Barack Obama - Eleventh (Final) President-Elect Weekly Transition Address free essay sample

Different Types of Metaphors

Different Types of Metaphors Metaphors arent merely the candy sprinkles on the doughnut of language, not just embellishments to the music of poetry and prose. Metaphors are ways of thinking- and also ways of shaping the thoughts of others. All people, every day, speak and write, and think in metaphors. In fact, its hard to imagine how people would get by without them. And because figurative comparisons lie at the heart of language and thought, they have been picked apart by scholars in a variety of disciplines. Types of Metaphors There are countless ways of looking at metaphors, thinking about them, and using them. There are countless ways of looking at metaphors, thinking about them, and using them. But in deference to the metaphorical blackbirds of Wallace Stevens (The blackbird whirled in the autumn winds./It was a small part of the pantomime), here are a few of them. Absolute: A metaphor in which one of the terms (the tenor) cant be readily distinguished from the other (the vehicle).Complex: A metaphor in which the literal meaning is expressed through more than one figurative term (a combination of primary metaphors).Conceptual: A metaphor in which one idea (or conceptual domain) is understood in terms of another.Conventional: A familiar comparison that doesnt call attention to itself as a figure of speech.Creative: An original comparison that calls attention to itself as a figure of speech.Dead: A figure of speech that has lost its force and imaginative effectiveness through frequent use.Extended: A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem.Mixed: A succession of incongruous or ludicrous comparisons.Primary: A basic intuitively understood metaphor such as knowing is seeing or time is motion that may be combined with other primary metaphors to produce complex metaphors. Root: An image, narrative, or fact that shapes an individuals perception of the world and interpretation of reality.Submerged: A type of metaphor in which one of the terms (either the vehicle or tenor) is implied rather than stated explicitly.Therapeutic: A metaphor used by a therapist to assist a client in the process of personal transformation.Visual: The representation of a person, place, thing, or idea by way of a visual image that suggests a particular association or point of similarity. Regardless of the types of metaphors you favor, keep in mind Aristotles observation 2,500 years ago in Rhetoric: Those words are most pleasant which give us new knowledge. Strange words have no meaning for us; common terms we know already. It is metaphor which gives us most of this pleasure.

Compares three broad themes found in the film The Atomic Cafe and the Essay

Compares three broad themes found in the film The Atomic Cafe and the book Lost Girls by (kolker) - Essay Example The prominent themes found in both the pieces of work are violence, social callousness, and the deceptiveness of the government authorities. The callosity of few social institutions and the deceptive nature of the governmental authorities affect the public welfare leading to calamities that have some long-lasting impact on the society. These acts of violence tend to show the vulnerability of the society and are clearly evidenced in the incidents discussed in both the novel and the film. Kolker’s book recounts the traumatic life of five young sex workers, Shannan Gilbert, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Overstreet Costello, who were gone missing and later found to be murdered by unidentified serial killer. It takes place from 1996 to 2012. This represents a sad cycle of poor families raised in declining towns. Their poor choices and economic problems lead to child neglect, child abuse, behavior disorders, and drug habits. Those are the partial cause of prostitution today. In the book, the author focuses on this sensitive case, compiling all the known facts along with the biographies of the victims. On the other hand, the documentary film titled The Atomic Cafà © talks about misleading political propagandas and its consequences on the society. The film discusses the emergence of nuclear threats and the misinformation doled out to the public by the governmental authorities, with a view to manipulate the reality of the situ ation. This is an era rife with paranoia, anxiety and misapprehension, while the film also exhibits a genuine nostalgia for an earlier and more innocent nation. The footages used in the film clearly capture the effects of the political pressures of war as well as the impact resulting from these destructive weapons, since the World War II to the Cold War years. The callousness of the American authorities who were responsible for the atom bomb calamity is well portrayed in the film. The

Assignment 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment 5 - Essay Example They appear different from another angle as the question based on qualitative research design focuses on multiple realities that can be constructed from different sources, unlike the other question that targets valid statistics. The news outlet shares the results of a study where two groups of teenagers are measured against two variables; tendency to carry weapons and tendency to carry none based on the amount of soft drinks drunk. The study focuses on the effects of nutrition on behavior. The outlet points out that the study does not establish whether soft drinks cause violence. The news outlet does well to focus on the facts realized from the study. It interprets the information right without signs of the misconception. I am conducting a research to examine females’ attitude towards engineering and the popular stereotype that engineering is a male career. I am concerned about the career choices made by learners based on gender. I plan to conduct interviews that will involve teachers, students, parents and other members of the society. If you agree to participate, I will ask you to fill out a questionnaire form regarding your dream. Moreover, I would need to know why you chose such careers, how your cultures affect such choices and your opinion on who fits in engineering as a career. If you do not want to contribute, there will be no consequence involved and your results will not be pretentious. Participation is voluntarily. You can withdraw midway if you want to. Your inconspicuousness will be secured. The author is concerned with the need to enhance spelling in young elementary children. Spalding instruction is based on a language art strategy that has a number of positive outcomes for the elementary students. It does provide sequential, multisensory guidance in spelling phonics and handwriting. Learners can diligently put points across in

