Network Security Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Network Security Questions - Assignment Example Botnets mainly send harmful mails in form of spam campaign messages to the target points of the attackers. The botnet can therefore spread as viruses, Trojans or worms through emails and websites. The objectives of botnet attack are to enable the attackers spy on the victims and gain access to sensitive information such as financial statements. They steal the victims’ credentials and hijack banking information, ultimately leading to stealing of money. Their transactions run concurrently with those of their victims. The attackers can also use botnet to access the system source codes. Botnet attackers can use their victims’ computers and resources for sending malicious spam. These can then spy other victim’s and execute denial of service command against them. The victims spend a lot of money as well as time to recover from the consequences. Worse still, botnet attacks can land victims into legal challenges. It is not easy for the victim to realize from the onset that the sender of the malware is in fact a fellow victim. In that case, the end victim may take sue the supposed attackers. On the other hand, Proxy firewalls are intermediate barriers that accept every traffic instructions moving into a network. It achieves this through impersonation of the actual receiving point of the traffic in the network. From the results of inspection, it grants or denies access and the proxy firewall relays feedback to the destination. After the destination replies, proxy firewall ends the connection. Only one of the two computers remains connected to the global network. ACLS are not capable of reading past packet headers. This gives only basic details concerning the network. In this regard, ACLs packet filtering is not sufficient in itself to eliminate network threats. Proxy firewall demands that every application require a separate proxy at the level of each application. Proxy firewall network suffer

Thoughts about climate change Essay Example for Free

Thoughts about climate change Essay The world has over the last century gone through big changes. This does not only concern the changes in technology but also how countries nowadays are able to interact with each other. The new technology have mad it possible to transfer and spread information faster than ever before. These changes have lead to huge possibilities when it comes to researches, to do researches that earlier have not been doable. For example when it comes to knowledge about illnesses and health. Earlier people died from deceases that the healthcare today has the knowledge to cure. This is only one thing out of many improvements that has been going on over the past years. Because of this development is had made me think about how little we knew before and how much we know now. Today it is possible to measure and gain knowledge about almost anything. Such as weather, water stream, temperature changes, rainfall and much more. It is possible to se changes that occur on the planet. This makes me think and be concerned about what does really happen on planet earth? This question and thoughts that have been brought up makes me interested to learn and get a bigger perspective about â€Å"changing climate†. Questions regarding our climate have in the past years been up for discussion on several channels. It is possible to read about climate in the news sometimes you can here about it on the television or even hear it on broadcasts. This has made people more aware than before and also made an increased interest in how different factors affects the climate of the planet. This is a good thing cause personally I think that there are many things that need to change. Especially when it comes to the affects on climate. To start making changes everyone, all countries must work together. This is where I can se the first problem. For example when it comes to Global warming. Researches have seen several changes occurring over the past years and they are telling the world by giving out analyses and results in order to make people aware. They have seen changes that have never happened before  and they want to do something about it. The respond from countries and societies is not what it should be. My thoughts are that people live and grow up in different cultures, what someone thinks is important may someone else think is unimportant. For some people survival is a challenge and for others how to succeed at work is another. People have their own priorities and values and to make everyone agree and think the same can be hard. This is one of the reasons that make me wanting to study and learn about climate. For me climate change is something I can se happen but not while we live. Looking at issues concerning climate brings me one big question that I think of whish is â€Å"how other people think†. It is interesting so se and learn about climate and to get a perspective of how different everyone looks at it. While growing up nature and thinking about the climate has always been something I have been surrounded by. In Sweden where I am from nature is important and so is the climate. Early in school we were introduced and gained knowledge about different things concerning nature and the climate. What we decided to about our knowledge is another thing. I have always been fascinated in extreme weather and climate as long as I can remember. This is another reason for why this course about climate is something that interests me. Depending on where we are located on earth the nature and weather will be different so will the species of animals. But in the end we are on the same planet. Consequences from climate change that are likely to happen will probably not be in our favour it will instead force us to change our ways of living. The outcome from climate change could also be so damaging that even if we start preventing climate change now it could be too late. Climate change is something really complex and it makes it even more fascinating. How are scientists supposed to argue and make people change? What needs to be said or done until people realizes that climate change is an important topic to actually pay attention to. Will people start to care when water level rise or when they actually can se they difference in the climate? Some people think that climate change is a growing problem and some people does not even consider it as a problem. These are things that make this subject so remarkable. How come people look at it so differently when it is  something that will affect everyone in the end? For me environmental questions and climate change feels really important. I am studying business and my major is enterprising and business development. Because of that I want to learn even more about climate, to bring that knowledge into my future work. Since today’s competition and importance of being efficient is massive I would say it is even more important to actually have an environmental perspective. Enterprises have lately been developing fast, increasing profits, but one question I would like to ask is if they think of their impact on the environment? This question goes further to consumers to people? Do they understand their behaviour and what they do to the nature when travelling, when buying things? There are so many things that we people do that actually have an impact on the environment and climate, and we think of it too little if not at all. My assumptions is that people hide, people stop carrying because no one really tells them to care about climate change. There is much more that can be done and I want to be a part of that. This is one of the reasons for why I am studying â€Å"making sense of climate change†. I want to be aware, I want to learn and I want to gain knowledge that makes me able to change people’s perspective. In the end I want to be that person who makes a difference not only for myself but also for everybody.

A Comparison of Classical Management Theorists and Contingency Theorist

A Comparison of Classical Management Theorists and Contingency Theorists The management field is characterised by a wide variety of theories, schools and directions. This essay examines the classical and contingency schools of thought -- the approaches to organization that have had the greatest impact on management today. Firstly the essay delineates and criticises the important theories propounded by classical writers. The essay continues with an account of the contingency school, and finally evaluates its impacts on managerial thought. Up until about the late 1950s academic writing about organisational structure was dominated by the classical management school. This held that there was a single organisational structure that was effective in all organisations. (Clegg & Handy, 1999). According to Holt (1999), the classical school is characterised by ?being highly structured, with emphasis on the formal organisation with clearly defined functions and detailed rules, autocratic leadership, a rigid chain of command and control by superiors? (Holt, 1999, p.137). The three greatest proponents of classical theory were Taylor, Fayol, and Weber. Each identifies detailed principles and methods through which this kind of organisation could be achieved. Taylor (1947) developed a systematic approach to called ?Scientific Management?, which focused on efficient production. Through the study of task movements, or ?time and motion studies? as it was known, he recognized matching the correct worker to the task was crucial to increasing work efficiency. Under this so-called Taylorism, emphasis is placed on power confered to those in control. According to Morgan (1997), this approach to work design is found in traditional forms of assembly-line manufacturing and in production processes. Another major sub-field within the classical perspective is ?Administrative Management,? set forth by Fayol (1949). While Scientific Management took a micro approach, Fayol saw the macro concepts, a body of knowledge which emphasised broad administrative principles applicable to large organizations. In Fayol?s account, management is conceptualised as consisting of five elements, namely planning, organizing, command, co-ordination, and control. He also developed 14 principles of management or organisation, the best-known being division of work, unit... ...ure. Academy of Management Journal, 25 (3), 553-566. Luthans, F. (1973). The Contingency Theory of Management: A path out of the jungle. Business Horizons, 6, 67-72 Meyer, M.W. (1972). Size and the structure of organizations: A causal analysis, American Sociological Review, 37, 434-441. Pugh, D., Hickson, D., Hinings, R. & Turner, C. (1969). The context of organization structures. Administrative Science Quarterly 14:91-114. Pugh, D. & Hickson, D. (1996). Writers on organisations. London: Penguin. Robbins, S. & Barnwell, N. (2002). Organisation Theory: Concepts and cases. Victoria, Australia: Pentice Hall. Taylor, F.W. (1947). Scientific Management, Harper & Row. Watz, T. (1996). Technology rules OK? A review of technological determinism and contingency theory. Creativity and Innovation Management, 5(1) 13-21. Weber, M. (1947). The Theory of Social and Economic Organization. A.H. Henderson and Talcott Parsons (eds.). Glencoe, IL: Free Press. Woodward, J. (1980). Industrial Organization: Theory and Practice, second edition. New York: Oxford University Press --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Pugh et al.

Animal Species

Animal species are decreasing at an alarming rate, and many of it has to do with human interference to animals habitats. In the article â€Å"Era of ‘Biological Annihilation' Is Underway, Scientists Warn†(2017) by Tatiana Scholssberg she explains the way in which 2 Stanford University Professors and one professor from Universidad Nacional Autà ³noma de Mà ©xico wrote their study and the way they worded and put their ideas together on the topic of global loss of animal species: It wouldn't be ethical right now not to speak in this strong language to call attention to the severity of the problem.† The destruction humans are doing to animals is detrimental, and is causing animals to go decrease in population at such a high speed and these 3 professors take it upon themselves to make this issue sound as horrendous as it should. Throughout the beginning to mid part of the article Scholssberg explains how fast animal populations have decreased, she uses specific numbers to show at what speed these populations are actually decreasing by. Such as cheetas as se mentions have about 7000 members left than they had before any major destruction was made to their habitats and them. She further explains how it was difficult for the 3 professors from UNAM and Stanford to gather their information. Since different scientists have distinct definitions of what population means, it would be hard to show how population loss is affecting different species of animals. When scientists are looking into animal population loss they usually see a fragment of how much the animal species population has been decreasing and not necessarily the whole picture regarding all animal species as explained by Scholssberg. She mentions that â€Å"previous estimates of global extinction rates have been too low, in part because scientists have been too focused on the complete extinction of a species† which does not â€Å"generate enough public concern,† and lends the impression that many species are not severely threatened, or that mass extinction is a distant catastrophe.† Scholssberg mentions that the 3 professors whos study she was reviewing took a different route when discussing the decrease of various animal species, which helped them come to the conclusion that â€Å"the disappearance of entire populations, and the decrease of the number of individuals within a population,† are both equally important but usually people don't see the big picture in the decrease of various animal species. As mentioned earlier many of the decreases in the animal population are because of human activity. Such as climate change and the constant exploitation of animals habitats. To help sort of balance this out Scholssberg mentioned in her article that â€Å"some species have been able to rebound when some of these pressures are taken away.† By this, I'm sure she means that when humans stop interfering with an animals habitat, animals are more likely to live a more fruitful life. Humans may just really be the toxic ones, over exploiting and taking over animals habitats. There will be a long-lasting impact with these animal populations and if we don't stop now, when will we?

