The Effects Of Tourism In Kenya

It has been brought to my attention that you have become concerned about the level of economic development in Kenya. To help solve this problem I have prepared a report in which I have come up with a solution to the problem. After thoroughly researching different methods to increase the economy, I have come to a conclusion that tourism is the best alternative to increase the wealth of Kenya. In my report I will be discussing if tourism should be encouraged in Kenya. I will be looking at the different options of tourism, including the tourist opportunities, the advantages and disadvantages and the people who will benefit from it and those that may be affected. I hope my report will be helpful and effective, please do not hesitate to contact me if u have any queries. Thank you. Neha Bharadia Facts Of Kenya * Kenya is located in Eastern Africa, it is found between Somalia and Tanzania. * The total area it covers is 582,650 kmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. 13,400 kmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of this area is water, which leaves 569,250 kmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ to be covered by land * The total population is 31, 138,738 – Excess mortality expected due to AIDS, this results in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected. * The population growth rate is 1.15% * The highest point in Kenya is Mount Kenya which is 5,199m * The natural resources available are gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife and hydropower. * Land use (see chart 2): 7.03% – Arable land 0.91% – Permanent crops 92.06% – Other * Natural hazards that occur in Kenya are: reoccurring drought and flooding during rainy seasons. * The Languages spoken in Kenya are mainly English, Swahili and Kishwahli, however there are also many other various languages spoken. * The literacy rate of the entire population is 78.17%. 86.3% of all males are literate and 70% of all females are literate. * The climate varies from tropical along the coast to arid in the centre. Graphs Showing Climate in Nairobi Chart 1 Chart 3 Chart 2 Tourism in Kenya You can read also Classifications of Restaurants Most tourists are attracted to visiting Kenya because of the wildlife parks or the coastline of the Indian Ocean. People often go on holidays in Kenya, as it is something different from normal beach holidays in Europe, which prove to be very popular with tourists. Visitors to Kenya can go on various different types of safaris, as there are many different national parks and areas where wildlife can be seen. Kenya has a total of twenty-six National Parks and twenty-nine National Reserves. All of them occupy a total area of 44,359 sq. kilometres. They range from marine national parks, savannah-bush woodland national parks, mountain national parks, arid and semi-arid national parks, to lake ecosystem national parks/reserves. The ‘big five' can be seen in all the national parks, these are Elephants, Rhinoceros, Buffalos, Lions, and Leopards. These are the five animals people most look forward to seeing as there are become rare species and can only be seen in certain parts of the world. The marine parks are famous for their beautiful coral reefs, coral gardens, beaches and lagoons, brightly patterned coral fishes e.g. Angel fish, Parrot fish, Starfish, Sea urchins, lovely porcelain cowries, Green turtles, Octopus, Dugong and big game fish like Blue marlin, Sail fish, Giant fish, Giant grouper and Marko sharks. Kenya also accommodates the greatest crocodile colony in the world at Sibiloi National Park, and the world's largest number of flamingos at Lake Nakuru National Park. Tourists can also visit Bamburi; this is an old cement works, which has been made into an ecosystem. This transformation would have been successful without the money from tourism, and is now a tourist titration itself. Another popular place for tourists to visit is Mount Kenya, it stands as the highest point in Kenya, and tourists can visit while on safaris. Tourists also enjoy visiting the Masai tribes; they are a group of nomadic herders who move around Kenya to where the rainy season is. They like to perform shows for the tourists for which they receive money. There are also many outdoor activities that people can participate in such as; camel racing, mountaineering, golf safari and white water rafting. However despite the beautiful scenery and excitingly unusual experience tourism is rapidly dropping on Kenya (See graph below). This could be due to the fact that much of the Kenyan wildlife is being destroyed especially by tourists themselves. The Advantages of Tourism * Tourism brings in a lot Kenya's income, as chart 1 shows most of Kenya's income is through services. A big part of these services rely on tourists, this includes things such as hotels, restaurants, entertainment, gift shops as these as things that locals do not usually spend money on. * Many jobs are created for locals in hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. Many people in Kenya are illiterate (21.83% as shown in the research above) so this gives them opportunities to earn good money without having to do a complicated job. * Tourism can help locals and people of Kenya to try and preserve the area so it will remain attractive to tourists. * Things such as airports, roads, and water and electricity supplies will be improved, this can also benefit the locals as well as the tourists. * Tourism can also mean that local tradition and culture will be preserved in order to keep tourists interested in something new. * Tour operators pay the Maasai tribes people to entertain the tourists, and plus they receive extra money from any tourists who are generous enough to give them tips. * Kenya has become famously known around the world, for its luscious scenery and its wide range of wildlife. * The main people that benefit from tourism are; the service providers and local staff (tour operators, hotel staff, shops selling souvenirs), and tourists themselves as they get to enjoy an excellent holiday. * Local people get some knowledge of other countries, traditions and cultures as people from many different countries visit Kenya (see chart 3). Most locals are not fortunate enough to travel to other countries, so tourism gives them an opportunity to learn about other people. *  The Disadvantages of Tourism * Tourists are a hazard to the natural environment. They cause harms such as footpath and soil erosion, pollution problems caused by litter, noise and waste in rivers and the sea, land is wasted to build road, hotel, airport and luxuries for tourists to enjoy. Tourists leave the country in a mess, which the locals then have to suffer for in the future. The beautiful and peaceful surroundings get ruined which can then cause potential tourism to be affected. * There are only certain seasons where tourists can visit, this is usually summer, and so for the rest of the year many locals are short on work or even out left with no work. The jobs are also of low status and poorly paid, as they are not very skilled jobs, many of the employees have to get more than one job to support their families. * In the national parks tourists demand to see the animals from a close view, this disturbs the animals. * A lot of the money brought in through tourism does not end up helping the country; only 15% of the money spent on a holiday reaches Kenya. * Land is use to build developments on which mean people like farmers, fishermen and small businesses can lose their land and therefore be left without work. * As Kenya is a LEDC it suffers more from tourism than MEDCs because they lack human expertise and money, which makes them less effective than MEDCs. * The local culture may not be preserved but forgotten if locals are more willing to favour towards western tourists than to keep their traditions. They will want to please tourists and change to suit their needs. * Tourists do not respect the traditions and values of the Kenyan people; they can be disrespectful towards the people and towards their beliefs. * The Maasai tribes people have been thrown off their land and only been given a small amount of space to herd their cattle and plant their crops. * The Maasai are also tricked b the tour operators into entertaining for a chap price, although they charge a lot more for tourists to visit them. * Clean water supplies are used up by tourists, leaving only a small amount for locals. * The main people that suffer from the affects of tourism are; locals who feel their authority is not respected by tourists, and the Maasai, who do not get compensated enough for tourists using their land A Solution The problems of tourism can, in some cases, be solved in a way that all people can benefit. The main solution would be to use ‘green tourism' in Kenya. This is where tourism is environmentally friendly. There are many ways of bringing eco-tourism about; these are some of the ways. * There will be a special path for safaris; only certain types of cars can travel on these. * Tourists will not be allowed to walk around the parks, even if they are accompanied. * Tourists must not get too close to the animals or disturb them in any way. * They must not litter or cause any type of pollution. * The Maasai must receive at least half the profit made from any tour operators, and must be paid for the land that it is being used by tourists. * Tourists must respect the traditions and laws of Kenya, this includes being proper dressed at all times and following the rules given to them. * Money made from tourism should go towards paying staff and developing the environment of the country. * Only small parts of the land should be used to development tourism. * The locals should be respected, this means still being able to have a good water supply and not being over-run by tourists. If these needs can be met by both the Kenyan government and the tourists, the tourism will not only help the country's economy but will also preserve the environment. By introducing this type of tourism in Kenya it will help everyone by the following ways. * The environment will be preserved; this will help in the sustainable development of tourism in the country. The animals will be kept safe and unharmed, as well as the greenery and other surroundings. * The locals will benefit because the country can be developed with the income of tourism. * Tourist will be able to enjoy their holiday, while still being able to secure the country for tourism in the future. * The Maasai will be able to get the kind of money they deserve. Conclusion Should tourism be encouraged in Kenya? After analysing many pieces of evidence, it is obvious that tourism plays a large active role in the country's economy. It brings in a lot of the money, however there are many problems concerning this. One of the biggest problems is that the country is getting damaged in the process; this stops the sustainable development of tourism. Another major problem is that tourism is only seasonal, which means that tourism cannot be relied on as the main source of income. Although it can bring in more than most industries and agriculture, it cannot always be successful. One other problem is that is concerning the government is that most of the money spent by foreigners on holidays to Kenya does not actually reach the country itself. However if introducing eco-tourism solves the problem of tourists damaging the environment then everyone can enjoy tourism. The other two problems cannot really be solved drastically, but Kenya can still benefit from tourism. I believe that although Kenya is a good resort for tourism, so it should be encouraged under the rules of ‘green tourism.' In spite of this it is still not consistent throughout the year, which mean Kenya also needs another major source of income. The Kenyan government should use the natural resources found on the land to their advantage, for example they could export the gold, rubies and other precious stones found in the country. This will guarantee them an income when the tourist season is not on.

In my day by Russell Baker Essay

Russell Baker, talks about his old and ailing mother in â€Å"In My Day†. With her growing age grew her senility, and she behaved like a young child on some days, while she invited her son to her funeral some other days. The author’s main purpose is to unravel the human emotions and highlighting some of the shortcomings we have as humans. He speaks both in subjective and objective terms as he tells of how we all have a habit of bringing to the forefront our past lives, but not realizing that the person who is addressed has no connection with it and is totally indifferent towards it. The stream of thought becomes more subjective when he presents his realizations after meeting his mother and wished to respect his past when he says, â€Å"These hopeless end-of-the-line visits with my mother made me wish I had not thrown off my own past so carelessly.† The dominant impression is formed with care as he presents the details of the mental state her mother is in and the reader is glum upon identifying that. The description of his mother’s character is again done in a beautiful manner and we get a clear idea of the power she exudes as a woman, he calls her a â€Å"formidable woman†. The sensory descriptions are especially notable in â€Å"In My Day†, when Russell has given descriptions such as â€Å"view of hazy blue Virginia Mountains behind the apple orchard†, â€Å"a doll with huge, fierce eyes† and more such descriptions of the past incidents. These techniques combined together make this piece interesting and captivating for the readers.