Value of Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Value of Philosophy Essay In the introductory lecture notes to this course I stated that we would start with a working definition of philosophy as being the â€Å"love of wisdom. † I have found, though, that just about every other definition attempted has many shortcomings. No one definition seems adequate to define what it means to engage in philosophy. Consequently, I think it is best to think of the philosopher in the somewhat imprecise term of a lover of wisdom. Someone who is continually in search of the truth. Though he/she might be ridiculed for pursuing the unobtainable, this search for truth/ knowledge can yield enormous benefits. It provides the tools to critically evaluate the world around us and the information we are given about that world. This ability to critically evaluate ideas is especially important given the role that such knowledge affects and shapes our lives—as we saw in the sections on B. F. Skinner, Positive Freedoms, and the Philosophy of Science. Furthermore, the changes in our society necessitate that we re-examine fundamental questions periodically. For example, advances in medical science have posed new ethical questions. Ethical judgments concerning genetic engineering (engineering certain characteristics into or out of our genetic make-up) calls into question fundamental ideas concerning freedom and individuality. Without some understanding of these subjects how can we frame answers to such questions? Even if we examine these questions, is our approach critical, authentic? Or do we choose to accept the answers given to us by society? Are we not then acting in a kind of Sartrean â€Å"Bad Faith? † How much of our humanity and freedom are we abdicating by not engaging in some kind of philosophical activity? Though we pride ourselves on being â€Å"rational† people, how rational are our thoughts and actions even if they are â€Å"proven? † Or, do we live up to Soren Kierkegaard’s remark in The Journals, â€Å"There are many people who reach their conclusion about life like schoolboys: they cheat their master by copying the answer out of a book without having worked the sum out for themselves. † Many of the great philosophers have attempted to justify and extol the virtues of the study of philosophy. I have put together a series of quotes of what I think are some of the more important passages addressing  philosophy’s role in education and our lives. As you read these quotes, consider whether or not philosophy practiced in this fashion and as it was studied throughout this course can actually lead one to be a lover of wisdom and help us—if not answer—at least understand some of the fundamental questions we have considered. Philosophy’s Role in Education Even the poor student studies and is taught only political economy, while that economy of living which is synonymous with philosophy is not even sincerely professed in our college. . . . Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which it was already but too easy to arrive at . . .. While civilization has been improving our houses, it has not equally improved the men who are to inhabit them. It has created palaces, but it was not so easy to create noblemen and kings. Henry David Thoureau, Walden It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are of a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question. John Stuart Mill, â€Å"The Utilitarian Calculus of Pain and Pleasure† You want to know my attitude towards liberal studies. Well, I have no respect for any study whatsoever if its end is the making of money. Such studies are to me unworthy ones. They involve the putting out of skills to hire, and are only of value in so far as they may develop the mind without occupying it for long. Time should be spent on them only so long as ones mental abilities are not up to dealing with higher things. They are our apprenticeship, not our real work. Why liberal studies are so called is  obvious: it is because they are the ones considered worthy of a free man. . . . Why then do we give our sons a liberal education? Not because it can make them morally good but because it prepares the mind for the acquisition of moral values. Just as that grounding in grammar, as they called it in the old days, in which boys are given their elementary schooling, does not teach them the liberal arts but prepares the ground for knowledge of them in due course, so when it comes to character the liberal arts open the way to it rather than carry the personality all the way there . . .. Words need to be sown like seed. No matter how tiny a seed may be, when it lands in the right sort of ground it unfolds its strength and from being minute expands and grows to a massive size. Reason does the same; to the outward eye its dimensions may be insignificant, but with activity it starts developing. Although the words spoken are few, if the mind has taken them in as it should they gather strength and shoot upwards. Yes, precepts have the same features as seeds; they are of compact dimensions and they produce impressive resultsgiven, as I say, the right sort of mind, to grasp at and assimilate them. The mind will then respond by being in its turn creative and will produce a yield exceeding what was put into it. Seneca, Letters from a Stoic Philosophy and the Uncertainty of our Answers to Fundamental Questions The value of philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its very uncertainty. The man who has not tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation, from convictions which have grown up in his mind without the co-operation or consent of his deliberate reason. To such a man the world tends to become definite, finite, obvious, common objects rouse no questions, and unfamiliar possibilities are contemptuously rejected. As soon as we begin to philosophize, on the contrary, we find . . . that even the most everyday things lead to problems to which only very incomplete answers can be given. Philosophy, though unable to tell us with certainty what is the true answer to the doubts which it raises, is able to suggest many possibilities which enlarge our thoughts and free them from the tyranny of custom. Thus, while diminishing our feeling of certainty as to what things are, it greatly increases our knowledge as to what they may be; it removes the somewhat arrogant dogmatism of those who have never traveled into the region of liberating doubt, and it keeps alive our sense of wonder by showing familiar things in an unfamiliar aspect. Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy Philosophy, then, is not an empirical study: not the critical examination of what exists or has existed or will exist—this is dealt with by common-sense knowledge and belief, and the methods the natural sciences. Nor is it a kind of formal deduction, as mathematics or logic is. Its subject-matter is to a large degree not items of experience, but the ways in which they are viewed, the permanent or semi-permanent categories in terms of which experience is conceived or classified. . . . These models [categories] often collide; some are rendered inadequate by failing to account for too many aspects of experience, and are in their turn replaced by other models which emphasise what these last have omitted, but in their turn may obscure what the others have rendered clear. The task of philosophy, often a difficult and painful one, is to extricate and bring to light the hidden categories and models in terms of which human beings think (that is, their use of words, images an other symbols), to reveal what is obscure or contradictory in them, to discern the conflicts between them that prevent the construction of mare adequate ways of organizing and describing and explaining experience (for all description as well as explanation involves some model in terms of which the describing and explaining is done); and then, at a still ‘higher’ level, to examine the nature of this activity itself (epistemology, philosophical logic, linguistic analysis), and to bring to light the concealed models that operate in this second-order, philosophical, activity itself. . . . The perennial task of philosophers is to examine whatever seems insusceptible to the methods of he science or everyday observation, for  example, categories, concept, models, ways of thinking or acting, and particularly ways in which they clash with one another, with a view to constructing other, less internally contradictory and (though this can never be fully attained) less pervertible metaphors, images, symbols and systems of categories. it is certainly a reasonable hypothesis that one of the principle causes of confusion, misery and fear is, whatever may be its psychological or social roots, blind adherence to outworn notions, pathological suspicion of any form of critical self-examination, frantic efforts to prevent any degree of rational analysis of what we live by and for. Berlin, â€Å"The Purpose of Philosophy† Philosophy’s purpose is to illuminate the ways our soul has been infected by unsound beliefs, untrained tumultuous desires, and dubious life choices and preferences that are unworthy of us. Self-scrutiny applied with kindness is the main antidote. Besides rooting out the soul’s corruptions, the life of wisdom is also meant to stir us from our lassitude and move use in the direction of an energetic, cheerful life. Epictetus, The Art of Living, 84 Philosophy and the Enlightened Character Who can doubt . . . that life is the gift of the immortal gods, but that living well is the gift of philosophy? . . . They [the Gods] have given no one the present of a knowledge of philosophy, but everyone the means of acquiring it. For if they had made philosophy a blessing given to all and sundry, if we were born in a state of moral enlightenment, wisdom would have been deprived of the best thing about herthat she isnt one of the things which fortune either gives us or doesnt. As things are, there is about wisdom a nobility and magnificence in the fact that she doesnt just fall to a persons lot, that each man owes her to his own efforts, that one doesnt go to anyone other than oneself to find her. What would you have worth looking up to in philosophy if she were handed out free? Seneca, Letters from a Stoic Let no one put off studying philosophy when he is young, nor when old grow weary of its study. For no one is too young or too far past his prime to achieve the health of his soul. The man who alleges that he is not yet ready for philosophy or that the time for it has passed him by, is like the man who says that he is either too young or too old for happiness. Therefore, we should study philosophy both in youth and in old age, so that we, though growing old, may be young in blessings through the pleasant memory of what has been; and when young we may be old as well, because we harbor no fear over what lies ahead. We must, therefore, pursue the things that make for happiness, seeing that when happiness is present, we have everything; but when it is absent, we do everything to possess it. Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus I tell you . . . let no day pass without discussing goodness and all the other subjects about which you hear me talking and examining both myself and other is really the very best thing that a man can do, and that life without this sort of examination is not worth living . . .. Plato, Socrates Defense (Apology). In other occupations, the reward comes with difficulty after their completion, but in philosophy delight coincides with knowledge. For enjoyment does not come after learning, but learning and enjoyment come together. Epicurus, Vatican Sayings Philosophy, likewise, tells all other occupations: Its not my intention to accept whatever time is left over from you; you shall have, instead, what I reject. Give your whole mind to her. Sit at her side and pay her constant court, and an enormous gap will widen between yourself and other men. Youll end up far in advance of all mankind, and not far behind the gods themselves. Seneca, Letters From A Stoic 3