Rapid Changes in Sentencing Structures

With this in effect it gave offenders to rehabilitate in prison. With good behavior in prison it could release them sooner rather than later (depending on the procedure's of the parole board). The parole board would review their case and determine if the inmate has â€Å"changed† while being incarcerated, and would then be released serving the remainder of their sentence on probation. In the mid CSS, indeterminate sentencing began to meet its final days.Indeterminate sentencing received much criticism, expressing that it was â€Å"inequitable and ineffective and both too harsh and too lenient,† but that it was also â€Å"impossible to determine a ‘correct' or ‘fair' sentence for a type of rime† (Overview of Sentencing Reforms and Practices, 2000). The first states to discard the main points on indeterminate sentencing and to have the belief that parole should be accessible to nearly all those incarcerated were California and Maine (Toner, 1999).The ca uses of these changes spanned from the prisoners themselves, all the way to the political arena. Prisoners showed just how irate prisoners were with not only the concept of rehabilitation, but also with their living conditions. These issues were brought to the foreground by many prison riots, most notably at Attica. On September 3, 1971 , prisoners at the Attica Correctional Facility in New York waged a riot that has been deemed ‘the bloodiest prison confrontation in American history' (Attica Revisited, 2006).Roughly 1,300 prisoners took part, taking 40 guards hostage, with demands of improved living conditions, and more educational opportunities and job training skills. In the end, negotiations failed, police took back the prison, but not without 43 deaths, 10 of which were that of the guards held hostage. Prisoners were not happy with the rights that they had when it came to sentencing as well. Many believed that ‘broad discretion produced arbitrary ND capricious decis ions and that racial and other invidious biases influenced officials' (Toner, 1999).Considering that many of those involved in the sentencing and releasing of prisoners are not subject to review, Toner has a valid point. There is no set standard for indeterminate sentencing, so judges had fairly free reign as to sentences. And it seemed to some, that criminals of different races and classes were often given vastly different sentences for committing the same crime, otherwise known as sentencing disparity. Even though incarceration should be about rehabilitating prisoners and leasing them back into society as productive members, unfortunately it has become about politics.Those running for office always want to appear to be tough on crime, and indeterminate sentencing appears to some to be too soft. Allowing prisoners to earn their freedom before they have served their maximum sentence is not punishment in the eyes of those that believe prisoners should be locked up and made to do hard time. The idea of rehabilitation itself was also challenged. Between 1970-2000, parole rates were deteriorating. According to the American Criminal Law Review, fifteen tastes had done away with parole and twenty states had severe restrictions in place by 2000 (Rehear, 201 1).Those offenders, who continued to commit crimes, even after being granted parole time and time again, undermined the rationale that parole was part of rehabilitation. As you can see, many factors came to a head to in producing rapid changes In sentencing structures, and there is no doubt that changes will not end there. Corrections is always reviewing their system, and making assessments as to what works and what doesn't, and trying to come up with more cost effective ways to deal tit prisoners and how to rehabilitate them all while punishing them as well.

Twains A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court essays

Twains A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court essays King Arthur becomes the butt of Mark Twain's satire in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." As Twain often does, his vision of life in King Arthur's court is quite different than the life that Thomas Mallory presents in "Le Morte D'Arthur." This paper will examine how Twain depicts King Arthur as an individual that comes across as nothing more than In contrast to Arthur's court, in "Le Morte D'Arthur," Hank sees a very different court life. Mallory's King Arthur is always seen with nobility and respect. On the other hand, Hank notices the stark contrast between classes. The king is presented as a man who revels in storytelling and apparently believes every story he is ever told. While the starving peasants wore tattered clothing, Arthur's Round Table was: as large as a circus ring; and around it sat a great company of men dressed in such various and splendid colors that it hurt one's eyes to look at them. They wore their plumed hats, right along, except that whenever one addressed himself directly to the king, he lifted his hat a trifle just as he was beginning his remark" (Twain 25). This scene leaves us with the impression that the aristocracy is arrogant and mindless of the ordinary citizens. Hank tells us that he "knew that the highest and first ladies and gentlemen in England had remained little or no cleaner in their talk, and in the morals and conduct which such talk implies, clear up to a hundred years ago" (34). Additionally, we learn that no one in the country can read except a "few dozen priests" (48). We can definitely see how the higher classes deprived the lower classes of many things that we consider absolutely essential for modern life. Interestingly, Hank likes the king regardless of his lack of refinery. He tells us, "Well, I liked the king, and as king I respected him respected the office; at least r...

How to Write a Summary

How to Write a Summary How to Write a Summary How to Write a Summary By Mark Nichol In scholastic and professional settings alike, you are likely to be asked to compose a summary of an article, essay, paper, report, or other document. Take the following steps to produce an effective outline. Read the source content, and divide it into sections according to headings and subheadings or other delineation. For each section, highlight key points and statements, and note passages that themselves summarize the entire piece as well as those that are unnecessarily detailed or that digress from the main topic; the latter elements should be omitted from reference in the summary. For each section, craft a single sentence that outlines that part of the entire work. After you have compiled these sentences, read through them to determine the thesis for the entire work, and then state the thesis. Using these elements, construct a summary that begins with your thesis statement and outlines the entire work in the order in which the points are addressed in the original content; employ transitional words, phrases, and sentences for a smooth-flowing summary. When you are finished, check to make sure that your summary is significantly shorter than the original work. If it’s not, pare your summary to a more concise form. In the summary, credit the original work and its author(s), cite any exact quotations (or be sure that you have paraphrased rather than directly quoted the original work), and refrain from interpretation. A summary is not the same as a critique, and it should state only what the author(s) wrote, not your opinions or extrapolated ideas about it. Review for accuracy and for fidelity to the viewpoint of the original work, and revise to ensure that you have employed proper grammar, syntax, usage, style, and punctuation. Ask a classmate or colleague to evaluate it as well not to edit or rewrite, but to confirm, without referring to the original work, that you have produced a cogent summary. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†20 Pairs of One-Word and Two-Word FormsCapitalizing Titles of People and Groups

Hamlet Thesis

Hamlet Thesis Hamlet Thesis Hamlet ThesisHamlet is one of the most well-know tragedies written by Shakespeare. Even if you have never this play, you are undoubtedly aware of the key characters, the plot, as well as the theme. This article is written with the hope to assist you in the process of Hamlet thesis writing from scratch. Hamlet Thesis Writing While writing a hamlet thesis, you should decide on the specific elements you want to cover. For example, you may write a Hamlet thesis about symbols, try to understand the actions and words of the main characters, to explore the relationships between the main characters, to trace the complexity of images, dissect conversations among the characters, to analyze the themes, the plot, or literary devices.As you can see, the choice of the Hamlet thesis writing direction is rather wide and you can definitely decide on the specific issue. If you need professional advice on Hamlet thesis writing, if you are looking for expert assistance with Hamlet thesis, do not hesitat e to order professional Hamlet thesis writing service at our site. We are ready to help you 24/7 and you will be pleasantly surprised with our custom thesis prices!Hamlet Thesis Topic IdeasInward and onward conflict in drama. Which type of conflict is more apparent?Character of Hamlet. Is he insane or pretend to be the one in order to carry out his plan?Is revenge the main topic in drama? What are the additional themes in the play?What is not normal in the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude? Is the setting of the play important for the topic development? How?Is Hamlet in love with Ophelia? Is she in love with Hamlet? Is love a topic in Hamlet? Compare the characters of Claudius and Macbeth. Are they similar or different?What is the role of the ghost in the play? Was it the first sign of Hamlets insanity?Hamlet Thesis Writing HelpIf you have no time to devote to Hamlet thesis writing, you may rely on our professional writing services and get your Hamlet thesis written from scratch by professional thesis writers. We can impress you with the quality of our professional thesis writing service!

Titanic - The Unsinkable Ship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Titanic - The Unsinkable Ship - Research Paper Example Before going into the details of the famous and tragic Titanic disaster, let’s first plunge into the history of the Titanic ship. Titanic is the ship that grabbed the attention of the whole world, when it was made, and when it sank (Molony). The 1950's version of the Titanic's sinking, "A Night to Remember', and the latest 1997’s version of James Cameron’s Titanic, are the masterpieces that detail the shipwreck. Ambekar (para.1) writes that, â€Å"Titanic was one the greatest ship built in twentieth century.† It was of such great strength that it was believed to be unsinkable. It was the largest ship ever made, â€Å"stretching a sixth of a mile from bow to stern, standing ten stories high from its keel to the top of its four funnels and displacing over 45,000 tons†, writes Barczewski (1). It was an ostentatious and grand ship, known as the British passenger ocean liner, and was owned and driven by White Star Line (Eaton and Haas). Thomas Andrews, t he head of Harland & Wolff design department, was the designer of this 882.5 feet long ship. Commissioned by White Star and built by Harland and Wolff, it was created between 1908 and1909 in Belfast (Ireland), by more than 15,000 Irish shipyard workers. It is said that at that time, every worker was paid nearly $10 per week. Titanic was called unsinkable because of its strong structure. It had double bottom. The hull, whose number was 401, was divided into sixteen waterproof compartments. The structure of the ship was such that it could support the ship to stay floating, even if two of its middle compartments, or four of the front compartments, submerged under water and got flooded. Interior Design Now, let’s talk about the interior decoration of Titanic. Registered in Liverpool and belonging to the Olympic class of the White Star Line, the ship offered a luxurious lifestyle to its passengers, though it was far away from land. It contained all kinds of entertainment facilities, dining halls, pubs, dancing floors, living rooms, and massive kitchens. Equipped with four 400 kilowatt electrical generators, the Titanic ship had a plentiful supply of electricity. The passengers had the facility of separate rooms, and they could use electric heaters and electric lamps. The deck offered all kinds of continental foods, thus increasing the lavishness on the ship. The food was stored and refrigerated properly. Special areas had been dedicated to indoor games. A fully furnished gymnasium was also present in which the passengers could do their daily exercises. Passengers could use lifts for moving inside the ship. There was proper ventilation in the ship, due to which proper airy conditions were maintained. Passengers could use telephones to communicate. Radios were also available

