Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Qin Shi Huang In Society And Modern Media History Essay

Qin Shi Huang In Society And Modern Media History Essay Researchers banter over Qin Shi Huang Dis heritage that he left after his rule 2,200 years back. Toward the western open, he has been seen as a frustrated, eager for power, overbearing man whose desire for interminability he looked for achieved the covered inheritance of great, heated dirt models dating from before the introduction of Christ. Over the most recent 50 years or somewhere in the vicinity, his history has been re-broke down into a goliath of an authentic figure in Chinese history practically equal to Alexander the Great and Caesar folded into one. By merciless power of will, he bound warring states together and sew them into a firmly brought together framework, normalized Chinas language and law, and constructed significant structures, for example, the early Great Wall of China. Indeed, even the style of his coinage, round with a square-molded opening in the center, went on until the beginning of Communist principle. Scarcely any different rulers have so formed the ligame nts of their nation. In any case, these accomplishments could not hope to compare to his most noteworthy inheritance, the foundation of an organization that would get by for more than 2,000 and would be the biggest on the planet, staffed by taught men and coming to the least worker in the land (Wood). The view held by the western open mirrors the darker parts of his life. In spite of his huge changes in the financial and political frameworks of China, he additionally earned the notoriety of being an abusive and marginal crazy ruler, the most regularly refered to model being the Great Wall of China, which was worked with a huge number of recruited laborers in such a little time span, that thousands were exhausted to their demises. (A significant number of these laborers are accepted to be really covered inside the Great Wall) Perhaps probably the best story that represented these crazy and oppressive inclinations is one in regards to his fixation on interminability. While trying to a cquire the legendary mixture of life, he dispatched a great many individuals to Penglai mountain. At the point when none returned (on the grounds that disappointment implied execution), he sent another endeavor comprising of three men, just to be offered the weak reason that they had been terrified off by a massive fish. He properly set off to shoot it with a rehashing crossbow, however notwithstanding his endeavors, the solution kept on evading him. His next endeavor, eternality pills, comprising of mercury, which his chemists guaranteed would present a similar force that the substance showed in engrossing gold, would demonstrate deadly. The line he had vowed to keep going for a large number of years would scarcely battle as the decade progressed. The foundation of Chinas current adjustment of the view of Qin Shi Huang Di roots from the likenesses inferred between Qin Shi Huang Di and Mao Ze Dong. Both were persuasive pioneers who joined China in their critical crossroads. Qin Shi Huang Di joined China following a multi year time span, known as the Warring States time frame, making a political element unmistakable as the China we know today. Similarily, Mao Ze Dong joined a war-torn China following the breakdown Qing line, figuring out how to make solidness in a land which was utilized as World War IIs combat zone. In any case, the similitudes don't end there. Qin Shi Huang Di was likewise know for his enormous open works ventures, frequently enlisting countless specialists to the detriment of a huge number of lives à ¿to complete extraordinary designing wonders, for example, the Great Wall of China, the Lingqu Canal, and the Mausoleum of the First Emperor. Mao Ze Dong likewise requested immense open works ventures, for examp le, dams, channels and other foundation ventures, which a large number of laborers and detainees had been compelled to drudge on and by and large bite the dust for. Be that as it may, these undertakings regularly demonstrated pointless as they had been worked without the contribution of prepared specialists, whom Mao had dismissed on ideological grounds. Different strategies set out during Maos rule equal Qin Shi Huang Dis activities during his rule. For instance, both were very notable for their mistreatment of educated people in their domains that Mao would later be cited as boasting: He [Qin Shi Huang Di] covered 460 researchers alive; we have covered 46,000 researchers alive. As Tun Dun, the melodic writer for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero, would put it, Qin Shi Huang Di was basically similar to Mao Zedong. He brought together China. He made the language, made the estimating framework, made the cash. With these likenesses, it would shock no one that the Communist party, similarly as it has secured the notoriety of Mao so as to guard both the authenticity of his administration and the establishment of the Communist government in China, would ensure the notoriety of Qin Shi Huang Di along these lines in case Mao be contrasted with Qin Shi Huang Di from a recorded perspective. The Communist government has normally edited outside movies, a training totally strange to Americans. Rather than a free discourse provision in their equal Constitution, the Communist government is permitted totally command over the media universe of China. Particularly with outside movies, the Communist government utilizes a rundown of measures to screen the film from the accompanying properties: Analysis against social request and government Interruption on the solidarity of different ethnicities of the state Jeopardize the power and regional of the state. Jeopardize security of the state; hurt the open