Biography of Robert Hanssen, Spy Who Betrayed the FBI

Robert Hanssen is a former FBI agent who sold highly classified material to Russian intelligence agents for decades before he was finally arrested in 2001. His case is considered one of Americas greatest intelligence failures, as Hanssen operated as a mole within the bureaus counterintelligence division, the highly sensitive part of the FBI tasked with tracking foreign spies. Unlike Cold War spies of an earlier era, Hanssen claimed to have no political motivation for selling out his country. At work, he often spoke of his religious faith and conservative values, traits which helped him avoid any suspicion during the years that he was in secret communication with Russian spies. Fast Facts: Robert Hanssen Full Name: Robert Phillip HanssenKnown For: Worked as a mole for Russian spy agencies while serving as an FBI counterintelligence agent. He was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to life without parole in federal prison in 2002Born: April 14, 1944 in Chicago, IllinoisEducation: Knox College and Northwestern University, where he received an MBASpouse: Bernadette Wauck Early Life and Career Robert Phillip Hanssen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 18, 1944. His father served on the police force in Chicago and was serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II when Hanssen was born. As Hanssen grew up, his father was reportedly verbally abusive to him, often ranting that he would never succeed in life. After graduating from a public high school, Hanssen attended Knox College in Illinois, studying chemistry and Russian. For a time he planned to become a dentist, but eventually wound up obtaining an MBA and becoming an accountant. He married Bernadette Wauck in 1968 and, influenced by his devout Catholic wife, he converted to Catholicism. After a few years working as an accountant, he decided to enter law enforcement. He worked as a policeman in Chicago for three years and was placed on an elite unit that investigated corruption. He then applied and was accepted into the FBI. He became an agent in 1976, and spent two years working in the Indianapolis, Indiana, field office. Initial Betrayal In 1978, Hanssen was transferred to the FBI office in New York City and was assigned to a counterintelligence post. His job was to help assemble a database of foreign officials posted in New York who, while posing as diplomats, were actually intelligence officers spying on the United States. Many of them were agents of the Soviet intelligence agency, the KGB, or its military counterpart, the GRU. At some point in 1979, Hanssen made a decision to sell American secrets to the Soviets. He visited an office of the Russian governments trading company and offered to spy. Hanssen would later claim that his goal was simply to make some extra money, as living in New York City was putting a financial squeeze on his growing family. He began providing the Soviets with highly valuable material. Hanssen gave them the name of a Russian general, Dimitri Polyakov, who had been providing information to the Americans. Polyakov was carefully watched by the Russians from that point on, and was eventually arrested as a spy and executed in 1988. Robert Hanssens business cards, chalk and thumb tacks, which he used to communicate with his Russian contacts, according to the FBI. FBI.gov In 1980, after his first interactions with the Soviets, Hanssen told his wife what he had done, and she suggested they meet with a Catholic priest. The priest told Hanssen to stop his illegal activities and donate the money he had gotten from the Russians to charity. Hanssen made the donation to a charity affiliated with Mother Teresa, and cut off contact with the Soviets for the next few years. Return to Spying In the early 1980s, Hanssen was transferred to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. To his colleagues in the bureau he seemed to be a model agent. He often steered conversations to talk of religion and his very conservative values, which were aligned with the very conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei. Hanssen appeared to be a devoted anti-communist. After working in the FBI division that developed secret listening devices, Hanssen was again placed in a position to track Russian agents operating in the United States. In 1985 he approached the Soviets again and offered valuable secrets. During his second round of dealing with Russian agents, Hanssen was much more cautious. He wrote to them anonymously. While not identifying himself, he was able to gain their trust by initially providing information which the Soviets found both credible and valuable. The Soviets, suspicious of being lured into a trap, demanded to meet him. Hanssen refused. In his communications with the Russians (some of which were eventually made public after his arrest) he insisted on setting the terms of how he would communicate, pass information, and pick up money. His Russian contacts and Hanssen were highly trained in espionage techniques and were able to work together without ever meeting. At one point Hanssen spoke to a Russian agent over a pay phone, but they generally relied on placing signals in public places. For instance, a piece of adhesive tape placed on a sign in a park in Virginia would indicate that a package had been placed in a dead drop location, which was usually under a small footbridge in the park. Undated file photo released by the FBI February 20, 2001 shows a package recovered at the Lewis drop site containing $50,000 cash allegedly left by Russians for FBI Agent Robert Philip Hanssen. FBI / Getty Images A Third Stint of Betrayal When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 Hanssen became much more wary. During the early 1990s, KGB veterans began to approach western intelligence agencies and provide information. Hanssen became alarmed that a Russian with knowledge of his activities would tip off the Americans that a highly placed mole was operating within the FBI and the resultant investigation would lead to him. For years, Hanssen stopped contacting the Russians. But in 1999, while assigned as an FBI liaison with the State Department, he once again began selling American secrets. Hanssen was finally discovered when a former KGB agent contacted American intelligence agents. The Russian had obtained Hanssens KGB file. Realizing the importance of the material, the United States paid $7 million for it. Although his name was not specifically mentioned, evidence in the file pointed to Hanssen, who was put under close surveillance. On February 18, 2001, Hanssen was arrested at a park in northern Virginia after he had placed a package at a dead drop location. The evidence against him was overwhelming, and to avoid the death penalty, Hanssen confessed and agreed to be debriefed by American intelligence officials. During his sessions with investigators, Hanssen claimed his motivation had always been financial. Yet some investigators believed anger about how his father treated him as a child triggered a need to rebel against authority. Friends of Hanssen later came forward and told journalists that Hanssen had exhibited eccentric behavior, which included an obsession with pornography. In May 2002, Hanssen was sentenced to life in prison. News reports at the time of his sentencing said American intelligence agencies were not entirely satisfied with the extent of his cooperation and believed he was holding back information. But the government could not prove he had lied, and wishing to avoid a public trial, the government chose not to void his plea agreement. He was sentenced to life in prison. Robert Hanssen moments after being arrested. Getty Images   Impact of Hanssen Case The Hanssen case was regarded as a low point for the FBI, especially as Hanssen had been so trusted and had committed such betrayals for so many years. In court proceedings the government stated that Hanssen had been paid more than $1.4 million during his spying career, most of which he never actually received, as it was held for him in a Russian bank. The damage Hanssen did was considerable. At least three Russian agents he identified had been executed, and it was suspected that he compromised dozens of intelligence operations. One notable example was the information that the Americans had dug a tunnel under the Russian embassy in Washington to install sophisticated listening devices. Hanssen was incarcerated in a supermax federal prison in Colorado which also houses other notorious inmates, including the Unabomber, one of the Boston Marathon bombers, and a number of organized crime figures. Sources: Hanssen, Robert. Encyclopedia of World Biography, edited by James Craddock, 2nd ed., vol. 36, Gale, 2016, pp. 204-206. Gale Virtual Reference Library,A Search for Answers: Excerpts From the FBI Affidavit in the Case Against Robert Hanssen. New York Times, 22 February 2001, p. A14.Risen, James. Former FBI Agent Gets Life in Prison For Years as a Spy. New York Times, 11 May 2002, p. A1.

Analysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay - 1720 Words

Analysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Analyzing a book can be a killer. Especially when it contains tons of subtle little messages and hints that are not picked up unless one really dissects the material. Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is a prime example. It is analyzed by scholars all the time because of the subtle messages it sends through its themes, one of which needs to be discussed that is called Romanticism. Romanticism dealt with simplifying things as a break from the previous age which deal with grandeur. Romantics highly valued nature as well as isolation for salvation and healing. Frankenstein has all of these elements but some are more muted than others. There are also subtle nods to other works or the Romantic era†¦show more content†¦Yet another easy example of Romantic style nature is that of just before and up to Victors trek up Montanvert after he is grieving over the death of his brother. He says, Dear Mountains My own beautiful lake How do you welco me your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness? (52). This statement brings out a new view of Romanticism. The Romantics viewed nature as an entity all its own, a god amongst men for instance. Victor thinks that nature is mocking him with all its beauty because of the ugliness that he has marred it with by playing God. This mocking truly hurts Victor after his creation has just murdered his brother William. The Creature also has his views of nature but they are far more nurturing and healing than the images that Victor receives. When the creature begins to tell his tale to Victor at the top of the mountain the reader begins to get a mental picture of how much differently the Creature views things than Victor. This is really the readers first taste of the Creature actually being kind hearted and the character that is sympathized with rather than Victor who can not take responsibility f or his actions. This is one of those allusions to a pre-Romantic era work called Paradise Lost. It is theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Psycho-Analysis in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein2375 Words   |  10 PagesPsycho-Analysis in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Sigmund Freuds studies in psychoanalysis are uncannily fore-grounded in the late romantic period. The works of William Wordsworth, Percy B. Shelley, Lord Byron, and Mary Shelley, all function as poetic preludes to Freuds 18th century field. Particularly, it is Mary Shelleys Frankenstein that creates a fictional rendering for psychoanalyst. In Frankenstein, Victors rejection of the Monster metaphorically represents the egos rejection of theRead MoreScene Analysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay790 Words   |  4 PagesScene Analysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Frankenstein was a novel written by Mary Shelley in 1832. At the time when Frankenstein was written gothic novels were very popular and so this novel was seen to be very popular. In 1994 the Frankenstein novel was turned into a movie by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh himself as Victor Frankenstein. The film used manyRead MoreCritical Analysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein974 Words   |  4 PagesThe essay discussed in this document is Said I. Abdelwaheds The Gothic, Frankenstein and the Romanics, which was published in 1997 in An-Najaj N. J. Res. The author is the assistant professor of English literature at Gazas Al-Azhar University. These credentials are fairly impressive considering the international reputation of the university the author was working at during the time of publication. Additionally, the authors status as an assistant professor helps to imbue this work with a degreeRead MoreEssay on An Analysis of Chapter Five of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1585 Words   |  7 PagesAn Analysis of Chapter Five of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is an important novel in the history of English literature, and the warning it poses is still relevant, with science making many fictions become fact. This novel is about the struggle of Dr. Frankenstein to create the perfect person and his anguish when he realises he has created a monster. Chapter Five is a pivotal point in the novel: all the chapters before were leading up to theRead MoreAnalysis Of Inner Feelings In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein809 Words   |  4 Pages In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the Romantic element of examination of inner feelings is used to communicate that nobody is born with guilt or hatred but through different experiences that a person’s mind develops biases that lead to hatred, guilt, and revenge. first off in Frankenstein the element of examination of inner feelings displays the theme of nobody is born with guilt or hatred but through different experiences that a person’s mind develops biases that lead to hatred, guilt, and revengeRead MoreAnalysis of the Creation Scene from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 Film Version912 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of the Creation Scene from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Kenneth Branagh’s 1994 Film Version One of the key themes in Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ is human arrogance. Frankenstein’s curiosity leads him to play the role of God. In a way Frankenstein is responsible for the monster and has ultimately become a father figure to the monster. Frankenstein abandoning the monster leads up to it turning evil and looking for revenge. Therefore, parenting is another themeRead MoreMary Shelleys Novel Frankenstein and Ridley Scotts Movie Blade Runner: A Comparative Analysis1193 Words   |  5 PagesBoth Mary Shelleys 1818 novel Frankenstein and the Ridley Scotts 1982 movie Blade Runner depict a bleak future about the fallen dreams of science. Blade Runner is based on a novel called Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. Although Frankenstein was written a century and a half before Dicks book, the two stories share a similar dystopic vision of humanitys future. They also use similarly structured storytelling to explain the impetus towards self-mastery and mastery over theRead MoreMary Shelley and Flannery OConnor: Gothic Isolationists1724 Words   |  7 Pagesdeveloped into a 19th century phenomenon. The success of this dominant genre in England is frequently attributed to Mary Shelley. Despite its success during this time period, gothic fiction ceased to be a dominant genre by the Victo rian Era. However, in many ways it had now begun to enter into its most ingenious phase. This paper will analyze the influence of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein on Flannery O’Connor’s work, specifically her novel Wise Blood. Flannery O’Connor emerged as a crucial and contemporaryRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein And Caleb Williams 1168 Words   |  5 PagesIn A.D Harvey’s article â€Å"Frankenstein and Caleb Williams,† he explains that Mary Shelley’s famous work, Frankenstein; was not intended to be of any actual scientific evidence, but rather written just only with the intention of a gothic horror piece â€Å"we will each write a ghost story† (Frankenstein Author’s introduction vii). Harvey’s target is to reach out to the science community and to sway them to look past the mechanics of how Frankenstein’s monster is created and focus on other points of interestRead MoreThe Value And Knowledge Of Literature818 Words   |  4 Pagesof literature in our society is defined by its knowledge capacity and the benefit society has to gain from it. That is understanding the writing and the analysis of the writer’s intentions along wi th the amount of conveyed knowledge that we’re able to receive. The problem isn’t the literature itself but in society’s analysis, the lack of analysis from feminist perspective can harm the value of literature more than the female bias. The significance of this problem increases substantially under the

Individual Organizational Structure Paper Free Essays

Individual Organizational Structure Paper MGT/230 July 23, 2012 Todd Lambertson Individual Organizational Structure Paper Facebook is a social-networking site that has a strong organization structure that is appropriate for their particular product; social media. Facebook seems like a simple site that does not require a structure to operate. Twitter works in the same way but is only set up for chatting through posts, or as it is called tweets. We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Organizational Structure Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Tweets are text-based quotes of up to 140 characters and are posted on the user’s profile page (Shetty, 2010). Users can also send pictures and videos through Twitpics and other sources (O’leary, 2011). Millions of people use Facebook and organizations use them to advertise and to promote their services. Facebook is set up where users have friends who can see each other user’s posts. They also can tag pictures, providing information on who is in a particular picture (O’leary, 2011). Facebook launched in 2004, and is now the most popular social-networking site. This strong organization structure has allowed Facebook to grow and continue to be strong in a competitive marketplace where the product is your personal life. Facebook has developed their organizational structure to become one of the most used social-networking sites in the world. This spot was previously held by MySpace. MySpace was used by individuals to chat with each other, create music playlists, and to post pictures and other personal information. Businesses never adapted to MySpace like they have with Facebook. Companies have found that it is more worthwhile to advertise with Facebook. Facebook realized that to stay in business and be profitable it would need high traffic on the site and many top advertisers. Once businesses could take advantage of this new web tool, they learned quickly how helpful it was to them. Users can befriend or follow organizations that they are interested in. The organizations can use this platform to promote a product, service, or even a cause. It is simple, easy to use, and effective. Facebook has developed games and applications to entertain a person while they are online. While a person is logged into Facebook a user can change their status, check on a friend’s status, post pictures or even post on their friend’s wall. Facebook is the most popular social-networking site that has developed a business structure that supports their organization. Facebook has many organizational functions that support the different responsibilities from within the organization. Facebook is set up for huge amounts of marketing through the use of advertising, and Twitter allows individual organizations to post tweets to keep followers interested in them. Through games, Facebook makes money by asking users to pay for different parts of the game. Anyone who has played Farmville or other games similar to it will say that these games are addicting. When playing these games users can purchase items in the marketplace with coins that they receive from playing that game whether it is from planting crops, harvesting them, crafting items, or harvesting their animals that they have placed on their farms. There are also items in the marketplace that takes cash to buy. In Farmville it is called farm cash, and in order to get farm cash the person has to either buy a card from a department store like Wal-Mart or Target, or they can charge the fees to their credit cards. The amount of farm cash you can buy is low as $10 and a high of $100. The $10 dollars buys that person $55 farm cash, and the $100 dollars buys $250 farm cash. Facebook has many ways to make money and maintain their financial stability; they can constantly try many different things. Because Facebook has a huge amount of daily traffic, organizations are willing to pay to advertise with them. Facebook uses a horizontal and functional organization. They are set up in a way that an employee on the organization chart has a particular set of responsibilities and skills. These responsibilities and skills are unique to a specific task; they are specialized. A functional organization has specialized departments, and they are grouped according to their business functions or particular skills that each function requires (Bateman Snell, 2011). Facebook is a strong organization, and it will remain that way for years to come. Companies and organizations from all over the world will continue to use them to promote their ideas, products, or anything else that they want to make known. Dell and Best Buy are focusing their primary efforts on the marketing and their service through social media (O’leary, 2011). There is an easy way to follow charts between each operation. This allows for less confusion and clear channels of authority. Without this, failure is inevitable. While one department is responsible for monitoring he IT (information technology), and another department is responsible for the web content. The same goes for marketing, human resources, and other similar aspects of the business. Every department is specialized and functions effectively this way. Without the proper structure, information can get confused and the responsibilities get unclear. This will create total chaos and in the end will cause the websit e to fail or collapse. For a business to be successful, it has to have an effective organizational structure. A basic organization structure gives any business direction which that allows it to function at its fullest potential. One of the first steps in starting up a business is to create a basic organization structure and to have it show all the departments, what their functions are, and who will be running it (Shetty, 2010). A functional organization is the proper structure for Facebook because of the different type of business they are. If responsibilities in the departments were not properly defined or organized, it can cause them to be less functional and less effective at social-networking. Social-networking sites are here to stay and Facebook is leading the way. They have learned from other social-networking sites like MySpace. That is what it takes to create huge traffic and attract many and different advertisers. By creating an effective organizational structure, they can remain successful and have little or limited internal issues. References Bateman, T. S. , ; Snell, S. A. (2011). Management: Leading ; collaborating in a competitive world (9th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. O’Leary, D. E. (2011). The use of social media in the supply chain: survey and extensions. , 18(2/3), p121-144. Shetty, N. (2010). Organizational structures. Retrieved from http://www. managementparadise. com/forums/human-resources-management-h-r/215152-organizational-structure. html How to cite Individual Organizational Structure Paper, Papers

