Alcohol in Colonial America

The first settlers arrived to the Americas and staked their claim on this new discovery. Something else was waiting for the settlers, a beverage of intoxication. Almost as quickly as they began to organize and sub-divide the land, the immigrants, and true natives to North America shared their beloved drink: alcohol. Cultures of varied races arrived and shared in this most cherished drink. There were uses for alcohol in the earliest colonial times that went beyond a beverage to drink in festive gatherings. There are varied beliefs surrounding the conception of alcohol consumption and its effects on British Colonies. Some are true, others are false. I will construct an investigation surrounding the history of alcohol in Colonial America with persuasive evidence to support my findings. Alcohol, also commonly referred to as spirits in Colonial America had many uses. Alcohol, of course, was used in festive times, but it was also used in religious ceremonies as well and providing medicinal properties to aid in curing ailments. The initial impact of alcohol on the settlers led them to accept it for its varied uses. Although moderate use of alcohol was accepted, society, from its inception into the Americas, frowned upon individuals becoming overly intoxicated. In other words, drunkenness was viewed negatively. Since alcohol was considered a â€Å"gift from the gods† to the natives, the settlers, too, accepted its mind-altering properties as something almost sacred. The growing communities treasured it, just as the natives did. Time and abuse were two components that led to problems for alcohol consumption. Due to its success in the minds of settlers, they partook in alcohol consumption for all three meals of the day: beer with breakfast, hard cider with lunch, beer with supper. In fact, beer and hard cider were the most popular drinks for colonists. As the drinking continued, they wanted to learn how to brew beer. One of the initial problems—aside from increasing abuse of alcoholic drunkenness—was the lack of sufficient ingredients. Barley, grains, hops, and yeast were the main ingredients in a brewing beer. The colonies did not have an ample selection of hops and grains. Harvesting of barley and hops was not a common crop among farmers of this era. Many colonists tried different ingredients, but nothing satisfied the perfect blend of hops, barley, yeast, and grain. By the late 1600’s, cider became a top choice among colonists, mainly due the apple crops that were prevalent in colonial times. Mass production through efficient farming and harvesting by colonists was seen. Thanks again to England for the apples. Farmers increased their work load mainly due to the reward of the final product: cider matured into hard cider (which included alcohol). With the increasing popularity of beer and cider, the settlers discovered a need to increase their selection. The settlers started to import inexpensive yields of sugar cane and molasses to brew another popular drink: rum. Rum quickly gained in popularity for the following reasons: it was cheap to produce and tasted good. By 1700, in Boston, the first commercial distillery was opened. The increase in rum consumption was the first challenge to the beer market. Religion and alcohol found a common link. In fact, many taverns were required to be built near churches or the local town meeting house. The religious zealots accepted alcohol consumption—strictly in moderation, though. Drunkenness, of course, was viewed as sinful. Alcohol soon became a problem in the eyes of the church and laws were established surrounding alcohol. In 1697, in New York, they enacted a law that required all taverns to be closed on Sunday. They required that the Sabbath be set aside as a day solely for reconciliation with the Lord and prayer. In conjunction with the closure of taverns on Sundays, the church required further regulations against alcohol consumption on Saturday nights as well. The main concern for the church was that taverns were gaining more popularity than the Sunday services. The Reverend Charles Woodmason went one step further and cautioned parishioners with the thought that there was a competition between the church and tavern for souls. Reverend Charles was quoted was saying the following, the taverns had â€Å"more company of a Saturday, than in the church on Sunday. † As colonists went into the early part of the 19th century, religion encouraged moderation in any and all alcoholic drinks. Alcohol, aside from the churches persistent concern over drunkenness and a loss of parishioner appeal, had other uses. Alcohol was also widely used in the field of medicine. Many doctors and medical practitioners believed that some of the stronger spirits could prevent disease, cure some common infections, and offer relief to minor aches and pains such as headaches, sore joints and muscles. In these instances, doctors would prescribe rum, hard cider, or whiskey. Doctors also encouraged patients to increase alcohol consumption to relieve emotional or stressful problems in their daily life. In fact, doctors went so far as to prescribe families to drink alcohol in lie of water. They thought that water brought from Europe was contaminated, and, thus, could lead to serious illness. Alcohol consumption was also prescribed to children suffering from viral infections as well as aiding in their development into a stronger, more physically fit individual. A little whiskey and honey went a long way for a sick child. The unusual, or even