Nathan Bedford Forrest - Biography Notes essays

Nathan Bedford Forrest - Biography Notes essays Nathan Bedford Forrest was a businessman, a slave owner, a Confederate general, and the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Forrest is most known for his leadership and courage during the Civil War. Although some of Forrests ideals may be considered absurd, he was a man with the utmost potential. Many have seen him as a war hero as he guided his battalion across an array of battles and skirmishes across both the Union and Confederate states. He was also accused of committing a rather controversial war crime. Today, many people still see him as a hero and a symbol of courage despite his political and social views (Davidson). One attribute that Nathan Bedford Forrest, Ambrose Burnside, Johnny Clem, and Kady Brownell had in common, was bravery. During his service, Forrest led his cavalrymen to what appeared to be certain death. He and his men were almost always successful in their endeavors. Forrest had commanded in some of the war's greatest battles such as the battle of Shiloh, Sacramento, and Fort Donelson. At one time, Forrest found himself surrounded by Union forces yet somehow managed to make his way through the carnage. During his fight to escape the Union forces, he was shot in the side by a rifle, tossing him up in the air. He then snatched up a Union soldier and used him for protection against further gunfire. Once he was in the clear, he dumped the Union soldier (Davidson). Forrest was born on July 13, 1821, in Chapel Hill, Tennessee. He was born to North Carolina-born parents. The living conditions he grew up in were unsatisfactory as he and his family were very poor. Forrest didnt receive any formal education but learned important backwoods skills such as hunting, fishing, and survival. Unfortunately, when Forrest was only 16, his father, William Forrest, passed away. Soon after his fathers death, Forrest moved to Mississippi to work for his uncle, Jonathan Forrest. They worked in a tailor shop in H...

12 Idioms Commonly Seen with Homonymic Spelling Errors

12 Idioms Commonly Seen with Homonymic Spelling Errors 12 Idioms Commonly Seen with Homonymic Spelling Errors 12 Idioms Commonly Seen with Homonymic Spelling Errors By Mark Nichol As, in time, idiomatic phrases become more isolated from their literal origins, writers are more likely to erroneously substitute a homonym (a word that sounds like another but is spelled differently and has a different meaning) for one of the words in the phrase. This post lists idioms that frequently appear with homonymic mistakes. 1. Incorrect: baited breath Correct: bated breath This phrase refers to abating, or stopping, breathing, and the related adjective bated is intended. 2. Incorrect: eek out Correct: eke out Eke originally meant â€Å"increase†; the verb is now obsolete except in the phrase pertaining to achieving after exerting effort; it has nothing to do with a squeal of surprise one might make when one is startled. 3. Incorrect: just desserts Correct: just deserts This idiom refers not to a sweet dish served after a main course but to what one justly deserves. Deserts is a noun, obsolete except in this usage, which refers to just that. 4. Incorrect: making due Correct: making do The expression pertaining to managing with available resources is â€Å"making do.† 5. Incorrect: marshal law Correct: martial law A marshal is a type of law-enforcement official, and to marshal is to order or organize, so this error is understandable, but the phrase refers to martial law, a state in which military forces maintain order under martial, or warlike, conditions. 6. Incorrect: peak (one’s) interest Correct: pique (one’s) interest In the sense of arousing interest, the correct verb is pique. 7. Incorrect: reign in Correct: rein in This phrase refers to managing someone or something as if one were using reins on a horse to control its movement, hence â€Å"rein in.† 8. Incorrect: sewing doubts Correct: sowing doubts This phrase refers to planting doubts as if they were seeds- thus, â€Å"sowing doubts.† 9. Incorrect: slight of hand Correct: sleight of hand This idiom is sometimes misunderstood to refer to deceptive movement so slight as to be undetectable, but the key word is sleight, meaning â€Å"dexterity.† 10. Incorrect: to the manner born Correct: to the manor born It is natural to assume that this phrase alludes to being born in a certain manner- specifically, â€Å"in an affluent environment†- but â€Å"to the manor born† pertains to those born in a manor, as opposed to a more humble dwelling. 11. Incorrect: tow the line Correct: toe the line The phrase alluding to placing one’s feet right on a line and not stepping over it is â€Å"toe the line.† 12. Incorrect: wet your appetite Correct: whet your appetite This idiom refers to sharpening one’s desire for something, not moistening it. Whet means â€Å"sharpen by rubbing against,† as with a whetstone against a knife, and the correct phrase is â€Å"whet your appetite. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Congratulations on or for?36 Poetry Terms15 English Words of Indian Origin

International finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

International finance - Essay Example On the other hand, appreciation of the domestic currency refers to increase in exchange rate brought about by forces of the market in the price of domestic currency in terms of a foreign currency. The need for foreign country’s currency in order to buy goods denominated in a foreign currency is reflected by demand for the foreign currency. In most cases, the selling country denominates its goods and services in terms of domestic currency hence importers from other countries will feel the need for the foreign currency in order to conduct the financial transaction. Foreign currency is supplied into the country when foreign currency is sold in order to carry out financial transactions that are denominated in home currency. It is the demand for and supply of a currency which yields an equilibrium position in the foreign exchange market. The equilibrium point being the point where there is an intersection between the upward sloping supply curve and the downward sloping demand curve (Koller, Goedhart and Wessels, 2010). A low value of foreign currency makes the demand for foreign currency on the foreign exchange market to increase whereas the demand for foreign goods increase due to its relatively cheaper price than domestic goods. On the other hand, a high value of foreign currency makes the demand for foreign currency on the foreign exchange market to decrease whereas the demand for foreign goods increase due to its relatively higher price than domestic goods (Needles, Powers and Crosson, 2010). Therefore, the question that arises is the cause of exchange rate revaluation and whether the depreciation or appreciation of an exchange rate can be predicted. This paper will rightly answer this questions by using a thorough discussion on the determination of exchange rate using the flexible price monetary model. The discussion will further explore the ability or inability of the model to explain the observed movements in foreign

