How does Kuwait follow the stages of Edmund Burke's Theory of Modern Essay

How does Kuwait follow the stages of Edmund Burke's Theory of Modern Revolutions - Essay Example Edmund Burke’s theory of modern revolution relates with the Socratic dialogue known as â€Å"The Republic,† which was written by Plato who was a renowned Ancient Greek Philosopher who made significant contributions towards intellectual and historical works of political theory and philosophy. In the Socratic dialogue, Plato argued that there are five forms of government and that there is a consistent metamorphosis that occurs on governments as years goes by. Plato’s Socratic dialogue substantiates the Edmund’s theory on the fact that Plato argue that a government normally transform to an oligarchy form of government, which is made up of people who love money and therefore corrupt. This form of government normally attracts many critics who then plot to overthrow the government and fight off those who support the government in order to restore democracy within the country (Santas, 45-47). Plato argued that after freedom has been achieved through the overthrow of an oligarchy government, there would be need to regulate the extent of freedom by instituting stringent regulations that will prevent another uprising and this will lead to fall of democracy and rebirth of dictatorship. Sheldon stated that the chronological evolution of different forms of government as stipulated by Plato resembles the stages of modern revolution that were presented by Edmund (89-101). Moreover, Lynch stated that the theories presented by Edmund and Plato best explains the Arab uprisings and in particular the 2011 to 2013 Kuwait revolution (243-245). According to Lynch, the roots of the Kuwait protests can be traced back to early 2011 when the Emri of Kuwait gave out $3,580 and free food grant for one year to Kuwait citizens as part of celebrations to mark 50 years of independence and 20 years since the liberation of the country from Iraqi forces. However, what caused the protest was the fact that the Emir of Kuwait

Mechanical Splice of Fiber Optic Cable Essay Example for Free

Mechanical Splice of Fiber Optic Cable Essay To prepare for mechanical splicing, make sure you have a clean, dry, and well lit work area. Do all your work over a fiber- optic mat and place any scrap optical fibers in their proper container. Before you begin splicing the fiber you want to make sure you have the following tools ready; Mechanical splice assembly tool, mechanical splice, buffer and coating removal tool, optical fiber cleaning fluid, lint- free wipes, and a cleaver. Once you have all your materials together proceed with the following steps: 1. Remove the mechanical splice from its protective packaging and load the splice into the assembly tool by pressing firmly at the ends of the splice. Do not depress the raised section on the mechanical splice. 2. Strip approximately 3cm of buffer and/ or coating from the optical fiber using a stripper. 3. Clean the optical fiber by pulling the fiber through a lint- free wipe soaked in optical fiber cleaning fluid. 4. Place the optical fiber in the cleaver, to the length specified by the mechanical splice manufacturer. 5. Cleave the optical fiber. 6. If the gauge is provided, check the cleave length with the gauge. 7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for the other fiber end to be spliced. 8. Push the other cleaved optical fiber into the other end of the mechanical splice until it stops moving. 10. Place both optical fibers in the clamping mechanisms on the opposite sides of the splicing tool, forming a modified loop in the optical fiber. 11. Pivot the splicing tool handle down until it contact s the top of the splice, then squeeze the tool handle to complete the assembly and lock the spliced ends in place. 12. Remove the optical fibers from the clamping mechanism and lift the mechanical splice from the tool.

Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Travels - Yahoos and Houyhnhnms :: Gullivers Travels Essays

What do the Yahoos and the Houyhnhnms stand for? What moral was Swift drawing from them? The answer to the second question depends on the solution of the first. One solution could be that the Yahoos represent man as he actually is, self-seeking, sensual and depraved, while the Houyhnhnms symbolize what man ought to be, unselfish, rational, cultured. In the fourth voyage, Swift presents a case study for opposing states of nature, with the Yahoos representing the argument that man is governed by his passions, seeking his own advantage, pursuing pleasures and avoiding pain, and the Houyhnhnms representing the argument that man is governed by reason. If this is the case, then Swift’s misanthropy was such that he saw men as the foul and disgusting Yahoos, and made it plain that reform of the species was out of the question. A major fault with this theory is that it leaves no place for Gulliver. When attention is drawn to the figure of Gulliver himself, as distinct from his creator, Swift, he is taken to be the moral of the story. If you can't be a Houyhnhnm you don't need to be a Yahoo; just try to be like Gulliver. The trouble with this idea is that when taking a closer look at Gulliver, he isn't worth emulating. The final picture of him talking with the horses in the stable for four hours a day, unable to stand the company o f his own family, makes him look foolish.  Ã‚   Another theory is that Gulliver made a mistake in regarding the Houyhnhnms as models to be emulated: so far from being admirable creatures they are as repulsive as the Yahoos. The Yahoos might be ruled by their passions, but these have no human passions at all. On this view, Swift was not advocating, but attacking reason. The voyage does seem to have a slight religious moral also. One of the oldest debates in Christianity concerns the nature of man since the fall of Adam. He was so corrupted by that event that left to his own devices he was beyond redemption. His passions naturally inclined him toward vice, and his reason, so far from bringing him out of his vicious ways, led him even further into error. Only Divine Revelation could bring men back to the straight and narrow path of virtue. Although man is naturally inclined toward evil, nevertheless his own unaided reason could bring him to knowledge of moral truth.

A Christmas Carol Essay -- Charles Dickens

It was a chilly nineteenth century Christmas Eve, and everybody throughout England were in a festive joyous mood, prepared for Christmas. Everybody except Scrooge who thought Christmas was a waste of money. Scrooge was money hungry, solitary, insensible, uncaring and selfish to say the least. Well he was not completely uncaring about everything. He did seem to care a bit too much about money. He cared so deeply about money that he did not feel heat or cold. No warm or wintry weather effected him. No amount of rain or snow could keep him from going to work. Slowly nature had reformed his features to resemble his heart. He had a pointed chin, shriveled cheeks, dim scary eyes with patches of black underneath, and thin blue lips from which a rough low voice was produced. The only one who ever greeted him was his cheerful, golly, and merry nephew. But his kindness only caused Scrooge's hatred towards him to deepen. They had many discussions about Christmas. It always ended with Scrooge ge tting very mad and using the word humbug in every other sentence. His nephew however always left in the same happy mood without saying one heated word to Scrooge. During his life, Scrooge got a visit from 4 ghosts. The first one was his deceased friend Jacob Marley. That ghost scared Scrooge out of his wits. Then there was the Ghost of Christmas Past, - a supernatural figure with white hair but not a single wrinkle in its face. The Ghost of Christmas Present, a giant who is very golly and is dressed quite elegantly in a green robe. The last one the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. He is a scary phantom. All Scrooge can see is the black robe covering him. Scrooge can?t see his face either. The phantom is the scariest because it is mute and never says a w... ...ck home and scrooge immediately falls asleep. When he wakes up and sees that it is Christmas morning he starts jumping and running all about. While he is struck with this great amount of excitement, he shaves, irons his best pair of clothes, buys some poor families a big turkey, gives money to the beggars, and goes to his nephew?s house where they are celebrating Christmas. The nephew opens the door to Scrooge and everyone is hearty. He cares for all and is always full of merriment. His laughter is contagious, and he becomes quite popular among kids and adults too. The next day Scrooge highers his clerk?s salary. The clerk is happy and the Scrooge becomes very close to the clerk?s sons and daughters. Tim survives and Scrooge is like a second father to him. During the rest of his life Scrooge gives many poverty-stricken and penniless people money. All ends well.

Reintroduce Children’s ASPIRIN

Given the respective scenarios and the projections described in the exhibits for each option, evaluate and choose the alternative that best optimizes Bayer’s prevention and children’s business. Explain. Upon reading the two options that have come up, the best alternative would be choosing the second option: Reintroduce Children's ASPIRIN worldwide as a prevention product and rename it under the brand ASPIRIN 100 ®. Figure 2 (See below) summarized that this option appears to have more benefits than the first option given.Although venturing into this option would require repackaging, relabeling, and reindicating the brand and it might accelerate the cannibalization of Pharma's sales, reintroducing the product could attract new users from competitive brands. As Joachim Zander analyzed the two scenarios under when they reintroduce their product: â€Å"Under the first scenario, we essentially create attention for ourselves and the market reacts. As a result, Pharma's high -end product, CardioASPIRIN ® , loses 10% of its sales due to our cheaper alternative.However, we also appropriate incremental sales of 10% from the competition. Beyond that, by keeping the product on the market, though in a new form, we are able to keep 20% of the children's ASPIRIN customers. Under the second scenario, I envision that the market does the opposite and reacts very little to our product change. Thus, Pharma doesn't lose any volume, and Consumer Care is unable to gain any incremental volume from the competition. Either way, we still keep 20% of the children's ASPIRIN customers.† Comparing Exhibit 6 with Exhibits 7A and 7B, the forecast losses in Option 1 will be substantially greater given the Middle and Worst Case Scenarios than what is featured in losses in Option 2. Although in the Best Case Scenario in Option 1 could appear to be advantageous, assuming that scenario to happen would be faulty. Also, as emphasized in Exhibit 5, although the sales of children ’s aspirin is declining, its margin against the Prevention CardioASPIRIN ® is still significantly higher.Keeping their seasoned and most valued customers who give them more profits will be the optimal approach. Thus, the win-win solution would be Option 2 because either way 20 percent of the children’s aspirin customers will be maintained. This business decision will be less damaging to the company, either best or worse case happens. 2. ) Do you agree with quantitative assumptions used to develop the forecasts? Why or Why not? Yes, I agree.In order to come up with the best decision, managers must make a number of educated assumptions about future trends and events and modify those assumptions once new information becomes available. Quantitative forecasts are typically based on historical data or tests and which involve complex statistical computations, which the Bayer Aspirin Case presented to represent the financial outcomes of the two options. Although quantitative forecasting is not foolproof, it is a valuable tool that enable managers to fill in the unknown variables that inevitably crop up in the planning process.For instance, the case study obtained the trend from 1994 to 1998 to formulate the outcomes of the trends in 1999 to 2003. The results they obtained indicated that prevention customers had been rapidly replacing children customers over the five years from 1994 through 1998. Forecast indicated by 2003 that approximately 27% of Children’s ASPIRIN sales would be for children and 73% for prevention customers, effectively reversing the 80% / 20% split, respectively, from 1994.Upon seeing the trends, Zander and Merker had the ability to conclude that Children’s ASPIRIN was naturally evolving into a low-cost, low-dosage prevention product. And it looked as if the combination of the rapid growth in the prevention market and the decline of the children’s market would be the death of the Children’s ASPIRIN brand. Of course, these are just assumptions and these could be wrong but at least the present trends could spell a lot with what will happen in the future.

