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

Environmental Science - Essay Example And even the general perception about them is that ‘they are less destructive than other storms’. For this very reason so little is known about nor’easters. Nor’easters are said to have caused heavy snow falls in New England and the Middle Atlantic states. In recent years, the US coastal areas have also been hit by a series of nor’easters. All this has led to more attention towards these storms. Researchers have found that apart from their origins in atmospheric disturbances and their cyclonic winds, hurricanes and nor’easters bear little resemblance to each other. Hurricanes are warm-core systems and thus limited in height by the colder upper air, while nor’easters are cold-core systems that do not lose intensity with height. Unlike hurricanes, nor’easters do not necessarily form over the open ocean. Nor’easters are supposed to require the support of the jet stream to form, so their prevalence is closely related to season al changes in the position and the strength of the jet. Correlation of data for the past 50 yrs suggest that the annual frequency of the strongest nor’easter is positively correlated with southerly jet-stream position over the eastern US. Wind’s speed, its duration and the distance are the three factors affecting the growth of waves. With an increase in any of these factors, the height of the storm surge increases. October to April is the primary nor’easter season with February being the most active month. Some of the features of nor’easters which can be summarized based on recent studies are; Because of their diffuse structure, they are difficult to characterize, categorize and predict. Having not able to establish a direct relationship between a nor’easter’s wind speed and its destructive power has made the task of classification and comparison of these storms more difficult. Researchers assert that one possible cause for the

Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe

Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Preface This report describes project work carried out in the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science at Sheffield Hallam University between June 2009 and January 2010. The submission of the report is in accordance with the requirements for the award of the degree of MSc Logistics and Supply Chain management under the auspices of the University. ANALYSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR RESTRICTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO EUROPE Abstract This dissertation briefly discusses about the supply chain issues faced and their impact with respect to global supply chain. Also discusses about the need for smarter supply chain. In the recent European Union policies and trading benefits, a study is done on why not to trade locally than internationally by utilizing a proper supply chain system. This report analysis will also discuss about the recent developments in supply chain management that have concentrated on the benefit of global supply chain. The project investigates the case for limiting the supply chain to organizations within European Commission. In particular it identifies when it is better to source locally rather than globally. ABBREVIATION BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIPS Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply CSCMP Council of Supply Chain Management Professional EC European Commission ECB European Central Bank EIA Energy Information Administration EMU Economic and Monetary Union EU European Union FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GM General Motors GVA Gross Value Added ICT Information and Communication Technologies IMF International Monetary Fund JIT Just-In-Time NBER National Bureau of Economic Research PLC Product Life Cycle PSC Procurement Strategy Council Q3 Quarter 3 RFID Radio Frequency Identification RSCM Reverse Supply Chain Management SME Small and medium enterprises TEU Twenty-foot equivalent TPR Trade Policy Review UN United Nation WTI West Texas Intermediate WTO World Trade Organization CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter discusses about the general agenda of research involved. 1.1 gives an outline about the background of the research. Section 1.2 will state about the objectives of the research. Section 1.3 will state about the scope involved and section 1.4 will present a structure of the dissertation and some brief summary of each chapter. In this section the reader would gain a birds eye image on what the research is about. 1.1 Background of Research The supply chain for the future is not to wait and react as the traditional way but the attitude is â€Å"drive fast†. Because of the demands, new technologies and new capabilities the vision on supply chain needs to be a more monitored and a smarter supply chain is what the world is looking for. After globalization the world has become a single unified market and the needs for trading is effectively high with more collaboration strategy. Due to globalization the recession which started in United States in financial crisis 2007-2009, it had spread across the world because of the inter dependence in global economy which resulted in a major downturn. According to IMF (international Monetary Fund), an economic growth of less than 3% or less is considered to be as a global recession. The recession has hit almost every country across the globe and after experiencing the tough time each one of them wants to self sustain in their internal economy. Because of the outsourcing mostly the products across countries away from Europe, It has been become in a format that Europe have disabled in some fields for the future. Either we would be transferring our industries to make as foreign direct investment in other nations or we would be making products based on our requirements in their specialized fields which would be in more dependent criteria as which cant be produced in house. Manufacturing companies and the business nowadays is going down and they are forced to think for a new way to compete and to produce products in cost effective manner and more customer oriented. The survival had become an important issue for the industries along with competition. Now it has an impact on the unemployment as because of companies started to move their new units in other countries because of cheap labor and availability of resources. Which in turn is a huge lose for the country and for the future as it would be affecting the countries growth as a whole. There are number of other strategies that have made the companies to go for a change in supply chain to get rid of various issues they experienced in the past. The mobile industry such as Nokia produces mobiles with various advance technologies and manufacture across the globe. The theft in the technology and the innovations of it has lead the local Asian market for an availability a far cheaper mobile with all the technologies of Nokia in local brand names. This makes the original manufacturer a vulnerable market and looses the value for product. Similarly, the Hongqi HQD is the car model which was released by manufacturer of china which is as same as Rolls Royce Phantom model. In automobile sector, Daewoo Matiz verses Chery QQ, Vauxhall Frontera verses Landwind, Honda CRV verses Laibao SRV, Mercedes C verses Geely Merrie 300, Neoplan Starliner verses Zonda A9 (Bus Model), Smart verses er. Chinese Smart, Toyota Prado verses Dadi Shuttle, Nissan XTrail verses Greatwall Sing, BMW 7 ve rses BYD F6 are the very interesting copied models far across every company of the worlds luxurious cars been produced in China in a large scale industries with conveniently a lower price. The interesting news is all that these cars are not only look alike the same in appearance and aesthetic, but also the performance and quality records is being similar to the original ones. The international court which handles these cases results in vain for the car manufacturers as the design produced has some variation than the copyrighted original ones. It crosses from automobiles, electronics, computers, pharma industries, telecom industries, electrical items, aerospace etc. The original origin company loses a very high investment in research and development to produce a new product and the rate of return for them takes ages than the actual predicted period. Shutting down or transferring the production plant has also become a part for industries. For example, Vestas, a wind power manufacturin g unit had built a new wind turbine production plant in China due to the local market demand and thereby keeping business profitable. The purpose and motivation for me to study in this topic is because I had been studying the various reasons behind the problems that the companies faced during recession and hard to survive criteria with more problems leaving them to bankruptcy. Even the giant manufacturers in automobiles such as General motors, Ford etc, were one of the victims who were about to face the bankruptcy. The other reasons includes the design theft, information leakage, irresponsive supply chain strategy, poor visibility in supply chain, vendor management, gap between supplier and customer in 3Ts (time, Transparency, Trust) , degree of control, responsiveness (change in market demand), lead time issues, global CO2 emissions, etc are the other threatening factors what the Business face. Hence, I decided to come up with a further study and development of my knowledge on these areas and come out with a report regarding the various controls that management could be able to gain to trade within near shore to s urvive and what are the strategies can be adopted to restrict the supply chain within Europe. This study has basically two main elements which deal about the various past experiences faced by the companies in sourcing across supply chain as well as future supply chain needs and the benefits and positive factors that show a better scope in near future for European market. It deals with the various concepts of supply chain, relationship management strategy in sourcing, and some strategies followed by world class companies. I believe that this dissertation would be useful as a reference for sourcing companies in future as well. Student might gain some benefits from this dissertation as this helps students to further understand the theories and other concepts involved in supply chain that have been dealt while considering some real case examples. 1.2 Objective of Research The aims of this dissertation are basically: 1) To analyze the current and past strategies in supply chain issues 2) To analyze about the expectation for future supply chain 3) To analyze the about the advantages in trading within European Union 4) To analyze the impacts of recession on Europe and UK 5) To study the various techniques used by the world class companies to overcome the supply chain issues 1.3 Scope of Research The scope has been narrowed down to European market in this research. The area of research has been identified after a deep analysis on the literature review. The literature review gives a general idea and background about the various supply chain requirements about the past and for future. The study is discussing about history of the European Union and trading benefits. The comparisons of the advantages and the benefits that could be available in the Europe have also been discussed. The limitations are that it is a general idea about the various issues in supply chain and a theory behind supply chain. The scope environment is for the very big companies who has already started practicing near sourcing and for the medium size companies. It would not be a better option of trading for the small companies. 1.4 Structure of thesis Chapter 1: Introduction The background of this dissertation will be introduced in this chapter. The objectives of the research are stated. Scope of the project is identified and the structure of the thesis is presented. The reader can obtain an overview of the thesis from this chapter. Chapter 2: Supply chain and Issues in Supply chain All the relevant information and materials has been gain from journals, articles, news, magazines, reference books and internet will be summarized, concluded and organized in a systematic way in both chapter 2 and chapter 3. In this chapter, general information about supply chain and Issues in supply chain faced will be presented. About the supply chain, smart supply chain, traditional issues, credit crunch impact on supply chain, various issues faced by the current and past sourcing business faced are discussed. The contents has discussed about the past and the present scenario. Chapter 3: European Union benefits and sourcing strategies This chapter mainly concentrates on the EU benefits provided for its fellow country members and the various advantages it has for the near and long future. The discussion about the logistical issues, Impact of recession on EU has also been made. Reader can identify a general idea about the benefits of EU for the future in trading within Europe. Chapter 4: Methodology This chapter discusses about the research design and methodology employed in this research. This report would carry based on the study on articles, journals, up to date news and reference books. In the literature review part, all the relevant information is compiled based on the summary of reading of reference books, journals and articles. In the case study part, several case studies of strategies adopted by world class manufacturers to counter the recession will be discussed. The strategies included the manufacturing strategies and marketing strategies. Chapter 5: Case study and Discussion In this chapter, several strategies adopted by various world class manufacturers are presented and some discussion will be made. The discussion part includes the understanding and comparison of the literature review with the case studies towards the strategy. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will summarize this whole dissertation and point out several vital of the research. Limitation in this research will be carried out and recommendation for future research would be made. Chapter 7: References All the sources for this dissertation will be arranged according to alphabetical order in this chapter. Readers can refer to the sources for further study. CHAPTER 2: Supply chain and Issues in supply chain This chapter discusses mainly is to present some literature review and theory from journals, conferences, magazines, text books and online news. As it is literature review all the latest information is quoted and are compiled from internet. Section 2.1 share with a general introduction on supply chain management and the traditional supply chain management worries. Section 2.2 addresses the smart supply chain and the expectations in the smart supply chain and need for it. Section 2.3 cope for global supply chain issues faced while recession and before. Section 2.4 handles the issues in supply chain faced. 2.1 Supply Chain Management As per CIPS the definition of Supply chain could be defined as â€Å"The supply chain conceptually covers the entire physical process from obtaining the raw materials through all process steps until the finished product reaches the end consumer. Most supply chains consist of many separate companies, each linked by virtue of their part in satisfying the specific need of the end consumer.