outlandish, practices went further still: doctors prescribed hard liquor to women who were in labor, a means of numbing some of the intense pain suffered during labor. Midwives would brew what was coined â€Å"groaning ale. This groaning ale contained extremely high contents of alcohol and special spices, all in hopes of easing the child bearing pains. A variation to groaning ale was used by some doctors. This was a little less toxin on the mother and baby. Doctors concocted spirits that were used as an anesthetic. This anesthetic was less expensive and more readily available from household to household than the hard spirits used i n the groaning ale. Alcohol, as with many new products brought to civilized society, began as an innocent and purely beneficial product. Beyond the stress-reducing capacity for hard cider or beer, the early nutritionists thought alcohol had great nutritional value and needed to be added to a person’s health-conscious daily diet regime. Due to this initial nutritious appeal, politicians did not, initially, write legislation limiting alcohol consumption. It was not until 1619, in the state of Virginia, that the first law was passed to control alcohol use. Policy maker main objective was to restrict â€Å"drunkenness,† not prohibit the use of alcohol. This first law enacted a penalty against drunkenness which stated that if you were arrested for being drunk and disorderly, then the fine would be up to 5 shillings or imprisonment. In time, however, politician modified the law to only include a monetary infraction. The reasoning behind this law was because the lower-classes tended to be the ones caught in public, and politicians felt a fine would be viewed as more distressing to the lower-class and curtail drunkenness. The next state to enact legislation surrounding alcohol consumption was Maryland. In Maryland, in 1639, they attempted to limit the amount a person drank. According to law, it was illegal to be drunk in public: â€Å"drunkenness† was defined as â€Å"drinking with excess to the notable perturbation of any organ or sense of motion. † The penalty was the same as in Virginia: 5 shillings. In 1645, Massachusetts jumped on the alcohol bandwagon, passing a law that restricted the amount an individual could consume at any period of time. The law stated the following, â€Å"The courts consider it illegal to drink more than a pint of wine at a time. † Anything over a pint constituted inebriation. On top of this, Massachusetts instituted another statute for ale houses and tavern owners. This statute made it illegal for owners to serve a customer beyond the legal limit, a difficult law to follow. With this statute, however, both the proprietor and customer could be fined for disobeying this law (Austin, Gregory p. 230). The Plymouth colonies chose a different slant in enacting their alcohol legislation. Unlike the Virginian definition for â€Å"drunkenness,† in the Plymouth colony the focus was on motor skills. Plymouth went so far as to define the term which constituted a universal view—throughout almost every colony—that alcohol is not healthy, nor should it be considered beneficial to a person’s health. The Plymouth definition was as follows: they viewed being drunk—not by loss of mobility or amount consumed—but instead by the person’s ability speak clearly: â€Å"A person that lisps or faulters in his speech by reason of drink, or that vomits, or cannot follow his calling. † (Austin, Gregory, p. 240) When we look at gender, women were not considered part of the drinking culture. Most often, women drank in private (Salinger, Sharon p 223). According to historical record, women rarely drank in public in colonial times. It was viewed as unacceptable for a woman. Policy makers enacted different conditions and consequences for each gender. Women were rarely seen in bars and taverns in this period. The brewing of beer, up until the late 1700’s, was an art left for the women to complete. Men would be off at work during the day and women kept the house in order, which included beer and liquor. Home-brewing was very common. In fact, most households that drank brewed their own ale. The Spaniards arrived in the 1700’s and brought wine to the colonies. At the time, vineyards were unheard of; thus, without grapes they could not cultivate, ferment, and produce wine in the colonies. It was brought over on ship. The French soon followed and were able to cultivate the grapes on colony soil. Wine consumption gained in popularity, yet the hard cider was still the preferred drink among the middle class. Germans, too, became part of the alcohol dynamic. The Germans brought better techniques to brewing fine ales and were the first to bring ‘lagers’ to the Americas. All of these countries brought new ideas and new brewing methods to the colonies. In conclusion, it is apparent that the initial discovery of alcohol for the colonies was viewed as a sacred drink. The colonists took the vision of the natives and brought it into their lives as a daily staple. The harms and potential for dangerous situations soon became rampant with all the drunken colonists. Laws were passed and changes were made in various colonies in hopes of curtailing the problems associated with drunken behavior. Even the churches got involved. As new cultures landed from various countries, they discovered new varieties on crafting a very popular beverage. Regardless of all the dangers associated with alcohol consumption, I believe it’s going to continue to be a drink enjoyed throughout the world.