Origins of Italian Surnames

Origins of Italian Surnames Whats in an Italian last name? Ask Leonardo da Vinci, Piero della Francesca, Alessandro Botticelli, or Domenico Ghirlandaio. They were all great artists of the Italian Renaissance, and their surnames paint a picture, too. On the Map Historically, many Italian last names were based on where a person lived or was born. Leonardo da Vincis family was from Vinci, a town in eastern Tuscany- hence his last name, meaning from Vinci. Ironically, during his lifetime, he was referred to solely by his first name. The sculptor Andrea Pisano, best known for his panels on the bronze south door of the Florence Baptistery, was originally named Andrea da Pontedra since he was born in Pontedra, a village near Pisa. He was later referred to as Pisano, indicating the town famous for the Leaning Tower. The single-named Perugino was from the town of Perugia. One of the most popular Italian last names today, Lombardi, is tied to the region of the same name. A Barrel of Laughs Ask most people to name a work of art by Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi and theyd be hard-pressed to name even one. But mention some of his famous works that hang in the Uffizi, such as The Birth of Venus or The Adoration of the Magi, and theyd probably recognize Botticelli. His name was derived from his elder brother Giovanni, a pawnbroker, who was called Il Botticello (The Little Barrel). Another Florentine artist from the fifteenth century with a colorful last name was Giuliano Bugiardini, which literally means little liars. Maybe his family was known for their storytelling skills. There are many other richly imagined, descriptive Italian last names, such as Torregrossa (big tower), Quattrochi (four eyes), Bella (beautiful), and Bonmarito (good husband). Mr. Smith Some Italian last names are related to a persons occupation or trade. Domenico Ghirlandaio, an Early Renaissance painter noted for his frescoes, probably had an ancestor who was a gardener or florist (the word ghirlanda means wreath or garland). Another Florentine painter, also famous for his frescoes, was known as Andrea del Sarto, but his real name was Andrea dAgnolo di Francesco. His moniker del sarto (of the tailor) was derived from his fathers profession. Other examples of Italian surnames related to jobs include Contadino (farmer), Tagliabue (ox-cutter or butcher), and Auditore (literally meaning a hearer, or listener and referring to a judge). Johnson, Clarkson, Robinson Piero di Cosimo, an Early Renaissance painter, adopted his last name as a patronym- that is, his last name was based on his fathers name (Piero di Cosimo- Peter son of Cosimo). Piero della Francesca, whose masterpiece fresco cycle the Legend of the True Cross can be seen in the 13th–century church of San Francesco in Arezzo, had a matronymic surname. That is, his last name was based on his mother’s name (Piero della Francesca- Peter son of Francesca). Left to the Wolves Italian last names typically arose from geographic location, description, patronym, or trade. Theres one other source that deserves mention, though, especially considering how prevalent the last name is. Esposito, literally meaning exposed (from the Latin expositus, past participle of exponere to place outside) is a Italian surname commonly denoting an orphan. Typically, abandoned children were left on church steps, hence the name. Other Italian last names derived from the practice include Orfanelli (little orphans), Poverelli (little poor (people), and Trovato/Trovatelli (found, little foundling). Top 20 Italian Last Names Below are the top 20 Italian surnames throughout Italy: RossiRussoFerrariEspositoBianchiRomanoColomboRicciMarinoGrecoBrunoGalloContiDe LucaCostaGiordanoManciniRizzoLombardiMoretti

We Can All Understand Each Other Professor Ramos Blog

We Can All Understand Each Other My parents love to travel and my family will often go on vacations during school breaks. These vacations often involve countries in which English is not the first language, and can lead us to encounter language barriers and cultural differences. My Mom speaks a little Spanish and my dad has always claimed to speak French, as he grew up in Canada and took it in school, this is important, because when I was in middle school, we went on a big vacation to Tahiti.   Where, if you didn’t know, they mostly speak French.   My Dad was happy to be able to put his French to work.   And we were all ready to have him help navigate us through the various airports, markets and activities that we were going to do.   For me, the worst part of any trip is getting there. I do not like to fly and I especially do not like to fly over water, adding to that you have to get to the airport, which takes an hour and a half on a good day, then there are the long security lines at LAX, all the screenings, making sure you don’t have the long list of banned objects on your person or in your bag. Then you wait to board, then you wait to take off, then you sit and wait on the plane for hours on end. Did I mention I don’t like to fly? On this particular trip, because we were going to a French speaking country, on a French airline, they began all the take off instructions and warnings in French and talked for what felt like two minutes. Then they switched to English and literally just said â€Å"we are going to take off now†. My mom and I just looked at each other, shrugged and laughed. We decided to just go with it because we were about to spend three weeks surrounded by people we couldn’t understand, so why not start before we even left the ground. We saw our first real difference upon arrival in Papeete, which is the main airport for Tahiti. The runway led right out into the ocean and looked like we would just fly into the sea if we didn’t quite make it. The terminal was so small, that they used a little tractor like we use in our gardens at home to bring the bags in from the plane, and the actual airport consisted of a little straw covered hut, and a fold out table for luggage. Since we had planned to stay in a hotel near the airport because we had gotten in late, my mom started looking around for signs for shuttle busses. She soon realized that we would not need a bus, as the hotel was directly across the street from the â€Å"airport† and we just got our bags and walked there, unlike at home there was no long lines, no traffic, just a flight of stairs up to our hotel. Our plan for the trip was to visit multiple islands and stay a few days at each. Some of the islands can be reached by boat, but others we did fly into on very small planes from very small airports, some little more than what seemed like grass huts. One particular difference in the security I will never forget. In America we have â€Å"no weapons†, â€Å"no gas canisters†, â€Å"no knives† etc., on the signs. Well, in the airport on Raiatea, the sign said â€Å"no cakes†. Yes, â€Å"no cakes†, with a picture of a little pink birthday cake on it. I took a photo of it at the time, however I later jumped into the ocean with my phone in my pocket and lost that photo. We thought at the time that because people flew between islands so much maybe they took cakes for birthdays and there had been some mishaps, but mostly I just look back on it and I get a few laughs from it. I didn’t entirely understand everything that happened on these islands, yet you didn’t really need to. My mom can attest to this. We had planned a day on a little boat to just snorkel and be on the water. So, we went into town to get some baguettes and cheese for some sandwiches to eat on the boat. My dad parked near the dock, since it was really the only parking lot in the tiny little town, and we walked into town for some food. We’d left the car for about half an hour and were walking back when we noticed this gigantic cruise ship, it completely dwarfed all the little huts around it, and was parked right in front of the dock. A line of 10 big tour busses had also decided to park there to wait for the tourists unloading to take them around the island. However, they had completely blocked in our car, there was nowhere for us to go. We turned to my dad and were like why dont you use all your French to get them to move. But he didnt quite know how to do anything about it. My mom however knew exactly how to fix the situation and decided to go talk to them. At this point you should know that she knows absolutely no French and no idea how to communicate with the bus drivers. But she decides to give it a try, she walks over as we all sit in the car, we could just see my short mother and her bright blond hair standing next to these huge Polynesian men trying to point and gesture and their busses. Neither her nor them could understand a word of what each other were saying, yet she still managed to communicate that she needed them to move. And surprisingly it worked. When we stay in our community and never venture beyond our comfort zones, we can forget that the rest of the world is a very different place than our little corner of it. People with different values, cultures, religions and languages are living happy fulfilled lives, just like me. They are just doing it in a different way. I enjoy seeing the differences in how people live their lives, and I can also appreciate that we can all still get along and make ourselves understood. The simple act of being friendly and open with strangers can go a long way to help communication and foster a good experience with others around the globe that we may one day encounter.

