Beowulf – Anglo Saxon Culture

Beowulf’s Strength and Fearlessness Anglo-Saxon poetry reflects their culture and life. Poetry is a wide part of their lives, and many of them passed to the descendants through the word of mouth. From many poetry told, â€Å"Beowulf† would be a first class example of the Anglo-Saxon lives. â€Å"Beowulf† is a poem about a brave hero who hears tales of a fearsome beast that tore a kingdom apart. Beowulf, the main character, as a brave warrior, fights the beasts and saves the kingdom. Beowulf is fearless and strong.These characteristics show the values of the Anglo-Saxon culture. Beowulf was â€Å"the strongest of the Geats† and â€Å"greater and stronger than anyone anywhere is this world† (lines 110-111). This proves that Beowulf was stronger than any Anglo-Saxon men. Beowulf also realizes himself that he is strong too. He says, â€Å"He could never leave me behind, swim faster / Across the waves than I could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (274-275). He says this t o prove that he is strongest of all men, and that no one could beat him in anything.The significances in Beowulf’s outstanding physical abilities reveal the value of strength in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Among the Danes and Geats, Beowulf is praised as the epic hero because he defeats the vile monsters, Grendel and his mom. Grendel and Beowulf would be total opposites of each other. Grendel is the demon who â€Å"snatched up thirty men, smashed them / Unknowing in their beds, and ran out with their bodies† (37-38). The people of Herot despised Grendel for his slaughtering. When Beowulf kills Grendel, Herot gains freedom from the demon.That basically makes Herot love Beowulf for his good deed. Beowulf â€Å"struck with all the strength he had left, / Caught her in the neck and cut it through, / Broke bones and all. † (641-643) and â€Å"then struck off / His head with a single blow. † (663-665). The slaughter of Grendel and his mother saved Herot from its c ontinuing of sorrowful deaths. Again, Beowulf’s value of incredible strength reveals the Anglo-Saxon culture. Beowulf was fearless to all of his enemies and never lost a battle. He never forfeited any of them, and won victory every time fair and square.When Beowulf first arrives in Herot, he is asked to leave all his weapons. Beowulf says, â€Å"My lord Higlac / Might think less of me if I let my sword / Go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid / Behind some broad linden shield: My hands / Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life / Against the monster. † (170-175) Beowulf doesn’t want to look like a weak hero by taking all of his weapons, so he leaves his spears and battle-shields behind. He doesn’t want his king to think less of himself.Beowulf emphasizes his fearlessness by leaving all of his weapons behind. The standout of Beowulf’s fearlessness shows an Anglo-Saxon characteristic. Beowulf also shows his fearlessness during the celebration a fter Grendel retreats with his arm cut off. Beowulf says, â€Å"When we crossed the sea, my comrades / And I, I already knew that all / My purpose was this: to win the good will / Of your people or die in battle, pressed / In Grendel’s fierce grip. Let me live in greatness / And courage, or here in this hall welcome / My death! (364-369) Beowulf says that he would rather die in Grendel’s hand if he could not defeat him. He does not fear to give up his life in a battle if he can’t win. This demonstrates that Beowulf is not fearful at all, even in front of death. Beowulf’s actions toward death show fearlessness, an Anglo-Saxon characteristic. From the poem â€Å"Beowulf†, the main character, Beowulf shows strength and fearlessness, the characteristics of the Anglo-Saxon culture when he first arrives to Herot and when he defeats Grendel and his mother.

Everybody’s Guilty Essay

In â€Å" Everybody’s Guilty – The Ecological Dilemma, â€Å" author and professor of Human Ecology at University of California, Santa Barbara, Garrett Hardin, explains the current issue with invisible reverberations. Hardin calls attention to the readers about how innocent actions by individuals can inflict on the environment. â€Å" We all acquiesce in the system of arrangements and practices that has created our ecological crisis† (Hardin, 40). In order to approve of our actions, individuals tend to hide from reality behind symbols and/or words. Incorporating rhetoric into our everyday lives does this. Garrett Hardin begins his argument by explaining the naming process that may have unintended consequences and then finishes with potentially solutions to this ecological crisis. For example, using the word â€Å"healthy† attracts an audience that is ultimately looking to eat correctly. Without looking at the ingredients, people believe the false advertisement and buy the food that says â€Å"healthy† on the box rather than what is actually good for them. By doing this, consumers are using an unethical form of persuasion while not being aware of the consequences or changes this action may have on people. Hardin wants the readers to view our world not as a society, but â€Å"as an ecological system† (Hardin, 40). Instead of acting as a whole, people need to understand that as individuals, everyone needs to play their part to improve the world we live on. Hardin suggests, â€Å"we [as individuals] can never do merely one thing† (Hardin, 41). The choices that are made everyday can have an impact on something a lot larger than what was intended. In the article, â€Å"Everybody’s Guilty†, Hardin uses the example of damming the Nile at Aswan. By building this dam, workers not only secured a water source for electricity and irrigation, which was their only intention, but they also caused deep distress to Egypt. This proves Hardin’s argument. Although the thought of a dependable water source is efficient, many times the consequences are overseen. Egypt now is suffering from periodic floods, which is slowly eliminating the nutrients within the water. To bring this example into an easier perspective, lets look at what average people do everyday such as pumping gas. Individuals unconsciously pump their gas with the only intention to be able to get from one place to another. Everyone knows the amount of consequences that may arise from this certain action, but no one really pays attention. The amount of pollution that is created from pumping gas is at alarming rates and is slowly taking a toll on the atmosphere. Transportation is the largest single source of air pollution in the United States. This includes air pollution emitted during vehicle operation, refueling, and manufacturing. These simple actions cause over a third of the contaminated chemicals in the air, and all people are worried about is if they will make it to work on time. With both the amount of cars on the road, and the escalating population rates, Hardin is trying to persuade readers that people need to take action and by persuading the audience, Hardin is engaging in a form of rhetoric. â€Å"Pollution will not be controlled unless population is controlled† (Hardin, 44). â€Å"Even what we call ‘success’ may prove to be a bitter failure. Increasing the size of the population is generally held to be a good thing, but an even larger proportion of the world’s people is becoming convinced that the world is already overpopulated† (Hardin, 42). Increasing the population not only limits resources, it also increases the amount of misunderstanding to people â€Å"never do[ing] one thing†, which can potentially lead to a larger ecological crisis. There are many problems when it comes to population. Technology is expensive and with population growing, the price of natural resources is increasing as well. There are solutions to this issue though, but cannot be implemented right away. Hardin looks â€Å"toward voluntarism and persuasion to help create a climate of opinion that can some day support stronger measures† (Hardin, 45). By â€Å"doing the right thing†, Hardin rhetorically persuades the readers to engage in thoughtful actions that decreases the population. The first step to this solution is to create a 100% effective birth control. Society knows that contraception is not completely effective, but because of this, Hardin suggests we create a system for acceptability towards abortions if necessary. If birth control fails, abortions should be included as a â€Å"back up plan† with the cost of being preferably free. The problem with this proposal is that abortions are frowned upon in other countries. To avoid the abortion issue, young girls need to be taught to become independent and goal oriented instead of becoming a teenage mother. Now-a-days girls are so interested in creating their own little families and having children that they tend to forget the hardships of having child. We need to educate all of society so as to reduce this social pressure, and consequently reduce the number of semi-reluctant mothers, who are probably not the best ones to raise children anyway† (Hardin, 46). Having a child when the woman is a child herself is not healthy, but is a prime example to Hardin’s argument. By creating children for the wrong reasons relates to creating an invisible reverberations. At the time it sounds great to have a child, but the aftermath consequences do not balance out. As a society, individuals need to create a culture of acceptability to smaller families. The world is slowly becoming more accustomed to this new culture, but still needs improvement. Garrett Hardin wants to leave his readers with a prolonged thought to help the world. He enriches his readers with evidence that support his idea of having an ecological crisis. Hardin explains that everyone is at fault when it comes to harming the world, but there are ways to solve this conflict and that is population control. Although the solution may not be easy, Hardin wants people to understand the consequences of their actions, because until then, the ecological crisis is going to continue to increase.

Marketing strategy (bringing StarBuck to Trinidad and Tobago) Research Paper

Marketing strategy (bringing StarBuck to Trinidad and Tobago) - Research Paper Example Starbucks has successfully created its position as the best place for socializing other than office and home. The only way to enter the new markets is to implement the same global marketing strategy that it has been following for each of its expansion plan. Hence, it should slowly enter the markets of Trinidad and Tobago so that the customers in the region accept the concept of specialty coffee shops and enjoy the amazing ambiance of the outlet. ... The primary aim of Starbucks is to establish itself as â€Å"a highly respected and recognized brand in the international market† (Starbucks, 2012). Situational Analysis of Starbucks Current Marketing strategy After careful analysis of the marketing strategies highlighted by Michael Porter, cited by Alison (2010), Starbucks is following a differentiation strategy. Initially, the main element of its business activities was to focus on particular aspects with strong emphasis on creating differentiated products within the target consumer market. However, the company soon realized that it needs to strengthen its position in the market by developing a differentiation strategy and the success of Starbucks is evident from the fact that it has developed an excellent marketing mix for its customers. In order to expand its operations in the international market, it is offering same â€Å"coffee experience† to the international customers by providing them premium quality products and aesthetically designed ambiance (Tu, Wang & Chang, 2012). It has ensured that there is uniformity in its marketing activities by using only third party mediums for promoting its product and service offerings. According to Michelli (2007), Starbucks has allocated only 4% of its total cost on the advertising budget. One of the key elements of differentiation strategy is to introduce new and innovative products in the market and Starbucks has been exceeding its customers’ expectations by offering them products that are totally different from existing ones (Parayani, 2011). The innovation element of its marketing strategy gives it a competitive edge in the specialty coffee industry. In order to ensure that it develops entirely new offerings, a huge amount of money is invested in

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - Essay Example splays a character that is funny and thoughtful, as she is the only member in the family who seems to bring color and life to her family that has been immensely devastated by Kate’s illness. The first part of the novel reveals how Anna displayed her inquisitive nature. Unlike other kids who by and then accept the common notion that they were brought to earth because of their parents’ love for each other, Anna had asked the reason for her existence beyond the surface-level inquisition. She went on by saying that if outside creatures, such as an alien, see children in this world, they might assume that these kids were born out of a drinking spree or a mishap in the use of artificial birth control (Picoult 7). This lamentation is a no-nonsense gibberish for Anna because all her life, her existence was literally for a purpose. Her character is always inquisitive by asking, proving, and confirming the nature of her existence. With those questions, she was also able to formulate her own sensible answers. Furthermore, her inquisitive nature was also displayed many times in the book, particularly when she sought the help of Campbell Alexander, the lawyer she wished to de fend her on court. She was initially declined, but her inquisitive nature made their conversation going and eventually earned the approval of Alexander to serve as her lawyer. Anna Fitzgerald also displayed her impressive intelligence. This observation is evident when she effortlessly elaborated the cases that she thought would be related to her possible case. More importantly, her intelligence was seen in the entire book as she managed to bring to the court a family issue that has been overlooked by her parents due to their seemingly myopic view to Kate’s condition. Only Anna understood her role in the family. Her character was more of a legal fighter, and her intelligence to understand all aspects of her existence made her see things through the lenses. Anybody can rarely find such bold and