Human and Animal Interrelationships Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human and Animal Interrelationships - Term Paper Example This essay has its primary concern being to investigate the interrelationship between people and animals (both domestic and wild animals) since the olden days up to date. Here in lies the importance of human and animal interrelationships. In addition, it involves an outline of the factors that bring about the changes. Further, it includes suggestions of how to improve the interrelationship of human and animals. Finally, it ends by the summary and a conclusion of the essay. Interrelationship of human and animals In the olden days, human beings neglected animals and considered them (animals) harmful to human health. The interrelationship varies in different societies. For instance, in some societies, there was the use of domestic animals specifically cattle, for the purpose of transportation. In other societies, the use of cattle was principally to give support to farm work. Due to this (farming activities), human beings reared bulls with the purpose of using them to plough big farms. On the other hand, animals depended on human beings for resources such as food. This brought about dependability in that they (animals and particular individuals) relied on each other for various needs (Jonge 154). The interaction between man and wild animals is different from the relationship of man and domestic animals. This is due to activities such as hunting, whereby man continue to humiliate the lives of wild animals. This leads to wild animals hiding away from hunters. This denotes a poor interaction between human and wild animals. Today, there is prohibition of hunting activities since such an act is termed to be illegal and leads to decrease in animals within the ecosystem. Continuity in relations of human beings and animals changed due to diverse reasons. For instance, change in technology contributed to a decrease in dependability level. This is because technology leads to establishment of better farming methods. It leads to adoption of modern farming machinery, which in turn resulted to rearing animals for domestic purpose (beef and milk). Importance of human and animal interrelationships Several positive effects result from the relations of human and animals. For instance, there is reduced fatigue on the side of human kind. This is due to less energy used when undertaking tasks like farming, and it is because human kinds use animal energy to perform specific farming activities. The interrelationship helps to improve performance capability of animals as well as their welfare. This is evident in that Jensen states that, â€Å"poor relationship interactions elicit negative emotions such as fear† (114). This necessitates human beings to be keen when handling animals. Factors influencing human and animal interrelations Better relations exist only when both human and animal are in good health. Health amongst other factors determines the ability of both humans and animals to have a better co-relationship. Health is the source of morale required by all living beings to undertake designed tasks with less impeding characters. Unhealthy human beings will tend to have less concern on the welfare of animals. Due to an unhealthy status, animals lack potential to perform tasks (for example farming) requiring application of much efforts. The use of sign language is vital especially when directing animals on the farm (Jensen 113). This helps improve the level of understanding on animals. How to improve human and animal relations Improving the relations between human beings and animals is vital for the well-being of the society. It signifies the degree of understanding between human and animals. This leads to less economic defects resulting from poor interrelations. Some of the strategies to improve the relationship

Dbq Regarding the Literary Responses to World War 1 from 1914 to 1928 Essay Example for Free

Dbq Regarding the Literary Responses to World War 1 from 1914 to 1928 Essay Historical Context: World War 1 (1914-1918) was a war that was inevitable, but almost entirely underestimated. As the war dragged on for four years and millions of lives were expended in the name of victory, many were greatly impacted culturally, mainly Europeans and Americans. In what was known as the lost generation, many poets and writers developed new forms of literature in response to the devastating consequences of the war. DBQ Prompt: Identify and analyze the various European and American literary responses to World War 1 created during the war and in the decade after the end of World War 1. Document #1 - Source: Paul Valà ©ry, French poet and critic, â€Å"The Crisis of the Mind,† evaluation of European mind and civilization (1920). - - The storm has died away, and still we are restless, uneasy, as if the storm were about to break. Almost all the affairs of men remain in a terrible uncertainty. We think of what has disappeared, and we are almost destroyed by what has been destroyed; we do not know what will be born, and we fear the future, not without reason†¦ Doubt and disorder are in us and with us. There is no thinking man, however shrewd or learned he may be, who can hope to dominate this anxiety, to escape from, this impression of darkness. - Document #2 - Source: Roland Leighton, British soldier serving in France, letter to fiancà © Vera Brittain (1915). - - Among this chaos of twisted iron and splintered timber and shapeless earth are the fleshless, blackened bones of simple men who poured out their red, sweet wine of youth unknowing, for nothing more tangible than Honour or their Countrys Glory or anothers Lust of Power. Let him who thinks that war is a glorious golden thing, who loves to roll forth stirring words of exhortation, invoking Honour and Praise and Valour and Love of Country. Let him look at a little pile of sodden grey rags that cover half a skull and a shine bone and what might have been its ribs, or at this skeleton lying on its side, resting half-crouching as it fell, supported on one arm, perfect but that it is headless, and with the tattered clothing still draped around it; and let him realise how grand and glorious a thing it is to have distilled all Youth and Joy and Life into a foetid heap of hideous putrescence. - Document #3 - Source: Ernest Hemingway, American author and expatriate, â€Å"The Sun Also Rises,† expatriate character adventure (1926). - - Youre an expatriate. Youve lost touch with the soil. You get precious. Fake European standards have ruined you. You drink yourself to death. You become obsessed with sex. You spend all your time talking, not working. You are an expatriate, see? You hang around cafes. - Document #4 - Source: F. Scott Fitzergerald, American writer, â€Å"This Side of Paradise,† examines post-war morality with fictional love plot (1920). - I simply state that Im a product of a versatile mind in a restless generation-with every reason to throw my mind and pen in with the radicals. Even if, deep in my heart, I thought we were all blind atoms in a world as limited as a stroke of a pendulum, I and my sort would struggle against tradition; try, at least, to displace old cants with new ones. Ive thought I was right about life at various times, but faith is difficult. One thing I know. If living isnt seeking for the grail it may be a damned amusing game. - Document #5 - Source: Eleanor Chaffer, French woman, poem â€Å"Lost Generation† published in a newspaper (1921). - - Look not for the flower of innocence in these eyes, - Gravely and silently they have looked on death, - Seen terror rain down from unfriendly skies, - Learned while yet infants how frail is mans breath. - They have turned from a landscape where the ground - Is poisoned and destroyed: give them a toy - And it is held in their hands with no sound - Of childish mirth. This solemn-faced small boy - Is older than his father: in his face, - Wisdom is the ghost that will not leave; - The world to him is a wild and dangerous place; - No covert here where he may hide and grieve. - Look well on these, and on the world we made - As heritage for them — and be afraid! Document #6 - Source: Wilfred Owen, English poet and soldier, Dulce et Decorum Est, addressed to his mother, written 1917, published later (1920) - - If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory That old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori - Document #7 - Source: D.H. Lawrence, English novelist and poet, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, fictional protagonist has a love affair, examines structural morale (1928). - - Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes. It is rather hard work: there is now no smooth road into the future: but we go round, or scramble over the obstacles. We’ve got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen. - Document #8 - Source: Kathe Kollwitz, German expressionist artist, The Survivors (1922), by Kathe Kollwitz - .

