Singapore Essays (Examples)

Singapore's Socio-Cultural Environment stephv73

The Socio-Cultural Environment of Singapore Compared to That of the United States

For anyone wishing to do business in Singapore, it must be remembered that the socio-cultural environment in Singapore is very different from that of the United States. In order to conduct business in Singapore successfully, these differences need to be learned and accounted for in all business transactions, in customer care, and in employee management. Otherwise, one runs the risk of offending someone, of breaking the law, or of alienating potential and current customers. This paper gives a brief overview of the socio-cultural environment of Singapore, and touches on the things that are important for an American businessperson to know before doing business in that nation.

One of the first things that should be remembered about Singapore is that education is extremely important to people there. The academic approach in Singapore is very precise.…

References

Aglionby, John. "Singapore's Fine Culture Keeps People in Line." Guardian Unlimited. 2002.  http://society.guardian.co.uk/localgovt/story/0,7890,824572,00.html .

Maysami, Ramin Cooper and Valerie Priscilla Goby. "Creating a Conducive Environment for Small Businesses Operating in Singapore." Nanyang Business School. n.d. http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/Research/1998/ICSB/g003.htm>.

Services Marketing Strategy eport

The airline business is among the most competitive sectors in the economy. The business requires the investors to invest huge amounts of capital to sustain the operations of the business. The difference in the capital available has resulted into emergence of superior airline companies that have dominated the global market. The airline companies are mainly a service delivery oriented offering transport for passengers and language.

The airline company under evaluation is Singapore Airlines. The company was incorporated in 1947 originally as Malayan Airways Limited. With the help from British Commonwealth airlines, the company increased its fleet size to become among the major players in the airline industry. The company has a strong presence in Asia, which is the major market. The company operates trans-Pacific flights, which increase revenue. The company also diversifies its operations to provide services like as aircraft managing and engineering services (Lee &…

References

Beiske, B. (2007). Loyalty management in the airline industry. Mu-nchen: GRIN Verlag GmbH.

Capon, N., & Hulbert, J.M. (2007). Managing marketing in the 21st century: Developing and implementing the market strategy. Bronxville, N.Y: Wessex Inc.

Chary, S.N. (2009). Production and operations management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.

De, L.C. (2003). The Rough guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. New York: Rough Guides.

Psychology of Consumer Behavior

Consumer perspectives on the emerging culture of consumption in Singapore

b) Introduction

The consumption style of consumers alludes to the mental approach or orientation a purchaser has towards settling on decisions. Although purchaser choice making style depicts a consistent trend of affective and cognitive responses, national culture has been demonstrated to have an effect on individual attitudes and values. In this way, culture has a noteworthy impact on consumption trend in Singapore (Mooij & Mooij, 2011). This study will embrace buyer research into consumption styles to improve comprehension of how culture shapes consumption trends across Singapore. Primarily, this study will evaluate and confirm to the identified Singaporean culture. Minimal research analyzes cultural factors shaping buyer decision making. There is confirmation of cultural aspects in the purchaser's styles of making choices for fashion although no study has covered if this impact extends to the purchase of general…

References

Gelfand, M.J., Chiu, C., & Hong, Y. (2011). Advances in culture and psychology: Volume 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mooij, M.K., & Mooij, M.K. (2011). Consumer behavior and culture: Consequences for global marketing and advertising. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

This presents challenges because neither high-pressure compressed hydrogen gas nor cryogenic liquefied hydrogen can easily be handled at home." (Panasonic, p. 1)

This underscores the reality noted by this proposal and cast to further examination in the research justified by this proposal that any real implementation of an energy source transformation would be a considerable commercial, political, economic and practical endeavor.

All of that noted, it still remains that case that hydrogen has the potential to light the way for a better fuel economy, a more efficient society and a more pristine environment in Singapore. This is because at its root, hydrogen carries not just the potential for clean-burning but also for greater energy-storing capacity. According to the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) "hydrogen is the lightest gas and also the most energy-dense fuel per mass. One pound of hydrogen holds 52,000 Btu, three times the energy of…

Works Cited

Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA). (2010). Hydrogen Energy Overview. FCHEA.org.

Linde Group (LG). (2010). Hydrogen Energy. Linde Industrial Gases.

Ministry of the Environment and Water Sources (MEWR). (2010). Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. http://app.mewr.gov.sg

National Climate Change Committee (NCCC). (2008). Singapore's National Climate Change Strategy. app.mewr.gov.sg.

organizational dynamics of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Singapore with a reference to the relevant theories. The strengths and weakness are highlighted and then recommendations made on how to improve the daily running of the franchise.