Globalization on territory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Globalization on territory - Research Paper Example Thus, globalization involves a reconfiguration of the society with increased growth and trans-planetary connections between people, territory, states and nations. Economic Globalization affects the territoriality of the nation-state, i.e. the territorial jurisdiction. Two notions can be used to explain this concept critically. The notions are based on the concept of sovereignty, and the impact of both governmental and non-governmental institutions on the national state. The notions are- Global cities are sites for carrying out specialized functions so as to run and co-ordinate the global economy. These cities located in national territories are locations for performing the major dynamics and processes in relation to financial and investment aspects, and irrespective of their geographical locations. These functions affect the growth and development of the territory. The global economy materializes in national territories to a large extent. Many national states have become deeply involved in the implementation of global economic system, and in the implementation of this process have experienced large transformation in their institutional structure, in both the aspects of economic and political. Economic Globalization has helped to strengthen certain segments of the national states, i.e. the banking functions, which have been developed as per with the development of technology. But certain segments in a territory have also been weakened under the effect of economic globalization, such as, the decline small industries as they are losing their existence under the effects of globalization. In the recent decades, although the major interstate conflicts has declined, yet territorial conflicts still persists which is difficult to resolve. Conflicts are generally created within the borders of states which determine territoriality or the territorial stakes. Globalization affects territorial

Decision-making process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Decision-making process - Essay Example In an indeterminate world, the role of decision support systems. Processing, and/or applying information and knowledge involves â€Å"Decision making† and depending on the characteristics of the decision making context, is appropriate and absolute information/knowledge mix. Central to decision making situations involving complexity and uncertainty is information or the absence of it, associated with problems of ambiguity and equivocal is knowledge or the absence of it. Appropriate to support decision making under conditions of uncertainty and complexity is computer-based decision support technologies as proposed by this paper, while under conditions of ambiguity or equivocal the more appropriate approach will be human-centric. For organizational learning to occur, both approaches must be integrated tightly. On the one hand occupying a middle ground between the study of organizations as command hierarchies is network theories of organization and on the other, portraying organizations as atomized rational decision-makers optimizing utility, is market theories. It is as a matter of fact also related to governance theory as well as systems theory they both lay emphasis on the study of networks. In network theory, there is renewed interest obviously because networking is promoted by information technology, it ranges from the personal networking of MySpace to corporate networking in order to achieve and enhance competitive advantage that governmental will derive in networking of states on policy issues to global networking through international organizations.

International labor standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International labor standards - Essay Example The ILO is perhaps the only institution of its kind in the world which has the capability and credibility to ensure that international labor standards are implemented and this has lent credence to its continued existence. This agency’s recommendations tend to mainly provide guidance to its 183 member states but while this may be the case, its various conventions tend to be given the status of treaties, which are often binding on its members. Despite this being the case, it is a fact that these conventions do not go into force in the ILO member countries until such a time as they are ratified by individual governments. It is through the establishment of labor standards among ILO member states that it is possible to promulgate and enforce those national laws that are in line with its conventions (Warnecke & De Ruyter, 2010). Thus, it is through these means that the ILO work towards ensuring that international labor standard are enforced in order to protect the labor resources of the world from abuse. The ILO was established in 1919 during the Paris Peace Conference, the aim of the latter being an attempt to ensure that there was a lessening of public support for communist ideals. It is because of this that the allies chose to insert clauses into the peace treaty which would ensure that there would be the protection of labor unions as well as the rights of workers in the diverse industries of the world at the time. It was agreed that an international body, whose main purpose was to help in the guidance of international labor relations, would be established in the future. The first annual conference of the newly created organization was took place on October 1919 i Washington D.C. and it is during this conference that there was the adoption of the first six international labor conventions. These conventions dealt with the working hours in industry, how to define and handle unemployment, maternity protection, the minimum age to work,

Exotic Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exotic Animals - Essay Example Every affectionate lick or purr from your pet gives a beautiful feeling. However, there are few people and there is an emerging trend of preferring exotic animals as pets. Exotic animals are pets that generally cannot be characterized as pets and are domesticated either for fun, to preserve their species or as a status symbol. These animals are a sort of creatures that are considered very unusual ones to have as pets. These animals can include reptiles, amphibians, rodent, birds etc. Although there are many exotic animals which are not completely wild in nature they can be trained and taught how to live in houses as pets. These pets need special care and proper environment so that they can live a healthy life. These animals would not always develop a healthy relationship with their owners, which is why it is better that they may be allowed to thrive in their natural environment (Williams, and DeMello, n.p.). There are laws to prevent the sale of such animals around the world because often when some people succumb to purchasing these exotic animals from stores, online or auction it is important to understand how dangerous it is for these people. What I observed in my research throughout was the most painful process of transportation, since trading these animals is illegal. These exotic animals that we sometimes keep as â€Å"pets† usually suffer from malnutrition, loneliness and being trapped in an unnatural environment, cause deaths. We don’t consider the fact that this every precious animal that made it to the store or auctions followed countless of them to be painfully tortured to death (Allen, and Iggulden, n.p.). I always thought these animals are so afraid of being handled and taken care off because of the conditions they are made go through before coming to us. These few things always intrigued me and I always wondered what made them being so afraid. HUNTING AND TRANSPORTATION The hunting and capturing of these animals is usually done in Aus tralia, Africa and from the jungles of Brazil there are a very few laws and regulations preventing these activities. And the few laws which do exist do not motivate their dealers and smugglers to abstain from their activities. Animals that die along the way, their heads range for thousands of dollars. When these animals are hunted, stripped from their natural habitats and transported around the world, they face the extreme conditions. Animals like parrots might have their feet and beaks taped and stuffed in plastic tubes to hide in their luggage. Stolen birds and reptiles are hidden in special vests so that they can bypass x-ray machines at airports. Baby turtles are tapes from the heads and stuffed in socks in great numbers while reptiles like baby pythons are stuffed in CD cases to ship them. A man who got arrested for shipping animals illegally had Asian leopards in his backpack, birds of paradise in his luggage and monkeys in his underwear. These are the deadly conditions in whi ch these animals are moved from and round different countries. In an undercover investigation which was conducted by a welfare organization in a warehouse in Texas and more than 27,000 exotic animals were found painfully subjected to live in crowded conditions, no food, poor ventilation system, and no basic care. Half of those animals died because they were too weak to saved, hundreds of animals were already found dead along with 400 iguanas in shipping crates that were left for 2 weeks because their delivery was rejected with no food and water (Rudy, n.p.). There has been a very similar recent case of bird smuggling which got disrupted by the police the birds were immediately taken into custody. These birds were being transported in a small

Sapporo beer Essay Example for Free

Sapporo beer Essay Japan’s Sapporo Holdings said on Thursday it would enter the Vietnamese market by taking a 65 percent stake in a beer joint venture with Vietnam National Tobacco Corp to tap its fast-growing market. It marks the first major overseas expansion in three years by Sapporo, the smallest of Japan’s four major brewers, as bigger rivals Kirin and Suntory have been aggressively snapping up overseas businesses to grow beyond a shrinking domestic market. â€Å"Vietnam is Asia’s third-largest beer market after China and Japan and this is a fast-growing market,† said Tatsuya Komatsu, a Sapporo spokesman. The company will acquire a 50 percent stake in the venture from Danish brewer Carlsberg and 15 percent from Vietnam National Tobacco for a total of $25. 4 million. The joint venture will build a beer factory in Vietnam and is scheduled to startselling Sapporo brand beer in early 2012, it said in a statement. The venture aims for sales in 2019 of 150,000 kilolitres or $128 million. Sapporo said it will actively seek further acquisition opportunities to enlarge itsoverseas business, which now accounts for less than 10 percent of its revenues. Sapporo, the maker of Yebisu brand beer, acquired Canadian brewer Sleeman in 2006 for 30 billion yen ($340 million), but has been overshadowed by Kirin and Suntory in overseas expansion. Kirin has spent $1. 5 billion in the past two years to buy Australia’s National Foods and Dairy Farmers and $2. 8 billion to take full ownership of Australia’s No. 2 beer maker Lion Nathan. It also acquired a 49 percent stake in the Philippines’ San Miguel Brewery for $1. 4 billion. Asahi Breweries, locked in a fierce battle with Kirin for No. 1 slot in Japan’s beer market, said recently it could spend up to 400 billion yen ($4. 6 billion) on acquisitions over the next few years, with an eye on Asian markets. The Japanese brewers have been scrambling to diversify their products and geographic reach to reduce their reliance on the domestic beer market, which has lost 15 percent in volume in the past decade as the economy sputters and the population shrinks. HA NOI — The Japanese beer maker Sapporo Holdings plans to enter the domestic market from early 2012 through the purchase of a majority stake in Kronenbourg Viet Nam Ltd. Sapporo Holdings said it would buy a 65 per cent stake for about US$23 million in Kronenbourg Viet Nam, which is equally owned by Carlsberg Brewery A/S and the Viet Nam National Tobacco Corp (Vinataba). After the deal closes, which is due in January next year, a joint venture betweenSapporo Holdings and Vinataba will be set up with the latter holding 35 per cent of the joint venture’s stake. At that time, Kronenbourg Viet Nam will change its name into Sapporo Viet Nam Ltd. Sapporo said the joint venture would begin construction on a new plant on the outskirts of HCM City. The plant is scheduled to begin operations from 2012. Sapporo expects to earn a turnover of roughly $115 million within a decade from the Vietnamese market, with a predicted annual growth rate of more than 10 per cent for years to come. The joint venture has targeted a market share of roughly 3 per cent in Viet Nam by 2019. Sapporo also has plans to export beer produced in Japan to Viet Nam. The Japanese beer maker decided to expand its business in other Asian countries in a move to offset declining beer sales in Japan due to a shrinking population and a gloomy economic outlook. — VNS In 2010 , Sapporo has arrived in Vietnam and established Sapporo Vietnam Co. ( a joint venture between Tobacco Corporation Vietnam ( VINATABA ) and JSC Sapporo Holdings Ltd. for a total contribution from Japan 71 % ) . 11/ 2011, the Sapporo Factory in Long An Vietnam was officially put into operation . The plant has production capacity of 40 million liters / year , but to meet the goal of becoming a major production base for Southeast Asian beer market capacity will be increased gradually over the period 2015 to reach 100 million liters / year and in 2019 will reach 150 million liters / year . 4/2012 , Sapporo official launch sales activities . Sapporo time in more than 4,000 retail stores , restaurants , hotels, mainly in Vietnam . Sapporo has now launched 4 product lines premium beer : Sapporo Premium Beer Bottle 330 ml , 330 ml cans of beer Sapporo Premium , Sapporo Premium Beer 650 ml silver cans and beer Sapporo Premium 20L . In particular , products Can Silver ( silver cans ) is a typical representative of elegance and luxury of Sapporo Premium Beer . This product has a higher alcohol content than other types a bit , with a large capacity and a unique design that Sapporo beer can only be Sapporo is the only beer company in the world combined study of barley and hops to produce a formula to create the most perfect beer . Based on these studies , the Sapporo today have developed a new barley varieties better and Vietnam Sapporo Factory is also used . When the Vietnam market , to be able to produce beers with similar quality beers produced in Japan and in accordance with consumer tastes here , Sapporo choose the most appropriate type of yeast in 1000 different yeast species from the research Center of Sapporo in Japan . After Japan and Canada , Vietnam is the place where Sapporo beer factory and expect this will become the manufacturing center of the Southeast Asian market . Because Vietnam is the third largest beer market in Asia , the turnover of 3 billion liters of beer in 2020 and expected to double . Sapporo Vietnam not only passionate creative challenges overcome and the framework of the usual practice , but also to share the moments of happiness and joy winning hand. Thats why Sapporo Premium market presence in Vietnam as a premium beer brand .