Gertrude as an Innocent Victim or a Sexually and Morally Corrupt Woman

Gertrude as an Innocent Victim or a Sexually and Morally Corrupt Woman in Hamlet Shakespeare’s character Gertrude is one of much mystery; in relation to this there are many questions that need to be answered to establish Gertrude’s innocence through out the play. Some examples of these questions are, was Gertrude in some kind of relationship with Claudius before the murder of her late Husband and did she know about the murder before or after it was committed? Does she love Claudius or is it just her status that she is protecting? And did she ever love the late King Hamlet? At the beginning of the play when we learn about the late King Hamlet’s death and Gertrude’s hasty marriage to his brother Claudius, we are faced with a question on the audience’s awareness. It can be assumed that the marriage to her brother- in-law is purely because of Gertrude’s weak personality, resulting in a dependency on men and the means of protecting her status and her power. We also question the love between the Gertrude and Claudius; this is because there is no suggestion of a resemblance between the late King and his brother. The description that we are given about late King Hamlet maybe slightly distorted, as it is Hamlet who tells us this, and he is noticeably loyal to his father. It is also possible to argue that the love that the late King and Gertrude shared was not that strong as the only evidence to suggest this has been told to us by Hamlet and he maybe slightly bias. First we notice that Gertrude does not display her grief for her dead husband, and suspicions mount when she also tells Hamlet that he should stop his mourning as well.... ...unishment upon death. She does not show any untoward hatred towards Claudius showing that she may not be aware of his cruel deed. In the end Gertrude drinks the poison which can suggest many things; that she has no knowledge of the poison or that she feels guilty of her late husband’s death, and cannot carry on with the corrupt behaviour between her husband and her son, or that she is protecting her son and saving his life. When she attempts to consume the drink she is stopped suddenly by Claudius, but she replies â€Å"I will my lord, I pray you pardon me†, is this the request of someone who is guilty, someone who is tired of the fighting between her two dearest or of someone with no awareness of what was going to happen? This for many readers is the critical part of the play in determining her innocence or guilt.

Animal Farm Essay

An allegory is symbolic narrative and the novel Animal Farm is nothing but symbolism. This novel represents many historical events that happened in Russia during the Russian Revolution. There are numerous battles in this book that symbolize the Revolution and other attacks that took place in Russia during the 18th century. This novel also represents the control of power and the people who gain it. Most of the animals on this farm symbolize people in Russian history. The novel Animal Farm has many characters that represent important figures in the Russian Revolution. In the beginning of this book Old Major tells the farm about his dream of a rebellion and how he believes that all the animals shall live equally and how someday they will not live by the rules of their farmer. Old Major represents Karl Marx. Karl Marx was the one who spoke of the rebellion and led people to think of ideas to start this historical movement but didn’t carry on the deed of following through with his ideas. Old Major’s speech had lead to many conversations and secret meetings that the animals put together. This is what happened after Karl Marx idea spread. Soon enough everyone was talking about a rebellion or an overthrow of the government. For the animals in the novel the Rebellion came and they went against their farmer in a full protest and chased him and his wife away from the farm. This represented the overthrow of the government for the Russians. After the Rebellion two leaders emerged and helped the animals work and run the farm smoothly. The two were Snowball and Napoleon. These pigs made the commandments and set the rules so that the animals kept themselves and the farm healthy. The two pigs represent two very different people in the Russian Revolution. Snowball represents Leon Trotsky and Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin. These two men try to run Russia for as long as they could with no troubles. The animals are soon encountered with a troublesome battle, The Battle of the Cowshed. The farmers come back and try to take back the farm. The farmers don’t succeed in doing this and sent home disappointed and a man short. This point in the book is symbolizing the Russian Civil War. Soon the animals are being split into classes and one class is starting to rise in power. The pigs are starting to do more and not have to work as hard. The other animals, on the other hand, have to work extra hard to get half the luxuries the pigs have. Boxer, the horse, always works hard and is loyal to the pigs and their decisions. Boxer represents the obedient, hard working people of Russia. Mollie, the pig, hides during battles and can be taken anywhere as long as there are sugar lumps and bows. Mollie represents the selfish vain people of Russia. The pigs are being put on the pedestal and are represented of the Loyalists of the Communist Party. These groups are starting to be more unequal the longer the pigs have control. This happens with the upperclassmen of the Revolution and the lower classmen will soon be unhappy. The next battle occurs over a windmill and is remembered as the Battle of the Windmill to the animals. This battle occurs when Napoleon thinks the windmill is an absurd idea and scares Snowball away using fear to control the farm. He brings out the dogs that are the â€Å"bodyguards† of the farm and are meant to scare the animals into doing what Napoleon wants them to do. The dogs represent KGB, secret police whom Stalin uses to control society. The Battle of the Windmill also represents the Russian Civil War but it also represents Stalin’s rise in power. The power that Napoleon gains makes him horrible and unfair, the animals are not as smart as him so they do not know what is happening behind the scenes. Napoleon starts changing every commandment and starts acting more like a human than anything else. This is amusing because the farm and the animals except the pigs are treated the same or maybe poorer than when Jones the farmer was in charge. Stalin, represented by Napoleon the pig, uses fear to control society and has made Russia worse than it was when the Czar was still ruling. The only thing that had gotten better is the conditions of the Loyalists of the Communist Party. As you can see this whole book is an allegory. The novel Animal Farm represents different historical figures and events from the Russian Revolution. The novel symbolizes how corrupt a person and society can be if given too much power. Animal Farm is a great representation of how Russian government was ran and how certain â€Å"classes† were treated.