Pepper V Hart

Hansard is the official daily report of parliamentary debates and the record of what was said during the introduction of legislation. As one of the external aids, referencing to Hansard can help the courts to discover how Parliament intended the law to apply and put that into practice. Initially such documents could not be consulted for the purpose of statutory interpretation. In 1992 the House of Lords delivered a blockbuster in the case of Pepper v Hart [1992], which overturned the rule against consulting Hansard.However, more and more people argue that its drawbacks outweigh its advantages. The case of Pepper v Hart was between teachers at a fee-paying school and the Inland Revenue, and concerned the tax which employees should have to pay on perks. The school allowed its teachers to send their sons there for one-fifth of the usual fee. Since the amount paid by teachers covered only the extra cost rather than the school’s fixed costs, the perk cost the school little or nothi ng, and so they maintained that they should not have to pay tax on its.Nonetheless the Inland Revenue disagreed and argued that according to tax law the perk should be taxed on the basis of the amount its saved the teachers on the real cost of sending their children to the school. The reason why the issue of consulting parliamentary debates arose was that, during the passing of the Finance Act 1976, the then Secretary to the Treasury, Robert Sheldon, had specifically mentioned the kind of situation that arose in Pepper v Hart. He had stated that where the cost to an employer of a perk was minimal, employees should not have to pay tax on the full cost of it.By a six to one majority the House of Lords decided to allow reference to be made to Hansard. The permission was made in limited circumstances. First, legislation is ambiguous, or leads to an absurdity; Second, the material relied upon consists of statements by a minister or other promoter of the Bill. Third, the statements relied upon are clear. The main advantage of referencing Hansard is it can help to prevent the absurdity and injustice caused by the literal rule. When interpreting a tatute the courts can consult Hansard to see what a Minister had said about a piece of legislation in order to decide what Parliament had intended. This permission causes the effect that the literal meaning of the statute is not followed, which may help the courts to present more proper statutory interpretation. However, many people hold opposite opinion on the use of this source. A practical objection by the dissenting justice lord Mackay was the expense both in terms of time and money will add to litigation.If debates were to be used, there was a danger that the lawyers arguing a case would devote too much time and attention to ministerial statement. Lord Steyn (2001) criticized that the counsel were expected to read all the debates in Hansard, which would add greatly to the time and expense involved in preparing cases. He suggests that much of the work of the courts is now concerned with the interpretation of documents such as statutes rather than the examination of precedents. The evidence in Hansard may be lack of clarity.The House of Lords directed that the evidence provided by the parliamentary debates might not be reliable and contain ‘conducive to a clear and unbiased explanation of the meaning of statutory language. ’ Moreover, it is difficult to discover the nature of parliamentary from the Hansard. Pepper v Hart seems to confuse the statement made by a minister or promoter of the bill with the intention of the legislature. Lord Steyn points to the nature of the parliamentary process: there are not ideal conditions for the making of authoritative statements about the meaning of a clause in a Bill.In truth a Minister speaks for the Government and not for Parliament. The statements of a Minister are no more than indications of what the Government would like the law to be. ’ Nowadays there is a trend that reference to Hansard can be found in every other case involving interpretation and construction of enactments often without any serious application of mind concerning their relevance or conformity with the aid down in Pepper v Hart. The advancement in technology is definitely a major factor contributing to this trend as it makes referencing much easier.However, electronic access relates only to recent years; for any other research one has to overcome the appalling indexing for Hansard. Due to its drawback, there is a trend that the courts are reluctant to allow references to Hansard without a fair bit of persuasion. Many restrictions are placed to prevent the overuse of Hansard. In 2003, the House of Lords restated the scope of Pepper v Hart that the court is called upon to evaluate the proportionality of the legislation, not the minister’s exploration of the policy options or his explanations to Parliament.The latter would contravene article 9 of the Bill of Rights. Overall, though allowing references to Hansard has an additional aid to interpretation is welcome, references to Hansard can give rise to further ambiguity i. e. legislation being found to be incorrect. Also, it is very costly in time and money. Since it is arguable that its drawbacks outweigh its advantages, more strict guidelines should be adopted to prevent its overuse in order to maintain the efficiency of the legal system.

