World Trade Organization Essays - World Trade Organization

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) was formed on January 1, 1995, as successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which had regulated tariffs worldwide since 1947. The WTO regulates tariffs on services, intellectual property, food, and government purchasing. The Clinton administration has been working very hard to negotiate a deal with China, a nation we have given ?Most Favored Nation' status to, to enter into the World Trade Organization. After a long negotiation process, we have reached a deal with China. The conditions of the deal require China to open its markets to a wide range of US products and services and to permit increased investment in China by US firms. Of course the agreement has to be passed by Congress, which is bound to create a lively debate on the matter. US Commerce Secretary, William Daley, is trying to convince America that this deal with China is critical to their pocketbooks. He says, "If you enjoy this economic success we are participating in, this is an important piece of its future." I have a hard time seeing how things will change if China is admitted to the WTO. We already trade a great deal with China and have given them ?Most Favored Nation' status already. I think there are several reasons why we should not let China into the WTO. There are several political risks involved with this deal with China. Organized labor and environmental groups are using this deal to somehow introduce environmental conditions and labor rights into the WTO rules. Although they are in opposition to the deal right now, they will construct a bargain in which they will trade their support of Chinese membership for the rules to be added. Chinese membership is also a great risk for China. The increased imports from the United States and other countries and the production in China by foreign firms will provide strong competition to many of the state-owned industries. I think this will force many Chinese businesses to close down. The only other solution would be to cut back on workers at these companies, which would increase the unemployment rate in China. The resulting rise in unemployment can hurt their economy and cost them a lot of money. The last, and perhaps most important issue in this debate is over China's human rights and labor standards. China is a communist country, which is something Americans seem to completely disagree with. If I recall, Little Elian from Cuba (another Communist country) is stuck in the middle of a debate over whether we should send him back to his country because it is Communist and we are so against that form of government. If we are so appalled by Communism, why do we want to give ?Most favored nation' status to one of the few remaining Communist countries? That is why we have an embargo on Cuba. When China is ready to take steps forward in human rights and labor standards, then we can talk about trade agreements.

Free Essays on Queen Nefertiti

The mystery of a Queen How is it possible for one of the most powerful queens of Egypt to disappear with out a trace? Egypt started out as a river valley civilization located on the Nile River. The first settlements in Egypt were around 5000 B.C.E. Amenhotet IV was the pharaoh that ruled Egypt, and then he changed his name to Akhenaten. He then proceeded to create one god for the Egyptian people to follow. Aten was the name of the god that Akhenaten created. He was trying to change Egypt into a monotheistic society. Nefertiti lived a very sketchy life, nothing is really known about Nefertiti except she married the Pharaoh Akhenaten who ruled from 1352 B.C. until 1336 B.C. Nefertiti all of a sudden vanished from the Egyptian history records. Dr. Joann Fletcher is trying to find the body of the long lost queen. There are many theories and assumptions of what might have actually happened to Nefertiti. The truth is we may never know what actually happened to her. Nefertiti and her husband were in the process of trying to change Egypt into a monotheistic country, Egyptologists believe that they would have gained many powerful enemies. Some experts also believe that Nefertiti may have also died in a plague. Some Egyptologists think that around the twelfth year of Akhenaten’s rule Nefertiti may have become his co-regent and after his death she may have ruled for a short time. After Nefertiti and Akhenaten perished there names were erased from the historic records of Egypt. Did Nefertiti die if natural causes or was she brutally murdered? This is a mystery that may never be solved. That’s why Dr. Joann Fletcher is trying to find the body of Nefertiti to see if she can solve the mystery. Nefertiti means â€Å"perfect† or the â€Å"beautiful one.† In 1912 German archeologists found three unidentified bodies. The bodies are located about four-hundred miles outside of Cairo in the Valley of the Kings. The Tomb is called KV-35. The bo... Free Essays on Queen Nefertiti Free Essays on Queen Nefertiti The mystery of a Queen How is it possible for one of the most powerful queens of Egypt to disappear with out a trace? Egypt started out as a river valley civilization located on the Nile River. The first settlements in Egypt were around 5000 B.C.E. Amenhotet IV was the pharaoh that ruled Egypt, and then he changed his name to Akhenaten. He then proceeded to create one god for the Egyptian people to follow. Aten was the name of the god that Akhenaten created. He was trying to change Egypt into a monotheistic society. Nefertiti lived a very sketchy life, nothing is really known about Nefertiti except she married the Pharaoh Akhenaten who ruled from 1352 B.C. until 1336 B.C. Nefertiti all of a sudden vanished from the Egyptian history records. Dr. Joann Fletcher is trying to find the body of the long lost queen. There are many theories and assumptions of what might have actually happened to Nefertiti. The truth is we may never know what actually happened to her. Nefertiti and her husband were in the process of trying to change Egypt into a monotheistic country, Egyptologists believe that they would have gained many powerful enemies. Some experts also believe that Nefertiti may have also died in a plague. Some Egyptologists think that around the twelfth year of Akhenaten’s rule Nefertiti may have become his co-regent and after his death she may have ruled for a short time. After Nefertiti and Akhenaten perished there names were erased from the historic records of Egypt. Did Nefertiti die if natural causes or was she brutally murdered? This is a mystery that may never be solved. That’s why Dr. Joann Fletcher is trying to find the body of Nefertiti to see if she can solve the mystery. Nefertiti means â€Å"perfect† or the â€Å"beautiful one.† In 1912 German archeologists found three unidentified bodies. The bodies are located about four-hundred miles outside of Cairo in the Valley of the Kings. The Tomb is called KV-35. The bo...