Advising Boeing And Airbus On Foreign Exchange Risk Finance Essay

Advising Boeing And Airbus On Foreign Exchange Risk Finance Essay BOEING: Boeing is the worlds largest aerospace company. Being a leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, it is a top US exporter. It provides tailored services that include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems. (Boeing, 2010). The company has it corporate offices in Chicago and also employs more than 159,000 people across the United States and in 70 countries, also has nearly 12000 commercial jetliners, in service worldwide, which is roughly 75 percent of the world fleet. (Boeing, 2010). AIRBUS: Airbus is a leading aircraft manufacturer owned by European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADs), a global leader in aerospace defense and related services. Having its headquarters in Toulouse, France, it has fully owned subsidiaries in the United States, China, Japan and Middle East. It has it spare part centers in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Washington, Beijing and Singapore, training centers in Toulouse, Miami, Hamburg, and Beijing (Airbus, 2011). The company has 150 field service offices around the world and employs a total work force of 119,000 and has presence on every continent (Airbus, 2011). The major competitor of Airbus is Boeing Company. FOREIGN EXCHANGE RISK: Foreign exchange risk is defined as the risk that an investor will have to close out a long or short position, in a foreign currency at a loss due to an adverse movement in exchange rates. It is also known as currency risk or exchange-rate risk. (Investopedia, 2010). Simply put it is the effect that fluctuations in foreign currencies or exchange rates that affect the business entity. It is evident that large corporations like Boeing and Airbus that have operations in many countries are exposed to foreign exchange risks. It mainly arises due to difference in the currencies in which the company bears its operating or production costs and the currency in which the company receives payments from its clients. Boeing being a US company, it reports its financial transactions in US dollars. The input output is priced in US dollar which is a globally accepted currency. So even if it does trading in other countries, it receives payments in US dollars. Hence it is exposed to low forex risk. Airbus being a French company, it reports its transactions in Euros. Input or output is been priced in Euro in the domestic market, while in the world market is been priced in dollar which is globally acceptable currency and this exposes the company to high forex risk because Euro is not a global currency. We summarize it through following table: Company Currency of Costs Currency of Revenue Match/Mismatch Boeing US Dollar US Dollar Match between currencies. Airbus Euros US Dollar (assume 60%) Euros (assume 25%) Others (assume 15%) Mismatch of currencies. TYPES OF EXPOSURES: TRANSACTION EXPOSURE: Transaction exposure measures changes in the value of financial obligations incurred before a change in exchange rates but to be settled after the change.(Hagelin, 2003). It is the risk of changes in exchange rates between the time that a good is sold and the time that payment is received in foreign currency. For Airbus: As explained above the currency costs of Airbus are in Euros while cost of revenues is mostly in US dollars and some in Euros. This mismatch is clear from the annual report of the company according to which the operations of the group are mainly concentrated in different countries such as China, United States, India and Middle East; hence the payments are done in US dollars. This explains that Airbus has a high transaction exposure towards US dollar. Any fluctuations in the rate of US dollar against the Euro would affect the profit margin of the group. The long term contracts that must be honored at future rates are the other causes of transaction risk to the Euro. Though sometime the profits are being locked in by using long term contracts for e.g. for spare parts, there is an opportunity cost involves as the value of Euro or the price of commodities may increase. (Chester Chronicle, 2008) For Boeing: The cost of revenues as well as production, are denoted in US Dollars. Hence there is a perfect match. So even if the company has operations in many parts of the world such as Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, and UK, the transaction exposure is less. Even if there is dissimilarity in the currency when Boeing sells its product to the different countries, the value is adjusted depending upon the countrys currency. The exposure arises due to variation in the currency rate, mainly of US dollar with other currencies. The danger here would be that the currency of the other country may strengthen or weaken to the corresponding US dollar. (Kascey, 2011). Consider the USD depreciates by 30%. The US currency would be under-valued, so this would lessen the profit margin of Boeing from payments received. But it would also reduce its cost of production. Thus this would hugely benefit for Boeing. On the other hand it would be very problematic for Airbus, as it would affect only the revenues and not the production costs. The decreased profits would cause a huge problem for Airbus. However, if USD value appreciates 30%, it would be of tremendous benefit to Airbus as the profits would be enhanced because of overvalued US dollars. Boeing would have to face the problems of increased cost of production but they would be backed off by the fact that payments would also be received in appreciated currency. TRANSLATION EXPOSURE: It is the risk that when the results of foreign subsidiaries are consolidated into the parents currency, translational gains or losses will result between reporting dates. The effects of translation risk are normally seen in the income statement and balance sheet. For Airbus: It deals mainly in aerospace, defense and commercial services. The Airbus commercial contributes 59% to the Companys revenue in 2009. (Airbus Annual report, 2009) The Company has a huge translation exposure, owing to the fact that it reports its earning in Euros. Transactions of its foreign subsidiaries, in foreign currencies other than the Euro are translated into Euro at the prevailing foreign exchange rate as at transaction date. It is mainly to the US Dollar as the trading in the industry and international markets is basically in US Dollar while the company reports its earnings in Euros. The translation risk of the company is evident in 2008 when the company had a decrease of 1% in revenue of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬43.265 million due to an unfavorable impact of the US Dollars. Furthermore, in 2007, their chairman- Mr. Louis Gallois in his estimation said every Euro appreciation of 10 cents against the USD is a cost of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1B to the company based on the fact that Airbus costs are denominated in Euros while the major share of its revenues are in USD. Airbus also holds a substantial US Dollar denominated assets that are subjected to translation risk. (http://hedgecurrencyrisk.com/36/foreign-exchange-risk-can-be-huge-fortunately-it-can-be-managed/). For Boeing: It deals in commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, performance based logistics and training. Of this, commercial airplanes contribute 49.8% of the companys revenues (Boeing Annual report, 2009). Boeing does not have any translational exposure. This is only because the companys trading in international markets is mainly in US Dollars and the company reports financial data in US Dollars only. ECONOMIC EXPOSURE: It is the change in the net present value of future cash flows of the firm as a result of unanticipated changes in real exchange rates. It gives an idea of the potential volatility of the company. For Airbus: Economic exposure of the company is substantially important due to the geographical locations of companys operations. The operating costs are mainly in the Euros and in some other currencies in small portions. The earnings are in US dollars in majority. So if the Euro depreciates by 30% against the USD, its operating costs would relatively go down and it would gain cost advantage. Also its reported profits in Euros would increase due to exchange rate. And if the Euro appreciates by 30% against the USD, it will be facing a huge economic exposure as the operating costs would increase substantially and the reported earnings in Euros would also be less. For Boeing: With 82% of the employees of the company based in America and remaining 18% employees in other locations like India, New Zealand etc, majority of operating costs are in US dollars. So Boeing Company would pay employees mainly in USD while a little portion in other currencies also. The Boeing Company receives its revenue in USD only. Because of this match, any increase or decrease in USD would accordingly increase or decrease both the operating costs as well as profits. Hence the exposure is small and easily manageable, as they are already in USD denomination. COMPARISON CHART: From the above explanation, the exposures of the 2 companies can be summarized by the following table: Company Transaction Translation Economic Boeing Small Easy to manage Does not exist. Small but Manageable Airbus Big Very Difficult to manage High Difficult to manage. Huge. Very difficult to manage INTERNAL HEDGING: Internal hedging means using techniques available within the company or group to manage exchange rate risk. These techniques do not operate through the foreign exchange market and therefore they avoid associated costs. However, this does not mean they are costless. INTERNAL HEDGING TECHNIQUES: MATCHING RECEIVABLES AND PAYABLES: There is no problem if the receivables and payables are in the same currency. If the receivables and payables are in different currencies (mismatch) then there is a risk involved in it. (Joseph, 2000). Airbus operations in US would insulate its risks, as the cost of operations in USD is matched by payment in USD; gained from various services and selling various products in US itself. Fluctuations in other currencies will be negligible as the company will not have to pay operating costs in USD with Euro. In order to provide insulation towards risk in various other countries Airbus can obtain revenue in domestic currencies to pay operating costs in different currencies, payables and receivables for example. As a result of this economic risk can be minimized. (Joseph, 2000) However, this matching of receivables and payables will succeed only to a certain extent. As Airbus would have to borrow Euros with the currency received from other countries in order to bear the operating costs in its own parent company- France. In case of Boeing, this is not required as the company already has a perfect match between the currencies of its trade receivables and payables. CENTRALIZED AND DECENTRALIZED TREASURY FUNCTION (MULTILATERAL NETTING): Airbus with its centralized treasury function utilizes multilateral netting, which is one of the forms of internal hedging against foreign exchange exposure, in order to reduce risk. Multilateral netting is found commonly in Enterprise Wide Risk Management (EWRM) where the parent companys subsidiaries would report the forecasted payments and receipts in the foreign currencies and estimated current exposures to them. After taking internal hedging into account the central treasury calculates the net exposure of the company towards each currency. And it makes use of external hedging to hedge residual exposures. In order to have exchange controls as well as clear understanding of taxation in their respective countries; multilateral netting requires subsidiaries of the group to have a standardized budget reporting periods. The savings gained through the implementation of EWRM information system are also important and are enough for the cost to offset. (Aucoin, 1990). The main advantage of EWRM also includes reducing the capital costs by managing the volatility of earnings. This is made possible through internal rate risk and external hedge of dangerous exposures towards foreign exchange. ERM maximizes the portfolio effect and even helps organizations to exploit natural hedges as stated in capital asset pricing model. (Aucoin, 1990). Hence multilateral netting is applicable to Boeing. As multilateral netting is most commonly found in EWRM, by managing the volatility of earnings it reduces the capital costs. Thereby the risk of Boeing is also reduced. CURRENCY OF INVOICING: The choice of currency which international trade is invoiced is of high implication for Airbus and Boeing due to the nature of their products and services. In trying to avoid foreign exchange risks, both companies adopt currency of invoicing by choosing which currency to be used in international trade. The strategy would be helpful to both companies only when properly planned. Assume Boeing just got a contract with British airways to build five 747s and one is to be delivered each year for the next 5 years. We assume the rate to be 10 million per plane. If Boeing can negotiate and adjust the terms of the invoice, it can shift, share or diversify the currency risk involved in this transaction; which would be an added advantage to the company. To transfer the risk, Boeing can invoice the transaction in USD, then it has eliminated currency risk for itself, however, it has shifted it to British Airways. Assume $ =$1.80, then British Airways has an $18 million account payables and Boeing has an $18 million account receivables. To share the currency risk between both companies, British Airways can share the risk by invoicing 50% of the transaction in USD and the other 50% in British Pound (BP), i.e. $7.5m + £5m for each planes. The risk can even also be reduced by diversification through the payment of the transaction in various currencies based on the negotiation between the two companies. By so doing, Boeing has managed the currency risk. Airbus in similar situation can do the same but this time the currency involved will be Euro and British Pounds or several other currencies in case of diversification. (http://spruce.flint.umich.edu/~mjperry/466-13.htm). ASSET AND LIABILITY MANAGEMENT: Asset and liability management (ALM) is basically a technique of risk management designed so as to earn an adequate return while maintaining a comfortable surplus of assets beyond liabilities. Boeing and Airbus do use this risk management technique to address foreign exchange risk and even operational risk and it also includes hedging where they can hedge against movements in fuel prices. Boeing and Airbus can manage their asset and liability in such a way as to: Increase their overall earnings Ensure efficient use of their capital and assets Manage the associated risk in a cost effective way. (http://www.investorwords.com/285/asset_liability_management.html). LEADING AND LAGGING: Leading is an internal hedging technique that is the acceleration of payment of companys obligation (e.g., payment to suppliers) before the due date while lagging, also internal hedging techniques, is the delay of payment of a companys obligation past its due date. (http://www.angelfire.com/ca/finrisk/Leading.html) For example, when Airbus or Boeing expects the currency (Euro) or (USD) respectively to appreciate in value, they may accelerate (leading) this obliged payment and realize the payment before the currency appreciates. In the same manner, when the value of the currency is expected to decrease in value, they may delay (lagging) payments so as not to make a loss in the transaction. (Victor P and Yann S, 2003). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we say that Foreign Exchange Risks depend upon the currency of costs and currency of revenues. Any difference within them is going to expose the company to Forex risks. The Forex risk that BOEING is exposed to is less mainly owing to the match between its input and output pricing currencies. While AIRBUS is exposed to huge risks as there is variation in the currencies of its costs and revenues. Also BOEING has Maintenance Contracts with companies and contracts with its Government to supply Military Planes due to which its risks have a backup from their Government in case of Financial Crisis. However AIRBUS doesnt have any such backing from its Government. This coupled with the high risks that it is exposed to; pose a grave threat for the company in case of financial crisis. The Internal Hedging mentioned above though useful for the companies are subjected to their effective and timely. And Airbus would be better naturally hedged against the risks by converting to repor t its financial transactions in US dollars than Euros.