Overview of the company

Organizational structure

Organizational culture at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Employee motivation

Organizational form

Overview of the company

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Singapore is part of a larger organization (a franchise) that deals in coffee and tea as their specialty. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles California and is owned as well as operated by International Coffee & Tea, LLC (Hoovers,2011).

In Singapore, the company it operates under the business name Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (S) Pte. Ltd. It operates both tea and coffee stores in the country (Singapore). In its stores it offers coffee bean brews, lunch, breakfast, tea as well as cakes. The company is…

Jay Galbraith's model of an organizational structure still remains to be the most influential design framework and has a lot of under laying messages. Galbraith (2005) posits that there is no single successful design for any organization hence the need to be dynamic. Any organization should strive to implement only the features that support it's strategy and hat will enhance it's growth and development and change all those that are nit in tandem with the organization's goals and objectives (Mohrman 2007).

Conclusion

Coffee Bean and tea Leaf is a successful organization whose management can be improved by making a few changes to its organizational structure.It is important for the workers to be given more autonomy for the franchise to achieve success.

During the investigative process, this researcher documents the formulation and thinking of the citizenship education programme in a typical Singapore secondary school.

Singapore, a contemporary strategic island known as one of the world's busiest economic powerhouse seaports, also currently constitutes a major global banking, petroleum, and ship building center. During the past few decades, Singapore, considered a "melting pot of cultures" moved to the top of considerations for international travelers. "A bridge and causeway connect Singapore to the Malaysia mainland…." (Singapore, 2008) Due to problems evolving from the aggressive current patterns of the Strait of Singapore, however, vital, on-going land reclamation projects routinely occur.

Regional fishermen and pirates originally claimed Singapore, at one time part of the Sumatran Empire of Srivijaya. During the 16th century, European control of the Malaysian area began. In 1819, Britain founded Singapore as a British trading colony, and consequently built one of Britain's most vital…

Figure 8: Yishun Town Secondary School Location (1) (Yishun Town Secondary, 2008)

X -- pic in other TEMPLATE

Figure 9: Yishun Town Secondary School Location (2) (School Information Service, 2008)

Silence too is an important part of communication in Singapore. It is customary to pause before answering a question, to indicate that the person has given the question the appropriate thought and consideration that is needed. Westerners habit of responding quickly to a question, to Singaporeans, often indicates thoughtlessness and rude behavior. Their demeanor is typically calm, and Westerners more aggressive style is often seen as off putting ("Singapore: Language," 2009). Authority is to be respected for both employees of an organization, in Singapore, and when dealing with other organizations (Tse, 2008), and communication content and tone should represent this respect. Business etiquette is also different in Singapore than in many Western countries.

Cultural Business Etiquette in Singapore:

Business is more formal in Singapore than non-Asian organizations are often used to. There are strict rules of protocol, with a clear chain of command, which is expected to be kept on…

References

Choy, W. 1 Jul 2007, "Globalisation and workforce diversity: HRM implications for multinational corporations in Singapore," Singapore Management Review,  http://www.allbusiness.com/public-administration/national-security-international/4509815-1.html .

Edewor, P. & Aluko, P. May 2007, "Diversity management, challenges and opportunities in multicultural organizations," International Journal of Diversity in Organisation, Communities & Nations vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 189-195.

Hofstede, G. Feb 1993, "Cultural constraints in management theories," Executive, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 81-94.

Ismail, R. & Shaw, B. Feb 2006, "Singapore's Malay-Muslim minority: Social identification in a post 9/11 world," Asian Ethnicity vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 37-51.

Despite the positive contributions they generated upon the culture and economy of Singapore, the foreign citizens, mainly Chinese, have also given birth to some less pleasant effects. In terms of education and healthcare, the costs of these types of services increased and in the future could materialize in increased fiscal pressure as a means of covering the expenditures. The housing sector has also been impacted in two manners -- structurally, there has been noticed an increase in facilities used as business 'offices' and secondly, there has been registered an increase in retail prices for the purchase and rental of real estate properties. In terms of language, the 42% immigrants are generally able to become integrated. Crime rates have however increased and nearly one percent of this growth is directly linked to immigration.

eferences:

Abet, C., Localization vs. Globalization, The Architectural eview, Vol. 196, 1994

Brimelow, P., Immigration's Impact on Education…

References:

Abet, C., Localization vs. Globalization, The Architectural Review, Vol. 196, 1994

Brimelow, P., Immigration's Impact on Education and Multiculturalism, 2005, The Social Contact, Retrieved from  http://www.thesocialcontract.com/pdf/fifteen-four/xv-4-269.pdf  on May 15, 2009

Ng, Julia, Singapore's Birth Trend Outlook Remains Dismal: Sociologist, February 7, 2007, Channel News Asia,  http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/257208/1/.html  last accessed on May 15, 2009