Bull Run (The Battle of 1st Manassas)

Bull Run (The Battle of 1st Manassas) Essay The first major battle of the Civil War was fought in Virginia, near the Manassas, Virginia railway junction. The armies in this first battle were not very large by later Civil War standards. The Federal forces under Brigadier General Irvin McDowell were organized into four divisions of about 30,000 men. These divisions were commanded by Tyler, Hunter, Heintzelman, and Miles. The Confederate command structure was somewhat more stable, including two armies, with no division structure and thirteen independent brigades under Bonham, Ewell, Jones, Early, Jackson, Smith, Bartow, and a cavalry brigade under Stuart. The Confederate Army of the Potomac was under the command of Brigadier General Pierre G. T. Beauregard, and the Army of the Shenandoah was commanded by Brigadier General Joseph Johnston. These two forces would equal McDowells Strength.One thing that was odd was that each commander had planned to initiate an attack on the other side with an attack on the enemys right flank and a massed attack on the opposite flank. Had this been done at the same time, and both been successful in their purpose, the two armies would have pivoted around each other ending up in each others rear, able to march unopposed to Washington or Richmond. McDowell had planned to use Tylers division as the diversionary attack at the Stone Bridge, while Davies brigade did the same at Blackburns Ford. At the same time, Hunters and Heintzelmans divisions would cross Bull Run at Sudley Springs and attack from the north. McDowells troops involved in the flanking column, reached their jumping off positions two and a half hours behind schedule. Tylers and Davies attacks at the Stone Bridge and Blackburns Ford were already well under way, and the Confederate high command was beginning to sense an advantage because the Union attacks were not pressed very hard. When Beauregard was notified that Federal troops were massing on his left flank, he realized that this must be the main attack so began to shift his own troop dispositions. The Federals had about 18,000 men in the main attack column and it was only thanks to the quick reactions of Colonel Shank Evans and his small brigade that Beauregard did not suffer a major disaster. He quickly moved his small force to Matthews Hill to block the Federal move. Sounds of the fighting drew other brigade commanders to Evans aid on their own initiative. Brigadier General Barnard Bee and Colonel Bartow joined Evans defensive line and deployed their men to his right to extend and strengthen it. The Confederate position was still badly outnumbered however, and eventually the weight of those numbers began to be felt. With Tylers division threatening the right flank and rear of the Confederate position after having forced a crossing at the Stone Bridge, and their left flank now being overlapped by Federal reinforcements, the three Confederate brigades broke to the rear, heading toward the cleared plateau of the Henry House Hill. Unfortunately for the Federals, they were slow to follow-up their success and allowed the Southern brigade commanders to rally the remnants of their units behind Jacksons brigade which had just arrived and formed a line of battle on the reverse slope of Henry House Hill. In the meantime, McDowell ordered two artillery batteries to advance to silence the defensive fire. Ricketts Battery and Griffins Battery advanced to well within musket range of the Confederate positions near the crest of the hill. These batteries were counterattacked by Confederate infantry and overrun. The loss of the guns became a focal point for back and forth attacks and counterattacks by each side, with the possession of the guns changing hands several times. Finally having accumulated enough units to not only stabilize the Confederate lines, but also overlap the right flank of the Federal lines, the order was given for a general advance by Beauregard. This attack caved-in the Federal right and what began as a fairly orderly retreat turned into a disorganized rout. The equally tired and inexperienced Confederates however, were in no shape to conduct an effective pursuit, so the battle ended. READ: Restaurant Business Essay The Federals lost about 3,000 casualties (killed, wounded, and captured or missing), and the Confederates suffered about 2,000.

Client Quality Meeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Client Quality Meeting - Essay Example The problem, therefore, is not that strategic planning does not work but that the paradigms that we have been using before are not right for new situation and environment. The first step has been to identify the pieces that must at least be understood before we can successfully begin. The next step, then, is to develop an idealized, generic model that gives us a clear idea of the whole that we are shooting for when we begin implementation. It must be specific enough to allow us to identify action steps. At the same time, however, it must be general enough so that any type of organization can apply it effectively (Knack, 2004). In order to be more successful, we need an approach that helps replace or combine our short-term orientation with a long-term one; discourages in-house competition for resources; helps generate consensus on priorities; encourages the necessary integration; effectively reads and reacts to the organization's increasingly turbulent environment; and does not impose unrealistic demands on those required to translate corporate objectives, as defined, into reality. (a) Process standardization The question arose of whether maintenance should have a team of its own or whether representatives should act as a resource to the other divisional teams. With input from the heads of PS&D and maintenance, it is eventually decided that this function should have its own team and should deal initially with issues internal to its own operation. This arrangement would allow maintenance personnel to concentrate first on their own procedures and equipment needs. It would allow them also to design, from their own perspective, the desired relationship with the storeroom and the production units they served before involving other stakeholders (Johnston 2003). A major purpose of the team building effort is to improve relations between the hourly work force and management. Having the two sides join together in a problem-solving effort is a step in this direction. The quality control consultants should meet with the team and review its conversations with the departme nt supervisors. (b) New technologies Information technologies must be integrated into the entire production process (from initial designs through marketing to final sales and supporting services such as maintenance). To do this requires the office, the factory, the retail store, and the repair service to have workers with levels of education and skill they have never needed in the past. Every production worker must be taught some principles of operations research to employ statistical quality control. (Frame, 2003; Senior,2001). V Expected Quality Standards Action- Guest speaker, discussion; Time - 30 min What are your expectations about product quality and control Do you agree with our strategic

Financial Econometrics Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Econometrics Coursework - Essay Example In 2003, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mentioned that the R-square of the regression analysis was insufficient to determine the effectiveness of hedging. In a speech by a professional accounting fellow from the office of the chief accountant of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, stated that determination of hedge effectiveness should consider the slope of the coefficient of the regression analysis. This coefficient reflects the minimum variance hedge ratio.1 The interpretation of the regression slope coefficient is the average change in the dependent variable: real total expenditure on food for a unit increase in the independent variable: Real total expenditure on goods and services. The slope coefficient it 0.32, thus for every 1 unit change in real total expenditure on goods and services, there is a 0.32 unit change in real expenditure on food. Omission of an important independent variable such as real price of food relative to other goods will result in the decreased ability of the model to predict the real total expenditures on food given the real total expenditures on food. The independent variables used to predict 99.9% of the dependent variable: real consumption expenditure as indicated by the value of the adjusted-R Squared. The Durbin-Watson value of 1.85 indicates there is no signs of first-order serial correlation in the residuals of a time series regression. The values of Akaike info criterion (AIC) -268.2093 and Schwarz criterion -273.6530 are extremely low indicating the need for modification in the regression model by changing the independent variables. The t-statistic value could be compared with the critical t-value which is not available. The reported Probability is the p-value, or marginal significance level. Since this probability value of the regression analysis (F-statistic) is less than the size of the test, say 0.05, the null hypothesis could be rejected. This indicates that the

Station Nightclub Fire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Station Nightclub Fire - Research Paper Example The video footage reveals that the smoke of the fire acted as the disincentive for the crowd to break through and the exit blockade acted as the catalyst (NIST Engineering Laboratory, 2011). The first flames were thought to be the part of the act. When the flames reached the ceiling and the smoke began to spread all throughout the club, people realized that the fire is not under control. Within a few seconds after the polytechnics ended the band stopped to play and most band members took the escape route through the west. The fire alarm of the club acutely made everyone aware of the danger while most tried to take the way through which they entered. The massive crowd led to stampede and the exit got completely blocked. This resulted in deaths and severe injuries for the staffs. After the tragedy the Governor declared a moratorium on the displays of pyrotechnic for the venues that can hold less than 300 people. After five months of the accident, the band started a benefit tour. A portion of the generated proceeds were forwarded to the Station Family Fund. The site was cleared and the relatives left a multitude of crosses for the deceased. The members who managed to survive intended to acquire the site and place a permanent memorial. Since the month of May, 2003, nondenominational services started at the fire site on monthly basis. The members of the affected families and the friends who lost their dear ones gathered to take part in the memorial. The Station Fire Memorial Foundation was formed in June, 2003. The purpose of the foundation was to purchase the property and take care of the memorial. The Foundation is still continuing the services on yearly basis. Investigations started to dig out the cause of the fire. The investigation included local and the f ederal agencies. The investigators interviewed the witnesses and visited the scene. The scene was divided

Laurell K. Hamilton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Laurell K. Hamilton - Essay Example In all of Hamilton’s novels one can come across a number of contemporary themes that goes well in tune with the contemporary American socio-cultural milieu. For instance, her works deal with such contemporary themes in American literature such as gender, sex, identity, oppression, and morality. The paper seeks to explore what makes Hamilton a contemporary writer who deals with contemporary themes in literature and in doing so the paper focuses on the dominant themes in her writings. The themes of gender and sex are dominant in Hamilton’s writings and it is these themes that attribute her works a contemporary nature even though her plot and characters stem out of mere fantasy. One can clearly see that her women protagonists challenge the very notion of the stereotyped gender and sex roles played by women in a male dominated society. Nick Mamatas is right when the author remarks that Hamilton accomplished something quite impossible by creating â€Å"a new subgenre, urban fantasy-adventure with a female lead, and build a new audience for it† (Hamilton & Wilson, 2009, p. 5). In fact, Hamilton created her female protagonists in such a way that the female readers could easily identify with the central characters and her female protagonists undertake such actions which females thought to be impossible in the real life. In all her novels and short stories, one can find that the male characters are forced to follow the female lead. For instance, in the Anita Blake series, Anita Blake assumes a tough personality who always triumphs over men. Thus, one can see that Hamilton challenged the conventions of a standard fantasy novel where the heroine always played a submissive role to the heroes. Her heroines do not end up their lives in the hero’s bed for domestic-sexual bliss. Usually, in popular fiction, â€Å"even if a woman triumphed over a man intellectually, economically, or rhetorically in a scene or two, by the end of the book the female l ead would be humbled and ready to submit to the male lead† and â€Å"Hamilton changed that† (Hamilton & Wilson, 2009, p. 9). Thus, it can be concluded that Hamilton’s writings depict the changing gender roles played by women and such a theme is very much contemporary in literature. No doubt, the themes related to literature derive the real or imaginary life of man and a theme in literature is said to be contemporary when it represents the existing socio-cultural milieu. The readers feel that the writer is giving vent to their own emotions, feelings, grievances, frustrations and experiences. A close reading of Hamilton convinces one that her treatment of sex and female sexuality was very much bold and unconventional. When one finds Anita Blake at the beginning of Hamilton’s series, she is a 27 year old celibate Christian who keeps strict moral codes in her life. However, one finds her supporting premarital sex and engaging in extra marital relations as the story progresses. However, Hamilton gives Anita a reason to go hog wild with sex, and in doing so she unbridged the gap between humans and monsters. In Cerulean Sin, Anita herself states, â€Å"one of my favourite things about hanging out with the monsters is the healing. Straight humans seemed to get killed on me a lot. Monsters survived. Let’s hear it for the monsters.† It is thus evident that Hamilton’s treatment of the theme of sex and sexuality assumes contemporary relevance. Nathan Brazil, reviewing Laurel K. Hamiilton’