Marketing Challenges in the Global Economy Essay

Abstract This article discusses some challenges faced with product development in the global economy. Brief case studies of Apple, eBay, and Levi Strauss & Co., provide real-world examples of the challenges – competition, reach of influences, infringement, etc. Embracing technological advances, such as social media, is essential for leveraging a competitive edge, provide the company can operate ethically. Marketing Challenges in the Global Economy Introduction The world is getting smaller, figuratively speaking, and companies must continually reinvent themselves to remain competitive in the global economy. A constant introduction of seemingly ever-changing variables create challenges for big businesses and start-ups alike, and while technology creates its own set of challenges, leveraging its benefits in marketing can propel a company to the leader’s board. But while technology has created new marketing opportunities – especially in engaging with consumers – companies need to be ever cautious about maintaining an ethical marketing strategy. Challenges in New Product Launches Companies face various challenges when developing products in the global economy. Some of these challenges are more distinct to specific industries, while others are universal. Twenty years ago, the biggest challenges with product development in the global economy were communication with manufacturers, especially when dealing with manufacturers halfway around the world, and the speed of production. Rapidly evolving technology has on one hand eased these, but also created new sets of challenges. The same technology that brought the world 24-hour news service also meant greater access for scrutiny, as well as a greater consumer expectation for full disclosure of business practices. Increasingly, people want to know that companies are running ethical production operations (Pelsmacker, Driesen & Rayp, 2005). Environmental sustainability, fair trade and wages, and safe and healthy work conditions are issues that companies have to consider more than ever. While technological advancement has granted easier interaction with manufacturers around the world, it has not changed the fact that reach of influence is still a challenge. Independent start-ups now have virtually the same global market access as multinational corporations. Big businesses can no longer assume the competitive edge. And all of these companies, big and small, operating internationally, have to compete with local businesses. This is why operating across a spectrum of socioeconomic and cultural consumer bases requires an understanding of the psychographics for each target audience. Another challenge in product development, especially for technology-based companies, is the risk of patent infringement. More tech dollars are spent in the courtroom than on the research and development (Duhigg & Lohr, 2012). Technology firms make money suing each other back and forth. Case Study 1: Apple Under the direction of Steve Jobs, Apple seemed to have no problem delivering products to the global market that transcended cultural boundaries – iPod, iPhone, iPad, Macbook. The key was simple, user-friendly products. Are Macbooks worth their price tags? Was the first iPhone worth $500? Product valuation has been a question largely irrelevant For Apple. It was able to defy the odds by creating a demand for the products, a key to pricing a product line (Guiltinan, 2011). Still, Apple, as with any tech firm, is at risk of being overshadowed by the next greatest innovation, as seen in the latest battle of the smartphone wars (Reuters, 2012). It is a back-and-forth war that extends beyond the front line that is the retail floor. Behind the scenes, Apple and every other tech device and software developer are engaged in costly patent litigation. Apple recently won more than $1 billion from Samsung (Pepitone & Goldman, 2012). Likewise, Samsung is taking legal action against Apple for patent infringement on the iPhone 5 (Musil, 2012). Other challenge that Apple provides a prime example is ethical oversight of offshore production. Apple’s Chinese factories, run by Foxconn, have received a lot of heat for work conditions and unfair wages that have resulted in mass suicide of employees, brawls, and halting production (Garside, 2012). Case Study 2: eBay Since 1995, the internet auction giant has been providing a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) service that revolutionized e-commerce, but its success has not been without challenges. Acting essentially as nothing more than an internet moderator between C2C transaction, eBay has not had to deal with all of the same issues as Apple, such as the controversy of sub-par factory conditions. But it has faced some of the other challenges synonymous with technology firms. Patent infringement has haunted eBay. For example, MercExchange sued eBay for unlawfully using its patented software to create the eBay â€Å"Buy It Now† feature (Larson, 2010). Likewise, eBay has had to compete with other e-commerce auctions around the world. It is the standard in most western markets, but could not win in China against TaoBao (Ou & Davison, 2009). After battling for market dominance eBay conceded to TaoBao, showing that even corporate giants are sometimes challenged in reach of influence. But eBay celebrates its failures just the same as its successes. With rapidly advancing technology, the minds behind eBay have sometimes had to make decision quickly, without conclusive research, and adjust later. If the decision resulted in a failure, they at least knew what direction not to evolve in (Ignatius, 2011). Case Study 3: Levi Strauss & Co The apparel industry is probably most notoriously associated with running factories in sub-par conditions (Brown, Deardorff, & Stern). Even iconic American denim brand Levi’s is not innocent of this. Competition in the 1990s forced the company to move much of it’s production offshore, where it was soon implicated along with dozens of other brands in sweatshop operations (Shenon, 1993). More recently, ease of access into the market has created a lot of competition for Levi’s. Furthermore, emerging fashion markets have been turning their focus to local designers, further challenging Levi’s reach of influence (Grail Research, 2009). To ensure survival, Levi’s has taken steps