Buyer Behaviour free essay sample

The purpose of this report is to describe the purchasing scenario of a consumer who is about to purchase a device to replace their broken or outdated laptop. The decision on what device to purchase is complex and depends on their individual needs. Consumer buying behaviour is defined by Kotler et al (2008:238) as â€Å"[t]he buying behaviour of final consumers-individuals and households who buy goods and services for personal consumption†. The world as we know it today has rapidly changed due to advancement in technology. Consumers preference are also changing due to the market changes that continue to occur . In order for a business to survive in the competitive markets today ,a company/firm has to be up to date with the latest consumer taste and trends. Consumer behaviour offers vital information and guidelines to marketers on the new upcoming technological changes that they will need to explore for example, Lap tops, PC, IPods, Phones and etc. Consumer behaviour is important in marketing, because it focuses on the customer’s views and what customer value at all times. Customers’ needs/wants are always deliberated by the company so as to provide the best service/product in return. 2. The characteristics that affect consumer behaviour Mr Dennis Nyanmichaba an accountant at NBC Bank has faults with his HP Laptop which keeps on heating up and randomly shutting down every time he places it on a hard surface, due the problems he can hardly use his laptop at home or work because it keeps shutting down, and sometimes when he is doing important work (e. g. Balance sheet, profit and loss account and etc) the computer shuts down so he sometimes loses the work and has to start all over again which is not a good thing. So he recently visited the store wanting to know if he can either repair the laptop or buy a brand new one, and if it’s the case of buying a brand new laptop, what brand is suitable?. Mr Dennis Naymichaba would want to have a laptop that not only works perfectly but also appeals in today’s business world (Social) for example a really known and sophisticated brand like Apple (Mac Book) which not only has basic things that a normal laptop has but also has the edge and advanced technology which makes it different from other laptops, Dennis would want a laptop with outstanding quality that works really fast and does not have any sort of complication what so ever, at the same time it should have a logo/brand that stands out among peers, Because nowadays you don’t see business people or firms still using old brands they all try to upgrade and stay up to date with technological advances. Another thing would be (Psychological Factors) that he would want to buy it because his co-workers are using the same type or much more advanced technology laptops, so he wouldn’t want to feel left out in the technology world and decide to also upgrade to something m ore advanced instead of the laptop he has at present. In other words Mr Dennis Nyamichaba would want to purchase the laptop not only for necessity, but also out of desire and psychological need, he would also not only want the laptop for office needs only but also personal needs for example on a weekend off work he would love to watch movies, listen to music and perhaps play games take his mind off work and entertain himself, So basically he would want something with some sort of entertainment that would help him relax, set his mind off work and do something different as mentioned above. The consumer purchase decision process diagram is very important for anyone making a decision in marketing. It alerts marketers to consider the buying process rather than just the purchase decision. The diagram indicates that customers pass through all stages in every purchase. However in more routine purchases, customers often skip or reverse some of the stages. An example would be Mr Dennis Nyamichaba buying his well-known laptop (Mac book) he would not consider anything else but buying the mac book, just because everyone else has the same kind of brand at that particular time/period and go right to the purchase decision, skipping all the other processes . However the diagram is very useful when it comes to understanding any purchase that requires some thought and deliberation. The consumer buying process start with need recognition. At this stage, the buyer recognises a problem or need (e. g. Mr Dennis needs to know if he can buy a brand new laptop or repair the old one) 3. The types of consumer buying decisions Then Mr Dennis Nyamichaba (Kotler et al (2008:266) Information search: Seeking value) will have to seek for information regarding which brand he should really go for and if that certain brand is perfect for his needs and wants and if it is not underrated in today’s business world and technology, he would also want information on how long this certain product lasts for, what period of time will that certain laptop really stay for without problems occurring (In other words it’s durability). Then (Kotler et al (2008:269) Evaluation and alternatives assessing value) he would compare between his broken laptop and advanced technology laptop that was recommended for him, what things does the old laptop have that the one with high technology does not have and check if the technology has really changed like how it’s been stated to him by the store workers. Mr Dennis (Kotler et al (2008:271)Purchase decision: Buying value) would look into the price, if it’s really e xpensive that he has to wait for prices to go down then buy it or just purchase it now that he desperately needs it. Then lastly (Kotler et al (2008:271) Post purchase behaviour: Value in consumption or use) after purchasing the laptop Mr Dennis will have to compare the performance of the laptop and see if he really likes it and if it suits his needs and wants and if he is really satisfied /dissatisfied with product, and if so, he can share his experience with other co-workers that have yet to buy the laptop. Mr Dennis Nyamichaba’s customer involvement (Variety seeking buying behaviour) into buying this product is low because he has no Idea what to get after his old laptop broke down, there will be significant difference among brands (An example would be CHOCKLET, someone would not know the taste hence after eating only he can tell whether to still go for the brand or change to another one next time he is buying the cake. The companies try so hard to change the nature of habitual buying behaviour. ) so he would not know which among the brands is by far much better for him and that he is assured that he won’t face the same problems that he faced with his old laptop. 5. CONCLUSION This report has explained on how marketers should understand consumer behaviour and how they should go about it . And also has identified the characteristics (Cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics) that would affect the consumer behaviour when making a purchase relating to an incident or a customer replacing a broken laptop. Also it has looked into the buying decision behaviour (Variety seeking buying behaviour) that is associated with the purchase. Also the significance of consumer involvement is it high or low for the type of buying decision behaviour. It is now clearer that there is not a particular theory that is entirely faultless in the attempt to unravel the mystery of buyer behaviour as the debates have proven to be never ending. Each theory holds some degree of relevance. However, some tend to be stronger than others in terms of substantiation and certainty. The literature available reveals that there is an on-going tendency of rejecting ideas regarding the genesis of buyer behaviour. When we omit ideas and ration down the nature of buyer behaviour, danger is that we block out useful knowledge which bounds our scope of appreciation. The original premise therefore stands to be true that the nature of the buyer is indeed in need of investigation, rather that presupposition.

Odysseus, The Hero The Odyssey Is An Epic Story That Has Been A Signif

Odysseus, the Hero The Odyssey is an epic story that has been a significant piece of literature since it wasfirst composed and will remain so for ages to come. One of the reasons it has been so isbecause of the hero, Odysseus. Odysseus is one of the first Greek mythic heroes renowned for his brain as well as hismuscle. He is a man with an intelligent mind, and he is also a man with outstandingbravery. I also must not forget that he is a top-notch athlete which only adds more to thisseemingly insuperable character. It is no wonder why many people refer to Odysseus as apowerful mythic hero.Odysseus often hesitates before acting, because he uses his reason and gift to evaluatethings. This patience is one of his most important additional attributes. This has saved himand his men many of times, and it can be easily seen in various instances throughout histravels such as when he disguised himself as a beggar when he finally reached Ithaca,waiting for the right moment to reveal himself.As g reat as he was, Odysseus still had some weaknesses that prolonged his voyage back toIthaca. His most important weakness that he possess is that of his pride. Pride is good tohave, but in Odysseus' case he had to much of it. This is clearly evident in the episode onthe cyclopes' island. When Odysseus and his men are clearly safe away from the islandOdysseus braggs about his exploit. Polythemus hears this and hurls giant boulders in thedirection of the ship. A couple came very close to sinking the ship. Still that was notenough for Odysseus. Carried away in his pride he unwisely gave away his identity toPolythemus. With that Polythemus called upon his father, Poseidon, to punish the manwho had harmed him. That incident hurt Odysseus more than losing a few men, becausePoseidon made his travel home ever so longer and arduous.Yet another weakness of our hero is his sensualness. Odysseus enjoys women. He stayedwith Circe for one year before his men reminded him of home. He also stayed wit hCalypso for seven years. Although we must take into thought that there were some otherreasons why he stayed with her for so long, like that she was an immortal and he didn'twant to have her against him.Nonetheless, Odysseus survived all that happened to him. His courage, wits, andendurance enabled him to come through each and every difficulty and arrive home safely. Therefor I believe that Odysseus is a hero.