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Project Management - Essay Example The universal credit has brought together a variety of working-age benefits and put them into a single payment. The Universal credit project was aimed at encouraging the individuals on benefits to initiate paid work or to have overtime hours to work by ensuring that the job is paying. The Universal credit project also helped bring in a smoothened transition when getting into work and at the time of retiring. The Universal Credit system has also brought about a simplification in its operation with respect to the previous system in that it has become easy for people to comprehend its working and it is simpler and less expensive to dispense (Department for Work & Pensions 2013b). The welfare system also aimed to significantly reduce the number of individuals who are under poverty and they are still working. It also aimed to reduce chances of errors and fraud that have been witnessed in the current system. This project had good intentions and it was seen as the best and efficient way at the time to deal with the welfare situation and diminish poverty. This project on being run has come across several setbacks that have seen it receive criticism from various corners. The media especially depicted negative publicity of the Universal Credit project citing poor management and lack of transparency within the system. Management of the Universal Credit project has witnessed various changes within the management running the system severally. This report hopes to review how to effectively manage a project and with the reference of the Universal Credit project I will cite ways in which such a project would effectively have been managed in a bid to eliminate the problems in management that the project faced when it was set to run. Background Many individuals on benefits are of the thought that the financial threats of moving into work are extremely high. Some people have actually viewed the gains from the work they do, especially working during part time, to be very little an d such gains are easily neutralized by other expenses that increase day in day out such as the fee involved in transportation. The government of United Kingdom considered and viewed the current program to be too complicated and it lacks rewards and incentives that will encourage and boost the morale of individuals on benefits to initiate paid work or to have overtime hours to work. The government hence set out to come up with a system that would do this and that was fairer and was cheap to afford in a bid to diminish joblessness, welfare dependency and poverty and to decrease the degree of error and fraud (Department for Work & Pensions 2013b). The United Kingdom government hence came up with a welfare system that would do all this and it was what we now know as the Universal credit. The welfare program was aimed at ensuring that a large number of people get into jobs and those in jobs to successively progress in them. Project initiation This is the most crucial stage of any project . It is the first process in the project development lifecycle. Project initiation is the major determiner of whether the project will turn out to be a success and hence keenness and efficiency should be observed in this process. Most projects that fail during deployment have