Apple iPhone Essay Example for Free

Apple iPhone Essay Japan to Apple iPhone No Thanks and Would Mickey Mouse Eat Shark Fin Soup these two case studies shows what happens when consumer behavior and marketing mix in globalization goes very wrong. These two studies reveal how marketer think they are giving a wonderful product and service in the case of Apples the iPhone and Disney the Sharks Fin Soup. Understanding the consumer’s behavior and the customs and values of the culture impacted these two campaigns. Apologies good media press and changes in the strategy to get the approval of the consumers. Both case studies points out the impact of technology and how it at first affected the campaigns for bad with negative that changed the reputation of both companys. Apples dilemma was very embarrassing for the company with negative reports and predictions of how the iPhone was going to sell in Japan. The propaganda was already put out to the media about the Japanese saying No Thanks to Apple concerning the iPhone 3. Apple thought that Japan would be ecstatic with the new product but supposedly the opposite occurred with reports of weak showing of the iPhone3. Of course with Apple being the cutting edge in technology and innovation in the western world Japan did not feel the same way about Apples iPhone3. First Japan was a hard market to try to get into the for Apple and their competition Nokia, and Motorola, whose attempts to grab Japanese customers were futile. So this was going to be a difficult campaign for Apple. At the time Japan was hostile toward western brand including Nokia and Motorola which I thought were Japanese brands. What’s wrong with the iPhone, from a Japanese perspective? The high monthly data plans that go with it, its lack of features, the low-quality camera, the unfashionable design and the fact that it’s not Japanese. Besides cultural opposition, Japanese citizens possess high standards when it comes to cell phones. The country is famous for being ahead of its time when it comes to technology. Japanese consumer rather would use their own brand even if the feature is not used frequently. For example, Japanese handset users are extremely into video and photos .The iPhone had neither a video camera nor multimedia text messaging. A highlight feature enjoy on their handset is a TV tuner. Many consumers also used their cell phone as their only computer device and also as a TV. The monthly rates was considered to expense and many consumers did not want to pay the monthy bill. Apple had to make  decision because the consumer’s behavior was very different in Japan. The Japanese in the time of No Thanks were more communal than individualistic which a new trend with the younger generation is. They were not considered conspicuous consumption they way it is in western countries. The Japanese way of consumer behaving was inherited from Edo Period of history (each class had it own code) Brand shopping revealed two things about the Japanese consumer social status and quality of product. Japanese consumers are known for being demanding with products. The Japanese consumer shopped mostly in department stores but now this is changing with malls. The Japanese consumer is a cautious spender and that is why the monthly charge for service was problem for Apple. They are also very environmental aware and health conscious. Apple did not understand that Japan demographic of aging is very large with life expectancy being vey long. So Japan has a big 60 plus consumers demographic that live by the old tradition, values and customs. These consumer behaviors were very different from the western marketer Apple did not take these in to consideration when the iPhone came out. The marketer had to start at zero level and make huge marketing decision for the Japanese market. Quality of the iPhone its features had to be reintroducing to the consumers to the cell phone market in Japan. Many iphones were given away so as to help the consumer get comfortable with the iphone a great strategy. The monthly pricing had to be adjusted but they really had to do with the value of the Yen. The Bloomberg report today notes that the iPhone has captured 72 percent of the Japanese market. High price, lack of a video camera and support for multimedia messaging, all three of those shortcomings have been addressed. â€Å"Softbank w ho Apple used to sell iPhones gives away the phone for free, and Apple has added a video camera and support for multimedia messaging. The Bloomberg report further suggests that those moves were just what the iPhone needed to gain a foothold in Japan, which we also acknowledged in a report published August 2009.†(Tewney ,2008) Would Mickey Mouse Eat Sharks Fin Soup? Became fiasco for Disney with reports that Disney wool start serving Shark Fin Soup to their customers in Disney Hong Kong. In a feature dated May 18, the Hong Kong Standard reports that shark fin soup, along with roast suckling pig and sliced abalone, will be included in wedding banquets Disney is promoting at the two hotels at the Hong Kong Disneyland resort. Shark’s fin soup is a traditional Chinese  delicacy popular at weddings and other important social events. Eating shark’s fin soup carries cultural significance and is seen as luxurious and a display of affluence and generosity. However the process by which sharks are caught and killed to provide the ingredients has long been criticized for the way in which fins are harvested . A 2004 survey by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that out of 262 shark species around the world, 56 were endangered. The Hong Kong Standard publishes a follow up to the story on May 23 and reports that Disney’s plans to serve shark’s fin soup have outraged local environmentalists. Under the environmentally umbrella Disney has integrated conservation efforts into its daily operations. The company says its employees around the world proactively support environmental initiatives through all aspects of its business and states that it is â€Å"committed to balancing environmental stewardship with our corporate goals throughout the world.† Disney lesson was tradition and customs no longer overruled environmental issues because affluent consumer wants a certain food or clothes. The voice of green and environmental safety out powered and was louder than the money of the wealth who wanted the Shark Fin Soup. With the new rising environmentalist animal cruelty advocate this was not going to be easy for the affluent consumer to win. Disney was going to have to make a decision not to serve the soup at all and it did. Globalization, can intentionally or otherwise remove social and cultural differences, which can often have a bearing on consumer behavior and in turn, lead to brands developing a more consistent global identity, one which doesn’t have to worry about the backlash of possible misinterpretation in other parts of the world. This isn’t to say that marketers believe cultural issues are no longer important. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The more information a brand holds about the world and its contrasting consumers the more chance it has of understanding and manipulating them. The interlocking of economic spheres is another aspect, which has affected consumer behavior for very different reasons all together. The European Union and the combine currency of Euro connecting different countries with the same currencies make for a huge consumer behavior being established. This was also the problem with Apples because Japan does not have the same cultural values as the western hemisphere which was a learning campaign for Apples globalization. The arrival of the Internet and advances in technology have succeeded in breaking down social and cultural barriers, but have not succeeded in stopping the masses from being continually guided by those who are learning more and more about them and the way they behave. In conclusion these two global business dilemma help to open the way for a precise understanding of different culture that helps with evolving of globalization to include all cultures and to give the best culturally socially, environment decision while giving the best service and product. Reference Key Characteristic of The Japanese Consumer (2014) Retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/rpretet/key-characteristics-of-japanese-consumers CRS ASIA (2014) Retrieved from :http://www.csr-asia.com/weekly_news_detail.php?id=5318 Consumer Behavior (2014) Retrieved from:http://publicresearchsystems.blogspot.com/2009/01/report-on-global-factors-affecting.html Why Japans Hate Apple (2014) Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/ . â€Å"Softbank who Apple used to sell iPhones gives away the phone for free, and Apple has added a video camera and support for multimedia messaging. The Bloomberg report further suggests that those moves were just what the iPhone needed to gain a foothold in Japan, which we also acknowledged in a report published August 2009.† Why Japans Hate Apple (2014) Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2009/02/why-the-iphone/ Would Mickey Mouse Eat Shark’s Fin Soup Retrieved from:http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/17/business/worldbusiness/17 shark.html?pagewanted=all_r=0