Human Resource Management in Global Economy Essay

Human Resource Management in Global Economy - Essay Example Moreover, they should be more adaptable, resilient, agile, and customer-focused to succeed. And within this change in environment, the Human Resource managers have to change in order to become a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate, and a change mentor within the organisation. In order to succeed, Human Resource Management must be a business-driven function with a clear understanding of the organisation's ultimate goals and be able to influence essential decisions and policies of the organisation. Generally, the emphasis of modern day Human Resource manager is on strategic personnel preservation and skills advancement. Human Resource professionals will be coaches, counselors, mentors, and succession planners to help motivate organisation's members and their loyalty. The Human Resource manager will also promote and fight for values, ethics, beliefs, and spirituality within their organisations, especially in the management of workplace diversity (Chan, 2004). Business organisations today have a clear and accelerating tendency toward downsizing that is the slow and methodical dismantling of an area - its redefinition and decentralization in the direction of the other areas of the company. Human Resource Management is not an exception on this trend. ... y, decentralising decision-making, debureaucratisation, deregulation, separation into strategic business units, continuous quality improvement programs, reengineering, and other trends in contemporary administration are accompanied by equivalent changes in people management (Chiavenato, 2001). HRM departments are on their way out The Human resource management department is on its way out. The concept of "human resource management" is being replaced by a new term that is garnering greater reception, namely 'people management.' 'Managing people is progressively more becoming the accountability of the middle management. Employees are now considered as human beings, not simply organisational resources or assets. Their activities and individual differences are being understood and respected, because they are gifted with unique personalities and intelligence, and differentiated aptitudes, knowledge and abilities. To the extreme, some more advanced organisations do not even talk about managing people, because this concept could imply that people are simply passive agents who depend on decisions from higher levels, rather Human Resource managers talk about managing with people, making employees more of business partners than alien entity separate from the organisation. This whole new concept means that workers from all levels of the organisation are considered responsible for, as well as involved in the organisation's business (Chiavenato, 2001). Computerisation of HRM functionsIn order to reduce the manual workload of Human Resource Department's repetitive administrative activities, organisations began to electronically automate many of these processes by introducing innovative HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems/HCM

Wal-Mart Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wal-Mart Finance - Essay Example In US, Wal-Mart operates over 4,300 stores and also operates the Sam’s Club chain. Wal-Mart Stores US have different subsidiaries namely Wal-Mart Discount Stores in 692 locations, Wal-Mart Supercentres in 2933 locations, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets in 183 locations, SAM’s CLUB in 609 locations and small format stores. In Argentina, Wal-Mart has 4 subsidiaries with 64 retail chain units. Wal-Mart has 10 subsidiaries in Brazil with 484 units in their retail chain. Wal-Mart Canada has 2 subsidiaries with 325 units of retail outlets. In Chile, there are 285 units in their retail chain under 6 subsidiaries. In China Wal-Mart have 6 subsidiaries under which there are 338 units. In Costa Rica Wal-Mart have 4 subsidiaries with a retail chain of 183 units. Under Mexico y Centroamerica there are 3 subsidiaries also performs business in El Salvador with 78 retail chain units. In Germany, Wal-Mart had 85 stores which were taken over by Metro and now Wal-Mart has no operational ac tivities in Germany. (Wal-Mart abandons German venture) In India Wal-Mart have 6 retail chain units under the subsidiary called as Best Price. Mexico y Centroamerica also operates at Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua with 177 units, 58 units and 62 units of retail outlets under them. In Mexico Wal-Mart have 1789 retail outlets under 6 subsidiary of Walmart de Mexico y Centroamerica. ... idiaries of Wal-Mart in the various nations mentioned above were under taken by Wal-Mart with the help of acquisitions, some of them are Asda, the Seiyu Ltd., Seiyu Group, etc. (International Operations) For Wal-Mart if we divide the geographic region of operation as International and US market. Then it will be evident that, the Net Sales value of Wal-Mart in US exceeded over $260 billion and 3,804 retail units for the year of 2010-11. The operating income also increased by 3.1% to $20 billion (approx). While the consolidated net sales figure of Wal-Mart in the 15 countries they are operating net sales value amounted to $109 billion and 4,557 retail units for the year 2010-11. The net sales also grew by 12% and the operating income increased by $5.6 billion. The net sales value of Sam’s Club was $49 billion and 609 retail units for the year 2010-11. The increase in net sales was 3.5% over the previous year. (Wal-Mart 2011 Annual Report, 4-9) b) Wal-Mart’s Foreign Exchan ge (FX) Risk Management Policy Is centralized or decentralized? A firm opts to take risk for maximizing their profit on their areas of unique expertise. While, a firm with non-financial activities tries to minimize their foreign exchange risk and interest rate risk (Wallace, 2). Wal-Mart as a retail management chain operates in US and 15 other countries. As per the Foreign Currency Translation policy of Wal-Mart â€Å"The assets and liabilities of all foreign subsidiaries are translated using exchange rates at the balance sheet date. The income statements of foreign subsidiaries are translated using average exchange rates. Related translation adjustments are recorded as a component of other accumulated comprehensive income.† (Reimer, 774) This shows that all the financial transaction systems are

How do practitioners in a child care centre encourage babies and young Research Paper

How do practitioners in a child care centre encourage babies and young children to learn to talk - Research Paper Example It is not very common to have a relative look over their children. This is when the role of child care centers comes into the spotlight. Over the time, women have come to realize the importance of child care centers in helping them look over their children while they are away; at the same time, working mothers are relieved of the tension of having their children unattended. There has been a surge in the demand for qualified and experienced people who can take responsibility and care for young children. Moreover, the demand for child care workers is also high because of the high turnover rate of the job; this is because the wages given to child care workers are low, making the turnover rate as much as 31 percent (Eberts & Gisler, 1999). It has become more of a rule, rather than a something arising out of necessity, for women to work outside their homes. There has been a shift from the parenting approach to child care to a market approach to child care (Lamanna & Riedmann, 2008). Therefore, a number of alternatives have surfaced over the years to facilitate working mothers while they are away. In America, the three main types of child care options that are preferred are in-home care, family child care and child care centers. Child care centers are also known as day care centers. Where in-home child care includes hiring a nanny or au-pairs, family child care is concerned with the caring of a child from the personal residence of the care giver. Both have advantages and disadvantages of their own. In-home care provides the child care in his or her own, and is very personalized for the child. However, the little exposure the child gets of the outside world, along with the lack of authentic proof of the character of the care giver, makes the in-home care option less preferable. On the other hand, family care centers are generally preferred for their small child to care giver ratio as well as the dependency on the

Fire service administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Fire service administration - Essay Example f fire extinguisher, burglar detection system in place and how the insured came to know about the fire, are essential for investigation (Redsicker & O’Connor, 2010). The fire fighters officially need no warrant to enter in a building for a specific time having reasons to be there to investigate the matter. If the above persons are in a state of doubt, they have every right to arrange administrative or criminal search warrant as the case may be for necessary searches by intimating to the office of Prosecutor. For more elaborate investigation, they seek permission of district attorney coupled with crime specialists and legal experts to face the questionnaire relating to affected scene (Davis, 1978). If search needed, it should be specific in respect of the ingredients that are location of the property to be searched and specific items that require searching. If there is no reason or evidence available, the investigator may have some probable cause (Davis, 1978). A Probable Cause Affidavit should contain many aspects such as when and where the incidence took place; relevant information should be in chronological order leading to the ending point of ample evidence for a particular location; if other investigator need to investigate the place of incidence, it requires the following conditionality and in order to ensure maximum effectiveness, it should be with the consensus of all the stakeholders; Investigators are duty bound to keep that cause of fire for examination later on; the mentioned laws allow sharing of information between the police and fire investigator besides the investigators of the insurance company (Davis, 1978). The key aim is to ensure flow of vital information between the law enforcers and the insurers. It provides opportunity to the insurer or other persons connected with fires that seem to be suspicious in its originality. It permits insurer to inform the state organs about fire and share the information that has developed during the course

Sec accredited investor for hedge funds PowerPoint Presentation

Sec accredited investor for hedge funds - PowerPoint Presentation Example According to this regulation, accredited investors are those individuals or group of investors who possess financial might and autonomy. These investors are legalized to invest in a higher risk investment such as hedge funds, limited partnerships, seed money, and private placements networks. It also refers generally to wealthy individuals and organizations such as insurance firms, banks, big charities, and some corporations who are allowed to invest in securities markets. These investors require very little protection offered by particular government filings. (Jaffer p. 134) As explained earlier, accredited investors are investors who are financially powerful and very rich individuals and to qualify as accredited investor, one must have at least one of the following: as an individual or together with his or her spouse must have a net worth more than $1 million. He or she must have stable financial income of more than $200,001 annually or a steady joint income of more than $300,000. One must be a director, general partner, or executive officer for the hedge fund . An employee benefit plan or a trust can qualify as accredited investors if the total asset exceeds $5 million. An American financial journalist known as Alfred W. Jones, in 1949, created the first Hedge fund. By then the funds were known to manage the investment risk due to dynamics in the financial markets. The number of hedge fund grew to over 200 by 1968. Hedge funds refer to privately managed accredited investment funds or securities markets. These are investments made in wide range of markets and large schemes and are bound by regulatory restrictions of a given country. In some countries like in U.S, the regulations restrict hedge fund involvement to certain group of accredited investors. These investments are quite flexible and often permit withdrawals or

Fire service administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Fire service administration - Essay Example f fire extinguisher, burglar detection system in place and how the insured came to know about the fire, are essential for investigation (Redsicker & O’Connor, 2010). The fire fighters officially need no warrant to enter in a building for a specific time having reasons to be there to investigate the matter. If the above persons are in a state of doubt, they have every right to arrange administrative or criminal search warrant as the case may be for necessary searches by intimating to the office of Prosecutor. For more elaborate investigation, they seek permission of district attorney coupled with crime specialists and legal experts to face the questionnaire relating to affected scene (Davis, 1978). If search needed, it should be specific in respect of the ingredients that are location of the property to be searched and specific items that require searching. If there is no reason or evidence available, the investigator may have some probable cause (Davis, 1978). A Probable Cause Affidavit should contain many aspects such as when and where the incidence took place; relevant information should be in chronological order leading to the ending point of ample evidence for a particular location; if other investigator need to investigate the place of incidence, it requires the following conditionality and in order to ensure maximum effectiveness, it should be with the consensus of all the stakeholders; Investigators are duty bound to keep that cause of fire for examination later on; the mentioned laws allow sharing of information between the police and fire investigator besides the investigators of the insurance company (Davis, 1978). The key aim is to ensure flow of vital information between the law enforcers and the insurers. It provides opportunity to the insurer or other persons connected with fires that seem to be suspicious in its originality. It permits insurer to inform the state organs about fire and share the information that has developed during the course