† Supply chain management may be thought of as the management of all activities aimed at satisfying the end consumer; as such it covers almost all activity within the organization. It has been suggested that it incorporates a number of key success factors which include a clear procurement strategy, effective control systems, and development of expertise. Supply chain management therefore represents and reflects a holistic approach to the operation of the organization. As per Stevens.J (1989), supply chain could be defined as a system whose constituent parts include material suppliers, production facilities, distribution services and customers linked together via the feed forward flow of materials and the feedback flow of information. Supply chain management is the oversight of materials, information and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. The efficient supply chain management system is the one which concentrates in reducing inventory. The flow in supply chain is divided in to three main streams: the product flow, the information flow, the finances flow. 2.2.1 Traditional Supply chain issues Supply chain is not a very new term in business and management. Since the day from which trading begun in the world, supply chain has been a part of the business. The overcoming of the current issues and risks involved has become a part of supply chain management challenges. The four level supply chain issues stand in upstream from market place via the retailer, downstream flow activity, distribution and warehouse to factory and material flow in the form of products. There are more driving forces in a supply chain based on the industry because of the value adding operations involved. Based on (Towill, D.R., 1992), the light of information available the issues what a supply chain would get struck are perceived demand for products, which may be just a forecast from sales department, a production or value added process, information on the current performance, disturbance owing to machine / equipment or breakdowns, decision points, where the information is brought into action, transmission lags, decision rules, which is taken based on various internal decisions made in company for changing stock levels, placing new orders, etc. The basic problem in supply chain is the demand forecasting. The operations in the supply chain gets complicated by the demand forecast (Forrester, J.W. (1961)), The smaller the lead time has also a very important and critical role to play in determining the stability of supply chain (Inger et al.), especially as Companies move into just-in-time (JIT) operations. In practice JIT pushes the effects of unpredictability upstream in the supply chain (Mallman, D. (1995)). Apart from the lead time cycle time involved plays a very critical role. In a discussion of Dr. Carlos Mena, from Cranfield University, explains the longer distance movement is the more the cycle time involved in the supply chain. Where the problems faced by the companies include the degree of control, lead time issues, additional inventory, and most importantly the cash tied up in a single place for a very long time which could be used by the companies for various other investments and the fluctuating interest rates acr oss the companies for its money value is an interesting issue to concentrate. Other problems also include the responsiveness of the market that involved in the cycle time and delays or because of the excessive cycle time makes a very big problem and leads to trade off. The other issues faced in the traditional supply chain as per the report by S.Mehra on International journal of production research(Aug 2005), are the strategy involved in procurement as competition on product and price, driving inventory out of supply chain, complicated Communication towards supplier making complex Supplier relationships, higher customer expectations and higher variability in demand, Contract complication leading to huge loss of business, bad Anticipation in supply chain, bringing more suppliers and going for new products are getting more complicated, achieving the entire supply chain visibility and responsibility of suppliers and customers towards the requirements, Responding quickly and critical understanding on the business on contribution on revenue and Real time information sharing. 2.2.2 Smart Supply Chain The smart supply chain is the answer what the companies are expecting for because of the issues in supply chain faced by them and the need to go for a permanent solution. They have become used to supply chains day to day challenge because of the repeating issues. The smarter supply chain is nothing but monitoring the entire supply chain design with more focus on transparency in entire chain with more interconnected in network and relatively a good level of collaboration with supplier and customer. The following are some of the components of the smart supply chain and some discussion on its advantages have been cited. Supply chain reengineering: Supply chain problems are acute with long lead time replenishment and maintaining a believable and tolerable customer service in product availability. The supply chain reengineering is the key process of identifying and designating specific tasks to the staff by making a complete involvement of staff with a two way communication in terms of openness from management. It is atomizing the cost and time over improving the customer experience. Modifying the bad practices by identifying from the experience is a fundamental thing. Reducing cost is only key term in order to maintain and grow with margins in the current scenario. Considering the facts from the customer perspective and designing towards the source of the goods. It is done by gathering data, drawing the process map ideally starting from the customer point of view defining the problem statement, specific goal and measurable objective. A structured decision making system should be made based on prioritizing the resources and cost based on the fine target specified in the problem statement. These will give an idea of the actions to eliminate or to restructure the process for obtaining more efficient organizational structures. Challenges in current thinking give a more insight into the problem and which gives a prioritized list of alternatives to face the challenges. Planning state of identify ing the causes and preventive actions should be analyzed to restructure the design or process model recommending the risk considerations. . The hardest part of reengineering is not process redesigning it but to implement it. It involves change in culture and behavior not assistance. Active tracking is needed and degree of seriousness only defines a success or failure scenario in redesigning. As per the case study done by Littlewoods chain stores, the initiatives taken on reengineering includes a strong focus on customer management, redesign of the entire supply chain network from suppliers to stores in replacing the distribution chains and cross docking â€Å"flow through†, rebalancing the supplier base from far east to local procurement for quicker lead time and quick response, making a strong partnership with suppliers, evaluation of transportation costs by rationalizing the practices to single carried containers, reassessment of physical handling patterns, new design for better tracking and managing both product volumes and financial implications providing a scope to accelerate product flow in a more informed and cost effective way, an organizational aligned way and focus on the entire supply chain of improving the total performance and customer needs. Supply chain E-Procurement As a major part of supply chain management (Leenders and Fearon, 1997; Monczka et al., 1997), supply chains in procurement are traditionally supported by information technology. The main idea of e-procurement is to include the end-user (requester) in the procurement process via an electronic multi-vendor catalog and to close the process gaps (e.g. re-entry of data) in the supply chain for indirect goods (Neef, 2001). According to Dolmetsch et al., (2000), e-procurement deals with the management of supply chains in the procurement of indirect goods are based on Internet information systems and also e-markets. The e-procurement reduces the operational functions, with increased efficiencies regarding the process and procurement costs. (Aberdeen Group, 2001); According to these studies,(Eyholzer and Hunziker, 2000; Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, 2001). e-procurement enables companies to decentralize operational procurement processes and centralize strategic procurement processes as a result of the higher supply chain transparency provided by e-procurement systems. The use of technologies like Internet in procurement is concentrated mainly in realizing the needs and to react faster and in more efficient operational procurement processes which bypass the purchasing department and enable those people to concentrate on more strategic tasks (Giunipero and Sawchuk, 2000;). In e-procurement, end users could directly search for and select products in electronic catalogs which are authorized and negotiated by strategic procurement in advance example- E-bay, Amazon etc. The issues are really a challenge in identifying the right e-procurement strategy which is crucial to the success by selecting the right commodity of a companys solution. A second strategy is one which uses outwardly hosting catalogs on a suppliers website is also could be called the punch out mechanism. The punch out scenario helps customers to access external catalogs via their own e-procurement system (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). A third strategy would be the use of external multi-vendor product catalogs that are hosted on electronic marketplaces. Similarly, implementing an e-procurement system in isolation without considering the entire procurement process and the systems involved will not be sufficient (Deise et al., 2000). Technological approach With todays emphasis on the need for improvements on cost cutting and streamlining expenses, many companies are looking out for improving their bottom lines with more effective supply chains. Technology implementation is a key term which could be used in supply chain to relate and improve the supply chain beneficiaries. By understanding the process clearly involved in supply chain processes makes supplier collaboration on a whole leading a better job in avoiding risks and much lesser repetition of mistakes. Usage of technologies like RFID, simulation, better communication software etc, leading to an advantaged scenario in understanding and maintaining supply chain visibility, online tracking, traffic management, warehouse management, reporting and analysis, order management and labor management. In the Supply chain digest 2007, the various supply chain technologies and strategies that could be implemented in supply chain are cited. E-auctions for bidding contract, Labor management system in distribution a collaboration of software, engineering and mindset to improve the logistics productivity Spend management visibility software used to calculate the spending of company, when, where and with what vendors providing the expensive vendor management Demand management by utilizing the use of technological tools, integrating the demand and sales side of the company by unifying the financial and operations plan. The consistent feedback on a regular basis brings about a structural demand. Supplier portals providing a demand visibility from purchase order to advance ship notice and generating an inbound shipment management by providing barcodes, RFID or other automated tracking technologies. Network optimization supporting global sourcing strategies, more short time inventory planning, new product introductions, sales and operations planning could be optimally balanced. Transportation management system software technologies used by shippers to calculate, plan and execute connection electronically with carriers by reducing costs optimal mode of transport selection, carrier assignment, consolidation of shipment and use of continuous moves in freight. Strategic / Global sourcing More integrated approach towards supplier selection and procurement considering the facts of time, cost, purchasing power by considering the strategies tied to off shoring and global sourcing strategies. Wireless in warehouse usage of wireless technologies inside the warehousing leads to a clear picture of the stock / inventory available and helps in calculating the cost involved in storage and money as inventory. As well as picking in warehouse should be automated where possible, so more visibility is available. Yard management system and Dock door scheduling It gives a visibility in yard inventory and schedules, executes on inbound and outbound docks. Reverse Supply Chain management (RSCM) The Council of Logistics Management defined reverse supply chain as the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. RSCM is defined as the effective and efficient management of the series of activities required to retrieve a product from a customer in order to either dispose of it or recover value (Prahinski and KocabasoÄÅ ¸lu , 2006; Defee et al., 2009). Fleischmann et al., (2000) base the growing importance of RSCM basically on agreements for excess products and extended producer responsibilities. As per Harvard Business review 2002, In general, the companies that create what so called as a closed-loop system, have enjoyed most success with RSCM by having a close coordination in their forward supply chain. For example, they make product design and manufacturing decisions with eventual recycling and reconditioning in mind. The definition of reverse logistics from an environmental perspective in the forward supply chain is focus on taking return of recyclable or reusable products and materials. Reverse logistics, flow of materials from the customer to forward supply chain, is the least studied operational function (Sarkis, 2003). 2.3 Global supply chain issues Oil pricing The growth in oil price will always lead to a substantial slow down in international trade because of the transportation dependency on oil market. According to the report of EIA (Energy Information Administration) (2007) the 96% of the US transportation works on the fuels, 43% of the industries runs on the fuels, 21% of the residential homes and commercials and 3% of the electric power works with the help of the fuels. This means that the US economy is related to each other and this made an impact in all areas due to the increase in oil price. In the June 2008 the price of WTI reached the maximum and that was 145 US dollars per barrel the all time highest price which US market has seen. So this made the price for the gasoline high in July 2008 to 4.10$. Based on a CIBC report 2008, the trade price increases by 1 % in every increase in 1$ for a barrel. Because of the increase in oil price directly affects the wages to decline and increased product cost. The increase in oil prices lead s to elimination of importers and need to go for local suppliers. The analysis of rising oil prices would impact profitability as well as the core supply chain design. The impact for a supply chain design would lead to tradeoffs among transportation, inventory, and distribution and in all sections of supply chain. By Dr Bassam Fattouh (2007), the volatility of oil prices had lead to a challenge for the supply chain and could slow down economic growth, also can cause inflation pressures, can Create global imbalances, Volatility increases uncertainty discourages much needed investment in oil sector, tight market conditions raised fears about oil scarcity and concerns about energy security. Collaboration The measurement of supply chain collaboration has received a little attention to date (Sanders and Premus, 2005: Jap, 1999: Injazz and Paulraj, 2004). At about that time, an ongoing discussion emerged that supply chain management should be built around the integration of trading partners (Barratt and Oliveira, 2001), the sharing of information and benefits (McLaren, 2004) and the collaboration of organizations (Patrakosol and Olson, 2006). Collaborative Planning is a first step on the road to Extended Supply Chain Management with specific customers It has a seamless fit with PSC (Procurement Strategy Council) strategy and as such is an excellent opportunity to create Customer Intimacy Through follow up implementations, we can created the chances to start gaining the first Business Benefits. Economist Intelligence unit (2006) says that the cooperation of the government and UN to designate the standards are one of the key issues faced by the SMEs. Manufacturers are more concerned about the interoperability than the responds overall. A majority of survey results cites that trust in payment would be certain as a major factor that assists the companies to integrate their operations with global supply chain. In a report of ECOlogistics (2007) explains the communication gap in between the supplier and customer leads to problems in scalable issues regarding quality. The collaboration missing of the government regarding with the trading sector leads to complication in global supply network. Variation in theme of a support by the market incentives, and networks of local, social, political and moral enforcement leading to missing in regulatory systems. There â€Å"glocal† needs to be implemented, which means the global standards in the local market, Which in turn produces cost effective system with improved standards. Public Private Partnerships in Standards Compliance Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Arguments for Restricting the Supply Chain to Europe Preface This report describes project work carried out in the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Science at Sheffield Hallam University between June 2009 and January 2010. The submission of the report is in accordance with the requirements for the award of the degree of MSc Logistics and Supply Chain management under the auspices of the University. ANALYSIS OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR RESTRICTING THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO EUROPE Abstract This dissertation briefly discusses about the supply chain issues faced and their impact with respect to global supply chain. Also discusses about the need for smarter supply chain. In the recent European Union policies and trading benefits, a study is done on why not to trade locally than internationally by utilizing a proper supply chain system. This report analysis will also discuss about the recent developments in supply chain management that have concentrated on the benefit of global supply chain. The project investigates the case for limiting the supply chain to organizations within European Commission. In particular it identifies when it is better to source locally rather than globally. ABBREVIATION BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CIBC Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIPS Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply CSCMP Council of Supply Chain Management Professional EC European Commission ECB European Central Bank EIA Energy Information Administration EMU Economic and Monetary Union EU European Union FDI Foreign Direct Investment GDP Gross Domestic Product GM General Motors GVA Gross Value Added ICT Information and Communication Technologies IMF International Monetary Fund JIT Just-In-Time NBER National Bureau of Economic Research PLC Product Life Cycle PSC Procurement Strategy Council Q3 Quarter 3 RFID Radio Frequency Identification RSCM Reverse Supply Chain Management SME Small and medium enterprises TEU Twenty-foot equivalent TPR Trade Policy Review UN United Nation WTI West Texas Intermediate WTO World Trade Organization CHAPTER 1: Introduction This chapter discusses about the general agenda of research involved. 