Media Frames and Hip Hop Culture

The media has an increasing presence in all of our lives, and there has been a lot of research conducted on the various ways that it affects the very ideas that pop into our heads, the impressions we formulate of other cultures and musical genres, on foreign policy and the things that we buy. It’s obvious that the media is playing a role in our daily lives, but to what extent is it affecting the way hip hop music and the culture itself are understood by the average citizen, specifically children?Via the radio, the newspapers, magazines and most commonly, the television and internet, is it possible to see just how these easily available media are influencing younger people and those of an older age bracket and notice what kinds of frames the media are using with regards to hip hop? This paper will take a look at the available literature sources on the subject of media messaging and hip hop culture and review the established theories, as well as use household surveys to examine just how much exposure children in America actually have to mass media.Media framing is the process by which the media chooses its context for a news story and portrays it with a certain slant – common framing is done with a conservative viewpoint or a liberal one, and often as pertains to the hip hop culture the frame is that of a violent, consumerist culture (Robinson 20). Media framing is a technique by which journalists and reporters give basic context to their stories, and framing can tend to promote a particular political or social agenda or because of a fundamental lack of knowledge on the subject. Ramsey (pp 22-40) thinks that it is a case of the latter, since researchers and sociologists tend to regard hip hop cultures in American as being quite separate from the rest of the population to begin with.This isolation, to whatever degree it is actually apparent in these subcultures, is portrayed by the media and therefore understood by all viewers and listeners as the tr uth. Americans who are not a part of the hip hop culture are easily made to notice themes in hip hop music that relate to violent gang mentality and blatant consumerism that sees younger black people showing off expensive clothes, jewelry and cars. Mukherjee calls this media frame the â€Å"ghetto fabulous† and explains how what was originally an isolated feature of the hip hop culture has become widespread due to media attentions. This primary isolation is one of the major frames used by the media to portray a specific picture of hip hop culture, and these depictions are undoubtedly helping to shape the hip hop scene in the mind of the average television viewer and magazine reader.Saunders describes the generalized version of hip hop culture as a group of thieves, graffiti artists, vandals, drugdealers, sex-obsessed men, objectified women and joyriders (37-134), and unfortunately although this is a part of the underground culture of both the hip hop artist and the people lis tening to the music, the author accepts that there is more to it than this perception. Although it has been correctly noted that these themes are recurrent in rap music, an individual listener could easily fail to notice these same themes – or any other recurrent themes, for that matter – inherent in other types of music or even literature and film.The media has honed in on the negative themes in rap and hip hop music, however, and uses such sensationalist aspects of the culture and music to deliver a message of negativity, and create fear. The attentions unrelated groups of people have tried to intervene and have such songs and music videos censored. This has not generally had a positive effect on hip hop lyrics, and in fact has actually helped to raise the popularity of such music and the culture surrounding it (Davidson 74).Where once hip hop was purely restricted to the groups of black Americans forming their own subculture, now media attentions (both positive and negative) have brought hip hop and rap music to larger numbers of people who wouldn’t have originally had access to it. With the widespread hip hop scene, people of other ethnic origins and social situations are discovering the music and starting to participate in the culture, and this can be attributed in a large part to the success of the Motown Corporation (Neal).Some of the aspects featured in hip hop music, like graffiti, can be looked at as holding a specific role within the culture itself. Graffiti, for example, can be viewed as a â€Å"microcosm of how people communicate, participate, and learn within a community† (Rahn 137), specifically within the hip hop communities of urban America. Although it seems unlikely that media bodies realize exactly what they are portraying to viewers and readers of popular magazines, stories about graffiti artists involved in the hip hop lifestyle are being framed in such a light as to highlight the rebellious qualities of the su bculture.Graffiti is portrayed in a conflicting way; negative in that it defaces public and private property and can be used to mark gang territory, but also mildly positive in that it is obviously an artistic outlet. The artistic aspect has a negative side as well, however, since the media can only seem to look at graffiti art in a good way if it is an expressive emotional outpouring from an impoverished neighborhood (Rahn).Basically, hip hop artists are only getting attention from the media for negative qualities in their music and lifestyles, at least as perceived by the media itself and the majority of average citizens watching the news and reading the magazines and newspapers. People see rappers on TV when they are involved in gang related crimes and gun violence, or when their lyrics have come under scrutiny for what is deemed unsuitable content. Although every genre of music has questionable lyrics, hip hop artists are the primary suspects when it comes to bringing out the ce nsors.The media frames hip hop and rap artists in an unfavorable light the vast majority of the time, citing them in one all encompassing category that is violent, untrustworthy and obsessed with material possessions. Unless a person is directly involved in the hip hop scene, they are very unlikely to hear about positive things going on within the culture. The media on the whole simply reports on negativity within the hip hop world, something that many artists are understandably frustrated with.What this media framing is proving to the hip hop culture is merely an ignorance on behalf of media and the general viewing audience towards black American society. With very few years – relatively speaking – of freedom and equality between black people as a minority group in America and the majority whites, black Americans have found themselves grouped together in poor areas still facing huge difficulties in achieving better standards of living. These societal factors have had a huge impact on the subculture of blacks themselves, resulting in part in hip hop music as both a rebellious act and a validation of black survival in an often hostile larger environment.Mollyanne Brodie used her book Kids and Media in America: Patterns of Use at the Millenium to discover just how much of an impact media images such as these portrayals of hip hop culture are affecting young children throughout the country. The results of these surveys are instrumental in understanding the role of media framing in American children with regards to hip hop music and culture. She noted that although there are ways of discerning how long a television set is on during the day in the average household, there is no real way of knowing which programs or advertisements are seen by which members of the family.With specialized surveys distributed to households in the United States, Brodie collected answers from members of different families to work out just how much time children were spendin g watching which kinds of shows on the TV during the day. â€Å"The ‘in-home’ sample consist[ed] of 1,090 young children, ages 2 through 7 years, and relie[d] on parent responses to questionnaires† (Brodie 18). Keeping in mind that children can lack vital information about the programs they are watching and other related questions, it was up to parents to share the viewing habits of their children and this data was collected to get a firm, solid look at the American child and media influences.The conclusions were that today’s young person in the United States spends more time with media sources than any other preceding generation, and that this is likely to increase in the near future. With the television, computers, the internet and advanced mobile technologies, kids have access to more information than ever before and the media therefore has access to the kids as well. For this reason, the media has taken on a more powerful role than ever before in human history.The findings of these surveys were conclusive in revealing the simple fact that kids can go about their daily lives without fully realizing how they are being affected by the barrage of media images, and when it comes to the hip hop culture this is no different. Negative comments, news stories and lyrical debates are at the forefront of a young person’s mind, since survey statistics have proven that music is the most important aspect of a child’s life, especially in the teenage years. Hip hop has infiltrated the routine of the average youth due to censorship issues, gang reports and all kinds of negative imaging, however it is with this younger generation that the truth behind the hip hop culture is beginning to be truly appreciated.The average youth experiences difficulties that are thematically similar to that of the oppressed and underprivileged black American who is a part of the hip hop culture, and kids are able to make this connection when they take a l ook at the music coming out of such groups. Rap and hip hop were born out of frustration and the need for freedom of expression, which is just what the average teenager is looking for as well. With this fundamental likeness, youths turn to hip hop music as a way to bond with each other and feel validated in their opinions and feelings of loneliness and desperation.Lyrics about gang violence can represent the need to fit into a group, while songs featuring bling and ownership can represent the ultimate triumph over adversity. Kids can really relate to this kind of music despite media imagery that portrays it as negative, because they are used to having themselves portrayed in a negative way by their parents, schoolteachers and other authority figures.Media framing of the hip hop culture might not be affecting the youth of America in a straightforward way, but it is affecting them nevertheless. The older generations are reacting in the expected manner, however, when they tend to latch onto the negative side of hip hop and work to eradicate it from the American music scene. Parents are becoming concerned about their children participating in what they consider a different culture of music and behavior, and the media is merely serving to continue this sort of thinking.When people see rap music videos, they have years of pre-conceived notions in their minds, placed there by the media, and so it becomes very difficult to differentiate between real opinion and actual negativity. A person tends to consider issues such as this based on the information they already have, and then value that information on the source that it came from. If the source is trusted, a person will tend to follow that train of thought; if not, they might look further into the issue to find features of it they can relate to themselves.It is this characteristic of each individual person that leads them to a certain degree of media influence. Where an adult who trusts major news sources and hears that rap music is synonymous with violence and crime might believe it with few questions, a teenager who has become wary of any older authority figure who hears the same thing will probably not accept this as the complete truth.Brodie’s surveys helped to prove what most of us already thought to be true: the media is playing a huge role in our perception of the world, particularly with the younger generations. â€Å"A typical 11- to 14-year-old gives more than 6 ½ hours per day to media, and because he or she often uses several media simultaneously, encounters almost 8 hours per day of media content† (Brodie 190). These conclusions do go to support secondary sources like the essays The Ghetto Fabulous Aesthetic in Contemporary Black Culture and Sold Out on Soul: The Corporate Annexation of Popular Black Music.Both papers solidify the notion that the media has a great impact on hip hop portrayal throughout America in every aspect, particularly in music and consumerism. Researchers are in agreement with statistical evidence that proves children in America are incredibly susceptible to media influence, although it is clear that there are other factors that determine just how a young person will react to the same media frames in hip hop.Works CitedBrodie, Mollyanne, Ulla Foehr, Donald Roberts and Victoria Rideout. Kids and Media in America: Patterns of Use at the Millennium. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2003.Davidson, Sandra. Bleep! Censoring Rock and Rap Music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.Rahn, Janice. Painting without Permission: Hip-Hop Graffiti Subculture. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey, 2002.Mukherjee, Roojali. The Ghetto Fabulous Aesthetic in Contemporary Black Culture.Neil, Mark. Sold Out on Soul: The Corporate Annexation of Black Popular Music.Ramsey, Guthrie. Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2003.Robinson, Piers. The CNN Effect: The Myth of News, Foreign Po licy, and Intervention. London: Routledge, 2002.Sanders, Bill. Youth Crime and Youth Culture in the Inner City. New York, NY: Routledge, 2005.

