The Great Wall of China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Great Wall of China - Research Paper Example It stretches to the north from the east and ends at the center of northern part of China. What is not true about the Wall is the myth that it can be seen from Space. This was confirmed by a Chinese astronaut when he went on his maiden voyage. People, however, have witnessed the wall from the airplane. Myths arise from questioning the history of the Wall. Were men buried in the Great Wall? Were human bones used to build its foundations?2 Such questions give rise to legends that may be excellent bed-time stories but not bona fide statements. The wall still holds a rich history and there are many historical, political and religious aspects connected to its construction. The Great Wall of China was constructed under military command. Many men had to take part in the construction unwillingly. The Ming Dynasty stationed one million soldiers in nine garrisons along the wall; also several prisoners were instructed to do tough labor at the wall building. This is proof of the fact that the Wal l is full of versatile artifacts, which represent people from all over China. The Wall is said to be constructed in five ways namely, â€Å"rammed earth, adobe, stone, brick and cliff†.3 The work on the Wall was originally started in the 770 BC during the period of spring and autumn under a feudal system of Zhou Dynasty. Over a period of many decades different independent states built their own wall for defense purposes. During the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), the Wall became known as the 10,000-Li-Long-Wall starting from the Gansu Province and extending to the Liaoning Province. With the coming of each Dynasty, there was an addition to the wall, and by the time China was ruled by Ming Dynasty, the Wall near Beijing began to be built between 1368 AD and 1644 AD. There are two monuments which stand famously on each end of the Wall; the First Door under Heaven at Shanhaiguan on the east and the Last Door under Heaven at Jiauguan. The maintenance of the Wall construction lasted til l the Qing Dynasty, which kept it intact till the early twentieth century. China sought defense from the outside invasion, but this purpose was least fulfilled with the passage of time. In the modern Western context, The Great Wall is merely utilized for the purpose of tourism. It is now considered to be one of the greatest heritages of the world.4 The Great Wall of China suffered a major destruction phase. The main causes of the downfall were the natural forces of â€Å"sun, wind and rain† the severity of which led to the ruin of the older sections of the wall made up of rammed earth. Ironically, the Wall was mainly damaged by people themselves. Most sections of the Great Wall were brought down in order to modernize the place by building motorways and railways, besides using the area for dams and pipelines for gas and oil. During the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards literally dismantled several hundreds of kilometers of the wall. Ever since more than fifty years, the Great Wa ll has been opened to the entire world as a touring spot. This has also caused much damage because tourism is not well organized and is often managed at a cheap cost. People use the pathways for the purpose of hiking, and this has caused soil erosion through irreversible track.5 China is said to have been united under the Qin Dynasty for the very first time in the history. It was the first emperor of the Dynasty, Qin Shihuang, who removed

Criminal Profiling Essay Example for Free

Criminal Profiling Essay Criminal profiling involves analyzing the scene of a crime and then use the information gathered from the analysis to determine correctly the identity of a perpetrator. This method of identifying perpetrators is very useful though it does not assist an investigator in getting the name of the perpetrator it helps narrow down and thus makes it easier to identify a criminal. (Dennis, 2006) Some of the pertinent issues that criminal profiling helps in bringing out include but not limited to the sex of the perpetrator, the background of a person in terms of ethnic community, age and personality. This profile is then used to single out a criminal among several people who appear to match with some of the features identified in the profile. One may wonder just how does criminal profiling work? Normally experts examine the manner in which a particular crime is committed. This is commonly referred to as the method of operations. Usually the experts will take the identity of the victims and then examine what the suspected criminals have in common especially in terms of the likely weapon that was used to commit the particular crime in question. The other issue that the experts look at is the brutality or hostility that was used during the commission of the crime in question by the perpetrator. Existence of torture or any form of hostility is yet another trait that experts look for when using the criminal profiling method. One student in an American University during a lecture asked her professor why he believed that the criminal profiling method actually works in identifying a perpetrator in a criminal act. The professor gave a precise answer and stated that thorough research has been carried out over the years and there have been conducted some interviews even with convicts who have helped prove the workability of this method. There are two main ways that are used to come up a criminal profile. One of the methods is one that is commonly used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation known as criminal scene analysis. This method involves a number of steps which include profiling inputs. This basically involves gathering evidence in terms of anything that was found in the scene of the crime. The second step usually is to put the evidence together and try to see if there is any common aspect in the crimes committed by the suspects. Crime assessment and investigation follows and it is after that some apprehensions can be made based on the investigations. The second method is the behavioral evidence analysis. This method was developed by Brent Turvey who argued that when a crime is being investigated there are a lot of discrepancies that rise from all the gatherings that are made by the investigative team. The first step is forensic analysis which involves analyzing physical evidenced gathered which may involve taking photographs and videos of the crime scene and having interviews with some of the victims of the crime who may be alive. Victimology is the nest step and involves creating a profile for a victim which in turn helps identify the criminal responsible. The third step is examining keenly the features and characteristics of the scene of crime as this is said to give a leading clue on who the suspect could be. The last step is combining the first three steps discussed and it is this combination that helps the investigators come up with a criminal profile. According to Turvey a crime ought to be analyzed in four main steps to ensure that the information gathered by the investigative team does not bear any discrepancies. Criminal profiling has in several instances been criticized as a source that lacks credibility on the basis that it is based on speculations. However experts state that according to research that has been conducted for several years now, criminal profiling has a considerably high level of credibility. Profiling involves a number of phases. The initial phase in every criminal profiling is known as antecedent which involves attempting to figure out the plan or the fantasy that the perpetrator of a crime had prior to the commitment of the crime. Basically this phase of criminal profiling involves an attempt to unearth the motive behind the commission of a crime by the perpetrator. The second phase is known as method and manner and involves examining the target group that the perpetrator was aiming at in the crime committed and more so the manner in which or better still the method used to commit the crime in question. Brent, 2002) The third phase in criminal profiling is known as body disposal and is common in murder cases. This is where experts attempt to examine where the scene of crime is the same with the place where the body was dumped or whether the crime was committed at a particular place and then the body dumped in yet another place thus introducing the concept of multiple. (Davis, 2007) Post offense behavior is the final or the last phase in criminal profiling and it is quite tricky. Post offense behavior involves investigating behavior of criminals especially after commission of crimes. Normally some criminals try to hide their identity by pretending to be part of the investigating team. Experts must therefore use their expert knowledge to single out criminals who pretend to be assisting in the investigation process yet they are the suspects. Having examined in great depths what criminal profiling is all about, it may be of paramount importance to address the issue of whether criminal profiling has managed to shape up chance. Basically by making this analysis we are able to know whether criminal; profiling does any play any vital role in helping to identify criminals in a given crime in question. In simpler terms using criminal profiling as a method of identifying criminals what are the chances of identifying the suspect responsible in the criminal act at hand. In the beginning of the twentieth century, criminal law took a new twist with criminal profiling slowly shaping chance. Majorly what changed during the twentieth century was the inference in terms of probability. During this century actuarial methods changed. One thing to note that it is not the risk analysis and actuarial thinking that actually changed but the inferences in terms of probability. The actuarial methods got more refined so that using the criminal profiling method one can be sure that the identity of a particular perpetrator is correct. In conclusion therefore it is correct to state that over the year and more so after the twentieth century, criminal profiling is slowly gaining acceptance as reliable method of correctly identifying perpetrators of crimes. This is because it has been studied and proved that it shapes chance so that the probability of a person to be the suspect of a crime in question having been pointed out by the criminal profiling method is very high.