notoriety and interests of the state. Disturb the solidarity of different nationalities of the state Uncover a state mystery Supporter wrong sexual relationship; abuse moral norm, or indecent substance; having solid visual incitement; entice individuals degeneration Backer eccentric conviction; offense against social request Backer viciousness; claim individuals scorn respect of law; entice wrongdoing; disturb open security In the event that neglecting to meet any of these prerequisites, the film is normally prohibited from the nation. While the Communist government has since a long time ago had a fortress on outside movies and has increased a solid notoriety as of late for its limitation of remote movies, local movies face much nearer investigation. While outside films must be screened by blue pencils, residential creations must present their plots and last item for endorsement. The assessment time frame for exploring in the initial step is 15 days, inspect charges depend on government strategy in various case. In second step, makers get reaction from oversight office for substance ought to be adjusted. Last, after change made as needs be, creation will be sent back to survey by restriction division. On the off chance that substance has been adjusted in like manner, the film will at that point be ensured to be communicated. Furthermore, if movie producers who are not concur with the assessment, they ar e permitted to apply for investigating no later than 30 days of the first run through accommodation. As a result of this severe screening process, huge numbers of Chinas unmistakable producers have crossed paths with the edits, (for example, a portion of the movies referenced beneath). Be that as it may, the socialist governments capacity to square undesirable material has shriveled, because of the Internet and an underground market that made duplicates of unapproved motion pictures accessible. Hit films regularly create a huge number of bootleg market duplicates, and are commonly broadly accessible on pilfered DVDs. As the administration controls a significant part of the significant media inside China today, Qin Shi Huang Dis inheritance and current recognition is modified dependent on his depiction in present day news sources. à ¿Filmography is maybe the least complex approach to contact significant crowds. An advanced wonder that can in a split second arrive at a huge number of watchers without a moment's delay in not more than days, it goes to nothing unexpected that Qin Shi Huangs most prominent appearances in present day media are in motion pictures. The latest film to depict Qin Shi Huang Di or reference him would be The Mummy Returns: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Notwithstanding, this film won't be talked about because of the way that it is a completely Western-Based film and consequently, including no immediate impact from the Chinese government and Chinese executives. It is intriguing to take note of that in this film, a significant number of Emperor Hans signature viewpoints, for example, earthenware warriors or fixation on everlasting status are dependent on Qin Shi Huang Di. The Myth, the following latest standard Chinese film to highlight Qin Shi Huang Di is in reality coordinated by a Chinese (Hong Kong) executive. Notwithstanding, Qin Shi Huang Di correspondingly assumes a scarcely supporting job (his persona not in any event, being seen once in the whole film). Be that as it may, his fixation on everlasting status and his enormous sepulcher are referenced too. At last, Hero, the third latest film to highlight Qin Shi Huang Di really includes the ruler on a somewhat significant level. On at any rate three levels, The Hero disregarded the accord of todays Chinese crowd. To begin with, standard people groups basic judgment, which has gone on for a large number of years, that Qin Shi Huang Di was a despot, and that dictators ought to be censured. In spite of the fact that the yearning for a generous ruler suggested in this view is as yet an aching under dictatorial standard, the judgment of oppression is all inclusive. In any case, the film Hero is expected to turn around the pubic view towards Qin Shi Huang Di, and conflicts with the estimation of the crowd. Saint depends on a position that turns around the judgment towards dictators. It takes the point of view not of the larger part yet of a small gathering of individuals. Second, normal people groups general perspective on hand to hand fighting saints. You need to take care of the purported meandering in the wild, however by following through on the cost you free your heart and soul, and understand the longing to be responsible for your own life. People groups general longing for combative techniques and acknowledgment of it depend on this yearning for opportunity. Yet, in Hero, when Can Jian and Wu Ming surrender their concept of killing Qin Shi Huang Di, apparently it denotes a greatness of their own disdain. Notwithstanding, in all actuality it harmonizes with the sovereigns individual aspiration, that the world under paradise is the world managed by the child of paradise, a

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Response To Aol Controversy :: essays research papers

