Memorization Essays - Mnemonics, Memory, Rhetoric, Dialectic

Memorization There are many techniques which have been developed to increase the efficiency of memory . Select 3 techniques , discuss them in detail and present examples of when they can be used. In the world today it is a must to be able to remember things. Memory is a big part in everyone`s life. Their is hardly a day that goes by when you do not have to remember something. If someone doesn`t have a great memory it could cause somewhat of a down fall in their professional life. In this paper I will discuss three different memorization habits and how they can be contributed to one`s everyday lifestyle. One of many ways that help people memorize things is in a verbal sense called Rhymes. Rhyming is an easy way for someone to memorize certain things. This method is most common with children in school. Many people that grow up still remember these little detailed Rhymes that help them get threw school. Rhymes are nothing other than little sayings which sometimes make no sense , but when repeated in your mind it helps your recall what is need to know . The Rhyme that I remember best was used in math class I ate and ate until I was sick on the floor eight times eight equals sixty-four that saying is really kind of ridiculous , but I always new what eight times eight was . There are so many saying`s out there and everyone of them will help anyone memorize. Rhymes have been and always will have a big impact on helping people in memorization. Another strategy to help on to memorize things is called Acrostics. Acrostics is nothing more than a saying in which the first letter of each word of the saying is the cue to help recall information you need to know . This method is very similar to the method of Rhyming , but you only use the one letter from each word to represent the cue for your needed information. One of the Acrostic phrases that many people were taught for learning notes in music class was Every good boy does fine. This saying helps people remember notes E, G, B, D, and F , which are five main chords, in order , used in music. Acrostic is not used as much as Rhyme; however, though they are very similar in style. Many people use this method, but really have no idea what it is called nor really care as long as it works, and it does . All people tend to do things the easy way , and their is nothing wrong with that as long as it works . There are certain methods for everything and it always helps to have some help when needed. The third method that will be discussed is the method of Loci. The method of Loci involves taking an imaginary walk along a familiar path where images of items to be remembered are associated with certain locations. The first step is to commit to memory a series of loci, or places along a path. Usually these loci are specific locations in your home or neighborhood. Then envision each thing you want to remember in one of these locations. Try to form vivid images . When you need to remember the things , imagine yourself on your path, which should serve as cues for the retrieval of the images you have formed (Wayne Weiten, 2000). The usefulness of Loci helps assure yourself of remembering items in a certain order and the order is determined by the location sequence along the certain path. In this paper I have discussed and gave examples for three different ways to improve one`s memory. There are many other methods in to help with memorization ;however , I believe these are the three most common used help methods. Each method has it`s own direct way in helping one to memorize something for long periods of time. Memorizing is a everyday thing that is nearly necessary for everyday life. People have methods for doing everything and just because you do something one way doesn`t make that the only right way. Most methods are not tought ,some are just distinguish to what is available. No one can remember everything , but with a little help it makes it somewhat easier to try. Some methods are learned from experience . Experience helps the person know what they are doing and then one can do the same task in a certain

buy custom American multinational corporation essay

buy custom American multinational corporation essay PepsiCo is an American multinational corporation that formed in 1965 with the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay, Inc. and deals with production, marketing, and distribution of beverages and grain based snack foods. PepsiCo has its headquarters in Harrison, New York with its presence in four major divisions (PepsiCo Inc., 2010). In 2009, PepsiCo Americas Foods, which deals in foods and snacks in North and South America, contributed 43% of the total PepsiCo net profit (PepsiCo Inc., 2010).. There is also PepsiCo America Beverages, a division that markets both carbonated and non-carbonated beverages in North and South America. Other divisions include PepsiCo Europe and PepsiCo Asia, Middle East and Africa. Globally, the company is the second largest food and beverages company and it operates in more than 200 countries (Marshall, 2010). In 2009, PepsiCo collected total revenue of $43.3 billion, and was rated the largest food and beverages company in North America. Pepsi Corporation distributes a number of brands, the key ones being those that generate annual sales of more than $1 billion each. These brands include Pepsi-Cola, 7Up, Fritos Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Doritos, Pepsi Max, Quaker Foods, Tropicana Cheetos, Miranda, Ruffles, Aquafina, Tostitos, Sierra Mist, Walkers, and Lays Lipton (UBM, 2010). Amid distribution of the brands, PepsiCo engages in charitable activities and environmental conservation programs like water usage in U.S, India and U.K, packaging and recycling, energy usage as well as pesticide regulation in India to ensure that the environment and the available resources are utilized properly. PepsiCos advancement in ecommerce has been evident, and that is the focus of this report (Romanik, 2007). Project and Its Place within the Organization Changing to ecommerce involves fully understanding the normal offline transactions and applying the principals of electronic funds transfer and electronic data interchange. Ecommerce also includes Internet marketing and inventory management systems through the World Wide Web, especially for virtual items. Changing to ecommerce entails complete overhaul of marketing techniques to accommodate new internet marketing strategies, electronic payments and training of employees to match the new electronic commerce and business. PepsiCos adoption of ecommerce led to the collaboration with Yahoo. In the deal, PepsiCo would promote Yahoo on 1.5 billion soft drinks bottles displayed in 50,000 stores (Business Day, 2000). In return, Yahoo would promote PepsiCo products on Yahoo cobranded site called Pepsistuff.com (Gerstman Meyers, 2002). This promotion started in August 2000 and has since led to advertisement cost minimization due to its ability to reach more people at ago through the website (Business Day, 2000). What does not work, according to Burwick, PepsiCos former marketing manager, is an advertising approach on television that in his view only entertains and moves. However, Burwick notes that internet advertisement on the website provides a platform for interaction, which is a more active experience that is likely to have a more positive impact on sales (Business Day, 2000). This web advertisement that included music sites, banner advertisement and internet sweepstakes and barter arrangement with Yahoo, helped PepsiCo establish loyalty among its customers, greater brand exposure among its consumers under 25 years old and at the same time obtained relevant data that enabled the company respond to customer demands. Pepsi also uses the extranet