Olympus Strategic Management Research Commerce Essay

Olympus Strategic Management Research Commerce Essay Olympus Corporation is a Japan-based manufacturer of reprography and optics products, founded on 12 October 1919 by Takeshi Yamashita with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company is engaged in the manufacture and sale of precision machineries and instruments for the imaging, medical, life sciences, information and communication and other markets. The companys imaging system business, though Olympus Imaging Corp., markets compact and lightweight digital cameras, optical lenses and voice recorders. The medical systems business, though Olympus Medical Systems Corp., offers medical endoscopes, surgical endoscopes, endotherapy products, ultrasound endoscopes and surgical treatment devices. The life science segments products include molecular imaging systems, such as chemistry analyzers, immunoassay systems and blood analyzers, diagnostic systems and biological and industrial microscopes. Olympus also operates several research facilities, such as the Olympus Bio Imaging Laboratory and the RIKEN BSI-Olympus Collaboration Centre, connected to the operations of their segment. The companys information and communication offerings, through ITX Corp., include investment and business incubation, IT services and equipment sales, such as the sale of mobile terminals. The company operates across six continents and more than 50 countries throu gh 219 subsidiaries and 19 affiliated companies. Altogether, Olympus is comprised of four business segments: Imaging Systems, Life Sciences and Industrial Systems, Medical Systems and Information and Communication. Olympus President and Representative Director is Hiroyuki Sasa, who took this office in April, 2012. PESTEL Analysis Political factors. The political environment is considered as one of the most influential factors that affect the operations of a business. Since all political forces are a part of the macro-environment and are associated with the situation of government, this directly influences the possibility of maintaining a business in a particular economy. Better government would always strive to create the most favorable conditions for a business, developing good policies and making business thrive. Governments also choose the way of taxation and can influence export and import abilities of a particular country (e.g. artificial limitation of an amount of particular good that can be imported in the country, changing taxation for local and foreign producers, stimulating export or import, special license conditions etc.). In our particular case, the most important thing of a political environment Olympus operates in is fiscal policies of the governments of the countries Olympuss stores and its distribution chain are situated in. Pursuing their objectives, governments can levy taxes that make conducting a business unprofitable in this political system, or, for example, cancel taxation of some firms at all to improve the situation of a company on the market. Overall political situation in particular countries also affects Olympus business. Since some countries have unstable political situation (e. g. Somali, Iraq, many African countries), Olympus is reluctant to maintain their business there because of unpredictable business conditions and unreliability of partnerships with local retailers. Economic factors. Economic environment of an organization are all economic factors that effect on the working of a business. This point includes distribution of income and wealth in the economy, trade cycles, economic policies and nature of an economy. Scientists distinguish five main components of a firms economic environment. They are: economic conditions, economic system, economic policies, international economic environment and economic legislations. Since Olympuss initial purpose is bringing profits to stockholders, all these factors should be carefully considered while acting in a particular economy in order to bring the highest profits possible. Size of market, demand and supply trends, inflation rate in the economy, national income, per capita income, efficiency of public and private sectors and many other factors influence Olympus performance in a particular economy and directly influence its profitability. Moreover, since an economic system of a country determines rules, goals and incentives that controls economic relations among people in a society, this factor influences Olympus desire or even ability to perform in a particular economy. Separated word should be said about global economic downturn as a result of the global financial crisis of 2008. The worst economic debacle the humankind has faced since the Great Depression left millions of people without jobs and trillions of dollars in market value evaporated. The global consumption and demand felt dramatically, including the demand for reprography and optics products Olympus manufactures. Although Asian countries did not experience such a striking shock as Europe and Northern America did, overseas sales account for approximately 80% of Olympus sales. Interest rates became higher in practically all countries, somehow influenced by the crisis. National income growth in majority of countries slowed down. Hence, the downturn of the global economy is one of the most prominent economic factors which influence Olympus operations. Furthermore, current economic problems in Europe, which accounts for 26% of Olympus sales, also adversely influence the company scrutinized. Social factors. One of the most important social factors, which influence operations of Olympus is ageing of population in its target markets and constantly growing of health consciousness of those individuals. Since Medical Systems Life Sciences are the largest business segments of Olympus Corporation, these trends can positively influence Olympus because of the demand growth expectations and need for improvement of patient quality of life. However, population growth rates in these countries are not that positive and for the last decade we have observed shrinkage of population in developed countries and constant growth of population in developing countries as India, China and many countries of the Muslim world. Therefore, in the nearest future the trend will reverse and exactly those growing countries will became major importers of hi-tech products as Olympus manufactures. Thus, Olympus should be ready to such changes and pay attention to the development of its distribution chain i n all prospective markets. Technological factors. Any changes in technology have a major impact on the business. New technologies change the business prospects and profits, work culture and methods of production that are used in the industry. Technological changes force management to change the course of how the business is maintained in order to boost the productivity and profitability of the production process. Talking about the industry of hi-tech medical, imaging and information communication products Olympus operates in and technological environment there, it can be said that this industry is probably one of the most technologically-advanced industries of contemporary world. Because of the nature pace of the human progress and constantly growing demand for better medical apparatuses and other hi-tech products Olympus produces, technological changes and breakthroughs in this industry happen extremely often. Technology incentives of many companies are striking, constantly increasing the rate of technological change. All these factors determine the technological environment for Olympus, simultaneously affecting its minimum efficient production level, level of financing its research facilities, cost and quality of products manufactured and ultimately strive for innovation, which will determine the share of the company on the market in the nearest future. Environmental factors. Environmental factors are those factors of any companys external environment, which include weather and climate concerns, directly influencing operations of a business. Environmental factors are not of the highest importance for Olympus Corporation and do not shape its or its competitors products or production chain as they do, for example, for agriculture companies. However, constantly growing concern of the environmental sustainability, greenhouse effect and nature protection define certain environmental standards Olympus should comply with. Legal environment. As any business, Olympus operates within a strict framework of law which influences different aspects of the company. Governmental laws regulate the status of the organization, its relationship with customers and suppliers and certain internal procedures and activities, influencing the behavior of Olympus on the market and specific market conditions. Consumer laws, discrimination laws, employment laws, antitrust laws and health and safety laws of different countries affect how Olympus operates on local markets and also determines cost and demand for its products. Porters Diamond Model The Diamond model of Michael Porter was contrived to evaluate and assess competitive advantages of a firm in national and global competition. Let us construct Porters Diamond model for Olympus Corporation. 