Xox Supply Chain

Answer the following questions in relation to Xbox case: Lee, Hau; Hoyt David W. and Holloway, Chuck, â€Å"Evolution of the Xbox Supply Chain† * Who are the various stakeholders for Xbox that formed the Microsoft ecosystem while developing the supply chain business strategy for Xbox? * What were the challenges faced by Xbox when it first launched Xbox? * How did this compare to the launch of Xbox 360? * Did they consider any changes in the supply chain? Essay: Xbox StakeholdersMicrosoft’s Xbox project was started by a group of gamers in 1999 so that they can also develop a gaming console which threatened the performance of the home PC market. The Xbox project consisted of both internal and external stakeholders who had either a direct or indirect â€Å"stake† in the project. These stakeholders include the Microsoft employees (i. e. , Xbox project team, Microsoft executives), shareholders, suppliers (e. g. , Intel, Nvidia), contract manufacturers (i. e. , Flextro nics, Wistron Corp, Celestica), game developers, designers (i. , Astro Studios), distributors, broadband providers, retailers and customers. The stakeholders of the Xbox project can be visualized in terms of their position in Microsoft’s extended supply chain, shown in Figure 1. 0 below. Figure 1. 0 Microsoft’s Xbox supply chain Challenges with Original Xbox Microsoft encountered many challenges when launching the original Xbox in 2001. To better understand the challenges in the original Xbox, we can adopt the SOSTAC (Situation analysis, Objective Setting, Strategy, Tactics, Actions and Control) approach.Situation Analysis. Microsoft did not have a presence in the gaming console market and was up against strong competitors which already had established markets such as Sony (Playstation) and Nintendo (GameCube). This competitive landscape put them in a position wherein they needed to develop a product that offered features that were comparable to existing products in th e marketplace which was perfectly priced to establish themselves in the market. Moreover, Microsoft recognized that it was critical to launch in time for the 2001 holiday eason to allow them to have a presence in the marketplace before they became up against the â€Å"next-generation product†. Thus, Microsoft’s early challenges came at a price of high production ramp up costs, where they needed to produce 100,000 consoles in a week in order to launch the new Xbox in time for the Christmas. Objective. The short-term objectives of developing the original Xbox was primarily aimed at entering the gaming console market, learning from the experience and paving way for the next generation of products. Strategy. Microsoft adapted a push supply chain strategy using an extended supply chain.They developed their products based on existing game consoles with added features, most of which were built to compete against Sony PS2. In addition to a having features similar to other gami ng consoles available in the market, the Xbox had other features such as allowing Xbox to play DVDs, and a built-in modem which in 2002 was used to launch Xbox live. Tactics. Microsoft lacked the competency in building hardware –neither did it have exposure to designing and manufacturing hardware that can be used as a game console nor did it have any experience with the game console market.Hence, Microsoft decided to form strategic partnerships with preferred contract manufacturers who can deliver the products for them because they did not have the time to deal with unproven vendors and risky designs. Actions. Microsoft also took into account the location of manufacturing facilities in their selection of contract manufacturers to allow to take into account the logistics of to shipping products quickly to the US and European markets and decided to find plants in Mexico and Hungary.Logistics is the time-related positioning or resource, or the strategic management of the total s upply chain. The supply chain is a sequence of events intended to satisfy a customer: It can include procurement, manufacture, distribution, and waste disposal, together with associated transport, storage and information technology(Chaffey, 2002). Microsoft’s Xbox had over one thousand (1000) components and forty-five (45) of which were critical components that was only available from a single supplier. The Xbox also required several parts with high technical performance requirements (e. . , processing speed, graphics resolution, memory requirement and internet access). The high dependence on Microsoft’s suppliers made it necessary to integrate the information exchange with its key suppliers. Thus, Microsoft decided to require co-investments from its suppliers and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) to improve the coordination among the various groups. This suggests that Microsoft recognized the need for using technology to improve the flow of information and adap ted some form of technology to manage the relationship with various intermediaries.Control. While the case did not provide enough data to see how Microsoft measured the outcome, it can be inferred from the changes they made to the launch Xbox 360 that they did some reviews internally so that they can make the necessary changes. Unfortunately, Microsoft had very little time to learn to how to manage the supply networks — â€Å"[t]he coordination of all supply activities of an organization from its suppliers and partners to its customers†(Chaffey, 2002, p. 335).While they adopted a push approach to supply chain management, which is typically suggests that the production processes are aimed at cost and efficiency, Microsoft was up against significant challenges that made it difficult to be cost effective. In the end, Microsoft’s investment in the Xbox is higher than the expected sale price of the product — i. e. , the costs for producing the Xbox hardware we re estimated to be at $450, when retail price for the Xbox was only at $299. 00. Profitability was therefore dependent on driving the costs down for the Xbox console and sales from selling games.Differences between Original Xbox and Xbox 360 and Supply Chain Changes Situation. When Microsoft launched Xbox 360, gaming had already become a big part of the home entertainment and broadband access was substantially higher. Microsoft also had a better understanding of what games were needed in each country because they had already established a presence in the market. Objective. Microsoft’s decisions on developing the Xbox 360 was no longer based on their desire to get into selling hardware and simply offering a gaming console, but more on their goal of increasing software sales.So, Microsoft developed the new system in such a way that can be a central part of home entertainment thereby incorporating other features such as internet access. Strategy. In launching Xbox 360, Microsoft planned a global launch, which no other company had done before, so that Xbox 360 can be made available in all major markets before Sony would have a chance to launch PS3. Implementing a global strategy posed two large risks for Microsoft. To mitigate this risk, Microsoft also implemented some risk management techniques. Risk management is intended to identify potential risks in a range of situations and then take actions to minimize risk† (Chaffey, 2002, p. 599). It involves several stages which include the identification of risks, possible solutions, implementing the solutions that target high-impact risks and monitoring them for the future. First, was related to the fact that the Xbox required complementary products for it to be enjoyed and their biggest concern was whether there would be sufficient game titles available at the same time. Thus, Microsoft lined up game developers who could develop new games.For this task, Microsoft had a better appreciation of game types ne eded in each country based on the original Xbox experience, nonetheless ensuring that the games were ready had various timing issues. The unavailability of games in a particular country would mean a decrease of sales of consoles and would have a significant impact on the profitability of Microsoft. Second, Microsoft faced the risk of success where the supply of gaming consoles would not be sufficient to keep up with demand. Foreseeable, this can manifest itself in different ways but both negatively impacting their ability to acquire new customers.This suggests that Microsoft recognized the implication of complementary products to allow them to take advantage of the network effects. For Microsoft, the worse case scenario is for Microsoft to miss customer expectations and put them at risk for losing their customers. Another scenario is if their demand calculations were off and end up with an over/under supply of gaming consoles in one area. Tactics. As soon as the original Xbox was la unched, Microsoft started working on the next generation of Xbox and required the new model to have high definition capability, high storage capacity and access to the internet.Unlike the earlier launch of the Xbox, where Microsoft delivered a superior product whose features that came at the expense of cost, Microsoft included cost considerations as part of their new strategy. This time, Microsoft also wanted to take advantage of the timing, pricing and exploiting the relationships with complementary product. Actions. Microsoft made three changes in its supply chain management to drive down costs: (1) change the location of its manufacturing facilities; (2) increase the number of EMS suppliers; and (3) chip contracting.First, when launching the original Xbox, Microsoft decided to select manufacturing facilities that were geographically near the customers in order to quickly deliver the products to facilitate fast product introduction. However, in launching Xbox 360, Microsoft decide d to take advantage of a less expensive option by switching the facility location from Mexico and Hungary to China. While this meant an increased risk in fulfilling orders in time for a global launch, the firm was able to leverage lower labor rates from a place where the infrastructure was already available for electronic manufacturing.Second, by permitting multiple EMS suppliers, Microsoft was able to ensure that they had enough manufacturers who would be able to fulfill the orders. This also provided the ability to negotiate as compared with being dependent on a single supplier at Xbox launch. This helped Microsoft manage the supplier vender lock-in that they had originally and arrest the possible increase in switching costs such as search costs, specialized suppliers, contractual commitment (Shapiro & Varian, 1998).Third, Microsoft decided that it was best to take ownership of the design of the chip (which was previously owned and designed by Nvidia and Intel) and source its parts from the supply chain. This disintermediation strategy in their supply chain made it possible for Microsoft to be in a better position to control costs over the product’s lifetime. Moreover, this strategy is consistent with what is usually referred to as an outside-in outsourcing activity so that they can build up skills internally and manage this area.Microsoft was also able to compress the design cycle by engaging in concurrent design development activities which included a closer link between and manufacturing, continuous testing and iterative redesign. This was a change from Microsoft’s original Xbox strategy which had significant system and supplier