, worldwide, is the trust that individuals have in the food that they consume. Yet pesticides are still found daily in foods all around the world. Pesticides are toxins that are used by produce growers universally to control pests that can destroy crops. These toxins are being ingested by humans in the forms of fruits and vegetables that have remaining toxins on them. How safe are these toxins to humans and what is being done to safeguard the environment as well as the health of individuals? Does the average person consume harmful amounts of poison at every meal? If the levels are unsafe, why is this problem continuing to get a blind eye from the people who are supposed to protect society? These questions when asked only lead to more questions. Until things are done to change the systems of pesticide usage universally, society can never be sure as to the long term effects on our environment and what they are eating or giving to the future of our world, the children. In some foreign countries pesticides are used more frequently with legislative control than in the United States. In Mexico and South America, for example, many of the pesticides that the United States and Europe have banned, wind up being used on a majority of their produce crops. The largest problem with this is that Europe and the United States import from South America for produce all of the time. What good does it do to ban harmful agricultural chemicals to be used on domestically grown crops if crops in other countries are grown with these same harmful chemicals, and are then allowed to be imported? Mexico and South America are the leading suppliers of produce for the earth's population because their climate is very conducive to year around crops. Unfortunately those countries are also known for their large amount of insects of all varieties. These insects are steadily becoming more and more immune to toxins that are sprayed on crops. More than five hundred insects, one hundred and fifty plant diseases and two hundred and seventy weeds are now resistant to pesticides. Results are that U.S. growers as well, are steadily forced to apply more and stronger toxins. As the amount an... ...TM Loops, Marilyn. "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children: What Are the Issues?" National Network for ChildCare Online. Internet. 11 Oct 1998. Available http://www.exnet.iastate.edu/pages/nncc/Nutrition/pestic.infant.html "Our Vanishing Wildlife." In Harmony. Online. Internet. 11 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.inharmony.com./pestwild.htm "Pesticide and Food Safety." California Environmental Protection Agency: Department of Pesticide Regulation July 1997:1-2. Online. Internet. 11 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.cdpr.ca.gov. "Pesticides and Food Safety." IFIC Jan. 1995: 1-13. Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998 Available http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/agfacts/pesticides/pesticides.html Pimental, David. "Environmental and Economic Costs of Pesticides." Bioscience Nov. 1998. Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998 Available http://207.82.250/251/cgi-bin/getmsg? Wheat, Andrew. "Toxic Bananas." Multinational Monitor Sept. 1996: 9-15 Online. Internet. 13 Oct. 1998. Available http://www.essential.org/monitor/hyper/mm0996.04.html Zuckerman, Seth. "Across the Great Divide." Sierra Sept. 1992: 20-21. Online. Internet. 7 Apr. 1998. Available http://207.82.250/251/cgi-bin/getmsg?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Personality Conflicts in Crow Lake

In the novel Crow Lake by Mary Lawson, the reader learns how personalities and habits can either tear families apart or keep them together. Luke the oldest brother and Mat the youngest both learn how to use their opposite personalities to run a successful household. Yet have advantages and disadvantages to their characters. Luke being the oldest he feels that he is responsible for his siblings, but his habits clearly show that he cannot raise them on his own. He was still holding onto the fact that he was able to take care of them. First off, Luke has a laid back attitude.He thinks that everything is going to work itself out and that he does not have to worry about a thing. This kind of attitude has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the benefits was the time that he had to be with his two little sisters. This is evident as he stays home a lot and does not toss them between neighbors to be babysat. Luke’s personality also showed a very optimistic aspect. After Luke anno unced that he was not going to go away to teachers college and that he was going to stay home and get a job, Matt and Aunt Annie were trying to convince him not to make that decision he said; â€Å"I know I can do it.I know it wouldn’t be easy, but neighbors would help and everything. We’d work it out. I know I can do it† (77). Next