400px-The_Porter_Diamond Graph 1. The Porter diamond Source: Factor conditions Skilled workforce High intellectual potential and strive towards innovations New innovations and new methods of corporate governance Developed technological base and infrastructure Demand conditions Sophisticated local and overseas market High pressure and demand for innovations Related and supporting industries Local and international competition creates innovations and cost-effectiveness Participation of suppliers in upgrading process High incentives for innovations in whole production chain Firm strategy, structure and rivalry New corporate governance strategy Focus on core business domains New corporate management policies: Back to Basics, One Olympus, and Profitable Growth Four new basic strategies: Rebuilding of business portfolio/Optimal allocation of management resources, Restructuring of governance, Review of cost structures and Restoration of financial health Fierce domestic competition, which stimulates innovations High standards of corporate culture Government Significant efforts paid to the development of infrastructure and attraction of new businesses Educational incentives and creation of skilled labor Encouragement of BPO/KPO (business process outsourcing and knowledge process outsourcing) Chance Changes in global economic trends All factors, which create discontinuities and are outside of a control of a firm Market Analysis and Industry Life Cycle Nowadays the industry of reprography and optics products Olympus operates in is the subject for constant growth and development. The Medical Business, which is the main business segment of Olympus, has experienced steady growth over the years and is expected to grow even further in view of the social environment. At a time of fast aging of population in the developed countries, early detection and diagnosis of treatment have become urgent priorities for patients, physicians and societies overall. Minimally invasive treatment methods as endoscopic surgery are expected to play a key role in satisfying these requirements. The surgical devices field annual sales are expected to grow 14% annually, creating major business opportunities for Olympus because it is the only company in the world, which possesses the technologies for manufacturing of apparatus that meet the full range of needs from early detection of illnesses to minimally invasive treatment. Therefore, we can conclude that Medi cal Business of Olympus operates in the growth stage of the industry life cycle. Regarding the Imaging Business of Olympus, it operates in the industry, which slowly proceeds from the growth into the mature stage of its life cycle. Although hundreds of innovations are still made in this field, the market in developed countries is close to be saturated. However, there is still an enormous market and place for development in developing countries. Furthermore, it should be recognized that Imaging Business is simultaneously a brand and imaging technology driver for Olympus. Thus, it is an inherent part of the companys marketing strategy and will be paid an utmost attention in the nearest future. Life Science Industrial business of Olympus is also in its growth stage. The driving factor for this is that the industries, where reprography and optics products have not been used before, begin to adapt innovations from this field to develop and increase the efficiency and productivity of their business. Hence, sales expansion by entering untapped industries is of the highest interest for Olympus, since this market is undeveloped yet, contains a lot of opportunities, place for innovations and growth. Porters Five Forces Framework Porters five forces framework is a tool for industry and company analysis, aimed to derive those five forces, which determine the intensity of competition and therefore attractiveness of a particular market and overall industry profitability. Three of the aforementioned five forces concern competition threats from external sources. The remaining two are related to the companys internal threats. Graph 2. Porters Five Forces Framework Source: Bargaining power of suppliers. The concentration of suppliers of Olympuss three key business segments is comparatively high. The number of suppliers and availability of substitute inputs differs from the product or inventory supplied. Availability of lenses Olympus uses, for example, for its Medical Business segment is limited because of the complicated process of their production and various patents. Input of suppliers of hi-tech components is extremely important for companies in the industry Olympus operates in and an ability to substitute suppliers of such unique products is low. Hence, suppliers of technologically advanced inventory have a significant influence on the industry scrutinized and are able to drive up prices with little resistance from their buyers. Firms which produce less unique products, however, have dramatically less power. The number of suppliers in this category is big as well as the availability of substitutes. The competition among these suppliers is severe and therefore their ability to artificially deviate prices is low. Bargaining power of consumers. Bargaining power of Olympuss consumers, similarly to bargaining power of its suppliers, differs greatly from one business segment of a company to another. Imaging Business, for example, has a great number of customers. The size of each order, however, is low in comparison with other businesses of the firm. Buyers of this segment possess a credible backward integration threat, since they can choose to buy products of a rival firm as Canon or Nikon. Buyer power is also strong because switching costs are low, is usually well-educated about the product and lots of substitutes are available on the market. In case of Medical and Life Science Industrial businesses of Olympus, consumer bargaining power is different and is believed to be lower. To the great extent this is because of little number of substitutes available on the market and their lower technical characteristics. Threat of backward integration in these businesses is low and majority of buyers purchase products in low volume. Threat of new entrants. Threat of new entrants on the market of hi-tech products Olympus manufactures is low because of several factors. First, in order to enter this market, extremely high capital investments are required. Second, patents and rights of already established firms make it hardly possible for new entrants to produce products, similar to existing ones. Hence, prohibitive for new firms amount of financial and human resources should be put into research and development to introduce technologies and products unavailable yet on the market. Furthermore, in Olympus business lots of attention is paid to consumer loyalty and it may be very hard for new entrants to entice clientele of well-known already established brands. Threat of substitute products. Feasible threat of substitute products Olympus experiences in all its businesses other than the Medical. This can be observed because of consumers propensity to substitute and comparatively low switching costs. Number of substitute products, which can compete with the products of Olympuss Life Science Industrial and Imaging businesses is high. So is the ease of substitution. There is, however, less threat of substitute products from Medical business of Olympus because products in the Medical business have significantly longer lifecycles and development cycles. For example, Evis Exera III a core endoscopy system, which was introduced by Olympus in spring 2012 and has no substitutes on the market, had the development period of seven years. Since Olympus has a competitive edge in research and development, it is unlikely that products able to substitute Olympus Medical businesses apparatuses will emerge on the market in the nearest time. Competitive rivalry within an industry. Competition within Olympuss industry is fierce. All companies which compete for leadership in this industry have powerful competitive strategies and high levels of advertising expense. Each of the companies tries to achieve sustainable competitive advantage through implementing innovations and investments in research and development. Number of competitors is limited; however, their financial and human resources are huge. Costs of leaving market are high. Olympus Current Strategy Corporate Strategies. Basing on the corporate management policies and aiming to address pressing issues of the company, Olympuss management has set forth four basic corporate strategies. First, three business domains have been chosen as those, in which the company should invest first and foremost. These are: the Medical Business, Life Science Industrial Business and Imaging Business. Medical Business should become a growth driver for the company, which will later transform into a medical-field oriented firm. Second, Olympus will revise its cost structures and aims for profitable growth. Third strategy is to improve the companys shaken financial position and performance. Last but not least corporate strategy of Olympus is to restructure the firms governance after the recent unprecedented turbulence of the Olympus scandal period. Business Strategies. Medical Business. Under the current medium-term vision of Olympus management, the Medical Business of the company should become a profit and growth driver for the firm. The strategy of Medical Business is to achieve further expansion of the business by capitalizing on the highly strategically advantageous position of being capable of simultaneously developing devices necessary for new minimally invasive treatments as well as new diagnostic methods closely related to those new treatments (Olympus Corporation, 2012). The company also plans to replace existing