strategy where customers flash their names and continue the marketing efforts of tweaking websites. Other than its websites, PepsiCo has currently upheld its ecommerce strategy on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, which are social sites that provide interaction opportunities for millions of potential customers around the world. This has helped improve popularity of the corporations 19 major brands in all the four regions, and contributed to the revenue collected in 2009. Marketing the products plays a very important role in the consumer goods companies that consume $40 billion annually on non-internet advertising. Ecommerce in this regard plays a vital role in marketing, distribution, supply chain management, ordering and delivering of the products to the clients in all the four major regions. This strategy helps PepsiCo eliminate intermediaries in its business since consumers can order products directly. The company can also use banners on top of web pages to convey the information about its products. However, this has been eliciting responses that banners are too small and limit th e amount of information that can be conveyed through them. Besides Pepsistuff.com, PepsiCo also uses its website in providing information to all its customers and potential customers on the available products and the ordering and purchasing procedures as well as the charges involved for deliveries (Gerstman Meyers, 2002). The strategy of e-business is multifarious, is more focused on these internal processes (Romanik, 2007). Its objective is to reduce costs while improving efficiency, as well as reducing costs while improving productivity. E-business includes ecommerce, and both address internal processes and technological infrastructure like application servers, security, databases, and legacy systems. E-commerce and e-business involve generating new value chains amid stakeholders, such as a company like PepsiCo and its clients. Original Business Model Employed By PepsiCo PepsiCo initially used non-internet advertisement that included high impact television spots that were prepared to evoke emotional reaction among its customers, appealing to woe customers to purchase. The company also minimally used PowerPoint presentations of its products to that are flashed on the websites. According to Hill Jones (2008), PepsiCo changed its business model and the manner in which it differentiated its product. Before adoption of the ecommerce initiative, PepsiCo fully depended on five regions that include North America, South America, Europe, and Asia regions (including India) in manufacturing, marketing, and delivering. These activities constituted manual offline transactions (Heinecke, 2011). Any changes to the business model ere necessitated by introduction of the e-Business initiative. The marketing, ordering, inventory management strategies, and the payment methods changed to adopt ecommerce methods. These necessitated change in PepsiCos organization structure and reduction of marketing staff and the cost of advertisement reduced by nearly 20% in 2010 (Heinecke, 2011). Through e-business, PepsiCo was able to effectively cut human errors and evade uneconomical duplications of duties that add little or no value to the business. Consequently, this saved the company business time, colossal amounts of resources. The introduction of ecommerce into PepsiCo also improved the speed, accuracy, and efficiency in which processes are carried out in the corporation, leading to increased productivity. E-business guarantees proficiency in communication within PepsiCo and reduces turnaround time in ordering, delivery, and payment of products, as well as fostering faster decision-making process. The networking brought about by the use of Internet services gave PepsiCo an opportunity to easily compare and rate its products against those from its competitors in terms of quality, availability, and pricing. Strategic Components of E-business Planning for the changeover to e-business from the offline business is a strategic component that determines the success of the ecommerce strategy. It involves action plans that include making available the amount of capital required, trained human resource, information technology skills, technology hardware, such as computers and internet connections. This component of e-business dictates the decision on implementation methods and tools used in the changeover, depending on strengths and weaknesses of the business and the opportunities presented by ecommerce according to the vision and mission of the PepsiCo (Cross Miller, 2009). Ecommerce business is an area faced with several risks. Therefore, companies need to understand it well to ensure that they are protected against such risks. PepsiCo faces such risks as well. Some of these risks include loss of merchandise as a result of fraud, misrouting during distribution process to wrong destinations (majorly when the merchants are untrustworthy and untraceable), leading to loss of both goods and money (Cross Miller, 2009). Any businesses adopting ecommerce should ensure that third party merchants are well known, registered, and traceable to curb the loss of customers merchandise and money to potential fraudsters. This is also applicable to the risks of customers disputes of the delivered goods leading to loss of payments. PepsiCo needs to ensure that during ordering, customers provide adequate information to be able to distinguish genuine customers from fraudulent orders. This will reduce the loss money through credit card payments, which poses impacts both on the company and merchants who are forced to pay the bank charges to compensate the losses. Accuracy in processing the transactions remain key to efficient deals to avoid experiencing chargeback costs that also occur when customers dispute the transactions sometimes due to inaccuracy in the amount involved, errors in processing, authorization errors and fraudulent issues. These costs can be avoided if transactions are accurately and efficiently processed. Therefore, this means that the new ecommerce technology should be well understood before the implementation stage takes effect, to be able to seal all the possible loopholes that are likely to give way to losses (Joseph, 2008). Provision of adequate infrastructure system that warns new clients who are not conversant with purchasing on the Internet is important in proving authenticity of the company. These systems should be in a position of protecting clients passwords to sensitive personal information like credit cards to avoid exposure to fraudsters and at the same time authenticate transactions when dealing with fresh cl ients before closing the purchase orders and delivering the products to the customers. Technological components must also be put in place for a company that needs to grow in the modern business environment that is full of competition through the use of high technology machines (Joseph, 2008). The technological platform where e-Business is carried out involves of technologies that have to be tailor-made, tested out and integrated into the business. This component is one of the essential e-business components that include widely approved technological standards and requirements that generate technical procedures and platforms than computers, but can be used to pass information. Technology infrastructure involves reliable Internet connections and adequate machinery, such as computers and browser connections. Technological constituents, such as middleware, are important since they help build broad and complex e-commerce systems. Employee development is strategy that works well for many companies, including PepsiCo. Employees first need to be prepared for the change to avoid unnecessary resistance during the implementation stage. Employee