Vietnam Essay

Vietnam Essay Free Online Research Papers From the beginning of John Kennedys Administration into this fifth year of Lyndon Johnsons presidency, substantially the same small groups of men have presided over the destiny of the United States. In that time they have carried the country from a limited involvement in Vietnam into a war that is brutal, probably unsinkable, and, to an increasing body of opinion, calamitous and immoral. How could it happen? Many in government or close to it will read the following article with the shock of recognition. Those less familiar with the processes of power can read it with the assurance that the author had a firsthand opportunity to watch the slide down the slippery slope during five years (1961-1966) of service in the White House and Department of State. Mr. Thomson is an East Asia specialist and an assistant professor of history at Harvard. As a case study in the making of foreign policy, the Vietnam War will fascinate historians and social scientists for many decades to come. One question that will certainly be asked: How did men of superior ability, sound training, and high ideals American policy-makers of the 1960s create such costly and divisive policy? As one who watched the decision-making process in Washington from 1961 to 1966 under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, I can suggest a preliminary answer. I can do so by briefly listing some of the factors that seemed to me to shape our Vietnam policy during my years as an East Asia specialist at the State Department and the White House. I shall deal largely with Washington as I saw or sensed it, and not with Saigon, where I have spent but a scant three days, in the entourage of the Vice President, or with other decision centers, the capitals of interested parties. Nor will I deal with other important parts of the record: Vietnams history prior to 1961, for instance, or the overall course of Americas relations with Vietnam. Yet a first and central ingredient in these years of Vietnam decisions does involve history. The ingredient was the legacy of the 1950s by which I mean the so-called loss of China, the Korean War, and the Far East policy of Secretary of State Dulles. This legacy had an institutional by-product for the Kennedy Administration: in 1961 the U.S. governments East Asian establishment was undoubtedly the most rigid and doctrinaire of Washingtons regional divisions in foreign affairs. This was especially true at the Department of State, where the incoming Administration found the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs the hardest nut to crack. It was a bureau that had been purged of its best China expertise, and of farsighted, dispassionate men, as a result of McCarthyism. Its members were generally committed to one policy line: the close containment and isolation of mainland China, the harassment of neutralist nations which sought to avoid alignment with either Washington or Peking and the maintenance of a network of alliances with anti-Communist client states on Chinas periphery. Another aspect of the legacy was the special vulnerability and sensitivity of the new Democratic Administration on Far East policy issues. The memory of the McCarthy era was still very sharp, and Kennedys margin of victory was too thin. The 1960 Offshore Islands TV debate between Kennedy and Nixon had shown the President-elect the perils of fresh thinking. The Administration was inherently leery of moving too fast on Asia. As a result, the Far East Bureau (now the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs) was the last one to be overhauled. Not until Averell Harriman was brought in as Assistant Secretary in December 1961, were significant personnel changes attempted, and it took Harriman several months to make a deep imprint on the bureau because of his necessary preoccupation with the Laos settlement. Once he did so, there was virtually no effort to bring back the purged or exiled East Asia experts. There were other important by-products of this legacy of the fifties: The new Administration inherited and somewhat shared a general perception of China-on-the-march a sense of Chinas vastness, its numbers, its belligerence ; a revived sense, perhaps, of the Golden Horde. This was a perception fed by Chinese intervention in the Korean War (an intervention actually based on appallingly bad communications and mutual miscalculation on the part of Washington and Peking; but the careful unraveling of that tragedy, which scholars have accomplished, had not yet become part of the conventional wisdom). The new Administration inherited and briefly accepted a monolithic conception of the Communist bloc. Despite much earlier predictions and reports by outside analysts, policy-makers did not begin to accept the reality and possible finality of the Sino-Soviet split until the first weeks of 1962. The inevitably corrosive impact of competing nationalisms on Communism was largely ignored. The new Administration inherited and to some extent shared the domino theory about Asia. This theory resulted from profound ignorance of Asian history and hence ignorance of the radical differences among Asian nations and societies. It resulted from a blindness to the power and resilience of Asian nationalisms. (It may also have resulted from a subconscious sense that, since all Asians look alike, all Asian nations will act alike.) As a theory, the domino fallacy was not merely inaccurate but also insulting to Asian nations; yet it has continued to this day to beguile men who should know better. Finally, the legacy of the fifties was apparently compounded by an uneasy sense of a worldwide Communist challenge to the new Administration after the Bay of Pigs fiasco. A first manifestation was the Presidents traumatic Vienna meeting with Khrushchev in June 1961; then came the Berlin crisis of the summer. All this created an atmosphere in which President Kennedy undoubtedly felt under special pressure to show his nations mettle in Vietnam if the Vietnamese, unlike the people of Laos, were willing to fight. In general, the legacy of the fifties shaped such early moves of the new Administration as the decisions to maintain a high-visibility SEATO (by sending the Secretary of State himself instead of some underlying to its first meeting in 1961), to back away from diplomatic recognition of Mongolia in the summer of 1961, and most important, to expand U.S. military assistance to South Vietnam that winter on the basis of the much more tentative Eisenhower commitment. It should be added that the increased commitment to Vietnam was also fueled by a new breed of military strategists and academic social scientists (some of whom had entered the new Administration) who had developed theories of counter-guerrilla warfare and were eager to see them put to the test. To some, counterinsurgency seemed a new panacea for coping with the worlds instability. SO MUCH for the legacy and the history. Any new Administration inherits both complicated problems and simplistic views of the world. But surely among the policy-makers of the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations, there were men who would warn of the dangers of an open-ended commitment to the Vietnam quagmire? This raises a central question, at the heart of the policy process: Where were the experts, the doubters, and the dissenters? Were they there at all, and if so, what happened to them? The answer is complex but instructive. In the first place, the American government was sorely lacking in real Vietnam or Indochina expertise. Originally treated as an adjunct of Embassy Paris, our Saigon embassy and the Vietnam Desk at State were largely staffed from 1954 onward by French-speaking Foreign Service personnel of narrowly European experience. Such diplomats were even more closely restricted than the normal embassy officer by the cast of mind as well as the language to contacts with Vietnams French-speaking urban elites. For instance, Foreign Service linguists in Portugal are able to speak with the peasantry if they get out of Lisbon and choose to do so; not so the French speakers of Embassy Saigon. In addition, the shadow of the loss of China distorted Vietnam reporting. Career officers in the Department, and especially those in the field, had not forgotten the fate of their World War II colleagues who wrote in frankness from China and were later pilloried by Senate co mmittees for critical comments on the Chinese Nationalists. Candid reporting on the strengths of the Viet Cong and the weaknesses of the Diem government was inhibited by the memory. It was also inhibited by some higher officials, notably Ambassador Nolting in Saigon, who refused to sign off on such cables. In due course, to be sure, some Vietnam talent was discovered or developed. But a recurrent and increasingly important factor in the decision-making process was the banishment of real expertise. Here the underlying cause was the closed politics of policy-making as issues become hot: the more sensitive the issue, and the higher it rises in the bureaucracy, the more completely the experts are excluded while the harassed senior generalists take over (that is, the Secretaries, Undersecretaries, and Presidential Assistants). The frantic skimming of briefing papers in the back seats of limousines is no substitute for the presence of specialists; furthermore, in times of crisis, such papers are deemed too sensitive even for review by the specialists. Another underlying cause of this banishment, as Vietnam became more critical, was the replacement of the experts, who were generally and increasingly pessimistic, by men described as can-do guys, loyal and energetic fixers unsoured by expertise. In early 1965, when I confided my growing policy doubts to an older colleague on the NSC staff, he assured me that the smartest thing both of us could do was to steer clear of the whole Vietnam mess; the gentleman in question had the misfortune to be a can-do guy, however, and is now highly placed in Vietnam, under orders to solve the mess. Despite the banishment of the experts, internal doubters and dissenters did indeed appear and persist. Yet as I watched the process, such men were effectively neutralized by a subtle dynamic: the domestication of dissenters. Such domestication arose out of a two-fold cubbish need: on the one hand, the dissenters desire to stay aboard; and on the other hand, the no dissenter’s conscience. Simply stated, dissent, when recognized, was made to feel at home. On the lowest possible scale of importance, I must confess my own considerable sense of dignity and acceptance (both vital) when my senior White House employer would refer to me as his favorite dove. Far more significant was the case of the former Undersecretary of State, George Ball. Once Mr. Ball began to express doubts, he was warmly institutionalized: he was encouraged to become the in-house devils advocate on Vietnam. The upshot was inevitable: the process of escalation allowed for periodic requests to Mr. Ball to speak his piece; Ball felt good, I assume (he had fought for righteousness); the others felt good (they had given a full hearing to the dovish option), and there was minimal unpleasantness. The club remained intact, and it is, of course, possible that matters would have gotten worse faster if Mr. Ball had kept silent, or left before his final departure in the fall of 1966. There was also, of course, the case of the last institutionalized doubter, Bill Moyers. The President is said to have greeted his arrival at meetings with an affectionate, Well, here comes Mr. Stop-the-Bombing. Here again, the dynamics of domesticated dissent sustained the relationship for a while. A related point and crucial, I suppose, to the government at all times was the effectiveness trap, the trap that keeps men from speaking out, as clearly or often as they might, within the government. And it is the trap that keeps men from resigning in protest and airing their dissent outside the government. The most important asset that a man brings to bureaucratic life is his effectiveness, a mysterious combination of training, style, and connections. The most ominous complaint that can be whispered of a bureaucrat is: Im afraid Charlies beginning to lose his effectiveness. To preserve your effectiveness, you must decide where and when to fight the mainstream of policy; the opportunities range from pillow talk with your wife to private drinks with your friends to meetings with the Secretary of State or the President. The inclination to remain silent or to acquiesce in the presence of the great men to live to fight another day, to give on this issue so that you can be effective on later issues is overwhelming. Nor is it the tendency of youth alone; some of our most senior officials, men of wealth and fame, whose place in history is secure, have remained silent lest their connection with power is terminated. As for the disinclination to resign in protest: while not necessarily a Washington or even American specialty, it seems truer of a government in which ministers have no parliamentary backbench to which to retreat. In the absence of such a refuge, it is easy to rationalize the decision to stay aboard. By doing so, one may be able to prevent a few bad things from happening and perhaps even make a few good things happen. To exit is to lose even those marginal chances for effectiveness. Another factor must be noted: as the Vietnam controversy escalated at home, there developed a preoccupation with Vietnam public relations as opposed to Vietnam policy-making. And here, ironically, internal doubters and dissenters were heavily employed. For such men, by virtue of their own doubts, were often deemed best able to massage the doubting intelligentsia. My senior East Asia colleague at the White House, a brilliant and humane doubter who had dealt with Indochina since 1954, spent three quarters o f his working days on Vietnam public relations: drafting presidential responses to letters from important critics, writing conciliatory language for presidential speeches, and meeting quite interminably with delegations of outraged Quakers, clergymen, academics, and housewives. His regular callers were the late A. J. Muste and Norman Thomas; mine were members of the Womens Strike for Peace. Our orders from above: keep them off the backs of busy policy-makers (who usually happened to be no doubters). Incidentally, my most discouraging assignment in the realm of public relations was the preparation of a White House pamphlet entitled Why Vietnam, in September 1965; in a gesture toward my conscience, I fought and lost a battle to have the title followed by a question mark. THROUGH a variety of procedures, both institutional and personal, doubt, dissent, and expertise were effectively neutralized in the making of policy. But what can be said of the men in charge? It is patently absurd to suggest that they produced such tragedy by intention and calculation. But it is neither absurd nor difficult to discern certain forces at work that caused decent and honorable men to do great harm. Here I would stress the paramount role of executive fatigue. No factor seems to be more crucial and underrated in the making of foreign policy. The physical and emotional toll of executive responsibility in State, the Pentagon, the White House, and other executive agencies is enormous; that toll is of course compounded by extended service. Many of todays Vietnam policy-makers have been on the job for from four to seven years. Complaints may be few, and physical health may remain unimpaired, though emotional health is far harder to gauge. But what is most seriously eroded in the deadening process of fatigue is the freshness of thought, imagination, a sense of possibility, a sense of priorities and perspective those rare assets of a new Administration in its first year or two of office. The tired policy-maker becomes a prisoner of his own narrowed view of the world and his own clichà ©d rhetoric. He becomes irritable and defensive short on sleep, short on family ties, short on patience. Such men make bad policy and then compound it. They have neither the time nor the temperament for new ideas or preventive diplomacy. Below the level of the fatigued executives in the making of Vietnam policy was a widespread phenomenon: the curator mentality in the Department of State. By this, I mean the collective inertia produced by the bureaucrats view of his job. At State, the average desk officer inherits from his predecessor our policy toward Country X; he regards it as his function to keep that policy intact under glass, untampered with, and dusted so that he may pass it on in two to four years to his successor. And such curatorial service generally merits promotion within the system. (Maintain the status quo, and you will stay out of trouble.) In some