devices with new once and create a new market by applying highly innovative technologies unavailable to its competitors. Life Science Industrial Business. Life Science Industrial Business of Olympus are aimed at growth of the corporation. There are two business strategies for this segment. First strategy is product portfolio expansion. Basing on the customer industry categories and technologies and product categories, Olympus will strive to open up new customers and open up new business fields. Moreover, this strategy also involves focus on emerging and developing countries, where the market and consequently demand for Olympus products is growing. Second strategy is implementation of reform of the income and profit structure of the Life Science field, which will involve reduction of cost of goods sold and improvement of operating efficiency. Imaging Business. For today, two strategies have been devised to address the proclaimed objective of restructuring the Imaging Business. The first strategy is to concentrate on mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras and high-end compact cameras. The second strategy is to restructure the manufacturing process and carry out reform of the cost structure of devises. Functional Strategies. Functional strategies of Olympus include the following: rigorous cost reductions, profitability improvements, increased investment in technology development, restructuration of subsidiaries and production sites worldwide. Olympus Current Business Policies The new management of Olympus, who took their office on April 2012, have set out three major corporate management policies of the company: Back to Basics, One Olympus and Profitable Growth. Back to Basics. Back to Basic policy was devised to deal with the aftermath of recent Olympus scandals, the cause of which was the pursuit of income from investments in non-core business domains of the firm, namely equity. Thus, the Back to Basics policy was developed to bring Olympus back to its initial mission contribution to the development of society through new solutions and products. One Olympus. The idea behind One Olympus policy lies in uniting all Olympuss employees and staff worldwide under a common business strategy and encouraging teamwork and cooperation. Profitable Growth. This policy simply proclaims Olympus intention to grow while earning profits. Olympus Current Performance Performance Indices Results (FY ended March 2012) Net sales  ¥ 848.5 billion Operating income  ¥ 35.5 billion Ordinary income  ¥17.9 billion Net income  ¥49.0 billion EBITDA  ¥80.3 billion Operating margin 4% Ordinary income ratio 2% Net income ratio -6% Net sales ratio 9% Free cash flows  ¥4.8 billion Balance of interest-bearing debt  ¥642.4 billion Equity ratio 4.6% Operating margin 4.2% Return on invested capital (ROIC) 2.7% Table 1. Olympus current performance indices Source: Olympus Corporation. Annual Report 2012 Table 1. Olympus current performance indices Source: Olympus Corporation. Annual Report 2012 Research Question 2. Strategic Recommendations Basing on the analysis above, several strategic recommendations are reasonable for Olympus to overcome its temporary crisis period and achieve financial superiority and growth of stockholders value in long-term period. First, it is pertinent that Medical Business should become the main segment of Olympus production chain. Olympus possesses a competitive advantage over its closest rivals in this sector and holds the largest market share. Its medical devices contain the newest innovations and technologies available on the market and hardly any company can compete in this sector with Olympus. However, for the last several years the company has been deviating from this segment, investing in non-core business segments of the firm. This turned into the debacle for Olympus. Therefore, total reconstruction of the firms operations should be conducted with the aim to bring an emphasis on Medical Business of the firm, which should become profit and growth generator. Life Science Industrial Bus iness, in its turn, will become an accompanying business, specializing in expansion of the product portfolio in the industrial field and hence another source of growth. The task of the Imaging Business, as one of the three core business of the firm, should be development of new technologies and innovations and becoming a brand driver for the company. Research Question 3. Mr. Michael Woodford, a Hero or a Traitor? Recent Olympus scandal has been one of the biggest and longestrunning lost-hiding arrangements in global corporate history since accounting and corporate scandals including Enron, Parmalat, Peregrine Systems, Tyco International, Adelphia and WorldCom. One of the main Olympus insiders, involved in the scandal and who actually was the one who exposed doubtful acquisitions of Olympus dated several years earlier, was British-born top-executive Michael Woodford, former CEO of Olympus. This lead to missing of $6.25 in assets, overall downturn of the company and great concerns regarding corporate governance in Japan. Although some people would aver that Mr. Michael Woodford acted as a traitor, I assert that his actions were extremely ethical and complied with the highest standards of corporate governance and information disclosure. Hereinafter I will provide some cogent arguments to support my point of view. To start with, I would like to mention that ultimate aim of management of any company is growth of value for stockholders. In order to keep an eye on management actions, each publicly traded company has a board of directors, which defines strategy of the company, supervises management and ensures the protection of stockholders interests. Management, as an operational branch of corporate governance, is obliged to deliver truthful information regarding companys performance. From accounting and corporate scandals in the U.S. and Europe which involved Enron, Parmalat, Peregrine Systems, Tyco International and several other big companies we have learned how distortion and hiding of information may make the companies concerned collapse and shook local and international securities markets. In order to avoid such shocks in future, many countries have adopted various standards and laws which regulate corporate governance, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the US and UK Corporate Governance Code. Japan, however, has not adopted any similar documents and this is one of the major reasons why Olympus scandal emerged in 2011. According to internationally-accepted standards of corporate standards and information disclosure, the behaviour of the former Olympuss CEO Michael Woodford was the only acceptable in the situation he faced with. Obviously, local peculiarities of Japanese corporate governance should be taken into account, however, from my point of view, Woodford acted in according to international business ethics standards. Olympus is an international publicly-traded company and therefore should comply with internationally-accepted ways of doing business. Furthermore, Olympus is responsible to its stockholders, who are interested in transparency of the business. Hence, Woodfords behaviour was ethical in all senses and was aimed to bring transparency to the company and protect Olympus stakeholders. Since Woodford did what all members of Olympus board could not do, I think that he is a hero for the company and should be brought back. The behaviour of top management of Olympus, however, was not ethical and, as said by Lindsay Whipp and Jonathan Soble, the management by itself was rotten at the core (Yasu, 2011). A twodecade scheme to hide losses from investment was maintained by the companys top executives. The Olympus scandal tells us that despite accounting and corporate scandals of the last decade, the tensions still remain in some countries, which have not adapted strict standards and codes of corporate governance. Japan is not an exception. The conflict between management and stockholders will probably last forever, however compliance with such laws as Sarbanes-Oxley Act, for example, will bring transparency to the activities of publicly traded companies. Management will have less space for financial machinations and distortion of information. This, undoubtedly, will create a more reliable system of corporate governance and management. Hence, adoption of strict laws which contain enhanced standards for all public company boards, management and auditors should be conducted in all countries where this has not been done yet. If I were in the position to make a decision, I would definitely employ Woodford as a new CEO of Olympus because he has demonstrated himself as a responsible top-executive who has extremely high ethical standards. Although corporate culture in Japan is very peculiar, he managed to uncover one of the biggest and longestrunning lost-hiding arrangements in Japanese history. Despite this created great financial troubles for the company, loss of reputation and urgent need of restructuration, I believe that disclosure of this crime was essential for Olympuss further growth and development. Ultimately, to solve the issues of the Olympus scandal several vital steps should be undertaken. First, and this has already been done, new management structure should be introduced. Second, Olympus should be restructured and the foremost attention should be paid to the core businesses of the firm. Third, thorough re-branding of the company should be conducted to renew the reputation of the firm in the eyes of its suppliers and consumers.