development also involves training workers to be technology compliant and improve their IT skills, which are mandatory in ecommerce having in mind that technology innovation and improvement takes place every time (Shajahan Priyadharshini, 2007). PepsiCo needs to train its clients on how to access information from the companys websites without risking exposing their information to non-deserving people, such as credit card fraudsters. This training can be done through seminars and online information that can be accessed by all existing and potential customers. Many clients are very skeptical when it comes to online purchases due to the widespread Internet fraud and may only be willing to do business with very organized and secure sites. PepsiCo also needs to segment its market during marketing and advertisement of the products. This segmentation can be done in terms of age, social class to provide products that all social groups can afford, and ensuring availability of these products from the distribution stores for the retail customers at all times. Reasons for Success and Of Pepsi Product Differentiation and positioning One reason that has led to the success of Pepsi products iss the differentiation of its brands that have been established and have built customer loyalty in those regions. Product positioning remains vital in building customer loyalty. This can quickly be done through internet marketing, which reaches more people at ago all over the world. Planning and New Technology The companys first strategy involving agreements with Yahoo picked up well and were very successful because of adequate planning, as well as embracing of the new digital technology. Other reasons include adequate planning, employee development, good management kills, infrastructure, and risk management systems. Reasons for Lack of Success and Of Pepsi Fraudulent transactions Fraudulent transactions that have always mired online transactions that make the merchants and clients lose both merchandise and money are the loopholes that have hampered Pepsis success. Thus, they need to be sealed in order to drive businesses to higher levels. Analysis of the PepsiCo Initiative PepsiCo being the second largest food and Beverage Company has very strong financial base, which is enough to implement the ecommerce strategy. Training of employees on the new internet marketing skills, supply chain management, inventory management. Implementation of the ecommerce Technology in PepsiCo involved provision of the computer gadgets and internet connection that to provide necessary platform for the change to e-Business (Shajahan Priyadharshini, 2007). PepsiCo also offered in-house trainings to the staff to be technology compliant ready to execute the ecommerce operations. The major stakeholders of the PepsiCo are the suppliers, customers, government, employees, and the management. The companys consumers need to utilize the ecommerce platform to order and pay for products conveniently, while maintaining and managing internet security risks. The internal control systems that are used to authenticate transactions need to be fully outlined with clear chain of command. The improvement of the technology has also provided good business growth opportunity enhancing PepsiCos strength in the market. The involvement of the society, production of healthy products with low sugar levels favorable for children, guarding them against health and lifestyle related diseases like obesity, diabetes, and the environmental protection projects, gave PepsiCo business advantage over its competitors, such as the Coca-Cola company. PepsiCo does this by converting its product portfolio, forming global initiatives like calorie labeling to increase nutrition education, and backup up programs that promote physical fitness centers (Romanik, 2007). Responsible Electronic Marketing In the ecommerce, PepsiCo has adopted a responsible electronic marketing strategy that teaches children that good eating habits at an earlier age contribute to their future health. PepsiCo adopted a policy in 2009 not to advertise and sell certain products that do not meet specific nutrition level to children under age 12. The policy took effect in 2009 for beverages globally and all snacks and food in the whole world on January 1, 2011. Pepsi plans to stop selling full sugar soft drinks directly to primary and secondary schools across the world by 2012. This policy is to help schools to provide a wider range of low-calorie and nutritious beverages to their students in primary and secondary schools (Ferrell Ferrell, 2010). PepsiCo plans to implement this policy fully by January 1, 2012 and it has announced this interest on the Internet. PepsiCo does not currently sell directly to primary and secondary schools full calorie drinks in Europe, Canada, and a number of countries in the Arabian Peninsula (Ferrell Ferrell, 2010). Currently the use of iPhone has spread to users many including school going children who can easily access the information. For this reason, PepsiCo implements the responsible e-marketing strategy to ensure that information reaches the only relevant people. Reasons for Not Adopting the Ecommerce In as much as technology is acceptable, many online clients have since withdrawn from transacting businesses over the internet due to the widespread internet crimes committed by fraudsters. Many clients have expressed reservations and they prefer offline business transactions to e-business. Bad experience of wrong delivery and erroneous processing of transactions has also contributed to the failure of ecommerce initiative. Pepsi should not just adopt Ecommerce marketing coverage strategy since it focuses on differentiated marketing, they should also consider other aspects that accompany the marketing strategy. Many clients do not have sufficient IT skills that are required in carrying out e-business. This gave the changeover a slow start in some regions, including India, with many insisting on continued offline transaction (Joseph, 2008). Conclusion Ecommerce and e-business have become the order of modern business. Many companies than need to compete have adapted the two innovations. Ecommerce and e-business involve the use of the Internet in the transaction of goods and services from production, order, delivery, marketing, and payment for the purchased goods and services. PepsiCo is one of the companies that have adopted ecommerce for about ten years and have used the new technology in inventory management, supply chain management, Internet marketing and electronic funds transfer. PepsiCo is an international company that deals in beverages and foods snacks in four major regions in North America, South America, Europe and Asia and African markets with a number of products like Pepsi-Cola, 7Up, Fritos Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Doritos, Pepsi Max, Quaker Foods, Tropicana Cheetos, Miranda, Ruffles, Aquafina, Tostitos, Sierra Mist, Walker's and Lay's Lipton. The company uses the Internet to market and sell these brands. Several strategies ensure all the stakeholders are successfully navigated through the navigation period. These include adequate planning, employee development, good management kills, infrastructure, and risk management systems. Buy custom American multinational corporation essay

What is the most convincing ethical system Why Research Paper