Reaction To AOL Controversy      The article "America Online, while you can" by Bob Woods is about the hubbub concerning the way that America Online, or AOL, has not had the option to suit its immense measure of clients. This is because of AOL's new level rate, which subbed their unique hourly arrangement. Numerous AOL clients experience occupied signals when attempting to sign on. When and on the off chance that they do jump on AOL, the administration runs incredibly moderate in light of the over-burden of clients. Woods compromises that AOL will lose a significant number of their clients in the event that they don't improve their assets. Other organizations should amplify their publicizing and attempt to trade out by focusing on the unsatisfied AOL clients. These days of web use, individuals in some random area can look over at any rate fifteen national organizations, for example, sprintlink, compuserve, ameritech, erols, etc. Utilizing these administrations are more affordable than America Online. Every month for boundless use they normal at around $10 to $15 dollars rather than AOL's powerful $19.95 every month. AOLers are paying for the engaging menus, designs and administrations AOL uses to drive their clients to the web. These equivalent highlights can be found anyplace else on the net with the help of any hunt gadget, for example, infoseek, hurray, microsoft system or web- crawler. These destinations are no harder to utilize and they give heaps of supportive menus and data.      In Wood's article, he expresses that he lives in Chicago, and AOL has a few distinctive access numbers to attempt on the off chance that one is occupied. He composes that regularly at the point when he has attempted to sign on utilizing the entirety of the accessible numbers, has still been fruitless. This is an issue for him since he is subject to AOL to "do the everyday routine of (his) work as a correspondent and PM overseeing editor." If I was not happy with the presentation of my internet service, which happens to be sprintlink, I would not grumble to the organization. I would take my cash somewhere else, particularly if my activity relied upon utilizing the web. With the entirety of the different alternatives accessible, sat around and unavoidable dissatisfaction utilizing AOL could be dispensed with. I live in Richmond, Va., which is a genuinely large city and have not once been logged off or gotten a bustling sign utilizing sprintlink. What's more, I just have one access line accessible with my supplier rather than AOL's various lines. I concur with Woods in the way that individuals will (much of the time) get better web access and client care with a neighborhood, littler or more

Monday, August 17, 2020

Understanding Learned Helplessness and Anxiety

Understanding Learned Helplessness and Anxiety GAD Symptoms Print Understanding Learned Helplessness and Anxiety By William Meek Updated on February 07, 2020 Generalized Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Hero Images / DigitalVision / Getty Images Learned helplessness is a state that animals can get in when they regularly meet negative stimuli when they try to escape. After a time, they stop trying to escape completely, assuming that it is hopeless and they are unable to change the situation. This can become so prevalent that even when an escape is presented, they are unable or unwilling to take advantage of it. This concept of learned helplessness plays a large role in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). If you continually feel helpless due to your anxiety, you may give up looking for a solution, accepting the current state as inevitable and unchanging. Continued inaction can cause you to refuse therapy or medication, even when those things could make a considerable difference. Learned Helplessness and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Learned helplessness often begins at a young age, such as during childhood. Scientists hypothesize that distant parenting can worsen learned hopelessness and anxiety, as the child learns early on that they are helpless and that their parents will not come to their aid. In addition, growing up with parents who suffer from learned helplessness themselves can lead to the child developing it, too. Over time, as the child ages, he will likely see his situation as being set and determined, unable to be changed. Particularly if he has anxiety, this can be incredibly persistent. He becomes so used to his anxious state of mind that he cannot imagine any other way of living or that recovery could be possible. The Vicious Cycle The learned helplessness and anxiety symptoms can be a vicious cycle. If the child is anxious and cant be soothed, he feels like nothing can be done and learned helplessness sets in. The more he accepts it as inevitable, the more anxiety takes hold. Symptoms of learned helplessness linked to anxiety include: FrustrationPoor self-esteemDifficulty sleeping Treatment While learned helplessness can be a serious problem, it can be successfully treated if targeted by a mental health professional. Studies have found that if people receive intervention at the onset of learned helplessness, it can be decreased through therapy and coaching. Even at later stages, improvements can be made with regular work. Once this issue is tackled, then treatment for anxiety can begin successfully. Seek Treatment With the 7 Best Online Anxiety Support Groups Getting Help Not all people with GAD will experience learned helplessness. It develops over the course of time with certain sets of factors at play. Genetic and environmental factors may increase a childs likelihood of developing both GAD and learned helplessness. If you feel you have gotten stuck in a pattern of learned helplessness, visit a healthcare professional for a comprehensive evaluation to get an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. Through cognitive behavioral therapy, you will learn how to counter your learned helplessness instincts and replace them with more rational, optimistic thoughts. You may learn to dispute your own assumptions and promote coping skills to manage your symptoms. In some cases, your doctor may recommend medication to help manage your anxiety so that you can concentrate and focus on your treatment.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Generic Conventions of Teen Movies in the 1955 Film Rebel...