Effects Of National Culture Essay

Since 1988, our world has changed in a myriad of ways. As dictatorships have risen and fallen and new democracies have formed, the political culture of our society is much different than in the years of the late Cold War. In addition to political changes, new technologies, including the world wide web and satellite communications have allowed people in different nations to communicate much more effectively. This research in this paper is very outdated, not taking into account the new market, trade laws, interest rates, or other economical factors of today’s international business world. The article, â€Å"The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode,† was written in 1988 by Bruce Kogut and Harbir Singh, of the Stockholm School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. The authors believed there were several means of entry into foreign markets, including joint ventures, wholly owned greenfield (start up) investments, and by acquisition. The authors examined these methods in depth and analyzed the means by which the businesses not only started up, but operated in foreign markets as well. The authors reviewed statistics, data, and literature, and formed hypothesis as to which methods were being used most, and in what industrial sector(s). The first means that some businesses entered and operated in a foreign country is through the acquisitions method. The acquisitions method entails purchasing a sufficient amount of stock to control the primary shares of a certain company. This method might be considered â€Å"buying out† a foreign company already in existence. However, as currency exchange rates and interest rates fluctuate on a daily basis, this would be trickier in today’s market. For example, 20 years ago, the dollar, the Japanese yen, the Canadian dollar, and the Indian Rupee were worth very different amounts. More importantly, the Euro was not in use, as many of the countries in Eastern Europe in particular, were under communist control. Today, as countries have become more aware of these fluctuating rates, it might be harder or riskier to enter a market through the acquisitions method. In addition, free trade laws and regulations also regulate who can buy what and how much in a foreign market. The second means is a joint venture method in which two or more firms share the assets and profits of a certain company. Again, the same problems might exist as in the acquisitions method, with fluctuating currency exchange rates affecting profit. For example, if a business operated in both China and the United States, as economies changed and foreign tax laws changed, the company could fall under financial strain. The influence of firm experience on entry choice has played a prominent role in several of the studies employing the Harvard Multinational Enterprise Data Base. In their pioneering study on the ownership structure of American multinational firms, Stopford and Wells [1972] found joint ventures, relative to wholly owned activities, were less likely to be chosen, the more central the product to the core business of the firm and more experience the firm had in the relevant country. Similarly, they found that marketing and advertising intensity, as well as research and development intensity, discouraged the use of joint ventures. (Kogut & Singh 1988) This mindset would make sense, as it is hard to run a successful business in one culture, let alone worry about marketing, advertising, and research costs. It also would make sense that two countries might not respond the exact same way to a business plan and marketing techniques. The third means of entry is a greenfield, or start-up, investment, completely new to the foreign market. While some of the challenges of tax laws, currency exchange, and interest rates would also affect this means, the biggest obstacle might be the cultural barriers. Although the world is getting smaller each day thanks to the internet and satellite communications, hundreds of languages and dialects are still spoken throughout the world. This might lead to a communications problem if a foreigner attempted a greenfield investment. Besides language barriers, marketing and advertising techniques would need to be researched in order to be effective in a new country. The authors argue that joint venture is almost a cross between the two other methods, greenfield, and acquisitions. Many studies, as discussed later, have treated greenfield and acquisition as representing alternative entry modes, with joint ventures being only a question of the degree of ownership. This approach implies that entry and ownership involve two sequential decisions, the first deciding whether to invest in new facilities or to acquire existing ones, the second one on how ownership should be shared. Whereas such an approach is clearly defensible on both theoretical and empirical grounds, we treat joint ventures as a choice made simultaneously with other alternative modes of entry. (Kogut & Singh 1988) For this reason, joint ventures can be described as a gray area in foreign business acquisitions. For example, if a company bought out another one, or merged with another company, while retaining some of the business practices and/or staff, it would probably be considered a joint venture. The authors theorize that Greenfield entry is the best way, or at least that was what they believed in 1988. Due to the difficulty of integrating an already existing foreign management, cultural differences are likely to be especially important in the case of an acquisition. Indeed, empirical studies on mostly domestic acquisitions have shown that post-acquisition costs are substantial and are influenced by what Jemison and Sitkin [1986] call the organizational fit of the two firms. They define organizational fit as â€Å"the match between administrative practices, cultural practices, and personal characteristics of the target and parent firms† (Jemison and Sitkin 1986, p. 1471. Sales and Mirvis [1984] document in detail the administrative conflicts following an acquisition when both firms differ strongly in their corporate cultures. In contrast to the integration costs of an acquisition, a joint venture serves frequently the purpose of assigning management tasks to local partners who are better able to manage the local labor force and relationships with