Diversity in the World Essay Example for Free

Diversity in the World Essay One of the most profound factors in the universe is diversity. However the most evident diversity which affects peoples’ lives is racial and ethnic diversity. Although theories of origin of universe show a common source of all human races in the world, environmental factors in the area certain people live in can be held accountable for the diversity that is observed in human race. Undoubtedly, racial diversity is important in the world as it creates variety and taste in life; on the other hand, it is evident that diversity has also been a source of conflicts in the world. A world of diversity Personal experience with diverse cultures is very important in understanding the diversity in the world. An example could be the visit to the Eunoto ceremony from the Maasai community, which is one of the foreign traditional ceremonies in Kenya. Usually, tourist are informed about it during their stay in East Africa. The Maasai community which lives in the East African region is one of the conservative traditional communities which have refused to let go their practices. The Eunoto ceremony is used to mark the end of one age set’s period in service of worrier hood for the community and their consequent promotion to the junior elders. This marks their initiation to adult life where they can be allowed to marry and have children. Eunoto is a four day ceremony which takes place in an enclosed hut which is specified for that ceremony. Every warrior has his head shaved by his mother sitting on the same cowhide where he was circumcised. The head is then decorated and the shaving of the head means that they have lost the most valuable stage of their life which is full of freedom. After the ceremony, the now crowned junior elder may select a girl of his choice for a wife. At the same time some restriction like drinking milk and eating meat which are restricted in their warrior years are also lifted. (Finke, 2003) How can the one describe his/her racial and ethnic diversity? It is difficult to define the word race owing to the varied application of the word in different circumstance. The word race defines a particular group of people who can be identified through a common factor. This means that it is a group of people that share common characteristics (Kim, 2001). These characteristics can vary from factors like religious, skin color, and others. However, in everyday usage, the word race has been used predominantly based on the color of the skin thereby giving the black race and the light skinned race. This is just a construction of the society and the meaning many not be referring to provable differences. In defining ones personal racial and ethnic identity, it is natural to use of all these characteristics that have been used to differentiate one race from the other. In that case, based on the skin color, the person could say that he/she, for instance, is black American since his/her great grand parents were presumably, slaves who had been shipped from West African to work in Caribbean plantations. This kind of characteristic can be evidenced in ones physical character; even if the one doesn’t have a black complexion, he/she may have a chocolate complexion which may lead to the African origin. The heritage and cultural practices that have been inherited from grand parents may be passed down the line of generation and may be evident today. A race can also be defined in terms of other characteristics like language and religion. In terms of language, it may be hard to exactly foot ones ancestry since nowdays Americans usually know only American English language. At the same time, the ancestral language may not even be reflected in ones names. The name of a person can tell the origin of a person even without assessing other characteristic. For example the name Patel will assure that there is a high probability that the person is an Indian. Most people surrounding us every day have both names in English which can explain the level of assimilation of the African slaves in the American society. In terms of religion, a large percent of Americans families are Catholic. Catholic was a predominant religion in the tradition American plantations. However, sometimes, a little enquiry from ancestors how a certain family ended up being Catholics shows that many slaves and in deed Americans were converted to catholic during the independence era as they opposed the Anglican religion perpetuated by the British. Family customs are important practices that have been passed on from one generation to the other. In some families, there are practices which father insists on like the position of the first born in the family. The first born is supposed to provide example to the rest of the siblings. In an era where family divorces are on the rise, some fathers insist that once their children are married they would like to see them have a happy marriage like they have had. These are some of the customs among other that some parents have tried to pass on to their children in certain cultures. There are practice like dressing, music, and other practices that are preserved in our family. In term of dressing, some believe in dressing like a gentle lady or gentleman. This means dressing smart. In some families, every time the one enters in the house there will be a rock music playing as the onweners like no other. Taking children to see â€Å"the land of origin† is also very popular. How can the American culture be described? Evidently, American culture is the most diverse in the world, being a multilayered culture with huge cocktail of cultures blending together to produced the Americana culture. American culture is also the most influential in the world and different aspects like clothing (notably hip star), music (pop music), business, and others have defined the standard world culture. There are different evident factors that set the American culture from the rest. The Hollywood culture that defines entertainment is the most evident. Other clear aspects of American culture is the culture of consumption, racism based on three dominant groups including African American, white American and Hispanic, and fundamental religious culture of Christians, Jews, Islam, and Atheists. American culture is very rich in diversity. (Levenstein, 2003) What would happen if a resident of the United States of America changes sex? If the one wakes up next day and finds that he/she had changed sex, life would not change much in the modern American society. American society has moved toward gender homogeneity and anyone can perform any duty. There are no cultural restriction and