level lock-in effects for Microsoft because Nvidia and Intel owned and designed the chips. While the dual sourcing strategy minimized the risks of lock-in at the supplier level, they were still locked-in at the system level where Microsoft had to contend with any enhancements or changes in the design of the chips .Microsoft also used HDTV technologies that was available in the market, while Sony (being a hardware company) decided to bet on Blu-Ray to allow it to establish it as the new DVD standard for high-definition. In hindsight, Microsoft’s decision provided them a one-year head start in third generation consoles because Sony’s Blu-Ray decision caused a significant delay in Sony’s PS3 launch. By betting on Blu-Ray, Sony was betting on standards change to increase their competitive advantage. Control.As discussed previously, the case did not provide enough data to see how Microsoft measured control. Japanese Automakers’ Supply Chain Structures The disintermediation strategy that Microsoft took gives some insight to classic â€Å"make or buy† arguments that companies make in determining where to source their supplies. In contrast to Microsoft’s decision to do things themselves, â€Å"Japanese automakers apparently assume that quality, delivery, in ventories, and related costs can be better governed by the purchasing department in a buy situation, than by making it yourself. † (Deming, 1982, p. 7). However, for them to control the quality they require invariably have demanding expectations from their suppliers. The expectations include: (1) exceptional quality requirements; (2) reliable just-in-time deliver; (3) exact quantities – no over- or under-runs; and (4) continuously improving productivity resulting in long-term cost reductions (Deming, 1982, p. 48). In return for the high investments on the part of their suppliers, they have production contracts that are usually long-term (as long as six years), and may include requirements for product design and testing.For the Japanese automakers, they have â€Å"arms around relationship† where they embrace the lock-in effects with their suppliers instead of â€Å"arms-length transactions† which rely on the spot-market. The Japanese auto manufacturers are more likely to engage in vertical disintegration and outsourcing of processes to a network of suppliers. For example, in the case of Honda, they engage in strategic alliances with first tier suppliers whom they are said to have a strong â€Å"close relationship through shared history† (Choi & Hong, 2002, p. 78). They are said to have approximately 400 â€Å"core† suppliers and a number of indirect suppliers which all contribute to the production of 400,000 units of Accord models each year (Choi & Hong, 2002). Another example is Acura, where the structure of their network is very complex with 76 entities in the supply network (i. e. , 1 first-tier, 20, second-tier, 28 third-tier, 17 fourth-tier, 9 fifth-tier, and 1 six-tier) to produce their Acura CL/TL center console alone (Choi & Hong, 2002).Another example is Toyota, a company that is recognized worldwide for adopting lean management principles in its supply chain. Toyota has various stakeholders that con tribute to the success of the supply chain namely: Domestic Suppliers; Overseas suppliers; Parts Centers; Toyota Plants; Distributors; Kyohans; Dealers; Repair Shops; Parts Jobbers; Customers. SOSTAC Analysis of Toyota To better appreciate how supply chain strategies differ, we can also adopt the SOSTAC model to explain Toyota’s strategy. Situation Analysis. Toyota is an established car manufacturer that has been in existence since 1937.Toyota offers a full range of models – from mini-vehicles to trucks. Toyota believes that their long-term success is based on loyal customers. Toyota manages using the Toyota Way, which is underpinned by two pillars, continuous improvement and respect for people. Toyota believes that the Toyota Way should be used in interactions because they believe that their success is not created by individual efforts but rather as a team. Objective. Toyota’s supply chain objective is to establish strong links to its customers, dealers and cha nnels. Strategy.Toyota created an efficient network so that it can deliver excellent service to its customers. Their close interrelationship between various parts of the chain suggests that they engage in a pull strategy and their supply chain can be viewed in terms of Figure 2. 0 below. Figure 2. 0 Toyota’s supply chain Tactics. Toyota developed its own Toyota Production System where they introduced various manufacturing techniques such as Just-In-Time, Kaizen (continuous improvement). Toyota makes strategic alliance with its partners and puts an emphasis on long-term relationships.Toyota’s manufacturing processes is also developed so that each plant serves a local market and at least another market across the world. While this tactic can be seen as a logistical decision, it is also driven by various risk considerations. It is driven by a financial consideration so that it can hedge exchange-rate risks and shift production when exchange rates increase (Chopra & So dhi, 2004, p. 345). It is also driven by capacity considerations so that idle capacity is mitigated by ensuring that more than one market are supported by the plants to deal with demand fluctuations(Chopra & Sodhi, 2004).Action. Toyota ensures that both the upstream and downstream supply chains are highly efficient networks. For its upstream supply chain, Toyota not only engages in activities that ensure that information flows across its suppliers, but also engages in various activities geared toward promoting a shared network identity among its suppliers. More specifically, Toyota created network-level processes to ensure that they share a social community, network norms and knowledge (Dyer & Nobeoka, 2000, p. 352).To implement this, Toyota has established various supplier associations (kyohokai) since 1943 so that they can have â€Å"(1) information exchange between member companies and Toyota, (2) mutual development and training among member companies, and (3) socializin g events†(Dyer & Nobeoka, 2000). † For its downstream supply chain, Toyota is dependent on its dealers to distribute new and used vehicles, as well as servicing for its profitability. Toyota manages its dealers with three principles: (1) Independence of dealers as outside investors; (2) Winning jointly; (3) Encouraging competition among channels.This approach encourages their dealers to make independent decisions and be proactive in making improvements. Toyota help the dealers make decisions toward investing in areas necessary to improve so that they can be both successful. Toyota embraced lean manufacturing techniques to keep costs down. Not only do they apply these principles in their manufacturing of cars, but they also apply this in other areas of their supply chain. For example, they use kyohans to allow their dealers to maintain a low level of parts supply.The use of an intermediary to have a central control of parts allows the network some flexibility so that parts do not sit idly at dealers at the same time allow Toyota to move the parts to dealers that need them. Kyohans can order supplies of stocks once a day, and supplies them to the dealers 3-4 times a day. In case the stock is unavailable, kyohans can put in an emergency stock request which can be fulfilled by a domestic distributor within half a day to a day or an international distributor in under 5 days. Toyota also promotes continuous improvement through a concept they refer to as kaizen.This process allows them to improve their operations through innovation, organizational learning and standardization of processes. For example, a mandatory bi-annual inspections of cars for registration at the service facilities usually takes 2-3 hours. The length of time it took was largely dependent on skills and experiences of the service technician in charge of the inspection. After applying kaizen principles, Toyota was able to streamline and standardize the inspection process so that insp ections would only take 45 minutes. Control.Toyota conducts performance measurements at predetermined timeframes. For instance they do annual reviews wherein they apply some ranking and rating mechanism to evaluate their dealers. The dealers are measured in terms of sales volume of new and used cars, after-service sales service, customer satisfaction, number of showrooms, number of service centers, number of staff, and profitability. Discussion There are various approaches to managing the supply chain of a firm. The decision to adopt one over another is highly depended on the long-term strategic goals of the corporation.From the Microsoft’s Xbox case, we can see that sometimes firm make costly decisions in the process of launching a product to gain foothold in the market place. It is then ultimately up to the firm to learn form the process and as an organization learn from the experience and make the necessary changes. Microsoft adopted two distinct approaches in managing the ir supply chain based on their short- and long-term objectives. In the launching Xbox, they were highly dependent on the expertise of their suppliers so that they can launch the Xbox in time for the 2001 holiday sales.This enabled the firm to learn from their experience so that they can come up with a new strategy to launch the next generation gaming console. Microsoft’s disintermediation strategy appears to minimize lock-in effects with suppliers so that they can take advantage of spot-markets and ultimately lower their costs. Interestingly, in the case of Toyota, they took a very different approach from Microsoft even when their objective was also to minimize production costs. Instead of relying on spot-markets, they embraced lock-in and invested in long-term relationships with its suppliers.This approach allowed them to make continuous improvements across multiple suppliers by sharing knowledge and information among the upstream and downstream processes. The increased info rmation flows across the network was made possible by the use of various e-supply and e-demand applications. From the Toyota case, it can also be seen that a highly integrated supply chain that shares information, expertise across the firm can take advantage of minimized costs and profitability.It can also be gleaned from this case the importance of trust and respect because the members of the supply chain has access to critical information that can be detrimental to the other partners if opportunistic behavior arises. Chaffey, D. (2002). E-business and E-commerce Management: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Choi, T. Y. , & Hong, Y. (2002). Unveiling the structure of supply networks: case studies in Honda Acura, and Daimler Chrysler. Journal of Operations Management, 20, 469-493. Chopra, S. , & Sodhi, M. S. (2004).Managing Risk To Avoid Supply-Chain Breakdown. MIT Sloan Management Review(Fall 2004), 53-61. Deming, W. E. (1982). Out of the crisis: Quality Productivity and Competitive Position. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dyer, J. H. , & Nobeoka, K. (2000). Creating and Manageing a High-Performance Knowledge-Sharing Network: The Toyota Case. Strategic Management Journal, 21, 345-367. Shapiro, C. , & Varian, H. (1998). Network and positive feedback – How to exploit Network effects. In H. B. S. Press (Ed. ), Information rules – A strategic guide to the network economy. (pp. 1-56).