to reinvent its image through fresh marketing campaigns to match its fresh designs (Frey, n.d.), like its recent â€Å"Go Forth† campaign. Technology and New Product Development Social media has radically changed the marketing landscape. Advertising used to be a one-directional conversation – television, radio, and magazines told consumers what to buy, and consumers were limited in their ability to denounce these sales pitches. Now marketing is most certainly dialog that requires input from consumers. Technology: Facebook MySpace might have introduced the world to the concept of social media, but Facebook took it beyond peer-to-peer and created an environment where businesses and consumers can engage in meaningful dialog (Wilkinson & Thelwall, 2010). This has allowed companies to get direct feedback from consumers, while making consumers feel like they are part of the company. Companies of varying sizes have staged successful Facebook campaigns. Even anti-Facebook campaigns have found success on the virtual playground. As a tribute to Facebook’s IPO, the magazine Fast Company published what it considered to be the five all-time best Facebook campaigns (Iezzi, 2012). Technology: YouTube Celebrities like Justin Bieber and Soulja Boy have defined a new paradigm of stardom, achieving fame through the use of viral video. Social media users are always looking for their 15 minutes of fame, and companies have picked up on this. Numerous brands have launched user-generated content campaigns. This has allowed fresh vision to emerge, while build brand evangelism. One successful campaign of this nature was the Doritos Superbowl ad contest, in which the best user-submitted video was aired during the Superbowl. Technology: Google AdSense The ever-innovative Google developed a method for posting advertisements based on the user’s browsing habits – that, is ads related to page content. Logging onto Gmail, it is no coincidence that the right-column ads share subject matter with the inbox emails. Even the Facebook ads reflect browsing history. While web ads, especially pop-ups, generally invoke negative connotations, they have a certain subliminal effect on consumers. Legal and Ethical Implications in New Product Development As previously stated, advances in technology have allowed easier access for consumers to see the skeletons in the closet, so to speak, of companies. This means companies should be on their best behavior, or expect to have their dirty little secrets discovered. Still, companies continue to engage in unethical, and even illegal marketing. This questionable activity can come in such forms as misrepresentation and misinformation, slander against competition, omission of facts, or outright lying. It can even involve deliberate manipulation of emotions to achieve a desired effect. Legal and ethical implications: Dannon Activia Despite inconclusive evidence in studies (Walker & Buckley, 2006) regarding the benefits of probiotics, Dannon chose to market implied digestive benefits of Activia and DanActive. In turn, the yogurt company found itself engaged in a lawsuit. This is a clear example of why companies should not mislead consumers for profit. Legal and ethical implications: Feed the Children The Feed the Children campaign releases videos that use techniques to deliberately elicit guilt, thus â€Å"inspiring† the the viewer to donate. What they fail to include in the commercials is the fact that the majority of donations goes to administrative costs, that is, salaries (Defoor, n.d.) Legal and ethical implications: Techie trash talk If it isn’t enough to sue each other back and forth over patent infringement, smartphone companies have taken to slandering each other for the competitive edge. Samsung accused Nokia of this with its recent â€Å"Blown Away by Lumina† campaign, in which it allegedly misrepresents the capabilities of the Nokia Lumina against other smartphones (Mukherjee, 2012). Conclusion The examples presented here provide discourse for the challenges of product development in the global economy, and the benefits of technology in marketing. While technological advancement brings along new sets of challenges, the benefits vastly amount to more. Leveraging these benefits in marketing is key for companies to succeed in an increasingly competitive global market. However, under the looming microscope of public scrutiny, companies need to be ever cautious about maintaining ethical marketing strategies. References Brown, D., Deardorff, A., & Stern, R. NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, (2003).The effects of multinational production on wages and working conditions in developing countries(Working Paper 9669). Retrieved from website: http://www.nber.org/papers/w9669 Defoor, A. (n.d.). Who do they feed?. Retrieved from http://www.themarketingscene.com/index.php/site/topic/who_do_they_feed Duhigg, C., & Lohr, S. (2012, October 07). The patent, used as a sword. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/technology/patent-wars-among-tech-giants-can-stifle-competition.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Frey, U. (n.d.). Reinventing levi strauss & co. CalBusiness, Retrieved from http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/groups/pubs/calbusiness/stories/levi1.html Garside, J. (2012, March 29). Apple’s factories in china are breaking employment laws, audit finds. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/mar/30/apple-factories-china-foxconn-audit Grail Research. Integreon, Grail Research. (2009). T he global fashion industry – growth in emerging markets. Retrieved from website http://www.grailresearch.com/pdf/ ContenPodsPdf/Global_Fashion_Industry_Growth_in_Emerging_Markets.pdf Iezzi, T. (2012). The 5 all-time best facebook campaigns. Retrieved from http://www.fastcocreate.com/1680811/the-5-all-time-best-facebook-campaigns Ignatius, A. (2011). How eBay Developed A Culture of Experimentation. Harvard Business Review, 89(3), 92-97. Mukherjee, W. (2012, April 11). Samsung: Nokia lumia campaign unethical. Retrieved from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/enterprise-it/strategy/Samsung-Nokia-Lumia-campaign-unethical/articleshow/12620894.cms Musil, S. (2012, September 10). Samsung will reportedly sue apple over lte use on iphone 5. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57510080-37/samsung-will-reportedly-sue-a