those existing in different races have been overtaken the constitutional legislations. Ones life would, therefore, differ in terms of the biological gender roles and in no other aspect. Also, it can be said that throughout time some aspects like dressing and the general social life has been greatly changed by the wave of globalization but this is common to all the middle class. Conclusion Diversity in the world may be the source of variety and taste of life. There are diverse races of in the world with each defined by a set of culture practices. The one could consider being an African American but his/her racial and ethnic identity may be polarized by the mix up of cultures in the diverse American culture. Today, it might prove very difficult to point out culture practices that may identify individual racial background except for the color of their skin. Reference: Finke, J. (2003): Maasai – The Eunoto Ceremony. Retrieved on 22nd November 2008 http://www. bluegecko. org/kenya/tribes/maasai/eunoto. htmfrom Kim, U. (2001): Culture, science and indigenous psychologies: An integrated analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press Levenstein, H. (2003): Revolution at the Table: The Transformation of the American culture, Berkeley: University of California Press,

Diversity in the World Essay Example for Free

Diversity in the World Essay One of the most profound factors in the universe is diversity. However the most evident diversity which affects peoples’ lives is racial and ethnic diversity. Although theories of origin of universe show a common source of all human races in the world, environmental factors in the area certain people live in can be held accountable for the diversity that is observed in human race. Undoubtedly, racial diversity is important in the world as it creates variety and taste in life; on the other hand, it is evident that diversity has also been a source of conflicts in the world. A world of diversity Personal experience with diverse cultures is very important in understanding the diversity in the world. An example could be the visit to the Eunoto ceremony from the Maasai community, which is one of the foreign traditional ceremonies in Kenya. Usually, tourist are informed about it during their stay in East Africa. The Maasai community which lives in the East African region is one of the conservative traditional communities which have refused to let go their practices. The Eunoto ceremony is used to mark the end of one age set’s period in service of worrier hood for the community and their consequent promotion to the junior elders. This marks their initiation to adult life where they can be allowed to marry and have children. Eunoto is a four day ceremony which takes place in an enclosed hut which is specified for that ceremony. Every warrior has his head shaved by his mother sitting on the same cowhide where he was circumcised. The head is then decorated and the shaving of the head means that they have lost the most valuable stage of their life which is full of freedom. After the ceremony, the now crowned junior elder may select a girl of his choice for a wife. At the same time some restriction like drinking milk and eating meat which are restricted in their warrior years are also lifted. (Finke, 2003) How can the one describe his/her racial and ethnic diversity? It is difficult to define the word race owing to the varied application of the word in different circumstance. The word race defines a particular group of people who can be identified through a common factor. This means that it is a group of people that share common characteristics (Kim, 2001). These characteristics can vary from factors like religious, skin color, and others. However, in everyday usage, the word race has been used predominantly based on the color of the skin thereby giving the black race and the light skinned race. This is just a construction of the society and the meaning many not be referring to provable differences. In defining ones personal racial and ethnic identity, it is natural to use of all these characteristics that have been used to differentiate one race from the other. In that case, based on the skin color, the person could say that he/she, for instance, is black American since his/her great grand parents were presumably, slaves who had been shipped from West African to work in Caribbean plantations. This kind of characteristic can be evidenced in ones physical character; even if the one doesn’t have a black complexion, he/she may have a chocolate complexion which may lead to the African origin. The heritage and cultural practices that have been inherited from grand parents may be passed down the line of generation and may be evident today. A race can also be defined in terms of other characteristics like language and religion. In terms of language, it may be hard to exactly foot ones ancestry since nowdays Americans usually know only American English language. At the same time, the ancestral language may not even be reflected in ones names. The name of a person can tell the origin of a person even without assessing other characteristic. For example the name Patel will assure that there is a high probability that the person is an Indian. Most people surrounding us every day have both names in English which can explain the level of assimilation of the African slaves in the American society. In terms of religion, a large percent of Americans families are Catholic. Catholic was a predominant religion in the tradition American plantations. However, sometimes, a little enquiry from ancestors how a certain family ended up being Catholics shows that many slaves and in deed Americans were converted to catholic during the independence era as they opposed the Anglican religion perpetuated by the British. Family customs are important practices that have been passed on from one generation to the other. In some families, there are practices which father insists on like the position of the first born in the family. The first born is supposed to provide example to the rest of the siblings. In an era where family divorces are on the rise, some fathers insist that once their children are married they would like to see them have a happy marriage like they have had. These are some of the customs among other that some parents have tried to pass on to their children in certain cultures. There are practice like dressing, music, and other practices that are preserved in our family. In term of dressing, some believe in dressing like a gentle lady or gentleman. This means dressing smart. In some families, every time the one enters in the house there will be a rock music playing as the