Crime Rates on Rise in Singapore: Minister, Singapore Window, 1999,  http://www.singapore-window.org/sw99/90309xin.htm  last accessed on May 15, 2009

Project Management: Case Study in Managing a Complex Shipyard Project in Singapore

Background of Complex Shipyard Construction Project

Company background

Project Overview and Objective

ork Process of Building Construction

Issue Analysis in Shipyard Construction Project Management

Literature Review of Project Management

Issues in Scope Management

Methodology of Scope Management

Lessons Learned from Scope Management

Issues in Cost Management

Methodology of Cost Management

Lessons Learned from Cost Management

Issues in Human Resources

Methodology of HR Management

Lessons Learned from Human Resource Management

Case Study in Managing a Complex Shipyard Construction Project in Singapore

Introduction.

This paper introduces the special features of a completed shipyard project, together with its construction and human resource management processes as well. The organization of the paper provides an introduction to the topic, an overview and background of the In the first part, this project illustrates overview of the complex background of a complex ship-building project as…

Works Cited

Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Best Practices for Project Scope Planning. [Online]. Available:  http://www.tensteppb.com/5.2.02TSProjectScopePlanningTechniques.htm .

About Us. (2004). Keppel Shipyard. [Online]. Available: http://www.keppelshipyard.com/corporate/aboutus.asp.

Badiru, Adedeji Bodunde. Quantitative Models for Project Planning, Scheduling and Control. Westport, CT: Quorom Books, 1993.

BP awards U.S.$20 million follow-up job to Keppel yard. (July 26, 2004). Keppel Corporation. [Online]. Available: http://www.kepcorp.com/press/press.asp.

" (Lee, 2009)

Core labor standards are stated by Lee (2009) to be "more or less the basic labor rights: that is, the International Labor Organization (ILO) core labor standards that have been confirmed by the UN Global Compact and adopted or discussed by the GRI and ISO 26000." (Lee, 2009) Those standards include the following: (1) a guarantee of the three labor rights (organizing, collective bargaining, and collective action) based on freedom of association, (2) a ban on forced labor, (3) a ban on child labor, and (4) no discrimination in labor. (Lee, 2009) Stated as important secondary standards are those as follows: (1) responsibility for employment; (2) industrial safety and health; and (3) training and education. (Lee, 2009) Lee states that western multinational companies "...are capable of investment, innovation, and reporting for SR, because they have been exposed to the CSR movement for some time. Thus companies in…

Bibliography

Malaysia (2009) Office of the United States Trade Representative. 8 Oct. 2009. Online available at:  http://www.ustr.gov/countries-regions/southeast-asia-pacific/malaysia 

Thailand (2009) Office of the United States Trade Representative. http://www.ustr.gov/countries-regions/southeast-asia-pacific/thailand 

Singapore (2009) Office of the United States Trade Representative. http://www.ustr.gov/countries-regions/southeast-asia-pacific/singapore 

Hong Kong (2009) Office of the United States Trade Representative. http://www.ustr.gov/countries-regions/china/hong-kong

Quantity = 3000 X 10% = 3,600

SP = 50 x 110% = 55

Quantity x SP = 198,000

Less: Returned Sales = (6%x198,000)

Sales Projection = $186,10

Beginning Inventory $1 X 400 = 8400

Production $4 X 800 = 1900

Cost of Goods Sold 700 units

FIFO (1 X 400) + (4 X 300) = $15,600

Beginning Inventory $10 X 75 = 8400

Production $14 X 650 = 1900

Cost of Goods Sold 700 units

LIFO (14 X 650) + (10 X 350) = $1,600

Sales and Cash Collections Budget

Quarter Ending Dec 31st, 011

Total

Sales:

Total sales

$5,000

$35,000

$30,000

$90,000

Total cash sales (40%)

$5,000

$7,000

$6,000

$18,000

Total credit sales (60%)

$0,000

$8,000

$4,000

$7,000

Cash collections:

Current month cash sales

$5,000

$7,000

$6,000

$18,000

Collection of credit sales

$0,000

$8,000

$4,000

Total cash collections

$5,000

$7,000

$34,000

$4,000

Quarter end receivables

$7,000

Cash Budget…

23. you are the vice-president of finance for Exploratory resources, headquartered in Houston, Texas. In January 2010, the firm's Canadian subsidiary obtained a six -- "month loan of 100,000 Canadian dollars from a bank in Houston to finance the acquisition of a titanium mine in Quebec province. The loan, the spot exchange rate was U.S..$0.8990/Canadian dollars and the Canadian currency was selling at discount in the forward market. The June 2010 contract (face value= $100,000 per contract) was quoted at U.S.. $0.8920/Canadian dollar.