circumstances, the inertia bred by such an outlook can act as a brake against rash innovation. But on many issues, this inertia sustains the momentum of bad policy and unwise commitments momentum that might otherwise have been resisted within the ranks. Clearly, Vietnam is such an issue. To fatigue and inertia must be added the factor of internal confusio n. Even among the architects of our Vietnam commitment, there has been persistent confusion as to what type of war we were fighting and, as a direct consequence, confusion as to how to end that war. (The credibility gap is, in part, a reflection of such internal confusion.) Was it, for instance, a civil war, in which case counterinsurgency might suffice? Or was it a war of international aggression? (This might invoke SEATO or UN commitment. ) Who were the aggressor and the real enemy? The Viet Cong? Hanoi? Peking? Moscow? International Communism? Or maybe Asian Communism? Differing enemies dictated differing strategies and tactics. And confused throughout, in like fashion, was the question of American objectives; your objectives depended on whom you were fighting and why. I shall not forget my assignment from an Assistant Secretary of State in March 1964: to draft a speech for Secretary McNamara which would, inter alia, once and for all dispose of the canard that the Vietnam conflict was a civil war. But in some ways, of course, I mused, it is a civil war. Dont play word games with me! snapped the Assistant Secretary. Similar confusion beset the concept of negotiations anathema to much of official Washington from 1961 to 1965. Not until April 1965, did unconditional discussions become respectable, via a presidential speech; even then the Secretary of State stressed privately to newsmen that nothing had changed, since discussions were by no means the same as negotiations. Months later that issue was resolved. But it took even longer to obtain a fragile internal agreement that negotiations might include the Viet Cong as something other than an appendage to Hanois delegation. Given such confusion as to the who’s and whys of our Vietnam commitment , it is not surprising, as Theodore Draper has written, that policy-makers find it so difficult to agree on how to end the war. Of course, one force a constant in the vortex of commitment was that of wishful thinking. I partook of it myself at many times. I did so especially during Washingtons struggle with Diem in the autumn of 1963 when some of us at State believed that for once, in dealing with a difficult client state, the U.S. government could use the leverage of our economic and military assistance to make good things happen, instead of being led around by the nose by men like Chiang Kai-shek and Syngman Rhee (and, in that particular instance, by Diem). If we could prove that point, I thought, and move into a new day, with or without Diem, and then Vietnam was well worth the effort. Later came the wishful thinking of the air- strike planners in the late autumn of 1964; there were those who actually thought that after six weeks of air strikes, the North Vietnamese would come crawling to us to ask for peace talks. And what, someone asked in one of the meetings of the time, if they dont? The answer was that we would bomb for another four weeks, and that would do the trick. And a few weeks later came one instance of wishful thinking that was symptomatic of good men misled: in January 1965, I encountered one of the very highest figures in the Administration at a dinner, drew him aside, and told him of my worries about the air-strike option. He told me that I really shouldnt worry; it was his conviction that before any such plans could be put into effect, a neutralist government would come to power in Saigon that would politely invite us out. And finally, there was the recurrent wishful thinking that sustained many of us through the trying months of 1965-1966 after the air strikes had begun: that surely, somehow, one way or another, we would be in a conference in six months, and the escalatory spiral would be suspended. The basis of our hope: It simply cant go on. AS A further influence on policy-makers I would cite the factor of bureaucratic detachment. By this I mean what at best might be termed the professional callousness of the surgeon (and indeed, medical lingo the surgical strike for instance seemed to crop up in the euphemisms of the times). In Washington, the semantics of the military muted the reality of war for the civilian policy-makers. In quiet, air-conditioned, thick-carpeted rooms, such terms as systema tic pressure, armed reconnaissance, targets of opportunity, and even body count seemed to breed a sort of games-theory detachment. Most memorable to me was a moment in the late 1964 target planning when the question under discussion was how heavy our bombing should be, and how extensive our strafing, at some midpoint in the projected pattern of systematic pressure. An Assistant Secretary of State resolved the point in the following words: It seems to me that our orchestration should be mainly violins, but with periodic touches of brass. Perhaps the biggest shock of my return to Cambridge, Massachusetts, was the realization that the young men, the flesh and blood I taught and saw on these university streets, were potentially some of the numbers on the charts of those faraway planners. In a curious sense, Cambridge is closer to this war than Washington. There is an unprovable factor that relates to bureaucratic detachment: the ingredient of crypto-racism. I do not mean to imply any conscious contempt for Asian loss of life on the part of Washington officials. But I do mean to imply that bureaucratic detachment may well be compounded by a traditional Western sense that there are so many Asians, after all; that Asians have a fatalism about life and a disregard for its loss; that they are cruel and barbaric to their own people; and that they are very different from us (and all look alike?). And I do mean to imply that the upshot of such subliminal views is a subliminal question whether Asians, and particularly Asian peasants, and most particularly Asian Communists, are real people like you and me. To put the matter another way: would we have pursued quite such policies and quite such military tactics if the Vietnamese were white? It is impossible to write of Vietnam decision-making without writing about language. Throughout the conflict, words have been of paramount importance. I refer here to the impact of rhetorical escalation and to the problem of overselling. In an important sense, Vietnam has become of crucial significance to us because we have said that it is of crucial significance. (The issue obviously relates to the public relations preoccupation described earlier.) The key here is domestic politics: the need to sell the American people, press, and Congress on support for an unpopular and costly war in which the objectives themselves have been in flux. To se ll means to persuade, and to persuade means rhetoric. As the difficulties and costs have mounted, so has the definition of the stakes. This is not to say that rhetorical escalation is an orderly process; executive prose is the product of many writers, and some concepts North Vietnamese infiltration, Americas national honor, Red China as the chief enemy have entered the rhetoric only gradually and even sporadically. But there is an upward spiral nonetheless. And once you have said that the American Experiment itself stands or falls on the Vietnam outcome, you have thereby created a national stake far beyond any earlier stakes. Crucial throughout the process of Vietnam decision-making was a conviction among many policy-makers: that Vietnam posed a fundamental test of Americas national will. Time and again I was told by men reared in the tradition of Henry L. Stimson that all we needed was the will, and we would then prevail. Implicit in such a view, it seemed to me, was a curious assumption that Asians lacked will, or at least that in a contest between Asian and Anglo-Saxon wills, the non-Asians must prevail. A corollary to the persistent belief in a will was a fascination with power and awe in the face of the power America possessed as no nation or civilization ever before. Those who doubted our role in Vietnam were said to shrink from the burdens of power, the obligations of power, the uses of power, the responsibility of power. By implication, such men were soft-headed and effete. Finally, no discussion of the factors and forces at work on Vietnam policymakers can ignore the central fact of human ego investment. Men who have participated in a decision to develop a stake in that decision. As they participate in further, related decisions, their stake increases. It might have been possible to dissuade a man of strong self-confidence at an early stage of the ladder of a decision, but it is infinitely harder at later stages since a change of mind there usually involves an implicit or explicit repudiation of a chain of previous decisions. To put it bluntly: at the heart of the Vietnam calamity is a group of able, dedicated men who have been regularly and repeatedly wrong and whose standing with their contemporaries, and more important, with history, depends, as they see it, on being proven right. These are not men who can be asked to extricate themselves from error. THE various ingredients I have cited in the making of Vietnam policy have created a variety of results, most of them fairly obvious. Here are some that seem to me most central: Throughout the conflict, there has been persistent and repeated miscalculation by virtually all the actors, in high echelons and low, whether dove, hawk, or something else. To cite one simple example among many: in late 1964 and early 1965, some peace-seeking planners at State who strongly opposed the projected bombing of the North urged that, instead, American ground forces be sent to South Vietnam; this would, they said, increase our bargaining leverage against the North our chips and would give us something to negotiate about (the withdrawal of our forces) at an early peace conference. Simultaneously, the air-strike option was urged by many in the military who were dead set against American participation in another land war in Asia; they were joined by other civilian peace-seekers who wanted to bomb Hanoi into early negotiations. By late 1965, we had ended up with the worst of all worlds: ineffective and costly air strikes against the North, spiraling ground forces in the South, and no negotiations in sight. Throughout the conflict as well, there has been a steady give-in to pressures for a military solution and only minimal and sporadic efforts at a diplomatic and political solution. In part, this resulted from the confusion (earlier cited) among the civilians confusion regarding objectives and strategy. And in part, this resulted from the self-enlarging nature of the military investment. Once air strikes and particularly ground forces were introduced, our investment itself had transformed the original stakes. More air power was needed to protect the ground forces, and then more ground forces to protect the ground forces. And needless to say, the military mind develops its own momentum in the absence of clear guidelines from the civilians. Once asked to save South Vietnam, rather than to advise it, the American military could not but press for escalation. In addition, sad to report, assorted military constituencies, once involved in Vietnam, have had a series of cases to prove: for instance, the utility not only of air power (the Air Force) but of supercarrier-based air power (the Navy). Also, Vietnam policy has suffered from one ironic byproduct of Secretary Mc Namaras establishment of civilian control at the Pentagon: in the face of such control, an interservice rivalry has given way to a united front among the military reflected in the new but recurrent phenomenon of JCS unanimity. In conjunction with traditional congressional allies (mostly Southern senators and representatives) such a united front would pose a formidable problem for any President. Throughout the conflict, there have been missed opportunities, large and small, to disengage ourselves from Vietnam on increasingly unpleasant but still acceptable terms. Of the many moments from 1961 onward, I shall cite only one, the last and most important opportunity that was lost: in the summer of 1964 the President instructed his chief advisers to prepare for him as wide a range of Vietnam options as possible for postelection consideration and decision. He explicitly asked that all options be laid out. What happened next was, in effect, Lyndon Johnsons slow-motion Bay of Pigs. For the advisers so effectively converged on one single option juxtaposed against two other, phony options (in effect, blowing up the world, or scuttle-and-run) that the President was confronted with unanimity for bombing the North from all his trusted counselors. Had he been more confident in foreign affairs, had he been deeply informed on Vietnam and Southeast Asia, and had he raised some hard questions that unanimity had submerged, this President could have used the largest electoral mandate in history to de-escalate in Vietnam, in the clear expectation that at the worst a neutralist government would come to power in Saigon and politely invite us out. Today, many lives and dollars later, such an alternative has become an elusive and infinitely more expensive possibility. In the course of these years, another result of Vietnam decision-making has been the abuse and distortion of history. Vietnamese, Southeast Asian, and Far Eastern history has been rewritten by our policy-makers, and their spokesmen, to conform to the alleged necessity of our presence in Vietnam. Highly dubious analogies from our experience elsewhere the Munich sellout and containment from Europe, the Malayan insurgency and the Korean War from Asia have been imported in order to justify our actions. And more recent events have been fitted to the Procrustean bed of Vietnam. Most notably, the change of power in Indonesia in 1965-1966 has been ascribed to our Vietnam presence; and virtually all progress in the Pacific region the rise of regionalism, new forms of cooperation, and mounting growth rates has been similarly explained. The Indonesian allegation is undoubtedly false (I tried to prove it, during six months of careful investigation at the White House, and had to confess failu re); the regional allegation is patently unprovable in either direction (except, of course, for the clear fact that the economies of both Japan and Korea have profited enormously from our Vietnam-related procurement in these countries; but that is a costly and highly dubious form of foreign aid). There is a final result of Vietnam policy I would cite that holds potential danger for the future of American foreign policy: the rise of a new breed of American ideologues who see Vietnam as the ultimate test of their doctrine. I have in mind those men in Washington who have given a new life to the missionary impulse in American foreign relations: who believe that this nation, in this era, has received a threefold endowment that can transform the world. As they see it, that endowment is composed of, first, our unsurpassed military might; second, our clear technological supremacy; and third, our allegedly invincible benevolence (our altruism, our affluence, our lack of territorial aspirations). Together, it is argued, this threefold endowment provides us with the opportunity and the obligation to ease the nations of the earth toward modernization and stability: toward a full-fledged Pax Americana Technocratic. In reaching toward this goal, Vietnam is viewed as the last and crucial test. Once we have succeeded there, the road ahead is clear. In a sense, these men are our counterpart to the visionaries of Communisms radical left: they are technocracys own Maoists. They do not govern Washington today. But their doctrine rides high. Long before I went into government, I was told a story about Henry L. Stimson that seemed to me pertinent during the years that I watched the Vietnam tragedy unfold and participated in that tragedy. It seems to me more pertinent than ever as we move toward the election of 1968. In his waning years Stimson was asked by an anxious questioner, Mr. Secretary, how on earth can we ever bring peace to the world? Stimson is said to have answered: You begin by bringing to Washington a small handful of able men who believe that the achievement of peace is possible. Research Papers on Vietnam EssayMr. Obama and IranInflation TargetingGlobal Distributive Justice is UtopianCombating Human TraffickingBooker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-BarnettAmerican Central Banking and OilHas the British Welfare System beenDefinition of Export QuotasInternational PaperThe Equal Rights Amendment