onweners like no other. Taking children to see â€Å"the land of origin† is also very popular. How can the American culture be described? Evidently, American culture is the most diverse in the world, being a multilayered culture with huge cocktail of cultures blending together to produced the Americana culture. American culture is also the most influential in the world and different aspects like clothing (notably hip star), music (pop music), business, and others have defined the standard world culture. There are different evident factors that set the American culture from the rest. The Hollywood culture that defines entertainment is the most evident. Other clear aspects of American culture is the culture of consumption, racism based on three dominant groups including African American, white American and Hispanic, and fundamental religious culture of Christians, Jews, Islam, and Atheists. American culture is very rich in diversity. (Levenstein, 2003) What would happen if a resident of the United States of America changes sex? If the one wakes up next day and finds that he/she had changed sex, life would not change much in the modern American society. American society has moved toward gender homogeneity and anyone can perform any duty. There are no cultural restriction and those existing in different races have been overtaken the constitutional legislations. Ones life would, therefore, differ in terms of the biological gender roles and in no other aspect. Also, it can be said that throughout time some aspects like dressing and the general social life has been greatly changed by the wave of globalization but this is common to all the middle class. Conclusion Diversity in the world may be the source of variety and taste of life. There are diverse races of in the world with each defined by a set of culture practices. The one could consider being an African American but his/her racial and ethnic identity may be polarized by the mix up of cultures in the diverse American culture. Today, it might prove very difficult to point out culture practices that may identify individual racial background except for the color of their skin. Reference: Finke, J. (2003): Maasai – The Eunoto Ceremony. Retrieved on 22nd November 2008 http://www. bluegecko. org/kenya/tribes/maasai/eunoto. htmfrom Kim, U. (2001): Culture, science and indigenous psychologies: An integrated analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press Levenstein, H. (2003): Revolution at the Table: The Transformation of the American culture, Berkeley: University of California Press,

Strategic Analysis Of Siemens Company Management Essay

Strategic Analysis Of Siemens Company Management Essay This essay will start with a brief description of Siemens, an introduction of its current mission statement and an evaluation of the key strategic issues/objectives which Siemens faced and are facing. The next part, two appropriate tools of analysis, PESTEL analysis of the external environment the organization faces, and Porters 5-Forces analysis of the competitive environment in which Siemens operates; a summary of its key strategic resources and competencies, and any resources that it lacks will follow these tow analysis. At last, SWOT analysis will be applied to describe and evaluate the strategic options for Siemens. Siemens is Europes largest engineering conglomerate.Siemens international headquarters are located in Berlin, Munich and Erlangen, Germany. Siemens is a diversified group, with business in information and communications, automation and control, power, transportation, medical and lighting businesses. The groups businesses have strong leadership in electronics and electrical engineering. Siemens has experienced significant restructuring in recent years, including divestments, acquisitions and reorganization of divisions. Siemens has three main business sectors: Industry, Energy and Healthcare and it has with a total of 15 divisions (Barclay, 2000). Worldwide Siemens and its subsidiaries employ approximately 420,800 people in nearly 190 countries and reported global revenue of 76.651 billion Euros as of 2009. Siemens AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since March 12, 2001. Mission and vision Highest performance with highest ethics that is the standard demanded by Siemens present president and CEO Peter LÃ ¶scher. Its mission is to find the best way of combining and developing our know-how and expertise, so that Siemens can profitably channel them into outstanding value for customers. It has three core values- Responsible: Committed to ethical and responsible actions Excellent: Achieving high performance and excellent results; Innovative: Being innovative to create sustainable value. Siemens Strategic profile Keeping Profitable and long-term growth is the business strategy of Siemens, which is direct and simple. Specifically, according to the report of Siemens AG, there is several important components Siemens strategy, which is showed in the table below. 2.jpg Source: http://www.siemens.com In summary, there are several key management strategies as following. Making better use of sustainability as an opportunity Siemens view sustainability as an important success factor. Sustainability serves as the basis for Siemens future business success and is a key pillar of Siemens corporate strategy. Siemens is in a strong position to meet tomorrow business challenges, so sustainability is very important. By concentrating its activities in the three Sectors Industry, Energy and Healthcare, Siemens has a setup that enables it to profit from four key megatrends demographic change, urbanization, climate change and globalization. And with the Siemens Environmental Portfolio, it has an exceptionally broad spectrum of products and solutions for environmental and climate protection (Barney, 1986). Whats more, sustainability is thought by Siemens to be closely linked to its values. In all its complexity, Siemens view sustainability as a contribution to a more equitable world economy and the provision of energy-efficient, durable products and solutions for Siemens customers. In Siemens sustainability is also the expression of a responsible employee culture and a sign of uncompromising compliance with laws and regulations. Diversity as a factor of success Siemens is promoting diversity in the management ranks of the company to a greater degree than ever before. Up to nowadays, Siemens has given diversity a permanent place in the corporate level strategy. In Siemens culture, in view of the shortage of highly qualified people and demographic changes, diversity is a prerequisite for Siemens long-term success. The supply of qualified