suppliers, buyers, and governments [Franko 1971; Stopford and Wells 1972]. Thus, a joint venture resolves the foreign partner’s problems ensuing from cultural factors, though at the cost of sharing control and ownership. Unquestionably, a joint venture is affected by the cultural distance between the partners. But such conflict should not obscure the original motivation to choose a joint venture because the-initial alternative of integrating an acquisition appeared more disruptive than delegating management tasks to a local partner. Of course, a joint venture may be troubled not only by the cultural distance of the partners, but also due to concerns over sharing proprietary assets. A wholly owned greenfield investment avoids both the costs of integration and conflict over sharing proprietary assets by imposing the management style of the investing firm on the start-up while preserving full ownership. (Kogut & Singh 1988) In 2008, businesses would face some of the same challenges as in 1988, such as the cost of integration, conflict of sharing proprietary assets, and administrative and management differences. However, as more and more businesses have gone global, most countries would have contracts and lawyers defining clear parameters on such details. The authors came to this conclusion by testing two hypothesis. The first focused on cultural differences. Kogut & singh (1988) said that, â€Å"The greater the cultural distance when the country of the investing firm and the country of entry, the more likely a firm will choose a joint venture or wholly owned greenfield over an acquisition. † This hypothesis primarily focused on the costs of running and managing a business from a greater distance. The second hypothesis as stated by Kogut & Singh (1988) stated that, â€Å"The greater the culture of the investing firm is characterized by uncertainty avoidance regarding organizational practices, the more likely that firm will choose a joint venture or wholly owned greenfield over an acquisition. † As with all unknowns, a foreign company could not be expected to know the exact way a business and marketing plan would be executed and responded to in a foreign market. Basically, the data found that uncertainty was the main reason companies tended to shy away from acquisitions and enter the market through a greenfield or joint venture method. This reason would still hold true today as the world market fluctuates and recessions come and go. The studies also noted that the methods of entry into a particular market varied depending on the product, service, or industry. There is a clear difference in industry patterns among the modes of entry. Joint ventures are relatively more frequent in pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electric and nonelectric machinery. Acquisitions occur primarily in natural resources, financial services, and miscellaneous manufacturing industries. Chemical and electrical machinery are especially attractive industries for greenfield investments. At a higher level of aggregation, acquisitions tend to be relatively more common than other modes of entry in nonmanufacturing sectors of the economy. (Kogut & Singh 1988) The article, since it was written 20 years ago, analyzed data primarily from the industrial sectors of resource, paper, chemical, petroleum, metal, rubber, machinery, electrical, transportation, and instrumentation. It had some analysis of data in communications, wholesale, financial, and other services. Now, in 2008, the list would include a lot of new data for technology, automobile, computers, and pharmaceuticals, to name a few. The list would also be inclusive of customer service outsourcing, a practice common among many technology and computer companies. Furthermore, new sanctions have been imposed on some natural resources. It may not be possible, for example, for a foreign company to come in and control an oil field, a diamond mine, or a rainforest. Such companies might be required to work jointly with a company in the nation they wish to do business, thus keeping it a joint venture somewhat. In 2008, any analysis of entry into foreign markets would also mention the oil trade, and the complexities that accompany it. As the recent conflict in Iraq has shown us, cultural differences and political challenges may hamper easy trade and setting up business in a middle eastern country. In the next few years, as new automobiles are developed to hopefully not be as oil-dependent, the market will change yet again. Another difference in automobiles are the influx of foreign cars to the United States, and the continual race to develop the most fuel-efficient car amongst competitors throughout the world. The article analyzed data primarily from the United States, Western Europe, and Japan. It found differences based on these countries. Again, there are strong differences among the modes of entry. For Japan, 46 of its 114 entries are joint ventures. Whereas Japanese acquisitions are not common, Japanese firms have a high proportion of the wholly owned Greenfield investments. Scandinavia and, especially France, also lean towards joint ventures. United Kingdom represents the other extreme; 111 of its 141 entriesare acquisitions, with the remainder evenly divided between joint ventures and greenfield. (Kogut & Singh 1988) Twenty years ago, the European Union was not in existence and many Eastern European Countries were under communist rule, thus meaning they had very different laws, regulations, and business practices than they do today. The Euro was not yet a currency, so trading and doing business amongst European nations was also very different. Also, the article makes little mention of a very new powerful force in the global market: China. As China has made tremendous economic and technological gains in this decade, it has begun to not only dominate the world market, but also branch out and do business in foreign countries. This relationship is reciprocal as European and American businesses are also looking to enter the Chinese market at the same time. Another item the article looked at which is very different today than 20 years ago is the size of businesses. They sought to understand whether or not larger businesses entered a market usually one way, while smaller businesses did something else. Obviously, while larger firms may have had more resources to acquire, smaller