International business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

International business environment - Essay Example This assignment aims at discussing the concept of political economy in the context of Ireland in 2004. The paper will firstly provide a brief overview of the concept of political economy followed by a brief overview of Ireland. Then a thorough analysis of the case of Ireland in 2004 will be made and the theory of political economy will be applied to the same. Globalization is the process of speedy yet steady change and integration of countries and the occurrences that happen with the use of foreign trade and a lot of foreign investments. Globalization can be expressed as newer opportunities and possibilities for action among people across the world. Here the location is not an issue and the social activities are not affected by the location of the individuals or the businesses. There have been a number of different definitions that have been provided for globalization, however none of these can be considered to be precise. However some of the definitions that have been provided by experts are discussed below. According to Stephen Gill, globalization is a method of reducing the costs in terms of transaction and Trans – border movements of, capital as well as goods and also the factors of production and goods (RobertC.Feenstra & Hanson, 1996). However Guy Brainbant (Aisbett, 2003) has described globalization to be a process which do es not only includes the world trade, but also includes a number of other factors like the development of advanced means of communication, financial markets becoming internationalized, higher and growing importance to multinational companies, higher mobility of people, population migration, and mobility of other factors like goods, capital, data and also ideas. With the rapidly increasing connections across the world and a number of new integrations worldwide, there has been a shift in the pattern of studying politics of economic relations

Business logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business logistics - Essay Example Zara’s contribution to the European fashion market sales account for a staggering two-thirds of Inditex’ total 9002 Million Euro, of which net profit was 1002 Million Euro.   1.1 THE EXISTING PROCESS AND LOGISTICS OF ZARA A team of designers in Zara is charged with the responsibility of spotting emerging trends in response to consumer demands. Valuable feedback from consumers is received from Store Managers also. The information collected by them on design, outlook and demand is transmitted through a wireless network. These inputs are used by the design Management team to develop the latest products for Zara,  (Sull, and  Turconi, 2008). ... The whole process of design and cutting takes about 10 days. After the prototypes are produced, they undergo a decision process wherein the management decides which of them will go into commercial production. This decision is made on the basis of a special algorithm and the conditions and demands in the market. Generally only about 40% of the prototypes become commercial products for customers. They are then returned to the manufacturing centers to enter the production chain, checked for quality control, and packaging,  (Sullivan, 2005). The ready material is moved to the automated distribution centre in  Arteixo, which is the main Distribution Centre with no storage facility. Logistics models assist the management in assessing the number of batches that should be delivered to the stores twice a week through shipments, which makes sure that the stores are not overloaded and are delivered as per their demands. A fleet of trucks reach out to places with overnight distances and char tered cargo flights are used for larger distances. The company squeezed its shipping models and decided to go with air cargo, so that flights can organize outbound consignment of all company products with return journey loaded with raw materials and half-finished products, (Burt, Dawson, and  Larke, 2003). Fig1: Complete Operations chain of Zara Fashions    Fig2: Outline of operations at Zara SECTION 2   This section presents the  advantages  /  disadvantages, SWOT, PEST analysis of Zara and evaluation of current operations and logistics at Zara.   2.1 Strategic Advantages Being different from traditional retails, its does not outsources its  operations  or products

The VDOT Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The VDOT Management - Assignment Example Theory X is a concept of inspiration, which assumes that the workforce does not like certain tasks, or change, but can complete the tasks effectively under the high control of the management. The theory’s management method can be soft or tough. For example, when using the hard approach, the VDOT managers must coerce, control, and threaten the staff in order to augment the job performance. To use the soft method, the leaders should be lenient and seek unity, and this will motivate the workers to be cooperative. The hard approach is usually not very helpful since it can lead to low outputs and hostility. The soft way augments the workforce desire for higher incentive in exchange for lower work performance (Lauby, 2005). The organization can also use goal-setting theory. The VDOT should involve the staff in goal setting. This theory implies that the workers can be inspired to realize the goals that they sett together with their supervisor. This will motivate personnel to work tirelessly to meet the set goals (Pride, Hughes, & Kapoor, 2011). Previously, VDOT was famous for its innovations in the engineering field and perfectly conducted researches. However, with the progress of time, the VDOT employees lost self-esteem in work therefore, they decided to introduce the management theories to improve the organizational configuration together with management. Firstly, VDOT helps the managers in rectifying the appearance and efficiency of dissimilar departments at the workplace through the provision of their management theories. In doing this, VDOT ensures the provisions of funds, technology, equipment’s and manpower which are planned, organized, motivated and controlled to enhance good productivity within an organization (Gluck & Lorenz, 2010). Secondly, VDOT is vital to managers in solving their management problems because it has a function of fostering the business plan processes. Therefore, it identifies and resolves the most critical issue that might affect a business plan before  its implementation.  