What is the most convincing ethical system Why - Research Paper Example A person can select the option that is best for him or her. The best should be according to the person in hand, how he admits what he wants and desires and also what is important to him. When a person identifies what is best for him, and then comes the premise of the most convincing ethical system he should dwell in (Bishop, 2000). If we perceive capitalism to be the most convincing ethical system or the institute of ethics then we first have to define what capitalism is. It is theory of the law. It is that theory of law that constitutes of description of property rights of an individual. This means to determine and avert the conflicts. Conflicts arouse when human beings make irreconcilable decisions about some of the resources that are used in ways proposed most of the times. This Theory of Law relies on the acknowledgment that individual actions are based on the decisions made by individuals and they are brought together by sense of responsibility (Kristol, 1978). Most of the resou rces are spent on the decisions that individuals make. The person who finally decides fate or use of a resource possesses the resource in actuality. Future conflicts regarding conflicts can be prevented by determining who has the authority to make decisions about the resources and who can legally hold it. Capitalism is therefore about recognizing the potentially disrupted resource an owner or proprietor can have. It’s the only way out to avoid the conflicts about future and determines who will get the resource in the end. To avoid the future conflicts about the resources and who will take what decision is about who is the lawful owner of resources. Therefore, capitalism is based upon recognizing owner and proprietor (Bishop, 2000). The ownership of resources is not subjective to anything in the realm of capitalism. Considering the ethical inferences of capitalism, it is highly advisable to unbalance the model of theoretical capitalism from the history of human civilization wi th the idea of emphasizing the significance of one’s freedom. This is the way that laissez-faire and free-market capitalism exist in market and also the perfect model of human society which ceases a difficult task for native Romans and Greeks and also the medieval kings. But, capitalism reassumes democracy as its highlight. The most basic form of economy and government is capitalism in its democratic form (Kristol, 1978). The possession of individual rights is the basic form of capitalism and everyone should have a free will in capitalism. It is known for giving autonomy to individuals on the basis of property rights, and freedom upon one’s own mind, body, and the spirit. Therefore, the everlasting rule of capitalism is that natural resources should be used by human beings free of will. Human beings are free to practice their rights until they don’t intervene in others’ rights. The historical theory of Karl Marx materialism is to try to impose laissez-fai re in medieval rulers which is not right jurisdiction of this presumption. If laissez-faire depends on development in history, how it is the best form of human civilization. These ideas dwindle in the mind of one as one pertains to think about comparison of contemporary capitalism from the pre-historic capitalism (Bishop, 2000). But, with powers comes responsibility. It is the ethical responsibility of an individual to have the freedom of recognizing the outcomes of such decisions. Therefore, all the creators receive what they make, regardless of the negatively or positivity of such object. Considering this justification, destroyers are solely responsible for the things they

Possible effects of ginseng on blood glucose in diabetic patients Essay

Possible effects of ginseng on blood glucose in diabetic patients - Essay Example The plant is cultivated for its man shaped roots which form an important diet supplement in Asian countries and United States. Historical records reveal the use of ginseng root for effectively treating diseases with symptoms similar to diabetes. However, researches to investigate the antidiabetic effect of Ginseng root began only in the first half of 20th century. Studies conducted by Japanese scientists on the root of Ginseng in the 1920s led to reports confirming the traditional claims of Ginseng root being effective in reducing baseline blood glucose and alleviating hyperglycemia caused as a consequence of high intake of glucose. Ever since numerous in vitro studies, animal trials, clinical trials on the root and root extracts have supported the efficiency of ginseng in controlling blood sugar levels in diabetics and hence has been used for the treatment of diabetes (Xie et al., 2005). The constituents are ginseng root are 80%-90% organic and up to 10% inorganic with multiple acti ve ingredients namely saponins or ginsenosides, many carbohydrates, nitrogenous substances, phytosterols, essential oils, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, peptides and organic acids. The active ingredients reported in the extracts effective in reducing blood glucose levls have been detected with ginsenosides and polysaccharides. Ginsenosides has been identified as the principal active ingredient of the plant and its concentration is highest in the leaf, followed by berry and then roots. Besides, the profile of ginsenosides with six main ginsenosides isolated from root berry and leaf is also different. Thus it has been speculated that the relative proportions of the some of these ginsenosides determines the hypoglycemic efficiency of ginseng extracts (Xie et al., 2005). Thus hypoglycemic effect of ginseng extracts has been well documented and supported by experimental evidences. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the effect of ginseng on blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. METHOD PARTICIPANTS 5 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus with mean values of age, BMI and weight being 62, 29kg/m2 and 81Kf were selected after informing them about the procedure and probable results of the experiment and obtaining their written consent. It was ensured that the Diabetes patients were reasonably controlled and were on a treatment procedure involving the drugs sulfonylurea, and a combination of sulfonylurea and metformin; which was continued during the period of experiment. Each of the participants was provided with instruction booklet to ensure that the other conditions are maintained uniform during the course of the experiment. TREATMENT The patients were given two categories of treatments; one gelatin capsule with 3g ginseng given either 40 minutes before a glucose intake of 25g of 300ml glucose or simultaneous with same concentration of glucose; both taken orally. The control treatment involved identical administration of all ingredients as in treatment group except ginseng being replaced by a placebo capsule containing corn sugar instead of ginseng. Four treatments, two tests and two controls were given to each participant in random order. PROCEDURE Maintaining every other condition of diet, activity and medication constant, participants were administered the above doses at intervals of 1 week after 10-12 hours of fasting in the morning. Each test was preceded with regular check up and complete dose of routine