technical people and managers in the industrialized world is growing ever tighter. That makes it even more important for Siemens to acquire talented people and to create an environment that allows them to take on key functions in all units of Siemens- irrespective of factors such as nationality, age, gender, origin or religion. In the year 2008, Siemens applied the strategy of diversity into organizational structure. Siemens created the position of Chief Diversity Officer and appointed Jill Lee, previously the Chief Financial Officer of Siemens China, to the new position. Armed with a comprehensive package of measures, Jill Lee would work in the coming years to meet an ambitious target: By 2011 Siemens wants to have dramatically expanded diversity among the members of its top management. Siemens wants to become the leader in diversity. Delivering breakthrough innovations, Innovation has always been one of the most important elements in Siemens business strategy. In Siemens culture, Innovations are thought to be able to help cut costs, increase sales and achieve higher earnings, and, those who fail to launch the right new product on the market at the right time will be punished more severely than ever before. Siemens intends to become a pioneer in diversity. While this is very important, Siemens to this day remains a very German and very centralized company. Competitors such as ABB are many years ahead in this respect as can be seen in various dimensions such as board structure, regional management or repartition of headquarter functions. Siemens intends to become a pioneer in diversity. While this is very important, Siemens to this day remains a very German and very centralized company. Competitors such as ABB are many years ahead in this respect as can be seen in various dimensions such as board structure, regional management or repartition of headquarter functions. Siemens intends to become a pioneer in diversity. While this is very important, Siemens to this day remains a very German and very centralized company. Competitors such as ABB are many years ahead in this respect as can be seen in various dimensions such as board structure, regional management or repartition of headquarter functions. Strategic analysis for Siemens Firstly, Porters five forces and PESTEL will be applied to evaluate the microenvironment of Siemens and a complete SWOT analysis will follow to assess he strategic options for Siemens. Porters five forces One of the most important division and product of Siemens is electrical equipment and so Porters five forces will be applied to assess electrical equipment industry together with Siemens. Porters five forces Degree of rivalry The degree of completion in this industry is pretty high and there are many big players in this market Bargaining power of customers The space for customers to bargain is limited as the products are highly specialized and buyers are always governments or big companies. Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers who supply raw materials or parts to manufactures have little bargaining power Threat of new entrants: As the equipment is of high technology, in the early stage of this industry, the entrant barrier of this industry is high. Siemens and GE have dominated this industry for decades. Threat of substitutes However, with the popularity of new energy technologies, some small companies also entered this market with lower-cost technology and energy, so it is getting more and easier to find a substituted in some limited field in a small scale. Degree of rivalry: In this industry, Siemens competes with big players such as General Electric (GE) of Fairfield, Conn., and ABB of Switzerland. GE has a strong market position in this industry, while ABB has great advantages in power generation and transmission. The number of market players in this field is big and the degree of rivalry is high (Barney, 1995). Bargaining power of customers: In other industries, companies are liable to cut their prices as they compete for jobs. This is less likely to happen with industrial electrical equipment. These products are highly specialized and technical, making it difficult for customers to find comparable products at lower prices. And because these products have relatively few buyers, their prices are less likely to be pushed down by free-market forces. Bargaining power of suppliers: Companies that provide parts and materials to these firms have little negotiating power. The components used in these complex electrical systems have little value until theyre part of the finished product. Suppliers of the raw components are a dime a dozen and can easily be replaced. The complicated nature of this equipment would also make it difficult for suppliers to cut out the middlemen and sell directly to end customers. These suppliers usually lack the skill and sophistication to build these products. Threat of new entrants: Siemens and GE have dominated this industry for decades. To run with the big players, a new company would need a great deal of investment. The company needs to have very good credibility and connections of both established firms and governments. So the entrant barrier for this industry is high. Threat of substitutes: some new technologies from smaller companies, which focus on green energy, have posted threat to big companies that lacks a competing product. In solar equipment, for example, some smaller companies are becoming more viable as their technology becomes cheaper, while solar companies may soon have the strength to compete with traditional power source on price and performance, the threat from substitutes post pressure to supplier like Siemens. In summary, although the completion in this industry is fierce, the entrant barrier for new entrants is high, whats more, both customer and supplier have limited bargaining power. The pressure from small companies which focus on green energy keep increasing as they have advantages on price and cost. PESTEL analysis of the macro-environment The external environment for international business is always complicated and dynamic. The PESTEL analysis of the maco-environment of Siemens is based from two perspectives: one is that Siemens run its business in German and the other condition is that it runs its business internationally or in other destination countries. PESTEL analysis for Siemens Germany GLOBAL Political Germany government policy on subsidies; subsiding policies for German firms Different countries has different policies; the relationship between the government of destination country and German; degree of local governments intervention in the economy; the quality of service that local