Generic Conventions of Teen Movies in the 1955 Film Rebel Without a Cause Rebel without a cause was the first ever film to be targeted at the newly established Teenage audience and caused the creation Teen Movie genre because of its incredible success. The creators of Rebel without a cause saw that there was enormous potential for the teen audience as they had never been targeted before and they had money to spend on entertainment as they had no outgoings at all. The film starred James Dean as Jim Stark the troubled teenager in a new town. He is portrayed as the outsider and the protagonist as he fights his oppressive authoritative figures. James Dean: Role Model for teenagers†¦show more content†¦This is another theme which can be seen in the 1955 Rebel without a cause, as all teenage characters are trying to make it as mature adults. This is a great task for the teenagers as the ideal of the love of your life must be found before the transition is complete. The message of the film is that when love has been found life will be so much easier. This offers social and economical reassurance for the audience that the problems of the teenager can be overcome and that true love can be found. The theme of transition ties in with the sub theme of adulthood and what the right way to be a man is. Youre tearing me apart! [IMAGE]The issue or masculinity is debated in its three character forms: Jims dad shows us how he is emasculated and his role of man has been reversed with Mrs Stark. This is seen as he cleans up the meal he has made for his wife in a piny. Jim himself is portrayed as the picture of perfect masculinity as although he is rebellious he is charming and treats Plato as his surrogate son and Judy as his loving partner. Because of Jims heroism in the film, Jims dads masculinity is restored and he realises that they need to resolve the conflict in the family unit. Plato offers the third view of masculinity as he is portrayed as coward and seems to need someone to replace his Parents who haveShow MoreRelatedStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 PagesDesigns and Patents Act 1988 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some othe r use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, EnglandRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagesreproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, website www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Dont Know Essay - 572 Words

Everyone knows that it is illegal to consume alcohol until the age of 21. Many people are In agreement with this legal restriction. Some would even say that it needs to be raised. Why is 21 the quot;magicalquot; age that makes one intelligent and mature enough to consume alcohol? Surely, some adults abuse alcohol and some teenagers would be perfectly able to drink responsibly. Many have asked the question, should the drinking age be lowered from age twenty-one to age eighteen. The national drinking age for men and woman should remain at age twenty-one. Before 1982 there was no national conformity in the laws dealing with alcohol consumption legal age. Each state had different laws and regulations set on the drinking age. In the†¦show more content†¦The youth is not trained or prepared to take on the burden of responsible drinking. Rather than provided leadership he is subjected to peer pressure encouraging him to act irresponsibly. The draft age and drinking age argument doe s not provide a convincing basis for a change in the law. A second argument often heard supporting a reduction in lowering the drinking age quot;eighteen to twenty year old are going to drink anyway so lower the drinking age.quot; The attached chart shows, quot;Over 75% of eighth grade students have tried alcohol, and 55% of them have tried it by sixth gradequot; While it is obvious that many teen-agers are breaking the law today, this is not advocating a change in the law. quot;It has been argued that laws do not impact or change behavior, but there is strong circumstantial evidence that drinking-driving laws do make a difference. Laws are a statement of the views of society, and the increase of penalties given the clear message that drinking and driving is viewed as a crime against societyquot; (Tatman 1). The fact that laws are sometimes is not justification for changing the laws. Many supporters of a lowering of the legal alcohol age contend that eighteen or nineteen are mature enough to deal with alcohol. This argument is not supported by the facts. quot;Over 40% of all the 16-to-20 year olds who died in 1994 were killed in car crashes. And about half of those wereShow MoreRelatedI Dont Know700 Words   |  3 Pagespreparatory work such as he should make a laser line first or focus on the others competitors. I think Jim`s Porter Strategy is Differentiation Strategy, because Jim`s situation is accord with Differentiation Strategy`s situation. From case we can know, Jim`s products are made of aluminum and plastic, that make his products light weight and durable. These are Jim`s products superiority. Also Jim doesn’t have enough competitors, and his products have excellent quality. Then Jim`s product have greatRead MoreI Dont Know623 Words   |  3 PagesName: States of Matter Lab Procedure: Go to: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/states-of-matter and click on Run Now States of Matter Review: 1) Kinetic energy (KE) is the energy of ____________. 2) Potential energy (PE) is the energy of ____________. 3) What property of a substance corresponds to the average KE of its particles? 4) What property of a substance correspondsRead MoreI Dont Know Essay1716 Words   |  7 PagesEtiquette is important Etiquette is important because if people dont have proper etiquette then the disrescpect will hurt and it will lead to violence. The defintion of etiquette is the practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority. The history of etiquette started with the Maxims.The Maxims were conformist precepts extolling such civil virtues as truthfulness, self-control and kindness towards ones fellow beings. Learning by listening to everybody and knowing that humanRead MoreEssay about i dont know879 Words   |  4 Pages N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. Fourth Amendment - U.S. Constitution. Findlaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. Understanding Search and Seizure Law. Nolo.