International Business Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Business - Coursework Example Commodization turns product markets from monopolistic markets to perfect completive markets (Peng, 2013). For instance, Aqua-fresh is very distinct from Colgate. Regardless, the market treats both brands as the same product and solely compare their prices before making a purchasing idea. c. VRIO is a frame used in evaluating the strategic choices made by a firm in its quest to grow. Arguably, VRIO framework is comprised of a series of questions that make up the main argument for the evaluation of the competitive position of a given firm or organization. These components are Value, Rarity, Imitability and Organization. The question for value evaluates a firm’s ability to exploit an opportunity and neutralize threats. The question for rarity assesses the ease of obtaining resources in the industry for instance raw material. How rare are the resources and capabilities and are they controlled by a few players. The question for Imitability evaluates the ability of a firm’s products or resources to be imitated by other players in the industry. Finally, the question for Organization, evaluates the organization of power and command lines, resources and capabilities within a firm in order to capture value. This entails the culture as well as other features as w ell. d. One of the key arguments for off-shoring is the fact that it creates just as many jobs as it destroys. Arguably, off-shoring increases efficiency within an organization, increases productivity and reduces organizational costs allowing organizations to expand and create jobs that are more domestic as well (Peng, 2013). Another main argument for off-shoring is the fact that the off-shoring in the manufacturing industry has led to an increase in the wages of the employees who are opting to venture into more productive professions, and those employed domestically can also increase their incomes as well from reduced costs. However, off-shoring has led to the increase in the unemployment rates in the

"Diversity Day" Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

"Diversity Day" Analysis - Assignment Example Therefore, the episode conspicuously addresses the manifestation of diversity and its effects within the work place. The key learning in this episode is that diversity management is an important tool for every organization if harmony, essential for success, has to be attained. One of the issues that come out clearly is that stereotypes underpin the intensity of racial discrimination within the organizational environment. A stereotype refers to biased assumptions about a particular group of people that often demeans the dignity of such group of people. In the episode, when Michael asks each member to stick a card inscribed with a race on their forehead, he invites every member to utter any stereotypes that refer to the race written on each members face (Kwapis n.p.). Notably, there are as many stereotypes as there are different races in the world. At least, each member of staff with a sticker on their face has their share of stereotypes associated with their races. While some stereotypes are demeaning, other places one race at the top position depicting it as a superior race. In the work environment, stereotypes learnt since childhood becomes the source of racial discrimination. For instance, the black people are associated with hard labor while the whites are associated with white collar jobs. Discrimination issues result into intimidation where minority groups are perceived as inferior to the dominant races. In the episode we learn the possible impacts of discrimination within the work place. When the staff members recite different stereotypes at their partners, there is mixed reaction as people cite uncomfortable stereotypes that bring up unpleasant feelings. Michaels terms it as â€Å"mixing the melting pot† to describe the nature of this exchange. He expects each person to guess their race depending on the stereotypes that are uttered about them. This way, he says that they will learn to understand how being a

The Rise Of China History Essay

The Rise Of China History Essay INTRODUCTION China perceives itself as a central power on Earth. The rest of the World is an array of greater and lesser powers which neither have unified structure nor a single head Macnall Mark  [1]   1. The quiet yet spectacular rise of China in the last two decades has brought the Oriental dragon on the thresholds of changing the contours of international power politics. China has emerged as the third largest economy in the world and the largest trading partner of all the emerging markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America replacing the USA and EU. China is known to be pursuing a not so transparent path of steep growth in strategic military capability and has developed a credible nuclear and missile deterrence capability. 