There is no Universal Utopia Essays -- essays research papers

The idea of a utopia is one which has spanned many millennia. The first example of a utopia was the Garden of Eden, and since then mankind has endeavored to reach this perfect existence, a world without problems, where everyone can abide in peace. Just the word ‘Utopia’ summons up a whole assemblage of images, images which differ from person to person. This is why the concept of a utopia has been so tossed around, because no one can truly say what a utopia is. From Plato's republic in 380BC right up to the modern day, literally hundreds of books have been written, and movies made, all which give differing opinions on what is the perfect world. It is impossible for one person to try to comprehend what would be the perfect utopia in which every person would be happy, so we must consider that perhaps the utopias written about are not meant for the multitudes, but are only supposed to exist in the minds of those who create them. This means that what might be a utopia for one person, may be a dystopia for another, this is because the laws, policies religious beliefs and social issues within any given utopia, whilst they seem fair to the creator, may be completely intolerable to everyone else. Firstly though, we must actually consider what a utopia actually is. Thomas more describes his utopia as being an ordinary place, with normal lands and creatures. But his utopia was created by people, and the laws by which they live, which provide everything that people need to survive, as long as they abide by the laws which are plentiful and strict. This type of utopia is basically communist, where everyone is equal. In this utopian society, there is no money, this means that no one person can feel superior because of wealth, and no one ... ...nd thought about, and there is much conjecture about them, a utopia, regardless of what the dictionary says, cannot truly be defined. Its philosophy can be defined, that is, a perfect state, but no-one has been able to create a utopia that everyone regards as perfect, they have only been able to describe a place that they regard as perfect. That is the essence of utopias, they are not intended to ever actually exist, but are a criterion towards which people are supposed to aim, to grow, to change, to try and reach true perfection where everyone can exist in bliss, almost every society in history has had some idea of this heaven, the Vikings had nirvana, Christians have heaven and Buddhists have their pure spiritual state. Throughout history people have aimed towards this perfection and will continue to do so until either it is reached, or human life ceases to exist.

The Potential for Future Crop Loss Essay -- Agriculture Farming Enviro

The Potential for Future Crop Loss On the subject of potential crop loss there are several variables, which influence drought and plant disease resulting in a loss of crops. The first variable is that of drought. Drought is a result of shifting weather patterns, which changes the amount of precipitation an area receives. There are three major causes of drought, deficient and unfavorably distributed precipitation, excess heat and warm winds (Nemanishen, 1998, p.35). Historically the grasslands of North America have had a highly varied climate with years of drought immediately followed by years of sufficient precipitation. For example, in the area of the Palliser Triangle in the grasslands of Canada, wheat crop loss has been seen numerous times in history varying in severity depending on the weather patterns of the season. In drought years the wheat yield is particularly sensitive to low antecedent moisture reserves, below average rainfall in the crop growing season, and summer heat waves with hot, dry winds (Nemanishen, 1998, p.24). In consecutive drought years the precipitation deficit accumulates resulting in soil moisture depletion in the root systems (Nemanishen, 1998, p.26). The loss of soil moisture also leads to a lack of ground water recharge resulting in declines of runoff and stream flow making the crops particularly susceptible to wind erosion. Major droughts have reduced annual grassland rainfall fifteen to twenty-five percent and July and August average rainfall twenty-five to fifty percent. As a result of drought wheat crop production dropped twenty –five percent in North America (Borchert, 1971, pp10-11). In order to avoid crop loss it is important for scientists and farmers to identify weather patterns ... ...ast, it’s happening right now and it will happen in the future. Works Cited Borchert, J. R. (1971). The dust bowl in the 1970s. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 61(1), 1-22. Boyce, N. (2001). Revisiting Ireland's great famine. U.S. News and World Report, 130(24), 44. Daly, D.C. (1996). The leaf that launched a thousand ships. Natural History, 105(1), 24-32. Hertstein, U., Grunhage, L., & Jager, H. J. (1995). Assessment of past, present, and future impacts of ozone and carbon-dioxide on crop yields. Atmospheric Environment, 29 (16), 2031-2039 Lowdermilk, W. C. (1999). Conquest of the land through 7,000 years. Agriculture Information Bulletin, (99), 1-24. Nemanishen, W. (1998) Drought in the Palliser Triangle. PFRA Drought Committee. 23-40.

The American Military Government in Germany during World

The World War II was a significant chapter in the history of Germany. It was a global military conflict that took place between 1939 and 1945. It brought considerable changes in the geographical, social and economic aspects of the country. Germany's main allies in the war were Japan and Italy, while the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union were on the opposite side. The World War II had a devastating impact on Japan, one of Germany's main allies. The outcome of the war resulted in the division of Germany into four military occupation zones.â€Å"France was given the charge of southwest, while the British forces controlled the northeast. The Soviet forces assumed the control of the east and a US military government was established in the south† . The main objective of the allied forces was to end the Nazism in Germany and put the country on the way to democracy. Although four military occupation zones were created after the end of World War II, the US military government in Germany had begun its work in 1994. Background of the US Military Government in Germany The plan to establish a military government in Germany began much earlier.â€Å"Following the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the officials of the Department of State in the United States, began their assessment on the post-war initiatives. They believed that the United States would have a decisive influence on the peace settlement and post-war construction activities† . It was very clear from the beginning that the US Army had to face difficult tasks of governing war-ravaged Germany. The leaders and troops of the United States were called upon to deal with a series of challenges in political, social, economical and financial affairs besides maintaining law and order in the country.â€Å"The State Department set up its first research unit for the preparation of post-war foreign policy. The unit was known as the Division of Special Research. Economist Leo Pasvolsky led the research u nit† . When the United States entered the war in 1941, the unit began developing a comprehensive planning and policy development strategy. The strategy addressed the key problems to be experienced by the military government in Germany and Japan. Foundation of the Military GovernmentThe military government established in Germany during World War II performed elementary functions such as relieving the tactical troops of concerns and carrying out customary and legal obligations of a military occupation. It formulated a national policy in order to serve a range of political, social and economic purposes. The primary objective of the military government was to ensure stability in the war-torn Germany. It also had the aim of undertaking necessary measures for the benefit of people.