1.1 gives an outline about the background of the research. Section 1.2 will state about the objectives of the research. Section 1.3 will state about the scope involved and section 1.4 will present a structure of the dissertation and some brief summary of each chapter. In this section the reader would gain a birds eye image on what the research is about. 1.1 Background of Research The supply chain for the future is not to wait and react as the traditional way but the attitude is â€Å"drive fast†. Because of the demands, new technologies and new capabilities the vision on supply chain needs to be a more monitored and a smarter supply chain is what the world is looking for. After globalization the world has become a single unified market and the needs for trading is effectively high with more collaboration strategy. Due to globalization the recession which started in United States in financial crisis 2007-2009, it had spread across the world because of the inter dependence in global economy which resulted in a major downturn. According to IMF (international Monetary Fund), an economic growth of less than 3% or less is considered to be as a global recession. The recession has hit almost every country across the globe and after experiencing the tough time each one of them wants to self sustain in their internal economy. Because of the outsourcing mostly the products across countries away from Europe, It has been become in a format that Europe have disabled in some fields for the future. Either we would be transferring our industries to make as foreign direct investment in other nations or we would be making products based on our requirements in their specialized fields which would be in more dependent criteria as which cant be produced in house. Manufacturing companies and the business nowadays is going down and they are forced to think for a new way to compete and to produce products in cost effective manner and more customer oriented. The survival had become an important issue for the industries along with competition. Now it has an impact on the unemployment as because of companies started to move their new units in other countries because of cheap labor and availability of resources. Which in turn is a huge lose for the country and for the future as it would be affecting the countries growth as a whole. There are number of other strategies that have made the companies to go for a change in supply chain to get rid of various issues they experienced in the past. The mobile industry such as Nokia produces mobiles with various advance technologies and manufacture across the globe. The theft in the technology and the innovations of it has lead the local Asian market for an availability a far cheaper mobile with all the technologies of Nokia in local brand names. This makes the original manufacturer a vulnerable market and looses the value for product. Similarly, the Hongqi HQD is the car model which was released by manufacturer of china which is as same as Rolls Royce Phantom model. In automobile sector, Daewoo Matiz verses Chery QQ, Vauxhall Frontera verses Landwind, Honda CRV verses Laibao SRV, Mercedes C verses Geely Merrie 300, Neoplan Starliner verses Zonda A9 (Bus Model), Smart verses er. Chinese Smart, Toyota Prado verses Dadi Shuttle, Nissan XTrail verses Greatwall Sing, BMW 7 ve rses BYD F6 are the very interesting copied models far across every company of the worlds luxurious cars been produced in China in a large scale industries with conveniently a lower price. The interesting news is all that these cars are not only look alike the same in appearance and aesthetic, but also the performance and quality records is being similar to the original ones. The international court which handles these cases results in vain for the car manufacturers as the design produced has some variation than the copyrighted original ones. It crosses from automobiles, electronics, computers, pharma industries, telecom industries, electrical items, aerospace etc. The original origin company loses a very high investment in research and development to produce a new product and the rate of return for them takes ages than the actual predicted period. Shutting down or transferring the production plant has also become a part for industries. For example, Vestas, a wind power manufacturin g unit had built a new wind turbine production plant in China due to the local market demand and thereby keeping business profitable. The purpose and motivation for me to study in this topic is because I had been studying the various reasons behind the problems that the companies faced during recession and hard to survive criteria with more problems leaving them to bankruptcy. Even the giant manufacturers in automobiles such as General motors, Ford etc, were one of the victims who were about to face the bankruptcy. The other reasons includes the design theft, information leakage, irresponsive supply chain strategy, poor visibility in supply chain, vendor management, gap between supplier and customer in 3Ts (time, Transparency, Trust) , degree of control, responsiveness (change in market demand), lead time issues, global CO2 emissions, etc are the other threatening factors what the Business face. Hence, I decided to come up with a further study and development of my knowledge on these areas and come out with a report regarding the various controls that management could be able to gain to trade within near shore to s urvive and what are the strategies can be adopted to restrict the supply chain within Europe. This study has basically two main elements which deal about the various past experiences faced by the companies in sourcing across supply chain as well as future supply chain needs and the benefits and positive factors that show a better scope in near future for European market. It deals with the various concepts of supply chain, relationship management strategy in sourcing, and some strategies followed by world class companies. I believe that this dissertation would be useful as a reference for sourcing companies in future as well. Student might gain some benefits from this dissertation as this helps students to further understand the theories and other concepts involved in supply chain that have been dealt while considering some real case examples. 1.2 Objective of Research The aims of this dissertation are basically: 1) To analyze the current and past strategies in supply chain issues 2) To analyze about the expectation for future supply chain 3) To analyze the about the advantages in trading within European Union 4) To analyze the impacts of recession on Europe and UK 5) To study the various techniques used by the world class companies to overcome the supply chain issues 1.3 Scope of Research The scope has been narrowed down to European market in this research. The area of research has been identified after a deep analysis on the literature review. The literature review gives a general idea and background about the various supply chain requirements about the past and for future. The study is discussing about history of the European Union and trading benefits. The comparisons of the advantages and the benefits that could be available in the Europe have also been discussed. The limitations are that it is a general idea about the various issues in supply chain and a theory behind supply chain. The scope environment is for the very big companies who has already started practicing near sourcing and for the medium size companies. It would not be a better option of trading for the small companies. 1.4 Structure of thesis Chapter 1: Introduction The background of this dissertation will be introduced in this chapter. The objectives of the research are stated. Scope of the project is identified and the structure of the thesis is presented. The reader can obtain an overview of the thesis from this chapter. Chapter 2: Supply chain and Issues in Supply chain All the relevant information and materials has been gain from journals, articles, news, magazines, reference books and internet will be summarized, concluded and organized in a systematic way in both chapter 2 and chapter 3. In this chapter, general information about supply chain and Issues in supply chain faced will be presented. About the supply chain, smart supply chain, traditional issues, credit crunch impact on supply chain, various issues faced by the current and past sourcing business faced are discussed. The contents has discussed about the past and the present scenario. Chapter 3: European Union benefits and sourcing strategies This chapter mainly concentrates on the EU benefits provided for its fellow country members and the various advantages it has for the near and long future. The discussion about the logistical issues, Impact of recession on EU has also been made. Reader can identify a general idea about the benefits of EU for the future in trading within Europe. Chapter 4: Methodology This chapter discusses about the research design and methodology employed in this research. This report would carry based on the study on articles, journals, up to date news and reference books. In the literature review part, all the relevant information is compiled based on the summary of reading of reference books, journals and articles. In the case study part, several case studies of strategies adopted by world class manufacturers to counter the recession will be discussed. The strategies included the manufacturing strategies and marketing strategies. Chapter 5: Case study and Discussion In this chapter, several strategies adopted by various world class manufacturers are presented and some discussion will be made. The discussion part includes the understanding and comparison of the literature review with the case studies towards the strategy. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will summarize this whole dissertation and point out several vital of the research. Limitation in this research will be carried out and recommendation for future research would be made. Chapter 7: References All the sources for this dissertation will be arranged according to alphabetical order in this chapter. Readers can refer to the sources for further study. CHAPTER 2: Supply chain and Issues in supply chain This chapter discusses mainly is to present some literature review and theory from journals, conferences, magazines, text books and online news. As it is literature review all the latest information is quoted and are compiled from internet. Section 2.1 share with a general introduction on supply chain management and the traditional supply chain management worries. Section 2.2 addresses the smart supply chain and the expectations in the smart supply chain and need for it. Section 2.3 cope for global supply chain issues faced while recession and before. Section 2.4 handles the issues in supply chain faced. 2.1 Supply Chain Management As per CIPS the definition of Supply chain could be defined as â€Å"The supply chain conceptually covers the entire physical process from obtaining the raw materials through all process steps until the finished product reaches the end consumer. Most supply chains consist of many separate companies, each linked by virtue of their part in satisfying the specific need of the end consumer.