Carolingian Renaissance Handwriting

Carolingian Renaissance Handwriting The Carolingian Renaissance is known for the cultural transitions and great achievements that were obtained in the 8th century under the direction of Charlemagne. Charlemagne, who was also known as Carolus Magnus and Charles the Great, was one of the greatest leaders during the Middle Ages. He was a military man, king of the Franks, and was appointed as Roman emperor in 800 AD. Throughout Europe, he was seen as a great example of an emperor and Christian king. Not only did he revive the political system but also the cultural life of Europe. His activities were seen as a strong foundation of the European civilization which developed during the Middle Ages around 400 A.D. This was his effort in improving the educational standards of the people of the church and his men who held roles in the government. His choice for doing such thing was to have control with his people and others. This educational reform had many great accomplished during that period. Along with this advancement, monas tic scriptoria all over the kingdom used the same type of handwriting. Thus it made the hard work of copying the manuscripts easier and it was seen favorable by many. Also most manuscripts from the medieval times, whether with illuminations or not, were written on parchment. The usage of â€Å"vellum† signified that the manuscript was of great importance. This period allowed many more books to be made and with that more types of books were being used in society. In relation, illuminated manuscripts were items that were the most common during the Middle Ages. They were great examples of medieval painting and being well-preserved made them great surviving specimens of that time period. New innovations for manuscript layouts and embellishments were incorporated into the fabrication of manuscripts. In consequence, the many advances of the Carolingian Renaissance can be seen through the new layout and fabrication of a manuscript, the use of illuminations and different types of ill uminations being produced and the introduction of the Carolingian minuscule or Caroline writing. A typical illuminated manuscript has the components of having texts along with embellishments in the means of using decorations. These decorations range from decorated borders, initials and miniature drawings. If one were to elaborate on the exact definition of the term â€Å"illuminated manuscript†, it would be related to manuscripts highlighted with silver or gold. Earliest surviving illuminated manuscripts date back from around 400 AD to AD 600 and are thought to have been from Italy, Constantinople and Ireland. However, the majority of the surviving manuscripts come from the Middle Ages along with the many manuscripts from the 15th Century Renaissance period and the few from the Late Antiquity stage. Most of these manuscripts were made for religious purposes but evidence shows that there too was an abundance of secular texts that were illuminated. Also these illuminated manuscripts started off in the form of codices, and at times antique scrolls. There is also a continued existence of loose single sheets and some illuminated manuscript fragments which remain on papyrus form. During the Early Middle Ages, books were fabricated in monasteries for business, display or personal use. This led to the beginning of commercial scriptoria that were located in major European cities such as the ones belonging to Italy, Paris and also the Netherlands. Most medieval manuscripts illuminated or not, were scripted on parchment. Such parchment was composed of stretched and treated animal skins of sheep, calf or goat. The term vellum was used to describe manuscripts of great value and high quality. These manuscripts were important because they were used for illuminations. Vellum was made up of un-spilt calf-skin and the other high qualities of animal skins were simply considered as parchment. â€Å"A large manuscript required the use of a whole cow skin and also the whole skin of a sheep to fabricate a folded sheet of two to four pages.† Hides of a whole herd wo uld be required for thick books which made the creation of a Medieval book extremely precious and expensive. About 258 leafs would need approximately 130 animals and it would make piles of four gatherings of leafs. At the start of the Middle Ages, paper use was used to formulate manuscripts and early books that were printed had space left over for miniatures and rubrics to be incorporated later on. Illuminated initials and decorations along the margins were also commonly used. However when printing started to become more popular, there was an increase of books produced and at the same time illuminations decreased. In the early 16th century, illuminated manuscripts were still being produced but not in great quantities. These manuscripts were mainly produced for the rich individuals in society. Books were not owned by many and are seen as a great possession and treasure to have along with the great sense of importance in society. The Carolingians got a sense of Mediterranean art and culture when Charlemagne went to Rome, where he held the title as Holy Roman Emperor in AD 800. He was the symbolic representative of Rome and he since he wanted to revive the Roman culture and learning of the West, it made him the promoter of the arts. He had the goal of joining the artistic accomplishments of the Early Christian and Byzantine culture with that of his own. While Charlemagne was in power, the Byzantine Empire was divided because of Iconoclasm, which was the destruction of religious monuments and sacred images. He made the smart choice of not favouring either side. There were consequences that arose when he decided not to adopt the iconoclastic traditions and at the same time he incorporated a few human figures in society. The Carolingian art promoted the development of Western Romanesque and Gothic art. If Charlemagne partnered with the Iconoclast, Western art that one views it today would be non-existent. Evidenc e of such art can be seen from the surviving manuscripts, sculptures, works of metal and other artifacts from that age. During the Carolingian Renaissance, the illuminated manuscripts were the most number of works that survived from that era. Charlemagne had great ideas while he was in power. While in command new Gospels and liturgical works were prepared, as were educational materials used to depict historical, scientific and literary works originating from ancient authors. The Carolingian art had different monastic centers throughout the Carolingian Empire which were known as ateliers. These ateliers were special because each one had its own unique style and it was influenced by the artists and current styles of that place and time. These images were drawn after the texts were complete. Illustrators designed and planned the abstract and complex images on wax tablets which were the common drawing apparatus of that period. These wooden tablets were hollow for the incorporation of wa x and the writing apparatus used for it would be a bone or a stylus. On the other tip of the writing utensil would be a spatula to scrape away errors or to erase the whole image and is re-used again. After that process of â€Å"preliminary drawing† is finished, the drawing is then traced or illustrated meticulously on the vellum. Pinpricks and other markings are used to accomplish a great manuscript. Such work ethics can be seen with the fabrication of the Lindisfarne Gospels. Another new incorporation that can be seen in the sacred gospels is the introduction of â€Å"red dots†, as part of the page decoration which, was tedious work and needed to be done with patience and care. The sacred scriptures would also be composed of the Evangelists portrait, an image of a carpet made out of spirals and enamel work and finished off with a grand display. Other work methods can be seen through incomplete manuscripts that survived from that time. Most manuscripts usually were not composed of illustrations because they were mainly used for educational purposes and its only illuminations would be decorations on the initials. If there were manuscripts with full illuminations, it would be used for display purposes and be seen as an illustration book. That was the state of manuscripts during the Middle Ages, but great changes occurred towards the fabrication of manuscripts during Romanesque period. These changes included the incorporation of more illumination and decorations in the books and the study books contained some images, but they were not illustrated with colour. This tendency grew into the Gothic period where there were bigger image sizes but at least one if not many decorations around the page. Foliate patterns on elaborate boarders were the common fixings integrated in the manuscript. â€Å"A Gothic page might contain several areas and types of decoration; a miniature in a frame, a historiated initial beginning of a passage of text, and a border wit h drolleries.† A different artist was utilized to work on different part of the decoration. An artist had their own unique skill that they used when working on a certain piece of an image. A standardized form of Latin, which originated from Classical Latin, was used in the texts along with new formed words. Medieval Latin was most used in that time and was a common language used by the people of Europe. In fact, this language was commonly used by businessmen and scholars for communication, learning and administration purposes. The texts were usually incorporated first when it came to constructing an illuminated manuscript. Script depended on the style that were currently being used in society and the one that were most popular. Scripts such as Uncial and half-Uncial were introduced because of the ongoing development and usage of unique texts such as insular miniscule and insular majuscule. Before these texts were established, the Roman letters were used during the Middle Ages. Around the 13th century, black thick and solid letters were shown and it was made more in style around the Middle Ages. Around the 9th century, rooms made solely for writing became extremely popular and were apart of most monasteries. This room was called a scriptoria and it was there were most books were copied. This was a brutal job and it was shown through the hard work done by the monks. The process included the need to check for mistakes and to correct errors that have been made through the years. The copiers would need to study the text and script very carefully because one mistake would be a sin and they would be severely penalized. Other discrepancies such as poorly lit rooms, bad weather conditions and physical fatigue made this job even more difficult for the monks. There was also â€Å"no standard scholarly language†. Charlemagne decided to change the then current writing style and tried to make a standard method for writing. The writing style that society was used to at that time consisted to all uppercase letters and texts without interruptions and punctuations. There was no eviden t division between the words. This old writing style was the old un-spaced Roman capital script called â€Å"uncial†. Charlemagnes brilliant idea worked as it made copying and reading easier for everyone. This style of writing is called the â€Å"Carolingian Miniscule† and is still currently being used today. Unlike the older style, this new one had a separation between words and there was evident use of punctuations in the text. Charlemagne also made standards for Medieval Latin because there were evident changes in the Latin language during the last couple of decades. Different expressions, new phrases and words were developed and integrated into the language. Composing a manuscript included the copying of an old piece of literature, having a decorated picture and possessing fancy capital letters. This act was seen as a great accomplishment at that period. The sacred scripture and writings of the bible were transformed and transfigured into many different forms. Most ministers were illiterate and people who were not from the ordained clergy did not have access to these sacred texts. Charlemagne disliked oblivious priests who could not read nor comprehend their own scriptures. Charlemagne created laws and decrees that stated that clerics would loose their position and job in the office if they were illiterate. Bishops had to respect such demand and needed to be literate but there are some cases where bishops were not able to read and write. Charlemagne enforced a â€Å"standardized Vulgate Bible†, which was a common Benedictine Rule and a basic liturgy. However, in order to obtain such concept, he needed to have a â€Å"standardized written language†. Charlemagne found an orthodox churchman from England named Alcuin to help him gain a step closer to his schemes. Alcuin and his fellow monks examined many ancient classical scripts in order to find incentives for the new script. In consequence, the Carolingian miniscule was establishe d which was the unification of the small and capitalized letter. The Carolingian miniscule comprised of letters that possessed â€Å"the most decorative flourishes and the system of ligatures was eliminated.† As this style of writing dispersed into England during the 10th century and in Spain in the following century, Carolingian miniscule reformed to being the â€Å"written language of oppression and religious orthodoxy†. It established itself as the official script and literary hand and style of the Frankish region. Later on, scripts such as the ones of â€Å"Gothic†, â€Å"Roman† and â€Å"Humanists† preceded in time and thus making this script most commonly used today. Thus, Charlemagne took all these differences and transformations and added them to the new scholarly language which is known as Medieval Latin. Thus, the many advances of the Carolingian Renaissance is depicted through the new layout and fabrication of a manuscript, the use of illuminations and different types of illuminations being produced and the introduction of the Carolingian minuscule or Caroline writing. Charlemagne is seen as a great leader who has done many successful things for his people and kingdom. Though was not literate he tried and had a lot of perseverance. Depictions of Charlemagne wanting to be able to read and write are recorded throughout history. He would try and attempt to write everyday with wax tablets and even asked the help of men who were able to write. The Holy Roman Emperor would also leave notebooks and writing tablets underneath his people hoping that one day he will be able to become literate. However, it was simply too late for him to become literate because he needed to have practiced such skill since his youth. Though he was not literate he still had the ability to be a great leader. Charl emagne ruled individuals from different ancestry lines who were descendants of many races and who spoke languages that were unique from one another. Some of these individuals included the Romans, Goths, Lombards, Burgundians, Saxons, Franks and many others groups. Western Europe was filled with monasteries where several â€Å"national styles† of the cursive formations of Latin surfaced such as Merovingian, Visigothic, Germanic, and Anglo- Irish. Each party had a â€Å"monastery dialect† which was used by individuals to facilitate copying in an exclusive way and abides with each cloisters preference. His way of reconciling the many people and facilitating the hard work of the laborers made his excellent influence of the many changes he incorporated seen today. The ancient and valuable artifacts that are seen today are because of his ability to unite society and individual characteristics as one.

timeline :: essays research papers

1945 Vannevar Bush writes an article in Atlantic Monthly about a photo-electrical-mechanical device called a Memex, for memory extension, which could make and follow links between documents on microfiche 1957 USSR launches Sputnik, first artificial earth satellite. In response, US forms the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), the following year, within the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish US lead in science and technology applicable to the military (:amk:) 1958 In response, U.S. forms the ARPA within the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish US lead in science and technology applicable to the military. 1960s Doug Engelbart prototypes an "oNLine System" (NLS) which does hypertext browsing editing, email, and so on. He invents the mouse for this purpose. 1967 Andy van Dam and others build the Hypertext Editing System and FRESS. 1969 ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) goes online in December, connecting four major U.S. universities. Designed for research, education, and government organizations, it provides a communications network linking the country in the event that a military attack destroys conventional communications systems. 1972 ARPANET a worldwide network created in the 1960s that was maintained by the US Department of Defense to facilitate communications btwn research facilities and universities. April 1972: Telnet is born. July 1972: The first Internet email message is sent and the beloved @ symbol is born 1973 -- Global Networking becomes a reality  · First international connections to the ARPANET: University College of London (England) and Royal Radar Establishment (Norway)  · Ethernet outlined -- this how local networks are basically connected today.  · Internet ideas started.  · Gateway architecture sketched on back of envelope in hotel lobby in San Francisco. Gateways define how large networks (maybe of different architecture) can be connected together. February 1973: FTP is born 1976-AT&T Bell Labs developed Unix-to-Unix Copy Protocol (UUCP). 1977 -- E-mail takes off, Internet becomes a reality  · Number of hosts breaks 100.  · THEORYNET provides electronic mail to over 100 researchers in computer science (using a locally developed E-mail system and TELENET for access to server).  · Mail specification  · First demonstration of ARPANET/Packet Radio Net/SATNET operation of Internet protocols over gateways. April 1979: Emoticons/Smileys :-) are born. 1979: USENET (newsgroups) is established, along with the first MUD (Multi-User Dungeon). 1979 -- News Groups born  · Computer Science Department research computer network established in USA. USENET established using UUCP. October 1980: The first virus attacks! 1980 ARPANET grinds to a complete halt on 27 October because of an accidentally-propagated status-message virus