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. â€Å"4th Amendment Supreme Court Cases† - Case Law - Know My Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. Read MoreEssay On I DonT Know My Title974 Words   |  4 Pages I Don’t Know My Title Everything started on the first day of sixth grade. The only friend I had was Abbi Martin. We were like best-friends and didn’t need anyone else. If there is anything I learned in those 2 years, It’s that friends can change you, and not always in a bad way. We started the first day of sixth grade with a lot of butterflies in our stomach? What if we don’t get to class in time? What if we go to the wrong place? What if we forget about TA or lunch? What if our chromebook diesRead MoreI DonT Know My Name Essay1574 Words   |  7 PagesGrace Vanderwaal’s original song â€Å"I don’t know my name† brings a powerful message to young viewers. The orginal song consists of Grace Vanderwaal’s experiences while she is finding herself as a teen in 2016. The important, as well as repeated line â€Å"I don’t know my name. I don’t play by the rules of the game† symbolizes the way of life she was taught, but does not follow. However, this leads to many issues as she is â€Å"finding her way† through life, â€Å"I am lost. Trying to get found in an ocean of people†Read MorePersonal Essay : When Parents DonT Know Best741 Words   |  3 PagesWhen Parents Honestly Dont Know Best In today’s world, one of the most damaging thing parents can do is neglecting their childs well-being. Especially when it comes to mental health issues and any other type of medical issue. Its almost along the same lines as the over opinionated â€Å"soccer mom† or â€Å"hockey dad†, but when forcing your child suffer from not getting the proper medical or psychological support its a lot more damaging for the child. Just because someone is a parent, honestly doesntRead MoreWhat White People DonT Know By Joshua Heath767 Words   |  4 PagesWhat White People Don’t Know By Joshua Heath I’m white, Irish Catholic to be precise. I’ve spent my life around white people, been raised in white schools, and lived in Valencia, a rather white town. And through my experience with this particular class of folks, I’ve realized something fundamental: many of us don’t know what were talking about in regard to race. When confronted with the problems facing African Americans, we frequently respond with crude answers that sound something like this:Read MoreEssay On What You DonT Know Can Hurt You1190 Words   |  5 Pages What you don’t know can hurt you You can learn a lot when you are a kid but at the same time you barley know anything. Not knowing something can affect you sometimes in negative sometime s in positive ways. I was a kid in elementary school I wasn’t much of a talker I was shy ignorant of the ways of the world. No one in my child hood life saw fit to tell me what the middle finger meant no adult that is. So I in school may have done something offensive not knowing the consequences of my actionsRead MoreAt A Young Age I Was Different. I Dont Know Why But People1877 Words   |  8 PagesAt a young age i was different. I dont know why but people start to take distances from me farther and farther.. Maybe because Im ugly? Maybe because i just dont really fit in. I always try to make friends with people my age at school but for some reason they just go and distance themselves from me. I saw a group of girls and tried to approach them and said: Hi my name is Alex could we be friends?! They just walked away and glared at me. The people passing by and the group of girls murmured :

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

LAN and Network Mangements Free Essays

string(150) " easily access SNMP information, giving them any information about the network, and also the ability to potentially shut down systems on the network\." Imagine yourself as a network administrator, responsible for a 2000 user network. This network reaches from California to New York, and some branches over seas. In this situation, anything can, and usually does go wrong, but it would be your job as a system administrator to resolve the problem with it arises as quickly as possible. We will write a custom essay sample on LAN and Network Mangements or any similar topic only for you Order Now The last thing you would want is for your boss to call you up, asking why you haven†t done anything to fix the 2 major systems that have been down for several hours. How do you explain to him that you didn†t even know about it? Would you even want to tell him that? So now, picture yourself in the same situation, only this time, you were using a network monitoring program. Sitting in front of a large screen displaying a map of the world, leaning back gently in your chair. A gentle warning tone sounds, and looking at your display, you see that California is now glowing a soft red in color, in place of the green glow just moments before. You select the state of California, and it zooms in for a closer look. You see a network diagram overview of all the computers your company has within California. Two systems are flashing, with an X on top of them indicating that they are experiencing problems. Tagging the two systems, you press enter, and with a flash, the screen displays all the statitics of the two systems, including anything they might have in common causing the problem. Seeing that both systems are linked to the same card of a network switch, you pick up the phone and give that branch office a call, notifying them not only that they have a problem, but how to fix it as well. Early in the days of computers, a central computer (called a mainframe) was connected to a bunch of dumb terminals using a standard copper wire. Not much thought was put into how this was done because there was only one way to do it: they ere either connected, or they weren†t. Figure 1 shows a diagram of these early systems. If something went wrong with this type of system, it was fairly easy to troubleshoot, the blame almost always fell on the mainframe system. Shortly after the introduction of Personal Computers (PC), came Local Area Networks (LANS), forever changing the way in which we look at networked systems. LANS originally consisted of just PC†s connected into groups of computers, but soon after, there came a need to connect those individual LANS together forming what is known as a Wide Area Network, or WAN, the result was a complex connection of omputers joined together using various types of interfaces and protocols. Figure 2 shows a modern day WAN. Last year, a survey of Fortune 500 companies showed that 15% of their total computer budget, 1. 