† Supply chain management may be thought of as the management of all activities aimed at satisfying the end consumer; as such it covers almost all activity within the organization. It has been suggested that it incorporates a number of key success factors which include a clear procurement strategy, effective control systems, and development of expertise. Supply chain management therefore represents and reflects a holistic approach to the operation of the organization. As per Stevens.J (1989), supply chain could be defined as a system whose constituent parts include material suppliers, production facilities, distribution services and customers linked together via the feed forward flow of materials and the feedback flow of information. Supply chain management is the oversight of materials, information and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. The efficient supply chain management system is the one which concentrates in reducing inventory. The flow in supply chain is divided in to three main streams: the product flow, the information flow, the finances flow. 2.2.1 Traditional Supply chain issues Supply chain is not a very new term in business and management. Since the day from which trading begun in the world, supply chain has been a part of the business. The overcoming of the current issues and risks involved has become a part of supply chain management challenges. The four level supply chain issues stand in upstream from market place via the retailer, downstream flow activity, distribution and warehouse to factory and material flow in the form of products. There are more driving forces in a supply chain based on the industry because of the value adding operations involved. Based on (Towill, D.R., 1992), the light of information available the issues what a supply chain would get struck are perceived demand for products, which may be just a forecast from sales department, a production or value added process, information on the current performance, disturbance owing to machine / equipment or breakdowns, decision points, where the information is brought into action, transmission lags, decision rules, which is taken based on various internal decisions made in company for changing stock levels, placing new orders, etc. The basic problem in supply chain is the demand forecasting. The operations in the supply chain gets complicated by the demand forecast (Forrester, J.W. (1961)), The smaller the lead time has also a very important and critical role to play in determining the stability of supply chain (Inger et al.), especially as Companies move into just-in-time (JIT) operations. In practice JIT pushes the effects of unpredictability upstream in the supply chain (Mallman, D. (1995)). Apart from the lead time cycle time involved plays a very critical role. In a discussion of Dr. Carlos Mena, from Cranfield University, explains the longer distance movement is the more the cycle time involved in the supply chain. Where the problems faced by the companies include the degree of control, lead time issues, additional inventory, and most importantly the cash tied up in a single place for a very long time which could be used by the companies for various other investments and the fluctuating interest rates acr oss the companies for its money value is an interesting issue to concentrate. Other problems also include the responsiveness of the market that involved in the cycle time and delays or because of the excessive cycle time makes a very big problem and leads to trade off. The other issues faced in the traditional supply chain as per the report by S.Mehra on International journal of production research(Aug 2005), are the strategy involved in procurement as competition on product and price, driving inventory out of supply chain, complicated Communication towards supplier making complex Supplier relationships, higher customer expectations and higher variability in demand, Contract complication leading to huge loss of business, bad Anticipation in supply chain, bringing more suppliers and going for new products are getting more complicated, achieving the entire supply chain visibility and responsibility of suppliers and customers towards the requirements, Responding quickly and critical understanding on the business on contribution on revenue and Real time information sharing. 2.2.2 Smart Supply Chain The smart supply chain is the answer what the companies are expecting for because of the issues in supply chain faced by them and the need to go for a permanent solution. They have become used to supply chains day to day challenge because of the repeating issues. The smarter supply chain is nothing but monitoring the entire supply chain design with more focus on transparency in entire chain with more interconnected in network and relatively a good level of collaboration with supplier and customer. The following are some of the components of the smart supply chain and some discussion on its advantages have been cited. Supply chain reengineering: Supply chain problems are acute with long lead time replenishment and maintaining a believable and tolerable customer service in product availability. The supply chain reengineering is the key process of identifying and designating specific tasks to the staff by making a complete involvement of staff with a two way communication in terms of openness from management. It is atomizing the cost and time over improving the customer experience. Modifying the bad practices by identifying from the experience is a fundamental thing. Reducing cost is only key term in order to maintain and grow with margins in the current scenario. Considering the facts from the customer perspective and designing towards the source of the goods. It is done by gathering data, drawing the process map ideally starting from the customer point of view defining the problem statement, specific goal and measurable objective. A structured decision making system should be made based on prioritizing the resources and cost based on the fine target specified in the problem statement. These will give an idea of the actions to eliminate or to restructure the process for obtaining more efficient organizational structures. Challenges in current thinking give a more insight into the problem and which gives a prioritized list of alternatives to face the challenges. Planning state of identify ing the causes and preventive actions should be analyzed to restructure the design or process model recommending the risk considerations. . The hardest part of reengineering is not process redesigning it but to implement it. It involves change in culture and behavior not assistance. Active tracking is needed and degree of seriousness only defines a success or failure scenario in redesigning. As per the case study done by Littlewoods chain stores, the initiatives taken on reengineering includes a strong focus on customer management, redesign of the entire supply chain network from suppliers to stores in replacing the distribution chains and cross docking â€Å"flow through†, rebalancing the supplier base from far east to local procurement for quicker lead time and quick response, making a strong partnership with suppliers, evaluation of transportation costs by rationalizing the practices to single carried containers, reassessment of physical handling patterns, new design for better tracking and managing both product volumes and financial implications providing a scope to accelerate product flow in a more informed and cost effective way, an organizational aligned way and focus on the entire supply chain of improving the total performance and customer needs. Supply chain E-Procurement As a major part of supply chain management (Leenders and Fearon, 1997; Monczka et al., 1997), supply chains in procurement are traditionally supported by information technology. The main idea of e-procurement is to include the end-user (requester) in the procurement process via an electronic multi-vendor catalog and to close the process gaps (e.g. re-entry of data) in the supply chain for indirect goods (Neef, 2001). According to Dolmetsch et al., (2000), e-procurement deals with the management of supply chains in the procurement of indirect goods are based on Internet information systems and also e-markets. The e-procurement reduces the operational functions, with increased efficiencies regarding the process and procurement costs. (Aberdeen Group, 2001); According to these studies,(Eyholzer and Hunziker, 2000; Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, 2001). e-procurement enables companies to decentralize operational procurement processes and centralize strategic procurement processes as a result of the higher supply chain transparency provided by e-procurement systems. The use of technologies like Internet in procurement is concentrated mainly in realizing the needs and to react faster and in more efficient operational procurement processes which bypass the purchasing department and enable those people to concentrate on more strategic tasks (Giunipero and Sawchuk, 2000;). In e-procurement, end users could directly search for and select products in electronic catalogs which are authorized and negotiated by strategic procurement in advance example- E-bay, Amazon etc. The issues are really a challenge in identifying the right e-procurement strategy which is crucial to the success by selecting the right commodity of a companys solution. A second strategy is one which uses outwardly hosting catalogs on a suppliers website is also could be called the punch out mechanism. The punch out scenario helps customers to access external catalogs via their own e-procurement system (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). A third strategy would be the use of external multi-vendor product catalogs that are hosted on electronic marketplaces. Similarly, implementing an e-procurement system in isolation without considering the entire procurement process and the systems involved will not be sufficient (Deise et al., 2000). Technological approach With todays emphasis on the need for improvements on cost cutting and streamlining expenses, many companies are looking out for improving their bottom lines with more effective supply chains. Technology implementation is a key term which could be used in supply chain to relate and improve the supply chain beneficiaries. By understanding the process clearly involved in supply chain processes makes supplier collaboration on a whole leading a better job in avoiding risks and much lesser repetition of mistakes. Usage of technologies like RFID, simulation, better communication software etc, leading to an advantaged scenario in understanding and maintaining supply chain visibility, online tracking, traffic management, warehouse management, reporting and analysis, order management and labor management. In the Supply chain digest 2007, the various supply chain technologies and strategies that could be implemented in supply chain are cited. E-auctions for bidding contract, Labor management system in distribution a collaboration of software, engineering and mindset to improve the logistics productivity Spend management visibility software used to calculate the spending of company, when, where and with what vendors providing the expensive vendor management Demand management by utilizing the use of technological tools, integrating the demand and sales side of the company by unifying the financial and operations plan. The consistent feedback on a regular basis brings about a structural demand. Supplier portals providing a demand visibility from purchase order to advance ship notice and generating an inbound shipment management by providing barcodes, RFID or other automated tracking technologies. Network optimization supporting global sourcing strategies, more short time inventory planning, new product introductions, sales and operations planning could be optimally balanced. Transportation management system software technologies used by shippers to calculate, plan and execute connection electronically with carriers by reducing costs optimal mode of transport selection, carrier assignment, consolidation of shipment and use of continuous moves in freight. Strategic / Global sourcing More integrated approach towards supplier selection and procurement considering the facts of time, cost, purchasing power by considering the strategies tied to off shoring and global sourcing strategies. Wireless in warehouse usage of wireless technologies inside the warehousing leads to a clear picture of the stock / inventory available and helps in calculating the cost involved in storage and money as inventory. As well as picking in warehouse should be automated where possible, so more visibility is available. Yard management system and Dock door scheduling It gives a visibility in yard inventory and schedules, executes on inbound and outbound docks. Reverse Supply Chain management (RSCM) The Council of Logistics Management defined reverse supply chain as the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. RSCM is defined as the effective and efficient management of the series of activities required to retrieve a product from a customer in order to either dispose of it or recover value (Prahinski and KocabasoÄÅ ¸lu , 2006; Defee et al., 2009). Fleischmann et al., (2000) base the growing importance of RSCM basically on agreements for excess products and extended producer responsibilities. As per Harvard Business review 2002, In general, the companies that create what so called as a closed-loop system, have enjoyed most success with RSCM by having a close coordination in their forward supply chain. For example, they make product design and manufacturing decisions with eventual recycling and reconditioning in mind. The definition of reverse logistics from an environmental perspective in the forward supply chain is focus on taking return of recyclable or reusable products and materials. Reverse logistics, flow of materials from the customer to forward supply chain, is the least studied operational function (Sarkis, 2003). 2.3 Global supply chain issues Oil pricing The growth in oil price will always lead to a substantial slow down in international trade because of the transportation dependency on oil market. According to the report of EIA (Energy Information Administration) (2007) the 96% of the US transportation works on the fuels, 43% of the industries runs on the fuels, 21% of the residential homes and commercials and 3% of the electric power works with the help of the fuels. This means that the US economy is related to each other and this made an impact in all areas due to the increase in oil price. In the June 2008 the price of WTI reached the maximum and that was 145 US dollars per barrel the all time highest price which US market has seen. So this made the price for the gasoline high in July 2008 to 4.10$. Based on a CIBC report 2008, the trade price increases by 1 % in every increase in 1$ for a barrel. Because of the increase in oil price directly affects the wages to decline and increased product cost. The increase in oil prices lead s to elimination of importers and need to go for local suppliers. The analysis of rising oil prices would impact profitability as well as the core supply chain design. The impact for a supply chain design would lead to tradeoffs among transportation, inventory, and distribution and in all sections of supply chain. By Dr Bassam Fattouh (2007), the volatility of oil prices had lead to a challenge for the supply chain and could slow down economic growth, also can cause inflation pressures, can Create global imbalances, Volatility increases uncertainty discourages much needed investment in oil sector, tight market conditions raised fears about oil scarcity and concerns about energy security. Collaboration The measurement of supply chain collaboration has received a little attention to date (Sanders and Premus, 2005: Jap, 1999: Injazz and Paulraj, 2004). At about that time, an ongoing discussion emerged that supply chain management should be built around the integration of trading partners (Barratt and Oliveira, 2001), the sharing of information and benefits (McLaren, 2004) and the collaboration of organizations (Patrakosol and Olson, 2006). Collaborative Planning is a first step on the road to Extended Supply Chain Management with specific customers It has a seamless fit with PSC (Procurement Strategy Council) strategy and as such is an excellent opportunity to create Customer Intimacy Through follow up implementations, we can created the chances to start gaining the first Business Benefits. Economist Intelligence unit (2006) says that the cooperation of the government and UN to designate the standards are one of the key issues faced by the SMEs. Manufacturers are more concerned about the interoperability than the responds overall. A majority of survey results cites that trust in payment would be certain as a major factor that assists the companies to integrate their operations with global supply chain. In a report of ECOlogistics (2007) explains the communication gap in between the supplier and customer leads to problems in scalable issues regarding quality. The collaboration missing of the government regarding with the trading sector leads to complication in global supply network. Variation in theme of a support by the market incentives, and networks of local, social, political and moral enforcement leading to missing in regulatory systems. There â€Å"glocal† needs to be implemented, which means the global standards in the local market, Which in turn produces cost effective system with improved standards. Public Private Partnerships in Standards Compliance