Innovation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Innovation management - Essay Example The new age of media has been cannibalizing the TV business. It is agreed that people are also watching a lot of content over the web but the charm and the thing about watching your favorite broadcasts with convenience at a desired time and location still holds good. Along with the digital challenge and the advent of innumerable choices in terms of content to be viewed has also let the viewers get spoilt for choice. Along with this, the social networking sites have also started getting connected to the viewership patterns where tweets and discussions on social networking sites lead towards the rise of real time viewership for shows â€Å"An Essay: Innovation Models For The Digital Age.†. The following report is a development of a new innovation of within the television industry for Samsung Group. The paper proposes a remote free television that shall be controlled by voice, gestures and expressions of the user. The report brings out a comprehensive study of development, launch, implementation and execution of the desired product into the marketplace. Samsung and its success has been recognised the world over through the last decade. The South Korean company has been synonymous with being the world leader in terms of televisions production and mobile phone technology. The company has also been ranked among the world third most innovating firm by the Fast Company Magazine. The company has grown over the years to become the global leader in consumer electronics from being a local industrial player in its home country. The conglomerate is involved into a number of businesses from apparels to foods and consumer electronics. It has about 19 listed companies under the Korean Exchange and employs about 427,000 people as of 2013 data (â€Å"About Samsung†). Samsung Electronics, the most revered technology company had launched its 3D television in March 2010. It was the pioneer in the 3D vision technology in its television sets. With this innovation, the

Route 66 and of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Route 66 and of Mice and Men Essay John Steinbeck wrote many novels, including Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. In the book, Of Mice and Men, he mentions the historic Route 66. A short summary of â€Å"Of Mice and Men,† background information, and the correlation of Route 66 and The Grapes of Wrath will describe how the two are related. First, in the book Of Mice and Men, Lennie and George travel from ranch to ranch looking for jobs as ranch hands. There is a problem with Lennie and a woman at the ranch of Weed, so he and George go to a new ranch. When they arrive, they meet Curley, Slim, Crooks, Curley’s Wife, and others. They help out around the ranch while getting paid. Lennie and George do not spend their money because they have a dream house they are saving up for. Lennie always talks about â€Å"Tending the rabbits† and the great times they will have when they get the house. The other ranch hands hear about this plan and want in. Unfortunately, Curley’s wife was a whore and tried to get on Lennie, even after he killed his puppy, thinking that it would bounce off the ground. Lennie likes soft things, like mice and soft fabrics, so when Curley’s wife offered for Lennie to touch her hair, he grabbed on and didn’t let go. She started screaming so Lennie choked her. After George found out that Lennie killed her, he realized that he would have to go to an asylum where he would be probed and tested because of the mental disabilities he had. George had to shoot him and go on his way. Next, the Historic Route 66 played a great role in American history, especially during the Great Depression. This route was made of dirt and rocks, and stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles. It crossed a lot of the Midwest, Great Plains, and the Southwest. Historic Route 66 does not exist anymore, but highways and other paths can be taken to get a feel of the distance and scenery. Following, John Steinbeck, in his 1940 novel Grapes of Wrath, chronicled the migration along Route 66 of thousands of farmers leaving the Dust Bowl of Kansas and Oklahoma during the Great Depression, trying to reach a better land in California. Steinbeck posited the road as an almost hostile force, draining money, energy, and enthusiasm from the optimistic Okies. In Of Mice and Men, the highway that George walks to after Lennie is dead is the famous Historic Route 66. In conclusion, Route 66 was a major part of both John Steinbeck’s novels and the American history of the Great Depression. It helped many migrant farmers get to a better life in California and shaped our nation for years to come.