Accrual Accounting Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Accrual Accounting Systems - Essay Example Project subject area and Angle description - Small to medium enterprises are major components of developed economies as they constitute 99% of the total number of business operations in these countries. Given the space that SMEs occupying within developed economies and their importance therein studying the methods by which these enterprises can utilise IT tools to maximise organisational efficiency and effectiveness, and enhance organisational performance, is extremely crucial. In direct relation to the aforementioned, accounting and organisational management scholars have determined that the right accounting software package can substantially contribute to organisational performance and the maximisation of efficiency and effectiveness (Hirst and Hopkins, 1998). Choosing the right accounting software is perceived to be one of the most challenging tasks that an entrepreneur faces in his professional career (Johnston 2003). This is especially true for small scale business operations wh ere owners often lack the resources and expertise beyond their core activities to the point that other functions are overlooked. However, the selection process is problematic, as is the subsequent implementation process. Problem to be Solved and Worth – Although, in this highly developed economy, there is hardly an SME which does not manage its accounts through the use of accounting software, few understand the imperatives of selecting the right package or the benefits of doing so.

Ethics and Morals in Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics and Morals in Criminal Justice - Essay Example ince their inception, these laws have inordinately targeted particular segments of our society, creating a perpetual underclass and left millions of people unable to escape from the criminal justice system. Not only is continuing these kinds of policies politically and economically unsustainable, these laws are ethically shameful. Legalizing and decriminalizing addictive substances, but controlling their distribution as the government does with many other goods, represents the moral and necessary solution to a problem that has persisted through a half of a century. However, inherent to the question of change-from comes the question of change-to; that is, if we are to repeal the War on Drugs and restrictive policies, what is the best solution moving forward? After looking at the kind of economic and normative imperatives we face from our drug policies, the kinds of solutions available in the aftermath of decriminalization shall be made apparent using case studies of other nations who have enjoyed success moving in this progressive direction. Although drug policies are well-intentioned, they do have harmful unintended social and moral consequences. For instance, looking at the economics of addiction, government regulation of addictive substances has large-scale and adverse consequences. The substitution and set-point effects of drugs harm a larger number in the preregulation population (Gifford Jr., 1999). Some authors have found a direct correlation between the Drug War and homicide rates in certain populations. These same studies conclude that empirical results indicate drug-control policy is far more expensive and less prohibitive than expenditures made by the criminal justice system. That is, decriminalization of controlled substances is the only financially stable option (Brumm & Cloninger, 1995). In addition to being a massive liability for the Federal government both militarily and with civilian law enforcement, the War on Drugs is the social costs on

The Acquisition of Walls With Polka and the Acquisition of Adobe With Research Paper

The Acquisition of Walls With Polka and the Acquisition of Adobe With Macromedia - Research Paper Example Acquisition is the purchase of one company by another company. For successful acquisition deal, company should take enough data about the market position and market performance of acquiring company. Because of not collecting enough data, 50% of acquisition deals are unsuccessful. Here we represent the two examples of successful acquisition deals. Acquisition of Wall’s with Polka In 1993, the administration of Lever Brothers formulated a team to search for business potential of Ice Cream in Pakistan. This team went back with the result that there is a lot of potential of Ice Cream business in Pakistan. So they decided to launch Wall’s ice cream in Pakistan. Wall’s is the biggest ice cream manufacturers in the world and second to it is Nestle. The administration of Wall’s wanted to enter in the market through acquisition strategy. They wanted to acquire Polka which was the established local brand and was representing the only national ice cream business in P akistan. They wanted to save time by acquiring Polka which was needed to capture the market. In 1994 Lever Brothers tried to acquire Polka ice cream for US$ 600 million but Polka refused the bid and they demand one billion rupees. But Wall’s established an ice cream factory in eleven months and did not acquire Polka (LePage, 2007). In February 1995, Wall’s launched with twelve products. After the launching they gave tremendous services and Polka loosed its market share. At this time Polka approached Wall’s to sell itself but now Wall’s had done all the hard work which they did not initially want to do by acquiring Polka. The administration of Polka spread a rumor that Nestle is coming through Polka which Wall’s did not want because Nestle is the biggest competitor of Wall’s. So Wall’s purchased Polka in 1997. The Strengths of the acquisition of Wall’s with Polka. After the acquisition they are working together for many years. O n Polka packaging there is a brand mark of Wall’s ice cream. The acquisition of Wall’s with Polka enhances the resource strengths and competitive capabilities of these companies in this way. 1. This acquisition made Wall’s the unchallenged leader and now the sale of Wall’s 85% and all other brands like Yummy, Hico and Igloo have sale with single digit. Omore is another emerging brand but its sale cannot compete Walls. 2. The Wall’s emerged as â€Å"Impulse Brand† 3. Unilever is also the most reliable brand in the country and through this acquisition Polka also saves itself from the tough competition and also realize that it was facing loss in market share before the acquisition 4. If Nestle was approached Polka then it would become biggest threat for Wall’s as Polka was the only local brand and also most familiar brand for the people of country. The Wall’s save itself from tough competition through acquisition. Acquisition of A dobe with Macromedia Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American multinational computer software company and it was founded in 1982 by John Warnock (Adobe’, 2012). The company has focused upon the creation of multimedia and creativity software products. In 2005, Adobe acquired its former competitor Macromedia.

Australia Essay Example for Free

Australia Essay The downturn in the international financial crisis has compounded Australias tourism industry. Relevant departments recently predicted that Australia will be reduced by inbound tourists this year, more than 4% the past 20 years Australian tourism industry is facing the most severe blow. Australian Bureau of Statistics data released ,2007-2008 Australian tourism contribution to gross domestic product was 3.6%, while this proportion was 4.7% previously. Therefore, the tourism industry downturn will inevitably affect Australias economy as a whole. The largest source of tourism is the lack of trouble. Australian Tourism and Transport Forum executive director Ã¥ ¥ ¥Ã¥Ë† ©Ã§ » ´Ã¥ ¨â€¦Ã¦ ²Æ' thinking recently pointed out that the traditional source countries as Australia and the tourism industry of the United States, Britain, Japan and South Korea economy continues to decline, resulting in significantly reduced visitors to Australia, the situation in the future may continue to deteriorate. According to relevant departments of Australia forecasts, in addition to visitors from New Zealand will increase in times of adversity, the next six months, tourists from other countries will be the number of tourists fell by double-digit rates. Australias tourism industry suffered a downturn has begun to transfer to the related industries. According to statistics, about 48.3 million people in the Australian tourism practitioners, but this number is shrinking. So far, Australias hotels, motels, apartments and other services have been cut more than 3,000 jobs, 63% of the Australian main tourist services may be further layoffs. Solidarity of the aviation industry and tourism will naturally be immune. Australia and Australia Airlines 14 announced, as expected full-year profit will be significantly lower than previously expected, the company will cut as many as 1,750 jobs. Qantas also said the same day, has been postponed to buy 4 Airbus A380 and 12 other aircraft. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said Qantas no choice, only to make large adjustments to ensure that the company weather the storm. He also said that if economic conditions continue to deteriorate, the company may be further layoffs. Some economists believe that Qantas job cuts and other measures related businesses will have a negative impact on the Australian economy. However, Australian Treasurer Huaiensiwang said the Australian governments economic stimulus plan is to gradually play a buffer role. Immediate challenge for the Australian Tourism Export Council head é © ¬Ã§â€° ¹Ã¦ ¬ £Ã¦   ¼Ã¨â€™â€š that the Australian tourism industry has experienced many times before the fight, but later achieved a rapid recovery. He said he believed a rainbow after the storm. Australias tourism resources are very rich, exotic natural beauty, the unique ecological environment, cultural diversity and contrast the developed economy is the basic condition for the rapid development of tourism. (A) of the inbound tourism 1968 Australia received only 24 million foreign tourists, 81 million U.S. dollars, tourism foreign exchange earnings. Into the 90s, the Australian economy each year for the tourism industry to bring the output value of more than 200 million Australian dollars, worth of 80 billion Australian dollars. Number of Foreign Tourists in 1996 reached 416.? 50000 visits, tourism, foreign exchange 87. 0.3 billion U.S. dollars, tourism foreign exchange earnings has more than wool, coal, iron ore and wheat, and other traditional export products, became the countrys fastest growing, most foreign exchange industry. According to the World Tourism Organization, Australia in 1998 a world where international tourism receipts, international tourists all over the continents of the world, Japan has become the largest source country of Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Britain and continental Europe, its traditional source markets. In recent years, tourists from China and Koreas rapid growth. Purpose of travel to the main tourist resort, followed by visiting friends and relatives and business travel. (B) Outbound Tourism Australias rapid economic development after World War II one of the countries? Per capita GDP in 1997 to $ 20,540 of the world high-income areas. 1990 Australian tourists going abroad for the first time broke the 200 million people in 1996 to 273.2 million overseas tourist arrivals. According to the World Tourism Organization, Australia study tour in 1991, the total expenditure reached 38. 800 million U.S. dollars, foreign travel destination ranks No. 1 in Asia, especially Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, the Philippines and mainland China and other areas, and this is Oceania, Europe and North America also followed suit. (C) of the domestic tourism Tourism has become Australias an important part of peoples lives, the domestic tourists in 1990 reached 58.446 million people, equivalent to the total population of more than 3 times, entertaining vacation spot. According to statistics, vacation and pleasure trips accounted for 42%, 29% visiting friends, meeting business accounted for 15%; the main way to travel with their drive to account for 3 / 4, the time spent traveling an average of 4.? 6 days. In the summer in Australia in January this year, every Christmas, New Year, but also a time when the school summer holidays, the Friends have brought people to his family or vacation, the formation of the annual peak travel. 7-8 two months in winter, is the low season In the economic crisis environment, still won the Australian Hotels recognized international tourists. According to the Global Online Travel Group the data presented, there are more this year than last year, Australias most popular hotel into the Global 1000 list of hotels. The third consecutive year, Expedia Insiders Select List will be in Adelaide Majestic Roof Garden Hotel named best hotel in Australia, and the 24th highest in the world.