Power Of The Atom Essays - Telephony, Lady Gaga Songs, Free Essays

Power Of The Atom Essays - Telephony, Lady Gaga Songs, Free Essays power of the atom The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything except the way we think? Technology has developed and changed so much over the past century. Each day new things are being developed, and new things are released to the buyer?s market. Who would ever thought we?d be able to talk live with someone who lives on the other side of the world. It?s truly amazing all the luxury?s we have, and it?s amazing how one those these inventions has the capability to change the world in a very drastic way... Could you imagine a place with no electricity, no communication, and no transportation other then a horse and buggy? Believe it or not, but there was a time when these things were non-existent. At one time people sent messages to other towns through a thing called ?wiring? basically it?s communication using morse code. They also had an extremely slow mailing service, that took weeks to meet it?s desired destination, because they had to walk on foot or on horse back. There were no cars, and there were no airplanes, only there own two legs, and a horses. Something needed to be done. It took way too long to get into contact with people, and it took the same amount of time to get a response. In 1886, a man by the name of Alexander Graham Bell developed an interesting object, that gave you the capability of talking live with one person, other then yourself. This object later became known as the well respected telephone. Although when Bell first invented the phone there were many kinks that needed to be worked out. And over time, after being constantly worked with and being revised the telephone was close to perfection. It took sometime for the phone to really catch on, but when people began to see how convenient it was, families everywhere went out and purchase one. Imagine going one day, 24 hours without using the phone once. I don?t know about you, but I can?t go more then a couple of hours without holding that receiver against my ear. Being grounded off the phone, is a fate worse then death. It?s hard for me to imagine that my own forefather?s lived in a time were there were no computers, and there were no telephones. Communication continues to progress daily. With computers getting better with every passing moment. Who know?s soon, maybe computers will replace the telephone. Or they?ll have a 911 dispatcher hooked onto e-mail incase something happened to you while you were on-line. It?s hard to envision the technology that we?ll have in the future, maybe nothing major will be invented, but maybe something as big as the telephone. Everyone uses the telephone, from the poorest man in the world to the President of the United States. It?s a great way of communicating with someone who lives to far way to go see. I?m grateful for the telephone, because it allows me to talk to my family who lives over 2,000 miles away. It?s good for long- distance relationships because, it enables you to hear someone?s voice instead of just seeing their hand writing. Talking on the telephone is a luxury that most take for granted. I?d like to see this world get by for 15 minutes with absolutely no electricity. We rely on technology to do everything for us. Machines are taking over the jobs of humans, humans are being replaced by metal. I think that new inventions that really impacted our world, have the power to change the way we think. The whole procedure of inventing something is a learning process. This learning may not involve the whole public, because the public lacks the knowledged to build these things, but once it is put onto the market, it can really impact the public. The computer has opened a lot of peoples minds, people may not know this but, while they?re surfing the net their learning. After a while of learning the brain begins to change the way it thinks. But, we think a lot less, because we have other things such as machines to think for us.