How has the rapid growth of Dubai's economy impacted its long term Essay

How has the rapid growth of Dubai's economy impacted its long term urban planning as well as its architectural value - Essay Example There used to be a popular belief that Dubai gains economic revenue on the basis of oil and petroleum. The aim of this paper is to critically assess the impact of economic growth of Dubai on its architecture and urban planning. Furthermore, the paper will create a timeline of milestones that took place in the architectural and urban development of Dubai in a timeline manner. Initially, the architecture of the Arab Emirates has been very simple as there was less need of space consumption. Noting that UAE and especially Dubai has made its way in almost every field of economy, it has been noted that it has largely affected the architecture and urban planning. Previously, the inhabitants of Dubai were basically involved in agricultural field as discovery of oil was not marked. The crop mainly dates and sheep herding was the main source of bread and butter for the people. It can be said that the small buildings and court yards that were the iconic architectural features of Dubai reflected the lifestyle of inhabitants. Traditionally, urban planning was done on the basis of weather control and safety. The materials that were used for architectural projects had capacity of responding to the environmental changes. In simple words, it can be added that the architecture of Dubai saved people from hot weather which was considerably the major reason of deaths in Dub ai1. However, with the passage of time, different source of businesses were found out in Dubai. For instance, the discovery of oil during the sixties brought profitable measures for Dubai. It was due to this reason that social values as well as traditions transformed widely in Dubai in the same era. As more and more business ventures were being noted in Dubai with foreign customers, it was necessary for inhabitants to adopt modern lifestyle. Also, the western model of business and society has always been attractive to UAE. Therefore, a thorough adoption of modern architecture and

Physiology for health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Physiology for health - Essay Example 4. Describe the mechanisms involved in regulation of energy metabolites? 5. Explain the role of the hormones involved in controlling glucose level? 6. Describe the role of structures in controlling carbon dioxide and urea? Homeostatic Mechanism Homeostatic mechanism happens in an attempt to balance the internal environment of the body despite the changes in temperature of the internal and external environment. To achieve such condition, the temperature and chemical compositions of the person’s fluid environment has to remain constant (Thibodeau & Patton, 2004). Thus, in events where there are disturbances of the homeostatic condition of the body, specific regulatory mechanisms responds to adjust the different body systems for the person to get back to its homeostatic state. The body adapts the self regulatory mechanism as a way to homeostasis. For instance, if a person’s temperature greatly fluctuates from the set point which is 37 degrees centigrade, the regulatory sys tem that controls body temperature use negative feedback to correct the temperature to bring it back to the set point. The same holds true in chemical changes where glucose and gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen has to be maintained if the person is to survive. However, in this case, there is a gap for hormonal homeostasis to be corrected because chemical substances of the body take time to diffuse and circulate into the blood stream. Osmoregulation and Thermoregulation Process Homeostatic mechanism works to regulate the osmoregulation process through the kidneys that regulates the water and electrolytes that leaves the blood so that it equals the amount that enters. To process blood plasma and to form urine, the mechanism of filtration, tubular re absorption and tubular secretion has to take place. These mechanisms start when the water and solutes free of protein moves from plasma to the tubules of the Bowman’s capsule. As they pass through the tubules, water and import ant solutes are reabsorbed while molecules that move out of the blood are excreted. This process not only prevents water loss or retention but also maintains sodium and potassium content as well as the desirable ph level of the blood. Thermoregulation is also regulated by homeostatic mechanism with the negative feedback of the muscles. Stimulus from the outside environment is perceived by the affectors and is relayed to the hypothalamus where it is compared with the â€Å"built in† body set point. The result of the interpretation of the hypothalamus will be sent back to the effectors for the body to act appropriately. For example, when a person is exposed to cold weather, the skin and blood vessels picks up the signal and is sent to the hypothalamus which is interpreted as something that threatens the temperature. As a result, it sends nerve signal to the muscles to shiver to produce heat. Once the body temperature is regulated, the hypothalamus stops its stimulation of the e ffectors. Functions of Cardiovascular and Respiratory systems in regulating body Mechanism The function of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems regulates body mechanism by transporting hormones and nutrients , cleansing waste body products such as carbon dioxide and providing the body with fresh supply of oxygen as the blood circulates within the structures of the heart and lungs. As the blood is propelled to enter the right side of the