Differences Between Business Strategies and Functional Tactics Essay ex

Differences Between Business Strategies and Functional Tactics 1. FUNCTIONAL TACTICS Functional tactics are the key, routine activities that must be undertaken in each functional area that is human resource management, marketing, finance, production/operations and research and development to provide the business ‘s products and services. Hence functional tactics translate thought (grand strategy) into action designed to accomplish specific short- term objectives. Every value chain activity in a company executes functional tactics that support the business’s strategy and help accomplish strategic objectives. 1.1 Differences Between Business Strategies and Functional Tactics - Functional tactics are different from business or corporate strategies in three fundamental ways: i. Time horizon. ii. Specificity. iii. Participants who develop them. Time Horizon - Functional tactics identify activities to be undertaken â€Å"now† or in the immediate future. Business strategies focus on the firm’s posture three to five years out. - The shorter time horizon of functional tactics is critical to the successful implementation of a business strategy for two reasons. i. First, it focuses the attention of functional managers on what needs to be done now to make the business strategy work. ii. Secondly, it allows functional managers to adjust to changing current conditions. Specificity Functional tactics are more specific than business strategies. Business strategies provide general direction. Functional tactics identify the specific activities that are to be undertaken in each functional area and thus allow operating managers to work out how their unit is expected to pursue short-term objectives. Specificity in functional tactics contributes to successful implementation by: - Helping ensure that functional managers know what needs to be done and can focus on accomplishing results. - Clarifying for top management how functional managers intend to accomplish the business strategy, which increases top management’s confidence in and sense of control over the business strategy. - Facilitating coordination among operating units within the firm by clarifying areas of interdependence and potential conflict. Participants Different people participate in strat... ... Beecham Kenya 2000 - 3. Flat organizations – Microsoft and dotcom companies - - 4. Increased responsiveness to customers NB. BPR requires maintenance of Key Performance Indicators on Quality, Lead time, Cost and Service. CONSEQUENCES - As BPR efforts progress, one of the first phenomena is excess capacity. As processes are re-engineered, even more capacity is discovered. The most frequent response is downsizing. - BPR suggests that old practices must be â€Å"obliterated† and new processes designed from scratch to fully leverage new technologies and business realities. In practice, few managers have the luxury of re-designing their processes or organizations from â€Å"clean sheet of paper† - people, equipment and business knowledge cannot be so easily scrapped. Furthermore, organizational change almost inevitability becomes a learning process in which unanticipated obstacles and opportunities emerge. Reference: - Pearce & Robinson – Strategic Management - Readings on bus 6020 - Henry J. Johansson – Business Processing Engineering