buy custom iPad’s Security Breach essay

buy custom iPad’s Security Breach essay Hacking into websites is not orthodox in the least but it has certain advantages if looked upon in a certain light. For one, it removes the illusion of the perfect security environment and keeps the competitive standards of firewalls in the current environment up to par. The companies that brag of their prowess and security standards might become careless and slack. This will leave enough room for a huge breach depending on the timing. By the time, that the company collects itself again to regroup from the attack it may be too late to make a quick recovery and the damage may turn into grievous financial loss. Is hacking justifiable within a company? The breach in iPad is one such example of a security break in because of lapse in adequate measures. Steve Jobs cast the company giant as one of pristine in the field of technology, as well as security (Tate, 2010). This statement hit a dead end in the face of the breach stating that the policy of apple is to seek and to make sure that they get user permission in order to know what you are going to do with their data. Thus, one can let the customer know what they are signing up for in the simplest language possible. This statement was not just referring to how the company uses the private data information of iPad information. It also referred to how the company created policies on the use of private data by other iPad experience providers. This obviously did not reflect in the breach. Thus, it gave customers a chance to know the truth instead of putting false hopes into a system that could be easily compromised. This time, only information on the email addresses got out. If this had continued and the attack had been more precise, information that is more pertinent would have gotten out. This could be leaked files on a government officials phone conversations, emails, and data. This would be quite dangerous in the wrong hands. This was a warning, and it would be justifiable if the incident were a test run. This is quite common in intelligence agencies where they frequently train for worst-case scenarios that could happen. They use these standard raining operations to simulate what would happen if a real life situation if the worst happened. This is the same case, with the hacking incident. Companies could make their computer department design a firewall to the best of their ability. This firewall would then be subjected to testing, as it would be by hackers. These hackers would be in the companys payroll, and their objective would be to try to penetrate the defenses. Of course, the situation would be quite a risk because this was unexpected and there was no way of knowing how far the breach was intended to go. In this case, if there were a computer security firm that was to use this method to better their security then there should be a corporate ethics statement to keep them in line. Corporate ethics statement When daring the code, there must be a few considerations depending on the company. The reason for this would be to regulate the companys behavior. Firstly, the code should be divided into two sections. The first section would entail the aspirations that the organization wants to live to maintain. This are the hopes that it wants to maintain. The second part of the statement would contain the rules and regulations of that specific company. These principles should include what would be illegal inside the organization. These are crimes against the copany from within as well as the crimes omitted when hacking into the privacy of another firm on unsanctioned basis. Other rules should include regulations on which personnel in this department would have access to certain levels of information of other companies that hire the corporation in question on a security check basis. This distinguishing of hierarchy would allow for order and decrease the amount of incidences that happen that could compromise the security of the firm. On the other hand, there should be an enforcement procedure to make sure the rules are followed. These include measures of punishment and disciplinary action to violations of the regulations. The rules will be listed in the order of priority for the organization by importance and the enforcement measures would follow in a corresponding manner as well as disciplinary action for violation of each rule. Finally, there will be provisions for revisions of these rules and regulations if need be depending on changing ethical situations. In the mean time, it would be helpful to establish relationships with media companies on information discretion. The coming out of certain information that would be as harmful to the consumer psychologically as it is to the manufacturer needs to be taken into consideration. The breach in apple caused a lot of fear in users of the new iPad and probably affected forth-coming sales of the product. The move by Gawker to publicize the information may be a good and bad decision, at the same time. It was good because it gave the users something to think about the security situation of the firm. As it reported that ATT, operated the web server, using weak security controls. The company gets a jump-start and stops slacking off where they should have been ahead of the game. Social responsibility of Gawker On the other hand, Gawker should also read the ground situation before making any hasty decisions on publicizing the matter. As with the security data, that the company had and was compromised there is a risk that the breach would cause widespread panic as the information belonging to certain government officials, even in the white house became compromised. Matters on these levels should be treated a little more sensitively because they could explode in everyones face. There is a reason for media blackouts because the last thing that everyone would want is widespread panic that would cause more damage than necessary. When there is a security breach the CEO and executives must considers the facts on the table. They must first evaluate the extent of the problem. This happens by ordering an all-inclusive inspection of the systems to determine the extent of the damage. Secondly, they must remove the hostile or destructive code. The next step is to reload the necessary operating systems software and configure the test operations accordingly. They should then patch the system in order to avoid any vulnerability. They should then test the functionality and restore the files from backup if indeed necessary. The files that passed the test of determination of damage would undergo through that process of restoration. As for the damaged files if there is no backup available at the time, then replication would be necessary. The system should be back on track at this point, and the executives would have reason to believe that everything is proceeding according to plan. However, the bottom line would be that theory does not always have a correlation to reality. Thus, things oon the ground may not be what the statistics project. The company has to confirm with the users that the data has been completely restored. Email script to would be customers We as the board of ATT want to inform you as our customers of an impending situation that we are currently experiencing in our technical department. This has to do with the security issues in the IT department with one of our products. There is a potential exposure risk to the iPad ICC IDS. Several of you have purchased the device and before you start to worry, the situation is already under control. The only information that could be derived from the device is the email address attached to it. There is an ongoing investigation now to determine the source of the breach and the perpetrators. As a result, all of the customers, whose information may have been compromised, that is their email address and so forth will receive notification as soon as possible. If there is anything sacred to the company, it is privacy of information. We do not take customer privacy very lightly. However, in light of the damage that the incident did to the companys name and the inconveniences that this caused our customers, we would like to apologize. Now that is settled we would also like to point out that we received the information from a business customer recently who pointed out the potential exposure. This issue went to the highest levels of the organization where it had top priority, and was dealt with expeditiously. In this way, the feature that gave access to email addresses has essentially been turned off. To be specific, amount of data that was compromised in the breach summed as the following. The subscribers email addresses that was coupled with the associated ID used to authenticate the subscriber on the network was utilized on ATT network. However, we managed to close the security hole within days of the breach. The victims had been unaware of any development in the breach that is the symptoms had not revealed themselves to them. This gives an idea how much we need to be vigilant to stop future incident. This is because the device had been shipping for barely two months. It had been shipping in the cellular configuration for only a month. This is a relatively time for such compromising situations to arise and suggests that the security needs to be looked into seriously. Reasons The security, in fact, will receive reviews in this light. A group known as Goatse security obtained the subscriber data. It seems the group specializes in showing faults in web applications. It highlighted weaknesses in the Firefox as well as the safari web browsers. It obtained the data it needed through the ATT's website. This information was available to anyone using the internet. However, it was the companys hospitable nature with information, which did it in the end. In response to this attack, the company called in the help of the FBI to look into the investigation. The FBI also contracted Gawker media recently and served them with a formal perseveration notice. On this note, there will be a review on most sectors to determine the full extent of the damage done because of the incident. This includes those that were totally unrelated to the occasion. The reason is that it could affect sales in other department because of bad publicity. These effects are a ripple effect and need to be anticipated in advance, and in this way, the company will not be caught off guard again. Buy custom iPad’s Security Breach essay

Outline for Examining Three Contemporary Artworks Essay

Outline for Examining Three Contemporary Artworks - Essay Example The essay "Outline for Examining Three Contemporary Artworks" gives an outline for an essay that should analyze Three Contemporary Artworks. The relevant material listed below: the key themes portrayed by the author on this subject are investigation of the modern border regime based on his perspective; the author also seeks to present how art work informs his exhibitions driven by conceptuality; the theoretical framework implies there are chances the author may be a curator as he is able effectively compare the modern and recent art; Some of the concepts mentioned in the writing are epistemology, anthropology and dichotomy. These help us in identifying the boundary between the modern and ancient art; stipulates that , â€Å"The ‘rationalist veil’ is a privileged site of a particular modern practice aimed at creating continuity, blending systemic knowledge, belief, and the power of imagery.†Sound art is one contemporary art that draws focus on aural stimulation unl ike the traditional painting which interests the eye. The introductory sentence can be tied to the following: the art uses music and sound technology to create artistic experience; in order to value sound art as a worthwhile form in the history of art we must shy away from nomenclature and focus on sound aesthetics; the vocabulary of sound as well as its role in contemporary art has chanced compared to the classical art so as to suite new works; music entails jargon as beat, atonal, and canon. The art of drawing has remained unchanged for years.

Materials&Manufacturing Report (( car body pressing )) Essay

Materials&Manufacturing Report (( car body pressing )) - Essay Example Dies is used for press blanking to the section and is specific depending on the necessity of the shape of the panel required or if there is justification in the volume of production. Blanks may be sufficient for some panels, trapezoidal, rectangular, or slightly curved shapes to be produced by line or shearing machines. The oscillating shear is a development for use since it is more flexible for the blank preparation with a stroke rate of more than 100 per minute. The blanking line includes; de-coiler, coil handling, flattener or leveller, blanking press, feeder, and stacker for blanks. The function of a corrective leveller is for the removal of; These blanks which are tailored welded for the complex panels are primed through diverse linking processes including; spot welding, laser welding, and mash-seam welding that result into better strength material that is cost effective. Pieces similar or different in gauges or materials are welded together into a single blank before the stamping process. Dense or thin or different strength groupings also result in the reduction of weight. These tailored blanks may reduce the stack tolerance and improve the dimensional accuracy of the vehicle. The inner assembly’s dimensional accuracy of a conventional door covers tolerance in the width of the steel, and the tolerances associated with piercing, stamping, and spot welding reinforcements. The improvement of accuracy is achieved by the minimization if the reinforcements. The dimensional variation of hole location in door panels have been reduced with laser welding of blanks from +/- 0.5 to +/-0.075 mm. Spot welding or seam welding may be used but for a tailored blank, the laser welding blanks are used since they provide three advantages including; However, there is a greater demand of strict control of the butt-joint pressure, the edge quality, and other parameters of laser welding that includes; welding speed, power, beam alignment,