Global Business in Emerging Regions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Global Business in Emerging Regions - Essay Example Vodafone plans to enter yet another market in order to expand their reach in the world. This time the plan is to enter the market of Thailand and provide them with their award winning services. The reason for choosing this country is because in spite of confronting various political tests, Thailand has made extraordinary advancement in social and monetary issues. Thusly, Thailand has been one of the incredible improvement examples of overcoming adversity, with maintained solid development and amazing destitution lessening. In the decade that finished in 1995, the Thai economy was one of the planet's quickest developing at a normal rate of 8-9% for every year. In the wake of recouping from the "Asian Crisis" of 1997-1998, the Thai economy took off once more. From 2002-2007, Thailand's development found the middle value of at around 5%. Thailand's budgetary development reduced in view of worldwide financial conditions and political lack of determination in 2009 and once more, in 2011, from the destroying surges. Notwithstanding, Thailand's monetary movement is continuously coming back to typical, with quarterly budgetary development rates now closer to the levels regularly seen before the worldwide fiscal emergency started in 2008. The GDP bounced back from the surges at 6.4% in 2012 and is anticipated to keep developing at 5.0% in 2013. Most development turned purchaser merchandise brands and retailers are mindful of the enormous business chances that lie in rising markets. Their thick populaces talk volumes: in China there are 1.3 billion individuals, accompanied nearly by India at 1.2 billion. Different crowded nations right now being eyed-up as hot focuses by the industry incorporate Indonesia (238 million) and Brazil (194 million). Joined, these four biggest rising markets hold a stunning three billion potential clients. Constantly, seizing chances of this scale is a not exactly direct process for purchaser merchandise organizations and obliges acclimating m arketing and operations to an entire have of unpredictable elements. The potential changes required may identify, for example, to dialect, society, purchasing propensities, inventory network modernity, administrative situations, and accessible transport base and value affectability inside each one market. Here, innovation can assume a pivotal part in empowering firms to adjust their methods. Case in point, enormous information dissection instruments might be utilized to mine divided information from sources, for example, social media, centering assets on the most lucrative micro-markets and controlling market section methodologies. (Dunning, 1993) To overcome poor logistics foundations and regularly quite divided supply chains, the utilization of remote track-and-follow results can permit producers and retailers to accompany their merchandise all around the inventory network. And additionally guarding against misfortune and burglary, this can likewise guarantee provenance, screen th e state of perishable and delicate merchandise and enhance stock arranging. In nations, for example, India and Nigeria – where little shops record for 97% of the retail market, its likewise essential

What A Higher Education Means To Me Essay Example for Free

What A Higher Education Means To Me Essay As a military officer working with the United States of America’s Air Force, a higher education means a lot to me. The United States of America’s Air Force mission is to deliver sovereign options in a bid to offer defence to the nation and serve other global interest. It is the youngest of the U. S Armed Force’s branches and it was created in 1947. The United States of America Air Force flies and fights in air, space and in cyberspace. The US Air Force’s vision is global vigilance reach and power (Sandra, 2004) As a military officer, furthering my education is very crucial since it will prepare me effectively to effect the air force’s vision of keeping vigil for the globe, reaching other globes as well as exercising power and force of the United States of America’s Air Force. Going for further studies means advancing my knowledge and skills. In today’s globalized world, the United States of America’s Air Force officers need to be more knowledgeable so as to be in a position to offer effective service in today’s highly demanding, challenging and complex globe. Higher Education implies that I will gain more technical knowledge and skills. Global vigilance is very demanding and there is no way an Air Force officer can keep watch, day and night on a globe which he does not have adequate knowledge and information on its economic, political and social aspects. Thus, pursuing further studies on politics of other nations will prepare me in knowing what to expect. For instance, when the United States of America’s Air force is expected to spy on dealings of say a neighbouring or a terrorist nation, prior knowledge and information on the given nation is very crucial since it helps the officers be in a position to detect strange or unexpected behaviour or operations of the nation. This will make it easy for the military officers to make decisions on whether to attack the nation or not. Thus, decisions to advance education for military officers in the united states of America’s Air Force has been met by a lot of support (Sandra, 2004) Many Air Force officers have developed a desire to advance their education. Furthering one’s education by enrolling for studies in an institution of higher learning implies that the Air Force officers will also advance their careers, which means offering effective service to the community. In most institutions of higher learning for Air Force officers, language studies and cultural studies have been focused at service academics. These studies are very crucial in that there is no way United States of America’s Air Force officers can communicate to other officers across the globe without the use of language. A higher education also means that I will be more effective and will deliver recommendable service to the United States Air Force, the United States nation and the whole globe. Effective service implies that my seniors i. e. the Chief Master sergeant of the Air Force or the Air Force chief of staff will recognize my good work. Continued appraisals, acknowledgements and rewards will mean that my seniors may decide to reward my efforts and determination my giving me a promotion which will mean a lot to me. Various awards by the Air Force secretary will also help boost my self-esteem and motivate me to perform better. In today’s’ globalised world, the United States of America’s Air Force and any other nation need further education so as to be able to move with advancements and progresses in the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT). Further education plays the role of equipping me with upto date discoveries in the field of technology. In addition, further education can assist me in carrying out research and survey on various issues affecting the United States of America’s Air Force and any other Air Force bases across the globe. For instance, carrying out research on the use of alternative sources of fuel in the United States of America’s military force. In conclusion, higher education is very crucial for the United States of America’s Air Force and any other air force or military force across the globe in effecting their goals and missions. People should change their perceptions that going for further studies is a waste of resources and time for the Air Force officers. Higher education is the key to effective service. Reference Donovan (2004) The U. S Air Force, Lerner publications (23-27)