Explain Washington landlord tenant law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Explain Washington landlord tenant law - Essay Example It is vital to note that the apartments allow for disability access. Pets are accepted in the apartments, but one has to pay a deposit of $400 to keep a pet and $200 is refunded when a tenant’s lease expires. However, there are breed restrictions on the type of animal one can keep. The tenant is also provided with one free covered parking space. The lease is one year long (McQueen 54). There are number provisions in the lease that comply with the law. For example, the lease provides the tenant with emergency maintenance and this ensures that the landlord repairs any damages to the apartment. This covers the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act RCW59. 18.230(1). I also find it interesting that the landlord expects tenants to pay a fee to keep a pet at the resident. This is an extra deposit to the security and damage deposit paid when one starts renting the apartment. This is a legal fee since the landlord has the right to charge for fees covering special cleaning. There is also a clause in the lease that the landlord can change the rules regarding the use of the community amenities like the swimming pool, fitness center, and tennis court. This is against the law since a landlord does not have the right to change the terms of a lease once the tenant has signed it. Change to the lease can only occur if the tenant agrees to it (Haupt and Kathryn 132). Another provision of the lease that I find interesting is that the landlord does not have to return the tenant’s security deposit if the apartment is damaged in any way. This is not legal according to the law of Washington State. The landlord is only allowed to keep the exact amount a tenant owes on repair costs. The rest of the money must be returned to the tenant (RCW 59.18.280). Another provision of the lease that I find interesting is the fact that if I move out before the end of the lease, I will be forced to pay all rent owed before the landlord can re-rent the apartment RCW

External Environment: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

External Environment: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Globalisation refers to the growing economic integration of the world, as trade, investment and money increasingly cross international borders (which may or may not have political or cultural implications) (Schifferes, 2007). Over the past years, there has been a great increase in globalisation. The aim of this study is to analyse the international business environment of an organisation and the impact of globalisation on business organisations. The organisation chosen for this study is PwC. PricewaterhouseCoopers (trading as PwC) is a multinational professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the worlds largest professional services firm and the largest of the Big Four accountancy firms measured by 2012 revenues (Wikipedia, 2012). The Big Four firms are PwC, Deloitte, Ernst Young and KPMG. 1 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The business environment can be divided mainly into two groups: internal and external. The external environment can be either micro or macro. There are several tools that can be used to analyse these environments. Internal Environment: Consists of the strengths, weaknesses and core competencies of an organisation. It can be analysed using SWOT analysis, Value Chain analysis and Three Circles analysis. SWOT analysis is the main tool used in analysing the internal environment. It is an acronym for Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Value Chain analysis attempts to understand how a business creates customer value by examining the contributions of different activities within the business to that value. Three Circles analysis involves examining customers needs, company offerings, and competitors offerings in order to clearly articulate what the companys competitive advantage is and how it differs from those of its competitors. External Environment: It refers to the business environment that an organisation has little or no control over but directly affects its operations. The following tools can be used to analyse the external environment: PEST Analysis. This tool used in analysing the forces affecting the macro environment of an organisation. It is an acronym for the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal forces. Porters Five Forces Analysis. It is used to analyse the attractiveness of an industry by considering five forces within the market. Stakeholder Mapping. It is used to identify stakeholders and their level of power and interest in an organisation. This enables the company relate with each stakeholder. 1.1 ANALYSIS OF THE MICRO-ENVIRONMENT (PwC) Threat of new entrants: To succeed in the professional services industry, some requirements include: Huge capital investment Years of experience Brand loyalty The industry is already dominated by strong firms with these qualities doing well both locally and internationally; new entrants are not a threat. Bargaining power of suppliers is high. They are big, rich and their alumni are  everywhere, throughout institutes, regulatory bodies, government, their clients boards and even within almost every other accountancy firm (Prizeman, 2011). Bargaining power of buyers is low. To obtain the best in professional services, there are very few options to choose from. Threat of substitute products No substitute; professional services (especially auditing) are required by law. Except when smaller firms offer the same services at cheaper prices, which is not a major threat. Rivalry The industry is highly competitive especially among the Big Four accountancy firms. 1.2 ANALYSIS OF THE MACRO-ENVIRONMENT The PEST analysis of PWC is given below: Political There are several laws that govern the firms activities. PwC offers services such as tax advisory and assurance services which are a very sensitive part of business. They should be treated with utmost care else face severe penalties. For example, they were recently fined  £1.4 million for failures concerning reports on client-money accounts at JPMorgan Chase Co. (JPM)s London securities unit (Moshinsky, 2012). Also, these regulations are changed or updated from time to time; therefore, PwC has to ensure they are always in compliance with the law. Furthermore, regulations on payment of taxes, financial statements and auditing make PwC continuously relevant in the market. Economic The recession in UK and other countries has affected the sales, profit and growth of several companies, including PwC. Therefore, some companies hire other firms which provide the same services as PwC but charge less, so as to reduce costs. This has also affected PwCs profits. Socio-Cultural Due to the highly professional services the organisation offers, it requires several highly skilled employees. Finding such individuals and retaining them is not an easy task, especially when other companies keep trying to win them over; offering them better employment packages. Technological This could act as a threat or opportunity to the organisation. New inventions, changes and advancement in technology provide an avenue for PwC to improve its operations and stay ahead of the competition. Computers, software, phones, internet, intranet etc are important resources to the firm. But keeping up with the rapid changes in technology is almost impossible. 1.3 IMPACTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Political Regulations governing PwCs activities differ from country to country and these are updated from time to time. These include employment laws, tax policies and competition laws. As an international organisation, this affects the firms operations because PwC has to ensure that all its operations including strategies and values are in line with the laws in the several countries it operates in. For examples, in most countries, the law requires that accounting firms to be locally owned and independent. This has affected how PwC is structured. Economic The global recession cuts across the several countries PwC operates in; this has generally affected the firms operations and flow of income. The industry, professional services, is a highly competitive one with other members of the Big Four (top four countries offering professional services) striving to be the market leader and several other firms seeking growth in the same industry. Also, the rise in unemployment as a result of the global recession has made it difficult to obtain employees with the necessary skills and experience required in the firm. Lastly, the increase in free trade among nations of the world makes it possible for PwC to continue to expand and increase in several foreign countries. Socio-Cultural There are several ethics that govern how people and organisations operate. These ethics differ from country to country. PwC believes in excellence and integrity. This could be difficult to uphold because in certain countries. For example, bribery has become generally accepted in some African countries even though they know it is wrong. PwC employees could get involved in this, which would affect their ability to judge fairly, be excellent and uphold integrity. Technological Some countries are not as technologically advanced as others. This can slow down PwCs operations in some of these countries. For example, internet connection is not as stable and fast in Nigeria as it is in the UK. Fluctuations and temporary breakdown of internet service can have adverse effects on the companys activities. A team in Nigeria might not be able to meet up the deadline of making a certain presentation, if there is no internet service needed to carry out research and development on that topic. 