2. China is rising along with worldwide concerns over the strat implications of the growing Chinese power. Whether any nation likes it or not, China has emerged as a power to reckon with and its hybrid model of quasi- state capitalism semi democratic authoritarianism sometimes dubbed as the Beijing consensus  [2]  makes an interesting case study for the strat thinkers. 3. During the cold war, China pursued a policy of leaning to one side (either the Soviet Union or the United States) from within a posture of strategic independence. After the disintegration of USSR, it has been making official and emphatic pronouncements of promoting a multipolar world order and its own desire to attain the status of a world power. China has generally maintained an outwardly peaceful outlook and the World has not seen any major intervention by China except possibly in the case of North Korea where the Chinese action can not be defined as responsible. However, as China begins to assert its economic prowess and military capability, the global and regional powers are besieged with the growing realisation of a need to develop mechanisms to deal with the potent China threat. 4. There appears to be a near consensus that China will soon become a world power. However, whether China will fulfil the responsibilities that accompany the mantle of a Global power remains to be seen. Whatever be the case, China has arrived at the centre stage of world politics and the world has to cater for China in all their strategic outlook. Hypothesis 5. The rise of China into a global power in foreseeable future is a fact every nation state has to understand and reckon with. China is on the path of development of comprehensive national power before it asserts itself to take the centre stage of the world order . Assertion of Chinas economic and military might in conjunction with its soft power status in the UN to challenge the unipolar world order is likely to bring it in conflict with the sole super power USA. Manifestation of the true Chinese aspirations and intentions are likely to emerge by the year 2030 by which time it may be too late for world players including India to decide on how to align with the changed world order centred around China.   Statement of the Problem 6. This research seeks to study and analyze the rise of China as a world power and its effect on the global power equation. The paper also seeks to study as to how the major international players including India will manage or adapt to this change in the international arena. SCOPE 7. This research will primarily focus on the strat activities of China and its implications for other nations including India. It will analyse the World view of the Chinese growth and the management of the change in global power equations due to Chinese growth. The research has been carried out under the following main heads:- (a) Historical/Background Issues. After a brief mention of the rise of Chinese civilisation, its geography and population, this part includes the research carried out to understand the advent of nationalism and communism in China and the transformation from Mao to Market as Deng Xiaoping laid the foundation for open market policies within a centrist communist regime. (focus more on the contribution of the CCP and its evolution in the era of Xiaoping. Not to cov econ its detls to avoid overlap with para c below). (b) Chinas Grand Strategy/ Capabilities and Intentions. The national and military objectives of China and the growth of its military capability to meet its regional as well as global ambitions have been analysed in this part. (Focus on the Chinese perspective only avoid giving the perspective of the other powers to avoid duplication with para e below). (c) Economic and Social Growth of China. The emergence of China as a major economic power with substantial forex reserves and its global reach to new markets have been analysed. The Chinese initiatives for social growth to facilitate the economic growth in the long term have also been examined. (only the economic and social growth of china , avoid views and perspective either Chinese or World view as it is being cov in other parts) (d) Chinas Growing Vulnerabilities Weaknesses. While China has made much progress, it still has many blemishes. The threats of economic disparity, alienation of ethnic minorities like Tibetans and Uighurs, environmental threat due to urbanisation, lack of energy resources and the plight of farmers and migrant labour working in the SEZs are some of the threats which may derail the stability of China. In addition to discussion of the internal weaknesses of China, its performance in relation to internal obligations like nuclear non proliferation, global war on terror , human rights front and world trade issues have also been analysed in this part. (e) Effect and Analysis of Chinas Rise. The effect of Chinas rise on the world order and major world players like USA, EU, Asia Pacific, Russia, South Asia and India and their response have been analysed in this part.