A fiction short story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A fiction short story - Essay Example At 19, Gregg was 2 months the senior of Cynthia. Having just spent her birthday with her boyfriend of 6 months, Cynthia longed for the day in which they would not have to part and could continue to spend each and every moment together in the bliss she was certain must await the couple. Although neither of the two were especially well versed in life or the complexities which it presented, they felt the zeal and courage that is oftentimes so indicative of individuals their age. The past few days had been spent as it were – magically. Gregg had prepared, organized, and facilitated a weekend away for the couple that involved camping out in a state park within the foothills of the Carolinas. Even though the scenery was of seemingly little value to the star crossed pair, they spent the time they had hiking the footpaths, enjoying each other’s company around the campfire, and generally soaking up the sylvan landscape. As such, the time passed all too quickly and the pair found itself on the way back home to the realities that had driven them to leave in the first place. Along the bumpy of ill-repaired state road that led down from the mountain side, Cynthia let out an audible sigh. Turning to her in between keeping a careful eye on the road, Gregg said, â€Å"Yes babe – what is it?† Instead of turning to look into his eyes, Cynthia stared outwards onto the valleys, and silver lined rivers that glistened in the warm glow of the setting sun. Eventually after what seemed to Gregg like far too long a time for a positive answer to the question he asked, Cynthia said, â€Å"I just – don’t know how much longer we will be able to do this†. Visibly dismayed by such a response, Gregg continued leading his old and beaten down SUV around the narrow twists and turns that led down the mountain. After what seemed to Cynthia as a jarringly short amount of time, Gregg responded by asking â€Å"What do you mean†? This seemed as un necessarily annoying to Cynthia since it was obvious to her that Gregg knew full and well what she meant by such a loaded statement. However, rather than responding in a quick or offensive manner, Cynthia took another deep breath, remembering the perfection that the pair had experienced in the hours before, she thought better of such a snarky response. Instead, she reached for his hand in the empty seat that separated them at the moment. This time, turning from the window, she looked lovingly towards him and said – â€Å"Gregg, you know what I mean. I would love to continue this forever; but you must realize that if we are to do it, we cannot continue to live apart and will need to risk it all to be together†. Without giving her much of a chance to take a breath or to add anything additional to this thought, Gregg blurted out â€Å"But we will – I told you I just have to get a better job so that we will have a way to† She interrupted before he could finis h. â€Å"When will that be? You can’t imagine how hard it is for me to continue to survive the pain and criticism that we are both getting from both sides of our friends and family.† Visibly shaken by her response, Gregg decided that the best way to formulate any further response would be to thoughtfully consider her needs as well as their own prior to answering. Along this line of thought the two passed in silence as the miles passed by beneath their tires. Finally, and almost imperceptibly, Gregg looked to her and said, â€Å"I’m so sorry – I never intended it to be like with us – ya know?† â€Å"Of course I do†