Sony Ericsson Essay Example

Sony Ericsson Essay Example Sony Ericsson Paper Sony Ericsson Paper MGMT 3101 – Case study essay The formation and evolution of Sony Ericsson alliance Creativity and flexibility is required in order to succeed in the mobile-phone industry. No other industry changes faster, or experiences more sudden and rapid changes to fortunes (Bowman 2006, pg 1). The industry was shaken by the alliance of two consumer electronic giants in October 2001, Sony Corporations and Ericsson AB. Sony Ericsson mobile communications is a fifty-fifty joint venture between Japan’s Sony Corp. nd Sweden’s Ericsson AB. Their mission is to establish Sony Ericsson as the most attractive and innovative global brand in the mobile handset industry (Sony Ericsson website) through combining Ericsson’s mobile technology alongside Sony’s expertise in consumer electronics (Kristine 2005). With headquarters located in London, Sony Ericsson became the sixth largest global mobile phone corporation in 2005 following closely behind competitor Nokia (Kristine 2 005). Motivations for the joint venture alliance as well alternatives to a joint venture will be explored, concluding with an examination of the problems and strategies used throughout the alliance to aid Sony Ericsson to become a world renowned mobile supplier. Complementary asset sharing and knowledge transfers were among several reasons motivating the alliance. Ericsson was heavily criticized in the past for poor manufacturing capabilities (Manuel 2002) as Ericsson previously outsourced its production procedures to Flextronics in order to reduce costs (Electronic Times, 2001). Alongside that, Ericsson was associated with poor designs in terms of aesthetics and was unable to attract a large pool of consumers especially teenagers and young adults. Furthermore, due to the ever changing industrial environment of the mobile-phone industry, Ericsson was forced behind due to its inability to keep up-to-date with the market and as a consequent, slowly loosing its already minimal market share (Manuel 2002). However, the joint venture with Sony expected it to assist Ericsson fill in the gaps (Lamar L, 2001). Sony was the pioneer in the portable consumer electronics industry due to its ability to master design and marketing techniques (Electronic Times, 2001). Its expertise in digital camera and walkman made the 3G phone outstanding and provided Sony Ericsson with an initial competitive edge, as the features of digital camera and music functions were the basic requirements for the new generation of mobile phones (Alfred H, 2004). Sony also enjoyed Ericsson’s world-class knowledge of radio frequency technology and its existing distribution channels around the world. Exploiting Ericsson’s knowledge, Sony was able to build lasting relationships with wireless carriers across the world (Mark V, 2001) which aided Sony to re-enter the U. S and European market in response to its expansion project. It was an extreme challenge and near impossible for Ericsson or Sony alone to compete with the worlds leading telecommunications corporation Nokia, due to their relatively small market share they both experience (Electronic Times, 2001). The joint venture in 2001 saw Sony and Ericsson combining key competence resources and capabilities such as capital, management and technological skills to enlarge their market share together in hope to compete with telecommunications giant, Nokia. The pivotal reason behind the alliance by Sony Corp. and Ericsson was to combine Sony’s world-class technological skills in audio, video and communications with Ericsson’s technological leadership to challenge Finland’s Nokia and United State’s Motorola in gaining the markets leading position as the world’s most advanced global telecommunications corporation (Ericsson Annual Report, 2001). The alliance allowed both parties to enjoy the resources and technology of each party. Ericsson was at the leading edge in communication systems and protocols, whereas Sony enjoyed leading strengths in consumer electronic production processes, including design and product planning, as mentioned briefly earlier. According to Ericsson’s 2001 Financial Report, both Ericsson and Sony were in desperate need of a deal to secure skills and tactic knowledge which the opposing company possessed in hope to expand their market share to compete with Nokia and Motorola. It is clear that instead of a joint venture, Sony and Ericsson could have chosen an alternative method to collaborate and form Sony Ericsson, as long as its objectives and motivations were not at any risk. One method was acquisition where we would see one company acquiring the other. A joint venture is a legal entity formed between two or more parties to undertake economic activity together (Hill C, 2005). An acquisition on the other hand is when one entity takes legal control over another in the same target market (Hill C, 2005). A joint venture and acquisition experience the same advantages and benefits of access to foreign markets and technology a company may not have. The main feature that distinguishes joint venture from acquisition is the company’s share of profits and losses. A fifty-fifty joint venture signifies both parties will share the profit and losses, whereas an acquisition the entity that acquired another company is obliged to overcome all the losses and gains solely. It is suggested that this aspect of an acquisition alliance was what turned down both companies from acquiring each other. The initial stages of strategic planning and formation between Sony Ericsson saw both companies with the objective of expanding their individual market into the opposition’s territory and to reap benefits off each other. Neither Sony nor Ericsson was willing to invest large amounts of money and capital to acquire the other entity, so in essence, the method of a joint venture could possible be the best form of international alliance between the two parties. The industry’s fast and ever-changing environment saw many mobile-phone companies struggle to keep up-to-date and secure its existing market share. And Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications is no exception (Bowman R, 2006). Since its formation in 2001, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications have encountered numerous problems and have overcome them with new strategies and mind-frames. Two challenges and techniques to overcome them will be discussed below. Sony Ericsson’s first major strategy mistake was only targeting a small pool of high end markets (Strategic Decision, 2004) anonymous author. Since its creation, Sony Ericsson has targeted the high-end, low-volume market. Initially, mobile phone sales exceeded all expectations and the Sony Ericsson strategy was thought to effective. However, in the long-run, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications failed to maintain or increase its market share in high-end and low-volume market, with sales decreasing significantly. Furthermore, the shelf life of each handset alongside the selling price of each handset was also decreasing per year (Strategic Decision, 2004). In September 2003, Sony Ericsson held just 5. 4 percent of the global market share compared to Nokia’s 34. 5 percent (Strategic Decision, 2004). As a result, Sony Ericsson’s strategy of targeting a proportion of the market was seen to be a risky choice. With its strategy failing to win Sony Ericsson market share and positive profit levels, the corporation has since increased its investment into Research and Development facilities in order to facilitate the continuous improvement and innovation of its products. By doing so, Sony Ericsson is able to provide better quality products in hope they will aid the expansion of its small market share percentage in high end market. Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications believes that this initiative will effectively improve and increase its long-term competitive advantage by being more innovative and creative in such a dynamic industry. Gaining entry into the high end market alongside its improved product quality by increasing production efficiency will lower any unnecessary production and transaction costs. Following this theory, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications offered its consumers with better quality at affordable prices it was able to gain entry into the high volume market and increase its overall total market share within the global mobile phone industry. Outsourcing non-core competencies is a move most businesses are now undertaking in belief that it will lower transaction costs and allow the company to concentrate on its core product competencies. Low cost and low risks are the benefits of outsourced production experienced by Sony Ericsson (Strategic Decision, 2004), however the associated transaction costs such as managing the supply chains can be somewhat high. Such high costs need carefully calculations to ensure it is worth the investment. Sony Ericsson along with Nokia both outsources its non-core competencies but differs in terms of the strategy used, which have resulted in markedly different results (Strategic Decision, 2004). Sony Ericsson chose a vertical model which saw its production manufacturing facilities outsourced. The manufacturing arm of the company was, as mentioned earlier, taken over by Flextronic in America. The main reason behind this decision was cost benefits along with reduction of risk. However, in hindsight the hidden costs associated with outsourcing were overlooked. In response to its failed strategic choice of outsourcing, Sony Ericsson decided to develop effective management, communication and training channels (Strategic Decision, 2004). Creation of effective communication channels such as corporate intranet, allowed Sony and Ericsson to communicate important facts, updates and knowledge with each other effectively and quickly. Training programs were also developed to ensure consistency of product quality standards (Strategic Decision, 2004). Another response to this strategy failure was improved commitment from both parties to work towards achieving mutual trust and understanding between the parties as well as with its suppliers. Continuous development and innovation not only creates company competence’s in the Business to Business (B2B) level relationship, but also within the industry in terms of creating completive advantage and sustaining market share in the relevant domains of each business (Strategic Decision, 2004). Maintaining respectable relationships with its suppliers, Sony Ericsson saw a more effective and efficiently delivery of programs and processes; and reduced opportunistic behaviour between not only Sony Corp. and Ericsson but also among the parties involved in the day-to-day business activities of Sony Ericsson, and so may also reduce the potential of creating future rivalries. Sony Ericsson has encountered numerous challenges, but in response to those challenges, Sony Ericsson has grown, developed and has a better understanding and knowledge of the mobile-phone industry, and what they can expect from the ever-changing dynamic industry. Sony Ericsson saw the many challenges as opportunities to advance and gain invaluable experience which will assist them with future challenges. The strategies and techniques Sony Ericsson formulated in response to its past challenges have allowed it to sustain a high level of market share up until this present date. Initially, as an infant company they were challenged with no only problems faced in the industry but also with sales and profits. In essence, the formation of Sony Ericsson in 2001 saw the company experience many ups and downs. This was partially due to the changing environment of the mobile-phone industry, and also to its inabilities to cooperate together effectively. Now that Sony Ericsson has formulated new strategies to overcome the old challenges, and these strategies are continually assisting Sony Ericsson to brighter outcomes, what remains is whether or not Sony Ericsson is able to learn from its strategic mistakes and experience future growth to compete with the other major players within the industry, fulfilling its core objective of forming the alliance. In 2003 the chief executive announced that Sony Ericsson’s crisis was over, and since then the network businesses have began to enjoy successful operations (Strategic Decision, 2004). Share prices have doubled since April 2003 and cost-cutting procedures will see annual expenses fall by more than half (Strategic Decision, 2004). These figures and recent performance of Sony Ericsson suggests they should able to enjoy long-term success within the industry by learning from past experience and failure and ensuring they do not repeat history. Word Count: 1,878