Africas FDI Inflow 1980-2003 Analysis

Africas FDI Inflow 1980-2003 Analysis CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION Foreign Direct Investment (henceforth FDI) is one of the most important integral parts of todays highly talked about global economy. The enormous growth of FDI towards developing countries over the past few decades has ignited a huge interest from researchers in both economics and finance fields. A number of studies have been undertaken with the aim to empirically examine what motivates firms to be involved in cross-border investments and what motivates countries to undertake different policy reforms and other measures in pursuit of attracting FDI. There is a consensus among FDI researchers that FDI can improve the recipient countrys development in various ways even when foreign firms do not provide externalities. The benefits of FDI to recipient countries are not ambiguous. FDI is seen as a solution to a countrys economic woes by providing the most needed foreign capital that boosts the economic activities of a host country. According to Goldberg (2000), FDI leads to transfer of tec hnology and other skills from foreign firms to local firms. It is through FDI that supplementary resources such as capital, management, technology and personnel become available to host countries. These resources may stimulate existing economic activities in a host country, encourage internal competition, and raise the level of national output. The presence of foreign producers is primarily believed to benefit the host countrys citizens by introducing a variety of new products into the domestic market, which are of superior quality and lower prices. Most importantly, FDI is a channel through which recipient countries gain access to international financial markets and earn foreign exchange. FDI creates a number of employment opportunities as foreign entities establish business units in various locations throughout the host country and relatively higher wage rates are offered. Backward linkages and spillovers are secondary benefits of FDI enjoyed by the recipient countries. Spillovers spur strong growth in industries into which FDI flows, especially when the competition between domestic and foreign firms is efficient. Foreign firms also go into joint ventures with domestic firms and a large percentage of profits generated through such collaborations are ploughed back into the domestic market, thereby contributing to the host countrys macroeconomic growth and development without necessarily providing externalities. Externalities provide another form of benefits that FDI recipient countries enjoy. The existence of foreign direct investors spawns the seepage of managerial, personnel, and technological expertise from the foreign to domestic companies. For instance, Old Mutual plc training programme in South Africa may benefit the South African insurance and financial sectors as a whole. It is because of the above-mentioned benefits that developing countries are actively embarking on measures involving macroeconomic as well as socio-political reforms with clear intentions of advancing their investment climate to attract FDI on a large scale and achieving sustained economic growth. Developing countries have formerly depended on loans and official development assistance as a source of foreign capital, principally provided by international agencies such as the World Bank and OECD countries. However, the flow of such funds from these institutions has been declining. For instance, Asiedu (2002) reports that financial assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) fell from 6% in 1990 to just 3.8% in 1998 and foreign aid per capita fell from an average of $35 for the period 1989-92 to $2 for the period 1993-97. It is in situations like this, that FDI plays a pivotal role as an alternative source of foreign capital for the developing world. For developing and the least developed countries that are making efforts to attract FDI as a way to enhance their economic growth and hence their sustained development, it is particularly essential to identify and comprehend the prime factors that shape FDI inflows as they apply to each country in particular. Since FDI plays a pivotal role in the growth dynamics of a country, a number of factors that are believed to influence FDI inflows towards developing countries have been intensely investigated. Among these factors the following have been most frequently considered: exchange rate volatility, market size, GDP growth, trade openness, infrastructure development, country size (also size of economy), per capita GDP, quality of the labour force, labour cost, inflation, return on capital, export orientation, political stability. Such analysis has immediate policy relevance as it identifies areas of comparative advantage that these countries should favour in terms of resource allocation . 1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The main aim of this study is to carry out an empirical investigation of the factors explaining FDI inflows to South Africa over the period 1980-2003. The review of previous theoretical research and the review of previous empirical evidence are means to this end. 1.3 THE STRUCTURE OF A PAPER The structure of this paper is as follows: Chapter 2 provides a review of both the theoretical and empirical literature on factors believed to be the major driving force behind inward FDI activities for host countries. In Chapter 3, the paper provides an overview of the South Africas macroeconomic performance, FDI regulatory framework currently in place and incentives provided by the government to foreign investors. Chapter 4 discusses the data set and econometric methods used to carry out time series analysis for the study. The data and variable specifications are also described and clarified in this chapter. Chapter 5 reports and discusses the econometric results. A summary of findings, conclusions and policy implications are presented in Chapter 6. CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF FDI LITERATURE 2.1 INTRODUCTION The main aim of this chapter is to present theories of FDI as developed by previous research and review the empirical evidence on the determinants of FDI. Before these are considered in more details, a brief overview of the definition of FDI and related concepts is provided. Given that FDI has direct effects on the economic growth of the host country, a specific section provides a brief exploration of the relationship between FDI and growth. 2.2 FDI: DEFINITION AND CONCEPTS In its archetypal form, FDI is conventionally defined as the physical investment made by acquiring foreign assets such as land and factory buildings with operational control residing with the parent company (Buckley, 2004). The definition can be extended to include such investments that seek to exercise considerable influence on the management of the foreign entity. A parent company is required to hold at least 10% of the ordinary shares or voting rights in order to exercise control over an incorporated foreign company. An ownership stake of less than the stated 10% is regarded as foreign portfolio investment and does not qualify as FDI. FDI made by transnational companies (TNCs) is an indication of internal growth and it can be made in the form of greenfield investment or mergers and acquisitions. Greenfield FDI refers to an investment where a new entity is established in a foreign location. It entails formation of completely new production facilities in the recipient country (Eun and Resnick, 2007). Cross-border mergers and acquisitions are twofold. On one hand, they involve merging both domestic and foreign companies into one bigger company. On the other hand, they involve an acquisition of a domestic company by a foreign company. FDI is beneficial for the host country as it is a channel through which foreign capital and new technology are provided. FDI is regarded as a stimulus for economic activities and accelerated growth. The OECD (2002) describes FDI as a catalyst for speeding up the development process. Nevertheless, a recipient country must display a certain standard of development before it attracts FDI. Dunning (1977, 1979) identifies fundamental factors including firm specific and host country specific advantages that must be met before FDI occurs. These advantages are discussed in detail below. 2.3 FDI AND ECONOMIC GROWTH A number of empirical studies have analysed the relationship between FDI and the economic growth of a host country. Lipsey (2000) finds that FDI and economic growth are positively correlated. Abwona (2001) urges that the effects of FDI on growth may vary between countries, as not all countries are at the same level of development. Lim (2001) points out that FDI positively affects economic growth of a host country by transferring advanced technology from the industrialized to developing economies (Lim, 2001, p.3). Conceptually, FDI increases GDP growth because it increases the amount of goods and services produced in a host country. Benefits of FDI are only evident in increased level of output because of the host countrys ability to absorb technological spillovers from foreign firms. This, therefore, suggests that the positive contribution of FDI on growth is conditional upon the recipient countrys absorptive capacity of all the benefits that FDI brings. Much as there is general awareness that FDI influences economic growth, there is no general agreement on the causal relation between FDI and economic growth. De Mello (1997) argues that the relationship could run either way, as the prospects of economic growth make the host country more attractive to FDI. Once operational in a host country, FDI enhances growth by allowing the host country to integrate new inputs and technology to expand production. 2.4 THEORIES OF FDI In a study of TNCs, Hymer (1976) explains that because foreign TNCs have offsetting monopolistic advantages over domestic companies, they are able to compete with domestic companies that are in a better position with regard to knowledge and understanding of the domestic market. Kindleberger (1969) who suggests that these advantages should be adequate to tower over limitations and must be company specific reiterates this. According to Hymer (1976) and Kindleberger (1969), these advantages can be in the form of access to ownership patents, technological expertise, managerial expertise, marketing skills, etc. These skills should be scarce or completely unavailable to domestic companies. The basis of the argument here is on the theory of market imperfections in factor markets and product differentiation. In circumstances where market imperfections exist, firms find it rewarding to engage in cross-border direct investment instead of exporting to foreign markets or licensing. In this way, they can fully utilize their monopolistic market supremacy (Assefa and Haile, 2006). In the same year as Hymer (1976), Buckley and Casson (1976) developed the internalization theory. This theory stipulates that in some instances it is desirable for TNCs to refrain from licensing and to choose cross-border direct engagement over exporting. FDI occurs when TNCs undertake an internal operation rather than a market operation. TNCs internalize their activities to circumvent impediments presented to them by the external market. These impediments arise because of market flaws such as lack of managerial expertise, human capital, etc. The benefits of internalization include both time and cost savings. According to Moosa (2002), the rationale behind internalization is the persistence of externalities in both goods and factor markets. However, Rugman (1980) disapprove of the internalization theory by contesting that it cannot be empirically analysed. Twelve years after introducing internalization theory, Buckley (1988) came back to warn that the theory cannot be directly analy sed, claiming that the theory needs to be modified in order to allow rigorous analysis. He urges that there is still a room to develop advanced theories that can be empirically tested. Another line of study dealing with factors influencing FDI is based on Vernons (1979) product life cycle hypothesis. Assefa and Haile (2006) and Udo and Obiora (2006) relate their studies to Vernons product life cycle to explain that FDI is a stage in the life cycle of a new product from innovation to maturity. Home production is unique and strategic for some time, after which the new product reaches maturity and looses uniqueness. New similar products also enter the market and intensify competition. At this stage, the firms would then replicate the home production in lower cost foreign locations that offer cost benefits to the firm. The lower cost that can be achieved by producing in foreign locations can be due to cheaper factors of production and complementary government policies. Dunning (1993) develops an eclectic theory which is referred to as OLI framework. OLI is the short name for ownership, location and internalization advantages. In his theory, Dunning identifies three sets of advantages that must be met for a firm to get involved in foreign direct investment. The first set is ownership advantages, which entail technological expertise, patents, marketing skills, managerial capabilities and the brand name. A TNC must have these firm specific advantages over its rivals in a foreign location. In the absence of these advantages, the firm will be exposed to fierce competition from its rivals in the market it serves. The second set of advantages that must be met is the location advantages, which Dunning (1993) explains as the degree to which the foreign location is more favourable to invest in. Examples of these advantages are an abundance of natural resources, exceptional infrastructure development, political and macroeconomic stability. These advantages s hould be adequate to validate investment in a preferred foreign location. The third set of advantages is internalization benefits. The ability of a TNC to internalize its operations is the manner in which it enters foreign location. According to Dunning (1993), this could be by a greenfield project, product licensing or acquisition of foreign assets as long as it fits the management strategy, the nature of the firms business and the firms long-term strategic plan. Another rationale for FDI to occur is embodied in the in the industrial organization hypothesis (IOH) (Tirole, 1988). This hypothesis presupposes that there are various potential uncertainties that a TNC faces in foreign markets. The uncertainties may be political, religious, social, cultural and so on. If the firm decides to establish a subsidiary in a foreign location despite these uncertainties then the benefits accrued should be adequate to outweigh these obvious risks and restrictions. Lall and Streeten (1977) emphasize the importance of marketing and managerial skills, availability and ownership of capital, production technologies, scale economies and access to raw materials. They also put forward that FDI occurs because of the complexity of trading intangible assets abroad. Examples of these untradeable intangible assets include a TNCs organizational ability, executive skills, position in foreign financial markets and a well-established network with different government burea ucrats. 2.5 MOTIVES FOR FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT Assefa and Haile (2006) assert that the ownership and internalization advantages as developed in Dunning (1993) eclectic theory are firm specific advantages, while location advantages are regarded as host country qualities. Firms choose locations where all these advantages can be combined together to advance the firms long-term profitability. Asiedu (2002) and Dunning (1993) distinguish the motives of FDI as either market seeking or non-market seeking (efficiency and resource seeking). According to Dunning (1993), a market seeking FDI is that which aims at serving the domestic and regional markets. This means that goods and services are produced in the host country, sold and distributed in the domestic or regional market (Asiedu, 2002). This kind of FDI is therefore, driven by host country characteristics such as market size, income levels and growth potential of the host market and so on. A non-market seeking FDI can either be classified as resource/asset seeking and/or efficiency s eeking. Resource seeking FDI aims at acquiring resources that may not be available in the country of origin. Such resources may comprise natural resources, availability and productivity of both skilled and unskilled labour forces as well as availability of raw materials. Efficiency seeking FDI aims at reducing the overall cost of factors of production especially when the firms activities are geographically scattered (Dunning, 1993). This allows the firm to exploit scale and scope economies as well as diversify risks. Apart from the economic factors that are believed to be the major motivation for FDI, the host countrys FDI policy also plays a major role in attracting or deterring FDI. This therefore, suggests a need for the host country to develop policies that provide a conducive environment for business if the authorities believe in the benefits of FDI. This necessitates a regular monitoring of the activities of TNCs and an acceptance by the host government that, if FDI is to make its best contribution, policies that were appropriate in the absence of FDI may require amendments in its pr esence. For example, macroeconomic policies may need to be altered in order to provide a favourable climate for FDI. Stronger competition as a result of FDI may also induce a host government to operate an effective and efficient competition policy. 2.6 EMPIRICAL LITERATURE There is an extensive empirical literature on the determinants of FDI. A large share of this literature focuses on the pull factors or, equivalently, on the host countrys location advantages. Given the increasing flows of FDI towards developing countries, especially in Asia, most academic researchers have been poised to investigate what factors influence flows of FDI into those countries. The African continent instead remains under researched, especially a country such as South Africa, which is regarded by many as one of the economic giants of the continent. The following studies have attempted to examine the link between FDI and predictor variables such as market size, GDP growth, inflation, exchange rate, political stability and many more. Goldar and Ishigami (1999) use panel data techniques to empirically analyse the determinants of FDI for 11 developing countries of East, Southeast and South Asia for the years 1985-1994. The authors estimate two separate models, one for Japanese FDI and the other for total FDI flowing towards these countries. They report a strong positive relationship between the size of the economy and FDI inflows for the two models. They also find a positive relationship between FDI inflows and the exchange rate. Intuitively, this suggests that lower exchange rates should make the host countrys exports more competitive in foreign markets and therefore act as an important factor for attracting FDI. Interestingly, Goldar and Ishigami (1999) report contrasting results for the relationship between FDI inflows, domestic investment and trade openness for the two models. They find both domestic investment and trade openness to be significant determinants for the Japanese FDI model but the authors fail to find support for the two variables for the total FDI model. Market size has generally been accepted as an important factor influencing FDI by many empirical studies. In a cross-country empirical study, Chakrabarti (2001) finds strong support for market size as an important determinant of FDI. He further reports that the relationship between FDI and other explanatory variables, such as trade openness, tax, wages, the exchange rate, the GDP growth rate and the trade balance is highly sensitive to small changes in these variables. That is, a small change in these variables is likely to deter or increase FDI inflows with a large magnitude. Campos and Kinoshita (2003) use two trade related variables to examine the extent to which trade openness influences FDI inflows for 25 countries in transition between 1990 and1998. The authors employ an external liberalization index and trade dependence as proxies for trade openness. They argue that, the greater degree of trade openness does not only increase international trade, but also increases FDI inflows. Chang et al. (2009) also study the importance of trade openness in the economic growth of a country. They use a sample of 82 countries from all over the world for the period 1960-2000. They conclude that trade openness, used in conjunction with complementary trade policies, enhances economic growth through increased FDI inflows into a country. Their finding further bolsters the position of trade openness as an important determinant of FDI. Root and Ahmed (1979) seek to analyse the determinants of manufacturing FDI in 58 developing countries for the period 1966-1970. They classify these determinants under three categories: economic, social and political. Among the four important economic variables they study, infrastructure, per capita GDP and GDP growth rate appear to be important predictor variables while the absolute of size of GDP does not help to predict FDI. They also put forward that foreign investors view long-term political stability and the extent of urbanization as important factors when choosing the location for their investments. Nunnenkamp (2002) adopts Spearman correlations to study the relationship between FDI and its determinants for 28 developing countries between 1987 and 2000. His findings show that variables such as GDP growth rate, entry restrictions, post-entry restrictions, market size, infrastructure and quality of the labour force, as measured by the years of schooling, have no effect on FDI inflows. However, he also reports positive effects on FDI of non-traditional factors such as factor costs. That is, the cheaper costs of factors of production, like lower costs of raw materials and lower costs of labour, are essential for attracting efficiency-seeking FDI. Tsai (1991) presents an opposing view by arguing that in Taiwan FDI inflows have increased with increasing labour costs. His findings suggest that in Taiwan, there are far more important determinants of FDI than cheaper costs of factors. Indeed Tsai (1991) observes that for the years 1965-1985, Taiwans economic performance was spectacular, with an expanding domestic market and purchasing power of the economy as measured by rising GDP per capita. Singh and Jun (1995) look into three determinants of FDI in developing countries. They pay particular attention to socio-political stability, favourable business operating conditions and export orientation. They employ other macroeconomic variables as control factors. The authors use a political risk index (PRI) developed by Business Environment Risk Intelligence, S.A (BERI, 2009), as a measure of socio-political instability. When used in conjunction with traditional determinants of FDI such as GDP growth rate and per capita GDP, PRI appears to be highly associated with FDI for 31 developing countries for the period 1970-1993. Schneider and Frey (1995) also find political instability to be a significant deterrent of FDI for 54 less developed countries, considered over three different years 1976, 1979 and 1980. Furthermore, Singh and Jun (1995) employ an operation risk index (ORI) also developed by BERI, S.A, and taxes on international trade and transactions (ITAX). They further find that ORI is highly associated with FDI flows and has a positive sign. ITAX is also reported as an important determinant of FDI. They also find export orientation to be highly related to FDI flows, especially manufacturing exports. Asiedus (2002) investigation on the determinants of FDI in 71 developing countries provides further evidence of the importance of these extensively studied FDI determinants. Asiedu goes a little further to assess whether the same determinants of FDI have a similar impact on FDI flowing towards Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) between 1980 and 1998. After a detailed analysis, she concludes that factors influencing FDI in other developing countries do not necessarily have a similar impact on FDI flows to SSA. She notes that infrastructure development and a high return on capital influence FDI flows towards developing countries in other continents, but the same factors have no influence on FDI flows towards SSA. Bende-Nabende (2002) also undertakes a study probing into the determinants of FDI flows towards 19 SSA countries for the period 1970-2000. In this study, market growth, trade liberalization and export orientation turn out to be important factors explaining why countries are able to attract foreign investors. Obwona (2001) argues that the Ugandan market size has been one of the driving forces behind FDI flows into the Ugandan economy between 1975 and 1991. Yasin (2005) uses panel data from a sample of 11 SSA countries for the period 1990-2003. His findings lead to the conclusion that official development assistance (ODA), trade openness, growth of the labour force and the exchange rate are important determinants of FDI, while his findings do not suggest that the growth rate of per capita GDP, a political repression index and a composite risk index have explanatory power. Ahmed et al. (2005) examine the composition of capital flows between 1975 and 2002, to assess if South Africa is different from 81 other emerging markets. They classify relevant factors into macroeconomic performance, investment environment, infrastructure and resources, quality of institutions, financial development and global factors. The authors argue that some factors influencing capital flows are limited to particular forms of capital, while other factors have comparable effects on FDI, bond and equity flows. They further assert that the more open the economy is to international trade, the richer it is in natural resources, and the fewer barriers to profit repatriation it has, the more likely it is to attract FDI on a large scale. The implication of this study is that South Africa should ease its capital controls in order to avoid deterring FDI. South Africa is currently allowing repatriation of profits only within six months (Ahmed et al., 2005). The agglomeration effect is another important factor that can be used to explain why countries that have attracted FDI in the past still receive a large share of it. Notable magnitudes of existing FDI stocks in recipient countries tend to attract more FDI inflows (Lim, 2001). Foreign investors incorporate the size of the existing FDI stocks in their decisions as they seek locations where to expand their operations. Campos and Kinoshita (2003) also confirm that for 25 countries in transition between 1990 and1998, foreign investors tend to locate where others are investing, as the decision by other firms implies a favourable atmosphere for investment offered by counties in which they locate. Asiedu (2003), Loree and Guisinger (1995) and Lee (2005) consider effective government policies, especially the monetary and fiscal policies, as important factors that can be used to effectively attract or deter FDI inflows. Loree and Guisinger (1995) use effective tax rates for 48 countries (classified into developed and developing countries) in 1977 and 1982. After finding the effective tax policy variable to be significant, they conclude that government policies are important and that policy reforms are likely to attract more FDI. Lee (2005) investigates some evidence on the effectiveness of policy barriers to FDI for 153 developing and developed countries between 1995 and 2001. He finds strong support for the proposition that restrictive public policies deter FDI inflows. Asiedu (2003) studies the effects of investment policy on FDI for 22 SSA countries over the period 1984-2000. Her findings show that governments can increase FDI flows by developing and implementing policies th at provide investor friendly environment.s CHAPTER 3: SOUTH AFRICAS MACROECONOMIC OVERVIEW, FDI REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND INCENTIVES. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the South African macroeconomic performance over the period of study (1980-2003). This has been based on two regimes – the apartheid regime and the democratic regime. Other sections of the chapter are dedicated to the regulatory framework for FDI and the incentives offered to foreign investors by the South African government. 3.2 THE APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA According to Lester et al.(2000), the pre-1994 period was one during which South Africa was politically unstable as a result of the racial discrimination philosophy (apartheid) that was adopted by the Nationalist government then in power. This created internal resistance by black South Africans, who protested against the racial discrimination practices. In 1960, the Nationalist government banned organizations such as the African National Congress (ANC) that represented black South Africans and this intensified demonstrations against the government. In response to the protests, the Nationalist government using armed forces, killed and arrested many black South Africans activists. These incidents drew attention from the international community, who condemned the repression against black South Africans by a Nationalist government that predominantly looked after the interests of white South Africans. These events also caused distress among foreign investors, who became sceptical of the p rospects of South Africas economic stability and the protection of their investments. This led to capital outflow, a mounting pressure on the South African rand in foreign exchange markets, effective economic sanctions and the isolation of South Africa from the rest of the world. Despite being blessed with an abundance of natural resources, especially gold, diamonds, platinum and other minerals, South Africa was not a favoured location for investment during this period. Political instability, investment insecurity and violation of human rights severely inhibited FDI. Realizing the challenges that came with economic isolation, the Nationalist government, in an attempt to uphold domestic capital growth, introduced incentives for import substitution industries such as car manufacturers and military equipment (Lester et al., 2000, p.187). Despite these attempts, this period saw South Africa undergoing falling investment, diminishing international reserves, sinking economic growth, soaring rates of inflation and lofty interest rates (Nowak, 2005). During this period, the economic performance was notably disappointing as investors left South Africa in search of other locations that offered better conditions for their investments. As shown in Table 3.1, the GDP growth rate was declining in some years with an average annual growth estimated at 1.44% per annum for the years 1980-1990. In addition, inflation and interest rates were continuously increasing with no signs of stabilising. All these were signals of loss of effective control of macroeconomic policies. Table 3.1: GDP growth, inflation and interest rates in South Africa for the period 1980-1990 Year 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 GDP annual % change 5.4 -0.4 -1.9 5

