International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

International Business Strategy - Essay Example also factors related to consumer viewpoint in their willingness to sample new products with unknown new competitive players, based also on their traditional cultural values. These factors need to be considered prior to entering Spain as a viable profit opportunity. However, evidence provides that the growth rates in Spain associated with consumer willingness to purchase mobile products makes this a quality opportunity if new methods to undercut these values can be accomplished through marketing or other innovative communications methods. Spain represents a tremendous new market opportunity that is marked with sustained growth, despite problems that exist in labour shortages and the presence of a highly regulated labour market. It is recommended to pursue this strategy of expansion into the Spanish marketplace and improve long-term manufacturing and R&D capabilities in the process. Tiko Mobile Technology Limited is a mobile manufacturing product located in Cairo, Egypt. Tiko began manufacturing Network products in 1988 and produces its first mobile phone in 2002. Since then, Tiko Mobile Technology Ltd has produced many models that have faired well in most countries. Tiko has its own SMT line, R&D centre and Assembly Line that have been instrumental to its success in maintaining and cultivating long-term business relationships. The core business activities of the company include ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) and OEM and (Original Equipment Manufacturing) of mobile phones. Its brand name is TAMGO and has 485 employees. Its Annual Sales translates to $850,000 with an OEM capability of 160,000 per month. Currently, it has two major mobile phone products which include 3G mobile phones and GSM phones. Tiko believes in acting for better communication around the globe and for this, the company has invested in Assets and Human resource in order to give its client s the individual care needed. They believe in letting the client specify his unique needs and carefully

Can focusing on literacy improve controlled assessments Research Paper

Can focusing on literacy improve controlled assessments - Research Paper Example In short, well-designed controlled assessments show education professionals what not do; how not to prepare and present the test (Doyle 2008, pg. 22). Literacy is a critical aspect of controlled assessments because oral and writing skills play a huge role in pupils’ ability to understand and solve the challenges posed in controlled assessments. In this paper, I will explore the impact of literacy on controlled assessments and how literacy can be used to influence controlled assessments. Key Words Controlled assessments; literacy; language learning Introduction Coursework has been replaced by controlled assessments at GCSE level. Controlled assessments currently form part of assessment schemes in most subjects, and differs from coursework with respect to the conditions under which they are administered. Unlike coursework, controlled assessments are usually developed under conditions that are closely supervised. In some subjects this may equate to writing up the final part in cl ass over one or more classroom sessions monitored by teachers. This may have to be done under exam conditions (Tileston 2004, pg. 35). Any violation of normal exam regulations can have grave consequences on pupils’ academic lives. Supporting materials like notes (not complete drafts) can be used when writing up. Teachers are usually expected to provide learners with information on how controlled assessments are done in their subjects. Discussion Before I begin my discussion, I would like to take a stand and state that focusing on literacy can actually improve controlled assessments. Literacy basically entails speaking and writing skills, and these two abilities significantly influence the outcomes of controlled assessments. For both teachers and learners, controlled assessments come with different facets that must all be satisfied before the entire process is deemed successful to any extent. These facets include the following: planning; finding; selection; analysis; presentat ion; and self-evaluation (Doyle 2008, pg. 46). All these aspects must be addressed by teachers and learners before and during the controlled assessments and they require sufficient levels of literacy to be dealt with successfully. Learners with very low literacy levels will most definitely find controlled assessments more challenging compared to those who are sufficiently literate. This breeds failure and leads to the development of a bad attitude towards controlled assessments. Individuals naturally have different abilities, and therefore differences in speaking and writing skills will automatically arise. In spite of this, teachers have a responsibility to give all learners the opportunity to develop and perfect their literacy skills (Huot 2002, pg. 58). This way, chances of success in controlled assessments are significantly increased. In other words, poor speaking and writing skills negatively automatically compromise the success of controlled assessments even before they commen ce. Plagiarism is a huge problem not only in controlled assessments but also in examinations. It is condemned and abhorred by teachers and educational institutions, but is yet to be eradicated. Statistics provided by the United States Department of Education reveal that plagiarism and cheating, though problematic in most educational institutions, are most prevalent in learners with poor speaking and written skills (Torrance 2012, pg. 28). This is because they find it hard to read, understand, and