Ethics in Accounting: Financial Reporting Scandals

Ethics in Accounting: Financial Reporting Scandals Introduction The first thing is character, before money or anything else. J. P. Morgan Integrity is of utmost importance for a successful career in business and finance in the long run. Some believe that the world of finance lacks ethical considerations. Whereas the truth is that such issues are prevalent in all areas of business. The business environment in much of the world is reeling from the revelation of several financial scandals in the past few years. The optimism of the turn of the century has been replaced by scepticism and distrust. It will be discussed as to how we landed ourselves in this situation, what is being done to correct it, and what the future holds for us. Though Enron has been used as the poster-child for this purpose, breakdowns in accounting and corporate governance in Enron as well as in other companies will be discussed. Some companies that have encountered financial reporting problems will be discussed along with the role of auditors (including Andersens role in Enron), the regulatory environment, some of the causes of the problems, and the current and possible future outcomes. Ethics and Accounting Ethics (maintaining fair and true statements) is a key part of financial reporting. For shareholders to trust a company with money, they must feel confident in the companys financial reporting. Financial reporting presents all data relating to the entityscurrent, historical and projected health meaning investors and shareholders rely upon the financial data available for making informed and educated decisions. To help entities comply with business regulations and maintain financial reporting, shareholders can trust the existing organizations designed to monitor different aspects of the accounting world. Primary organizations are Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC), the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). These three bodies together ensure financial reporting is fair, reliable, and available to all investors. The specific importance of ethics in business and in financial reporting is to ensure public and investor confidence in companies. Without a strong code of ethics and adherence to that code, individuals may not be certain their investments are secure. Accounting professionals must have a strong ethical and moral reasoning because their decisions regarding financial reporting can have major consequences for individuals as well as corporations and entire nations. Ethics in the business environment are more than just issues relating to accounting; because ethical practices can and will cross boundary from business practice to what a company may ask its accounting professionals to do in financial recording. The many recent scandals involving accounting and reporting fraud generally began at the CEO and made their way down into the financial records. Before the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, various financial abuses such as WorldCom, Enron, and Adelphia Communications plagued the American public and affected economic health of the entire nation adversely. Most of these frauds stemmed from unethical accounting practices instituted at the highest levels of the corporations, but carried out in the financial reporting practices of public accounting firms. In December 2001, Enron, which used to be one of the worlds leading energy companies once, filed the largest bankruptcy in the history of the U.S., using the retirement accounts of thousands of American workers, to enrich those at the highest levels of the corporation. Using thousands of off-the-records partnerships to hide nearly $1 billion in debt and to inflate profits, company had defrauded shareholders of billions. Due to these scandals, President Bush and Congress were forced to take tough stance in the form of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in July of 2002. When ethics seem to be on the downfall in a society, the common man naturally turns to the government for guidance. Various crises in the history of the United States have led to creation of several regulatory bodies and laws. The three entities in the US, mentioned above, work closely together to ensure financial accounting is honest. The SEC, the FASB, and the PCAOB are each an independent entity, but they often work in cooperation in certain areas such as oversight and reporting. While these three bodies work together, they rely on cooperation from member companies and from participation from â€Å"whistle-blowers† in companies and public citizens. As the Enron collapse illustrated, there were systemic failures in the private-sector watchdog-groups. The SEC and the PCAOB must work closely together and include way to fast-track criminal cases. Enron and other financial reporting scandals Enron was a great symbol of widespread problem in corporate America as its rise was as spectacular as its fall. Enron, formed in 1985 when Internorth purchased Houston Natural Gas was soon being run mainly by Houston Natural Gas executives, with Ken Lay as CEO. In 1990, both Jeffrey Skilling and Andy Fastow were hired. In 1996, Skilling became the President and COO. A meteoric rise in both reputation and stock value came by, with Enron being named as one of Fortunes most admired companies in 2001 and its stock price peaking at $90.56 a share as on August 23, 2000. Much of the companys success was credited to the financial wizardry of Fastow. However, companys fall was just around the corner, with Skilling resigning in August of 2001. This was followed by a $1.2 billion write-off, and the beginning of an SEC investigation in October. By December, Enron had declared bankruptcy and the share price was $.26 per share. If Enron had been a lone case, concern would have dissipated quickly and confidence in capital markets would not have plumped. But it was not so. Before Enron, there were companies such as Waste Management and Sunbeam — not significant by themselves, but they should have acted as a warning of what was to come. After Enron the disclosures kept coming. WorldCom was caught capitalizing expenses. While Enron was trying to outsmart the accounting and capital market regulators, WorldCom made accounting errors that even novice accounting students would know were inappropriate. A disturbing aspect of many of these scandals is the collusion among many executives. An important observation is that all of these scandals cant be attributed to one factor alone. Each one was different. Hence it can be concluded that the solution is not easy to find. There is no single accounting practice that made these entities vulnerable to executive excesses. What these scandals had in common was a culture that was pervasive in corporations. A culture had come in that made it permissible to lie to shareholders and the markets. â€Å"The ends justify the means† became the corporate mantra. Also, the watchdogs, the auditors had turned a blind eye with their focus just on their consulting businesses. They were not as vigilant as they should have been in audits. The auditors role in ensuring fair play Auditors are supposed to protect the public from the types of abuses that have been seen in the past. Even though financial statements are responsibility of management, the shareholders hire auditors for the protection of their interests and to add credibility to financial information provided by the firms. To be credible, auditors need both expertise and integrity. Expertise assures if there is a financial reporting irregularity, the auditor has the capacity to discover it. Integrity assures that auditors will disclose any irregularity they may find. These two qualities are essential. They are also multiplicative that is if either is missing, other has no value. It has been found that both were missing in many cases. Expertise was missing as audits had come under cost cutting measures of firms. This happened often at the cost of quality. Integrity was gone when auditors forgot that the first allegiance of a professional is to the public. Seldom did auditors betray management for the benefit of the public. Hence, even if they did discover reporting problems, rather than reporting them to the public they often helped management devise ways around the reporting problems. Auditors fell into this position (probably not because they were incompetent or unethical but) because of the cultures in major accounting firms. Andersen, Enrons auditor, is a classic example. There were good auditors who got caught up in an economic struggle leading to undue focus on revenue generation. An audit firm having the highest reputation for competence and integrity compromised on its values as that was the only way its partners thought to be economically competitive. In the more recent Satyam case in India, the fraud started at the top level management and reached the financial records. The role of Pricewaterhouse, Satyams auditor, is also controversial in the said scandal. Causes of financial reporting problems The regulatory environment had not changed suddenly then why did the financial reporting problems surface at the time, is a question to be pondered upon. There are many reasons, not one that dominates. It was a confluence of circumstances that opened eyes to the problems. The bursting of the bubble economy was a major reason these financial abuses came to light. When everything was seemed bright, nobody questioned companies financial reports. In accounting the lack of relevance of historical cost accounting and even the basic traditional accounting framework were being discussed. The â€Å"new economy† was not to last forever. And when it did not last, investors began to ask tough questions. For many of the questions, there were no answers — only denials and cover-ups. In the auditing profession, audits had become loss leaders. The balance sheets and income statements had lost value, so auditing of the statements was not important. Thus, many audits became hasty and more of a formality. No one was willing to pay for quality audits, so many audit firms believed there remained no sense in competing on the basis of quality. Cost drove audit decisions. Lower cost even with lower quality was the norm. The passivity of corporate boards was also a contributor. This was worsened by the growing number of complex financial transactions, most of which were beyond understanding of board members, who had gained their experience before such instruments came into being. Even a former accounting professor heading Enrons Audit Committee, a person of utmost integrity, had difficulty understanding the implications of the companys financial manoeuvring. Finally, the biggest culprit is the corporate culture. Focus was laid on short-term gains forgetting about all long-run considerations. Also the executive scorecard became focused on salary. Many players had become greedy — executives, investors, and attorney, among others — but more than that was the need to compete on the basis of compensation. Implications for accounting educators The perpetrators of most of financial reporting scandals are former students, graduates of accounting or MBA programs. So educators must ask themselves: What are they doing wrong and what must they do to fix the problems? The first obvious reaction is to emphasize ethics in business and accounting curricula. This is important. Educators in a business ethics class can not dissuade someone who is inclined to commit a fraud from doing so. But it is also true that most perpetrators did not at the onset set out to commit a fraud. They simply got ended up on a slippery zone. Also, the most disappointing aspect about most of the scandals is the number of people who, (though not personally involved) knew what was happening and still did nothing. Exceptions to the rule are some courageous whistle blowers, many of whom were products of university accounting programs. Thus, the focus of ethics classes should be to recognize and analyse the situations that can lead to compromise on ones ideals and values, and to promote the reporting of inappropriate behaviour. This can be best done in context because ethics issues come up in context, with you imagining yourself in the real situation. It is easy to go into an ethics class and give the answer that the instructor wants. It is an altogether different thing to put ones self in a case situation with conflicting pressures, and determine the appropriate action when ethics is only one of the many factors impacting your decision. Conclusion The accounting profession is in the middle of a challenging time. A reputation gained over years and decades can be lost in a day. Accountants were thought of as persons of high integrity working at an uninteresting job. In the current scenario the job has gotten more interesting, but at the cost of their reputation for integrity. It is essential to win back the trust of the public and maintain their belief in the importance of accounting. The road to restoring integrity of accountants today is a long one. The job will neither be quick nor easy, with the new series of financial reporting scandals that have come up. References Wikipedia online encyclopaedia Sarbanes-Oxley Act. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbanes- Oxley_Act#Overview_of_the_PCAOB.27s_requirements Financial oversight of Enron: SEC and private-sector watchdogs http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/100702watchdogsreport.pdf http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/54065/accounting_ethics.html