A. explain how the Houston bank could lose on this transaction assuming no hedging.

B. If the bank does hedge with the forward contract, what is the maximum amount it can lose?

) I will etun to the stengths and limitations of gowth accounting as a tool to use to assess the economic development of these nations below.

Gowth Accounting

Gowth accounting is an economic method designed to measue the elative and absolute contibutions of diffeent factos to economic gowth and development. Developed by Robet Solow in 1957, this methodological appoach disaggegates o decomposes the diffeent elements of economic gowth. The most impotant assumption of this method is that the goss output of an economy can be analyzed into inceases in the ange of factos (pimaily inceases in labo and in capital) and which cannot be accounted fo by discenible changes in the utilization of these factos.

Anothe way of explaining Solow's model is this: The unexplained pat of gowth in an economy's GDP is best undestood as a simple incease in poductivity, with poductivity being defined in common-sense tems as achieving…

references.

For example, when I examine the data that Sarel (1996) finds inconclusive (he writes that the labor and capital accumulation vs. total factor productivity debate remains inconclusive") I find to be entirely conclusive -- in the direction of an exogenous model that is based on an assessment of factor accumulation rather than a reliance on a significant element of technological innovation as prompted by government incentive and intervention. But Sarel is impelled to ask what might have been the effect of governmental intervention and to investigate how these may have interacted with initial conditions that obtained. Taking into account only those factors that lie outside of governmental influence simply does not make sense to him (or other non-neoclassical economists), even when the picture is in fact complete. Sarel (1996) concludes:

The study does not offer clear and conclusive results nor does it make clear policy recommendations. Its main judgment is that, from a positive point-of-view, a promising avenue for the explanation of growth performance is the examination of initial conditions. Nevertheless, from a normative point-of-view, it is far from clear what specific policies governments should pursue, beyond the standard set of policies aimed at getting the basics right.

I find it fascinating that Sarel should be impelled to try to divine -- like someone seeking water with a forked stick -- the (beneficial) effects of governmental influence in the Four Tigers as necessary to understand how these nations might have accomplished the level of growth that they have.

In other words, Sarel sees the hand of the national governments even when there is no good factual evidence for this. This does not mean that his scholarship should be considered in any way to be dishonest. Rather, I am simply using his work (which raises important questions) as a demonstration of the ways in which initial assumptions and beliefs about the nature of markets (and about human nature) affect how we read economic indices.

In this particular sense, private and state institutions made decisions that would aid them produce and sell more, in the hope of registering increased profits. They however neglected the natural resources of the land and most of the strategies implemented damaged the land, eliminated greenhouse gases and increased pollution. The country is only now trying to adapt their decisions to the requirements of the environment and laws are being voted to reduce eliminated waste and to encourage recycling. In China on the other hand, environmental protection has been a more central point in the decision making process and the Chinese population, however existent in impressive numbers (over 1.3 billion), has not generated severe side effects upon the planet. A relevant example of how the Chinese manufacturers implemented environment protection strategies resides in their production of small size and fuel efficient vehicles which - in comparison to the luxurious, large and…

References

Stanbury, J., Case 14: A First-Time Expatriate's Experience in a Joint Venture in China, Comprehensive Cases

Lim, L.H., Raman, K.S., Wei, K.K., 1990, Does GDSS Promote More Democratic Decision Making? - the Singapore Experiment, System Sciences, Volume 3, Issue 2-5 January, pp.59-68

Leonard, a., 2008, the Story of Stuff, http://storyofstuff.ethicalbrand.org/last accessed on March 28, 2008

Singapore: History, Asian Studies Network Information Center, http://inic.utexas.edu/last accessed on March 28, 2008

Lipo Down Plan

Outline of MarCom Campaign- The epublic of Singapore is a SE Asian City State known for its strong commitment to education, modernization, and cleanliness. Over 5 million people live in Singapore, boasting the 3rd highest per capita income of almost $60,000 International dollars. The population is vital, median of 37 years old 87% home ownership and one of the highest mobile phone subscriber densities in the world (Key Demographic Indicators, 2012). All of this contributes to a large number of people who are modern, image conscious, tuned into the modern world of social networking, technologically adept, educated, and consistent with a population with disposable income. Body image is of the upmost importance to a large percentage of Singaporeans; both male and female, but particularly females. Lipo-Down is a natural supplement made from Japanese Wakame Seaweed with the purported benefits of burning fat cells 24/7. While sales of…

REFERENCES

UniqueFrequence.com (2012). Social Media & Digital Marketing in Singapore.