â€Å"The occupation of Germany by the US military forces began on September 15, 1944, when a small town called Roetgen on the German-Belgian border was detached by Detachment D8B1† . D8B1 was a civ il affairs detachment. It was trained to work in liberated territories. â€Å"The military detachments finally entered Germany on September 28, 1944 with Detachment I4G2 taking control of Monschau near Roetgen. Aachen, the western province in Germany was captured within a few weeks and Detachment F1G2 was installed there† . F1G2 was designed to administer cities and territories around them.The military government detachments were organized in England and in the United States. The â€Å"E† detachments were the largest ones. â€Å"Each â€Å"E† detachment had twenty-six officers and thirty-five enlisted men. Those detachments were designed to take over the government of all German states. They were also assigned the supervision of other detachments â€Å"F† and â€Å"I† that were installed within them† . The smallest detachments were the â€Å"H† and â€Å"I† detachments. â€Å"H detachments had five officers and ten enlisted me n, while the â€Å"I† detachments had four officers and six enlisted men† .The small detachments had been assigned the control of rural districts and small municipalities. Although only a small part of Germany could be brought under control of the US military forces, the occupation laid the foundation of the military government in Germany. Officers of the US Military Government The US military government in Germany was a result of effective planning and training for years. â€Å"The training of the military government officers and enlisted men began at the Military Government School, Charlottesville, Virginia in 1942.The military government officers who were sent to Germany were the product of service schools and they were more efficient than other army personnel in the United States† . The average age of the officers, who joined the military government was forty years. They comprised of both in-service officers and civilians. Most officers had long experience in handling civilian work. They had expertise in law, teaching, engineering, police or social work. They were trained and well-prepared to run the military government in Germany. Advancement of the US Military Government in GermanyWhen the first detachment moved into Germany in 1944, many people had doubt on the success of the mission. A lot of groundwork was done to convince people about the real objective of the mission. â€Å"The Moscow Foreign Ministers conference held in October 1943 had decided that the entire German territory would be occupied and put under the control of the military government. The European Advisory Commission (EAC) was created for determining the boundaries of the zones and devising control machinery for the proper administration† . When the military detachments entered Germany, they did not have any approved guidance or policy.After entering the German territory, they were given instructions from the US government. The military government detachments had many things to do in the field. â€Å"The military government appointed mayors and administrators. Registration of people was done on a priority basis. To restore law and order in the cities, curfews had to be enforced† . After the occupation of the territory, the military government experienced another problem of providing food and ration to the affected people. Food supplies and rationing systems were organized. Weapons and other prohibited articles were seized by the military government.The military government felt the need for adequate public health and safety for the people and Germany and made necessary arrangements on that regard. The war had devastated building and other public utilities. The military government tried its best to restore those utilities and operate them. The public utilities included schools, medical units and public transport system. The military government realized that it had to maintain a balance between the Nazis and common German people. Wh ile it had to deal with the Nazis, militarists and racists with an iron hand, it also had to restore faith among people about its mission and objectives.The World War II brought the German economy to a standstill. The Nazis disappeared with the retreating German troops. However, they left a series of problems to be handled by the military government. The US military government in Germany took tough measures against Nazis and Nazi sympathizers. At the same time, it focused on construction and rehabilitation measures. â€Å"Aachen was a strategic point for the US military forces. That served as the gateway to the occupation of whole German territory. When the Battle of the Bulge took place with German Ardennes offensive, the civilians became terror-stricken† .The military government officials properly maintained the concentration camps and ensured that the civilians were least affected by the horror of the war. The US military government in Germany even recruited some prisoners of war as policemen. Their job was to restore law and order and ensure safety of people and their properties. Throughout the battle, the US troops and supplies passed through the occupied areas without any hindrance. The military government had organized the occupation. It also demonstrated tactical moves in critical situation.â€Å"By April 1945, the US Sixth and Twelfth Army groups held the entire assigned US zone in the German territory. They also captured additional areas in German territory. It was the peak time for the military government to spearhead its detachments. The â€Å"H† and â€Å"I† detachments advanced with the front line troops by removing Nazi officials. Nazi officials were replaced by non-Nazis. â€Å"E†, â€Å"F† and â€Å"G† detachments established themselves in the occupied cities† . â€Å"By the end of March 1945, at least 150 detachments were deployed in Germany. That was almost two-thirds of the military governme nt strength† .In April, the military government exhausted its allotments of trained detachments. It resorted to organizing provisional detachments using anti-aircraft artillery, field artillery and signal personnel. After crossing the Rhine River, the military government undertook another responsibility of rehabilitating the displaced persons. There were over five million liberated prisoners of war. They belonged to France, Belgium, Holland, Russia, Poland and Yugoslavia and were detained by the Nazi forces of Germany. â€Å"The displaced people were to be taken care of by the UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration).The UNRRA did not have adequate manpower or the resources to carry out the responsibility efficiently. Hence, the military government took the charge of the displaced people† . Those people were victims of Nazi tyranny and German aggression. They were provided all the basic amenities such as food, clothes and houses by the military go vernment. Their safety and security was the main concern of the military government. â€Å"The displaced people from Western Europe were sent home. However, the Russians and the Poles were not received by their respective governments.Thus, they became long-term guests of the military government† . The Governance of the US Military Government The American military government in Germany was a result of the America foreign policy. The US government did not want an administration failure in Germany that would complicate its position on the global arena. The US government knew that its military government in Germany was sitting over hunger, chaos and confusion. It also did not want to manage an expensive overseas operation. However, it was well-aware of its responsibilities and the strategic importance of installing the military government in Germany.The US government provided financial and material assistance to the military occupation forces. It also provided relief and rehabili tation supplies from Germany to countries that were devastated by Nazi aggression. The US military government in Germany was provided a free hand to undertake relief and rehabilitation measures. Germany was used by the US military government as a main center to pass relief materials to the war-affected countries. The Handbook Implementation The German Country Unit founded by the United States had the writing of a military government handbook for Germany.It was believed that the handbook was the only document for the working military government officers. â€Å"The handbook was comprehensive and incorporated all guidelines required for good governance. The German Country Unit worked on the handbook. The final draft was distributed within SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) and to civil agencies in Washington and London† . The handbook was different from the standard policy and procedures. It dealt with all the military government problems anticipated before the German occupation.The main objective of the handbook was to save the work-load of the military government officials and protect them from stressful procedures and policies in German conditions. â€Å"The first section of the handbook provided descriptions of the probable conditions in Germany and working procedures of the military government. The second section was the heart of the handbook. It contained chapters on the twelve primary civil affairs and military government functions. The third section contained basic information on the Supreme Commander’s proclamation, ordinances and laws† .â€Å"The proclamation was addressed to the people of Germany in the name of General Eisenhower as Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces. It declared the Supreme Commander's authority on the legislative, judicial and executive power within the occupied German territory† . The proclamation also suspended German courts and educational institutions. It required all officials and public employees not to relinquish their posts until further notice. The first three ordinances made under the Handbook were very controversial. â€Å"The first ordinance defined crimes against the Allied Forces punishable by death.There were nineteen crimes that came under the list. The second ordinance established military government courts in Germany under the supervision of the US officials. The third ordinance made English the official language of military government† . â€Å"The laws were divided into two classes. One set of laws were necessary to establish and maintain military government control. Another set of law was to deal with National Socialism. The fundamental Nazi laws and their subsidiary decrees were abrogated† . Any interpretation of German law in accordance with Nazi doctrine was prohibited.There were other laws that abolished the National Socialist Party and the use of its symbols. Functioning of the US Military Government According to the war veterans, the US military government in Germany was better than the British and French military administrations. When the military government was planned to be established in Germany, its main objective was to convert enemies into friends. However, at a later stage, the focus was shifted to obtain co-operation of people, minimize fear and suspicion among them and change the attitude of ordinary Germans towards the US and its allies.