firms may have had the flexibility to do so more frequently. It stands to reason that the larger the investing firm, the greater its ability to acquire. Despite the logic, the empirical evidence is mixed. Dubin [1975] found that smaller firms tended to acquire relatively more frequently than large firms, though he did not control for other factors. In his cross-sectional tests, Wilson (1980) confirmed Dubin’s findings. However, these studies drew upon entry data of the largest corporations of the United States and other European countries. Caves and Mehra [I9861 study did not restrict their attention to entries of the larger corporations. Their results showed that the size of the entering firm is positively and significantly related to entry by acquisition over greenfield. Because acquisitions require generally more financial and managerial resources than joint ventures, size of the foreign firm’s assets should be positively correlated with the tendency to acquire. Conversely, acquisitions are discouraged, the larger the assets of the American partner, target firm, or investment size. (Kogut & Singh 1988) In 2008, this may or not be the same, as firms in certain industries may have grown and merged, while others may have decreased in size and split up into more specific companies. Also, the lending practices and investment practices are different today than they were 20 years ago, so a company may have more ways through which to acquire start-up capital necessary for operating in a foreign market. The article also examined why certain companies may enter a foreign market. Twenty years ago, not all countries possessed the technology, skills, or resources needed for some businesses. This caused companies to enter foreign markets to get what they were lacking in their own country. The previous empirical studies have assumed, however, foreign entry was usually for the purpose of market access or low cost manufacturing. Clearly, foreign entry into the United States may be motivated in order to source technology or purchase brand labels. The more diverse motives of investing in the American economy make it more difficult to sign the structural variables. For example, firms from R&D-intensive industries might joint venture if they possess the requisite technologies but lack the marketing depth. Or they may tend to acquire if they are investing for technology sourcing. Similarly, firms from marketing-intensive industries might engage in a joint venture if they possess the brand label but lack other resources along the value-added chain. Or they may acquire if they are investing for market penetration and lack label recognition. Stopford and Wells [1972] found that American firms pursuing an advertising-intensive strategy tend to full ownership of their overseas subsidiaries. Their data is drawn, however, from a time when American firms were investing overseas with clear strategic advantages. For our study, it is equally likely that foreign firms are investing in the United States for technology and brand label acquisition as for the exploitation of their proprietary assets. No prediction is made, therefore, on the signs of the coefficients for R&D and Advertising. (Kogut & Singh 1988). In 2008, as natural resources have been discovered in other parts of the world and new technologies have emerged, countries that were formerly primarily importers are not exporters, and countries that primarily exported, now import more from elsewhere. As the playing field changes every year, it’s important to note that countries will be continuing to search for the next best place or resource to help grow their company. Also, thanks to the internet and a computer-savvy generation, it is possible that some countries will not need outside help advertising or marketing, or with brand-name recognition. If the article were to be re-written today, obviously new data would need to be collected reflecting the changes of the last 20 years, including new industrial sectors, new companies, and more countries. The researchers would need to also differentiate between a few things. First, they would need to look at a specific industry, because, as they stated, the means of entry vary greatly depending on the industry. For example, one might enter a foreign banking market very different than had they entered a foreign market strictly to utilize their natural resources or labour force. Also, the article did not look enough at the cultural aspect of the business world. It would be remiss not to notice that there are some cultures who object to foreigners doing business in their country and would not respond to foreign business plans. For example, the United States and European nations might successfully acquire or start a business in China or Japan, yet not be as successful in a Middle Eastern Country. In conclusion, considering the article is over 20 years old, and the data was even older, the authors did a great job of analyzing data and investigating business trends and foreign market entry modes. It provides a great insight into the past and the mindset of the times, before new trade laws, instant communication, and most importantly, new products and services used by people worldwide. As societies change every day, as third world countries become first world, and new drugs are developed to cure a myriad of conditions, the only certainty is that 20 years from now, we will be in a very different business world as a result of our actions today. REFERENCES Caves, Richard. E. 1982. Multinational enterprise and economic analysis Cambridge, U. K. : Cambridge University Press. Dubin, Michael. 1975. Foreign acquisitions and the spread of the multinational fi. D. B. A. thesis, Jemison, D. B. & S. B. Sitkin. 1986. Corporate acquisitons: A process perspective, Academy of Management. Kogut, Bruce, and Harbir Singh. 1988. The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode. The Journal of International Business Studies k S. Mehra. 1986. Entry of foreign multinationals into U. S. manufacturing industries. In M. Porter, ed. , Competition in global industries. Boston: Harvard Business School. Sales, A. L. & P. H. Mirvis. 1984. When cultures collide: hues in acquisition. In Managing organizational Stepford, J. & L. Wells. 1972. Managing the multinational enterprise: Organization of the firm and ownership. New York: Basic Books.