Why Some Forms of Opposition Were More Successful than Others in the Pe

Why Some Forms of Opposition Were More Successful than Others in the Period 1798-1921 The Act of Union, 1801. Ireland was to be joined to Great Britain into a single kingdom, the Dublin parliament was to be abolished. Ireland was to be represented at Westminster (all were Anglicans), the Anglican Church was to be recognised as the official Church of Ireland, no Catholics were to be allowed to hold public office and there was to be no Catholic Emancipation. Immediately we can see from this that any form of opposition would be to destroy this act. Fundamentally it destroyed all catholic rights and forced them to renounce their Catholic faith and take on a Protestant one. In Ireland Daniel O'Connell developed a reputation for his radical political views. By the early 1920's the Irish people started to listen to O'Connell's views and he gathered a large group of supporters. O'Connell had many aims in his political career. O'Connell's goal was to repeal against the act of union. When the Act of Union was passed in 1801 it did not help the Irish. It simply brought problems and distrust to the Irish people. O'Connell organised a meeting to discuss the repeal of the Act of Union, three quarters of a million Irish turned up. They were known as 'Monster Meetings'. We can see that O'Connell successfully created an Irish nation movement and completely changed the British view of the Irish. The British now had a certain amount of respect for the Irish and even feared and threatened their movement. This support from the people could show us the later success that O'Connell has in his opposition, as a movement without opposition would ultimately ... ...d in the cruellest yet effective way possible. Collins achievements were many: he helped fight the British to a stalemate by changing the rules of warfare and setting up an intelligence network to rival the Empire's. He helped negotiate a treaty, which gave Ireland the first stepping stone to become a Republic, and oversaw Ireland's turbulent transition to democracy. His achievements were, however, not without a price. He precipitated the bloody War of Independence against the British and the treaty deal brought back from London split the country into two fiercely opposing halves and plunged the country into the throes of a traumatic civil war. Thus ultimately opposition needed to be well organised and have enough support to succeed, constitutional nationalism had this through its methods of working through the system.

Primary Prevention of Breast Cancer

Choose a health topic related to primary prevention, secondary prevention, or tertiary care. Explain why this is an important topic of discussion based on your personal belief, and based on valid research. Paper should be 1. 5 – 2 pages. APA format must be followed. Detailed assignment information will be provided. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women and the 2nd most leading cause of their death. It is estimated that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their life time and it will claim as many as 40,000 lives in the US only. ( http://www. nationalbreastcancer. rg/breast-cancer-facts) Primary prevention can play a key role in substantially reducing the chances of developing breast cancer Early detection through screening can make treatment process easier and less extensive. Primary prevention is all about reducing the risk factors that may enhance one’s chjances of getting breasts cancer specially if there is a history of breast canc er in the family. Long term heavy smoking and alcohol consumtion can increase the chances of developing breast cancer. (http://www. cancer. org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-030975. df American cancer society) â€Å"Prevention is the best cure† is a very wise proverb. Necessary precautions can prevent major health problems altogether. The major focus of primary prevention is to prevent a diseases before it occurs. One of doing so is by controlling the risk factors in healthy people that may lead to the disease. There are several different approaches such as clinical prevention which includes interactions with a health proifessional, community based efforts such as awareness programs, laws and plocies etfc. , and work place health programs that promote healthy life style etc.Family history of breast cancer can almost double the risk of getting breast cancer which makes the Its important to cultivate a healthy life style to avoid this prob lem altogether and promote healthy habits and activities than can reduce the chances significantly. Since breast cancer prevention are risk based Determining the risk factor is the first step in designing a prevention plan. Chemoprevention, tamoxifen although can help reduce the risk factors by as much as half but they don’t come without their own risk are not widely practiced.Therefore, primary prevention which is now evolving itself to include cancer screening, imaging, pathalogial findings and level od suspicion etc along with computer programs and special algorithms can help reduce the chances and early detection. The trends show that breast cancer has been on the rise and many people don’t have access to treatment and affordability is another factor. Between 1975 to 1990 it increases and then dcresed byh 2. 34 percent between 1990 and 2002. Black women have a higher percentage of mortality compared with the rest of the races in the US.Dying of Breast Cancer in the 1800sThere are many factors that determine the risk of getting cancer. In female the risk increases with age which can be coped with adjusting to a new life style and observing high precaution. Family history (first or second degree of relation) can increase the risk higher and if more than one family member had cancer it would increase the risk even further that’s why education of such people right from the first case is very important. Girls from young age should be nurtured in a way to adopt a healthy life style and a life style that decreases the chances of getting breast cancer.Different levels of Reproductive Hormones that change with a woman’s age andfor some other reasons such as pregnancy and nulliparity etc also play a role in determining the risk factors. Mind benign breast malfunction can also increase the chances of having breast cancer in later stages of a woman/s life. Irradiation at early age also increases risks of getting breast cancer. Prevention th rough lifestyle. Diet and nutritions is controversial but fat consumtion has been associated with breast cancer.Different studies have shown conflicting results and therefore this area is open for more research. Obesity, however, has been clearly associated with raising the risk factor just like smoking and long term alcohol consumtion does too. Primary prevention. Life style modification studies have yielded different and controversial results. However, disregarding the impact od life syle change, it can lead to better health over all as well reduce the over all risk factor. This may include physical activity, healthy weight, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol consumption.Ec. Women with high risk of cancer due to genetic mutation may consider non Some primary prevention measures such as prophylactic oophorectomy in young women(35 and under) has shown to reduce the breast cancer by 60 percent but this surgery comes with many unpleasant symptoms. Such as mood changes, night sweats and hot flashes etc. Prophylactic mastectomy which is the removal of both or one breast is also a primary prevention techniques but its drawbacks may outweigh its benefits. Therefor this practice is limited to women with a very high risk of breast cancer.Chemoprevention techniques such as tamoxifen and raloxifene can reduce the risk to one half. But this form of prentive techniques such as tamoxifen shows an increased risk of endometrial cancer in women over the age of 500 (PRIMARY PREVENTION OF BREAST CANCER, SCREENING FOR EARLY DETECTION OF BREAST CANCER, AND DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF CLINICAL AND MAMMOGRAPHIC BREAST ABNORMALITIES Therese B. Bevers) Although most women may not deveop cancer in their life time but prevention techniques and precautions and habits can ensure early detection. Primary prevention saves time, costs related to the treatment, discomfort and pain.CLINICAL REVIEW Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer—What the Primary Care Provider Needs to Know Nelia A fonso, MD Primary prevention would encompass not only a healthy life style which includes measures to avoid exposure to carcinogen exposure and health promoting activieties and habits . the focus is block the cancer from eve ndeveloping or delay its development to malignancy. And for people who have a high risk of cancer (due to genetic mutation etc ), it includes administration of chemopreventive agents or surgeries that require removal of some body parts. ( http://www. ns. org/ClinicalResources/BreastCancer/Prevention/Types) Environmental factors exposure to insecticides etc can increase the chances of developing cancer. ( http://www. cancer. gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/breast/HealthProfessional/page2) http://www. cancer. org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-030975. pdf self examination. Periodic mammography 40 percent cases of cancer can be avoided just by making lifestyle changes. (http://www. kingsfund. org. uk/projects/gp-commissioning/t en-priorities-for-commissioners/primary-prevention)Regular primary care can reduce mortality rate over a period of just 5 years. (http://sphhs. gwu. edu/departments/healthpolicy/dhp_publications/pub_uploads/dhpPublication_3BBD241A-5056-9D20-3DC72347BA069B17. pdf) having a primary care physician decreases the likelihood of getting diseases and increases the effectiveness and appropriateness of care. Having one particular person as a primary health provider means fewer prescriptions and fewer tests more and decrease of emergency care. Primary health care can reduce expenses. Hospitalization and down time can be avoided. Interventions such as smoking