Culture, Behaviour and Management in field of Construction Project Essay

Culture, Behaviour and Management in field of Construction Project Management - Essay Example The potential effectiveness of these ideologies is tested through the London Olympics 2012 construction projects. It is proved that such ideologies can be effective in the construction industry but only the terms that they are appropriately supported in all their aspects. 1. Introduction In the last decade, the rapid expansion of globalisation in countries worldwide has caused a series of changes in traditional organizational practices and frameworks. It is in the context of this trend that the recent credit crisis appeared. The specific crisis has been related to a series of mind-sets and ideologies. In this way, the management of the effects of the credit crisis is not an issue of organizational practices but rather of ideologies and behaviour. The role of mind-sets and ideologies in the development of the recent credit crisis is examined in this paper; emphasis is given on the potential use of these mind-sets for handling the effects of the crisis on the UK construction industry. The construction projects of the London Olympics 2012 are used as indicative examples for highlighting the potential value of mind-sets in handling problems related to the financial crisis – especially cultural and behavioural problems. ... It is recommended that project managers involved in the particular construction projects – those related to London Olympics 2012 – emphasize more on the use of mind-sets for resolving the cultural and behavioural problems of these projects. At the next level, these practices could benefit the construction projects developed in markets with different characteristics, such as the Thai market. 2. An explanation of the recent ‘credit crisis’ taking the perspective of ‘ideologies and mindsets’ to account for the phenomenon. The recent credit crisis proved the inability of leaders in organizations of all industries to take the necessary measures for increasing the strength of their firm towards the market pressures. As noted in the study of Dotlich et al. (2009) in order to be able to face the developments in the global market, modern leaders should ‘develop four mind-sets: a) a global mind-set, b) an innovation mind-set, c) a virtual mind-set and d) a collaborative mind-set’ (Dotlich et al. 2009, p.36). The above mind-sets could be further explained as follows: a) the first (global) mind-set would help leaders to understand the conditions in the global market and set the appropriate strategic priorities, aiming to help their firm improve its position in the international market, b) the innovation mind-set would refer to leaders who are able to identify and promote creative ideas; these ideas could help organizations to increase their competitiveness or, at least, to avoid major losses in periods of severe crises, like the recent one, c) the virtual mind-set refers to leaders who are able to communicate effectively with external providers established in other countries worldwide (Dotlich et al. 2009, p.36), d) the collaborative mind-set reflects the leader

Financial modelling Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial modelling - Lab Report Example For a given value of expected return, MPT tends to explain how one can select a portfolio with the least possible risk. Standard deviation is the most commonly and widely used measure of spread and thus it measures the potential variability, volatility and risk. Standard deviation (ÏÆ'i ) can be used as a good measure of relative risk between two investments that have the same expected rate of return. It can be calculated for each and every individual shares, portfolios of shares and for the market as a whole. A larger value of ÏÆ'i implies a lower probability that actual returns will be closer to the expected returns. We first calculated standard deviation, covariance matrix and expected return. The standard deviation and expected return were calculated by applying the Excel STDEV and AVERAGE functions to the historic monthly percentage returns data. Table 1 below shows the correlation matrix, standard deviations, and the average returns for the rates of return on the stock index. After we input Table 1 into our spreadsheet as shown, we created the covariance matrix in Table 2 using the relationship . The curved line represents the return values and risks that result from combination of various shares. It is also known as the efficient frontier and it represents efficient portfolios of shares that is, portfolios that give the minimum risk for a given level of return or maximum return for a given level of risk. On the other hand, the straight line is known as capital allocation line and it represents the expected return and standard deviation from various combinations of the risk-free asset and the optimal risky portfolio. It starts at the risk-free return of 4% and is perpendicular to the curved line. It represents the highest ratio of risk premium to standard deviation (Sharpe Ratio). For our computations if we invest in a free risk with 10% portfolio we get

Contemporary Issues in Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contemporary Issues in Finance - Essay Example This paper is a brief article about the financial crisis which was being identified by the end of 2007 till the beginning of 2008. It was due to the ill-effects of the crisis that regulatory reforms were taken by US, UK and EU regions. This paper will thereby focus on the regulatory reforms adopted by these nations in the milieu of the 2008 financial crisis. Regulatory Framework of US Financial crisis is often termed as an unknown disturbance which leads to erosion of the total financial market of a country or a nation. By the end of 2007, with the identification of the financial crisis, US and other globalised economies become highly concerned about their survival as a global power. Most businesses ruined and were forecasted to lose approximately $ 2.7 trillion in this crisis (Rude, 2008). As a result, unemployment was at its highest stage. With this concern, the US government concentrated on keeping the banks and most significant businesses alive to overcome the unwanted danger. Th e crisis acted promptly drafting many important pieces of legislation or necessary changes and charting the post-crisis financial regulatory framework. But it was not an easy task; it comprised of numerous hurdles within it. The fundamental role in reforming the financial policies in the US was played by Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and Financial Stability Board (FSB). They developed a DFA (Dodd-Frank Act), which is a framework of reforms to prevent the consequences arising due to such turmoil (Rude, 2008). The vital elements in reformation of US economy relates to the steps taken to develop a financially stable future as well as resizing of the international financial system, so that the need of the economy can be better served (Rude, 2008). It is worth mentioning that the decline of capital regulation in US was not only due to the ad hoc financial events but was also due to a direct consequence of ineffective design and substance of regulatory capital initiates. T he detailed structure could not prevent the large financial institutions from failing. Apart from this, the unskilled leverage ratio turned out to be the most important constraint which ultimately proved beneficial (Rude, 2008). Requirement of capital was the most prevailing area of concern against bank failures after the crisis. Furthermore, the resolution procedures, another regulatory reform which was considered as a better process other than bankruptcy to deal with the problems of insolvency of financial institutions. This states that the framework of banks needed to be extended to other financial institutions in order to safeguard the large institutions in the financial services market. After the crisis, there was bail-out of many institutions due their inability to bear the failure of cross-border banks (Rude, 2008). This led to other regulatory reforms in the aftermath of the crisis, which resulted in dramatically increase of capital and liquidity buffers of the bank. The ref orms enforced after the crisis mainly focuses on two perspectives, i.e. market-restricting approach and market-harnessing approach. The market-restricting approach mainly concentrates on deflating the commercial institutions along with the intention to limit the size of these institutions and reduce the investments in the market. On the other