Luke is very nonchalant about money and job opportunities. This is mainly how Matt and Luke collided. Their attitude about money and jobs were very different. Lawson writes about many fights the brothers have had over one being too stressed or the other not being apprehensive enough. For example, Lawson explains in Kate’s point of view, â€Å"Luke losing his job, for instance; I know that worried mat a lot more than it did Luke.Not that Luke wasn’t concerned, but ever since the day he’d decided to stay home and look after us, he seemed to have an unshakeable faith that everything would work out alright†¦ bu t I think that calm certainty of his drove Matt mad and that was a major cause of the increasing friction between them† (163-164). This quote proves how opposite Luke and Matt really are. The conflict between them always starts when Matt becomes consciously worrisome. Finally Luke seems to have a way of somehow making everything workout.For instance, Luke got a job offer to clear two acres of forestry but he turned it down because; â€Å"he’d said he was going to stay with [Bo] for a year, and he was going to stay with her for a year† (209). Now, â€Å"Luke’s irrationality paid off in the end, almost as if destiny were bending to his will† (210). He ends up accepting the job because Mrs. Stanovich generously offers to help out. â€Å"Two afternoons a week she could look after the girls, do a bit of cooking, maybe a bit of cleaning†¦the Lord had spoken to her and she was going to do his will† (211-212).Matt’s traits display a very realistic person and the ability to foresee problems. To begin with, Matt’s personality causes agitation with Luke as well as helpfulness. If Matt hadn’t thought of the problems in situations, he wouldn’t have been able to help solve them. â€Å"We’ve got to do something, Luke. We’re going through Dad’s money so fast† (175). Secondly, Matt forced the reality that there was no possible way he could go to university. Luke would have been unable to take care of the girls and work at the same time.So Matt got a job at the Hudson Bay Store and enforced a routine. He quotes, â€Å"Even if we make it through this year, how are you going to manage when I leave? It’s impossible. One of us has to work and one of us has to stay home that’s the only way† (178). To end, that Matt stayed at home was a help for Kate who had a strong need to be with her brother. Kate looked up to Matt as a role model. She admired everything about him. It was hard enough on her the news of her parents death, she didn’t need him gone too.Matt became Kate’s best friend and much of what she accomplished in her future was because of Matt. She became a biologist because of all the time they spent at the ponds and Matt teaching Kate about nature. â€Å"Our visits to the ponds, which had formed such a fundamental part of my life†¦The interest which Matt had sparked had developed by then into a deeper curiosity †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (218). Matt’s role is huge in this novel. He affects every character in a great way. Luke and Matt’s differences also have a major impact on their little sisters.For starters, their fights stole some of Kate and Bo’s innocence. The brothers had not learned to solve problems in a healthy manner and so the girls had witnessed multiple fights that scared them. An example of one of the fights is; â€Å"I sat rigid, not breathing. There was a crash in the living room and the y started shouting again. Bo†¦stood there†¦watching them†¦ I looked down and saw Bo shaking so that even her hair seemed to vibrate†¦Her mouth wide open and tears pouring down her face but she wasn’t making any sound. She was so brave, Bo. I thought nothing could frighten her† (179-181).Next toward the end of the novel Luke and Matt seemed to level out and learn how to resolve conflict. They had to be threatened to be separated from their sisters in order to shape up the way they were acting. They started working together to hold back their tongues when they wanted to fight back. Dr Christopherson says: â€Å"What had happened in front of [Kate and Bo] must never happen again. [He] said that as much as he would hate to do it, if he ever had any reason to suspect a repeat†¦he would have no choice but to contact Aunt Annie†(207).In conclusion, the reader learns that opposite personalities eventually brought the Morrison family together. Eve n though it is not potent in the novel that they consciously acknowledge the fact that they are vastly and uniquely different, it is clear that they only wanted to do all they could to stay in Crow Lake with their sisters. Just like Luke quotes multiple times â€Å"something will turn up†. Indeed, something did show up every time. Luke’s laid back attitude really worked itself out in the end. Just like Matt’s ability to see things for what they really are. They finally managed to run a successful household.