International marketing Assignmnet Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International marketing Assignmnet - Assignment Example The paper aims at assessing the scope of international marketing in Indonesia in the context of growth and development of international departmental stores in the country. For conducting an overall assessment, macro environmental analysis has been taken in consideration. The company that has been selected for this analysis is Big W, which is Australian by origin and is planning for expansion in Indonesia. Before getting into in-depth analysis a brief background of the company and its product and services has been provided. In context to overseas expansion, the motive behind such decision has also been discussed in the paper. Following company profile, a brief introduction of Indonesia has been provided along with a detailed study of economic, political, legal and cultural atmosphere of the country. Along with the environmental assessment, advantage and disadvantages associated with the location has also been discussed in the paper so that the company can evaluate the situation in a comprehensive manner before committing any resources. The paper is therefore not limited to mere analysis of Indonesian business environment. Instead, conclusion and recommendations are also provided regarding the same. Big W is one of the well-known discount departmental store chains in Australia. The retail chain is a part of Woolworths Ltd and has more than 100 stores all over Australia. The company aims at selling best quality brands at lowest possible cost. The business of Woolworths ltd is highly diverse and it can be said that the company created the subsidiary variety store for complementing Woolworths’ supermarkets. Big W employs approximately 17000 people all over Australia. The company is focused on delivering best quality at the best price, healthy and safe working environment for its employees and fair degree of return to its stakeholders. The store has a number of delivery systems that suit the consumer needs. Big W has recently diversified in the