6 Million dollars, was spent on network management (Rose, 115). Because of this, much attention has focused on two families of network management protocols: The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which comes from a de facto standards based background of TCP/IP communication, and the Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP), which derives from a de jure standards-based background associated with the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) (Fisher, 183). In this report I will cover advantages and disadvantages of both Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP) and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). , as well as discuss a new protocol for the future. I will also give some good reasons supporting why I believe that SNMP is a protocol that all network SNMP is a protocol that enables a management station to configure, monitor, and receive trap (alarm) messages from network devices. (Feit, 12). It is formally specified in a series of related Request for Comment (RFC) documents, listed here. The first protocol developed was the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). It was commonly considered to be a quickly designed â€Å"band-aid† solution to internetwork management difficulties while other, larger and better protocols were being designed. (Miller, 46). However, no better choice became available, and SNMP soon became the network management protocol of choice. It works very simply (as the name suggests): it exchanges network packets through messages (known as protocol data units (PDU)). The PDU contains variables that have both titles and values. There are five types of PDU†s which SNMP uses to onitor a network: two deal with reading terminal data, two with setting terminal data, and one called the trap, used for monitoring network events, such as terminal start-ups By far the largest advantage of SNMP over CMIP is that its design is simple, so it is as easy to use on a small network as well as on a large one, with ease of setup, and lack of stress on system resources. Also, the simple design makes it simple for the user to program system variables that they would like to monitor. Another major advantage to SNMP is that is in wide use today around the world. Because of it†s evelopment during a time when no other protocol of this type existed, it became very popular, and is a built in protocol supported by most major vendors of networking hardware, such as hubs, bridges, and routers, as well as majoring operating systems. It has even been put to use inside the Coca-Cola machines at Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California (Borsook, 48). Because of SNMP†s smaller size, it has even been implemented in such devices as toasters, compact disc players, and battery-operated barking dogs. In the 1990 Interop show, John Romkey, vice president of engineering or Epilogue, demonstrated that through an SNMP program running on a PC, you could control a standard toaster through a network (Miller, 57). SNMP is by no means a perfect network manager. But because of it†s simple design, these flaws can be fixed. The first problem realized by most companies is that there are some rather large security problems related with SNMP. Any decent hacker can easily access SNMP information, giving them any information about the network, and also the ability to potentially shut down systems on the network. You read "LAN and Network Mangements" in category "Essay examples" The latest version of SNMP, called SNMPv2, has added some security measures that were left out of SNMP, to combat the 3 largest problems plaguing SNMP: Privacy of Data (to prevent intruders from gaining access to information carried along the network), authentication (to prevent intruders from sending false data across the network), and access control (which restricts access of particular variables to certain users, thus removing the possibility of a user accidentally crashing the network). (Stallings, 213) The largest problem with SNMP, ironically enough, is the same thing that made it great; it†s simple design. Because it is so simple, the information it deals with is either detailed, nor well organized enough to deal with the growing networks of the This is mainly due to the quick creation of SNMP, because it was never designed to be the network management protocol of the 1990†³s. Like the previous flaw, this one too has been corrected with the new version, SNMPv2. This new version allows for more in-detail specification of variables, including the use of the table data structure for easier data retrieval. Also added are two new PDU†s that are used to manipulate the tabled objects. In fact, so many new features have been added that the formal pecifications for SNMP have expanded from 36 pages (with v1) to 416 pages with SNMPv2. (Stallings, 153) Some people might say that SNMPv2 has lost the simplicity, but the truth is that the changes were necessary, and could not have been avoided. A management station relies on the agent at a device to retrieve or update the information at the device. The information is viewed as a logical database, called a Management Information Base, or MIB. MIB modules describe MIB variables for a large variety of device types, computer hardware, and software components. The original MIB for Managing a TCP/IP internet (now called MIB-I) was defined in RFC 066 in August of 1988. It was updated in RFC 1156 in May of 1990. The MIB-II version published in RFC 1213 in May of 1991, contained some improvements, and has proved that it can do a good job of meeting basic TCP/IP management needs. MIB-II added many useful variables missing from MIB-I (Feit, 85). MIB files are common variables used not only by SNMP, but CMIP as well. In the late 1980†³s a project began, funded by governments, and large corporations. Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP) was born. Many thought that because of it†s nearly infinite development budget, that it would quickly become in idespread use, and overthrow SNMP from it†s throne. Unfortunately, problems with its implementation have delayed its use, and it is now only available in limited form from developers themselves. (SNMP, Part 2 of 2, III. 40. ) CMIP was designed to be better than SNMP in every way by repairing all flaws, and expanding on what was good about it, making it a bigger and more detailed network manager. It†s design is similar to SNMP, where PDU†s are used as variables to monitor the network. CMIP however contains 11 types of PDU†s (compared to SNMP†s 5). In CMIP, the variables are seen as very complex and sophisticated data tructures with three attributes. These include: 1) Variable attributes: which represent the variables characteristics (its data 2) variable behaviors: what actions of that variable can be triggered. 3) Notifications: the variable generates an event report whenever a specified event occurs (eg. A terminal shutdown would cause a variable notification As a comparison, SNMP only employs variable properties from one and three above. The biggest feature of the CMIP protocol is that its variables not only relay information to and from the terminal (as in SNMP) , but they can also be used to perform tasks that would be impossible under SNMP. For instance, if a terminal on a network cannot reach the fileserver a pre-determined amount of times, then CMIP can notify appropriate personnel of the event. With SNMP however, a user would have to specifically tell it to keep track of unsuccessful attempts to reach the server, and then what to do when that variable reaches a limit. CMIP therefore results in a more efficient management system, and less work is required from the user to keep updated on the status of the network. CMIP also contains the security measures left out by SNMP. Because of the large development budget, when it becomes available, CMIP ill be widely used by the government, and the corporations that funded it. After reading the above paragraph, you might wonder why, if CMIP is this wonderful, is it not being used already? (after all, it had been in development for nearly 10 years) The answer is that possibly CMIP†s only major disadvantage, is enough in my opinion to render it useless. CMIP requires about ten times the system resources that are needed for SNMP. In other words, very few systems in the world would able to handle a full implementation on CMIP without undergoing massive network modifications. This disadvantage has no inexpensive fix to it. For that reason, many believe CMIP is doomed to fail. The other flaw in CMIP is that it is very difficult to program. Its complex nature requires so many different variables that only a few skilled programmers are able to use it to it†s full potential. Considering the above information, one can see that both management systems have their advantages and disadvantages. However the deciding factor between the two, lies with their implementation, for now, it is almost impossible to find a system with the necessary resources to support the CMIP model, even though it is superior to SNMP (v1 and v2) in both design and operation. Many people believe that the growing power of modern systems will soon fit well with CMIP model, and might result in it†s widespread use, but I believe by the time that day comes, SNMP could very well have adapted itself to become what CMIP currently offers, and more. As we†ve seen with other products, once a technology achieves critical mass, and a substantial installed base, it†s quite difficult to convince users to rip it out and start fresh with an new and unproven technology (Borsook, 48). It is then recommend that SNMP be used in a situation where minimial security is needed, and SNMPv2 be used Borsook, Paulina. How to cite LAN and Network Mangements, Essay examples

Monday, May 4, 2020

Wesfarmers Human Rights and Modern Slavery Statement

Question: Discuss about the Wesfarmers Human Rights and Modern Slavery Statement. Answer: Introduction: Wesfarmers Limited is amongst the topmost revenue generating multinational company in the nation. It is an Australian conglomerate and has the global headquarter located at Perth in Western Australia and the address of the same is 40 The Esplanade Perth, Western Australia (Wesfarmers, 2017a). Due to its operations being spread in different businesses, it falls in the industry of conglomerate and is a multi-industry company. Wesfarmers key operations are in the aspects of fertilizers, coal mining, chemicals, retail and industry and safety products (AMP Capital, 2015). And the major interests lie in Australia and NZ, along with UK, Bangladesh and Ireland (ASX, 2016) In 2000 companies, the company has been at the first position. Through supermarkets and its grocery stores, the majority of the companys income is generated. The company generated $66,216,000,000 as revenues for the year of 2016. The company has a diversified portfolio and it operates in areas like hardware and department stores. The post of CEO of the company has been known as MD in the company, and is held by Richard Goyder. The Chairman of the company has been known as Non-Executive Chairman in the company, and is held by Michael Chaney (IBIS, 2016). Wesfarmers had been declared as the biggest company with regards to the revenue of the company for the previous year. The company left its competitors far behind by attaining AU$65.98 billion as revenues. The Annual