Criminal Justice Policy Issue (Immigration in Arizona) Essay

Criminal Justice Policy Issue (Immigration in Arizona) - Essay Example Therefore, in order to prevent illegal immigration in the American States, it is relevant not only to take strict measures, but also take into account human rights, the rights of immigrants and develop immigration policies in accordance with socially favorable norms and conditions. Immigration policy in Arizona The main goal of the immigration law in Arizona is to make stricter regulations on immigration measures. For example, a failure of having immigration documents is positioned as a crime and the police have power to detain anyone who is in the country illegally. Such measures are considered to be acts of discrimination focused on Hispanics. The rights of the Mexican residents are in danger in terms of this immigration law. Moreover, this policy is even named â€Å"Nazism†. There are numerous court challenges, which occurred in the result of this policy implementation. There is an evident intimidation for the community distrust, increased level of crimes, expensive litigat ion, national repercussions (Engstrom, 2010). Arizona immigrants are obliged to carry the identity documents, which underline their legitimate presence on the American land. Nevertheless, the developers of this law project are more focused on a facilitation of law carrying out. Law enforcement measures are introduced at a governmental level and there is a need to act in compliance with the laws. There was a striking event concerning the background of law enforcement. A rancher in southern Arizona was killed and it triggered Ms. Brewer and other governmental leaders to intensify the protection on the National border by the National Guard troops. Therefore, there are hostile moods among Hispanics and they are against intensification of their immigration. On behalf of the police, it is currently relevant to detain those people who are suspected to be on the American lands without authorization and identification. Only medical treatment of a suspected individual or his/her involvement i n an investigation would hinder this process. Moreover, local government is under pressure and scrutinized attention from the community because it can be sued in case it violates federal or state immigration law enforcement. There is an essential social turmoil in the State because of the immigration law enforcement introduction. Hispanic voters are much concerned about this law and they can be influenced in the process of elections in case of law enforcement prevention. Thus, it is relevant to create a favorable atmosphere of immigration law enforcement. In case it is prevented in different states and cities, it is relevant to talk about removal of â€Å"sanctuary rules† at the federal level. State Sen. Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) invented the Immigration Law of Arizona State and he underlines that the positive changes of the law enforcement are the following ones: Immigrants would be unable to avoid obtaining adequate alien registration document. Officers would be enabled to ar rest immigrants in case the latter cannot show their legal identification of presence on the American lands. Soft immigration enforcement and sanctuary rules would be disabled and would not be regulated by local governments. Street traffic will not be on halt because of overcrowding due to immigrants looking for employement. Evidently, these are rather strict measures taken against immigrants in the State of Arizona. Brewer experienced protesters’ demands of reforms prevention, but promised to treat everyone fairly

Management Theory - Henri Fayol Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management Theory - Henri Fayol - Research Paper Example For the effective performance of an organization, it would be critical to know in advance what needs to be done, the activities to undertake to do what is to be done and also when these activities are to be done. Thus, planning essentially entails the what, how and when with regards to performance (Pryor & Taneja, 2010). It encompasses the determination of both short and long-term objectives; development of strategies and actions aimed at the achievement of the set objectives; and formulation of rules, policies, and procedures to be adopted during the implementation of plans and strategies (Raju & Parthasarathy, 2009). Planning does not necessarily have to be deliberate or systematic. The second management function, referred to as organising by Fayol, involves identifying activities needed to achieve organisational objectives and implementing the plans; grouping activities to come up with self-contained jobs; assigning jobs to employees; delegating authority to promote execution of tasks and commanding the required resources; and establishing interrelated coordinating relationships (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2012). Therefore, organizing basically involves the combination and integration of physical, financial and human resources in a productive fashion for the achievement of the organizational goals. This yields an organizational structure comprising of organizational positions, associated responsibilities and tasks and an interrelation of authorities and roles. Commanding refers to maintaining activity among personnel. Fayol uses this terminology as a function of management to describe direction, leadership, and supervision (McNamara, 2009). It thus encompasses leadership and the aim of setting the organization in motion.

Who Rules America Corporate America, Weber & Marx Essay

Who Rules America Corporate America, Weber & Marx - Essay Example The natural rights theorists aim was to show that man was born in a state of nature, and given the right to do as he/she wished, but this was sacrificed to the governance of the land, i.e. that the rational man would give up the state of freedom, for the security and safety of law, governance and sovereignty, but retain the right to obtain and accrue whatever property they wish as long as it is within the rule of law. This is the basis of the US, with its promotion of life, liberty and freedom. A key concept of the American way is that it is the land of equal opportunity and one can reaps the benefits for what they work for. In the US Corporate America and the values of capitalism have the ultimate power, where the equalities in economics are validated with the notion of equal opportunity for all individuals1. This pretty much follows the protestant work ethic, which theorists such as Weber supported; however in response to huge inequalities theorists such as Marx arose who argued th at to have economic inequality is an abuse of the power that the capitalist oligarchy holds. The following section will examine the theories of Weber and Marx The theory of Weber condones the exploitation of the workforce and the inevitable inequalities of economic power. This treatment and mechanization of the workforce may in the short term seem the best way to increase productivity at the minimum price. This is very much the rational approach to human interaction and the increasing of productivity, management and governance of individuals. If there is no objectivity then there can be no maximization of work productivity at the minimum cost. This follows the view of management and governance of individuals, whether it be in the workplace or the governance of the country, where each of the workers need to be treated objectively and equally. Weber also stresses the importance of inequality within the social structure for the workers. Therefore Weber's theory is more than the interaction between the management and the working class. Weber's theory has four parts of society which are; traditional and cultural history and rules; affectual - emotional shaping influences of society; wertrational - value orientated rationality; zweckrational - goal orientated rationality. Therefore the focus of Weber's theory is that society and management can be determined by these four spheres of social classification. The key notion that Weber developed in order to balance out the inherent inequalities is that of the rationalizing of society and law; hence if the values of the society and the goal's of the individual can be rationalized and de-mystified then equality and justice can be instituted to achieve the best system for the society and the individual to obtain these goals. Weber sees it as an important factor that has shaped society and important to understanding the development of societal structure and management. Therefore to truly develop a system that is fair and just and can transcend the barriers of inequality a rational discussion of society needs to occur in order to determine justice and the rights of mankind; however the inequality in the power that Corporate America holds over the labor market is inevitable and just.2 The model of Marxism, on the other hand, states that it does not regard the individual as having any human rights, instead it is for the state to set the needs of the individuals, i.e., it is not the good of the individual that the state upholds but the good and the needs of the state. Marx considered law, justice, freedom and democracy as ideas and concepts that are determined by historical and