Retrieved from:  http://uniquefrequency.com/ 

Key Demographic Indicators. (2012). Government of Singapore. Retrieved from:

 http://www.singstat.gov.sg/stats/themes/people/popnindicators.pdf

[footnoteRef:32] This lack of forces for other Pacific struggles generally weakened the Japanese war effort, as the Japanese were forced to fight those battles with insufficient men, weapons, ammunition and other related materiel. [27: Eric Hammel. Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea: The Naval attle of Guadalcanal, November 13-15, 1942. Pacifica, CA: Pacifica Military History, 1999, p. 346.] [28: Colin G. Jameson. "attle of Guadalcanal: 11-15 November, 1942." www.history.navy.mil Web site. 1944. http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/battleguadalcanal1942.htm (accessed March 18, 2013), p. 78.] [29: Robert Leckie. Challenge for the Pacific: Guadalcanal: The Turning Point of the War (Paperback). New York, NY: antam ooks, 2010, pp. 127-128.] [30: Mark Stille. USN Cruiser vs. IJN Cruiser: Guadalcanal 1942. New York, NY: Osprey Publishing, 2009, pp. 19-20.] [31: Leckie, p. 306.] [32: Ibid.]

The Allied victory at the Naval attle of Guadalcanal through the leadership of Vice Admiral William F. Halsey, the Southwest Pacific Theater commander, was also a…

Bibliography

Baer, George. One Hundred Years of Sea Power: The U.S. Navy, 1890-1990. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1993.

Frank, Richard B. Guadalcanal: The Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle. New York, NY: Penguin Books USA, Inc., 1992.

Hammel, Eric. Carrier Clash: The Invasion of Guadalcanal and the Battle of the Eastern Solomons: August, 1942. St. Paul, MN: Zenith Press, an imprint of MBI Publishing Company, 2004.

-- . Guadalcanal: Decision at Sea: The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, November 13-15, 1942. Pacifica, CA: Pacifica Military History, 1999.

agree with the belief that the Asian financial crisis was rooted in governmental interference. I also agree with the fact that the export-led model is no longer sustainable because international markets are saturated. The mandating and structuring of regional markets by the nations in East Asia, particularly Japan, China, Malaysia, and Singapore, have proven to be devastating to their relative economies.

In order to understand the Asian financial crisis, it is important to explore its origins. Throughout the 1980s, the Asian countries, particularly Japan, experienced major financial growth. Industries, especially those involving high technology, were thriving in East Asia (Sato, Ryuzo, and Takashi Negishi). In the mid 1990s, signs began to emerge that the economy was much less stable than people had originally thought (Sato, Ryuzo, and Takashi Negishi).

Firstly, capital account surpluses were greatly exceeding the deficits of many of the East Asian countries, including Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore.…

Works Cited

Goad, Pierre. "Look Homeward, Asia." Far East Economic Review. 10 June

1999. Accessed 8 June 2003. http://www2.gol.com/users/coynerhm/look_homeward.htm

Hsu, Robert. Economic Theories in China. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. 1991.

Liping, Xia. "The Trends of Japan's Economy and Foreign Policy." (Electronic

The company also believes that vertical integration is critical to driving added value, by improving efficiency and by ensuring higher quality end products. It also views its research capabilities, its management team and its in-house seed supply as strengths from which it can draw competitive advantage. That said, the company appears to have a lack of cost control, which is a key weakness. In addition, it lacks diversification away from the palm oil business, with soybean oil being a relatively small component of its operation. Another weakness at Golden Agri is the lack of brand development. It has a large number of end-use products but many of these lack powerful, established brands. The company likely needs to offer more marketing support, as it has not competed in the retail sector long enough to build brand strength.

III Conclusion

There is no harm in Michael buying shares of Golden Agri, but…

Works Cited:

Golden Agri website. (2010). Retrieved March 21, 2010 from  http://www.goldenagri.com.sg 

Golden Agri 2008 Annual Report. Retrieved March 21, 2010 from

Without taking into account these factors, strategic planning will not measure up to the requirements of planning adequately for the future.

The author also notes that the complexity of strategic planning is increased by the flexibility of the all the factors involved. Thorough analysis is therefore required to construct a viable strategy that takes into account as many factors as possible. As an example, Habegger (2009: 3) mentions the United Kingdom, whose strategic foresight has been at the root of the country's national policy since the 1960s. Beginning as a way to enhance the innovative force of the British industry, the strategy has grown to include social, ecological, technological and political aspects. One part of this improved strategy is the "Horizon Scanning Centre," established in 2004. Its two core activities include the Sigma Scan and foresight projects. The Sigma Scan involves an information basis for all foresight activities, based upon…

References

Barber, M. 2006. Wildcards -- Signals from a future near you.