Communities Should Welcome Wal-Mart :: Critical Thinking Essays

Communities Should Welcome Wal-Mart How would you like to be penalized because you do your work too well--for example, for running your business so effectively that it attracts hordes of happy customers? Well, this is what is happening more and more frequently to Wal-Mart. Recently the West Covina, Calif., city council voted to deny the sale of land to developers who were going to build a Wal-Mart store on the site. The council was concerned that the Wal-Mart store would "threaten" other businesses and replace higher paying jobs in the area with lower-paying ones. The banning of Wal-Mart is being considered by the Los Angeles city council and has occurred in some other California cities as well as in other locations around the country. Wal-Mart is one of the most impressive success stories in the history of business. Founded some 50 years ago as a single five and dime store in a small Arkansas town, it has grown into a world-wide behemoth under the leadership of its brilliant founder, the late Sam Walton, and his able successors. It is the largest corporation in America in terms of sales, $245 billion. Wal-Mart has over 4,000 stores worldwide, employs 1.3 million people, and serves 100 million customers per week. It is quite true that Wal-Mart has been successful in outcompeting other stores which sell the same products, such as toys, clothing, and groceries. But how has it been able to do this? By discovering new ways of using computer systems and other technology to better manage its inventory and costs and reap the benefits of economy of scale. Wal-Mart is especially popular among low-income shoppers who cannot afford the prices of the more upscale stores. It has put other stores out of business, but that is the way capitalism works. The automobile replaced the horse and buggy. Sound motion picture replaced the silents. No one has a "right" to business success or a "right" to be protected from competitors through government intervention. One only has a right to try to compete through voluntary trade. In a free economy, companies that offer the best value for the dollar win and the losers invest their money elsewhere. It is also true that Wal-Mart pays lower wages than many unionized stores. But it must offer a market wage or risk its employees going elsewhere, and it deals with employees on a voluntary basis. Those who do not like its terms are free to do business elsewhere.

Philippine Cinema: a Review on ‘No Other Woman’

Philippine Cinema: A Review on ‘No Other Woman' written by Jessica Zafra By all accounts the Viva-Star Cinema production  No Other Woman  is a smash hit, and in show business there is no arguing with pots of money. We may assume from the box-office grosses that this is the sort of movie the Filipino audience wants to see. What exactly is this movie saying? 1. Character is unnecessary; all you need are stereotypes. In the traditional defence of marriage melodrama these are: 1. 1. The Handsome Husband 1. 1. 1. The Handsome Husband is so hot that he is literally bursting out of his clothes, which are at least one size too small for him so as to emphasize his well-developed pectoral muscles. 1. 1. 2. The Handsome Husband flirts outrageously with the customers who come to his store, but that’s all right because it sells furniture. 1. 1. 3. The Handsome Husband is devoted to his wife until a scheming slut throws herself at him. He cannot be blamed for succumbing because men are men and their brains are in their pants. 1. 1. 4. The Handsome Husband is only slightly less animated than the furniture he designs and sells. 1. 2. The Beautiful Wife 1. 2. 1. The Beautiful Wife could be the sexiest woman in the archipelago, but now that she’s married she must suppress her sexuality in shapeless clothes and pale make-up. 1. 2. 2. The Beautiful Wife cooks nutritious meals for her husband and personally supervises his laundry. 1. 2. 3. The Beautiful Wife consoles her husband by having sex with him every time her domineering father makes disparaging remarks about his professional prospects. . 2. 4. The Beautiful Wife, being inexperienced in the ways of the world, confuses seduction with arson. 1. 2. 5. The Beautiful Wife is a good girl, hence she does not wear mascara and she has long, straight black hair that she wears in a ponytail. 1. 3. The Sexy Mistress 1. 3. 1. The Sexy Mistress has lived in New York, ergo she is â€Å"liberated†, which in the Philippines is a synonym for â€Å"promiscuous†. 1. 3. 2. The Sexy Mistress speaks a strange, over-enunciated English and begins each sentence with an arch laugh (Ah-ha-ha! . And she smokes. 1. 3. 3. The Sexy Mistress is a bad girl, hence she wears copious amounts of mascara and has long, dramatically wavy hair. 1. 3. 4. The Sexy Mistress does not cook. 1. 3. 5. The Sexy Mistress likes to taste forbidden pleasures, so she eats seafood she is allergic to, which is just daft. 2. All fathers are mean and horrible, hence responsible for your issues. 2. 1. The Handsome Husband’s father is a philanderer, embezzler and failed businessman, so The Handsome Husband will also be all of the above. 2. 2. The Beautiful Wife’s father is a tacky philanderer, so The Beautiful Wife will marry same. 2. 3. The Sexy Mistress’s father is domineering and arrogant, so The Sexy Mistress refuses to commit to a relationship until she meets someone who really can’t commit because he’s already married. 3. Women should humiliate themselves for their men. 3. 1. They should engage in public bitch fights in which handbags become metaphors for the man they are fighting over. 3. 2. They should invite each other to dinner and threaten to kill the bitch who is boinking their husband. . 3. If thinly veiled verbal aggression does not suffice, they should have a brawl in a public place. 3. 4. It does not occur to them that the person connected to the penis is also responsible for their troubles. 4. Nothing solves a domestic problem like a near-fatal accident. 4. 1. The cheating husband endures excruciating physical torment as a substitute for castration. 4. 2. The suffering wife has to forgive her husband because the thought of living without him is more than she could bear, and she’s forgotten that she left him. 4. 3. The scheming mistress is jolted back to her senses. 5. The moral of the story is, Thou shalt not commit adultery. 5. 1. The cheating husband crawls back to his wife, who doesn’t seem particularly enamored of him but is compelled to defend their marriage. 5. 2. The wife always wins because there is no alternative. It’s not as if she could ditch her unfaithful spouse—there is no divorce in the Philippines (Well, technically). 5. 3. The mistress goes back to New York, where all the bad girls are supposed to go, which makes you wonder who won exactly

Once upon a time Essay

These ‘mechanical birds’ are books, with many ‘wings’, meaning pages. The body shrieking without pain is laughter and the eyes melting are the reader’s tears. â€Å"Model T is a room with the lock inside – A key is turned to free the world For movement, so quick there is a film To watch for anything missed†. These seventh and eighth stanzas are talking about a car. This is simple as Raine refers to â€Å"Model T†, a well-known car. Raine says it is a room because you go inside of the car and you are away from the outside world. You need a key to turn the car on and off and to lock the car. As you read on, you can see some of the poet’s influences for his writing. Raine is participating in a very ancient poetic ancient tradition. If you look at the poem as a series of riddles to be deciphered by the reader, then that takes us back centuries to the riddle poems in Anglo Saxon literature. In stanzas 10-13, the following lines are- â€Å"In homes, a haunted apparatus sleeps, That snores when you pick it up. If the ghost cries, they carry it To their lips and soothe it to sleep with sounds. And yet they wake it up deliberately, by tickling it with a finger†. This is a reference to a phone, a ‘haunted apparatus†. If it cries- ‘rings’, we pick it up to our lips and ‘soothe it to sleep with sounds’, meaning we speak into it. If we tickle it with a finger, we dial into it. The following lines have possibly the most bizarre descriptions of the whole poem- â€Å"Only the young are allowed to suffer Openly. Adults go to a punishment room With water but nothing to eat. They lock the door and suffer the noises Alone. No one is exempt And everyone’s pain has a different smell†. These are probably the hardest stanzas in the poem, but with some hard thinking, the lines all make sense- A â€Å"punishment room with just water† is a bathroom. When Raine writes, â€Å"only the young are allowed to suffer openly† he is talking about a baby getting their nappies changed in the open. Yet, us adults have to go to the bathroom and suffer our pain alone. Raine has written three exceptional stanzas, nobody really thinks about their own or other people’s daily use of the toilet. It is generally unspoken about and could almost be seen as a taboo subject, not to be raised in public. The last two stanzas end on a peaceful note- â€Å"At night when all the colours die, They hide in pairs And read about themselves – In colour, with their eyelids shut†. This is a normal full day seen in the Martian’s eyes. It has now come to an end, reading about yourself in colour with your eyes shut, is quite obviously understood as dreaming. These two poems both share one very significant subject which links them together overall, but it is important to state first the similarities and differences between each person’s work. Gabriel Okara seems to feel strongly about the idea of such falseness in our mannerisms and ways of speaking in everyday western life, as it is not like the hospitable place his homeland was. Gabriel Okara seems to be speaking from his own mind, about how he feels about this environment. Craig Raine has been born and bred in England, and doesn’t talk about a strange westernised country like Gabriel Okara, but about life on this planet in general. Craig Raine does not seem to be annoyed at our everyday customs (or if he is, he hides it in his wording very well), merely humoured at how humans generally structure their lives. With Gabriel Okara’s style of writing, there are no riddles to unveil and his poem is structured very differently in contrast to Craig Raine’s. Okara simply starts with â€Å"Once upon a time, son†, which is straightforward enough, rather than â€Å"Caxton’s are mechanical birds with wings†, which can baffle most readers. Gabriel Okara is quite dark about the ‘cold’ place he has come to, not at all like his native Nigeria. He certainly did not intend to humour the readers. I think that Raine wrote this poem to give his mind a rest from the real world. Perhaps he wrote it for pleasure and humor. I think this would be an enjoyable type of poem to write. Raine wanted his readers to be humored, to see life through somebody else’s eyes, who has never seen life on Earth before. Also, the Martian seems merely bemused by human life and our everyday rituals. Mysteriously, the Martian never discusses what life on his planet was like, unlike Gabriel Okara whom describes the warmth he used to experience before. However, despite these many differences, the poets come together on one extremely important subject. It is, the way we take our lives for granted while others, unsuspectingly wander around feeling confused at all the social and physical complexities of the strange and alien world around them. The poets both write about separate characters commenting on their experience in another place, and not feeling at ease with it as the other members of the population are. It is true that one poem is quite dark and the other is lighthearted, the stanzas and couplets are differently placed, the wording is different etc, but overall, the characters in question are both feeling out of place and confused about all the common perplexities. They comment on life on this Earth we experience every day and take for granted. We hardly notice how a car may sound to an outsider or how â€Å"It was nice having you here today with us† could hurt a guest or client who knows you didn’t mean what you said. We are all so accustomed to our lives; we do not think much of how it may seem to anybody else who has never been in that state of environment.