(you can skip the effect on India and the Indian response as it will be coc in detl in para f) (f) Implications for India and How Should India Respond. There are areas of common interests as well as areas of competition and concerns between the two Asian giants. In view of the meteoric growth of China, India has a wide range of options to include collaboration, engagement, containment, confrontation and alliance with other global players like USA, Japan, Australia and Taiwan etc . The options of India ranging from deterrence to dissuasion capability and the multi pronged and multi lateral policies to slow down the prowling dragon of China have been analysed in this part. ( the alliances by India may be common between paras e and f, both gps may work on it for the time being for maint continuity of your flow, can be rationalises later) PRESENTATION 8. The presentation of the Minor Research Project will be conducted as under:- Minutes (a) Historical/Background Issues 05 (b) Chinas Grand Strategy/Intentions 12 (c) Economic Social Rise of China 06 (d) Chinas Growing Vulnerabilities Weaknesses 10 (e) Effect and Analysis of Chinas Rise 12 (f) Implications for India and How Should India Respond. 14 (g) Conclusion 02 (h) Questions Answers 20 (j) Summing up by SI 05 (k) Comments by CI Army/Comdt 05 Total 90 (this is tentative , based on the term of ref that we have only 60 mins for presentation the obvious achievements of China need not be devoted too much of time and space . I have tried to keep the sub parts/contents of the sub topics in mind while allotting time . Historical background part may appear less to you but that being the introductory part should not be too long I feel) CONCLUSION 9. The meteoric rise of China in the World order has been one of the most discussed and debated issues of the new millennium. After more than five centuries of dominance of the Western Block, the Oriental Dragon is well poised to take the centre stage in the World politics and economy. 10. There is a considerable amount of debate on issues like how long can the dynamic growth in Chinese economy continue or its nearly totalitarian regime survive but the there can be no dispute to the rising might of the Chinese economy and military power which has shown remarkable signs of resilience, stability and adaptability . 11. The expectation that China eventually would pursue an assertive strategic policy subsequent to attaining comprehensive national strength would be fairly consistent with the conduct of previous great powers historically. Chinese experience of geopolitical primacy and the association of that primacy with good order, civilization, virtue, and justice, may make the pursuit of geopolitical centrality through assertive behaviour once again attractive. 12. The global players and India will have to develop a multi lateral approach for dealing with the rise of China. While China has the right to peaceful development of its own country, any asymmetric growth in military capability is bound to pose a threat to the power balance in regional as well as global levels. 13. India must engage China in a constructive manner to expand bilateral trade and co-operation while enhancing its own military and economic potential to deal with any possible Chinese misadventure like 1962. Our focus has to be based on building matching capabilities rather than reading the Chinese intentions alone as while the capabilities take years to build, intentions may change overnight. Note- Please come prep with all the proposed changes/amdts to any part of the synopsis or any addition/deletion to the scope of your respective topics/sub topics. You may send in your suggestions by mail also.

Standardized Test Essay examples -- Standardized Testing Essays

Standardized Test Standardized test have been a means measuring student performance. Some important questions that always come up regarding standardized test are what are the tests really measuring? Are they measuring a person’s intelligence? Their ability to perform well on standardized tests? Or just some random quantity of the person’s IQ? When examining the issues around which these tests are given and the content of the tests themselves, it becomes apparent that however useful the tests may be for standardizing a group’s intellectual ability, they are not a good indicator of intelligence. To issue a truly standardized test, the testing environment should be the same for everyone involved. A person’s environment has a great deal to do with their cognitive abilities. Is the light flickering? Is the paint on the walls an unsettling shade? Is the temperature too hot or too cold? Is the chair uncomfortable? Or in the worst case, do they have an illness that day? To test a person’s mind, it is necessary to utilize their body in the process. If everyone’s body is placed in different conditions during the testing, how is it possible to get standardized results across all the subjects? Because of this assumption that everyone will perform equally independent of their environment, intelligence test scores are skewed and cannot be viewed as standardized, and definitely not as an example of a person’s intelligence. A person’s intelligence stems from a variety...

Why Did Fascism Rise in Europe During the 1920s? Could It Have in the 1930s US?