2 IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON ORGANISATIONS 2.1 EXTENT OF GLOBALISATION The Industrial Revolution led to the globalisation of today. It started in UK and spread to other parts of the world. Changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation and technology had great effects on the world economy. Globalisation began to grow as a result of the increase in world trade in the 1940s. When it became evident that the Great Depression in the early 1930s was due to the restrictions and barriers to free trade in the world, countries began to lift and/or reduce restrictions to trade. This led to the development of several trade agreements among countries. Furthermore, the continuous advancement in technology has also led to the constant increase in globalisation. PwC is one of the many firms that has benefitted from the increase in globalisation. It has a network of firms that spread across 771 cities in 158 countries. Free trade between UK and these other countries has made it possible for PwC to move its resources (especially capital and manpower) to these countries, blend in with diverse cultures and set up a network of firms that has made PwC become the global market leader in professional services. 2.2 EFFECTS OF GLOBALISATION The benefits and opportunities that globalisation brings to organisations especially PwC are: Larger markets: Globalisation has made it possible for PwC to expand not only within UK but to other countries as well, enabling the organisation to emerge as the worlds market leader in its industry. Foreign investments: Globalisation provides an avenue for PwC to increase its investments by investing internationally, which also leads to increase in returns. Increase in profits: Access to larger markets and increase in investments has lead and will continue to lead to increase in returns, revenue and profits for PwC. Movement of labour: Globalisation allows for free movement of human resources among countries. This provides an opportunity for PwC to hire professionals from one country to work in another country. Thereby enabling firms to have access to skilled workers regardless of where they are located. Exchange in culture: The world is full of diverse cultures. An international firm like PwC has access to inputs from people of different cultures, beliefs, customs and backgrounds. This enables the firm to learn more and be versatile. Competitive advantage: Operating in the international market gives PwC an advantage over other similar companies operating locally. Larger markets, increased investment, increase Employment opportunities: Globalisation enables PwC to provide employment opportunities in several countries especially the underdeveloped and developing countries it operates in. This is a great way to be socially responsible and impact the communities. Globalisation also has a number of challenges that affect organisations. Some have been explained in 1.2 and 1.3, others include: Less developed countries: Operating in countries that are underdeveloped or developing can be difficult sometimes. This is because they might not always have the resources available to make the business as productive as it should be. Exposure to the international market: Globalisation means the firm would be exposed not only to local forces but international ones as well. The firm has to deal with competitors, markets, trends, political, economical, socio-cultural, environmental and legal issues at the international level. Cultural differences: Operating internationally exposes the firm to diverse cultures. To be effective in these countries, PwC would have to adapt to their cultures, rather than impose its own, yet without losing its unique touch. This is quite tasking. Criticisms: Critics have pointed out negative effects of globalisation; PwC has to avoid being part of the problem. Criticisms include: loss of culture to stronger ones, exploitation of less developed countries and increase in unemployment in developed countries. 2.3 STRUCTURES OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS Organisational structure consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organisational aims (Pugh, 1990). It could be functional, divisional or matrix depending on the type that best suits a companys operations. An organisation that operates internationally must carefully select a structure that would accommodate its operations both at home and abroad. Structures of some international organisations include: Walmart Stores: Walmart is a multinational retailer corporation headquartered in the US. It has a divisional structure with three main divisions; Walmart Stores (U.S.) Sams Club (U.S.) and International stores (Hitt, 2008). This structure helps Walmart to focus better on each division. Narrowing the focus really allows the company to perform more effectively because they are allowed to pinpoint specific areas needing change and adjust appropriately (George and Jones, 2005). Starbucks: It is a coffee company headquartered in the US. It has a matrix structure combining divisional and functional structures. Divisions are based on the regions the company operates in; China and Asia Pacific, Americas and EMEA (Europe, U.K., Middle East, Russia and Africa) (Starbucks, 2011). The functions are designed to consolidate functional activities into teams that have a shared vision and goals to support the business (Shultz, 2008). An advantage of having this kind of organisational structure is maximized communication channels (George and Jones, 2005). Unilever: It is a British-Dutch multinational consumer goods company. It has a matrix structure, divided based on product segments (2), functions and the regions it operates in. Unilever developed and implemented this organisational structure for their company to improve communication and to take advantage of resources that are available to them (Hitt, 2008). PwC: PwC runs as a network of firms rather than a multinational company due to laws in different countries requiring accounting firms are to be locally owned and independent. Each firm runs its own structure but all report to PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (PwCIL) that coordinates the activities of all partner firms. 