Conway, M. 2005. Strategic Planning Revisited: A Futures Perspective. World Futures Society Annual Conference.

Edmund, N.W. Decision Making: A Guide to creative Decision Making and Critical Thinking.

Graves, T. Stealth Foresight for Innovation: Creating support for creative change in large organisations in Australia. Journal of Futures Studies. November, Vol. 12, No. 2.

personal statement University Waterloo . I'm applying Mathematics (Co-op Regular ) . Please write essay stating reasons choosing program waterloo 1. Education Goals 2. Interest chosen programs

My life experiences have come to define who I am today and the choices that I am currently making reflect my background. From a very young age I realized that I enjoy studying and applying formal sciences and this practically influenced me to achieve better results in these fields, as I enjoy doing what I like and this felt natural. Whenever someone questioned me about my degree or about how I saw my future I always responded by saying a joke involving mathematics hoping that the respective individual would immediately understand that this particular domain is very important for me.

Many people in the contemporary society tend to ignore the importance of mathematics because of its "cooler" counterparts. With technology experiencing significant advancement…

Taiwanese Chinese person and a college graduate. Included in the completion of my degree are a B.S. In International Business and a B.S. In Computer Information Systems. In terms of my future goals, I believe a postgraduate degree from the San Francisco State University will equip me adequately for what I have in mind.

I am currently employed as a Garment Quality Control Assistant Manager in Singapore. While this is a fulfilling job, I would like to expand my horizons to better suit the studies I have already completed, as well as the further studies I intend to pursue. If I successfully complete my postgraduate studies, future job prospects will prove more promising. My knowledge in International Business and Computer Information Systems will in this way help me to further my career either at my own company, a new company, or indeed at a company that I start on my…

Social dynamics, meanwhile, look into the prevalent perception of JI's society and the international viewpoint on radical Islamism. Lastly, the political dynamics centers on the viewpoints supporting and opposing JI activities, specifically its linkage with Al-Qaeda.

Religious dynamics

Explicated earlier is the ultimate goal of JI in establishing itself as an Islamic militant group: to create an Islam-centered social order, starting specifically in Indonesia. Jones' (2005) analysis of the history of JI as a terrorist organization delved deeply into the events surrounding its early establishment in Indonesia, and its later development as one of the Muslim groups who subsisted to jihad to promote this main objective.

Jihad is an important concept in the lives of JI members, for this became the manner in which it succeeded in increasing its membership and strengthening its network of Muslim militant groups, both locally and internationally. Among the initial contacts that JI had in…

Bibliography

9/11." (2006). Foreign Policy, Issue 156.

Chehab, Z. (2006). "Al-Qaeda: Still a step ahead." New Statesman, Vol. 135, Issue 4799.

Jones, S. (2005). "The changing nature of Jemaah Islamiyah." Australian Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 59, Issue 2.

Kaplan, D. (2003). "The shadow over the summit." U.S. News & World Report, Vol. 135, Issue 13.

Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers -- low; individual consumers cannot influence the price, but large buyers can negotiate better contracts

Bargaining power of suppliers -- low, as they need the tea companies to buy their items

Barriers to entry -- relatively high due to the maturity of the market

Substitute products -- their threat is increased, including items such as sodas, bottled water, juices or coffee and coffee-based beverages

Competitive rivalry -- increased as all players strive to improve their competitive positions, increase their access to customers and increase their market share.

4. Solution Generation and Evaluation

Before generating a solution, it is necessary to look at the problem encountered by the Australian Easy Tea Company from three different angles -- the 5W questions, fishbone diagrams and the Pareto analysis.

The 5W questions:

Who? The Tea Easy Australia Company

What? Cannot improve its competitive position

When? Now…

References:

Burt, J., Growing green tea in Western Australia: development of a green tea industry in the Manjimup / Pemberton area, Government of Western Australia, Department of Agriculture and Food,  http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_92186.html?s=1001  last accessed on March 4, 2010

Moore, C.W., 2008, Managing small business: an entrepreneurial emphasis, 14th edition, Cengage Learning EMEA

1999, 4804.0 -- National Nutrition Survey: Foods Eaten, Australia, 1995, Australian Bureau of Statistics,  http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/[email protected]/e8ae5488b598839cca25682000131612/9a125034802f94ceca2568a9001393ce  last accessed on March 4, 2010

2010, the World Factbook -- Australia, Central Intelligence Agency,  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/au.html  last accessed on March 4, 2010

By joining such groups she will get a chance of meeting people with whom she shares common interest thus feel part of the wider population.