What kind of economic environment would embrace Fascism? What kind of society would allow their country’s freedoms and future to be placed into one dictator’s hands? Germany was surrounded by perceived forces of evil. The exploitation of fear from the French to the West and the Russians to the East would break the spirit of the German people. The fear of these two forces against a nationalized Germany would be used by Adolf Hitler to gain power. In Italy, Benito Mussolini used alliances with the Catholic Church, unions, and industry bosses to gain political power. That, along with using brute force against his political opponents, Mussolini’s form of Fascism was gradually built with eleven years of severe political maneuvering. Both Hitler and Mussolini took advantage of a political environment to form a new lofty ideal, fascism, an ideal that would lead to a second escalation in the early 20th century. World War I ended very badly for the Prussians. They were broken into smaller nations. Lands were taken from them. Their methods of wealth gathering from previous investments were seized away from them. Any possible modes of financial stability were looking bleaker with the continuance of the reparations coming out of the Great War. Even when the new Germany did create wealth, the French would take it away from them because of overdue payments. There was no financial hope because the French were so relentless with their strict enforcement of the Treaty of Versailles. The enduring vengeance that the French leaders had towards Germany after WWI was eventually viewed by Germans as greed. The ruthless attitude of the French capitalists developed into an overall German distaste for the existing capitalist movement. To the East there was also a newly formed communist Russia that was growing in structure and power. There was an anxiety among the German people with what was going on in Russia. By outsiders, communism was understood as simply a loss of private property. The loss of private property was something that the new Furher, or leader, of Germany would claim to protect. Exploiting the people’s anxiety for a state-owned economic system was a main tool used by Hitler. Germany didn’t want to be like the greedy French capitalists, nor did they want to be like the War-Communist, Stalin-led Russians. These two forces to either side of Germany created a vacuum of ideas. Within this vacuum, Hitler forced his own ideas that in 1926 he laid-out in his work Mein Kampf . At this point of Germany’s economic disrepair, Hitler could have sold the German near anything especially because it was neither like the French nor the Russian respective economic futures. Hitler also used the Jews as his own capitalist scapegoats for why the country was in such economic peril. He used this as a rallying cry, a distraction for something to move against at home. All they had to do was to exterminate the Jews, follow Furher, and he would lead Germany back to being a reunified world power. Benito Mussolini in Italy went another route. After he was elected Prime Minister in 1922 he slowly used political force to gain and maintain power. He gained the support of the Catholic Church by mandating Catholic school for children. He somehow aligned himself with both unions and industry bosses by mandating an eight hour workday and freeing the industries of back payments from WWI. And in order to get his way in the elected government he would use his seemingly endless political power to dissuade the elected liberals. He would threaten or even assassinate anyone who opposed his rise to power. â€Å"I declare†¦. in front of the Italian people†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦that I alone assume the political, moral and historic responsibility for everything that has happened. Italy wants peace and quiet, work and calm. I will give these things with love if possible and with force if necessary. † Peace via force? Somehow that doesn’t seem possible, but the fascist government led by its Il Duce, or leader, got its way. Exterminating, not Jews as Hitler was then doing, but liberals in Italian places of power. In the 1930’s America it was a dire time financially. People were voting with their stomachs and they were all ears in following the leadership of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR was a very popular American leader as he was voted into the highest office four times. America was not quite as broken as Germany was. America still had its ideals intact as evidenced by its strong opposition to FDRs attempted amendment to the Constitution adding six members to the Supreme Court. Despite the financial hardships that the American people were experiencing in the 1930s, Fascism was much too different for appeal to the Americans. They were too proud of their existing American democracy to ever be influenced enough to change the ideology from a capitalist democracy towards a fascist dictator. Americans were much more interested in FDR’s ‘tweaks’ than in a complete government overhaul as either Mussolini or Hitler would have advocated. With a thriving fascist government, when is enough, enough? When dealing with fascism there is never really a true stopping point. Whether it was someone within the nation, like the liberals in Italy or the Jews of Germany, or an outside threat, like the communists of Russia or the French Capitalists, there will always be an opposing party. It begs the question whether a successful WWII campaign by Italy and Germany would have eventually pitted them against each other?