2.4 INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS OF PWC Networking: All PwC firms operate as a separate legal entity; thereby allowing them to operate independently. Although not to be referred to as a multinational company, its operations are not different from multinationals except that, PwC firms have autonomy to operate and do not send money to the Global Headquarters. Support from other members: All firms in the network count on each other when they lack necessary information or expertise for a project. Internet: Free access to information to all members via PwCs global portal network; employees in different countries can relate with and gain from each other. Same methodology: PwC firms all over the globe have the same approach to work from pre-project planning to post-project assessment. Charges: Whenever someone from a firm helps another firm in a different country, the person is per hour spent. Quality Assurance: To ensure that member firms are committed to quality and strictly abide by standards /policies, PwCIL quality assurance team constantly conducts a PwC-wide quality control check. CONCLUSION Globalisation is here to stay. As the world continues to encourage free trade, organisations will continue to expand internationally. Therefore, in order to thrive in the international market, organisations have to make the most of the international business environment. Environmental analysis enables the organisation to understand its strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats to the company. This enables the firm to understand the impact the international environment has on its operations and adjust accordingly. Criticisms to globalisation should not prevent free trade, but educate organisations on the better ways to operate internationally. Important to note is the organisational structures of a number of multinationals: matrix and divisional structures. TASK 2 CLASS PRESENTATION INTRODUCTION Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a process with the aim to embrace responsibility for the companys actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders (Wood, 1991). IMPORTANCE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY According to Von Tunzelmann (1996), corporate social responsibility is important in business because: It is a way of motivating and building pride in employees and managers. It contributes to the development of a healthier community (e.g. through a better qualified workforce or a reduction in the level of crime), thus creating a more favourable business environment. It assists in identifying new markets and anticipating societal and consumer preferences. It allows differentiation from competitors. It leads to an enhanced reputation helping the company to be well-liked in the community. It encourages a climate of trust and goodwill, facilitative of business. It helps in overcoming problems associated with the implementation of operational plans. It helps in maintaining public confidence in the legitimacy of business operations. It minimises the prospects of future regulation. MORAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES Ethics refer to the moral principles that guide or influence peoples actions and behaviours. The most important resources in any organisation are the people in it; therefore, it is necessary pay attention to the principles that guide peoples conducts. Organisations that operate internationally are faced with several moral and ethical issues, described by Mehalu (2011): Utilitarianism in this view you approach an ethical problem using the question, Which course of action will do the most good and the least harm? This view is based on the ideas of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill (18th and 19th Century). Actions are considered good or bad depending on the extent to which they make the greatest number of people happy. So suffering of a few is okay as long as it maximises the overall good. Rights view in this view you ask the question, Which alternative best serves others rights? This view is based on the ideas of Thomas Jeffersons Declaration of Independence (USA) and John Locke and Immanuel Kant. Actions here are judged according to whether peoples rights have been served and may be seen in terms of keeping within the Law. (E.g. shareholders rights are written in Law). Theory of justice view in this view you ask the question, What plan can I live with which is consistent with the basic values and commitments of the community in which I live? This view is based on the ideas of John Rawls and Alasdair MacIntyre (late 20th century). Actions are judged according to the enforcement of widely-held views of justice and virtue. (E.g. protecting the needy; looking after the community). Integrative social contracts theory in this view you would ask the question, What course of action is possible in the world as it is now? This view is based on the ideas of Machiavelli in which actions are judged according to pragmatic consideration and practicalities. Decisions are made according to the current situation and with reference to what ought to be done. So you would be both pragmatic and idealistic as the need arose. CORPORATE STRATEGY AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES Although corporate social responsibility is important and beneficial to organisations, sometimes there are conflicts between corporate strategy and ethic and social responsibilities: Profit Sharing: The aim of most organisations is to maximise profit; shareholders want maximum returns on their investment. But focusing on moral and ethical activities can reduce the extent to which profits can be maximised. This can create a conflict when deciding how to draw a line between profit sharing and contributing towards CSR. Corruption: Sometimes, managers or employees are faced with unethical issues that could help in achieving corporate strategy. For example, falsifying or hiding sensitive parts of a financial report to make company records look good. Or giving bribes to get vital information about competitors. Being morally or ethical may seem to have negative impact on a firm in the short-run, but in the long-run, it is still the best option. Competition: PwC is the market leader in the professional services industry; the company strives to maintain that position for as long as forever. The industry has a very high level of rivalry; therefore, in order to maintain that position, PwC has to constantly be ahead of the competition. In implementing this strategy, PwC has to ensure that ethical, moral and legal steps are taken. This is not always easy because it yields slower results. For example, PwC could decide to directly or indirectly bad-mouth other firms to their clients so as to win them over. Or release private information regarding its clients to prospective ones in order to win them over. Recruitment: Finding a balance between the organisations commitment to improving the society by reducing unemployment and achieving corporate strategy by employing high quality staff is not always easy. PwCs has a rigorous recruitment process which does not leave room for private interest as everything is done right. But it also seeks to improve the society by hiring and training. LEGISLATION AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is guided by a number of laws, regulations, standards and principles: The Global Compact: The Ten Principles: CSR in PwC is based on a set of principles listed by USB (2012): Human Rights Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights within their sphere of influence; and Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. Labour Standards Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour; Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and Principle 6: eliminate discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Environment Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies Anti-Corruption Principle 10: Businesses should work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery. CSR in PwC is also governed by a number of national and international norms and standards. Four pre-dominant ones explained by Stanislavska et al (2010) are: SA 8000 SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Social Responsibility: It is a certification norm which sets requirements in the area of child labour, forced labour, BOZP, discrimination, work hours, right to congregation and evaluation. It was created by Social Accountability International (SAI), a non beneficial non-governmental organisation in the US. The SA8000 specifies the requirements for corporate social responsibility in 9 areas: Child Labour, Forced and Compulsory Labour, Health and Safety, Freedom of Association Right to Collective Bargaining, Discrimination, Disciplinary Practices, Working Hours, Remuneration and Management Systems (SA 8000, 2012). AA 1000 ASSURANCE STANDARD: AccountAbilitys AA1000 series are principles based standards to help organisations become more accountable, responsible and sustainable. They address issues affecting governance, business models and organisational strategy, as well as providing operational guidance on sustainability assurance and stakeholder engagement (AA1000, 2008). It also includes: constructing socially responsible strategies; methods of communication with involved parties; ethical audit; choice of indicators and CSR reporting etc. ISO 26000: International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) is an independent organisation concerned with the creation of international standards for industry. ISO standards are voluntary mechanisms managed by market and as such they can be realized by private economic organisations. ISO 26000 aims to assist organisations and their network in addressing their social responsibilities and providing practical guidance related to SR, identifying and engaging with stakeholders and enhancing credibility of reports and claims made about SR. Furthermore, the standard aims to: emphasize performance results and improvements; increase customer satisfaction and confidence; promote common terminology in the SR field; be consistent, and not in conflict, with existing documents; treaties, conventions and other ISO standards (Castka and Balzarova, 2008). Some PwC firms have been accredited with a number of other ISOs including ISO 14001 environmental management systems and ISO 27001 information security management system. OECD GUIDELINES FOR MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES: The Guidelines are recommendations addressed by governments to multinational enterprises. They provide voluntary principles and standards for responsible business conduct consistent with applicable laws. The Guidelines aim to ensure that the operations of these enterprises are in harmony with government policies, to strengthen the basis of mutual confidence between enterprises and the societies in which they operate, to help improve the foreign investment climate and to enhance the contribution to sustainable development made by multinational enterprises (OECD, 2011). Code of Conduct (PwC, 2011): PwC also has a code of conduct based on its core values (excellence, teamwork and leadership) that govern corporate social responsibilities in all its firms around the world. It covers topics such as behaving professionally, respecting others and corporate citizenship. It also includes a summary of ethical questions that should guide employees: Is it against PwC or professional standards? Does it feel right? Is it legal? Will it reflect negatively on you or PwC? Who else could be affected by this (others in PwC, clients, you, etc.)? Would you be embarrassed if others knew you took this course of action? Is there an alternative action that does not pose an ethical conflict? How would it look in the newspapers? What would a reasonable person think? Can you sleep at night? CONCLUSION No firm operating either locally or internationally should ignore the importance of corporate social responsibility. Although sometimes it may seem to be in conflict with corporate strategy, in the long run, it is of great benefit to any firm. Proper attention should be paid to the laws and regulations that govern CSR. There are many of them; as much as possible, organisations should seek to abide by all of them. Also, companies can develop their own code of conduct based on these laws and its mission, vision and values. This would make it much easier to abide by.

My Five Year Plan After Graduation Essay -- Personal Goals

My Five Year Plan After Graduation Five years after graduation I plan to obtain a master's degree in law enforcement. Right now I'am really not sure what I really want to truly do for the rest of my life. The only thing I like doing is finding clues and figuring out the criminal in mystery books. I know that sense I like doing that, it leads me to desiring a position as a detective or something dealing with the FBI. Im thinking that its most likely that I will go to a university. If I do, I will go to the University of Phoenix. I’m attending the University of Phoenix for a few reasons but I’m ultimately going to the university to become a detective. I want to be successful and rich so I can have all the good things in life. I want to be able to have a family without financial stress and worries. My entire life my mom has and still is working two or three jobs just to make ends meet. That’s not where I want to be with my future. I want a sense of comfort that no matter what happens I’ll have the money to take care of it. I don’t exactly need a luxurious lifestyle, but I’d like to partake in a life of nicer cars, extravagant home, and cash in the bank. So after all I guess I would like to have a few dollars. It’s often hard to grow up without a substantial amount of money in the family. I’m going to make sure that my husband (who will be work ing just like me), and kids don’t have to go through all of that. On a more selfish side of the scale, I want to get out of that whole situation as well. I’d like to drive expensive cars and wear the clothes, and most of all, I always want to have money in my pocket. Like everyone else, I just want the good life. In addition to all of that, a master's degree or any kind of degree looks good on any application. So many more doors are opened to you if you have a degree instead of just a high school diploma. With the popularity of college lately, there is so much more competition in the workforce. With a degree you would not only have that on your applications, but you’d have the knowledge that you would need to attain the right job. A university or college is my chance to make something of myself, no one in my immediate family has graduated from college yet so I’d like for them to be proud of me for that achievement. I used to think I was going to be a professional basketball player but I’m too slow and not t... ...ell I plan to receive an academic scholarship, get students loans, and borrow money from a relative. I can aquire an academic scholarship by getting into the top five percent of William B. Travis Highschool of class 2007. I can get student loans by applying to the College Funding Services. I will get my money fast and make no payments until after graduation. Plus I have a grandpa that says he can pay for some of my college money. College is going to start my own life on a foot that is ready to leap because my career is going to take off right out of the gate. All-in-all I’m going to college for three main reasons. My immediate family is a reason because I want them to be proud of me for doing something right for once. My future family is also one because it’s a big part of my life that I want to be happy and always feel comfortable. Finally for my personal financial well-being, so I can be able to treat myself to all the luxuries I want for myself. Going back to line one, all of these things are a part of my future. Isn’t that what college is for after all, to prepare people for their own futures and what they bring? A university is not my future, it’s only the beginning of it.