government provide to foreign firms; subsiding policies for domestic firms; tariff barrier of non-tariff barrier from destination country; the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and Economic The economy in Germany; the growth rate of German economy; interest rate; inflation rate; domestic competitors. Global financial crisis; Overseas economic growth; the structure of local economy; the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the transportation and electrical system; level of national income; interest rate; exchange rate; inflation rate; Market demand and segments for Siemens products; local and international competitors. Social Structure and size of population; Structure and size of population; Availability of local human resources; Migration flows; culture differences; brand image of Siemens in destination country Technological New technologies related with Siemens business in German; any technology that could reduce cost, improve quality or service and help marketing such as on-line technology. International technological breakthroughs; New technologies related with Siemens business in German; advantages and disadvantages of Siemens technologies when compared with international competitors; any technology that could reduce cost, improve quality or service and help marketing such as on-line technology. Environmental Weather and climate in German; hardware such as land available for Siemens business Global climate change; weather and climate in destination country; natural environment ; Legal Environment regulation; related laws in German. Related international and local laws and regulations. Political Political factors always have great impact over the maco-environment in which the business runs, so muti-national companies need to do research on political environment before their international marketing planning. Siemens is doing well in evaluating political risk before it enters a new market. It is lucky for it that Germen government has steady relationship with lots of countries. Siemens often need to evaluate the historical relationship between countries that would benefit or do harm to its business. The influence of communities or unions for trading is also in its consideration. For example, trade barrier is also implemented in different firms of local laws. If necessary, a report regarding the political risks needs to be completed before its international marketing (Bell, 2001). Economic The economic situation in destination countries, the impact of currency fluctuations on exchange rates, the development of local market, the local market structure (Barney, 1996), the local human resources and the predisposition of local consumers are all very important issues for Siemens to consider (Bierly,1996). The global economy just experienced the financial crisis; Siemens business in most countries also experienced a downturn. Another problem is that, together with the financial crisis is the tightened credit system for Siemens, which brought a lot of trouble to its business. The highlight is that some new markets such as the China market are still growing fast and these new markets provide good opportunities for Siemens revenue generation. From economic perspective, Siemens has got steady financial performance in the recent years. Social The cultural difference is often a tough problem that all the muti-national companies have met with (Choi, 2000) . Culture, religion and society are of great importance to us. Will and how the local cultural differences affect Siemens business should also be evaluated. One of Siemens strategies is Diversity as a factor of success. Siemens is promoting diversity in the management ranks of the company to a greater degree than ever before. In the year 2008, Siemens applied the strategy of diversity into organizational structure. Siemens created the position of Chief Diversity Officer. Besides, the brand image of Siemens is very good and also means high quality by many purchasers (Davenport, et, 2000), which is one of Siemens advantages from the social perspective. Technological Siemens still have great technological advantages in its professional fields and it is still holding an advanced position in the international competition. However, in some countries where governments are not willing to afford high cost of new equipments, some smaller companies gained advantages over Siemens. For example, smaller companies like First Solar (FSLR) are more viable than Siemens as their technology becomes cheaper. Environmental With increasing attention from all countries in the world on global warming and with greater environmental awareness, environment is becoming a significant issue for muti-national firms to consider (Michael, 2003). The growing desire to protect the environment is having a great impact the industry. More environmentally friendly products and processes are in urgent demand. All of these external factors can bring good business opportunities for Siemens. Legal The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive of the European Union (EU) makes producers of electrical and electronic goods financially responsible for specified collection, recycling, treatment and disposal of past and future covered products. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006, which implement most aspects of the WEEE Directive, came into force in 2007 in most Europe countries. Several product divisions of Siemens are subject to the WEEE regulation (Hofee, 2003). SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Big company scale and market share; Strong brand image; It has a lot of divisions; Steady financial performance. Strong RD capabilities Good at diversity Less innovative in the low-cost new technology Low in credit rating Weak in internal control Depend upon third party service providers for majority of its operational activities Opportunities Threats Increasing demand for environment friendly products Bankrupt of some local companies in other countries Joint venture with other big playes New regulation; Completion from new and smaller competitors; Unclear trend of global economy Strengths Siemens is a German engineering conglomerate with considerable scale and market share; Siemens is a diversified group, with business in information and communications, automation and control, power, transportation, medical and lighting businesses. It have strong brand image. The brand of Siemens has good global market penetration. The brand is always connected with products of high quality in a lot of markets. It has steady financial performance in recent years (Dess, 2008). Over the years, Siemens has delivered steady financial