Is Media Globalization A Form Of Cultural Imperialism Media Essay

Is Media Globalization A Form Of Cultural Imperialism Media Essay It can be argued that media globalisation can be a form of cultural imperialism but others may argue that its not. Many critics have defined globalisation or media imperialism as an important channel for the expansion of consumer-based culture extending across borders (Tomlinson J. 1997, p22). The critics have also defined the growing phenomenon of people from North America who tend to buy media and entertainment products from there. As a result they are heavily influenced with what the media tells them that the consumers seem to be led in one direction of culture and hence the effect of this is that people are dislodged from their own culture because of cultural imperialism which is a direct result of media globalisation and the effects of it. Media globalisation can play a huge role in various cultures thus impending cultural imperialism. For instance, the generation of ideas and culture from the developed and modern west to the undeveloped world such as Asia can result in homogenisation of consumerist culture which can endanger and alter cultural values (Tomlinson J. 1997, p23). Media imperialism can be defined as a progression where the arrangement, ownership allocation and the actual content of the media in a specific country can be influenced by external pressures from the content of the media in other countries or country without the same response of influence from the country that is affected (Boyd-Barrett, O. 1998, p160). The concept of media imperialism was developed after a broader analysis of cultural imperialism and dependency took place. Imperialism could differ in relation to other forms of media which consist of diverse heights, proportions of activity in various different media sectors. The definition itself refers to ownership, structure, distribution or content (Boyd-Barrett, O. 1998, p162). Many factors can affect media globalisation such as economic, social, cultural and political factors. Media globalisation is a form of cultural imperialism as media in places such as America with channels such as CNN broadcast government news which can most assuredly influence people from around the world as television is a communication channel and depending on what industry they belong to, it may biased thus it would contribute towards cultural imperialism which shows how the media integrates and thus affect it (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). During the 1960s and the 1970s America and some other First World nations took the media to their advantage. America challenged the idea of the emergence of news and cultural factors for example film, music, television and advertisements and thus entertainment was portrayed through the media which helped to develop many countries (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). Some critics such as Herman and McChesney argue that the main universal avenue, specifically in regards to the media, is still taken over by the American interests and by the American domestic market, although its importance may turn down as other nations become more prosperous and become more media active (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). With the widespread of the Internet, it has given the media another channel to which to interact with the world and is the most useful, all-encompassing channel of communication used throughout the world. Media globalisation has greatly expanded the significance of communication through various media channels such as social networking sites on Facebook which has become so dominant that people from around the globe and from countless different cultures use these communication channels even though it originally originated from the West but which still has many affects on the less developed world. The radio is also another form of media which can generate globalisation in the sense that it has universal accessibility. The radio has been around for hundreds of years and it still seen as an influential tool in helping and expanding ideas around the globe. The radio in Europe was mainly used for governmental uses during the times of war and thus other countries from around the globe considered the radio as a popular movement as well as a political dissenter which was used to criticise the state policies (Boyd-Barrett, O. 1998, p162). Furthermore, the radio is a tool which can be used for media purposes, educational, entertainment and they provide as useful political mediums to benefit the community. Hence, although many people treat the Internet as a worldwide, electronic device which is best known for democracy at its peak, it has led to a divide and has its own disadvantages. The Internet and technology itself has affected many social and economic factors within the society which has also affected those living in undeveloped countries that people who are poor do not have access to the Internet and considering that the Internet is part of a global movement, they seem to be neglected. The radio can still solve this issue in the sense that the radio has been around for many years and the less fortunate people may have some or little access to it and can contribute to everyday debates, politics and communication (Boyd-Barrett, O. 1998, p162). In summary, media globalisation affects people on so many levels depending on which form of media they use that although the Internet revolution may leave some people neglected, the radio may help and act as a substitute. Thus the form of cul tural imperialism will depend on who uses what media and whether they are influenced by it or not. Schilers early definition of cultural imperialism was highly inclusive. He described it as the total of the procedures in which the community is placed into the modern world system and how powerful it is that it tends to attract, force or even induce social institutions by shaping them (Stevenson N. 1999, p22). Thus the way the social institutions are shaped, it liaises and advertises the morals and structures of the powerful centre of the actual system. There is no globalisation without media and communication but this is sometimes ignored. The media itself acts as a connector which interconnects different cultures from around the globe. Marshall McLuhan describes globalisation as inter-relations amid various countries which aim to highlight the electronic media and technology which increasingly integrates the world and therefore the events in a certain country may be experienced in real-time by other people which would make the world more integrated (Eds. Golding P. Harris P. 1997, p17). Hence people from around the world are imposed by the cultural imperialism which takes place in regards to the media which heavily influences the public. The fusion of different cultures from different countries can be integrated, mixed and represented into various foremost forms of media representation which can form the media globalisation and multiculturalism. The expansion of the business model of media, foreign investment in the media and the power of multinational advertisers were seen to threaten the use of media for nationally determined, development -oriented purposes (Eds. Golding P. Harris P. 1997, p16). Media globalisation is a form of cultural imperialism as the media is tied in with the cultural concepts which originate from the financial dealings of dependency. Thus the minor or Third World countries are dependent on the industrialised world for money, technology and commodities whilst delivering cheaper items ensuing in little advantage to the local economy (Eds. Golding P. Harris P. 1997, p16). Therefore, the role of this culture is to make the undeveloped countries satisfied with what they have. This idea is similar to Gramscis theory of hegemony, in which the privileged battle to use the media and in order to set a prominent ideology for culture and informational uses (Eds. Golding P. Harris P. 1997, p18). In conclusion, there are many theories in regards to media globalisation and whether it is a form of cultural imperialism. The media imperialism is not structured. Boyd-Barrett depended on an experimental definition. He believed that media imperialism was unequal in the sense it provided different set of connections amongst countries specifically in regards to the media (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). On the other hand, Marxist centered his theory on the inequality of power and the path in which the media flows whereas Lee described the stages of media imperialism which was observed. He particularly focused on the emergence of television, overseas savings and the adoption of foreign models and their impact on cultures (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40). However, some other critics noticed that Lee had missed several correlations between the bigger context of dependency and the media especially advertising as the focal point (Straubhaar, J.D. 1991, p40).

A Look Into Kingston :: essays papers

A Look Into Kingston Kingston has been the home to many famous reggae artists. Why do so many artists come from Kingston? Does it say something about the message of the music and or the conditions in Kingston that also encompasses trench town? Background of Kingston Kingston is located on the southern side of the island of Jamaica and is protected from the strong northeast trade winds by the vast Blue Mountain ranges. The city of Kingston stretches for more than 50 mi including 10-mi long harbor. This makes for a diverse community of fisherman as well as street vendors and many unemployed people. Kingston is the largest and one of the most diverse cities in the English-speaking Caribbean. More than half a million people populate Kingston of different decent ranging from African, Asian, European, and Middle Eastern roots. The city's tremendous growth during the 20th century has produced severe overcrowding, persistent unemployment, and violent crime. Poverty has devastated Jamaica's black majority and nowhere is this more apparent than in the ghettos of Kingston. European colonialism set up a society of racial stratification and current residents of Kingston have to deal with historic tensions between the city's black and brown residents. Kingston of today is a direct result of the organized racial and cultural segregation that began more than 300 years ago, when Jamaica was a British colony. Many of the social and political changes that have swept Jamaica since 1692 have occurred first in Kingston, often in reaction to organized political protests. The history of Kingston itself represents the legacy of slavery and the efforts by black and brown Jamaicans to find freedom and equality in a nation haunted by what's left of colonialism. Kingston was founded in the summer of 1692, after a large earthquake destroyed the coastal city of Port Royal. From the beginning Kingston was run by Jamaica's white elite, mostly sugar planters from England. The city was created to serve the social and economic interests of white planters. Residential segregation in the form of a color-class system, beginning in 1692, served to reinforce cultural separation. (Henriques, 32) During the first half of the 18th century Kingston saw an influx of Jewish merchants, white sugar planters, African slaves, and a small amount of free blacks in the colored community. Kingston served as a trading post for the Transatlantic Slave Trade and this was one of their main trades.

Native American Literature :: Native American Literature

Native American Literature Spending this semester reading Native American Literature, really brought me to make comparisons to my past experience. I think in each story, there was always something significant that seemed similar to my life. There were stories that had similar connections, and as I read them, I put my mind to connect what the author was saying and to what I remember from my life and make a connection. Actually, I thought every story was good and well to understand. For the most part, the story that really brought my attention and that made a connected to my life was reading Indian Education by Sherman Alexie. Somehow as I read this story, I understood what the author was saying. The story Indian Education is a story about the author explaining his childhood in school from grade to grade until he graduated. It explains in detail from his first grade till his twelfth grade. It shows how his personality changes as he grows and how things differ in perspective. It's like what we went through in our childhood. From remembering that bully in first grade till having your first date in eight grade. I really thought of my experience and made a few comparisons. I believe I went through the same things the author did. For instance, in his first grade the author writes how he used to get picked by the other Indian kids, and how they used to take his glasses and tossed them around. I remember once two of my ex friends chasing me and taking my glasses and ended up damaging them. I remember hating my second grade teacher because she would always punish me for talking back to her. She had this ugly face, and i hardly looked at her when she talked to me and that made her mad. As you can realize, being a child, it's just fights and games. Not caring about anything, until the consequences come. Sherman Alexie does a good job how his life changed from his childhood, and maturing in his years to come. For example, in his ninth grade, he tells how after a basketball game, he passed out after several drinks in a dance. His friends carried him to the hospital and saved him. I remember getting drunk, in which I wasn't suppose to, but those hard shots of liquor and beer, made me fall to the ground a couple of times.