Preparing for a Skype Grad School Interview

Preparing for a Skype Grad School Interview For many graduate programs submitting your application is just the first step in seeking admission. Graduate school admissions interviews are common in many fields. Interviews offer an important opportunity let faculty and members of the admissions committee get to know you, beyond your application materials. Interviews, however, are expensive and time-consuming, especially if you are applying to graduate programs that are far from home. Many, if not most, graduate programs expect applicants to pay their own travel expenses.   Because of this, grad school interviews are often described as â€Å"optional.† However, optional or not, it’s in your best interest to make the trip and interview in person. Fortunately, many graduate programs are moving towards conducting interviews by video conferencing via platforms like Skype. Skype interviews permit graduate programs to interview students cheaply and efficiently – and perhaps even squeeze even more applicant intervi ews in than they would in real life. Skype interviews pose special challenges. An interview for admission to graduate study, regardless of whether its on campus or by Skype, means that the admissions committee is interested in you and is your opportunity to demonstrate your fit to the faculty and graduate program. The standard advice about interviews applies, but a Skype interview entails unique challenges. Here are 9 tips to avoid some of the technological and environmental problems that arise during Skype interviews. Share Phone Numbers Share your phone number and have the number for the graduate department or someone on the admissions committee on hand.   Should you have difficulties logging in or other technical problems, such as a malfunctioning computer, you’ll want to be able to contact the admissions committee to let them know that you haven’t forgotten about the interview. Otherwise, they may assume that you are no longer interested in admission or that you are unreliable and therefore not a good fit for the graduate program. Consider Your Background What will the committee see behind you? Pay attention to your background. Posters, signs, photos and art can detract from your professional demeanor. Don’t give professors an opportunity to judge you on anything other than your words and persona. Lighting Choose a well-lighted space. Do not sit with your back to a window or light because only your silhouette will be visible. Avoid harsh overhead light. Place a light in front of you, several feet away. Consider using an additional shade or placing a cloth over the lamp to dilute the light. Camera Placement Sit at a desk.   The camera should be level with your face. Position your laptop atop a stack of books, if needed, but be sure that it is secure. Do not look down into the camera. Sit far enough away that your interviewer can see your shoulders. Look into the camera, not at the image on the screen – and certainly not at yourself. If you look at the image of your interviewers, you’ll appear to be looking away. Challenging as it may seem, try to look at the camera to simulate eye contact. Sound Be sure that the interviewers can hear you. Know where the microphone is located and direct your speech towards it. Speak slowly and pause after the interviewer finishes speaking.   Sometimes video lag can interfere with communication, making it harder to interviewers to understand you or making it appear as if you are interrupting them. Dress Dress for your Skype interview just as you would for an in-person interview. Don’t be tempted to just dress â€Å"on top.† That is, don’t wear sweatpants or pajama pants. Don’t assume that your interviewers will see only the top half of your body. You never know. You might have to stand up to retrieve something and then suffer in embarrassment (and make a poor impression). Reduce Environmental Distractions Keep pets in another room. Leave children with a babysitter or family member – or don’t interview at home. Eliminate any potential sources of background noise, such as barking dogs, crying children, or insensitive roommates. Technological Interruptions Charge your laptop. Preferably, plug it in.   Turn off your cell ringer and any other phone in the vicinity.   Log out of messaging programs, Facebook, and other apps with sound notifications. Mute notifications in Skype. Make sure that you will not be interrupted by any sounds on your computer.   Whatever you hear, your interviewers hear.    Practice Do a practice run with a friend.   How do you look? Sound? Are there any distractions? Are your clothes appropriate and professional? Skype interviews share the same purpose as old fashioned in-person interviews: An opportunity for the graduate admissions committee to get to know you. Preparing for the technological aspects of video interviews can sometimes overshadow the basic interview preparation that will help you learn about the program and put your best foot forward. As you prep, don’t forget to focus on the content of the interview. Prepare responses to common questions that you might be asked as well as questions to ask.   Don’t forget that your interview is also your chance to learn more about the program.   If you’re accepted you’ll spend the next 2 to 6 or more years in graduate school. Be sure that it’s the program for you. Ask questions that are meaningful to you and make the interview work for you.

Five Reasons Why Blogging Leads to Writing Jobs

Five Reasons Why Blogging Leads to Writing Jobs Five Reasons Why Blogging Leads to Writing Jobs Five Reasons Why Blogging Leads to Writing Jobs By Ali Hale Daily Writing Tips has already covered Five reasons why blogging improves your writing. But once you’ve polished up your skills, and grown used to writing frequently and receiving feedback, blogging can also help you get paid for your writing. 1. It’s a free (or very cheap) way to self-publish your writing Posting your writing on a blog is a form of self-publishing, even if you don’t think of it that way. After all, blogging software uses a Publish button to submit a post, and if you run Google Adsense on your blog, Google refers to you as a Publisher. In the past, to get published you either persuaded an editor to print your work, or you paid to have the piece printed yourself. Blogging allows you to self-publish for free (or at the small cost of hosting and an internet connection). If your blog becomes popular, you could run advertisements to make some money or invite sponsorship from companies – glance over to the right to see some of Daily Writing Tips’s sponsors. 2. Blogging helps you build up a portfolio of pieces One of the hardest things about getting started as a freelance writer is getting together a portfolio of your writing to show potential clients. Having a blog allows you to build up a sample of published pieces that you can use to show your writing prowess. If you’re intending to use blogging to start your portfolio, why not write guest posts for other blogs? For example, I have Daily Writing Tips, Diet Blog, Freelance Switch, The Change Blog, Dumb Little Man and Pick the Brain on my list of sites I’ve written for. Editors may take you more seriously if they can see that other people think your writing is good enough to publish. 3. You get to write about topics that you love – and build your expertise and credentials Much has been said about the need to have a blog on a niche topic – one topic that you write regularly about, rather than trying to include everything that you’re interested in. This makes it much easier to build up an interested readership, but it also helps to build your knowledge about the topic. If you’re reading other blogs and books on your subject and writing original material several times a week, you’ll almost certainly be learning something new. Having a well-established blog on a particular topic is a great way to demonstrate your expertise. For example, if you want to write movie reviews for a newspaper, pointing to your long-running blog with a weekly round-up of the latest releases could be a great way to prove that you’re up to the job. 4. A popular blog could lead to a book deal In the offline world, the sale of â€Å"blooks† is rising – books based on blogs. Several bloggers who I read have signed book deals: Darren Rowse from Problogger, Shauna Reid from The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl and Jennette Fulda (aka PastaQueen) from Half of Me. And, of course, there are some very famous examples such as Belle de Jour’s The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. If your blog becomes big, it just might catch the attention of an agent. And even if the agents aren’t phoning you just yet, a blog could help you sell your own book. Elizabeth Soutter Schwarzer (‘Liz’ or ‘DaMomma’) from Motherhood is Not for Wimps has self-published one book and has another on the way. Collis and Cyan Ta’eed from Freelance Switch self-published How to be a Rockstar Freelancer (in both ebook and printed formats) and have another book on the way, How to be a Rockstar WordPresser. Many other bloggers offer excellent free articles on their blog but also sell ebooks which go into more depth on the same topics. 5. If you’re a freelancer, a blog is a great marketing tool Well-known bloggers who publish authoritative and well-written posts can use their blog as a mean of marketing themselves. Skellie does this brilliantly on Skelliewag, with a â€Å"Hire me† page and advertisments on the right hand side for her own services. Harry and James from Men with Pens have â€Å"Guns for Hire† which explains the writing and design services which they offer. Make sure your blog tells potential clients how they can get in touch. If someone loves your blog’s style and content, they might well want to hire you. Also, blogs tend to rank well in search engines (due to the amount of content, and because other blogs often want to link to your posts), so you’ll have greater visibility online. If you have a blog, has it helped you – directly or indirectly – to make money from your writing? If you’re not blogging yet, do you have ideas of how you’d like to use a blog? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives 7 Tips for Writing a Film ReviewEmpathic or Empathetic?