results. Siemens net profits have a similar trend in recent years. Steady financial performance enables Siemens to manage its operations well and also improve the financial flexibility in the next a few years. Siemens is famous for its Strong RD capabilities, which is also an important factor for its business success. Its research and development (RD) investment keeps increasing in recent years; the average number of employees engaged in RD also keeps increasing (Grant, 2008). The groups focus in RD facilitates development of new products and enhancements to existing products help in maintaining its strong market position and serving a new segment of customers. The global economy needs diversity. Siemens has given diversity a permanent place in the corporate level strategy. In Siemens culture, in view of the shortage of highly qualified people and demographic changes, diversity is a prerequisite for Siemens long-term success. Weakness Siemens is less innovative in the low-cost new technology. For example, smaller companies like First Solar (FSLR) are more viable than Siemens as their technology becomes cheaper, so Siemens now face the pressure from smaller companies. Siemens is low in credit rating. Siemenss credit ratings were downgraded by some major global rating agencies in the recent years, which is partly due to its capital structure (Hungenberg, 2008). In November 2007, Moodys Investors Service downgraded Siemens long-term corporate credit rating from Aa3 to A1.Its finance is not good at generating cash flow, therefore, Siemens ability to obtain new funding and investment from external investors may be negatively affected by its low credit rating. Its internal controlling mode is not as effective as expected. Some reviewers said Siemens disclosure controls and procedures have been not effective due to material weakness in its internal control. In the area of anti-corruption and financial report, Siemens got a lot of trouble due to its weakness in internal control. Siemens relied on third party service organizations for most of its operational activities. It buys third party services for manufacturing, assembling and testing its products, while these third parties always have kinds of tie ups with multiple companies. Any problems from these third parties could adversely affect the groups operations. Heavy dependence on third party reduces the groups control over its operation and business costs. The consistence of the products could not be guaranteed, either. Opportunities During the financial crisis, a lot of small companies went bankrupt, some companies are of great value to enhance Siemens competency. It is a good time to buy these companies with low cost. Ally with a strong player is a good way to share the resource and enhance the competency of both companies. For example, joint venture is a good way. Nokia and Siemens established a 50-50 joint venture in 2007. The joint venture is called Nokia Siemens Networks, which combined Nokias networks business and Siemens carrier related operations for fixed and mobile networks. This joint venture is expected to provide significant long term returns to both groups. As all the countries are caring more about the environment, There is a increasing demand for environment friendly products, which is related to several products line of Siemens. Threats The new regulation of producers of electrical and electronic goods financially responsible for specified collection, recycling, treatment and disposal of past and future covered products post sizeable costs and liabilities to Siemens. Small companies are gaining market share by their products with lower price, which make the competition more intense. The global economy has not fully recovered from the financial crisis, so the market has not fully recovered, either. Besides, the credit is still tight, and it is very difficult for Siemens to get new funding from external capital market.

Remembering the Disremembered Essay -- History Historians Society Essa

Remembering the Disremembered Everybody knew what she was called, but nobody anywhere knew her name. Disremembered and unaccounted for, she cannot be lost because no one is looking for her, and even if they were, how can they call her if they don't know her name? Although she has claim, she is not claimed. In the place where long grass opens, the girl who waited to be loved and cry shame erupts into her separate parts, to make it easy for the chewing laughter to swallow her all away. It was not a story to pass on. - Toni Morrison, Beloved To write history means giving dates their physiognomy. - Walter Benjamin For philosopher, essayist and critic Walter Benjamin, history is catastrophe. Standing as he does at the dawn of World War II and reflecting back on the devastation of the First World War, Benjamin sees history stretched out before him and knows that it marches forward, goosestepping over the prone bodies of those who could not keep up with its procession, toward a future that can be no more or no less brutal and devastating than the past has already proved to be. What hope there is rests in humanity's ability to remember the experiences of those crushed under this catastrophic progression and to account for them in the narratives of our traditions. The repository of these disremembered experiences, and the one whose task it is to incorporate them into our present, is the storyteller. The storyteller offers the images which can effectively stop the progression of history and creates a conduit through which the "disremembered and unaccounted for" can convey their experience. The on-going progression of history continually produces new catastrophes and brutalizes new bodies; thus we are in constant ... ... Harris, Trudier. Fiction and Folklore: The Novels of Toni Morrison. Knoxville: U of Tennessee P, 1991. Mobley, Marilyn Sanders. "A Different Remembering: Memory, History, and Meaning in Beloved." In Toni Morrison: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. Gates, Henry Louis, Jr., and Appiah, K. A., eds. Amistad Literary Series. New York: Amistad. 1993. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: New American Library, 1987. Russell, Sandi. "It's OK to say OK." In Critical Essays on Toni Morrison. McKay, Nellie Y., ed. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1988. Tiedemann, Rolf. "Historical Materialism or Political Messianism? An Interpretation of the Theses 'On the Concept of History.'" In Benjamin: Philosophy, Aesthetics, History. Smith, Gary, ed. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1989. Wolin, Richard. Walter Benjamin: An Aesthetic of Redemption. New York: Columbia UP, 1982.