Relationship and School Community Essay Example for Free

Relationship and School Community Essay Method While keeping in mind Mai’s method for determining subjects, I read the article â€Å"Care, Concern, and Communication† by Susan Pickford. I chose Mai’s conception because Wilson leaves out one major method of indexing that could be named user-oriented method (Mai, 2000). The basic idea of user-oriented method is that the indexer needs to have the user’s information needs and terminology in mind when determining the subject matter of the document as well as when selecting index terms for the document. It suggests that the indexer should have knowledge about the user’s needs to determine the subject matter. Mai argues 5 methods in indexing. First one is a simplistic conception similar to Wilson’s (1968) constantly referred to method. This method determines the subject by counting frequencies of occurrences of words in the document so it could be the most objective method. The problem is that there is not necessarily any correlation between occurrences of words in a document and its content. Second method is a document-oriented conception. The basic idea is that the indexer should establish the subject matter solely based on an analysis of the document itself; the goal is to represent the document as truthfully as possible and ensure the subject representation is valid for a long time. Third method is a content-oriented conception attempts to describe the content of the document as fully as possible. This conception shows historical and cultural circumstances that determine the subject matter of the documents. Fourth one is a user-oriented conception mentioned in above paragraph. Last one is a requirement-oriented conception. In this method, the indexers have knowledge about the users’ individual information needs and work tasks. It is only useful in smaller organizations and indexing done by this method, like a user-oriented conception, changes over time. Subject Description The article is about Jane Roland Martin’s argument for the SchoolHome, an idea of making the school home away from home. In this system, school children would be taught the three C’s: care, concern and communication and thus their education would be inclusive, merging intellectual with the heart. The result: the epidemic of violence would be reduced and the domestic vacuum in children’s lives filled for good. Derived Indexing Children of the ‘90s are a content-oriented concept that describes historical and cultural context in which the document is produced. Without using Children of the ‘90s in the subjects of the document one would lose context for the article, so it is important to include the article for understanding. It is possible to find documents like children’ education influenced by social conditions or changes of ‘90s. Domestic Vacuum in Children’s Lives is a user-oriented concept that is the foundation of the article and would be accessible from this common phrase or variations thereof (e. g. , â€Å"domestic vacuum†, â€Å"live* vacuum†, and â€Å"child* live*† using wildcards for the greatest number of matches for the concept). Schoolhome is essentially a simplistic and document-oriented concept that serves an identifier for the article in the most general way while it does not describe the content of the article. This term would be especially useful in finding such things as case studies or curriculum examples for Schoolhome. Rethinking Schools for Changing Families is an excellent term that touches slightly on all of Mai’s conceptions. While it is the book title of Jane Ronald Martin, in its various wildcard combinations is a simple general term, reflects the article’s content, and speaks to the more specialized non-expert and expert subject areas that are brought up with School, Changing, and Families. Transforming American Education is a document-oriented term that helps to focus the search to the overarching concepts that are touched on in Children of the ‘90s, Domestic Vacuum in Children’ Lives, Schoolhome, and Rethinking Schools for Changing Families. The document types that American Education points to vary from the basic to the expert, making it a very good lynch pin-term. Free Indexing Although the derived terms above do a good job in reflecting the ideas in the article, some additional terms may include: Social Context for Children Education, which brings in Education and children, but Social Context is a broader, less expert phrase than containing ‘90s and domestic vacuum terms. Philosophy of Children Education, which gives as sense of the article, but the word Philosophy may not be an obvious children education search term. School and Home in United States, which is akin to schoolhome. Schoolhome would also be a good derived term, but this is slightly more nominative than descriptive. Moreover, using United States as an example gives geographical criteria to indexing term. Family School Relationship expands on Children Education with relationship between Family and School. It also broadens the scope by detailing what the school reform would be about. School Reform is a good term that points the search in the direction of planning and results for Transforming American Education. These 5 free- indexed terms would all be in Mai’s user and requirement areas, since some of the terms might be meaningful to those experts enough to think of using jargon as search terms. Assigned Indexing (ERIC) Educational Change: I found that â€Å"education† was a better term over â€Å"school† for â€Å"reform†, but feel that my subject terms School Reform and Rethinking Schools for Changing Families are still appropriate in that they speak to individual schools (as in a study), although in the grand schema of the database it does not help to split hairs. In ERIC, education reform was educational change (as of 1996, although â€Å"reform† is still commonly used in society) and the contents regarded modification of things such as curriculum and teaching methods, which matches the article. Educational Philosophy: It is a good match, in that reflects the article’s context and themes. Social Environment: It means â€Å"social factors or conditions that influence individuals or groups†. It is a broader phrase than Social Context for Children Education. Family School Relationship: It has a placeholder for it but no information (i. e. , no related terms, but I take it to be a viable indexing entry). It is also used for school home relationship. School Community Relationship: It means â€Å"formal or informal interactions between an educational institution and the surrounding community†, which matches the article. I believe â€Å"brand names† like Domestic Vacuum in Children’s Live, Children of the ‘90s, Schoolhome, and Rethinking Schools for Changing Families do not have much use in the thesaurus, but the variations of Social Environment, Educational Philosophy, Family School Relationship, and School Community do an excellent job in representing the subject, derived and free terms above. Although I see where my subject analysis was too narrow in some places I am leaving the term â€Å"as-is† (except for â€Å"education reform† for â€Å"school reform†, which is not much of a trade seeing how it is actually â€Å"change†) to show the evolution of the indexing process in the assignment and in my mind. To revise my analysis would be like looking in the back of the textbook to do my homework. 6. 7. Compare, Contrast and Justification When I compared the derived and free indexing terms I selected with the descriptors in the ERIC thesaurus I was surprised by the number of them that were not in the ERIC thesaurus. In a few cases there was a close term, but for most there was nothing. This furthered my understanding of not only how challenging it is to select subjects for indexing, but how much harder it would be when faced with a controlled vocabulary. For the most part only the very narrow generic subjects were listed in the thesaurus, the more descriptive terms were not. In two cases terms I selected actually has a better term in the thesaurus, such as my choice of School Reform compared to the ERIC thesaurus descriptor Educational Change. The thesaurus does a service to the search process by training the indexer to be as strategic as possible in boiling down the essential terms or concepts of an article. My derived and free terms were no less accurate than the assigned terms, because author Susan B. Pickford was writing with an audience in mind and used the â€Å"brand names† to illustrate her article. ERIC is invaluable in not only framing the terminology commonly used for subjects, but also gives the searcher context, such as what the current term used to be, along with a date of the change. This makes research interesting as an historical concept, and seeing how improvements have been made over the years, it helps to sharpen the indexer’s ear for the best possible match (e. g. , â€Å"education† in lieu of â€Å"school,† â€Å"change† instead of â€Å"reform†). As author Stephen Nachmanovich wrote, â€Å"Creativity exists more in the searching than in the finding. † However, in being creative as an indexer, you help the searcher in finding things where he wouldn’t normally have considered looking.