IKEA marketing concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

IKEA marketing concept - Essay Example Information on what encompasses a target group is crucial in coming up with ideal market segmentation. Characteristics such as lifestyles, language, climate education background, gender, family size, race, nationality, interest and religion of the target group helps in the segmentation process. The market segment in the target market of IKEA Company is accessible, measurable, profitable and market responsive. The target market is mainly located in urban centers. This has made the company to open most of its outlets in urban centers for easy access. The products are designed to meet the needs of both the middle and wealthy. The market segments of the target market are quantifiable in terms of the estimated population size and the estimated disposable income. Generally, the large size of the market segment and their average disposable incomes promises good returns. The target market has in the past shown some positive response to the products. Penetrating the market space will require communicating to the market segment in a way that corresponds to their relevant needs. Every market segment has distinct characteristics such as lifestyle, fashions, tastes and preferences. Communication based on these characteristics can help to reach out to a wider market base. IKEA Company utilizes catalogues and advertisement through the mass media to penetrate the market segments. The diversified commodities which are of different styles, tastes and fashions are the key to the penetration of the market space. Maintenance and protection of the market space requires the company to constantly review on the customers’ needs. To oversee this, the company has customer success...It also stands for the competitive prices offered by the price leader. IKEA Company cuts across the diverse cultures of different countries and so the brand represents the meeting point where global tribes that mind the cost and design converge. The shopping premises of the company are similar and share similar architectural designs and interior designs. They are easy to recognize to its distinct yellow and blue coloration. These combinations make the IKEA a strong global brand. The weakness of the company’s brand is that it is rarely seen and most unknown. The company’s activities are largely concentrated in some countries especially in Europe. The brand is therefore popular and frequently seen within these countries. For the citizens of these countries, it is rarely seen and to most, it is absolutely unknown. This implies that the company has not fully penetrated the target market. There is the potential unexploited market space. The competitiveness of the brand can be heightened by creating awareness of the brand existence in the unexploited areas. Awareness could effectively be done by use of mass media that reaches most people in a continental level. It can also be done through international trade exhibitions that bring international communities together. Sponsoring international activities such sport can also be opportunities of reaching out potential buyers.

Psuchology- Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Psuchology- - Essay Example The circumstances force both of them to interchange places and Jean steals identity of John. The Englishman John is a simple and lonely person who is academic in nature. He soon finds himself struck up in the complex and different life of another family. He faces a variety of perplexing roles - as owner of a chateau, director of a failing business, head of a fractious family, and master of nothing. The Scapegoat is a masterpiece exploration of doubling and identity, and of the dark side of the self. John meets his exact double jean in a railway station, at first, both are surprised but later they agree to sit and drink together. While talking John gets over drunk and once he wakes up in a hotel room, he finds that his clothes have been swapped with Jean, his identity has been stolen by him and the double has vanished. Soon the driver of Jean comes to hotel to pick him up. John is unable to convince the driver that he is not Jean. The driver thinks he is drunk and takes him along to J ean de Gue’s chateau. Now John decides to live the life of Jean, as he always wanted a change in his boring life. The family of Jean assumes him as Jean. They expect him to continue running the family glass-making business and arranging shooting parties – things that John has absolutely no experience in.   Before long, it starts to become obvious that Jean is using John as a scapegoat. Jean’s family and business are both in a mess and he wants someone else to have to deal with them. John goes completely unprepared into Jean’s life. Jean has a chateau, a glassworks, a wife, a mistress, a lover, a brother, a mother, a daughter and a sister who has not spoken to him for fifteen years. When John arrives at the house of Jean, he finds it very difficult to run the affairs but eventually understands every character around him and their relationship to Jean. From the neglected pregnant wife and the hostile elder sister to the resentful younger brother and the r eligious ten-year-old daughter, every character is well explained and memorable. The story takes place over one very intense week in which John tries to correct the mismanagement in life, business and family done by Jean. It is only the dog of Jean who knows that John is not Jean and barks at him. John deals the life better than Jean. On the business side, John renews the glass contract and saves business. In family, he tries to re-connect and build relation with wife, children mother and sister. He saves life of the child trying to jump out of window, saves the pregnant wife and the baby and stops drug addiction of mother. After reading about death of a family member in the newspaper, Jean gives a telephone call to John and returns. Jean is surprised to see the way John managed his problems. Jean tells him that he remained in London in John’s flat and sold his flat while clearing his debts. Jean now suspects that John might want to keep his wealth and family but John say he only loved all this and leaves quietly out of the life of Jean. Function of each character in group The story revolves around two characters John and Jean. Jean makes a scapegoat of John. In the words of common street people, Jean can be called a doppelganger. Jean is Frenchman who is incapable of handling his life. He is charming, idle, and destructive French aristocrat. His character has many functions like; master of a chateau, director of a failing business, head of a large and embittered family, and keeper of too many secrets. He has a glass factory and