God’s Existence and Aquinas Objection Essay

I was in the debate team in high school. And there were times that our team would take the against side of the statement. In his famous work Prologion, written in 1077-1078, Anselm presents the idea the God exists because God is the greatest thing of all, that the idea of thinking of God exists prove its existence. Hundred of years later, Thomas Aquinas brings up the account that addresses Anselm’s idea in objection 2 of Question II, First Article of Summa Theologica. Aquinas objects Anselm’s argument later in his work by attacking the idea that God is something that can be thought greater. To understand Anselm’s argument for God’s existence, one must first understand the principles that forms the argument. The first principle is the claim that â€Å"nothing greater can be thought. † There is too types of existing, existing in understanding (existing0) and existing in reality (existing1). Then, we try to think of something is existing1. Anselm let â€Å"something† be â€Å"something than which nothing greater can be thought (NGT),† or in another word â€Å"a being than which nothing greater can be conceived† according to the Proslogion. The very first act of thinking that something is existing1 serves as the basis of it existing0. Because in the process of trying to think of something greater, we already establish its existence0. For example, there is a flower A, existing1. This flower A is the most beautiful flower, that this flower is a NGT. In order to prove this flower is NGT, one has to think of all the flower he has seen, flower B, C, or D. In the process of searching through one’s mind trying to think of a flower that is more beautiful than flower A, flower A already exists in one’s mind, which is existing0. To open his argument, Anselm then said an example of NGT is God. The second principle is the principle of â€Å"thinking of non-existing objects (Principle E). † Anselm uses the example of a painter conceiving the drawing he will paint, then executing his plan in mind to make the painting exists in reality. To breakdown his argument, let’s begin with something that exists0. Because one has the ability to imagine that something exists0, one can also imagine that the same thing exists1. This priniciple is the most uncontroversial because it is just a matter of imagination. The fact that one has imagination allows him to imagine whatever he wants. For example, one imagines he won the lottery and has a million dollars. It is safe to say that one can proceed to think of that million dollars is existing1, regardless of if the million dollars truly exists1. Applying Principle E back to the argument of NGT, if one can imagine NGT in existence0, one can also go ahead and imagine NGT existing1. The third principle is â€Å"thinking something greater than something (Principle G). This principle compares the greatness of existing0 and existing1. Anselm proposes that â€Å"greatness† has two faces: qualitatively and existentially. To further support his argument, Anselm implies that greatness qualitatively means everything positive, such as, more beautiful, more knowledgeable, more influential, etc. Base on this assumption, Anselm argues that, â€Å"Suppose it exists in the understanding alone: then it can be conceived to exist in reality; which is greater. † To apply this principle in daily life, one can relate to a million dollars example above. One can imagine having a million dollars in his mind, but that million dollars doesn’t exist1. In another case, one owns a millions dollars, which means that million dollars exists1. The rhetorical question here will be, which case is more appealing to you, which scenario is â€Å"greater? † Back to Anselm’s claim, the â€Å"it† in his argument is, of course, NGT, which is God. That God exists1 is better than God only exists0 but not exists1. The next principle returns to the basic meaning of NGT. Principle N presents the idea â€Å"if something can be thought to be greater than x, then x is not an NGT. † Assume something is an NGT, nothing greater can be thought. If there is another thing that is greater then it. This â€Å"something† is no longer an NGT. This principle is pretty self-explanatory. To put it in everyday examples, imagine the beautiful flower A is the most beautiful flower in the whole wide world. However, one found another flower more beautiful than A. Now A is no longer an NGT, regardless in existence0 or existence1. Now substitute God in for NGT in the equation. Because Anselm already claimed that God is an NGT, if one can think of something greater than God, God is no longer an NGT. According to the Proslogion, â€Å"God cannot be conceived not to exist. –God is that, than which nothing greater can be conceived. –That which can be conceived not to exist is not God. † The upcoming principle’s idea bases that of principle E. Principle T simply proposes the idea that â€Å"an NGT can be thought. † Because one has the ability to think of an object either exists0, exists1, or