Business Plan to launch VALTEC AUTOMATION in India

Business Plan to launch VALTEC AUTOMATION in India Introduction The main objective of this report is to propose a Business Plan to distribute and offer Automation Solutions for various kinds of Valves in Indian Market. The main motive behind pitching into this market is to tap the unending need for valves in various process industries, steel, chemical Oil and Gas industries. The report below has been sculpted out by considering the market conditions, intrinsic and extrinsic factors, environmental conditions and also the various business parameters. Based on the above and along with that basing my B.E. in Electronics Instrumentation Engineering and three years of experience in a similar industry, a clear cut strategy has been jotted down to plan, organize, launch, monitor and control the business of Valtec-Automation in Indian market. Insight into Valves Valves form a very integral component in piping systems. The primary method of regulating and controlling pressure, direction and flow of fluids is accomplished with respective control valves.ÂÂ  Depending on the scenario, a valve may be operated continuously e.g. control valves, or very rarely e.g. Safety Valves, or intermittently e.g. isolation valves. A valve can be very simple, low cost item or it may be very much complicated, costly item.ÂÂ  In piping design the valves probably require more engineering effort than any other piping component The forecasts convey that the demand for industrial valves globally would increase annually by 4.4 percent through 2011, driven by an encouraging indicator of growth in developing nations and a drift towards much more expensive automated valves and actuators in developed countries. India is one among the nations which would experience the fastest market gains. Market Analysis Target Market The Indian market offers tremendous opportunities to foreign investors with one billion populations in hand. The investors could view massive growth and expansion here. Indian economy is growing at a faster rate compared to other nations. the major sectors like energy, environment, infrastructure, transportation with their increasing demand forces foreign investors to enter Indian market. India GDP has registered 6.7% growth in the period 2008-09 but it has the capacity to sustain the growth rate of 8 to 10% in the nearing years. The current growth rate is apt for the investors. Valve Market in India The valve industry is improving day by day. Manufacturers are using new technologies such as latest testing and manufacturing equipment. So demand for valves is seen in almost all areas, especially in core sectors of metal and mining, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, drugs, food and beverages etc for de-bottlenecking , expansion of capacities and maintenance purposes. By using these technologies there is awesome improvement in the finishing of the valves and they are of good accuracy. the valves distributed by Valtec has smart positioners as control system. Moreover, it is made of low noise and low emission exotic materials. The valve market is large enough to offer a wide variety of opportunities to all manufacturers irrespective of the kind of operations. The market, by and large, is shared by different manufacturers based on brand name, technology, manufacturing capacities and price competitiveness. Today India is a large producer of valves and it also plays a role in producing top class products of the world. The quality of valves produced in India is used by domestic users based on the service and application. However the large organisations present in key sectors opt for only best brands after a scrutiny of offers based on the application. The country also has small manufacturers who have their own niche markets. The growth in the valve industry is expected to continue at 7-8 per cent per annum. Due to India becoming competitive the growth in exports is expected to be 10-12 per cent per annum. Grabbing all these advantages of this market, Valtec would be pitching in to the valve market of India alo ng with Valve Automation solutions. This is observed to be the right time to sweep away a large portion of this market segment. VALVE EXPORTS OF INDIA Source : Exim Bank MARKET SHARE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF VALVES (Globally) Source: Exim Bank Benefits of establishing in Indian market For companies established in special economic zone several tax exemptions are made available IT companies have tax incentives Many countries are in double taxation treaties with India; A private company in India can be made with a minimum capital of INR 100,000; Skilled employees are available at nominal rate. Obstacles in Indian Market Rigid and complex social framework Indian Bureaucracy Infrastructure issues India is a nation with varied cultures and hence major changes in social structure are tedious to implement. However, the outlook is slowly changing and government is trying their level best to make effective changes. More Efforts are made to cut down on the red-tape. Poor road conditions and shortage of power supply are some of the infrastructural problems in India that needs to be resolved as quickly as possible. However, useful measures are adopted by the government in these areas as well to attract foreign investors to the country. Eight highways projects has been finalised that will need an investment of Rs 10k crore. Hence, with the steps taken up to improve the situations, entry into the Indian market will no longer be a tedious process. Business Analysis Type of Business entities in India Private Limited Company Public Limited Company Unlimited Company Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Partnership Sole Proprietorship Liaison Office/Representative Office Project Office Branch Office Joint Venture Company Private Limited Company Limitations of a private company The shareholders have only limited rights to transfer shares The maximum possible number of share holders is fifty The public is refrained from buying the shares. Public Limited Company Public company cannot be called a private company. The public company has its own limitations: The minimum number of share holders should be at least seven. A public company is not permitted to start business once the certificate of incorporation is approved. In order to start business as a corporation, trading certificate is a must. The company must file a statement in lieu of a prospectus before it can start transacting business. It should have minimum of at least three directors. Statutory meetings should be held and the management should be appointed based on approval from government. Liaison Office/Representative Office A Liaison Office needs approval from the government of India. It plays an important role in collection of information, promotion of imports and exports and facilitate financial and technical collaborations.ÂÂ   Project Office Foreign companies can establish a temporary site or project offices to execute specific projects and activities related to it in India. Branch Office Foreign companies who have involved themselves in activities related to manufacturing and trading goods abroad are allowed to open a branch office in India for many purposes such as import and export of goods, rendering consultancy services, to perform research work etc Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) LLP is another corporate business element which provides the advantages of limited liability of a company but allows its members to organise their internal management as is the case of a partnership firm on the basis of a mutually-arrived agreement. Valtec As Sole Proprietorship The sole proprietorship is the oldest, simplest, and very common form of business entity. It implies that the business is fully owned by a single person. The owner and the business is considered as a single entity for all liabilities, taxation and legal liability. Taxation happens at individual level for business earnings and there is no means of escaping. Thus, legal claimants are eligible for personal property of the proprietor and not simply the assets used in the business. Advantages of a Sole Proprietorship: Simple and low cost No filing or legal charter with the Government is required. Owner enjoys fullest control on decision making. Income goes directly into the pocket of the owner. Business profits are not taxed. Owner enjoys the privilege of dissolving the business at his/her discretion. Disadvantages of the Sole Proprietorship: The total capital available is limited which in turn limits the size of the business. Product liability lawsuit by a customer is not applicable against business Change in legal form of business is necessary in case of sharing of benefits of ownership other than profit Benefits of employees is not deducted or partly deducted from taxable income. the assets of the business go to his or her estate upon loss of life Regulations: Registration is not required for sole proprietorship. Just an account in bank should be opened with the name and style that the owner wishes to work. VAT or Service tax registration needs to be applied as Chennai has its state VAT and service tax registration regulations. The PAN of the owner will be the firms PAN and the income tax returns will be filed in the personal name. Typical Procedure to Establish Business in India Establishing a business in India requires certain period of time. This is because besides incorporation there are certain other formalities in establishing a business in India. (Source: Types of Business Entities in India, http://madaan.com/incorporate.htm ) Business regulators Business Entry Factors There are many foreign companies who keep a watch on various opportunities in India. To enter the Indian market and to achieve something big they need to be careful regarding certain points. These include: Finding good partners who knows the in and out of local market as well with the procedural issues Smart planning Identifying the target market Promotion of products and services Contacting the appropriate agents and distributors In addition to these, the foreign investors need to explore different market options available in India and frame a joint venture with an India-based company. It also includes establishment of a branch office. Actual Plan Vision Mission Statement: To evolve as a successful market leader in providing the cutting edge fluid flow control and automation solutions and maximize the growth and revenue in all possible ways. Agenda: The new born Valtec Automation India Private Limited will hit the market by procuring different type of valves from a specific list of valve manufacturers like RFLExports, Peco Valves, Tyco, etc .., special actuators from Bettis and several automation equipments from local market on needs basis. Depending upon the customer and process requirements, a clear cut valve automation solution will be engineered by implementing the above mentioned components. Apart from these activities, Installation commissioning of valves and accessories and maintenance service jobs would also be rendered. The target market would initially be Southern region of India and venturing into various process industries like steel, paper pulp, sugar, cement, chemical, waste water treatment plants, petroleum refineries and others. Valtec would be strategically Head Quartered in Chennai Tamil Nadu, which would be a very apt place for carrying out business as it is very well equipped with a fantastic port, air freight, road ways and railways network. Slowly our footprints would be made in other parts of India as well. Long Term Plans The material cost has a direct relation with respect to the cost of the valves. If the cost of any input increases then the cost of the valve also automatically increases. Almost 60% of total cost of the valve depends on the material price. India has adequate foundries and the closure of foundries in west resulted in export demand. So Indian foundries are adding more capacity. This paves a clear path for Valtec to venture into foreign markets. Valtec An Organization: Principal Management Carry a solid expertise, skills and training in Designing and Automation of Valve based solutions. Possess a broad spectrum of know-how about the global valvse automation market. Leadership Possess substantial experience in key role such as managerial and Decision Making, Strategic Planning, Financial Planning, Controlling and other managerial roles. Manpower To start with, we would be operating with 10 staffs on board and later to triple the strength by the commencement of the next financial year. Facilities Infrastructure All necessary tools and equipments that are required of carrying out this business would be brought in. Inventory Just in time principle would be adopted. SWOT Analysis Competitor Analysis With the development of petrochemical and chemical industries, the Valve Market in India is also experiencing a tremendous growth. Restructuring of power plants are under process in order to improve the efficiency in saving energy. Future investments in nuclear power generation are likely to generate substantial revenues for the total industrial valves and actuators market, creating numerous growth opportunities for market participants. With around thousands of players, the competition in Industrial valve automation sector is very high. Lot of small domestic firms serves the niche market by manufacturing labour-intensive valves with fewer technicalities. These companies gain edge over others with its lower pricing. On the contrary, special valves and sophisticated actuators are being produced by many MNCs that generate majority of the revenue in market as they cater the high-end market. To have a good presence, participants in the industry are likely to go for acquisitions and mergers. Steps to gain competitive advantage: As Indian Market is full of many players in Valves and Valve Automation sector, a Understanding the increasing demand for robust valves that offer a great scope for automation and stable performance and catering these needs in a timely and technologically sound manner. Also, the solution provided should be the best value for the money. Investing time and money in research and development of new techniques in automation. Pitching well into application of intelligent valves which can perform data processing, networking with computer-based control systems that can aid in optimization of the valve system management, perform self diagnosis, combined with embedded system, fieldbus, and computer-based controls. Proper understanding of the customer base in the market and also a clear cut analysis of the demand in different kind of process industries is very much vital to provide the best solution and also to stand out in the race. By providing labour intensive valves with fewer technicalities, the niche market can be captured. Also, after market service plays a very crucial role in gaining a competitive advantage. Keeping abreast with the growing technology and constant innovation of the process. Resources, Infrastructure Manpower Manpower The workforce right from the bottom to the top in the hierarchical order will be absorbed from the Chennai market itself. Apart from the permanent payroll employees, separate team would be formed now and then on needs basis in order to carry out the on site activities like installation and commissioning activities. A first level technical team will comprise of 2 automation and design engineers with relevant work experience and skills. Under them a team of technicians, fitters and other skilled labour force to a maximum of 5 members would be recruited. Apart from these, a middle level management staff and a sales and marketing executive will also be recruited. Support staff like administration, accounts and human resource to be recruited on limited requirement. Sales and Finance department would initially come under the control of top management and in later expansion phases would be restructured. Raw Materials The raw materials will be procured depending on the project specification and design. And just in time procedure would be adopted for all the raw materials that are being procured. The basic myth behind this policy is that the requirement will be varying from client to client and project to project. Infrastructure A warehouse cum shop floor for carrying out the automation activities and to stock inventory will be rented. All instruments, tools and basic amenities for carrying out all technical and assembling activities will be procured and listed as fixed assets. Office premises are all rented out in Dubai. The business sponsors are generally involved in the infrastructure to utilize the local knowledge and influence. Financial Plan Financial Planning is a very crucial aspect that needs to be carried out well in advance. Its a process of meeting the goals via a proper management and control of the finance. The process of financial planning comprises few important steps which help taking a Big Picture look at the present position. These steps would help us figure out the current financial position, the cash flow or financial support required for a projected period of time and the position that needs to be achieved in a stipulated time period. Also, attention needs to be paid towards the Working Capital that is required for the day to day operations. List down your Goals List down Your Cash Flows and Cash Inflow Understand and figure out your Risk-appetite List down the financial goals. Make sure your Goals are realistic Make the Plan Review and Take advice Take Action and keep Reviewing The Launch Valtec Automation, the newly born company will is duly licensed and adhered to all sort of legal and business regulations of India. A deep, strong and rigid foundation gas been laid down in all possible spheres. All the basic business activities have been jotted down, an initial setup team has been made and the company is all set for kicking off.