Operation Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operation Management - Research Paper Example Firstly, for sustainability, efficiency and to improve infrastructural access throughout all the branches and the teller machines, the NBAD has deployed sophisticated technological system meant to monitor all the data centers. This system has been integrated in a way such that, it helps in power planning, management and distribution by giving warnings about power availability while ensuring consistent customers service for maximum returns output. Moreover, this organization having been ranked amongst the safest banks in the world has opened up numerous branches within the United Arab Emirates as a strategy of gaining competitive advantage. Additionally, the bank has implemented the use of automatic teller machines (ATM) to aid accessibility of transactions with 24 house online customer support. Through telephone calls and online banking categorically termed as Nbadonline or Nbaddirect customers are assured the safest money transactions which, eliminates the threat of physical transac tions of money and chances of robbery (Suwaidi, 1994). National Bank of Abu Dhabi has implemented into its operation, finacle management systems with treasury as well as capital market business. This system helps in minimizing risks associated with trading in securities while offering financial assistance in relevance to office operations. NBAD has had sustainable operations by focusing on service delivery to the customers through the deployment of finacle system which, helps in the reduction of cost through effective and non faulted operations as one way of achieving the objectives and visions of the organization (Suwaidi, 1994). National Bank of Abu Dhabi believes in a centralized of financial process in where adequate funds can be dispatched in support of other operations within the organization while prioritizing for higher returns with very minimal anticipating of risks. Besides this idea, NBAD has invested in financial management systems that enables the customers to have accu rate execution of the transactions focusing on cash optimization efficiency through a round the clock automation systems. Moreover, the organization is equipped with an enterprise resource programs where the treasury, management board and the other industries are involved in to the in integration of automated systems that sees transactions from one organization to the other. National Bank of Abu Dhabi has succeeded in the integration of optimized transaction system with the development and Tourism Company to enable cash management efficiency and other likeminded organizations with the treasury (Peng, 2012). NBAD is also practices divergent transparency when it to the relationship with the investors, this has been made through availing of timely financial information and reports which, are basically aided by financial fact sheet and other reports which can be acceded easily through the decision support systems linked to the investors portals. Through such systems, stakeholders are ab le to make timely decision about the appropriate time to sell or make purchases of investment securities (Peng, 2012). . Operation management and qualities of Emirates Airlines Company Despite the fact that emirates Airline Company is wholly owned by the government of Dubai, it has revolutionized into a global

Consumption Patterns Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumption Patterns - Research Paper Example The consumers market is made of product, price, place and promotion all surrounded by economic, political, cultural, demographic and technological factors. The buyer may be influenced by knowledge, lifestyle patterns, perspectives, taste, character and motivational factors in buying the product. Prior to buying the same product, one may decide to search information about it from various sources, one may look for an alternative product, recognize a problem with the product or decide to buy it later. Purchasing the product can depend on one’s individual taste, brand recognition, dealer, amount of the product, or the time the product is being sold (Boone & Kurtz 287). In the United States, various types of consumer behavior exist among different parts of the country. America has been inhabited by many types of cultures over the years. This immigration has not only formed an outstanding culture but also created various subcultures or ethnic groups within the whole of America. Thes e groups have the same religion, beliefs, heritage and experiences that distinguish them from other members of the society. African Americans and Asian Americans are an example of such groups and compose of around a third of the US population. Hence, their similarities contribute to possession of the same consumption patterns (Hoyer & Falcnnis 323). A minority of the ethnic groups exhibit different behavioral patterns with each group having specific preferences in food, clothing, music, and cosmetics such as skin and hair care products among others. American consumers for instance demonstrate a desire to embrace new fashions as well as frequent shopping compared to others. Media also affects consumption patterns. Some media exist for a specific ethnic group or many subgroups. Hence, it may decide to use the ethnic language to conduct its advertising and promotional campaigns to reach the target audience. Religion brings with it values, and beliefs about various issues such as unders tanding of sex, family life customs, norms and morality. What is consumed is guided by religion, a key concern that should guide marketers in product distribution. Consumers shopping behavior is largely influenced by their different needs and preferences (Meisis & Tait, 123). African Americans African Americans display a large and widespread group that is composed of many subgroups with regard to regions, academic and profession. According to reports, almost 30% of the population possesses 50,000 dollars and above GDP while 46% stays at home majority of whom are single parent families where women are the main breadwinners. On the level of education, almost 15% are college graduates out of the 24% of the whole us population. In terms of consumer behavior, African Americans believe in freedom of life, dressing and presentation. They are very independent and value their culture, which they struggle to maintain as they are mostly less concerned with other groups way of life and do not e asily imitate. Their consumption patterns are grounded on the principles of individual presentation, importance of style and beauty. In relation to the above is the search for recognition and status revelation. In the attempt of describing their fashion statement, African Americans mostly buy the ‘boy’s clothing’. This has made them become targets for commercial advertisers due