The Transformation of George in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

The Transformation of George in Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is a dramatic novel that depicts how different groups of people were treated and how hard life was during the Great Depression. Lennie and George were the main characters along with Curley and his wife, Candy, Slim, and Crooks. Lennie, a big guy and mentally slow, is George's friend and doesn't really change throughout the novel. George, on the other hand, is a small man and changes from a daydreamer to a more down-to-earth, logical person. In the beginning of the novel George daydreams of the future and tells Lennie stories about how they are going to have a farm someday with rabbits. George never really has any set plans on how he will get the farm with Lennie. At about the same time George is telling tales of the future, Lennie is petting mice and killing them. George knows that killing the mice is an accident and doesn't think Lennie would hurt any people. George and Lennie keep drifting and land a job in Soledad, California. Upon arriving in Soledad, George and Lennie meet Candy, an old man with a gimp hand who shows an interest in the farm. Candy offers to throw in $350 if he can be a part of their "dream farm". Suddenly, Georges dreams of the future start to seem more like a reality when they hear of a small plot of land for sale. When everything seems to be going right, a freak accident occurs. Lennie is invited by Curley's wife to pet her hair. He starts to pet her hair when she quickly wants him to let go and screams. Lennie panics and accidentally kills her because he hasn't learned from his mistakes. When Curley, the boss' son, hears of what happened he starts to look for Lennie who is hiding. Curley says that when he finds Lennie he will shoot him in the gut. George knows that him and Lennie couldn't run from this mistake, and Lennie will be hunted and killed painfully. To spare him the pain George kills Lennie quickly. Even though going on with the dream farm would be possible, George knows it wouldn't be the same without Lennie.

Project: First Aid Kit Essay

First aid kit was invented by Johnson in the late 1890’s. First aid kit got its name is by Johnson’s first aid kit. The first aid kit formed in the 11th century, to help the pilgrims and knights and also train the other knights and pilgrims to help cure the injured people. So that’s how and why many of us now use Johnson first aid kit to cure illness and injured people. We all have our first aid kits in cabinet’s rooms or offices and some in cars. But it is helpful and safe to keep a first aid kit with us in our car, homes, jobs, and everywhere we might go that might be dangerous for us or little ones and is good to have one in your purses or children’s backpack when they go camping or go to school or walk home or walk to school. The first time that the first aid was ever used was in the middle ages. Then in the 1859 the trained villagers came back to help the illness and injured ones in the battle of the soldering. Then, four years later, more villagers were trained and they formed a new group that we now call the Red Cross to help others during illness or injury but also through losing their homes in a hurricane, like the one in New Jersey with the hurricane Sandy. So there is where we are using the first aid, many developments in the first aid have been used by the wars in worldwarI, worldwarII, and American Civil War. Clara Barton was prompted to organize the American Red Cross during Civil War. Today, there are many groups that use the Johnson first aid kit, so many of us use it in the military and the scouting movement. New techniques and equipment have helped make today’s Johnson first aid kit simple and effective. What is first aid? Well, first aid is not always to be used to cure injured or illness animals or people; it can also be used to help those who have  lost their homes in a hurricane or fire. And is most of the time to cure the sick ones and injured ones. What did I learn while I was typing this essay? I have learned a lot! Most of all I learned that the first aid is not always used to cure illness or injury people it is used to help those in need that have lost their homes or need help to keep their homes. I also learned where the first aid name came from it came from the inventor named Johnson, first aid in the late 1890’s and then formed the American Red Cross. I also accomplished that where and who the inventor was and how the name was formed so there we all know if you’re like me wondering where those answers are of who, when, and where was the first aid came from well there you go because I found all those answer for you.

Ratio and Financial Statement Analysis Essay

This paper analyzes tools used in financial analysis such as ratios. Financial ratio analysis is a judicious way for different stakeholders to use for different goals. This paper demonstrates that financial ratio analysis is an important instrument to estimate resources and their used. It also demonstrates that despite the fact that financial ratio analysis is an excellent tool, it does have constraints. In fact, we will examine financial ratio by analyzing they limitations and they benefits. References used in this paper are from books and journal in a scholarly journal. Presentation of the data and the methodology used are objective; they are supported by cases. Is it possible to estimate or evaluate a company’s present and future performance? The answer is yes, but you need tools and learn how to use them. Financial ratio analysis is an excellent tool for companies to evaluate their financial health in order to identify feebleness so as to institute corrective measures. Financial ratios are first and foremost manager’s concern because they want to determine what divisions have performed well. It is as well stockholders’ concern because they want to know the value of their stock. Financial ratio is used by creditor to determine whether they will receive the money the loaned to the firm  (Parrino, Kindwell, & Bates, 2011). â€Å"Financial analysis is used to analyze whether an entity is stable, solvent, liquid, or profitable enough to be invested in† (Financial Analysis, Investopedia). The purpose of financial statement analysis is to help users in predicting the future. In other words, ratios are highly important profit tools that help to implement plans that improve profitability, liquidity, financial structure, reordering, leverage, and interest coverage. (Anonymous, 2000). Ratios are often able to help predict performance as well as provide indications of many potential problems. Despite the fact that financial ratio analysis can provide imminent problems of the company’s performance, some important limitation should be noted when using financial ratios. In fact, most financial ratios don’t tell the full story. This paper will analyze the benefits and limitations of ratio analysis, explaining what factors impact the meaningfulness of such measures. Financial ratio analysis is a useful tool for users of financial statement. According to parino et al (2011), ratio analysis simplifies the comprehension of financial statements. They inform the financial variation of the business. Thus, one of the advantages of using this tool is to acquire information about a business. For instance, the total debt ratio shows the use of debt in a firm’s capital structure. The higher the debt ratio, the more debt the company has. Another benefit of using ratio analysis is that they facilitate comparison between different businesses, and between firms which differ in size. As an illustration, let compare the Price-Earning ratio (P/E) of two companies with different business. Recall that P/E ratio is the ratio most people are familiar with and helps one determine whether or not a stock is too expensive or a really good deal by looking at the earnings relative to stock price (Siegel, Shim, 2000). As shown above, the ratio helps to gauge the trends of price-earnings of these for two different companies with different business; thus, the P/E ratio may help an investor to make decision. Financial ratio can also bring to light a company’s performance, strengths and weak points. And so, the firm may looks up areas that would need additional effort, upgrading and analysis. For instance, a high ratio inventory turnover ratio could mean that the company has had unexpectedly strong sales — a good sign, or it could mean the firm is not managing its buying as well as it might and inventory that remains in place produces no revenue and increases the cost associated with maintaining those inventories In addition, a ratio analysis provides an excellent and comprehensive tool that helps investment decisions in the case of investors and lending decision in the case of bankers. (Parrino, Kindwell, & Bates, 2011). An example of this will be a firm’s need of money to finance its asset. Creditors will look at company’s current ratio (current assets divide by current liabilities) to determine a company’s ability to weather financial crises, at least in short term. Loans are often attached to this ratio. In the same way, investor looks at company’s profitability ratios to measure how much profit a company generates when they are looking where to invest their money. As can be seen, financial ratios are remarkably helpful indicators of a firm’s performance, and financial situation. Although ratios analyses are useful tool, they should be used prudently. â€Å"Ratios are only as good as the data upon which they are based and the information with which they are compared.† (Kieso, Weygandt, Warfield, 2010)  Thus, ratios analysis present some disadvantages. First, ratios are insufficient in themselves as a source of evaluation about the future (Parrino et al, 2011). They just explain interactions involving past data while users are more interested about present and upcoming information (â€Å"Accounting for management†, 2011). Basically, they give a clue or sign of the business’ strengths and weak points, and that in short term. Therefore, they should be used as only one of analytical tools in the management. Not to mention that ratios are ineffective when used in isolation. Most financial ratios don’t tell the full story. They have to be put side by side over time for the same company or across company or with the sector’s average. A single ratio actually does not make a consistent conclusion. It takes more than a ratio to be evaluated to obtain a suitable action, which makes ratio analyses a little bit complex. For example, the return on asset ratio (ROA), and the profit margin ratios do not incorporate opportunity cost of risk. Similarly, the return on equity ratio (ROE) ignores cost of capital investments required to generate earnings. Another limitation is that ratio analysis depends on accounting data based on historical coast (Parino et al, 2011). According to Kiesel, the fact that ratio analysis is based on historical cost may lead to distortions in measuring performance. Given that the financial statement does not include any financial changes, a modification in price during the run period may not affect the calculated ratio. In fact, inaccurate assessments of the enterprise’s financial condition and performance can result from failing to incorporate fair value information ( Kieso and al, 2010) The last limitation of ratio analysis but not the least is the inflation factor. The fact that different inventory valuation (FIFO, LIFO, Average cost) may be in use to run a business, when prices tend to rise (inflation factor) the choice of accounting method is able to dramatically affect valuation ratios. To put it differently, inflation may render the comparison of financial ratios inappropriate. For instance, one business may use FIFO while another may use LIFO. If this is the case, some of the ratios, such as inventory turnover, and gross profit margin, would be disparate if prices  are rising. Another fact is that the variations of the ratios are shown to be acutely sensitive to recession (Kane, G.D, 1997). In his study, Kane, G.D affirms that value-relevance of many financial ratios are sensitive to the occurrence of recession. As has been noted, accounting policies, and inflation are some factors that have effect on the calculation of ratios. We can therefore argue that ratio analysis is practical tools for users of financial statement. Thus, it simplifies the understanding of financial report, it makes comparison between firms possible, it highlights a company’s performance, and it provides an appropriate tool that helps investor and creditors. We noted that financial ratios have some disadvantages. In fact, they are insufficient in themselves as a source of judgments; they are useless when used in isolation, and they can falsify comparisons when different accounting practices are used. All things considered, I will say that even if ratios analyses have concrete obstacles they still are the most useful tool in the financial world. The most important thing to keep in mind is to know how to use them, and understand their limitation. REFERENCE LIST Books and E-Books Books Kane, G.D (1997). The effect of recession on ratio analysis. The Mid-Atlantic Journal of Business,33 (1), 19. Retrieve from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19568525.html Kieso, D.,E., Weygandt, J.J., Warfield, T.D.(2010). Intermediate Accounting. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc Parrino, R., Kindwell, D., Bates, T. (2011). Fundamentals of corporate finance. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. E-Books Siegel, J.G., Shim, J.K. ( 2000). Dictionary of Accounting Terms, Retrieve from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost Electronic sources Accounting for management, 2011. Retrieve from http://accountingexplained.com/financial/ratios/advantages-limitations http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/mcd/pe-ratio http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financial-analysis.asp#axzz1sqK89uaF[pic][pic]