International Business Management Control Essay

International Business Management Control - Essay Example Globalisation has been the common term heard everywhere from the year 1990 and in today’s world there is no chance of the globalisation to get diminished. Globalisation means growth in the trade and business along with the expansion in the international market. In order to build a successful business in the global market, it is very important to set the business policies and strategies in such a way that it can accommodate the international business finance environment. The technological developments have made the international communication easier. This is helping the individuals to know the events that are happening outside their home land. This increased awareness of the individuals is leading to the increase in the international trade and also the number of business that are running outside the domestic land. This shows that the economies all around the world are closely linked. In order to sustain in the global market, it is very important for the business managers to rem ain conscious that the operation market, the suppliers, the business partners, the investors and the competitors will not be restricted to the domestic country only. They can belong to the international market as well. A successful business will anticipate the future downfalls and will always make proper utilisation of the opportunities to achieve competitive advantage in the market. The managers should understand the similarities and the differences existing across the national boundaries in order to grab the opportunities and cope up with the potential downfalls. In order to develop appropriate strategies for operating in the global market, the managers need to consider the advantages as well as the disadvantages of the globalisation.... Some companies develop different products and services to supply to the customers in different countries. There has been a growth in the international companies from the developing countries. This trend will increase in future. There are increasing political, legal and other environmental barriers related to the businesses operating in the international market. Effective measures should be taken by the business managers in order to achieve competitive advantage in the market. Literature Review Many research have been made on the management of business policies in order to accommodate with the international business finance environment. There should be maintenance of transparency in the business activities and the business policies should be followed by the managers in order to avoid the international business barriers. a) It is very important for a business to assess the management goals and objectives semi annually in order to achieve competitive advantage in the changing market and the regulatory international environment. The main objective of a firm is to gain competitive advantage in the market. Researchers like Horngren et al. (2005) stated that management accounting is a method which can influence the behaviour of the managers and enhance the achievement of the organizational objectives. A firm needs to allocate and utilise its resources effectively in order to reach its objectives. The short term resources are reflected in the operating budget of the firms. The short term resources are obtained from the bank credits, trade credits etc. The long term resources are reflected in the capital budget of the firms. The long term resources are allocated by a firm by the issue

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 79

Summary - Essay Example Rituals are well established form of cultural practices or ceremonies that mark a certain social rite in the society. Although modernity or globalization has contributed to some changes in the African societies, many African societies are still attached to cultural practices, traditions and customary issues. Cultural, traditional and ritual practices are widespread in African societies. The Ndebele people are well known for being artistic people because of artistic creativity and decorations of their homestead. Their historical perspective focuses on the ritualistic practices especially male and female initiation and marriage as well as religious practices or beliefs (Sian Tiley-Nel par.1). The Ndebele people are famous because of creativity in art, traditional practices and religious beliefs. They practice male and female initiation ceremonies known as ingoma or wela and iqhude or ukuthombisa respectively. Marriage ceremony is significant to them, and their ancestors, influences their daily practices. The African coming-of –age rituals are viewed as consisting of three main stages, which includes separation from the society, transcription period and reincorporation into community (Hipple par.3). The first phase involves taking boys and girls into the forest, which is notable for ritual activities. The second phase of transition involves initiating learning activities and training boys and girls on significant skills that will help them to participate in the society. For instance, the Krobo of Ghana trains girls for three weeks on various issues such as ways of dancing and art of seduction, female behaviors in the society and the domestic core skills. However, the initial process for girls in the Senufo of Ivory Coast takes a period of seven or eight years. The third phase reincorporation into society, which is the last phase for African coming of age rituals. This stage involves varied ordeals and tests that are usually painful. The

Evaluating Capital Investment Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluating Capital Investment Project - Essay Example If the firm is usually not attentive while making the capital expenditure resolution, the time taken by the project and the invested money are wasted. The main focus of the capital investment taken by the organization should largely depend on the selection of the right choices and procedures for its expansion (Rachlin, 1987).   During the evaluation and selection of metrics in a capital budgeting plan, for example, in a healthcare organization, it is vital for executives to be able to compare all the options using an objective yard stick, in spite of the cash flow mode that result with each objective. The Net Present Value (NPV) is usually termed as the effective model for capital project evaluation. In the health care organization, while focusing on the cash flow strategies, there are lessons examining the unconventional performances, for example, accounting rate of return and the discounted payback methodology (Harrison & Mason, 1996). There is a formalized procedure that is followed while determining the type of metric program to be used. This is usually to impact changes on several model compositions on the model outputs. The project that an organization chooses affects the business evolution, this is usually a result of several shortcomings encountered in the marketing of the organizations, for exampl e, increased competition, change of client’s predilections and the aging capacity of the organizational property. Sensitivity scrutiny is the most significant component of the replication experimentation, and it usually manipulates the models of formulations (Friedlob & Plewa, 1996). It is mostly used in the examination of the model behavior, through a general procedure that defines the model production variables represented in a vital aspect of model change. The value of several contributions of the models, are usually varied, and the consequential change in production is scrutinized (Goetze &