As a follow-up it would be necessary that I keep checking on her at least ones or twice a week, enquiring from her whenever she feels like hanging out and to find out her general status. In the process of visiting her, I would take the opportunity to persuade her to attend special events and to at least join a group or two, in case she hasn't. Given that she is a frequent visitor on Skype chat room, I would as well register as a user and add her as a friend thus I'll be able to chat with her more frequently and on the process get to know how she is fairing.

Part 2:

I clearly understand how it feels to move from one…

Bush, the primary
strategy for U.S. engagement of partners revolved on the conditions
provoked by the ar on Terror. This is evident in the ends, ways and means
of addressing the situation in Somalia, where Bush cites as the primary
priority for all partners involved to end war. Indeed, the intended ends
of the strategy are the transformation of Somalia into a peaceful
democracy. The ways proposed have seen the formulation of a regional
alliance helmed by the United States, which such partners as Kenya,
Djibouti, Ethiopia and Yemen have come together to assist Somalia in
extracting the cause of its conflict. To the perception of the Bush
administration, this cause is the presence of terrorism, with the means of
strategy implementation centering on the need to "eliminate the terrorist
threat and promote political stability by supporting the establishment of a
functioning central government." (Bush, 7)

4. The strategy described…

Works Cited:

Bush, G.W. (2007). Report on U.S. Strategy Toward Somalia. Report to
Congress.

Gates, R.M. (2008). International Institute for Strategic Studies. U.S.
Department of Defense.

The stability is evident in the statistics as well. Between 1880 and 1914, the golden age of the gold standard, inflation averaged 0.1%. Between 1946-2003, even with Bretton oods, inflation average 4.1% (Bardo, n.d.). Short-term price changes, however, could be highly unstable. This is a consequence of the fact that the gold standard ignores fundamental economic principles. Any system where the value of a good is established by artificial means is subject to such shocks. Another drawback to the gold standard is that it gives governments very little discretion over monetary policy. Another drawback is the cost of producing gold. The gold standard relies on having physical gold reserves. Thus, gold must be produced, and for that there is a cost (Ibid).

ith the decline of Bretton oods, the gold standard died. It was replaced by the modern foreign exchange system. At the core of this system are fiat currencies.…

Works Cited:

Bordo, Michael D. (no date). The Gold Standard. Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. Retrieved April 11, 2009 from  http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/GoldStandard.html 

Cohen, Benjamin. (no date). Bretton Woods System. University of California at Santa Barbara Retrieved April 11, 2009 from  http://www.polsci.ucsb.edu/faculty/cohen/inpress/bretton.html

A fourth foundational element is the strength of the Starbucks brand itself and is ubiquity globally. As a result of rapid and well-defined strategies for opening up retail stores, Starbucks is now considered one of the most preeminent and strongest brands globally.

Starbucks has generated the strength of their brand through combining high-quality coffee and tea beverages with the third-place concept to generate customer loyalty and world-of-mouth among customers and their friends. It is common to hear students mention they will have a team meeting at the local Starbucks, for studying or completing projects.

In summary the Starbucks model is strengthened by the company's coffee expertise, impressive new product development record, and the development of Starbucks locations as "third places" where friends can meet and enjoy coffee and pastries. Underscoring all these points is the strength of the Starbucks brand.

What were the key issues and the decision by Starbucks…

References

Patrick Burnson (2002, December). Amsterdam's key role in Starbucks' global strategy. World Trade, 15(12), 40-41. Retrieved December 7, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 241805271).

Deutsche Bank (2006) - Starbucks Overview. Deutsche Bank Securities Research. New York, NY. 10 July 2006.

Geoffrey a. Fowler (2003, July 14). Starbucks' Road to China; Prime Locations Are the Key, but So Is Using Snob Appeal to Lure Nation of Tea Drinkers. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), p. B.1. Retrieved December 7, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 369860271).

Jeffrey S. Harrison, Eun-Young Chang, Carina Gauthier, Todd Joerchel, et al. (2005). Exporting a North American Concept to Asia: Starbucks in China. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 46(2), 275-283. Retrieved December 7, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 832085141).

Typically, Japanese marry before a Shinto altar and are buried, after cremation, in a Buddhist funeral. Many people, young and old, pay a New Years visit to a Shinto shrine and visit family graves once or twice a year. Young couples take their children to a Shinto shrine at the shichi-go-san festival to celebrate the ages 3, 5, and 7. For funeral and periodic memorial services, a family invites a priest from a Buddhist temple that belongs to the same Buddhist sect with which the family ancestors were affiliated.

Kamachi 29)

The Japanese, both officially and unofficially resisted the influence of the western religions, while at the same time conglomerating the traditional faiths of the region into an amalgamated faith of sorts.