The Nature of Terrorism :: Terrorism

Given the growing global threats of terrorism, it is significant that an understanding of the history, nature and mechanism-premises under which terror operates is obtained. This is significant as it would shape the perspective of policy makers when addressing issues of this nature. Terrorism, as it is understood is the action of none-state weak actors, individual or groups, who for some reasons feels suppressed, marginalized and, or denied what they may view as the basic human right. All terrorism has political objectives, even though the perpetrators may use religious relics to appeal to a wider existing audience, and invoke a response through violent act to prove or propagate their point. Yoram Schweitzer in "Suicide Terrorism Development & Characteristics," Mark Sedgwick in "Al-Qaeda and the "Nature of Religious Terrorism," and Dr. James Armstrong, all demonstrates that suicide terror attacks are politically motivated even though the perpetrator may use religious symbolism to jus tifies their acts. Observing areas in the world where terrorism is frequent, especially in the Middle East, it can be argued that groups that engaged in terrorists' activities are those that feel suppressed and taken advantage of by a much greater power. Thus, terrorism, particularly suicide terror is prevalent in areas where systems of gross injustice seem to exist. Therefore, the actual use of terrorism by non-state actors is a tactic aimed at polarizing the population in their favor. By killing people in mass number, they are attempting to take away the view that only the state can legitimately kill – thus undermining the state authority. As Armstrong, Sedgwick and Schweitzer exemplify, suicide terrorism is not a new happening, but an old historical phenomenon. And that just as modern day terror organizations, particularly Al-Qaeda, uses religious concepts to motivate its actions (though their immediate goal is political), various old terrorist groups have used similar approached to achieve t heir political end. To understand the history of suicide terrorism and how terrorist groups in the past have used religious tone to propagate their political course, Armstrong pointed out the Zealots-an extremist Jewish sect that opposed Jesus. The Zealots engaged in political assassinations of their political foe, knowing that they would be killed in the process. Even though their ultimate goal might have been religious, the Zealots immediate aim was political. In the same way, during the third century, the Assassins- a notorious terrorist wing (similar in nature to Al-Qaeda) in modern day Syria, assassinated many of their political opponents in order to establish their own form of Islam.