Capital Punishment, Death Penalty - What Are We Waiting For? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Capital Punishment Essays – What Are We Waiting For? "execution prevents eighteen murders per year."(Hirsch, 122) Opponents argue that capital punishment is immoral. But if you follow the Old Testament, it is moral. In one passage from Genesis, â€Å"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed.† Another from Exodus, â€Å"Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe† (Samaha, 440). It was not very moral of the prisoner to commit a murder in the first place. Why should it be immoral to execute a prisoner, but moral to kill an innocent person. â€Å"It is as morally right to punish criminals for their wicked deeds as it is to praise heroes for their heroic deeds. If it is noble for soldiers to give their lives for their country in wartime, then it is morally right to claim the lives of murderers for killing innocent people in peaceable society(Samaha, 441).† According to Professor Ernest van den Haag: â€Å"The life of each man should be sacred to each other man... it is not enough to proclaim the sacredness and inviolability of human life. It must be secured as well, by threatening with the loss of their own life those who violate what has been proclaimed as inviolable-the right of innocents to live† (Haag, 67). Other opponents argue that there is the chance of executing an innocent prisoner. Hugo Adam Bedu and Michael L. Radelet collected evidence of every capital punishment case after the 1930's. They concluded that 23 innocent people, out of several thousand cases in the twentieth century, were convicted and executed, but all of these mistakes were made because there was a â€Å"forced confession, suppression of evidence, and perjury† (Samaha 442). That means not one of these persons was actually innocent they just had bad lawyers, or no lawyers when they had their trial. The last time a truly innocent person was executed was before the 1930's. The biggest argument for capital punishment is retribution. The victims family often feels relieved when the prisoner has been executed. â€Å"Retribution satisfies the demand for justice. It channels public outrage into the acceptable form of the criminal sentence. If criminal sentences do not satisfy this demand for justice, angry citizens may lose respect for law and even, on occasion, take it into their own hands (Samaha, 414).† The punishment handed out should fit the crime committed, if a murder is committed then he or she deserves to be executed. The best solution to the problem is to execute the prisoner right

An Indepth Look at HG Wells :: essays papers

An Indepth Look at HG Wells Herbert George Wells was born on September 21, 1866 in Bromley, England, the last of four children. His mother was a house cleaner and his father was a shopkeeper. When he was eight years old, he broke his leg, spent a lot of time reading, and discovered an intense interest in books. At the age of thirteen, his father was injured in an accident so Wells had to leave school and work for a draper. He hated this work and managed to change his employment by working for his uncle and becoming a part-time tutor. This gave him the opportunity to continue his studies in his free time. He finally won a scholarship to The Normal School of Science in London. He worked as a journalist while continuing his education. In 1891, he married his cousin Isabel. In 1894, he and Isabel were divorced and he then married one of his pupils. In 1895, Wells’ first major work was published- Select Conversations with an Uncle. His next book, The Time Machine, also published in 1895, started Wells on his road to success. This book was followed by The Island of Doctor Moreau, in 1896, The Invisible Man, in 1897, and War of the Worlds, in 1898.[1] H.G. Wells was one of the fathers of modern science fiction. He made his reputation as a writer through what he called â€Å"scientific romances†[2], a comment he made about his own science fiction in the 1930’s. However, he himself said that there were radical differences between his science fiction and that of Jules Verne. Wells said that his own work was â€Å"an exercise of the imagination†,[2] as in The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds. In these books he was not suggesting a serious possibility, just trying to imagine what might happen in a given situation.[2] Jules Verne, on the other hand, based his stories on scientific knowledge. He criticized Wells as basing his books on fantastic, not scientific, assumptions. Wells in some of his books, however, like The Island of Dr. Moreau, did deal with what he called â€Å"Fantasies of possibilities†.[2] Wells also considered himself a philosophical writer and urged that some of his books be taken seriously.

What techniques do the writers of the British Red Cross use to influence and have a powerful effect on their readers?