Models in Today's Business Worlds Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Models in Today's Business Worlds - Term Paper Example Modeling and simulation emerged as a result of their use in the manufacturing systems however, over the period of time, their use has been extended into different areas thus allowing a larger base of business problems to be analyzed and explored with the help of these techniques. Business modeling is now widely used in the financial services sector where it is not only being used to develop some strategic level alternatives but also to perform the credit analysis of the counterparties as well as assessing the risks of different decisions. Business modeling and simulation techniques therefore can greatly increase the overall process of decision making and provide management a range of alternatives and their impact on the firm value in the short as well as in long run. This paper will attempt to discuss what business modeling and simulation is how it is being used by the businesses nowadays and how it can really help improve the business. Modeling and Simulation Simulation can be used to represent some or all of the key characteristics or behaviors of some real of physical object or event. In order to understand the overall process of simulation and modeling, it is important to explore the system methodology which is used to explore what the system is and how simulation and modeling can actually describe a system. System is considered as something which exists in time and space whereas model is a simplified version of a system which attempt to promote the overall understanding of a real system. Simulation however, is the manipulation of the model in order to compress it so that one can be enabled to perceive the interactions of the system with the different situations. A system is therefore considered as an entity which maintains its overall existence when different parts of the system interact with each other. Model however, is just the representation of the whole system or different parts of it. (Bellinger, 2004) The above definition and explanation therefore s uggests that the modeling and simulation is an attempt to develop a level of understanding of either the whole system or parts of it. Simulation is also often considered as the computer version of the model to define the range of outcomes which may be achieved through the different assumed interactions. It is important to note that modeling and simulation are considered as an art as well as a science also because the overall improvement in the use and development of different models under different scenarios can only be achieved through the practice. This is therefore considered as an art because the ability to develop the understanding of how to build realistic models and simulate them can only improve when one practices it under different realistic scenarios. (Greasley, 2004) Organizations use both the simulation as well as the modeling in different manners in order to achieve different objectives. Following section will discuss some of the ways as to how the businesses actually u se both the modeling and simulation. How businesses use simulation and modeling? There is a widespread use of both the simulation as well as the modeling techniques in the businesses across different industries. The initial use of these techniques were only limited to the manufacturing activities however, over the period of time, the overall range of use of such techniques have increased. Some of

CAUSAL ANALYSIS ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CAUSAL ANALYSIS - Essay Example It seemed like a trend among my peers to get married a few years after completing high school. My best friend and classmate in high school got married a few months after we had cleared high school. I was tempted to take the same path but took a different path eventually. I knew I needed to join college but also knew that I could study online. I met Jenny in junior high in my first year; she perfectly fitted what I termed as the girl of my dreams. We were in the same class but not the same stream. We were both chosen to represent our school in an inter-school competition. I am a generally introverted and so I decided to sit alone at the back of the bus. For most of the trip, I pondered about different things and tried to think of what the future held for me. At some point, I dosed off only to be woken up by this beautiful girl standing besides me. I thought I was dreaming at first as I raised my head for a split moment before and dosing off again. She went ahead and sat next to me and nudged me to wake up. I eventually did and she introduced herself to me. Through out the trip we engage in a positive and constructive chat. Jenny was every man’s or should I say every boy’s dream in school; she was a smart, sharp, eloquent, beautiful, and hardworking. She seemed to know everything about everything. She was outgoing and a favorite of every teacher for her intelligence. Many of the boys in school had tried to befriend her but felt belittled by her smartness and level of intelligence. Although everyone in school thought we were dating, it never got into my head that I was engaged in a serious relationship. Gradually, I realized we had so much in common and my reserved nature gradually became more accommodative of her. We had a normal relationship with normal challenges for a long time until one day she brought up the subject of marriage. Not that we had never discussed the subject before†¦ she only brought up the subject without mincing words. We made a

Reference library on memory management Research Paper

Reference library on memory management - Research Paper Example Apart from many advantages, virtual memory and paging have various disadvantages as well. One of the challenges is the extra resource consumption, i.e. overhead for saving page tables in the memory (Null & Lobur, 2010). In environments where numerous applications are operating, the page table occupies a significant part of the physical memory. However, this challenge can be addressed by paging the page tables; this is a complex and confusing task (Null & Lobur, 2010). These challenges are not significant as compared to benefits of virtual memory and paging offers. Advantages of virtual memory and paging are easy to understand. For instance, programs are not limited to the physical memory present on the system, as virtual memory allows executing individual programs possessing larger virtual address space when compared to available physical memory (Null & Lobur, 2010). This process helps the programmers to avoid worrying about physical address space boundaries. Moreover, virtual memory also facilitates multi-tasking by executing more than one program simultaneously, and, as a result, system throughput and CPU utilization enhance. The limited size of pages and frames eases the tasks for placement and allocation for the operating system. Moreover, the paging process facilitates the operating system to protect and share the page on specific permissions (Null & Lobur, 2010). ... Moreover, the physical memory remains intact and is not divided into any sort of fixed or equal size partition. Whenever there is a requirement of copying a segment in the physical memory, free memory is analyzed by the operating system, and after finding a chunk it is adequate enough to store an entire segment (Null & Lobur, 2010). Likewise, every segment possesses a base address that provides an indication of its location in the memory along with bound limits reflecting its size. Now every program incorporating various segments is now linked to a segment table instead of a page table. Likewise, the segment table incorporates the assembly of base for every segment (Jipping, 2007). The role of virtual memory in smart phone operating systems is also vital. For programming and designing virtual memory for a smart phone operating system, logical-segment addresses and physical-segment- addresses is the prime focus. Likewise, the segments are tagged with numbers, and these tags are incorp orated within a logical address. For instance, a typical address format will be a , in which the segment number is the starting part of the address and the offset is identified as the last part of the address. Memory Management Technique for Paging on Distributed Shared Memory Framework The two analogous computer classes, i.e. shared memory and distributed memory, are symbolized by the DSM Systems (Hine, Mitrani, Tsur, & Gaines, 1979). This system works by providing shared memory generalizing in the system that further physically distributes the memory and thus combines the rewards of both the approaches. In fact, the DSM system is described as a memory system that physically distributes but is

CAUSAL ANALYSIS ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CAUSAL ANALYSIS - Essay Example It seemed like a trend among my peers to get married a few years after completing high school. My best friend and classmate in high school got married a few months after we had cleared high school. I was tempted to take the same path but took a different path eventually. I knew I needed to join college but also knew that I could study online. I met Jenny in junior high in my first year; she perfectly fitted what I termed as the girl of my dreams. We were in the same class but not the same stream. We were both chosen to represent our school in an inter-school competition. I am a generally introverted and so I decided to sit alone at the back of the bus. For most of the trip, I pondered about different things and tried to think of what the future held for me. At some point, I dosed off only to be woken up by this beautiful girl standing besides me. I thought I was dreaming at first as I raised my head for a split moment before and dosing off again. She went ahead and sat next to me and nudged me to wake up. I eventually did and she introduced herself to me. Through out the trip we engage in a positive and constructive chat. Jenny was every man’s or should I say every boy’s dream in school; she was a smart, sharp, eloquent, beautiful, and hardworking. She seemed to know everything about everything. She was outgoing and a favorite of every teacher for her intelligence. Many of the boys in school had tried to befriend her but felt belittled by her smartness and level of intelligence. Although everyone in school thought we were dating, it never got into my head that I was engaged in a serious relationship. Gradually, I realized we had so much in common and my reserved nature gradually became more accommodative of her. We had a normal relationship with normal challenges for a long time until one day she brought up the subject of marriage. Not that we had never discussed the subject before†¦ she only brought up the subject without mincing words. We made a

Hiring and Retaining Staff Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hiring and Retaining Staff - Term Paper Example Because of this reason alone, it is important to understand the issues discussed in this paper and learn how to better overcome the modern day obstacles related to staff and recruiting. It is important to note that current trends indicate the current year has seen the competition for highly qualified individuals only intensity. This is partly due to the reality that the employment market has picked up substantially. As a result, it is important to note that talented professionals now have many job prospects in front of them, so companies are forced to really provide increased incentives if they are to truly attract the best of the best. In essence, it is up to the company today to market themselves in an attractive manner to prospective employees. There will likely be the need for counteroffers to be accepted, many applicants will outright reject solid job offers, that there will be a renewed focus on recruiting those that are already employed at another firm. In essence, we are regressing to the boom years of the late 90’s where if was definitely a job seekers market. One commonly held theory today is that employers need to return to a strategy of branding their organization as a long term recruiting strategy moving forward. In previous years, many organizations were forced to drastically reduce their budgets related to Human Resources, meaning that recruiters did not have much to work with. Now that business is picking up across numerous sectors, however, it is possible to change this to a more long term outlook detailing the various attributes of a company and what it has to offer prospective employees, particularly related to salary and benefits. This is similar to the branding of a product. The need for branding has emerged partially as a result of the increased competition for taken, but also because of the various ways that companies around the company are making use of