How Thanksgiving Came To Be.... essays

How Thanksgiving Came To Be.... essays In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October. The first Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated on April 15, 1872 in thanks of the recovery of the future King Edward VII from a serious illness. But the major reason why Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving is because we are thankful for a successful harvest. The harvest season falls earlier in Canada than the United States, simply because Canada is further north. Harvest celebrations have been around for a long time. Ever since the very first harvest, about 2000 years ago, people have been thankful for a very prosperous bounty. In 1957, Parliament announced that on the second Monday in October that Thanksgiving would be a day of general thanksgiving to almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed. During the American Revolution, Americans who were still loyal to England and the crown moved to Canada and brought over with them the traditional Thanksgiving rituals that were associated wi th an American Thanksgiving. Because of this, Canadian and American Thanksgiving have many characteristics and traditions that are very similar to each other. For example the tradition of the cornucopia and serving pumpkin pie are customs that both, American and Canadian Thanksgiving follow. The custom of serving turkey at the Thanksgiving table is widely debated. Some say that duck/goose was served at the first Thanksgiving, some say turkey, and some say venison was served at the first Thanksgiving. It doesnt really matter what you serve at your Thanksgiving table, as long as you are thankful to God for all that you have been blessed with and for all the good that has happened in your life so far. ...

Terror essays

Terror essays What is a terrorist? Well the denotation of this word is as follows, somebody who uses violence or the threat of violence, especially bombing, and assassination, to intimidate, often for there own purpose. By this definition, government personals are not excluded from being a terrorist or participating in terrorism. Actually many governments activities are equivalent to those more world renown ones in according to the direct dictionary definition of terrorism. This is because media more often than not is on the governments side, so they dont criticize their government because it is this government that bails them out in hard times such as September 11th. To strike back for the tragedy that took place on September 11th governments have come together to join and create a coalition and call there mission The fight against terrorism to answer to the actions carried out on September 11th. This title makes very little sense? Due to fact that the method these anti terrorist groups are using are identical to those that are used by people classified as a terrorist. Sidney Sheldon wrote in his book Sands of time, the only difference between the terrorist and the government is that, one is in power and the other one is not. So what can the USA ultimately expect to accomplish via the air strikes targeting Afghanistan? Since two wrongs dont make a right, United States of America can ultimately expect to accomplish nothing via air strikes targeting Afghanistan, as September 11th did nothing but create more hatred among people. The three areas that will get provoked is the menace of more terrorism, food issues, and the continuing growth of concern for children. This war, as it is being fought to the nail, will not make a better, safer place. It will make it far more dangerous. Indeed, one can argue about the justification of indiscriminate and excessive...

How the Photosynthetic Process Works in Trees

How the Photosynthetic Process Works in Trees Photosynthesis is an important process that permits plants, including trees, to use their leaves to trap the suns energy in the form of sugar. The leaves then store the resulting sugar in cells in the form of glucose for both immediate and later  tree growth. Photosynthesis represents a beautifully wonderful chemical process in which six molecules of water from roots combine with six molecules of carbon dioxide from the air and creates one molecule of organic sugar. Of equal importance is the by-product of this process- photosynthesis is what produces oxygen. There would be no life on earth as we know it without the photosynthetic process.   The Photosynthetic Process in Trees The term photosynthesis means putting together with light. It is a manufacturing process that happens within cells of plants and within tiny bodies called chloroplasts. These plastids are located in the cytoplasm of leaves and they contains the green coloring matter called chlorophyll. When photosynthesis takes place, water that has been absorbed by the trees roots is carried to leaves where it comes in contact with the layers of chlorophyll. At the same time, air, containing carbon dioxide, is taken into leaves via leaf pores and exposed to sunlight, resulting in a very important chemical reaction. Water is broken down into its oxygen and nitrogen elements, and it combines with carbon dioxide in the chlorophyll to form sugar. This oxygen released by trees and other plants becomes a part of the air we breath, while the glucose is carried to the other parts of the plant as nourishment. This essential process is what will make of 95 percent of the mass in a tree, and photosynthesis by trees and other plants is what contributes nearly all the oxygen in the air we breathe.   Here is the  chemical equation for the process of photosynthesis: 6 molecules of carbon dioxide 6 molecules of water light → glucose oxygen The Importance of Photosynthesis Many processes occur in a tree leaf, but none more important than photosynthesis and the resulting food it manufactures and the oxygen it  produces as a byproduct. Through the magic of green plants, the radiant energy of the sun is captured in a leafs structure and made available to all living things. Except for a few kinds of bacteria, photosynthesis is the only process on earth by which organic compounds are constructed from inorganic substances, resulting in stored energy.   Roughly 80 percent of the earths total photosynthesis is produced in the ocean. Its estimated that 50 to 80 percent of the worlds oxygen is generated by ocean plant-life, but the critical remaining portion is generated by terrestrial plant life, particular the earths forests  Ã‚  So the pressure is constantly on the terrestrial plant world to keep up the pace. The loss of the worlds forests has far-reaching consequences in terms of the compromising the percentage of oxygen in the earths atmosphere. And because the process of photosynthesis consumes carbon dioxide, trees, and other plant life, are a means by which the earth scrubs out carbon dioxide and replaces it with pure oxygen. It is quite critical for cities to maintain a healthy urban forest in order to maintain good air quality.   Photosynthesis and The History of Oxygen Oxygen has not always been present on earth. The earth itself is estimated to be around  4.6  billion years old, but scientists studying geologic evidence believe that oxygen first appeared about 2.7 billion years ago, when microscopic cyanobacteria, otherwise known as blue-green algae, developed the ability to photosynthesize sunlight into sugars and oxygen. It took roughly a billion more years for enough oxygen to collect in the atmosphere to support early forms of terrestrial life.   It is unclear just what happened 2.7 billion years ago to cause cynobacteria to develop the process that makes life on earth possible. It remains one of sciences most intriguing mysteries.

Evaluate Submission Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluate Submission - Assignment Example The participating students were needed to develop a training prototype. The participants’ aims depend on the outcome of the instructional training; individuals were required to carry out a step by step framework of tasks directed at meeting the objectives and goals of the training (William & Rothwell, 2006). The modified version of the evaluation instrument provides the instructor with an opportunity to evaluate the training materials and the effectiveness of the entire training package by incorporating distinct and measurable outcomes. This method also creates a framework of identifying any flaws in the training program. Consequently, improvements and adjustments to the course curriculum can be implemented based on the results of the training program developed by the participants (Aris, 2000). The failure of participants to effectively provide a framework of the working of the new concepts and theories learnt from the training program would be viewed as a total failure. They should be able to set clear goals and directions as a result of new knowledge earned through the training prototype. Inability on the part of participants to incorporate the steps learnt from the program and be able to achieve desired goals shows the incompetence aspect of the overall framework of the training program. The inability of the participants to put to test and practice what they have gained from the training program is evidence of the flaws present in the training prototype, or the participants may not be able to comprehend the information given to them. The training prototype should be redesigned and the methods used to convey information should be examined and evaluated. Inability on the part of the student to outline some of the theories used in the training program may be as a result of poor reading skills. The training program should ensure participants understand the concepts used and are able to comprehend them. The inability of the students to comprehend the