Commercial Partnership Essay

The partnership en nom collectif, the partnership en commandite and the company are the three kinds of commercial partnerships which may be established under the Companies Act. Explain the main features of each. Why do you think the company is the most widely used vehicle to do business with? Introduction Commercial partnerships in Malta are regulated by The Maltese Companies Act which came into effect on the 1st January 1995 in order â€Å"to regulate†¦limited liability companies and other commercial partnerships†. In fact, when one wants to set up a commercial partnership in Malta the Act provides a number of possible legal structures. The Act stipulates that, â€Å"A commercial partnership may be of the following kinds: a partnership en nom collectif; a partnership en commandite; and a company (limited liability company)†. The purpose for which the commercial partnership may be formed is regulated by the Act which provides that a partnership en nom collectif and a partnership en commandite may be formed for the exercise of one or more acts of trade. Under the Commercial Partnerships Ordinance, this provision applied also to a limited liability company however under the provisions of the Act in force today, â€Å"a company may be formed for any lawful purpose and shall have the status of a public company; or a private company.† This means that a company may not necessarily be set up for the purposes of trading. Any lawful purpose is sufficient in order to set up a limited liability company. The Partnership En Nom Collectif Article 7 of the Companies Act defines the partnership en nom collectif as one which â€Å"†¦may be formed by two or more partners and operates under a partnership name and has its obligations guaranteed by the unlimited and joint and several liability of all the partners.† The formation of a partnership en nom collectif requires that every partner gives his contribution in money or in kind or in future personal services. The totality of the contributions constitutes the original capital of the partnership en nom collectif. In a partnership en nom collectif all the partners are unlimitedly liable. The above definition highlights the fundamental elements of a partnership en nom collectif. It may be formed by two or more partners; it must operate under a partnership name; and the partners are unlimitedly, joint and severally liable for all the obligations of the partnership. The partnership-name is the name under which the business is carried on and the obligations are entered into. It is the name by which the partnership and the legal entity created by such name are known to the public and it represents the external manifestation of the juridical distinction between the legal personality of the partnership and the members composing it. The unlimited liability of the partners for the obligations of the partnership is an essential characteristic of the partnership en nom collectif which distinguishes it from the other forms of commercial partnerships. In a partnership en nom collectif, each and every partner is liable for all the debts and obligations of the partnership with all his property present and future and not only up to the amount contributed by him to the partnership. Due to the unlimited liability of each and every partner, creditors of the partnership may enforce their claims against any of the partners and this even where such claims exceed the amount contributed or promised as contribution by the said partner. The joint and several liability of the partners for the obligations of the partnership means that the partner against whom an action is brought for the recovery of a sum due by the partnership may not plead the benefit of discussion of any of the other partners. However, one of the provisos to Article 7 states that, â€Å"no action shall lie against the individual partners unless the property of the partnership has first been discussed.† Therefore a creditor looking for a payment has to first go to the property of the partnership itself as an entity before its individual partners. Only in the absence of sufficient partnership assets can the creditor go to the individual partners. A partnership is legally valid when partners enter into an agreement called the â€Å"deed of partnership.† The deed of partnership has to be entered into, signed and sent to the registrar and thus duly registered by the Registrar of Companies. The next step would be the issued of â€Å"a certificate of registration† and this can be described as the act of birth of the partnership because it is at this point that the latter comes into being. Article 14 of the Companies Act shall state : (a) the name and residence of each of the partners; (b) the partnership-name; (c) the registered office in Malta of the partnership; (d) the objects of the partnership, that is to say, whether the objects are trade in general or a particular branch of trade, and in the latter case, the nature of the trade; (e) the contribution of each of the partners, specify the value of the respective contribution of every partner; (f) the period if any fixed for the duration of the partnership. The Partnership En Commandite In a partnership en commandite there must be at least one general partner and one limited partner. The general partner has to guarantee all the obligations of the partnership unlimitedly whereas the limited partner enjoys limited liability up till the payment of his share. Article 51 of the Act defines a partnership en commandite as one which â€Å"operates under a partnership name and has its obligations guaranteed by the unlimited and joint and several liability of one or more partners, called general partners, and by the liability, limited to the amount, if any unpaid on the contribution, of one or more partners, called limited partners.† From the definition, it is clear that this partnership shares a number of similar characteristics with the partnership en nom collectif. What has been said with regard to the partnership name when dealing with the partnership en nom collectif applies also to the characteristics of the partnership en commandite. In addition Article 53 of the Act states that â€Å"a person who holds himself out as being a general partner shall be held liable unlimitedly and jointly and severally with the general partners for all the obligations contracted by the partnership.† Therefore, if a partner makes believe that he is a general partner, then he will be treated as such. Furthermore, Article 53(2) of the Act provides that â€Å"the inclusion in the partnership name of the name of a person who is not a partner shall be taken into account by the Court in determining whether such person is holding himself out as being a partner.† Therefore the partnership name can only include the name of the general partner, otherwise if a limited person added his name, he would be deemed to be holding himself out as being a general part ner. These same provisions are applicable also to a partnership en nom collectif through Article 18 of the Companies Act. The co-existence in the partnership of one or more general and one or more limited partners distinguishes the partnership en commandite from the partnership en nom collectif and from the limited liability company. The liability of the general partners is similar to that of the partners in en nom collectif, that is unlimited and joint and several. The liability of the limited partners is defined by law as â€Å"†¦limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the contribution and in no case are limited partners bound to restore profits received in good faith’’. The Company (Limited Liability Company) A limited liability company is defined as being one, â€Å"formed by means of a capital divided into shares held by its members. The members’ liability is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares respectively held by each of them.† From the said definition the most important characteristic and benefit of a limited liability company is highlighted, that is, the limited liability of all the members composing the company. The limitation of liability of the members of a company forms the exceptional legal characteristic of this kind of partnership. The limitation of liability is a valued privilege in itself and as long as it is operated legally and within the terms of the Companies Act, the personal assets of directors or shareholders are not at risk. However, due to this privilege, there are a number of provisions, aimed at preventing possible abuses. Article 68 of the Act provides that, â€Å"A company shall not be validly constituted under this Act unless a memorandum of association is entered into and subscribed by at least two persons, and a certificate of registration is issued in respect thereof†. The memorandum will include all the information about the company deemed necessary to lessen opportunities for abuse. â€Å"When the memorandum or the articles are drawn up in a public deed or in a private writing enrolled in the records of a notary public, an authentic copy thereof shall be delivered in lieu of the original.† On receiving the above-named documents, the duty of the Registrar is to examine them and, on being satisfied that all the requirements prescribed by law have been compiled with he will issue the certificate of registration. These measures and provisions will strengthen the credit and reputation of the company. â€Å"The choice of company names is restricted and, providing a chosen name complies with the rules, no-one else can use it.† Article 4 of the Companies Act provides that â€Å"A company shall not be registered by a name which (a) is the same as a name of another commercial partnership or so nearly similar as in the opinion of the Registrar it could create confusion:† Therefore no two limited companies can exist with exactly the same name. It is essential for the company to have a share capital and that the amount of such capital is stated and divided into shares of a fixed amount which according to Article 69(f) of the Act, must be stated in the memorandum. The said article states that, â€Å"the amount of share capital with which the company proposes to be registered (hereinafter referred to as â€Å"the authorised capital†), the division thereof into shares of a fixed amount.† The law also makes it impossible for a company to issue shares with variable share capital. This is only possible in the case of a SICAV which is an investment company with a variable share capital. â€Å"†¦Where a private company is an investment company with variable share capital, the name of the company shall be followed by the words â€Å"investment company with variable share capital† or by â€Å"SICAV†, followed by the words â€Å"private limited company†, †limited† or its abbreviatio n (ltd).† A company can either be a private or public company. The company must have a name under which it can operate and enter into legal relationships with third parties. Article 70 of the Act states that â€Å"†¦. A public company may be designated by any name but such name must end with the words â€Å"public limited company† or their abbreviation â€Å"p.l.c.† A private company may be designated by any name, but such name shall end with the words â€Å"private limited company† or the words â€Å"limited† or its abbreviation â€Å"Ltd†. The memorandum of association has to state whether it is a public or a private company. The public company may be listed or non-listed on the stock-exchange. It stands to reason that this would not be possible for a private company because its shares cannot be made available to the public at large. The members of a company manifest their wishes at general meetings by voting for or against proposed resolutions and as a rule the will of the majority of the members prevails and is binding on all. An important issue to address is deciding which form of business partnership to use. In practice, the limited liability company is the most popular commercial partnership. â€Å"First and foremost, the principal benefit of trading via a limited company has always been the limited liability bestowed upon the company’s officers and shareholders.† Before the concept of limited liability many people who had a substantial amount of resources would be reluctant to form a partnership due to the fear of losing everything as a result of the company’s losses. With the introduction of limited liability that person knows that he is only liable up to the amount he has invested and therefore only that amount is at risk and not all of his property. Therefore, this low risk of limited liability encourages greater investment. Once a Company builds a good reputation, it even increases the value of its goodwill with the result of being more in demand for investment continuity. Another fact which promotes the use of a limited liability company is that the creditors who deal with companies know that they are dealing with a company whose shareholders’ liability is limited, namely from the fact that it has (Ltd) at the end of its name. The creditors thus know what they are going in for and know what the repercussions are if they enter into transactions with limited liabilities and therefore if they have doubts, they should not enter any contracts in the first place. Just like all the rest of the commercial partnerships, the Limited Liability Company is a separate person. A shareholder in the company is just a person who has just acquired shares but is a separate person from the company. The company and the share holder are not one and the same thing and therefore the latter cannot be responsible for the obligations entered into by the company. In the Commercial Partnership Ordinance under Section 4(2) it was spelt out that â€Å"a commercial partnership has a legal personality distinct from that of its members.† Nowadays, even a single member company has a separate juridical personality. Another advantage of forming a company is that once a company is formed it continues despite the death, resignation or bankruptcy of management and members. Since the limited liability company is considered a lasting legal entity â€Å"a company can only be terminated by winding up, liquidation or other order of the courts or Registrar of Companies.† Another reason why it is of an advantage to form a limited liability company is that it is easy to secure new shareholders and investors. A public company which is in need of money or wishes to invest in another business enterprise can be listed in the stock exchange and acquire the needed finance by means of trading by other shareholders or investors, hence the ownership of a company can be divided among several owners in the form of shares of stock. The issue, transfer or sales of shares is regulated by the Companies Act. With a limited liability company, the process of borrowing money from a bank is much easier. On registration with the MFSA the company is a legal person in accordance with the Companies Act and consequently the bank will open an account and â€Å"can secure its loan against certain assets of the business or against the business as a whole.† When setting up a company business partners do not pay tax on their individual income but on a corporate level on company profits which may constitute benefits and allowance. In addition companies are approved better beneficiary pension schemes which consequently are offered to the employees of the company. Since the introduction of the limited liability company a total number of 52,000 companies where registered with the Malta Financial Services Authority, while only around 1,300 partnerships were registered. These statistics prove that it is the best decision one can make to carry out a business in the form of a limited liability company. In conclusion, a legal limited liability company helps you gain from a number of advantage mentioned above while you can limit your personal liability and protect your personal assets. Bibliography Statutory Sources * Chapter 386 of the Laws of Malta, Companies Act (1995) * Commercial Partnerships Ordinance Internet Sources and websites * Coddan. Advantages And Benefits Of A Limited Company.. Available: http://www.ukincorp.co.uk/s-46-uk-company-formation-benefits.html. Last accessed 4th May, 2011 * European Commission. (02/2010). Legal Requirements. Available: http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/business/starting-business/setting-up/malta/index_en.htm. Last accessed 7th May, 2011. * Focus Business Services. (1998-2011). Registration Process of a Malta Company. Available: http://www.fbsmalta.com/malta-company-law-full-text-and-formation-procedure-2 /registration-process-malta-company/. Last accessed 7th May, 2011 * QUBE Services Limited. Maltese Bodies Corporate. Available: http://www.qubeservices.com/01types.asp. Last accessed 7th May, 2011. * RSM Malta. Services. Available: http://www.rsmmalta.com.mt/company-formation.aspx. Last accessed 7th May, 2011. * tutor2u. advantages of a limited liability. Available: http://tutor2u.net/business/finance/legal_company_advantages.htm. Last accessed 7th May, 2011. * http://www.commonlii.org/mt/legis/consol_act/cpo307.pdf