In the past, every family in Japan had to be registered at a Buddhist temple to comply with the antiChristian policy of the Tokugawa government (1600-1868). After the…

Works Cited

 http://www.questia.com/ PM.qst?a=o&d=14315057' target='_blank' REL='NOFOLLOW'>

Organization Behavior

Internal Supply Chain Management

ABOUT HAVEY NOMAN

Harvey Norman is a large scale retail chain owned and operated by Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. It is one of the most successful retailers in the Australian region. It promotes and sells all kinds of consumer products of world's top quality brands. The major product lines include personal computers, cameras, gaming, mobile phones, audio and video players, home appliances, furniture & bedding, gifts, home decoration and interior designing, fitness machines, leisure, etc. Headquartered in New South Wales, New Zealand, Harvey Norman operates with more than 230 stores in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Malaysia, Croatia, Singapore, Slovenia, and Northern Ireland. It was established in 1982 by Gerry Harvey and Ian Norman. The holding company, Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. has also franchised a number of retail chains in Australia; including Space Furniture, Joyce Mayne, Ariston Appliances, Domayne, etc.

Harvey Norman has a wide…

REFERENCES

Agrawal, N., & Smith, S.A. 2009, Retail Supply Chain Management, Quantitative Models and Empirical Studies, International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, Vol. 122. U.S.: Springer

Bamford, D., & Forrester, P. 2010, Essential Guide to Operations Management: Concepts and Case Notes. U.S.: John Wiley and Sons

Blythe, J., & Megicks, P. 2010, Marketing Planning: Strategy, Environment and Context, 3rd Edition. U.K: Prentice Hall

Boyer, K.K., & Verma, R. 2009, Operations and Supply Chain Management for the 21st Century. U.S.: Cengage Learning

Government Intervention in the Steel Industry

The Bush administration announced the imposition of sweeping tariffs of up to 30% on steel imports to the United States for a period of 3 years in March 2002 purportedly to save the ailing steel industry from collapsing. Predictably, the action has invited particularly harsh criticism from the U.S. trade partners that have been directly affected by the tax, i.e., the European Union, Japan, and China. Domestically too, the proponents of a free market economy have been no less critical of the measure, although the U.S. steel industry, in general, has welcomed the move.

This research report will focus on various aspects of the U.S. government's imposition of steel tariffs. It will discuss the benefits and costs of tariffs in general, and include a history of government's support of the U.S. steel industry, details of the steel tariff 2002, why it was imposed, and…

References

Anderson, William L. "A History of Privileges." (January, 1999). The Free Market. Retrieved on July 8, 2002 at  http://www.mises.org/freemarket_detail.asp?control=43&sortorder=articledate 

Anger over steel." (March 6, 2002). From Economist.com Global Agenda. Retrieved on July 9, 2002 at  http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?Story_ID=1022220 

Arnold, James. (March 6, 2002). "Steel Sector Stares into Abyss." BBC News Online Business Report. Retrieved on July 8, 2002 at  http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_1857000/1857914.stm 

Bartlett, Bruce. "Suffering Steel Tariff Side Effects." (April 22, 2002). The Washington Times. Retrieved on July 9, 2002 at  http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20.htm

Global Business

Mexico, Japan to Sign Free Trade Agreement

Who are the members of the trade block you have identified?

The members of the trade block identified were the nations of Japan and Mexico who after very difficult negotiations reached a new free trade accord. "Mexico and Japan sign a free trade agreement on Friday that is expected to open a new market for Mexican fruits and vegetables and prompt Japanese factories to move here." (Unknown, 2004) The accord was signed in June of 2004 and will commence in January 2005.

Mexico has several free trade agreements in place world wide and was thought to be out of the trade agreement market. "Mexico, which has 11 free trade agreements with 42 countries, said last year it was taking a break from seeking new accords, saying it wanted to make use of the agreements it has." (Unknown, 2004) Japan on the…

Jonah uses the ocratic method to help Alex think differently about the problems he is experiencing in the plant. Jonah is not always available when Alex would like to connect with him, and after providing a little bit of information -- pivotal though it may be -- Jonah often leaves Alex hanging, presumably because Jonah knows Alex will rise to the occasion and puzzle it out. At periodic intervals throughout the book, Jonah and Alex talk about key points. These discussions are represented in the paragraphs that follow.

One of the first challenges that Jonah addresses with Alex is getting him to begin to think about what productivity is and how it is measured. Because of their conversation, Alex is able to think about what the company is measuring -- what it considers efficiencies -- and how this information is or is not related to the company goal. In particular,…

Source

Goldratt, E.M. And Cox, J. (2004). The goal: A process of ongoing improvement. (3rd rev. ed.). Great Barrington, MA: North River Press

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