â€Å"In August 1944, the Civil Affairs Division proposed a post-surrender directive, which had the goal of maintaining a firm and humane administration. The directive provided specific guidelines to the government on key issues. Those key issues included destroying Nazism and Fascism, preserving law and order and restoring normalcy among people† . The economic policy of the military government focused on preventing the inflation rate from growing up further. The war had a negative impact on the country's economy and it was heading for a financial crisis.The Nazis cared a little about the economic stability in the country. They always pursued their own agenda and prosecuted people who did not abide by the rules defined by them. Price control was another important task to be handled by the military government in Germany. The military government focused on controlling prices, reducing unemployment and providing emergency relief and housing facilities to people. The war generated a large scale of unemployment in the country as many offices, administrative bodies, basic utilities, public and private properties and business establishments were either closed or destroyed.Providing employment to people was one of the difficult tasks performed by the military government. It did its level best to include Germans in the construction, rehabilitation and other administration work. Key US Policies â€Å"The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) 1067 was an approved US policy for the post-war Germany. It was a comprehensive document that focused on three important issues. Those were denazification, demilitarization and decentralization† . Some of the top officials in the US and in Germany had reservation on the implementation of JCS 1067.According to them, the policy did not have a clear idea of the conditions in Germany asked for a few changes that would make it flexible. Germany had political hegemony in Europe because of its military and financial capabilities. However, the war completely reversed its position on the global forum. Throughout the war, people in Germany lived under fear and horror. The military government was assigned a nearly impossible task of organizing the people of Germany and motivating them to join the mainstream without fear and suspicion.â€Å"In 1942, President Roosevelt maintained that governing civilians was a civilian task and it was endorsed y his successor, President Harry S Truman. In 1945, Truman declared that the military should not have governmental responsibilities† . He believed that the military must perform only military operations. Despite all the arguments and debates, the military government stayed in Germany for a long time. Detachments were distributed across all of the US zones and major parts of other zones of the Allied Force. â€Å"The governments of the US, Britain and France negotiated for the establishment of quadripartite control.However, the Russians did not agree to the proposal and made it clear that they would not enter into any agreement unless they had full possession of their assigned zone† . In the absence of a consensus, JCS 1067 remained an exclusive US policy. Problems Faced by the Military Government The establishment of the US military government in Germany was intended to serve the real purpose of people. However, the military government had to face several problems to implement its key policies. While expanding its base through the German territory, the military government had observed large stretches of unplowed and unplanted fields.At the same time, it was estimated that there might not be enough food stocks in Germany to maintain the people for a long period. â€Å"As the agriculture of the country had been destroyed to a large extent, the military government imported thousands of tons of seeds. It also released Wehrmacht horses for farm work. The military government also set up farm machinery to repair shops† . Priority was given to plantation, as food production was very essential for the war-ravaged nation. However, the seeds could not be sown in time because of the continued warfare and the yield was likely to be reduced.At least 60 to 70 percent of the SHAEF-occupied territory was not agriculturally self-sufficient. With the limited food production, it was not possible to sustain the German population for a long time. The military government was determined to prevent a serious problem like starvation. It provided small quantity of food materials to people so that enou gh food could be stored for their future use. â€Å"In June 1945, the SHAEF imported 650,000 tons of wheat for Germany. Besides food, the possibility of a firewood shortage also became a concern for the military government.In July 1945, the military government urged the Germans to cut and store firewood for the coming winter† . There were several basic problems faced by German people in the wake of the World War II and foreign occupation. The US military government in Germany took effective measures to address all the problems. The Military Government laws excluded Nazi party members from both private and public employment. As a result, the military government offices were overwhelmed with loads of work. The military government asked the business establishments to purify themselves. That made the task of the military government much difficult.â€Å"Many business owners and managers changed their job titles and made deals to hide their real identity from the military governme nt. When the law took effect, military government property offices became trustees for thousands of establishments† . â€Å"During the process of denazification, the Germans were given a crash course in democracy. Orders were given to the German state governments to write election codes. The military district commands were asked to prepare for election to be held in future. Investigations were carried out to identify the potential candidates in future elections and their antecedents† .The voters had to be registered after proper examination as the elimination of Nazis and other ineligible people was very crucial from the military government's point of view. Military Government Courts â€Å"Military government courts were established in Germany in September 1944. They had a significant impact on the democratization of the German people. The military government courts addressed key issues such as civil rights, privileges and immunities† . An independent judiciary w as available to dispense impartial justice according to law. The US military occupation courts had a long experience in dealing with major occupations.Hence, they did not face major hurdles in Germany. Their main objective was to maintain law and order and protect the interests of the occupying force. Major changes were implemented during the World War II planning for Germany. The German judiciary was reduced to an institution of corrupt practice because of the policies of the Nazi regime and disturbances during the five years of war. It was no longer a trusted institution for the people in Germany. The US military government acknowledged the need for the reconstruction of a denazified German judicial system based on democratic principles.A more elaborate system of military courts was established. Those courts had the goal of brining substantial changes in the judicial functioning besides performing the traditional functions. â€Å"The judicial procedures followed in the military g overnment courts were a combination of the US Army court martial, the German legal system and the Anglo-American system† . The entire judicial process witnessed complete innovative ideas. In the beginning, the courts did not have enough lawyers and had to be manned by officers who were not legally trained. Later it was made mandatory for all the intermediate and general courts to have at least one lawyer.