Coca-Cola and Its Global Marketing Strategies

Coca-Cola is a company that is known worldwide for its product. It is a drink that spans all ages, colors, races, and countries. The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The world’s headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia, with many other locations around the country. The Company and its subsidiaries employ nearly 31,000 people around the world.Syrups, concentrates and beverages bases for Coca-Cola, the company’s flagship brand, and over 230 other Company soft-drink brands are manufactured and sold by the Coca-Cola Company and its subsidiaries in nearly 200 countries around the world (Virginia, 1). The company has been around for over 100 years, and has used this time to perfect its marketing strategy. The success of the company was built on many people with the great business knowledge and know-how to take a simple drink, and make it into a symbol that represents h umanity.This paper will focus on not only the globalization of Coke, and Coke as a company, but also what advertising and media strategies have been used to help in the discourse of its globalization. Coca-Cola is an internationally recognized drink, popular in many countries throughout the world. The company that produces the soft drink has an interesting way of distributing it around the world, which many people may not realize. You don’t get exactly the same Coke in India that you do in the US, because bottling of the drink is franchised.What occurs is the following: the company produces a concentrate with the patented formula for Coca-Cola. This remains the same wherever you purchase the product. This concentrate is then sold to companies who have purchased franchises to bottle Coca-Cola in their area. Each bottling company adds water and whatever sweeteners are used for that specific type of coke. Slight variations may occur if the bottlers don’t conform to standa rds of production. For instance using less of the concentrate than is recommended, or changing the type of sweetener used.Though the formula for Coca-Cola concentrate doesn’t change, there can be slight differences in sweetness since bottling agencies may change the amount of sweeteners used to fit the local population’s palate, and some versions of the cola are said to be sweeter or sharper in other countries. The United States has seen, especially in countries close to Mexico, a rise in the amount of Mexican Coca-Cola imported into the US and sold at a number of Mexican and Latin or South American grocery stores. Cola aficionados say there are differences between south of the border and American produced versions of the drink.They cite the fact that most Mexican bottlers add cane sugar instead of corn syrup to the formula for Coca-Cola and many people prefer the Mexican version, though at first the taste can be a little unusual. Since the cost of importing sugar cane to the United States is expensive, bottlers import the drink from countries where it’s abundant or use substitutes like corn syrup which is subsidized by the government as well (Hays, 47). Thus the main difference is the way in which the formula for Coca-Cola has ingredients added to it from one country to another.The type of water used also may create a major difference in both taste and safety. Some countries, particularly emerging countries with high levels of pollution have been under investigation for producing Coca-Cola with alarmingly high levels of pesticides. In 2003, for instance, a government independent investigatory agency in India found that water filtration was not ridding the water of substances like DDT and Marathon (Allen, 182). Several soft drinks in India, including Pepsi, were found to have toxic and unsafe levels of these chemicals.This led to a decline in sales in Coca-Cola that lasted for several years, and an outright ban on selling Coke in certain p arts of India for a short while. Technically water filtration should eliminate most of these chemicals, but the presence of higher amounts of the chemicals in certain areas may mean filtration methods aren’t adequate to the task. Coca-Cola has defended their product and claims they test all their soft drinks, wherever produced, to make sure they meet safety standards (Coca-Cola, 1).They also stand by the formula for Coca-Cola though they do recognized small differences in taste when it is bottled outside of the US. Although the taste differences are often involuntary, in many cases the taste differences between countries and regions have helped locals adopt the Coca-Cola flavors. As a result, Coca-Cola can capitalize on its growth and spread its product base even further. In order to appeal to countries that did not adopt the standardized Coca-Cola Flavors, the company decided to expand its product lines in order to appeal to foreign countries that did not have the same taste characteristics as the United States.In order to do this it developed new flavors of water, teas, juices, sports drinks and energy drinks to appeal to a larger number of people. In some cases they acquired existing companies that already had a loyal customer base and even developed some of its own products by tweaking existing recipes or creating new drinks all together. For example, in Asia soy drinks are much popular than carbonated beverages. To combat this Coca-Cola also offers its own soy beverage in the regions where as in the United States it’s very rare to see soy drinks produced by Coca-Cola (McKay, 22).This adaptation strategy has allowed greater flexibility to consumer’s tastes and growth in the company’s market share of the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Coca-Cola places its product globally depending on several conditions. The first level that needs to be examined is the macro level including Coca-Cola’s choice of continents, countries and geographic regions. Population and the proximity of natural resources to that population are the first things that Coca-Cola considers when entering new territories.If the region does not have a large enough population to purchase enough of their beverages they will focus more on regions that do. Also, if it is not efficient or cost effective to produce drinks within the country or region the company either looks elsewhere to bottle its beverages, imports its products or moves refrains from focusing on this region all together. In countries that do not have abundant resources such as sugar cane and corn syrup, it increases the cost to produce the beverage because supplies must be imported (.The Coca-Cola Company will also consider the proximity of bottling plants to the region its promoting its products to. Either the company will purchase or build a plant to cut down on costs or contract with local bottlers to sell its product to. In some cases Coca-Cola may have even establish it self in neighboring countries because it may already inhabit locations with similar cultures and preferences. Within these regions that Coca-Cola decides to inhabit, it also must choose an area that their products have the best chance of reaching the consumer.The Coca-Cola Company sells its products to bottling and canning operations, distributors, fountain wholesalers and some fountain retailers. These then distributes them to retail outlets, milk bar and corner stores, restaurants, petrol stations and newsagents. The Coca-Cola Company uses the intensive distribution strategy. The business's products are sold in almost every outlet including small shops, restaurants gas stations, schools, sports venues and vending machines. Depending on the level of popularity and extensiveness, Coca-Cola will choose areas that will have the best opportunity to sell.With these sales comes increased customer awareness and brand loyalty. The final thing that Coca-Cola must do is recognize local laws and regulations. Coca-Cola adopts a standardized practice for areas that are similar which makes it easier for Coca-Cola to distribute and sell its products (Allen, 82). In some foreign countries however, many of the taste preferences are determined by local laws, ancient religions or the countries culture. When these characteristics differ from the standard Coca-Cola model, the company adapts its products are marketing strategies to adhere to regulations and cultural norms.Coca-Cola decides if it’s then cost effective and possible to enter the market without significant barriers or alterations to its brands flavors. If the barriers are too large, the company is likely to pursue other locations. The company's beverages are generally for all consumers. However, there are some brands, which target specific consumers. For example, Coca-Cola's diet soft drinks are targeted at consumers who are older in age, between the years of 25 and 39. PowerAde sports water targets those who a re fit, healthy and participate in athletics.The Winnie the Pooh sipper cap Juice Drink targets children between the ages 5-12. This type of market approach refers to market segmentation. The Coca-Cola Company when advertising has a primary target market of those who are 13-24, and a secondary market of 10-39 (Coca-Cola, 3). In order for these beverages to reach the target markets, Coca-Cola needs to use a medium that will best reach these consumers. If advertisements are not reaching the right age group or in the tight places, sales will drop and the brand image will be damaged.For example, when advertising Diet Coke, Coca-Cola primarily advertises with in-print ads, billboards, fast food restaurants and the radio. They understand that this age group is likely to have children and spend a lot of their time driving, feeding their children and spending time at home (GSCE, 1). By using these methods they increase the chance of being exposed and having their products used. In order to reach the young adults and teens they use the internet, television and popular events such as concerts and sporting events to advertise their products.Coca Cola has researched and found that the majority of time teens spend is online or spent watching their favorite television programs. Unlike the older generations, younger generations are more likely to be electronic savvy and read less of in print advertisements. Internationally, Coca-Cola has adopted a global strategy that includes sponsoring professional sports leagues, music artists or groups and the Olympics. For example the company advertises with the NBA, World Cup Tournaments, the NCAA and popular music groups such as Maroon 5 (McKay, 13).Coca-Cola pays several million dollars in order to have the exclusive rights to advertise or partner with these events. Although it an expensive way to advertise, its benefits extend far past the cost of advertising. Millions of viewers worldwide tune into or watch these events and the bra nd exposure is enormous. Viewers are exposed to the brand and the Coca-Cola brand becomes synonymous with that popular athlete, league or artist. By paying these popular athletes and stars to endorse their products, they influence millions to buy or try the Coca-Cola brand.From there it’s up to Coca-Cola to keep the consumers to continue to use its products. In conjunction with their advertising strategy, Coca-Cola also uses specific promotions and strategies in order to gain sales. Internationally, many of these methods are similar to those found in the United States. Whether it’s to gain a first time customer, getting them to switch from other brands or keep them loyal to Coca-Cola, the company uses strategic self-selection. They purchase shelves in big departmental stores and display their products on shelves in an attractive style.Most times Coca-Cola pays more to have their products on shelves that are easier to reach and are more likely to be seen than the shelve s that other companies use. Coca-Cola is one of the leading companies to take advantage of end caps and special racks that they give to outlets to promote specific products. Often time’s salesman of the coca cola company positions their freezers and their products in eye-catching positions. Normally they keep their freezers near the entrance of the stores or in high traveled areas.The company recently introduced a revolutionary electronic vending machine that has hundreds of Coke flavors on hand that even can be mixed from one single machine. The machine is called the â€Å"Freestyle† and offers a totally new and innovative approach to the standard vending machines (Coca-Cola, 1). The company also does sponsorships with different college and school's cafes and sponsors their sports events and other extra curriculum activities for increasing market share among younger demographics. The majority of the Coca-Cola Company's products are sold in retail stores, convenient st ores, petrol stations etc.Although the pricing methods/strategies are set by those the company sells to, it does suggest specific guidelines and have some restrictions on pricing and trade. For example gas stations and convenient stores usually sell Coca-Cola products at a fixed price, where restaurants have more freedom on what they can charge. In a majority of places competition-based pricing is used. Coca-Cola products are usually priced below, above or equal to its competitors' prices. For example, during Easter (2010) sale periods the average price for a 2 liter Coca-Cola was 1. 7 and a 2 liter Pepsi bottle sold for 1. 83 on average (Virginia, 3). In order to generate more sales and clear additional product, Coca-Cola also adopts a discount price strategy. Coca-Cola products are often marked down during sale periods and special occasions. For example Coca-Cola often will send out coupons for an amount to be taken off the cost of a specific product or allow the markdown below MA P pricing to make room for new sales or products. One of the most obvious pricing strategies Coca-Cola uses is psychological pricing.Often times there advertised prices end in seven or five, which is below other competitors such as Pepsi. The Coca-Cola Company also gives trade incentives to its retailers to generate more revenue. For example, the company will send free samples and product to have events which allow consumers to try a product for nothing. As a result of this by this these retailers and middle man push their product in the market following â€Å"Seen as sold†. Lastly, the Coca Cola Company changes their product prices according to the season. For example, summer is supposed to be a good season for beverage industry in Pakistan (Hays, 96).So in winter they reduce their prices to maintain their sales and profit In essence, the examples above reveal that global marketing is not necessarily an all or nothing proposition. The Coca-Cola Company has the freedom to cho ose from many possibilities on the spectrum from total standardization through to complete customization. Clearly there are circumstances where they can gain competitive advantage through increased standardization of products and marketing, especially with respect to keeping costs down and building brand power.On the other hand, in conditions where national market differences are more marked, this strategy would harm the company and its reputation. By making standardization decisions using target market conditions as its starting point, the company insures that in the long-term customers are being offered what they want. Although Coca-Cola can seemingly gain a great deal from a standardized agenda, its decision to combine global and local resources is ultimately more long-standing in a market where national customer differences are influential.Coupled with strategic pricing and being a low cost leader, the Coca-Cola Company has enjoyed over a hundred years of success which continues to grow every day. The company uses its branding power and size to promote its products even further, which influences even more consumers to try the brand or switch from previous used brands. Regardless, Coca-Cola has been extremely successful in their international marketing mix and continues to dominate global beverage sales.