From book Matilda by Roald Dahl. Chose 1 quote from chapters 1-8 and Essay

From book Matilda by Roald Dahl. Chose 1 quote from chapters 1-8 and write a personal reflection on it - Essay Example Disappointed with the provincialism of her parents, Matlida finds an emotional escape by reading books. Her parents, however, fail to recognize that Matilda’s intellect was far above her years. They expressly oppose the idea of any books in the house, emphasizing that she should follow her brothers example of investing all the time in television. Through this fictional portrayal of parenting in the contemporary world, Roald Dahl directs the attention of the audience to this grave and largely unnoticed issue. Family, the basic unit of a society is fundamental in nurturing children in order to prepare them for future roles. Unfortunately, today’s modern families are failing to fulfil this obligation. This quote highlights how parents nowadays are engrossed in their own lives, with little interest and attention towards children. It reflects the adverse effects of technological developments in majority of households. Today, child abuse and neglect has become a serious menace to society. This can be solely attributed to change in parental preferences. In today’s age, modern inventions such as televisions, computers, and cell phones have become an imperative component of everyday life. By and large, people fail to establish healthy and beneficial use limits for these inventions. Not surprisingly, time completely drained in such useless pursuits has resulted in dramatic decline in the relative importance of relations of all sorts. Family structures collapse as modern inventions replace parents. Matilda’s parents pay no attention to her needs and only castigate her further for developing habits different from theirs such as reading books. Mr Wormwood constantly denounces her for wasting her time in books as evident from this quote. Similarly, Mrs. Wormwood also explains to her daughter how brainy girls dedicated to studying

Recent Credit Problems in the Financial Markets Essay

Recent Credit Problems in the Financial Markets - Essay Example Certainly, since then, this crisis gave way to far-reaching alterations in the Western economies. Still a wide range of questions remain unanswered. People still doubt as to the possible outcome of the integration of international economies and the potential limitations of the free market system in the times to come (Larry, Teather & Treanar 2010). During the beginning of the credit crunch in the financial markets, commoners and experts doubted as to the validity of the capitalism in a highly globalized and interdependent world (Larry, Teather & Treanar 2010). The effigies of bankers were put to flame in mass protests. The skyrocketing interest rates in the United States pushed many middle-class homeowners affiliated to sub-prime mortgages to default on their financial commitments towards their lenders. The news eventually spread like a raging and uncontrollable wildfire as the banks and financial institutions desperately cringed from extending further loans. The statutory bodies and organizations started to pump massive funds into their economies to breach the fast-widening crisis of trust in the financial markets. The small investors begin queuing before the local bank branches to withdraw their savings and investments at the earliest. The situation was marked by a sense of chaos, right from the domestic kitchens to the plush offices of the top-notch banks.The ramifications of the drying up of credit sources were immense. Banks and financial institutions collapsed like packs of cards.

YES Is todays China a communist country Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

YES Is todays China a communist country - Essay Example This was to contend the existence of inequality in the distribution of means of production and the oppression of the working class. He explained the important role played by the state and religion in placing people in classes. The main issue is to determine whether communism is practiced in China up to date. According to Books LLC communism was introduced in China in 1949 under the leadership of Mao Zedong and spread in the country and enjoyed the support of the majority (130). Communism affects all sectors in a country including the legal system, the social life of the citizens and the political system as explained by Mortimer (46). The country has been under the leadership of a single party since the introduction of communism. Mao Zedong introduced the system and remained in leadership till death. After this the leadership style began to change as power was not vested on one person. China practices violation of human rights for example the death penalty is still exercised, police brutality and discrimination against women (Mortimer 49). The issue can be addressed by application of socialism and effecting major changes in the governance of the country. The government should not interfere with the judiciary to ensure that justice is practiced. The government should respect the rights of the minority and major reforms should be implemented in this sector. The violation of human rights remains systematic and is highly practiced in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). According to Ding the violation of human rights involves the control on expression and association, ill treatment of prisoners and death penalty (59). The government continues to maintain political influence over the legislature resulting to an abusive and arbitrary judicial regime. There is a problem when it comes to the fundamental human rights in the country. There is evidence of police brutality as the citizens are beaten by