Both adverts, the British Red Cross appeal and the Amnesty International appeal are written for the same reason†¦ to get sympathy from the readers and to persuade them to financially support the charity. The reader needs to be convinced there is a strong reason to commit to the charity if they are to hand over part of their income. Although the two appeals are both very, very affective, they are both laid out in totally different ways. The writer's of both appeals have created highly persuasive appeals using emotive and intensely personal language. It is very carefully and cleverly constructed and a logical reason to donate to the charity is developed throughout both. The Amnesty International appeal is set out in columns which makes it look like a newspaper advertisement, it is very attention grabbing and this style really breaks up the content, this makes the readers want to read it as it's not just a bunch of words all together. The British Red Cross appeal is set out in a letter format which makes the plea more personal to the reader, this makes the reader want to read it as it's addressing them. In the British Red Cross appeal, they contain a logo in the top corner which makes the appeal creditable, the readers know it's an official company and the money will be going to a good cause. Both the British Red Cross and the Amnesty International appeals contain images which give a sense of reality. The British Red Cross appeal has an image of an old woman who the case study is based upon. She looks very fragile and vulnerable, and is wearing rag type clothing and it looks like she has most of her belongings in a little sack which is thrown over her shoulder, this tells the reader that she doesn't own many belongings and shows her poor status in life. The Amnesty International appeal has two boxes, one filled with black and one filled with white, these colours totally contrast each other. This appeal also has a cartoon drawing of a man hanging from the word â€Å"you'll† , this suggests that it will be you hanging unless you agree. In the British Red Cross appeal the paragraphs are nice and short, therefore easy to read. This means that people won't get bored of reading it, and will probably read the whole letter, rather than the first couple of lines. The first thing the writer does is try to earn the reader's trust. From the very start the letter opens an intensely direct and personal contact, the writer uses direct appeal quite a lot through-out the appeal. In the opening paragraph the writer instantly mentions the vulnerable old lady, he tries to create a sympathetic mood from the reader instantly. We see this in the quote â€Å"But few of us, thankfully, will never have to endure what 74-year-old Slana Djujic is going through.† this quote tries to get the reader to think what she could be going through, it tempts us to read on to find out what she's having to endure. In the next paragraph he says â€Å"Slana lives with her disabled son in Javdranj† the fact that her son is disabled makes us think that although she is old an vulnerable she has her son to look after as well. The quote â€Å"they are the only ones left in this once bustling village† tells us that they are the sole survivors of the village, no one else has been able to cope with the situation. â€Å"When 200,000 people left the Krajina in 1995, fleeing the ethnic fighting, Slana and her son were too weak to join the exodus. She said goodbye to her daughter, Nadia, knowing she might never see her again.† this quote shows the massive scale of people that left the Krajina, it also shows us that Slana is having to make sacrifices by saying goodbye to her daughter because she along with her son are too weak to leave with the crowd. They are now stuck in a wooden shack which has probably been thrown together, it has no electricity or gas. This shows the lack of money and the poor state of life. The quote â€Å"Slana's story shows only too well that, in winter, people depend on the Red Cross even more.† shows us that people are desperate for help and are completely dependant on charities for help. â€Å"With a gift of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15, a mobile Red Cross team could ensure that someone like Slana has fuel for cooking and heating. Could you give that à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15?† the writer has made this quote bold so it really stands out, the writer uses a rhetorical question here to make us think ‘can we give that 15?' , the fact that this isn't a huge amount of money to us, but can do so much for the people like Slana makes us feel that its worth giving it to them so they can change someone's life. â€Å"Let me tell you about 77-year-old Percy Jones. Percy was admitted to hospital†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this quote starts off in a very conversational way, ‘let me tell you', it sounds like the writer is having a one on one talk with you, the fact he's 77 and has been admitted to hospital makes us feel sympathy for him. â€Å"he couldn't even bend to light the fires in his house.† this tells us that he is too old and too un-able to do basic every day things. â€Å"with no heat in the dead of winter, this frail, elderly man could have succumbed to hypothermia† the writer uses a technical term here to show the extent of the situation. â€Å"Thankfully, the local branch of the British Red Cross was alerted, and a volunteer was assigned to help. He made sure that the fires were kept alight and that Percy was kept warm.† this quote tells us basically exactly what the people at the British Red Cross do. We instantly feel that what their doing is great and we think back to the rhetorical question of whether or not we could give that à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15 to change their lives. â€Å"Separated by thousands of miles and two different cultures, Slana and Percy are united in one thing: their need for the Red Cross to be there in winter.† this shows us that this is a world wide problem, and that they need the Red Cross. â€Å"Just as we need you to be there for us.† this is very direct to the reader and makes us think that the Red Cross can't help the people like Slana and Percy without us helping the Red Cross and donating some money. â€Å"Whatever you can give today will help us deliver the extra supplies of fuel, food or blankets that people urgently need at this time of year.† this tells us that any donations at all are appreciated and welcomed. â€Å"For the sake of people like Slana and Percy, please be as generous as you can.† this makes us feel that the Red Cross just want to help people like them out and make their lives better. In the Amnesty International appeal the writer says â€Å"what matters is that you conform, and to make you conform the State had only one weapon. Fear.† in this quote the word ‘conform' is repeated to make sure you hear it. The word ‘fear' is isolated at the end to give it great impact. â€Å"You are one of the few prepared to speak out against the State† this is direct appeal, it makes us feel as though the writers talking about us. In the quote â€Å"Initially it's just harassment, threats and phone calls.† the key word is ‘just' this makes it seem like nothing, and the situation seems calm. â€Å"To continue to speak out against the State at this stage takes enormous courage.† this quote uses emotive language and tells us that the State is very strong and it will take something with a lot of guts to stand up to the State and speak their mind. â€Å"You're simply ‘lifted' from the street in full public view† this suggests that you are just an object, humiliated in front of the public. â€Å"It serves as a useful warning to anyone else who may be thinking the same dangerous thoughts.† this quote suggests that it's showing others what happens if you talk you mind and stand up against the State. Overall both of the charities are very effective, however I think that the British Red Cross appeal is more persuasive and shows how genuine the charity actually is, where as the Amnesty International appeal is more like a law book and doesn't look very good. If I was to choose a charity to donate to I would choose the British Red Cross advert because you've seen two different examples of people it's helping.