even both, one can also think of NGT existing0, existing1, or both. The idea that one can think of something is very broad and universal, that â€Å"something† can simply be anything. The final piece of Anselm’s argument is Principle M. This principle presents the very vague idea that â€Å"if something must be thought as existing1, then it exists1. † If one must think of a flower exists1, then that flower does exist1. Now that all principles Anselm needed to support his argument that God exists are gathered, he begins his argument with a â€Å"fool (thinker)† that â€Å"understands [God] is in his understanding; although he does not understand it to exist. † To fully understand this argument, one has to accept Anselm’s assumption that God, indeed, is an NGT. The argument that the thinker has the ability to think of NGT existing1 is based on Principle E that if one can think of an object then he can think of it existing1. The idea of thinking NGT exists1 is â€Å"greater† than the idea of thinking NGT exists0 but doesn’t exist1 (Principle G); therefore, one can think of something greater than the NGT that exists0 but not in reality. However, this violates the basic meaning of an NGT (Principle N), nothing greater can be thought. So the idea that one can think of something greater than the NGT that exists0 but not in reality is contradictory to the fundamental element of an NGT. Which comes to the agreement that if one think of an NGT it is to be existing1. The conclusion implies the principle that one can thought of NGT exists1 (Principle T). Also, one can and must only think of an NGT exists1. This lead to the final conclusion. If one has no choice but think of something exists1, that something must be existing1 (Principle M). Therefore, an NGT, God, exists. Aquinas gives an condensed version account of Anselm’s argument in Summa Theologica. In objection 2 of question II, â€Å"Whether the existence of God is self-evident? †, Aquinas addresses the idea much abruptly. He first implies that Anselm’s idea of God is an NGT is equivalent to saying â€Å"things are said to be self-evident which are known as soon as the terms are known,† that the significant of the word â€Å"God† is nothing better can be conceived. He follows the account by stating that the word â€Å"God† â€Å"exists actually and mentally is greater than that which exists only mentally. † Therefore, if the word â€Å"God† is understood mentally it has to be understood to exist actually. Both Anselm’s argument of Aquinas’s account of it come to the same conclusion that God exists, that the thought of it existing lead to its real existence. Aquinas objects Anselm’s idea by stating that not everyone understands the word â€Å"God† will agree that it is an NGT. He follows his objection by stating: Yet, granted that everyone understands that by this name God is signified something than which nothing greater can be thought, nevertheless, it does not therefore follow that he understands that what the name signifies exists actually, but only that it exists mentally. Aquinas’s main objection is that the idea of NGT can be interpreted that it can only exists mentally. However, for Anselm’s argument to work, one has to understand that God can exists in reality; therefore, Aquinas further objects Anselm’s claim by stating those â€Å"who hold God does not exist† will not admit the fact that God is an NGT and it exists in reality. In Anselm’s defense, he based all his argument on the fact that God is â€Å"a being than which nothing greater can be conceived. † As a true believer of God, Anselm would have simply oppose those who does not believe in God has not fully understand the meaning of â€Å"God†; therefore, they fail to grasp the idea God exists in reality. If one understands God, he will be able to think of God’s existence in mind then agree to think of it in reality. After reading excerpts both from the Proslogion and the Summa Theologica, I am more inclined to support Aquinas’s claim. Although I do not think Aquinas has successfully destroyed Anselm’s argument, I think there are more weak links in Anselm’s argument than that of Aquinas’s. The most apparent loopholes are Principle M and Principle G. First, Principle M states that if one has to think of something as existing1, then that something has to exists1. However, Anselm neglects the fact that what one believes exists1 does not has to be true. For example, children were told to believe Santa Claus exists in reality and many of them do believe that idea. The contradiction being what those children â€Å"can and must† think exists1, Santa Claus, does not exists1. Second, the positivity of â€Å"greatness† implied in Principle G is too vague. The concept of greatness of reality is â€Å"better† than that of in mind can be subjective. Just because one person thinks the existence in reality is greater than existence in mind does not equal others perception of greatness. With doubts in Principle M and Principle G, I think Aquinas has a stronger position compare to Anselm does.