Glocalization

WC = 1,489 GEO 101 Dr. Housel April 20, 2012 Nike – Hilversum, The Netherlands Hilversum, The Netherlands Hilversum, The Netherlands Beaverton, OR Beaverton, OR Have you ever heard of the phrase â€Å"Just Do It? † Do you know what the ‘Swoosh’ is that represents Nike’s logo? Nike’s headquarters in the United States is in Beaverton, Oregon and became a mainstream sporting sales corporation in 1978. The popularity of their apparel increased when multiple athletes signed a contract to promote and wear Nike in sporting events.Since citizens in other countries thrived on Nike clothing, Nike finally went overseas to build a corporation in The Netherlands (or The Dutch); this project was complete in 1999. The headquarters is located with easy access to the train station and was the site of a former harness track and Olympic training ground (McDonough). Nike products are sold to customers around the world. The athletic gear is made to have style and catch the eye of others. If the sales were good and there wasn’t a relapse, then why did Nike go overseas?In 2007, Nike got a lift courtesy of favorable exchange rates; a weaker dollar means greater sales abroad, as the products are priced more cheaply (Forbes). The income that Nike receives is thrived on by many features including promotions, new gear, and athletes. Both promotions and new gear have to do with buyers altering their costs to Nike for their deals and willingness to pay for the product. Athletes are the ones who sign a deal (either with Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, etc†¦) to wear and encourage viewers to buy their apparel while participating in their sport.As Nike moved into Europe where soccer is popular, more European soccer professionals made contracts with Nike. In past years, Nike has been one of the most prolific companies to excel in overseas sales with reaching 1. 48 billion dollars a year (Forbes). As football continues to be rise in the United Sta tes, Nike sales in football equipment are doing the same. Likewise, soccer is dominant in Europe, therefore more soccer paraphernalia is being produced overseas; every corporation will produce whatever brings in the most capital.The Netherlands’ most popular sport is soccer, with the Royal Dutch League being the largest sports federation in the country with over a million players (WIKI). Following the transaction of Nike going to Hilversum, The Netherlands National Soccer Team that participates in the Olympics changed sponsors to Nike in appreciation and to support the new corporation. Viewers realized the move and sales of The Netherlands gear rose to an all-time high. Another reason why they built in The Dutch was their living standards.The Dutch prosper through life with building wealthy families and neighborhoods to provide one of the most attractive places to settle in. The architecture of Nike’s Corporate Office in Northern Europe reflects the creativity and eye- catching techniques they believe in. When Nike went global, they made sure to adapt to the culture of The Netherlands and Northern Europe – if they didn’t and kept everything that Americans viewed as normal, employees may not feel comfortable in the workplace.Once the building was signed off, architects had already started implementing a plan to make the architecture of the new Nike European Headquarters match the unique, beautiful designs of other buildings in The Netherlands. The creative company of architects, William McDonough + Partners, has built many structures in Europe and this was their next challenge. In 1999, after years of work, the building was ready to be put to use and attract everybody in sight. The part of culture that sports, especially soccer, plays in Northern Europe is a strong.Therefore, it’d be smart to establish grounds around the Headquarters to promote athletics; and that’s what they did. The Nike European Headquarters site was once a former harness track and Olympic training ground that now continues the tradition of physical excellence through a jogging track, a central pond that freezes in the winter for an ice rink, and numerous athletic fields and courts (McDonough). Nike welcomes customers day in and day out to visit their grounds and enjoy the outside comradery with the rest of the community.Also, Nike created and bought multiple soccer attires to sell to the soccer-like customers in the region. As expected, the articles of clothing were a hit and that only created different types of soccer gear to be produced. The public was very intrigued with the effort and creativity of Nike employees, leading the entire Nike company (in both Europe and the United States) to receive gains of almost two billion dollars a year. A main environmental aspect The Netherlands flourishes on is ‘going green. Nevertheless, providing healthy air and helping the environment with an eco-friendly building is also what t he architects did. The Headquarters in Europe is said to be the most prominent example of green design and the green revolution is spreading to historic landmarks around the Northern European area now (Preservations). The building had success in doing the practice that they foresaw in the future. This architecture philosophy strives to minimize buildings resource and energy needs by using recycled or renewable building materials, solar power, and water efficiency (Preservations).The community was in awe when the building was finalized because they realized the new building in Hilversum was environmental friendly and did zero harm to society with saving energy. The Nike Headquarters in Hilversum opened up in 1999 – customers and employees immediately accepted the inside of the building because of the art placed throughout the structure. The art that is most accepted in Northern Europe is Flemish and Dutch due to religious backgrounds of most. Nike felt it would be more accepte d if they place these types of art throughout the building, in another way of a warm welcome to everybody that enters.The changes that Nike in Europe did from Nike in the United States put on inside is immense and the McDonough partners did a phenomenal job with it. In general, most businesses lose money when they outsource and go overseas. When Nike built in Hilversum, the attractiveness the building brought to the area encouraged everyone to visit, buy their apparel, and have fun outside the Headquarters. The main expense Nike had to worry about was advertising the new Headquarters and clothing that was being produced.But after Nike took a hit in the United States from low sales, Nike in Europe did more than making up the shortage and produced up to one point four eight billion dollars in the previous year (Forbes). The sales did not taper off, as they were seen to do, and Nike continues to be extremely popular in places other than just the United States. Nike building a Headquart ers overseas was one of the best ideas they could have implemented as a worldwide company. When they saw the sales weren’t increasing in the states and the dollar was down in Europe, they took the smart move and produced in Hilversum.Right away, the company universally flourished and provided a means of athletic gear to the European nation. The glocalization that Nike did made them even more of a world renowned entity to buy sportswear and to have attractive clothing that was bought at a great price. The takeaway for businesses expanding overseas is about competition and providing quicker access to items others don’t have near them. For instance, the competition that was brought to Europe when Nike moved allowed for those people to check out Nike rather than home-named brands that were in the area.Also, even though Nike was still heard of, they had to order it from the United States, which involved days of travel and excess money of shipping than if Nike was within ran ge of their homes. Before writing this paper, I didn’t realize that glocalization was a big part of how businesses excel overseas. After seeing the positives it brings, I believe more American businesses should expand overseas with a Headquarters (just not a sweatshop). I thought it was very unique in that Nike provided a place that made adapting simple to the new building; it created limited confusion and great attitudes throughout their new workplace.If I were a president of a company and wanted to receive more capital than I was getting, I would reach an identical plan to what Nike did and surpass any opinion or prediction that people would make on what the overseas business would do for the company worldwide. Works Cited McDonough, William. â€Å"Nike European Headquarters. † William McDonough Partners. William McDonough, 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. . Farrell, Andrew. â€Å"Nike Swooshes Up Overseas. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 21 Sept. 2007. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. . â€Å"Nike, Inc. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Nike,_Inc. â€Å"Companies: Shared Services Centers. † Company Profiles. Oct. 2008. Web. 06 Apr. 2012. . Hawes, Alex. â€Å"Going Green. † Preservationnation. org. 27 Nov. 2001. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. .