Express Luxury Lines

Empress Luxury Lines Angela D. Davis Strayer University Management 500 Dr. Prakash Menon April 29, 2012 Abstract This critical analysis case of Empress Luxury Lines is based on circumstances of ethical dilemmas and challenges of top level managers and their employees faced with decisions on what anyone person or persons would do against making ethical decisions. In this case study, we note that the employee has to make choices for doing what he believes is right for him even though it may cause possible termination.Despite of the needed computer upgrade for the Empress Luxury Liner for Empress, top management issues was to find other ways to limit cost. The luxury liner had fallen on hard times due to numerous factors some of which was not controllable by this business. In this case analysis we will explore how right or wrong decision making can create ethical dilemmas for a business. Faced with such dilemmas, we will try to understand how in decision making for the employees, manage rs, CFO’s affects the business entity.Empress Luxury Lines ANALAYZE ANTONIO’S ETHICAL DILEMMA Antonio Melendez, a two year employee of Empress Luxury Lines was starting to feel as stated by Daft, â€Å"finally found a way to fund the computer system upgrade he’d been requesting ever since he’d taken the job two years ago† ( 2010, p. 150). Antonio, being that he was only on the job two years, and Kevin Pfeiffer, the new hire, the ethical decision dilemma for them was in facing the truth about the power surge damaged that struck the ship to its onboard computer system.Antonio knew that the risk in defrauding the insurance company of the true nature of what happened to the computer system onboard the ship could have dire consequences for him and Kevin. Kevin told the truth to his supervisor Phil Bailey, of the $15,000 computer damaged and was told to report back only to his boss Phil Bailey. Kevin did exactly what he believed would be great news of th e minimum fixable damage, but Phil was not happy. Instead, Kevin was instructed to remove and destroy all the wires and the cables and haul them elsewhere so that the insurance adjuster upon arrival would not know the difference in the damage.Kevin refused choosing to make the intelligent ethical decision to not due as instructed and to not become part of a fraud scheme or the culture of top management habitually submitting fraudulent claims. Antonio appreciated Kevin’s integrity of making the best decision to not do as he was asked to do for Empress and his boss Phil Bailey. Antonio knew of years before he was hired, Empress Luxury Lines in the 1990’s, were a healthy business. The cruise liner had unprecedented demand by consumers to sail on its luxury liner. Unfortunately, with external threats of unforeseen causes, such as the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. , the Hurricanes of 2005, and the Norwalk Virus outbreak, Empress’s volume of tourist booking travel by ship fell off drastically. Empress had to refund monies to its clients for cruises they could not use due to these uncertainties. In essence, contingency planning was enacted to respond to the unexpected conditions of weather, terrorism, and medical emergencies. The current rising demand of fuel cost to sail the cruse liner, slashed into the luxury liner’s profits. This is why Antonio could not or did not see his fervent request to have monies to upgrade the ships computer system was not accepted.Until the damage of the computer system was verbally reported to Bailey, then the accepted practices of Empress by top management of fraud which was readily the condone nature, the assurance of Kevin, or Antonio being protected under the Whistle-blower act was essentially an ignored, systemic practice and rooted in the business climate culture from top to bottom. CREATE AND DESCRIBE TWO STRATEGIES In this case analysis the strategies to best describe how to address Antonio’s ethica l dilemma would be by using two approaches in ethical decision making.The approaches that can best address Antonio’s in this case study are the Utilitarian Approach and the Individualism Approach. These approaches best describe how Antonio should handle the situation at hand. The utilitarian approach by definition Daft , â€Å" the ethical concept that moral behaviors produce the greatest good for the greatest number† (2010, p. 132). This approach Antonio is ethical decision maker and he understands the consequences of actions and plans to benefit for the greater good for Empress.If Antonio chooses to use this approach he has the pulse of the organizations systemic practices but he has to figure out how to lead by example while limiting potential dire results for Empress by reporting what really happened to the insurance adjuster and authorities. If Antonio decides to stay quiet and do nothing he knows the risk and the ethical investigation that could ensue by law. The decision to do nothing hurts but if this is his decision, to help defraud the insurance company, the upside is that Empress will have a upgraded and repaired computer system.I would equate the 2008 fraud case involving the SBA Program of widespread fraud with the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program similar to how systemic practices of obvious fraud with rewarding contracts to business firms who were not eligible to receive such funding. Bruce Causseaux, a senior level specialist stated, â€Å"Three main factors worked to encourage the fraud, he says: the lure of several billion dollars of federal contracting, an SBA control process that largely relied on inadequately verified self-certified information and a clear message that, even if caught, the punishment would not match the crime† (Wilson, 2008 p. 0). This article exemplifies the seriousness that when it all goes wrong, in the utilitarian approach the benefit yielded still the lesser of a potentially disastrous resul t. The individualism approach’s by definition Daft, â€Å"the ethical concept that acts are moral when they promote the individual’s best long-term interest† (2010, p. 132). This approach helps Antonio because he believes in the fundamental rights of individuals in the ethical decision making process.If Antonio chooses to avoid the systemic behavior by Empress because it will impede on a persons right then he would be ethically deciding to go against the grain of behavior even though he knows he may lose his job by telling the truth. The issue with this approach who determines the legitimacy of what is ethical or not about the way the cruise liner decides to conduct its business. Antonio/s plan of action hangs on the real balancing act of being loyal only to himself, to the health of the company and or lastly, for the greatest good of Empress.Antonio has to really be comfortable in which ever decision ethically he will make. ASSESS THE PROS AND CONS The pros and cons of the utilitarian approach if Antonio so believes is the best approach he has the option to weigh the differences looking at how his decision will effect his fellow coworkers. For this case analysis, I believe the utilitarian is better suited for Antonio because this approach is not a selfish approach but more in line with having the thoughtfulness of care and concern for others and how his ethical decision could harm everyone.Antonio does not consider he is just a lone wolf in this decision process because he sees the dilemma as equal parts to be held by together by the belief of all. Antonio relies on the method of substance process quantitatively in his overall objective to be fair for the consideration of the whole in making a just, moral, and pro ethical decision. The utilitarian approach con is in understanding and recognizing the cost benefits of his decision. This approach does not allow for room to be appeasing to all of his coworkers and this approach can cause harm . The end does not always justify the means as this approach states.In the con of this approach, can Antonio assume the result of perhaps not being ethically honest could yield a positive result no matter of the facts presented to the insurance adjuster? This may happen and he is still left with the decision did he do his best in rising above the fray to do his ethical duty. The pros and con of the individualism approach on the pro side is Antonio will be respecting the rights of his coworkers and doing what is best for the common good of Empress. Antonio will also be protecting his rights as an individual which is a benefit for him.Antonio has to be careful in upholding for pro rights to not step over the rights of others. A con of the individual approach is could be the true meaning in defining a person’s fundamental rights. This is a con of this approach because in the U. S. we have included our U. S. Constitution the Bill of Rights. If Antonio thinks this is the best appr oach because the Empress sails in international waters Antonio has to have consideration for the international laws of other countries which the U. S. Constitution with the Bill of Rights won’t apply.Another con of this approach is that it is a selfish approach and can entice Antonio to consider only his needs and not the concerns of others. DECIDE ON WHICH STRATEGY TO TAKE Given the two approaches of utilitarian and individualism, I would choose the individualism approach for this case analysis if I was in Antonio’s position. I am not a selfish person by nature and in making business decisions I know that the ability to think in ethical decision making when a problem presents itself one has to be ready, willing and able to perform the task of airing on the side of fairness.I have had similar instances as Antonio in being the one who has to be concerned for his self but by being this way, you ultimately do decide for the good all in the process of ethically doing what is best for the future long term health of the company. Individualism by behavior alone can ensure fellow coworkers that action done ethically for the best business ethical decision outcome is in the best interest of the whole. This action inspires cohesiveness and conformity in our feelings of our behavior.In their book If Your Life were a Business, would you Invest in It? (2003), Eckblad and Kiel states, â€Å"When we acknowledge these feelings in ourselves and reflect on them, we often find their origin in one or more situations where we wish we had had the courage to have challenged someone or done something differently† and â€Å"businesslike thinking and planning are no guarantee that there will be â€Å"good† or courageous people in either jobs or our live† (Eckblad & Kiel, 2008, p. 37). The individualism approach has worked well for me in my business endeavors and personal life. My willingness to be fair, but yet knowing what ever decisions I make whethe r they are ethically based on a ethical dilemma or not, I firmly understand that not all decisions I chose to make was good for the whole and that you can not know the true value of the dilemma in your decision choice of how it will relate to other employees or coworkers. This is the dilemma for Antonio.I do think his best method of approach would be using the individualism approach for Empress Luxury Lines. He will not please all but he will be ethically making the best decision for the greater good of the company. References Daft, Richard L. (2010). Management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Eckblad, John, & Keil, David (2003). If your Life Were a Business, Would You invest in It?. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Wilson, Sarah (2008, November), Fraud Rattles SBA Program. Entrepreneur, 30.