Mark Company Executive Summary Essay

Analysis Analyzing Mark X Company’s financial statements and projecting the expected numbers for the coming years we make a decision on whether or not Mark X Company qualifies for the loan extension of $6,375,000. The strength of Mark X as a company is its fixed assets turnover ratio, which rose from 1990 to 1992. This tells us Mark X’s ability to generate net sales from each addition of a fixed asset. Sales generated from the fixed assets are greater than the costs of the fixed assets, which imply that the fixed assets that were purchased are good investments for the company. This is really the only positive ratio they have at the moment. Weaknesses we found in Mark X were its debt ratio, which increased from 40.47% in 1990 to 46.33% in 1991 and from 46.33% to 59.80% in 1992. This shows us Mark X’s amount of debt relative to its assets is increasing and that its debt is equal to more than half of its assets by 1992. The current ratio and quick ratio has also indicated ne gative change, both decreasing between 1990 and 1992. The current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a company’s ability to pay short term obligations, while the quick ratio shows a company’s ability to pay its short-term obligations with its most liquid assets. Both ratios are steadily decreasing, indicating to us the position of the company has become less and less favorable. The company’s asset management ratios also show decreasing numbers. The inventory turnover ratios have decreased as well as the total asset turnover. This explains the number of times a company’s inventory is sold and replaced during a period. The company’s days sales outstanding (ACP) also rose from 36.00 in 1990 to 53.99 in 1992. This shows us that Mark X’s average number of days to collect revenues after a sale has increased. This number is unfavorable because this means the company’s cash is tied up in accounts receivable for longer period. The profit margin ratio also fell from 5.50% in 1990 to 3.44% in 1991, and then from 3.44% to  0.39% in 1992. This is a ratio of profitability calculated as net income divided by revenues, showing us that the company’s profitability has dropped substantially. Similarly, the gross profit margin and the return on total assets has decreased over the past three years, the gross profit margin dropping from 19.48% in 1990 to 14.76% in 1992, and the return on total assets dropping from 16.82% in 1990 to 0.79% in 1992. This shows us the company’s financial health has declined, and the proportion of money left over from revenues after accounting for cost of goods sold has decreased. The return on equity using the extended DuPont Equation shows how the ROE was 28.26% in 1990, and quickly fell to 1.95% in 1992, well below the industry average. Looking at the data from 1990-1992, we feel that the bank should not lend the requested money to Mark X. Based on their data’s ratio-analysis; the companies leverage and liquidity are both dropping. The liquidity ratios show that not only does Mark X have problems obtaining cash, but these problems have been getting worse. Notice that their current assets consist of a very high percentage of inventories. This will make the task of converting its current assets into cash in a short period of time difficult. The leverage ratios show that their debt levels are not only extremely high, but they are only getting worse. Its TIE ratio is decreasing also; showing that Mark X’s ability to pay interests is decreasing. The problems do not stop there. Their efficiency ratios indicate that even though their fixed assets are increasingly being used to promote sales during 1990 and 1991, which is shown by their fixed asset turnover ratio, the decreasing total assets turnover ratio shows that Mark X’s total assets are not being efficiently used, so their overall asset management is becoming less efficient. Finally, their profitability ratios are showing that their ability to generate profit is decreasing. One of the major factors in the possible denial of the new loan is the lack of payments on their short term loans. Mark X could pay off their outstanding short-term loans by the end of 1993. The 1993 forecasted balance sheet shows a cash balance of $35,874 (all  dollar values in thousands). Their current outstanding short term bank loans are projected to be $24,608. Assuming that the company can survive on a cash balance of $11,266, it would be possible for Mark X to pay off all the short term debt by the end of the year. There is a potential that the bank could withdraw its line of credit and demand immediate repayment of the two existing loans. If that happens, Mark X has very limited plans of action. If the bank were to demand immediate payment of all outstanding loans, Mark X would have a real mess on their hands. They would need to make payments of $18,233 for the short term debt and $9,563 for the long term debt. This means that Mark X would need to pay $27,796 within a period of 10 days. Their total ending cash at the end of the 1992 year is only $3,906 which would only be a small chunk of the outstanding loans. The company now would be forced to demand payment from their accounts receivables which are valued at $29,357 and would cover the total of the loan. However, they would need to collect the entire amount in under 10 days to pay the bank back. If they do not succeed in obtaining the $27,796, their only other option is file for bankruptcy. The validity of comparative ratio analysis could be considered questionable in a couple of different situations. The first thing is that there could be some uncontrollable changes and the second is that the companies are not comparable in size. Large businesses have the advantage of economies of scale. For example, a large company can have larger earnings per fixed asset because they have a much larger market share than a small company that uses the same technology. You should also be careful comparing different years without taking the state of the economy into consideration. In recessions, it would not be smart to compare the earnings per share to a previous year before the recession. This may make it possible to lay blame on the wrong reasons and not properly evaluate the state of the company. The ratios should be used to measure areas that are controllable by them. In the situation of a recession, there is nothing that the company can do about it. The sensitivity analysis is a technique that indicates how much NPV will change in response to a given change in an input variable, other things held  constant. We perform a sensitivity analysis to show how sensitive the results are to things such as the sales growth rate, the cost of goods sold percentage, and the administrative expense ratio. If the results don’t vary too much when a given variable is changed to a less favorable value, than the bank would have greater confidence in extending its line of credit. Based on the analyses, Karen should recommend the extension of the existing short and long term loans and grant the additional $6,375,000. We feel the loan should be given because the projections show substantial improvement in many areas of the financial statements. Cash on hand in 1993 alone significantly increases about $32 million. Accounts payable and receivable both show improvements while the ratios continue to recover and regain strength. The Altman Z score of Mark X is projected to rise well above the industry average reducing their chances of bankruptcy. Contractual requirements for current, quick and debt ratios should be changed to require a higher standard of financial security for the bank. During the first quarter after the grant of additional funds, the bank should also continue the requirement of quarterly financial statements and continue to calculate the key ratios and the trends in these ratios to identify any deficiencies. If improvements aren’t shown after the 1993 appropriate measures will be taken by the bank.