Design Culture of china Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Design Culture of china - Research Proposal Example The developments in the design culture of the nation have also reflected in its consumer culture too as many people are lured by the prospect of experiencing the grandeur and beauty of Chinese designs. Thus, this paper tries to throw light on the extraordinary moments in Chinese design and the rise of Chinas consumer society. There is truly a sense of design frenzy in China right now. The paper also seeks to explore how the new design explosion has drastically changed the major Chinese cities beyond all recognition in the last two decades. The changes foresee that there will be a time when everyone talks about things being designed in China, not just made in China. The designers included in China Design Now are pioneers for future generations who will bring Chinese design to an international audience. The paper also explores the origin and development of the design culture in the nation and it deals with all the major designers, architects and artists of the era and pinpoints the pec uliarities of their designs. Tracing back to the origin of designs in China, one understands that the nation has a unique and traditional fashion designing from its early history which was very much in tune with the customs and traditions of the early Chinese people. The nation maintains a long and rich tradition in clothing and fashion designing. The ancient Chinese clothing demonstrated both refinement and sophistication even during the Shang Dynasty from 16th to 11th B.C. Pien-fu, the chang-pao, and the shen-I are the thre dominant traditional Chinese clothing and each of them has strong roots in the tradition and customs that prevailed in the early Chinese civilization. The pien-fu is a â€Å"two-piece ceremonial costume of a tunic-like top extending to the knees and a skirt or trousers extending to the ankles† whereas the chang-pao is â€Å"a one-piece garment extending from the shoulders all the way to the heels† (The Culture of China: Living and

Group Dynamics and the impact upon the function of management Essay

Group Dynamics and the impact upon the function of management - Essay Example Basically this is the core premise and assumption supported in this paper: that it is favourable, more civil, and more ingenious to engage the entire individual in question and interaction and makes a lot of sense to engage the group in its own learning, development, and resolution (Benson 2001). For the purposes of this paper, group work practice denotes the well-organised, conscious, and methodical application of understanding about the mechanisms of collective human interaction, so as to get involved in a knowledgeable manner, or advance some wanted goal in a group context (Luthans 2005). Group work is a creative, healthy, and productive experience, performed based on open agreements, explicitly practised and clearly attained, about the task and goal of the group, responsibilities, rights of members (Greenberg 2000). Therefore, in order to address the premises of this paper various literature on managing organisational behaviour and group dynamics are used. It is evident that group situations evolve as an outcome of the energy produced by devotion and motivation divergences in the group. Exploring and understanding the adjustment in situations is an essential capability of group work practice (Mullins 2005). By observing the fluctuation in situation and determining the patterns and premises of behaviour, interaction, and relationship, it is possible to discern what needs or demands exist in the group at any specified time, and allow intervention to arise out of the given group condition (Robbins 2004). Tuckman, Garland, and his associates along with several scholars assume a sequential or linear progression in group development. This academic and systematic demarcation of group dynamics can be unknown to the experience of several novice group members as they analyse the evident disorder and uncertainty of their own

Marketing plan for a sports retailer in Dubai Coursework

Marketing plan for a sports retailer in Dubai - Coursework Example The report also has a dedicated section to the analysis of the financials of the store and understanding of the relevant terms. Last but not the least, the report ends with emphasis upon the controlling measures and it includes the implementation, the marketing organization and the contingency planning. The word 'change' is assumed to be the only constant word in the present world of today. The business environment of the world is ever changing. With the effects of massive developments in the field of information technology and that of the communication process, the world has become all the much smaller and within the few clicks of the computer mouse. By virtue of globalization, the geographical boundaries have almost perished in the fields of trade and finance and most of the economies of the world are coupled with each other. The effects faced by an economy because of its internal happenings also influences the economic policies of the nation at far off places. With the increasing advent of globalization, the importance of the middle - eastern cities have been on the rise. The most beneficial among those cities have been Dubai, thanks to its geographical location, with the developed Europe on one hand and the whole of Asia on the other which comprises of the emerging economies of China and India. Also, the laws of the land of the United Arab Emirates have been very friendly to that of trade and finance in Dubai. The industry of sports has been one of the most booming sectors across the globe. With the increasing affects of globalization, the world of sports has seen major shift all over the world. There has been increased interest in the various arenas of sports like never before. Most importantly, a huge proportion of the population of the present world is younger in age and most of them are in the eastern part of the planet. The women populace has also shown enhanced concern in favor of the various sporting interests. All these factors have contributed positively towards the boom in the sports industry. There is little doubt that Dubai has been one of the most promising sports destinations of the globe. Along the above discussed factors, the reduction of the conservatism of the society of Dubai, the importance of the city as the geographical location and being the destination of the international headquarters of the sporting organizations like that of International Cricket Council (ICC) have also contributed positively towards the increasing interest of sports in the land. The qualification of the country in the World Cup Football, many a times in the recent past has also impressed the population in sports. Despite all of the discussed factors, the most crucial consideration of the influence of sports in Dubai has been the concept of Dubai Sports City. Dubai

Cultural Challenges in International Project Management Illustrated by Research Paper

Cultural Challenges in International Project Management Illustrated by Comparing Germany and the United States of America - Research Paper Example The first step in any cultural study is to attempt to define what exactly is culture. Due to the varied and basic intangible nature and the existing dissimilarities in the world’s cultures, it is a very difficult task to correctly define culture.There are over 300 widely accepted definitions of culture, with prominent researchers like Taylor, Down, Hofstede providing their own versions. All of these definitions contain some similar elements which h can be grouped together to form an encompassing idea of what a culture is. Sennara and Hartman describe culture assets of shared beliefs, attitudes, values and ideas which make up the core essence of a culture and are accepted by the majority of the population. These shared values then further become a part of the accepted behavior concerning family, social culture, law and other noticeable areas. There are three determinants of any culture - Human Nature which his universal and refers to biological and physiological needs, Cultural traits which are distinct for every nation and formed through traditions and history and personality which differs for every individual and may not be in direct complement to the cultural traits.The culture is also the major influence in determining the ‘work culture’ and ethics of the nation and the reason why organizations place so much importance on understanding the culture as a whole. From the management perspective, Mario Eberlein divides known culture into the three levels of National, Organizational, professional level.

Prevalence of Asthma among Physically Inactive Adolescents Research Paper

Prevalence of Asthma among Physically Inactive Adolescents - Research Paper Example Asthma has been implicated in overweight and physically inert young people. In their study, Daniel et al mention that in instances of reduced mobility, there is more prevalence of asthma. With asthma also, there is decreased physical activity which accentuates the condition. In another study by Ten Hacken (2009), physical inactivity and obesity have been compared so as to identify the correlation between the two. The researchers are guided by the principle that physical inactivity and obesity are risk factors for many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, depression and diabetes mellitus. The researchers explain that in inactivity and obesity, there is systemic inflammation that leads to various inflammatory processes of many chronic conditions. Asthma is a chronic airway disease characterized by enhanced bronchial inflammation and hyperactivity, mucosal edema and airway narrowing. Asthma being a chronic condition, therefore, fits the bill o f the inclusion criteria. Despite this argument, the study is not quite clear on asthma as it uses postulations and inferences. Even the researchers themselves admit that complex studies will be needed to clearly show the correlation between physical inactivity and asthma. ... Smoking is a trigger for acute asthma attacks while obesity does not necessarily imply that one has reduced activity. However, there was some strength of association between inactivity and asthma in the sense that, of the study participants, those who used inhalers had an 80% likelihood of being physically inactive. Another study by Hallal et al seeks to identify the strength of association between physical activity in adolescents and their health status. The research is based on the principle that physical inactivity among the young people reduces the incidence of chronic diseases. The study was conducted between 2000 and 2004. The findings were that physical activity has long-term benefits o various conditions in the body including bone condition, breast cancer, asthma and sedentary behavior. Concerning asthma, the researchers established that water activities have shown efficacy in controlling and fighting asthma. The ways in which physical activity treats asthma is not very clear , but from various studies reviewed, there is a close association between physical activity and asthma. What is, however, not clear is the mechanism by which this happens. PART 3 Research Questions: Using PICO Model The study shall be conducted based on the guidance from the following research questions: 1. To what extent can asthmatic conditions be attributed to lifestyle? 2. Are adolescents who are less active physically likely to have health complications than their active counterparts? 3. What is the connection between patient diagnosed with asthma and physical mobility? 4. Can increased physical activity reduce the chances of asthmatic attack? 5. Do asthmatic adolescent who

Cultural Challenges in International Project Management Illustrated by Research Paper

Cultural Challenges in International Project Management Illustrated by Comparing Germany and the United States of America - Research Paper Example The first step in any cultural study is to attempt to define what exactly is culture. Due to the varied and basic intangible nature and the existing dissimilarities in the world’s cultures, it is a very difficult task to correctly define culture.There are over 300 widely accepted definitions of culture, with prominent researchers like Taylor, Down, Hofstede providing their own versions. All of these definitions contain some similar elements which h can be grouped together to form an encompassing idea of what a culture is. Sennara and Hartman describe culture assets of shared beliefs, attitudes, values and ideas which make up the core essence of a culture and are accepted by the majority of the population. These shared values then further become a part of the accepted behavior concerning family, social culture, law and other noticeable areas. There are three determinants of any culture - Human Nature which his universal and refers to biological and physiological needs, Cultural traits which are distinct for every nation and formed through traditions and history and personality which differs for every individual and may not be in direct complement to the cultural traits.The culture is also the major influence in determining the ‘work culture’ and ethics of the nation and the reason why organizations place so much importance on understanding the culture as a whole. From the management perspective, Mario Eberlein divides known culture into the three levels of National, Organizational, professional level.