Photosynthesis Investigation :: Papers

Photosynthesis Investigation This is the method used by plants to obtain their food. Plants which use this process only are known as Autotrophic (self feeding) organisms. Plants produce carbohydrates as a result of Photosynthesis, predominately glucose. If a plant cannot use the glucose immediately it stores it in the form of starch. If the carbohydrates were stored as glucose, this would have a drastic effect on each plant cell. They would absorb water through osmosis, swell up and burst. Starch is osmotically inert. Photosynthesis takes place in special mini-organs (organelles in plant cells called Chloroplasts). When chloroplasts are carrying out photosynthesis they make temporary stores of starch in their cells, in the form of grains. So the presence of starch grains in leaf tissue is an indication that photosynthesis is occurring or has occurred very recently. How do we test a leaf to see whether starch is presence in leaf cells? The iodine test for starch. Method- step 1 Â · Half full a beaker with water and bring to the boil. Â · Detach a leaf from a plant and place it into the water. Â · Boil the leaf for two minutes. Â · Remove the leave from the hot water; keep the hot water for next step. Step 2 Â · Place the leaf in a boiling tube, filled with ethanol. Â · Put the boiling tube into the hot water kept from the last step. Â · Swirl the leaf in the ethanol at least once. Â · Continue with this programme until the leaf has turned pale yellow and the ethanol has turned green. Step 3 Â · Remove the boiling tube from the hot water. Â · Carefully tip the ethanol away (into the beaker) and remove the leaf. Â · Drop the leaf back into the hot water, swirl it to remove any ethanol, then place it carefully on a white tile. Â · Spread the leaf out gently until it is flat. Step 4 Â · Using a dropper, carefully add a few drops of iodine to the leaf

Argo

The Movie Argon did not win the Oscar for the best movie Just because people liked It. Argon Is a movie directed and produced by Ben Fleck, In the movie Ben Fleck also plays the role of a main character along with Bryan Cranston, Alan Irking, and John Goodman. The movie plays during the time Iran's Revolution. The movie based Itself on 6 Americans that work in the US embassy In Tehran and when the Iranian protesters break Into It they manage to escape and take shelter In the Canadian ambassadors souse.The CIA decides to collaborate with Hollywood and created a fake movie called Argon and the plan they had consisted In Glenn the 6 Americans fake passports, visas and take them out of the country Like If they where crew from the movie. I really enjoyed Argon but the things I like the more will be the acting, the set design and the movie plot. In my opinion the best thing about Argon will definitely be the story plot. The movie attracts many people because based on a true story movies ma ke people want to see t because you can actually see what happened with the people that lived thru those moments.It shows how one thing led to another, and the exact details, for example when the main actor (Ben Fleck) comes up with the idea while he talks with his son on the phone and they both watch a movie about space invaders. The set design in Argon makes the movie even more fascinating. All the scenes in the movie where supposed to be filmed in Tehran where actually in the US and I bet most people really thought they where filmed on Tehran, it can even be passed as a documentary limed by someone at the moment.The actors where also perfect in the movie, starting by Ben Fleck, he played the role of Tony Mended from the CIA and he is the one who extracts the Americans from Iran. He's character made a really good part because he made Tony Mended look like a passionate man, passionate for his work, his family, but also he was really smart and seemed to be professional at making str ategies In situations like the ones In Iran. Goodman and Irking play the role of the producer and the director of the fake movie.Many laughs come from them, they give the movie a comedy part even though the movie has nothing to do with comedy, both actors give an example of Hollywood people, mean but comedy mean and they have enemies and of course both of them are rich people. Even though Argon won the Oscar for the best picture and for many people It was with out doubt the best movie, there will still be people that disagree with this decision and of course the movie has its flaws because for what I know no movie has There exist a problem, Argon makes the situation look like if the extraction of the 6Americans was all thanks to Tony Mended and the CIA, when on the true story people like the Canadian ambassador had more to loose than its reputation. In defense to Argon the movie can certainly be bias, and since Americans made the movie and they save Americans they want to make the U S the protagonist of the movie, but that does not mean they say that Canada and other places had nothing to do with the extraction. I have also heard people say that they find offensive the fact that Goodman and Irking laugh about the situation when they are next to the pool in theirBeverly Hills mansion, and not in a live or die situation. Again in Argos defense those parts only give the characters characteristics and gives us a taste of a Hollywood life. Argon definitely deserved the Oscar for best picture; even though it had flaws it still makes a fabulous movie. The movie fabulously comes from its set design, acting and plot. But lets also give credit to the amazing actor and director the movie had, Ben Fleck. So liked or not the movie people can't deny â€Å"argon buck yourself† caused tremendous laughs in people.

5 Essential SAT Tips Sitting the Exam - ProofreadMyEssays Academic Blog

5 Essential SAT Tips Sitting the Exam - ProofreadMyEssays Academic Blog 5 Essential SAT Tips: Sitting the Exam The SAT was recently updated to reflect its ongoing importance to higher education in the US. And if you’re relying on a good SAT score for your college application, you need to prepare for when the day of the test arrives. Luckily, we’ve got a few SAT tips to help you optimize your exam performance. Photo: lecroitg/Wikimedia 1. Get in the (SAT) Zone Like any exam, sitting the SAT can be stressful. You should therefore do everything you can to make sure the test day is as stress-free as possible. This includes packing everything you need the night before so you don’t have to worry about it in the morning, as well as getting plenty of rest and eating a healthy breakfast. 2. Read Carefully and Pace Yourself When the exam begins, read all instructions and questions carefully; you don’t want to make mistakes simply because you misunderstood something on the test paper! Likewise, before setting to work, take a moment to consider how long you need to complete each part of the test. Pacing yourself will ensure you don’t run out of time before finishing. 3. Maximizing Test Efficiency There are a few things you can do to maximize your test score. The first is focusing on what you already know: prioritizing questions you feel confident about ensures you’ll pick up the most points possible, rather than getting stuck on a tricky problem elsewhere. You can then return to the other question afterwards. Even if you’re completely lost, the new SAT format doesn’t penalize wrong answers, so you can always guess! Moreover, if you’re unsure about a multiple choice question, eliminating wrong answers first will increase your chances of guessing correctly. 4. Look for Evidence The reading section of the new SAT puts more emphasis than before on justifying your answers. The â€Å"command of evidence† questions, for instance, require you to identify textual evidence in the set passages. Before you ask, not the CSI type of evidence. This includes using evidence to support your own answers, understanding how authors use evidence in their writing, and considering how data can be used to support an argument. 5. Double-Check! As proofreaders, we’re morally obliged to emphasize the importance of double-checking your work. When it comes to the SAT, you can usually gain a few extra marks simply by going back through your test booklet after you finish, correcting any errors or issues with clarity. This is also why time management is such a vital skill. If you plan effectively, you should have enough time left after finishing to make sure everything is completed to a high standard.