NPV and IRR Capital Budgeting Tools Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

NPV and IRR Capital Budgeting Tools - Assignment Example Budget in the context of capital budgeting is the plan that describes in detail inflows and outflows of revenue and expenses during the project life. The project life for this case is 10 years. Budget will show the company detail plan of cash inflows and outflows during the 10-year operation period of the aircraft. The two words together – capital budget indicates a list of planned long-term investment outlays for projects. In this case, planned investment is to purchase one of two aircrafts and make additional profits from its operation. Capital budgeting is the method used to determine which among long-term capital investment should be chosen. In this case, we are determining one project – purchase of an aircraft. However, we are using two different aircrafts. For simplicity, two different aircrafts are considered as two separate projects. Capital budgeting process helps strategic planning committee pick up the option, which gives higher rate of return considering tim e value factor of money. This is why it is important in strategic management. Without capital budgeting strategic management team will enter into a wrong selection. Question 2. Explain why the NPV and IRR capital budgeting tools are superior to the accounting rate of return and simple payback techniques for determining the attractiveness of capital investment opportunities.   Answer. ...This method has two limitations. It does not consider cash inflows for the project beyond payback year, and time value of money. Example: Given below cash flows of two different projects for the same return rate, k = 10 %. Project Investment Cash flow Yr 1 Cash flow Yr 2 A $10,000 $0 $14,500 B $10,000 $ 10,000 $ 2,500 Payback method will select project B, since it pays of in one year. Net present value (NPV) The concept of NPV is included in the following formula, NPV = - Initial Investment + Sum of present value of all cash flows until the end of the project. The basis of this method is in evaluat ion of time value of future money. NPV measures the additional market value that is created or destroyed as a result of implementation of investment. Example Given below cash flows of two different projects for the same return rate, k = 10 % Project Investment Cash flow Yr 1 Cash flow Yr 2 A $10,000 $0 $14,500 B $10,000 $ 10,000 $ 2,500 NPV A = - 10,000 + 0 + 12,000 / (1+0.1) 2 = - 10,000 + 14,500 / 1.21 = - 10,000 + 11,983 = 1,983 NPV B = - 10,000 + 10,000 / (1+0.1) 1 + 2,500 / (1+0.1) 2 = - 10,000 + 9,090 + 2,066 = 1,156 According to NPV selection method both projects have NPV > 0, but project â€Å"A† has higher value. With Payback method project â€Å"B† was selected, with NPV method project â€Å"A† is selected. Two-year cash flow calculation in NPV method shows that project â€Å"A† would maximize the investment. This cannot be said about Payback method. Accounting rate of return This method ignores time value of money.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay The novel that has inspired me the most is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I first read the book when I was thirteen years old. Since then, I have reread the novel at least twice a year. There are many features of the novel that has touched me in a profound way. However, there is one aspect that distinguishes this book as my absolute favorite and as the novel that enthuses me: its description of courage. The honorable feature that the novel contains that most inspires me is its truly unique portrayal of courage. The main character, a lawyer named Atticus Finch, states that, â€Å"[Real courage is] when you know youre licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.† In other words, true courage is trying to do what is right even if you know you are most likely going to lose. Indeed, Atticus does just that. In a town located in the Deep South during the 1930s that is highly prejudiced against African Americans, Atticus defends an innocent black man accused of rape by a white man and his daughter. In the months leading up to the trial, Atticus and his family, specifically his children, experience resentment from the townspeople. Atticus himself realizes that, â€Å"[he] won’t win.† Despite this, Atticus presses on, but ultimately, he loses the case. Inspiringly, even though Atticus knew he would not win the case, he tried anyway because he knew it was the right thing to do. Because of its inimitable portrayal of courage, To Kill a Mockingbird is the book that inspires me most. I can only hope when I am faced with an ethical dilemma that will affect my family and me negatively, that I will have the courage to do what I know to be morally right.