Amul: Deary Cooperative in India Essay

Abstract In this paper we describe a case study of a dairy cooperative, AMUL, in western India that has developed a successful model for doing business in large emerging economy. It has been primarily responsible, through its innovative practices, for India to become world’s largest producer of milk. A subset of strategies followed by AMUL would still be very useful. Thus, firms that are contemplating addressing large undeveloped markets or have an intention of taking advantage of extensive but marginal supplier base would still benefit. Introduction The Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited was established on December 14, 1946 as a response to exploitation of marginal milk producers in the city of Anand (in Kaira district of the western state of Gujarat in India) by traders or agents of existing dairies. Producers had to travel long distances to deliver milk to the only dairy, the Polson Dairy in Anand – often milk went sour, especially in the summer season, as producers had to physically carry milk in individual containers. These agents decided the prices and the off-take from the farmers by the season. Milk is a commodity that has to be collected twice a day from each cow/buffalo. In winter, the producer was either left with surplus unsold milk or had to sell it at very low prices. Moreover, the government at that time had given monopoly rights to Polson Dairy (around that time Polson was the most well known butter brand in the country) to collect milk from Anand and supply to Bombay city in tu rn (about 400 kilometers away). India ranked nowhere amongst milk producing countries in the world in 1946. The producers of Kaira district took advice of the nationalist leaders, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (who later became the first Home Minister of free India) and Morarji Desai (who later become the Prime Minister of India). They advised the farmers to form a cooperative and supply directly to the Bombay Milk Scheme instead of selling it to Polson (who did the same but gave low prices to the producers). Thus the Kaira District Cooperative was established to collect and process milk in the district of Kaira. Milk collection was also decentralized, as most producers were marginal farmers who would deliver 1-2 litres of milk per day. Village level cooperatives were established to organize the marginal milk producers in each of these villages. The first modern dairy of the Kaira Union was established at Anand (which popularly came to be known as AMUL dairy after its brand name). The new plant had the capacity to pasteurise 300,000 pounds of milk per day, manufacture 10,000 pounds of butter pe r day, 12,500 pounds of milk powder per day and 1,200 pounds of casein per day. Indigenous R&D and technology development at the Cooperative had led to the successful production of skimmed milk powder from buffalo milk – the first time on a commercial scale anywhere in the world. The foundations of a modern dairy industry in India had just been laid as India had one of the largest buffalo populations in the world. We move to year 2000. The dairy industry in India and particularly in the State of Gujarat looks very different. India has emerged as the largest milk producing country in the world. Gujarat emerges as the most successful State in terms of milk and milk product production through its cooperative dairy movement. The Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited, Anand becomes the focal point of dairy development in the entire region and AMUL emerges as one of the most recognized brands in India, ahead of many international brands. Starting with a single shared plant at Anand and two village cooperative societies for milk procurement, the dairy cooperative movement in the State of Gujarat had evolved into a network of 2.12 million milk producers (called farmers) who are organized in 10,411 milk collection independent cooperatives (called Village Societies). These Village Societies (VS) supply milk to thirteen independent dairy cooperatives (called Unions). AMUL is one such Union. Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation or GCMMF is the marketing entity for products of all Unions in the State of Gujarat. GCMMF has 42 regional distribution centers in India, serves over 500,000 retail outlets and exports to more than 15 countries. All these organizations are independent legal entities yet loosely tied together with a common destiny. In a recent survey GCMMF was ranked amongst the top ten FMCG firms in the country while AMUL was rated the second most recognized brand in India amongst all Indian and MNC offerin gs. 2nd Phase: In 1966, Amul hired Sylvester daCunha, then managing director of the advertising agency AS to design a new ad campaign for Amul Butter. daCunha designed an add campaign as series of hoardings with topical ads, relating to day-to-day issues.[14]The campaign was widely popular and earned a Guiness world record for the longest running ad campaign in the world. Since the 1980s, cartoon artist Bharat Dabholkarhas been involved with sketching the Amul ads, who rejected the trend of using celebrities in advertisement campaigns. Despite encountering political pressure on several occasions, daCunha’s agency has made it a policy of not backing down. Some of the more controversial Amul ads include one commenting on Naxalite uprising in West Bengal, on the Indian Airlines employees strike, and the one depicting the Amul butter girl wearing a Gandhi cap. Amul hired DraftFCB+Ulka for the brands of Amul milk, chocolates, paneer, ghee, ice-cream. The establishment of Amul is also known as White Revolution. The White Revolution of India inspired the notable Indian film-makerShyam Benegal to base his film Manthan (1976) on it. The White Revolution ushered an era of plenty from a measly amount of milk production and distribution. Aside from the great measurable success that this project was, it also demonstrated the power of â€Å"collective might†. A small set of poor farmers of Kheda district in Gujarat had the vision and foresight to act in a way that was good for the society and not for the self alone. There have been several factors driving the restructuring of the dairy business (which has chiefly been organized around cooperative principles). These include efficiencies in managing fewer large plants versus a number of under-utilized small plants, need for more milk supply (and declining membership), need to offer wide variety, improvements in trucking & milk handling thereby facilitating long hauls, opening of new international markets (also markets for new products), seeking marketing clout and need to bring investment from outside the cooperatives. AMUL in India has learnt from many experiences and has been influenced by practices in dairies around the world especially in its formative years. It has, however, formed it own organizational structure (i.e., AMUL is a cooperative of village cooperatives) to bring about a change in the lives of marginal farmers of India. The AMUL experience has attracted considerable interest from the development community – predominantly an thropologists, development & agriculture economists, and political scientists. Key areas of their enquiry have been the role of AMUL in reducing social and economic inequality in the region of the cooperative, the sociology of cooperation, interface of the dairy cooperative and the rural power structure, relation of the State and the Cooperative and the role of government in its growth (interestingly, AMUL has successfully managed to exercise its independence from the government unlike other cooperatives in India), elements & replicability of the cooperative movement at Anand, cost effectiveness of subsidies to AMUL (in its initial years) etc. A few studies have evaluated the operational effectiveness of the operations at AMUL. Studies have reported usage of mobile veterinary dispensaries, wireless sets to link mobile units to service centers as early 1951, developing a programme of cross breeding of cows in early 1970s etc. that have led to a phenomenal rise in productivity of milk (Patel, 1988). AMUL’s Journey towards Excellence AMUL’s journey towards excellence is marked by some critical understanding of the business environment in large emerging economies like India where markets have to be developed by combining efficiency related initiatives with increasing the base of marginal suppliers and consumers. The essence of AMUL’s efforts were as follows: †¢ It combined market and social development in an emerging economy. It recognized the inter-linkages between various environments that governed the lives of marginal milk farmers and the unmet needs of consumers. It also changed the supply chain paradigm in order to reduce the cost to the consumer while increasing the return to the supplier. †¢ It realized that in order to achieve their objectives, it had to benefit a large number of people – both suppliers and consumers. While large scale had the danger of failure due to poor control and required more resources, it also had the advantage of creating a momentum that would be necessary to bring more people into the fold and thereby help more suppliers and consumers. †¢ It also realized that its goal could only be achieved in the long run and this required developing values in people and processes that were robust, replicable and transparent. †¢ It also realized that the cooperative would not be independent and viable in the face of competition if it were not financially sound. Leadership While Kaira Union (or AMUL) had the support of national leaders who were at the forefront of the Indian independence movement, its local leaders were trained in Gandhian simplicity and had their feet rooted firmly amongst people whom they had mobilized – the poor farmers of Anand. The foremost amongst them was Tribhuvandas Patel who had led the movement for the formation of cooperatives of small and marginal farmers in order to compete against investor owned enterprises on one hand, and keep bureaucracy away on the other hand. Tribhuvandas was the first Chairman of the cooperative. His skills lay in organizing the village producers, in making them believe in the power of cooperation and their rights towards improvement of human condition. He is remembered as fair and honest person whose highest sense of accountability to the members of the union laid the foundation of trust between network members. Another important aspect of his remarkable management style was his gentleness and ability to repose trust in people – he gave complete autonomy to managers of the union and earned complete commitment from them. Verghese Kurien was one such manager who would, first, shape the destiny of the Union and then the milk movement throughout the country. Several young people left better paying jobs to help create a dream of making India the milk capital of the world. Kurien had learnt the persuasive charm of Tribhuvandas through plain speaking and had soon created a cadre of highly capable managers to whom he had delegated both management as well as commitment. These leaders were created at the village, district and state levels in different organizations of the network. Tribhuvandas knew that his fledgling cooperative needed a technocrat manager who shared his concern for the farmers and also had the tenacity to organize marginal producers. Convincing farmers to join the cooperative required commitment bordering on stubbornness, a can do attitude and a desire to change lives of poor people. Verghese Kurien had those skills and had linkages to the government. He was charismatic in his communication and committed in his effort. Over a period of time, he developed a very close link with the poor farmers who, as he always says, â€Å"w ere his employers† at the cooperative. He would travel through the villages along with Tribhuvandas and work out the details of how the milk collection cooperative would work, how trucks would pickup milk from village societies, how the cattle would have to be taken care of and how all of this would help the poor milk farmer come out of poverty and the clutches of the middleman. Operational details were meticulously planned and executed. And then, he along with two of his close associates would work on the design of the dairy plant including conducting experiments to create powder out of buffalo milk – a task that was ridiculed by all who heard of it including the international aid agencies in the dairy industry. Tribhuvandas and Kurien were able to convince the government also of the value of his efforts and secured funding for several projects of the cooperative. Kurien’s biggest strength lay in his ability to convince people that the cause of rural farmers was important thus establishing an important shar ed value. Subsequently, he could convince the government to replicate the AMUL model in almost all states of the country. Strategy AMUL’s business strategy is driven by its twin objectives of (i) long-term, sustainable growth to its member farmers, and (ii) value proposition to a large customer base by providing milk and other dairy products a low price. Its strategy, which evolved over time, comprises of elements described below. Simultaneous Development of Suppliers and Customers: From the very early stages of the formation of AMUL, the cooperative realized that sustained growth for the long-term was contingent on matching supply and demand. Further, given the primitive state of the market and the suppliers of milk, their development in a synchronous manner was critical for the continued growth of the industry. The organization also recognized that in view of the poor infrastructure in India, such development could not be left to market forces and proactive interventions were required. Accordingly, AMUL and GCMMF adopted a number of strategies to assure such growth. For example, at the time AMUL was formed, the vast majority of consumers had limited purchasing power and was value conscious with very low levels of consumption of milk and other dairy products. Thus, AMUL adopted a low price strategy to make their products affordable and guarantee value to the consumer. The success of this strategy is well recognized and remains the main plank of AMUL’s strategy even today. To summarize, the dual strategy of simultaneous development of the market and member farmers has resulted in parallel growth of demand and supply at a steady pace and in turn assured the growth of the industry over an extended period of time. Cost Leadership: AMUL’s objective of providing a value proposition to a large customer base led naturally to a choice of cost leadership position. Given the low purchasing power of the Indian consumer and the marginal discretionary spending power, the only viable option for AMUL was to price its products as low as possible. This in turn led to a focus on costs and had significant implications for managing its operations and supply chain practices (described later). Focus on Core Activities: In view of its small beginnings and limited resources, it became clear fairly early that AMUL would not be in a position to be an integrated player from milk production to delivery to the consumer. Accordingly, it chose a strategy to focus on core dairy activities and rely on third parties for other complementary needs. This philosophy is reflected in almost all phases of AMUL network spanning R&D, production, collection, processing, marketing, distribution, retailing etc. For example, AMUL focused on processing of liquid milk and conversion to variety of dairy products and associated research and development. On the other hand, logistics of milk collection and distribution of products to customers was managed through third parties. However, it played a proactive role in making support services available to its members wherever it found that markets for such services were not developed. For example, in the initial stages, its small and marginal member farmers did not have access to finance, veterinary service, knowledge of basic animal husbandry etc. Thus to assure continued growth in milk production and supply, AMUL actively sought and worked with partners to provide these required services. Managing Third Party Service Providers: Well before the ideas of core competence and the role of third parties in managing the supply chain were recognized and became fashionable, these concepts were practiced by GCMMF and AMUL. From the beginning, it was recognized that the core activity for the Unions lay in processing of milk and production of dairy products. Accordingly, the Unions focused efforts on these activities and related technology development. Marketing efforts (including brand development) were assumed by GCMMF. All other activities were entrusted to third party service providers. These include logistics of milk collection, distribution of dairy products, sale of products through dealers and retail stores, some veterinary services etc. It is worth noting that a number of these third parties are not in the organized sector, and many are not professionally managed. Hence, while third parties perform the activities, the Unions and GCMMF have developed a number of mechanisms to retain control and assure quality and timely deliveries (see the sub-section on Coordination for Competitiveness later in the paper for more details). This is particularly critical for a perishable product such as liquid milk. Financial Strategy: AMUL’s finance strategy is driven primarily by its desire to be self-reliant and thus depend on internally generated resources for funding its growth and development. This choice was motivated by the relatively underdeveloped financial markets with limited access to funds, and the reluctance to depend on Government support and thus be obliged to cede control to bureaucracy. AMUL’s financial strategy may thus be characterized by two elements: (a) retention of surplus to fund growth and development, and (b) limited/ no credit, i.e., all transactions are essentially cash only. For example, payment for milk procured by village societies is in cash and within 12 hours of procurement (most, however, pay at the same time as the receipt of milk). Similarly, no dispatches of finished products are made without advance payment from distributors etc. This was particularly important, given the limited liquidity position of farmer/suppliers and the absence of banking facilities in rural India. This strategy strongly helped AMUL implement its own vision of growth and development. It is important to mention that many of the above approaches were at variance with industry practices of both domestic and MNC competitors of AMUL. Organization AMUL is organized as a cooperative of cooperatives (i.e., each village society, a cooperative in itself, is a member of the AMUL cooperative) thereby deriving the advantage of scale and uniformity in decision making. The founders of Kaira Union realized that to fulfill their objectives, a large number of marginal farmers had to benefit from the cooperative – a network of stakeholders had to be built. And once built, it had to grow so as to draw more rural poor to undertake dairy farming as a means of livelihood. The network had to have several layers – the organizational network where the voice of the owners governed all decisions, a physical network of support services and product delivery process and a network of small farmers that could deliver the benefit of a large corporation in the market place. More importantly, a process had to be put in place to build these networks. Building an organizational network that would represent the farmers and the customers was the most complicated task. A loose confederation was developed with GCMMF representing the voice of the customers, the Unions representing the milk processors and the village societies representing the farmers. Competition in the markets ensured that the entire network was responding to the requirements of the customers at prices that were very competitive. The task of ensuring that returns to the farmers was commensurate with the objectives with which the cooperatives were setup was achieved through representation of farmers at different levels of decision making throughout the network – the board of directors of societies, Unions and the Federation comprised farmers themselves. In order to ensure that most returns from sales went to the producers, the intermediaries had to operate very effectively and on razor thin margins. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise – the operations remained very â€Å"lean† and started to provide cost based advantage to the entire network. AMUL establ ished a group to standardize the process of organizing farmers into village societies. In addition to establishing the criteria for selecting members, the group had to train the VS to run the cooperative democratically, profitably and with concern for its members. This included establishing procedures for milk collection, testing, payment for milk purchased from member farmers and its subsequent sale to the union, accounting, ensuring timely collection and dispatch of milk on milk routes established by the union, etc. The Village Societies Division at AMUL acts as the internal representative of village societies in their dealings with the Union. Cooperative development programmes at the village level for educating & training its members have become an important part of the strategy to build this extensive network. Milk procurement activity at AMUL comprises development and servicing of village societies, increasing milk collection, procurement of milk from societies & its transport to the chilling locations, and resolving problems of farmers and village societies. Thei r stated objective is to ensure that producers get maximum benefits. The Village Societies Division coordinates these activities. Milk collection takes place over a large number of pre-defined routes according to a precise timetable. The field staff of this division also help village societies interface with the Union on various issues ranging from improvement of collection, resolving disputes, repair of equipments to obtaining financing for purchase of equipment etc. In addition, they are also responsible for the formation of new societies, which is an important activity at AMUL. In essence, the organization structure of AMUL allows effective utilization of resources without losing the democratic aspiration of individual members. It is obvious that such a system needs charismatic leadership to achieve consensus across issues – a process that has long-term benefits for any organization. Marketing GCMMF is the marketing arm of the network and manages the physical delivery and distribution of milk and dairy products from all the Unions to customers. GCMMF is also responsible for all decisions related to market development and customer management. These activities, which range from long-term planning to medium-term and short-term operational decisions are described below. As mentioned earlier, introduction of new products and choice of product mix and markets should be consistent with the growth strategy, and synchronous with growth in milk supply. GCMMF’s demand growth strategy may be characterized by two key elements: (i) developing markets for its high value products by graduating customer segments from low value products, and (ii) maintaining a healthy level of customer base for its base products (low value segment). This strategy often requires GCMMF to allocate sufficient quantity of milk supply to low value products, thereby sacrificing additional profits that coul d be generated by converting the same to high value products. Interestingly, advertisement & promotion (a la FMCG) was not considered to be enough of value addition and hence the budget was kept relatively small. Instead, GCMMF preferred a lower price with emphasis on efficiency in advertising. In this context, GCMMF provides umbrella branding to all the products of the network. For example, liquid milk as well as various milk products produced by different Unions are sold under the same brand name of AMUL. Interestingly, the advertising has centred on building a common identity (e.g., a happy & healthy â€Å"cartoon† AMUL girl) and evoking national emotion (e.g., the key advertising slogan says â€Å"AMUL – The Taste of India†). GCMMF also plays a key role in working with the Unions to coordinate the supply of milk and dairy products. In essence, it procures from multiple production plants (the thirteen Unions), which in turn procure from the Village Societies registered with each Union. GCMMF distributes its products through third party distribution depots that are managed by distributors who are exclusive to GCMMF. These distributors are also responsible for servicing retail outlets all over the country. GCMMF sales staff manages this process. Retailing of GCMMF’s products takes place through the FMCG retail network in India most of whom are small retailers. Liquid milk is distributed by vendors who deliver milk at homes. Since 1999, GCMMF has started web based ordering facilities for its customers. A well-defined supply chain has been developed to service customers who order in this manner.