â€Å"The ordinance promulgated by the US military government provided certain fundamental rights to all persons appearing before these courts. Details of those rights were printed on the reverse side of every court summon† . All the accused were given a fair chance to be present at their trial to examine or cross-examine the witnesses. â€Å"Between 1944 and 1945, 343 military government courts had tried more than 15 thousand cases in the US zone† . The US military government courts helped the military government to win the trust of the German people. The promul gation of ordinances failed to delight the average German.However, the court procedures provided them the opportunity to test their fundamental rights and judge themselves whether those rights provided them real protection or not. Roadmap for the Future The military government considered denazification and democratization of Germany as its ultimate goal. It prepared its officers and enlisted men to stay longer in Germany even after the end of war. It feared an uprising against the occupation. The military government asked its detachments to warn all German officials that they and their people would be responsible for any revolt against the United States forces.The military government knew that it would be difficult to suppress any future rebellion launched by hungry and displaced people. It made adequate arrangements to prevent starvation and provide necessary help to people in the bitter winter cold. â€Å"The State Department made specific policies in Germany and the military gov ernment administered that policy. The American military government moved quickly to establish the agencies as per the Potsdam agreement. The American military government created German central administrations headed by German state secretaries.The proposal was first made in the Allied Control Council (ACC) and was implemented later. The secretaries performed functions under the general directives of the ACC† . The US Military government began recruited German personnel for the central agencies. There were several functioning areas for the Agencies. They included finance, transport, communications, international trade and agriculture. Identifying efficient German personnel was not an easy task as the military government was determined to remove Nazis from the system. â€Å"A ministerial collection center in Kassel was established.At the collection center, personnel, records and documents related to the central agencies were assembled† . The military government desired to reduce its day-by-day supervision of German affairs by establishing central German administrations. It prepared for the transition from military to civilian control. â€Å"Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lucius D. Clay planned to transform the military government to a civilian organization by July 1, 1946. The United States Forces European Theater (USFET) document outlined a plan for administrative reorganization and prepare for the ultimate transfer of military government to the US civilian agencies† .Conclusion There is no doubt that the World War II brought significant changes in the social and political structure of Germany. There was a desperate attempt made by the Allied Forces to completely eliminate Nazism from Germany. The autocratic Nazi regime forced the world into a deadly and expensive war. Military governments by occupation forces usually fail to win the trust of the common people. However, situation in Germany was completely different. The US military govern ment in Germany did an excellent job in maintaining law and order and providing food, relief materials and shelter to the affected and displaced people.While they severely punished the Nazis and their sympathizers, they provided every possible help to the civilians who wanted to see their country on the right track. Germany's democratic development was greatly influenced by the American military government during the World War II. Bibliography: Abzug, Robert H. (1985). Inside the Vicious Heart: Americans and the Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camps. New York: Oxford University Press, 192 p. Ambrose, Stephen E. (1967). Eisenhower and Berlin, 1945; the Decision to Halt at the Elbe. New York: W. W. Norton, 119 p.Ambrose, Stephen E. (1970). The Supreme Commander; the War Years of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Garden City, N. Y. , Doubleday, 732 p. Baird, Jay W. (1974). The Mythical World of Nazi War Propaganda, 1939-1945. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 329 p. Balfour, Mic hael L. (1979). Propaganda in War, 1939-1945: organisations, policies, and publics, in Britain and Germany. Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 520 p. Dallek, Robert. (1979). Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy, 1932-1945. New York: Oxford University Press, 671 p. Eisenberg, Carolyn. (1996).Drawing the Line: the American Decision to Divide Germany, 1944-1949. New York: Cambridge University Press, 522 p. Hoffmann, Peter. (1996). The History of the German Resistance, 1933-1945. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 853 p. Neillands, Robin. (2001). The Bomber War: The Allied Air Offensive Against Nazi Germany. The Overlook Press, 448 p. Perret, Geoffrey. (1991). There's a War to be Won: the United States Army in World War II. New York: Random House, 623 p. Stoler, Mark A. (2000). Allies and Adversaries: the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Grand Alliance, and U. S. strategy in World War II.Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 380 p. Van Creveld, Martin. (1982). Fig hting Power: German and US Army Performance, 1939-1945. Westport CT: Greenwood Press, 198 p. Weigley, Russell. (1973). The American Way of War; a History of United States Military Strategy and Policy. New York: Macmillan, 584 p. Winkler, Alan M. (1978). The Politics of Propaganda: the Office of War Information, 1942-1945 New Haven: Yale University Press, 240 p. Wolfe, Robert. (1984). Americans as Proconsuls: United States Military Government in Germany and Japan, 1944-1952. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.

One Laptop Per Child Essay

1. Why are Microsoft, Intel, and other leading for profit companies interested in low-cost computers for the developing world? In 2005, Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of MIT’s Media Labs, announced the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program at the World Economic Forum. The concept was simple and appealing. Innovate a $100 laptop and distribute it to children in the developing world’s governments. The vision was for bridging the digital divide between developed and developing nations. The OLPC was a nonprofit project for the developing nation’s school going students’ for their better education. The OLPC created buzz from its first day of announcement for its low cost and its non profit initiative for developing country’s children. Though the company like Microsoft and Intel is leading profit for organization they interested in OLPC project. Because the project was for the developing countries school going student who don’t have enough opportunity to learn like developed county’s children and don’t have ability to afford the technology device for higher price. So as the leading organization Microsoft and Intel have the social responsibility for the developing country’s children and they also see the opportunity to do social welfare with establishing branding in people minds. On the other hand the OLPC was started with their rivalry organization like Linux and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). So if the OLPC project succeeds the organization like Linux and AMD can create threat for their leading monopoly business. So from their social responsibility point of view and for the marketing of their own brand names into people minds they interested in low cost computes for the developing world. 2. Do you agree with Negroponte’s decision to partner with Microsoft? Yes I do agree with the Negroponte’s Partnership decision with company like Microsoft which is very much trusted and reliable name in this computer sector for their operating system and software. The OLPC project was an ambitious vision for Negroponte to educate the developing world’s school going children by providing low cost laptop computer. As he announced the lap top will be low cost and price will be the $ 100 dollar for each so he uses the Linux operating system which is non-proprietary and available for free to anyone who wants to use. But it didn’t work, In 2008 OLPC faced disappointing sales because the country’s like Libya and Nigeria who pledges to buy about one million for each country’s people both backed off those pledges and the cost increase $180 to $190 range. So the brand name like Linux was not reliable for the mass population of the world and they felt insecure with that operating system. On the other hand some potential buyers worried about the lack of Microsoft’s windows operating system. So as the OLPC didn’t succeed the way it was estimated so Negroponte needed to collaborate with the Microsoft to increase its sales and add more customer satisfaction by the Microsoft brand name. 3. Assess the thinking behind the â€Å"give one, get one† promotion. Do you think this is a good marketing tactic? In November 2007, in an effort to increase production, OLPC announced the promotion of† Give One, Get One†. The OLPC team started this promotion to grab the market attention of their nonprofit ambitious project. Because prior to the initiative’s launch, the OLPC had been a fascinating demonstration of hardware and software ingenuity, but actual unit sales and donations had been far smaller than originally predicted. The G1G1 program was designed to change that, offering individual consumers the chance to buy two laptops for $399. Though the tactic of â€Å"Give One, Get One† is aggressive marketing strategies in order to gain market share and capitalize on its competitive strengths. Though the aggressive marketing tactic like Give one, Get One always not good for the all types of products. But the OLPC project had strong competent like Intel Classmate. So to grab the attention of mass people and gain maximum market share and achieve the goal of developing country’s poor children education this marketing tactic was good for the project. Because OLPC announced two weeks give one get one promotion first but for its huge response to the markets they increased their promotional offer time.