The process of preparing and delivering our team’s presentation

Abstract In any organizational or institutional setting, teamwork is usually instrumental in meeting departmental or organizational objectives. Even with the benefits that are associated with groups or teamwork, there are several challenges that may hinder attainment of the set objectives. This paper presents the process that was involved in the preparation and delivery of our group presentation. It discusses the stages of development that the group went through, highlighting the exercises that were undertaken at each stage. With reference to group motivation theory, it addresses the approaches that were used during the group exercise to motivate members to contribute towards the exercise. It has also presented the competencies that group members developed in the course of the group exercise. Introduction This paper provides an overview of the processes involved in the preparation and delivery of our team presentation. It relates the group work process to theories and literature on organizational behavioural theory that can be used to explain dynamics in group and teamwork. The main concepts to be covered in this paper include group and team development, motivation and learning at work. Group development is defined as the stages that groups undergo, from creation of the group to accomplishment of the assigned task (Bonebright, 2010). Motivation, which is a vital determinant of productivity, refers to the approaches used to trigger a desire in an individual to be more dedicated to the accomplishment of their tasks (Sachau, 2007). Learning at work, or team learning, is the attainment of skills by individuals in the course of the group task (Zellmer-Bruhn & Gibson, 2006).Group and Team DevelopmentThis are the stages through which undergo from assembling team members to attainment of the set objective. There are different models that can be used to describe the process or group development. One of the widely used models is Bruce Tuckman’s four-stage model formulated in 1965, which divides the development process into four stages. These are forming, storming, norming and performing (Egolf & Chester, 2013). Whereas some teams undergo all these stages in group development, some end at the norming stage, which was also the case with our team. This section relates the development of our group with reference to Tuckman’s four-stage model. According to Bonebright (2010), the forming stage involves creating an understanding of one’s team members. It is also characterized by the desire of individual team members to be accepted as part of the larger group (Hill & Parsons, 2014). In our team, this stage of group development involved activities that could enable us to work together and be more productive. Team members spent time interacting and knowing abou t each other so as to eliminate the tension that could prevent them from effectively working together. This stage also involved the appointment of the group leader, setting of ground rules and agreeing upon the meeting schedules. Conflicts were minimal at this stage, which can be attributed to the fact that challenges associated with teamwork had not yet arisen. The second stage in group development is storming. This is the stage where different ideas or opinions are presented by group members for consideration (Garfield & Dennis, 2012). It is highly likely for group members to present conflicting opinions, which also triggers rivalry and tension within the group. Whereas conflicts might be considered as being adverse towards attainment of the team’s objectives, constructive conflicts provide a chance for group members to select the appropriate options to pursue in addressing the task at hand (Fleishman et al., 2008; De Wit et al., 2012). This is the most critical stage in gr oup development, and issues have to be resolved before moving to the next stage (Egolf & Chester, 2013). Referring to the process of delivering our team’s presentation, some of the conflicts that arose included the theories to incorporate in the presentation or the sources to be used. For instance, I questioned why the group leader insisted on using books as our main sources, yet peer reviewed journals that were readily available in the college library database could also be used to compliment books. Other group members also questioned why they could not use any source they come across on the internet. However, these conflicts were minor and short lived. The third stage is of group developing is referred to as norming (Egolf & Chester, 2013). After the conflicts have been resolved in the storming stage, the effectiveness of the team begins to increase, trust among team members grows and the individual differences are appreciated (Garfield & Dennis, 2012). This was the final s tage of development for our group. For the functionality of the team, some group members stopped persisting with their ideas for the sake of avoiding conflict. There was also an increased cohesion among members, and as opposed to conflicting opinions that characterized the storming stage, team members showed support for each other, and provided constructive feedback for each others’ contribution to the team. The fourth stage of group development is referred to as productivity. According to Egolf and Chester (2013), not all groups progress to this stage. Our group did not get to this stage based on the fact that the task that was to be accomplished was short-term. In summary, the developments that took place in our group, as well as the issues that characterized them, closely relate to Tuckman’s four stage model (forming, storming norming and performance). The fact that the group exercise was short-term meant that the group development did not progress to the performanc e stage, but the objective of the team was met. Group Motivation Motivation in teamwork incorporates all the efforts that are made by team members to increase the cohesion and levels of productivity of the entire team (Wright et al., 2012). With reference to Hertzberg’s dual factor theory of motivation, there is a set of factors that increases the productivity of individuals in accomplishing their tasks. There is also another separate set of factors that cause dissatisfaction and thus, limit individual productivity (Sachau, 2007). This section addresses the approaches that were used to motivate group members. In group work, one of the motivation approaches is through ensuring effective communication among all people within the group (Dunin-Keplicz & Verbrugge, 2011). In group work, responsibilities are divided into smaller tasks and assigned to members depending on their competence. Given that all these sub-tasks contribute towards the attainment of the overall team objective, it is necessary for all team members to communicate about the pr ogress of their respective tasks. This will avoid situations where some members unknowingly derail, or fail to complete their tasks within the agreed upon time limits (Lencioni, 2012). During the preparation and delivery of our group presentation, we ensured that communication between us was effective. This was done by requesting all group members to provide their phone numbers and email addresses. We also followed each other on social media platforms. This ensured that if there was a breakdown in one communication channel, there was always another viable objective. When handling group tasks, it is vital to schedule regular meetings in consideration of the responsibilities of all group members. This ensures that every group member is available during the meeting (Dunin-Keplicz & Verbrugge, 2011). Regular meetings also allow for close consultations between group members in case some group members hit a snag in completing the tasks that they have been assigned (Lencioni, 2012). Most o f the members in our team were dedicated and never skipped meetings. Whereas there were team members who easily handled the tasks that they had been allocated, there are some who found it quite challenging to accomplish their tasks. We understood the fact that there are some people who are quicker than others in accomplishing their assigned tasks than others is common. Thus, instead of reprimanding them, we took to the initiative to ensure that group members who had a challenge in completing their tasks were assisted to complete them. Motivation in teamwork also entails making everybody feel like they valuable members (Hill & Parsons, 2014). For instance, if a decision is to be made about a project, the opinions of all group members have to be considered. This encourages constructive debates, which are vital for rational decision making. The group members’ motivation to deliver may be adversely affected if major decisions are only made by a section of the team, which may also lead to groupthink. Groupthink is a common phenomenon in teamwork where the fear of conflicts, or desire for group conformity and harmony, causes other group members to agree with decisions made by others. This is regardless of whether they are suitable or not (De Wit et al., 2012). During our group work, all members were allowed to actively engage in discussions and every opinion presented was listened to. Even though it was not possible to implement incorporate all members’ opinions in decision making, reasons why some opinions were considered over others was also clearly explained to all group members. Our team was culturally diverse, and included people from both genders. Therefore, tasks were distributed in consideration of this diversity. Different approaches were used to motivate group members. However, even with the efforts that were made to optimize the productivity of every group member, there were some individuals who failed to attend group meetings without good r easons. Regardless of these drawbacks, the rest of the team worked diligently to the completion of the project. Learning at Work Learning at work refers to the skills and competencies that members of a team learn as they collectively accomplish a task (Zellmer-Bruhn & Gibson, 2006). Typically, the abilities of each individual in the team will vary, with each being more competent in some areas, less competent in others In this regard team members learn from each other through sharing knowledge so as to compliment one another’s skills (Dunin-Keplicz & Verbrugge, 2011). This section discusses the process of team learning within the group during the exercise. Team members have to ensure that they have created strong relationships and trust amongst themselves to facilitate team learning. Failure to create a team environment that allows members to learn from one another may undermine the attainment of the overall team objective (Lencioni, 2012). Learning at work or team leaning can be made possible through observations, dialogue and reflection (Hill & Parsons, 2014). Team members should be willing to enable t hose who are not as competent as they are in certain aspects that are vital to the accomplishment of the team’s objective to improve. Likewise, team members who lack some competencies ought to take the initiative to learn through observation or asking for assistance (Zellmer-Bruhn & Gibson, 2006). One of the models that can be used to understand team leaning is the action-learning cycle (Coghlan & Rigg, 2012). Action learning is a continuous learning process, where individuals from their own experiences and actions, as well as those of other members of their team. Through their own experience, people learn to avoid repeating mistakes they did and continue to improve their competencies in certain disciplines. The action-learning cycle was designed to enable individuals to draw lessons from their experiences by making analytical reflections of their actions (Pedler & ?Abbott, 2013). This means that lessons from past experiences can guide present actions, while lessons learnt fr om the current experience can be used to guide future actions. In the course of the preparation and delivery of our group presentation, team members learnt from each other in different ways. Based on the relationship that had been developed between team members, dialogue was one of the most used approaches for team learning. Group members were willing to share information with others to improve each other’s levels of competence. For instance, one two of our team members were competent in using different data analysis approaches so as to come up with relevant conclusions on the research topic. In addition to this, while most of us were comfortable with the basic function of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, one of the team members and I, were more competent with the more advanced options. Therefore, we spent some time during meetings learning from and teaching each other. Learning took different approaches, which included reflections and observations. Even though some of t he competencies that were learnt were not improved to the extent that perfection was attained, most of the group members had improved their skills in one aspect or other. I improved my confidence and public speaking skills through the mock presentations that were held by the group in preparation for the final presentation to a larger audience.. All team members also learnt several concepts that could enable them to be more productive members of teams in future. In summary, the group exercise was instrumental in developing some competencies that every group member lacked. As mentioned, different approaches were used in learning or teaching each other about different concepts that were challenging for different group members. Conclusion The capability of an individual to be a productive member of a team is one of the vital competencies that are required for success in any aspect of life. In the preparation and delivery of our group presentation, several characteristics of groups, which relate to organizational behavioural theory, were identified. This paper has presented an overview of the factors that characterized the team working process. One of these is the process through which the ram developed through the formation, storming and norming stages. Based on the fact that the group assignment was short-term, we did not get into the performance stage. The motivation factors that contributed towards the achievement of the overall team goal have also been presented in this paper. Ways in which different group members leant from each other to improve their competencies in several areas have also been addressed in this paper. Whereas the group task was successfully accomplished, some of the few drawbacks that affected the research have also been presented. References Bonebright, D.A., 2010. 40 years of storming: a historical review of Tuckman’s model of small group development. Human Resource Development International, 13(1), pp.111-20. Coghlan, D. & Rigg, C., 2012. Action learning as praxis in learning and changing. Research in Organizational Change and Development, 20, pp.59-89. De Wit, F.R.C., Greer, L.L. & Jehn, K.A., 2012. The Paradox of Intragroup Conflict. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97, pp.360-90. Dunin-Keplicz, B. & Verbrugge, R?., 2011. Teamwork in Multi-Agent Systems: A Formal Approach. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Egolf, D. & Chester, S., 2013. Forming Storming Norming Performing. Bloomington: IUniverse. Fleishman, R., O’Leary, R?. & Gerard, ?C., 2008. Recent Developments in Conflict Resolution and Collaboration. London: Emerald Group Publishing. Garfield, M.J. & Dennis, A.R., 2012. Toward an Integrated Model of Group Development: Disruption of Routines by Technology-Induced Change. Journal of Management Information Systems, 29(3), pp.43-86. Hill, F. & Parsons, L?., 2014. Teamwork in the Management of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. New Jersey: Routledge. Lencioni, P., 2012. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Intact Teams Participant Workbook. San Francisco: Pfeiffer. Miner, J.B., 2005. Organizational Behavior: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. New York: M.E. Sharpe. Pedler, M. & ?Abbott, C., 2013. Facilitating Action Learning: A Practitioner’S Guide. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill International. Sachau, D.A., 2007. Resurrecting the motivation-hygiene theory: Herzberg and the positive psychology movement. Human Resource Development Review, 6(4), pp.377-93. Wright, B.E., Moynihan, D.P. & Pandey, S.K., 2012. Pulling the Levers: Transformational Leadership, Public Service, Motivation, and Mission Valence. Public Administration Review, 72(2), p.206–215. Zellmer-Bruhn, M. & Gibson, C., 2006. Multinational organization context: Implications for team learning and performance. Academy of Management Journal, 49(3), pp.501-18.