The Five Fundamental Types of Editing and Which One Is Right for You

The Five Fundamental Types of Editing and Which One Is Right for You So, the hard part is over- youve written a manuscript or paper and youre now ready to move forward on the next step, which is working with an editor toward getting it published.However, a quick online search of the scope of editors and editing services offered is enough to overwhelm even the calmest of writers. Looking through freelance profiles or online agencies, youll come across various terms for services provided, including developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, proofreading, and manuscript critiquing.Which do you choose? How is one different than the other? Do you need a copyeditor and a line editor, or will one suffice? You likely have a lot of questions about the scope of editing services available, so in this article, we will break it down for you to help clear up any confusion you might have. Well discuss what each type of editing service is to help you narrow your search, specifically what professional skills are needed to perform that service, and at what stage s in the writing process you might need each.Developmental editingThink of a developmental editor as your mentor and guide for a particular manuscript. In the publishing industry, a developmental editor would assist authors from the early stages of the manuscript submission process, before a line editor, copyeditor, or proofreader even sees a word thats written.In publishing houses, the developmental editor is sometimes simply known as the editor-in-chief or associate editor. Many published books will go through a round of developmental editing (where significant parts of the manuscript are changed) and in some cases, a writer might work with a developmental editor at the planning stages of a manuscript that is yet to be written.A developmental editor would focus on issues, such as:The structure of your bookWhether your book will be marketable, and if not, how to make it marketableAny gaps in plot or characterizationAn unclear audience or lack of engagement with audienceMajor change s that need to be made regarding pacing, dialogue, or plotWhen working with a developmental editor, its important to keep an open mind and receive all feedback graciously. A developmental editor is not there to tear apart your writing (although it might seem like it at times) or make you feel incompetent as an author. He or she is there to help make your book a success and has a birds-eye view of the publishing industry and genre that you wont have in most cases.Line editingA line edit will generally occur before a copyedit is done and is meant to address the writing style and overall effectiveness of the content of the work. In other words, it is not the line editors task to find the grammar, punctuation, spelling or syntax errors of the copy, although he or she might do this to a certain extent.Mostly, a line editor would be responsible for pointing out any of the following in your writing:Problems with the emotion or tone of your writingClichà ©s or broad generalizations youve u sedProblems with your word choice or repetitive wordingRedundant or extraneous wordsRun-on sentencesFaulty transitions (or a lack of transitions)Off-topic digressionsDialogue that does not flow well or is hard to follow/readShifts in tense or point of viewPoor word choice, bland writing, or an unengaging toneDetails that need to be added for clarification for the readerAs you can see, line editing involves looking at the content to consider its overall effectiveness. For example, a line editor for a doctoral dissertation would look at the big picture and determine the usefulness of the study, how well the author has reviewed the literature related to the topic, and whether enough details are included for a convincing argument. A line editor would also point out if there are any confusing parts that are difficult to read or understand, or if there are any glaring errors in verb tense and word choice throughout.CopyeditingCopyediting is a type of editing that focuses on the technical issues of the copy. The best equipped copyeditor is one who has excellent command of English language rules, including grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, syntax, citation formats and more. Included in a copyedit should be:Corrections to spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax. This includes corrections between British and American spellings of words, depending on the audience. For example, a copyeditor would be responsible for changing the punctuation and/or spelling if an author using British English rules publishes in an American publication.Changes to ensure consistency in spelling, punctuation, numerals, fonts, spacing and capitalization. For example, a copyeditor would catch when five is spelled out in one section of the work but written as the numeral 5 in another. He or she would then make the necessary adjustments to ensure consistency throughout the entire manuscript or paper.Notes on false or questionable information such as incorrect quotes, dates, or clai ms. This is especially important in the publishing world, where false information could lead to defamation lawsuits or a loss of reputation for the publication.Notes on the effectiveness or macro-level issues of the copy, including consistency in details of characters, places, etc.A thorough understanding and check of the formatting style required (Chicago, APA, MLA, etc.). A copyeditor should be well-versed in the rules related to the style and be able to correct any formatting, citation or punctuation errors within the copy that dont follow it.Analysis of any legal issues that might result from publication of the work, such as plagiarism or defamation lawsuits.In the various stages of the editing process, a copyedit would come after a line edit. In publishing circles, a copyeditor is usually the last person to see the copy before it goes to print.ProofreadingIn the stages of editing for publication, proofreading would be what occurs after the publication or manuscript has been pri nted once to obtain the proof. After given this proof, a proofreader would examine it to make sure that it includes everything in the original copy and make note of anything that is missing.A proofreader would then look at the proof to make sure the page numbers are correctly formatted and numbered, as well as ensure there are no incorrectly spaced line breaks or paragraphs. This includes checking to make sure each paragraph is set apart from the rest and that lines do not overlap each other or go off the printed page.As with other specific types of editing, a proofreaders job might overlap with the copywriter or line editor. However, his or her primary responsibility in the publishing world would be to examine the official proof before the final print run.Manuscript critiquing and/or book doctoringManuscript critiquing or book doctoring is when an editor reads your manuscript and provides a comprehensive assessment of it. Obviously, editors who offer this service should have extens ive experience in the industry to provide valuable critique that would greatly increase an authors chance of being published. That critique might include aspects of the manuscript such as:Character development. Have your characters been developed well enough? Does your reader connect with them?Pacing. Is the pacing too fast or too slow? Could improvements be made in pacing to make the story easier to follow or understand?Dialogue. Do your characters have believable dialogue that adds dimension to them? Is the dialogue formatted correctly and is it readable?Potential holes in the story or problems with the plot. Are there missing pieces to the puzzle in your plot that might annoy readers if they are left out of the story? Are there leaps of faith in the plot that might not make sense to a large portion of readers?Its important to know that this type of editing will likely not include line editing or copyediting, unless those are specially offered as part of a package deal. Rather, an editor offering a manuscript critique will use his or her experience in the industry to give you an honest outlook on what your manuscript has to offer and what it is lacking from the point of view of traditional publishing houses and current trends in the industry.A final wordJust as editing services offered will vary, so will the professional experience of editors. Thats why its important to choose an editor who has extensive experience in the industry or field for which you are writing, and can give informed, quality feedback to help you in your publishing efforts. For example, an editor might have an impressive resume in academic research and publishing but not know much at all about publishing in a magazine. Since the world of academic writing is vastly different than that of magazine writing, an editor specializing in one will not be the best informed concerning trends and expectations in the industry of the other.

Financial Assistance for a Struggling Student Essay

Financial Assistance for a Struggling Student - Essay Example It is a part of the five year plan to cut $39.7 billion in total from the $71.5 billion student-aid programs. The first impact of the bill being applicable from 1st July, a student borrowing loan after 1st July will be offered rates of 6.8 percent compared to 1.5-2.5 percent rates they enjoyed and have raised questions among the students such as, " Who is responsible" , "How I am going to pay these loans", "Why me" etc. Teneya Morman a junior majoring in MARKETING from N. C. Central when interview said, "I'm a junior in school but after my senior year my education will be more expensive because of the changes in the financial arena. I may not be able to attend. This change will be negative because it will make students not focus on their grades but on money that has to be paid back for my education. It will have a negative affect on the black community because we are the people who don't have the funds to pay." Another graduate student in Computer Information Systems Donnell Williams says, "Graduate school is a sacrifice for many students. They have to be willing to either foot the bill or work hard to secure financial resources. In other words, it is really unfortunate as graduate school becomes more of a gateway to satisfiable employment and career options, now this is another obstacle."

STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT - Essay Example This phase is important for the structural stability and to ensure the safe design implementation and this inspection will also affect the life of the structure because mistakes made at this stage can be corrected on spot but after the facility is complete then the retrofitting would be very difficult and expensive. Then the second phase is the post construction inspection which is done after some time that is 6 months, 1 year and 5 years normally the frequency of the inspection decides its extent, mostly the inspection made after 5 years is far more extensive and detailed than that of which is done after 6 months. This inspection is mostly done by visual monitoring of the facility by professional which inspect the vital areas that are vulnerable to failures and crack propagation. Both the inspection types are extensively vast and hence require a lot of discussion where as at the moment I will only focus on the Post Construction inspection. The key requirements of the inspection woul d be consisting of many aspects the first among them is property identification information which include the location and type of infrastructure facility. Then a detailed study and preliminary visual inspection of various structural systems employed in the building/structure and applicable non-structural components is done. Further progress in the assessment and its requirement includes critical analysis existing condition of the various structural systems, including foundations, bearing walls, framing, columns and beams, floor systems, roof systems, and their connection and construction details. During the assessment and inspection procedures one fact is also to be considered that the Engineers and/or construction specialists conducting the structural assessment should be knowledgeable of the construction methods, materials, load capacities, and design details of the infrastructure facility or structure type being analyzed, as modern structural design approaches will likely not be directly applicable due to the fact that these structures were made quite a long time before and employed primitive construction standards and design methodologies. William Hover (2008).In addition to requirements discuss above there are other as well and which are equally important, significant among these is analysis of the deficiencies, damage, and failures to determine/identify their evident, probable, or possible causes and after these are been highlighted then it is the responsibility that recommendations for corrective measures, design solutions for stabilization and/or repair and maintenance must be made. Then at the end a cost estimate must be made of the repair works and the cost engineering under different scenario must be made which include the recommendation of new construction or choices of retrofitting and localized repairs. Maintenance Management System Then comes the Maintenance Management System(MMS) for a large infrastructure organization, although the system is very extensive and encompasses many fields but the key focus in this discussion would be on infrastructure organizations and their requirements. MMS is a computerized database system which is made to maximize and increase the efficiency of deferred maintenance and capital improvement activities through the organization and its services using standardized procedures to document and prioritize field facility and equipment needs and to

The Glass Menangerie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Glass Menangerie - Essay Example Tom Wingfield, Laura’s brother is the narrator of the events of the play from memory. Amanda’s husband is described as â€Å"a telephone man who fell in love with long distance†, who had deserted his family when Tom and Laura were children. Amanda had to fend for her family al alone and therefore suffers a withdrawal from reality. Laura has physical handicap, walks with a limp and wore braces to high school. Therefore this has made her frightfully shy, to the extent that the outside world scares her. She finds solace and is very comfortable with her collection of glass figurines and enjoys her father’s old Victrola Phonograph Records. Tom worked in a shoe warehouse but was a â€Å"selfish dreamer† who wasted a lot of time on movies, alcohol and reading novels. The atmosphere at home was quite strained as there were quarrels and arguments that took place very often. Each of Tennessee Williams characters have their own goals that they want to achieve. Amanda is looking forward to Laura finishing High School and taking up a job, but her hopes are sadly dashed to the ground when she finds hat Laura has stopped going to school because of her terrible shyness. Amanda is extremely disappointed but resolves once again to find a suitable match for her daughter Laura before she becomes like one of those â€Å"barely tolerated spinsters†. So she puts Tom in charge of bringing in a good bridegroom for her. Tom brings in Jim O’Connor who happens to be the very boy that Laura secretly loved in High School. Laura tries her best to overcome her shyness and Jim helps her a lot. Just as she feels very comfortable with Jim, he tells her that he is engaged to a girl called Betty whom he would marry shortly. He also went on to explain that he had changed so much after the engagement, because of love. Poor Laura’s hopes are sadly dashed to the ground and both she and her mother fretfully blame