Automobile Air Pollution Essay Example for Free

Automobile Air Pollution Essay Efforts to improve the standard of living for humans, through the control of nature and the development of new products have also resulted in the pollution of the environment. Much of the worlds air, water, and land is now partially poisoned by pollution. Some places have become uninhabitable. This pollution exposes people all around the globe to new risks from disease. Many species of plants and animals have become endangered or are now extinct. The air pollution comes from lots of sources but the paper will be about air pollution cause by automobiles. As a result of tremendous amount of air pollution, primarily for automobile governments have passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution. There are lots of sources other than the automobile for air pollution. Nature itself is one of the causes. Sometime nature causes the air pollution by activities like a forest fire, volcanic, hurricane. These are temporary dislocations that nature balances and accommodates to modern economic development, however, sometimes disrupts natures delicate balance. The other source is from factories. Factories are release smokes and chemical in the air. In many places smoke from factories and cars combines with naturally occurring fog to form smog and create a midday sky. It had happened in London, London, England, has been subjected to the danger of smog, long recognized as a potential cause of death, especially for elderly persons and those with severe respiratory ailments (pollution). Transportation by car though, is the major source of air pollution. Early in the century human invented, internal combustion engine, engine that use fuel as gasoline or diesel. Those engines were used to manufacture an automobile for fast travel from one place to another. Because they were not much in use, those few cars were not enough to threat the environment. Those engines were not fast enough so mastermind humans invented bigger and faster engines and those take more fuel. When these engines burn fuels they introduce smoke and other, less visible, by products. Once they are released into the air, the products of incomplete combustion, particulate matter (soot, ash, and other solids), unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, various nitrogen oxides, ozone, and lead, undergo a series of chemical reactions in the presence of sunlight. The result is the dense haze characteristic of smog. Smog may appear brownish in color when it contains high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, or it may look blue-gray when it contains large amounts of ozone (Danger). The cumulative effect of air pollution poses a grave threat to humans and the environment. Smog causes number of children and elderly to die because children lungs are still developing, also they breath more rapidly than adults, and they play outdoor. Most elderly people loose the red cells that cause diseases to go out of control. That lead them to the development of chronic lung diseases. The costs of air pollution are enormous. The American Lung Association sites sulfur-dioxide exposure as the third leading cause of lung disease after active and passive smoking (Justification) Air pollution does not only cause health hazard but also cause acid rain to fall. Acid rain causes damage to structure or life. Plants and animal marine animal are most effected by acid rain. Acid rain or snow pollute the water and soil the major source for plants and marine species to survive. Acid rain or snow falls when sulfur dioxide emissions from exhaust of an internal combustion engine combine with particles of water in the atmosphere. In Canada, Scandinavia, and the northeastern United States, acid rain is blamed for the deaths of thousands of lakes and streams (Acid rain). Another new and troubling form of air pollution comes from a variety of chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons, also known as CFCs. For many years it was used by automobile industries. These chemicals were used in the air conditioning systems of the car. CFCs takes decade to get in the upper atmosphere but when it gets there it combines with other molecules. Then, by attaching themselves to molecules of ozone, CFCs transform and destroy the protective ozone layer. The result has been a sharp decline in the amount of ozone in the stratosphere. At ground level, ozone is a threat to our lungs, but in the upper atmosphere ozone works as a shield to protect against ultraviolet radiation from the sun (Ozone). If the ozone shield gets too thin or disappears, exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause crop failures and the spread of epidemic diseases, skin cancer, and other disasters. The automobile has a big impact on over our environment. Today we have trillions of automobiles on the road. Each car produce smoke and chemicals that hazardous to our world. Sometimes people take that threat seriously and they try to find solution. It is necessary to burn fuel completely because unburn fuel release more chemicals than burned fuel. Most new cars have two oxygen sensors that monitor and control the burning of fuel (Toyota Eng. ). I think problem is that as oxygen sensors age, their warm-up response slows considerably. Even government says, The major cause of air pollution is the internal-combustion engine of automobiles. Gasoline is never completely burned in the engine of a car, just as coal is never completely burned in the furnace of a steel mill (EPA). Other than two oxygen sensors some engineers came up with electric. These cars are good for our environment because they do not use gasoline as fuel. Even they dont produce any smoke. It has some problem with it too like electric cars need to recharge more often and the are not fast enough. The other problem is that after while the batteries needs to replace. You imagine if trillion cars need to replace batteries than it will fill our safe chemical deposal sites in few years than we have more chemical waste in our environment. The solar cars are not that bad in the futuristic problems but cars arent fast enough. Air pollution has been the target of some of the most complicated and far-reaching legislation ever enacted. In 1970, the United States Congress passed legislation aimed at curbing sources of air pollution and setting standards for air quality. A few years later, Congress passed laws designed to phase out the use of lead as an additive in gasoline (EPA). That helped us because the level of lead in the average Americans bloodstream has declined. We still didnt do much about cause of acid rain and it is continually debated in North America and throughout Europe. In late 1987, more than 20 nations signed an agreement to limit the production of CFCs and to work toward their eventual elimination (EPA).