Case asos Essay

As Seen On Screen launched as an online retailer in 2000 and is now the UK’s largest online fashion and beauty retailer. The company now has over 35,000 branded and own label products available. ASOS has websites targeting the I-JK ; much of Europe, USA, and Australia and ships to over 190 other countries from its central distribution centre in the I-JK. ASOS has been increasingly successful through marketing their products and brands online without the facility of a physical store like rivals such as Topshop and River Island. There are a number of factors which have contributed to ASOS’s success ncluding no limitations on space to display items; the website is easy to navigate around; it’s accessible 24 hours a day and can cater to busy lifestyles; ASOS runs promotional offers for students which is a large part of their target audience as young adults and it also plays host to a number of popular high street brands such as River Island and French Connection. ASOS’s sole online presence means it has no limitations on space or stock unlike physical stores and it is therefore easier to display a larger range of products in a single place. This factor means that ASOS can target a larger social demographic as hey can offer a larger range of products. There main demographic is a low-middle class, 16-25 age group with a small-medium disposable income. They especially target this audience through their own brand. However, because of ASOS’s online presence and unlimited space they are also able to offer premium and luxury brands as well as second-hand and vintage clothing appealing to a broader market. In terms of behavioural segmentation, the consumer behaviour of ASOS’s prime target audience has changed over years and it has become increasingly difficult to shop within allocated opening times that physical stores are restricted too. Online retail means people can shop from their home or office – or any other location from a computer, tablet device or smartphone and Internet access. The product range that can be found on the ASOS website is more extensive than most competitors as from there own brand to hosting other brands such as French Connection and River Island. The fact that they can host a wide range of brands adds to the convenience factor for shoppers as they are able to browse several brands by only visiting one site. The ranger of low-end – premium brands that are offered ensures in targets all markets and can easily meet customer needs. roducing short videos of models in products to help customers further scrutinise a potential purchase. This helps to convince people that an item is right for them and combats the inability to ‘try before you buy’. This provided differentiation from their competitors and also almost eliminates the need to purchase goods physically. From a marketers point of view, ASOS having a presence solely online is has an advantage for a number of reasons. Firstly, they dont have the cost of overheads that a physical store would. Secondly, through marketing products online there is more opportunity to expand and target other markets. A strong online presence is an easy way to target global market from one base – this is illustrated as much of their sales and revenue growth is due to international expansion. It also allows them to extend their range to children, men and other countries while taking into consideration geodemographic segmentation as many places have different cultures, religions and climates. However, although marketing fashion online can be very beneficial it does have some disadvantages. One disadvantage is the returns of products are higher than physical stores this is probably because consumers are not able to try before they buy. However ASOS do what they can to keep this to a minimum and have been successful as they have lower returns than most other catalogues. This could be due to catwalk facility or sales of brands that are also available on the high street so people may have seen them physically in-store for example, River Island. As ASOS do not have a high street presence they need to put in more effort to enhance its brand recognition which possibly means spending more money on advertising & marketing specific items. Almost all of ASOS’s main competitors have both physical and online access which could put ASOS at a disadvantage. Finally, there will be some consumers that would fall under ASOS’s target market that will never be influenced to buy online and this is when a physical store would be beneficial. ASOS have a strong, loyal customer base with positive reviews and feedback on the excellent service they provide and their diverse, up-to-date range of products. ASOS are also recognised as an ethically involved brand promote social responsibility – this all draws new consumers and ensures their brand and products are displayed in the best possible light. An issue that may concern some consumers hen it comes to online retail is the delivery and returns however ASOS has maintained an excellent reputation for speedy and convenient returns as well as smooth, easy and free returns. ASOS have also proven to be very innovative with successful mobile interfaces, an app, and online and print magazine providing a variety of platforms to showcase their products consistantly and rapidly while also highlighting popular products, competeitions and promotions. It also ensures their audience have even easier access to products while on the move – again catering to the lifestyles and behaviours of their segmented market. ASOS take advantage of this. So far, they have been successful at interacting with their customer via social media, blogs and their website. Many of it’s competitors for example H;M (who have the biggest facebook shopping fanbase) and Zara already have a strong social media presence so ASOS need to ensure it remains at the forefront. Although ASOS have many strengths there are also threats that could tarnish their reputation for example the fact that they sole trade is online could be seen as a major risk if they were to be affected by IT failure; something ASOS have no control over. Ultimately this could mean loss in sales and reputation as a reliable website. People generally have concerns regarding the increased risk of online hacking, ASOS could have something in place for this. Finally, there is growing competition online as competitors are becoming more aware of success online has to offer and therfore ASOS need to think of ways to differentiate their brand. There are areas where ASOS are at a disadvantage to their competitors for example, their lack of ‘brick & motar’ with no physical shop to display products. As a result, ASOS would only be suitable for people with internet access. There is also no facility to try before you buy which may make their audience reluctant as they may be concerned about the ease of returns despite reviews. The ASOS website and product range is also quite extensive and could become overwhelming. Despite ASOS growing success, especially in the current recession, they still have opportunities to build their brand and expand. It would be beneficial to target customers outside of its usual market and expand on male ranges and plus size ranges as there is a growing market for both of this areas. There is also a variety of ways to ship goods cheaply now and it would be beneficial o explore these and offer them to their customers.