Corporate Financial Analysis Of Pfizer Finance Essay

Corporate Financial Analysis Of Pfizer Finance Essay Pfizer, is the worlds largest research-based pharmaceutical company, founded in 1849. The company is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York, with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut. Ian Read is the president and CEO of Pfizer. And other important officers are these following people. (Table 1) The Company manages its operations through five segments: Primary Care; Specialty Care and Oncology; Established Products and Emerging Markets; Animal Health and Consumer Healthcare, and Nutrition. The Companys diversified global healthcare portfolio includes human and animal biologic, small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional and consumer healthcare products. Pfizer produces many house hold famous medicine like Lipitor, Viagra and Celebrex. Pfizer has 103,700 employees and in No. 81 of Carbon Disclosure Rating. And here are some important data. (Table 2)In the highly competitive pharmaceutical industry, Pfizer has these main competitors: Ankur Drugs and Pharma Ltd. and Bayer. 1.2 Analyst Coverage 1.2.1 Analyst Opinion This table (1.1) shows the analyst opinion to recommendation trends. We can see strong buy and buy both have a high score while the other three have a very low score. It suggests that investors to buy this stock but do not suggest long-term hold. 1.2. 2 Analyst Estimate Here these two tables show the analyst estimate on Pfizer. They are just a part of the analyst estimate. Earnings history (1.2) shows that the difference between EPS Estimate and EPS actual is very small. So the estimate was quite accurate. 1.2.3 Price Target Summary The recent stock price of PFE is about $22.56. This price is a little lower than the price target in table (1.3). It does not mean it is not good. At least this price is higher than its low target. Pfizers stock is not bad and still have chance to perform better. 1.3 Analysis of Pfizers financial statements 1.3.1 Balance Sheet Analysis In general, the total amount of the assets of Pfizer decreased from 212.949 million (in 2009) to 188.002 million (in 2011). This may because Pfizer wanted to give up unattractive investments and focused on its innovation core. Total liabilities decreased continuously. It indicates Pfizers ability of repayment of debt was not bad. Current liabilities decreased 1.98% from 2010 to 2011 and 23.1% from 2009 to 2010. Changes of total liabilities were similar. On stockholders equity, its total number also decreased as the result of its decrease of total assets. Due to the decrease in total assets, the stockholders equity decreased 6.4% from 2011 to 2010 and 2.4% from 2010 to 2009. (Graph 1) We can calculate Debt-Equity Ratio, Current Ratio, and Quick Ratio in 3 years. (Table 3) As we can see from the table 1, Pfizers financial situation in 2011 was not bad. 1.3.2 Income Statement Analysis In 2011, total revenue was 67.425 million, a 0.54% increase over 2010 and a 36.85% increase over 2009. Operating income in 2011 was 12.762 million and net income was 10.009 million, both of them increased. Gross profit was not very obvious but we can find a sharp increase from 2009 to 2010. (Graph 2) In 2011, ratio of gross profit and total revenue was 77.63%. Operating expenses of total revenue proportion in three years were around 60%. It shows Pfizers ability of controlling in operating expenses was better in 2010 and 2009. (Table 4) Graph 3 shows that changes in gross margin, operating margin, net profit margin, ROA and ROE. The companys operating conditions were very stable. (Graph 3) 1.3.3 Cash Flow Analysis Here is a table shows that three years cash flows of three kinds of activities. (Table 3) In 2009, cash flows from operating activities were 16.587 million and in 2010. If investing activities cant bring enough money to make up cash outflows, cash flows from investing activities would be negative. In 2011, Pfizers cash flows from investing activities were 2.2 million. Pfizers investments were effective and they created a positive cash flow and can create profit. (Table 4) Generally speaking, the larger the cash flows from financing activities the more pressure of debt the company will be faced with. We can see in 2010 and 2011, Pfizers was under huge pressure. All in all, Pfizer has a good financial situation. 1.4 Summary of Pfizers Challenges 2011 was generally a good year for Pfizer, Inc. Revenues increased 1%, Net income also had significant gains. However, the company still faces diverse challenges from many aspects, which can have a long term impact on Pfizers performance. U.S. Healthcare Legislation Enacted Since 2010 It brought two negative influences: 1. A $648 million reduction to Revenues, related to higher, extended and expanded rebate provisions and the Medicare coverage gap discount provision. 2. An extra $248 million expense in informational, sales and administrative, related to the fee payable charged by the federal government. Loss of Expiration of Intellectual Property Rights It can be an adverse factor and decline total revenues. When the patent protection has expired, Pfizer loses exclusivity on these products and generic pharmaceutical manufacturers can produce similar products and sell them for a lower price. Problems in Productivity and Regulatory Environment Pfizer devoted significant resources to research and development; these activities involve a high risk and may take many years to transfer research achievements into products. Besides, there is no assurance that the development of any particular product will achieve desired clinical success, be approved by regulators and commercially. If Pfizer failed, sunk costs lost, which can be a huge loss. 1.4.4 Pfizer is Under Pressures of Pricing and Access Governments, healthcare organizations and other payer groups implement price controls and require price cuts in order to pay less in purchasing Pfizers products. There were government regulated price reductions for certain products beginning in 2011. Whats more, health insurance and social welfare plans continue to limit access to some of Pfizers medicines by setting restrictions in the increased use of generics. 1.4.5 Challenges from Poor Macroeconomic Environment We believe that with high unemployment rate and increases in co-pays, patients tend to buy generics, delay treatments, skip doses or use less effective treatments to reduce costs. During 2011, portions of the revenues are exposed to fluctuations in foreign exchange rate. Pfizer need to seek appropriate management in foreign exchange rate risk as it operates in multiple foreign currencies 2. Stock Price Analysis 2.1 Track Pfizers Stock Price in the Last 3 Years 2.1.1 2009(Graph 4) We can find that the stock price continued going down from Jan. to Mar. However, it went up until the end of the year. Stock price in Mar is the lowest all the year and the stock price at the beginning of the year and the end of the year are almost the highest. The highest is nearly $19, and the lowest is less than $12. 2.1.2 2010(Graph 5) The chart show us that the stock price in 2010. Generally speaking, the stock price went down from Jan to Jul. We can see the stock price in Jul is the lowest number throughout the year, and it was 14.14 dollars per unit. After Jul, the stock price gradually rose. But between Aug and Sep, the stock price experienced a decline within a narrow range. This circumstance also happened between Nov and Dec. The highest price occurred in Jan, and it was 20.00 dollars per unit. 2.1.3 2011(Graph 6) It seems that the chart of 2011 was a little complex. From Jan to Jun the general momentum of the stock price was up though a few small declines. From Jun to Aug, the number experienced a decline by a large margin after Aug, the statistics generally rose up though some declines. The highest price was 21.83 dollar per unit in Dec, and the lowest price was in Aug, and the number was 16.66 dollar per unit. 2.2 Calculate Stock Price of the Company To calculate the stock price of the company, I will use the formula EPSÃÆ'-P/E=P. EPS=NI/ SO. I will calculate the stock price of the company in 2012. (Graph 7) 1. Highest and lowest PE Ratio in 2009 are 14.79 and 11.45, so the average ratio is 13.12. 2. The 2 ratios in 2010 are 23.52 and 13.58, so the average is 18.55. 3. The 2 ratios in 2011 are 19.34 and 12.28, so the average ratio is 15.81. (Graph 8) The EPS in 2009, 2010 and 2011 are 1.235, 1.205, 1.255. According to P=EPSÃÆ'-P/E, stock price in 2009, 2010, 2011 are 16.20 ¼Ã…’22.35 ¼Ã…’19.84. 2.3 Assessment of the Current Stock Price According to the Income statement, PFE has earnings per share of 1.27, the average P/E is $17.81, estimate a value of PFE using P/E as a valuation multiple. Thus, P=$1.27*17.80=$22.6060B It assumes that PFE will have similar future risk. Assuming NVS is comparable to PFE in term of its underlying business NVS has earnings per share of $3.55, the average P/E is $15.39, under the same assumption, P=$3.55*15.39=$54.6345B. Compare to the two major competitors, PFE share price is relatively low. According to Income Statement, PFE has EBITDA of $27.56B and has an enterprise value to EBITDA multiple of $6.71, shares outstanding of 7.54B and debt of $38.96B Enterprise value would be V=$27.56B*6.71=$184.9276, estimate PFEs share price: P=(184.9276-38.96)/7.54=$19.2361. As this estimation is based on enterprise value, it is more reliable than the first one. It is overvalued obviously when its stock price being $22.66 per share. Similarly, NVS has EBITDA of $17.05, enterprise value to EBITDA multiple of 8.81, shares outstanding of $2.42 and debt of $24.59. NVS share price would be: P=(17.05*8.81-24.59)/2.42=$51.9093 As Comparables only provide information regarding the value of a firm relative to other firms in the comparison set, using multiples will not help us determine if an entire industry is overvalued. According to the research, PFE share price is much less than NVS, I would suggest that PFE is relatively less deserving investment. According to the Balance Sheet, dividend paid is $6.234. , it is easy to get the dividend paid annually: Div=$6.234/7.54=$0.8268 The share price is $22.66, suppose investors hope the constant dividend growth model would based on a 4% growth rate, we would estimate a stock price of P=0.8268/(0.4811-0.04)=$1.8744 We can calculate the growth rate: g=r-Div/P=0.4811-o.8268/22.66=1.16%. Investors would feel disappointed if invest in PFE as the growth rate is relative lower than he/her expectations. 2.4 Value of Pfizers Stock Price Compared with Competitors From statistics online, we can know that the 52week range of Pfizer is 16.63-23.3, Roches is 115.1-169.2, and Eli Lilys is 33.75-42.03. Obviously, the stock price of Roche changes the most, the changed absolute amount of 54.1. A risk lover may prefer this kind of stock because it can change by a larger scale, and if we can seek this opportunity well, huge profits can be achieved. Compared with Roche, Pfizer stock has a large advantage. The change scope of Pfizer stock is not big, which indicates that it is relatively stable, and a risk-averse may prefer this kind stock. The perceived benefit of any gain is outweighed by the perceived cost of an equivalent loss. Most people are risk-averse, so Pfizer stock has an excellent competitive advantage and suitable to hold for a long time. Besides, to compare the value of the stock price, analyzing the P/E ratio is the most traditional method. Pfizer earned $1.24 per share last year and the stock is trading at 22.38, so the stock has a P/E ratio of approximately 18.05-to-1.Similarly, the P/E ratio of Roche is 15.04, the P/E ratio of Eli Lily and Company is 10.7. Generally, the lower the P/E ratio, the better value the stock represents. Thus, in this case Pfizer is less competitive than his competitor, Roche and Eli Lily and Company. 2.5 Beta of Pfizer and Comparison with Its Competitors The beta of Pfizer is 0.64, the beta of Roche is 0.66, and the beta of Eli Lily and Company is 0.37. Beta is a risk index, can be used to measure fluctuation of one stock price relative to the whole stock market. The bigger the absolute amount, the larger the change of profit .The stock of Pfizer and its competitors, Roche and Eli Lily and Company, all can be regarded as low risk stocks. 3. Summary 3.1 Major Developments of Pfizer during 1Q of 2012 During the 1st quarter of 2012, Pfizers revenues were $15.4 billion, a decline of 7% compared with $16.5 billion in the year-ago quarter and the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange of $57 million, or less than 1%. Established products unit revenues increased 17% in comparison with prior year period, obviously driven by recent launches of generic versions of some products. Revenues of Lipitor were $383 million, which made a great contribution to the company. In addition, revenues were positively influenced by the entry of multi-source generic competition in the U.S. Emerging markets unit revenues grew 9% due to continued demand growth in China, Russia and Mexico. In animal health unit, revenues increased 6%, primarily due to the purchase of King Pharmaceuticals. Nutrition unit revenues gained 8%, created by making benefits from the launch of successful new products, increased marketing activities and overall strength in emerging markets, especially China. Pfizers first-quarter 2012 financial performance is pleased; however, it still faces fierce competition from other companies. Pfizer need to focus its problems in exclusivity and financial management. 3.2 Summary of All We Have Learnt About Pfizer Pfizer is better than others. It could be name recognition, innovation, market share or any other attributes that makes a company stand out from the herd. From what has been discussed, we may draw the conclusion that there are three ideas to contribute the success of Pfizer. Innovation creates success and being innovative in your business is one of the keys to being successful. Innovation is the introduction of new processes, new ways of doing things and revolutionizing how things have been accomplished previously. The most surprising thing is Pfizer cannot research an influential drug independently in the past 10 years of 20 century. Although it invested huge amount of money in R D, it seems more like a marketing company. Throughout Pfizers development in recent years, its success can be summed up that use the advantage of large-scale and well-capitalized to strengthen the ability in value chain in marketing. Through buying mature technology, products and combination new companies, building alliance with competitors to consolidate its market share. Giving full play to the enthusiasm of its medical representatives, integrating the advantages of its marketing network, and enhancing core competitiveness, thus achieve a leading position in the industry. In conclusion, Pfizer is a rare example of successful combination of R D and marketing strategies in international pharmaceutical companies. 3.3 Should We Buy Pfizers Stock or Not Pfizer has a good ability in finance, improved control in operation. For big investors, I would recommend Pfizer, which requires low risk, stable growing dividends, and long term return. Despite Pfizer stock price is relative lower than its competitors, big investors can gain large amount of cash by purchasing large amount of shares. However, I will not recommend Pfizer to retail investors. It would not be wise to invest in a company which may take years to transfer research investments into product profits. Higher return indicates higher risk; it would be too risky for retail investors to take the gamble. Quick money never stays too long. Appendices Table 1: Table 2: Table 3: 2011 2010 2009 Debt-Equity Ratio 0.563 0.550 0.577 Current Ratio 2.057 2.131 1.657 Quick Ratio 1.780 1.842 1.323 Table 4: 2011 2010 2009 Operating activities 20,240,000 11,454,000 16,587,000 Investing activities 2,200,000 (492,000) (31,272,000) Financing activities (20,607,000) (11,174,000) 14,481,000 Graph 1: Graph 2: Graph 3: Graph 4: Graph 5: Graph 6: Graph 7: Graph 8: Tables: (1.1) (1.2) (1.3)

The Failure of Software Copyright Law Essay -- Technology Computers Pa

The Failure of Software Copyright Law A Definition With the Copyright Act of 1980, the following was added to the existing copyright laws: A "computer program" is a set of statements or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a certain result.1 A "program" or "software" instructs the "hardware," the computer, in its task of adding, storing, exchanging data, etc.2 At the base level, a program is simply a mathematical algorithm, a stream of on/off states, which the hardware uses. Copyright and patent law has generally excluded mathematical algorithms from legal protection due to the social benefits of their widespread dissemination.3 Software, however, is primarily protected by copyright law under the premise that an author is entitled to the financial incentive. The debate is this: "Is there a way to protect innovators without strangling further innovation?"4 The Harms of Protection Early makers of computers handed out free accompanying software particular to their machines.5 Their thought was that this would encourage the purchase of their hardware. Soon, however, software producers began to copyright their products and the result was that each computer-maker had incompatible software.6 A company with sufficient lead-time ... ... 58 West's 3d, 10.4. 59 West's Feb. '90, 308. 60 ibid., 422. 61 Menell, 1084. 62 Menell, 1088. 63 Menell, 1087. 64 Menell, 1082. 65 Menell, 1088. 66 Weigner, 137. 67 Menell, 1078. 68 Barinaga, Marcia, "Computer microcode instructions judged within copyright," Nature 16 February 1989: 591. 69 Business Week, 122. 70 Menell, 1060. 71 Hammonds, 86.