Report for the previous year shows that 220,000 people had been the employees of the company, due to which it is a largest private sector employer of the nation. The company also has considerable number of employees, which is over 3,300, and this is due to its present position (Wesfarmers, 2016a). In 1914, it was initially founded as being a cooperative and was responsible for making available the merchandise, as well as, the services to the Western Australian farmers. The first time when the company was listed over the ASX was in 1984. Since then, the company has been growing manifolds on yearly basis (Wesfarmers, 2017b). Even within its retail division, the company enjoys different operations, for instance, the supermarkets, the convenience stores, and office and hardware supplies. The brands of Wesfarmers Limited include Coles, which operates as a retailer of the groceries and a number of other household consumables; Kmart- retailer of general merchandise and apparel, along with handling of the automotive services department; Target- retailer for general merchandise, home wares and apparel; Home Improvement- run through Bunnings brand and has a chain of 357 trading locations in NZ and Australia; and lastly, Officeworks, which operates across the nation as a retail office supplies stores (IBIS, 2016). Regulatory Framework The regulatory framework which is applicable on any company in Australia includes the Acts, the Regulations, the Codes and the various other legislative mechanisms, which govern the entities having its operations in the nation. The following part covers a detail on some of the legislations which are applicable on the company. As the products are offered by the company to its consumers, the act which regulates the consumer behavior in Australia, i.e., the Competition and Consumer Act, 2002, which is an act of the Commonwealth, is applicable over the company. Certain changes were announced in 2016 by the Federal Government. As per these changes, when a business would have a major power over the act, due to which it can act in a way which can be stated as being competitive, and which also helps in attaining the benefits for the consumers, it would be unlawful when the same results in the competition being reduced due to the superior competitors making an exit from the market. This would result in the discouragement in the competition, which would increase the uncertainty for Wesfarmers. Not only is the business community against this proposal, even Wesfarmers has conveyed its disappointment to the Government. The reason for this is that the chances of litigations being raised against the company would be rai sed due to these changes in the provision of the act (Wesfarmers, 2016a). One of the retail businesses of Wesfarmers, i.e., Coles had been leading the command for development, as well as, implementation of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct with the Australian Food and Grocery Council. Upon its ratification by the Parliament, Coles signed the same. This code is regulated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission under the Competition and Consumer Act 2001. Wesfarmers, in its Annual Report 2016, has acknowledged that the increasing number of regulations in the nation was resulting in an unnecessary delay in the investments, which renders the operations of the company, as less effective. The activities of the company are subjected to a number of environmental regulations across the nation, in addition to the other nations in which the company operates (Wesfarmers, 2016a). Being registered as a company, Wesfarmers is also required to adhere to the Corporations Act, 2001 (Cth) and has to appoint its directors and other officers as per the criteria laid down in it, carry out the meetings, and make the disclosures as per this act. The example of one of such disclosure relates to the general standard of independence of the auditor through the Corporations Act 2001. Another example of the same is the disclosure as per section 237 of this act, pertaining to the proceedings brought on behalf of the company. The securities trading policy of Wesfarmers replicates the restrictions in the matter of the key management personnel of the company, where closely related parties are undertaken. A number of provisions pertaining to the remuneration of key personnel are also governed through the provisions of this act. The compliance with section 300A was also done as per this act. And also, the substantial shareholding for the purposes of Part 6C.1 of the Corporations Ac t 2001 was also made by Wesfarmers (Wesfarmers, 2016a). The Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 is also applicable on the company, which requires the company to comply with the requirements set out in this acts Division 83A for the Australian resident employees. The Wesfarmers Employee Share Acquisition Plan of the company qualified as a non-discriminatory share scheme for the employee as per the Division 83A. The company also has to adhere to different Accounting Standards, one of which is AASB 101 Presentation of Financial Statement (Wesfarmers, 2016a). Treaties, Conventions or Agreements The previous segment covered the regulatory framework which is applicable on Wesfarmers, as a result of its operations in Australia. This necessitates a discussion over the various international treaties, covenants and agreements, which are applicable on Wesfarmers, to be discussed, which apply on the company owing to its global presence. In order to take a step towards the initiatives relating to sustainable future, Wesfarmers complies with the GRI Guidelines, which stands for the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines. For the year of 2015, Wesfarmers has followed a number of GRI G4 Guidelines in different categories of economic, environmental and social, and under these headings, on the basis of different aspects. For instance, under the environmental category, in the energy aspect, Wesfarmers adhered to the G4-DMA and G4-EN5 and for emissions aspect, the G4-DMA, G4-EN15, G4-EN16, and G4-EN17were adhered to (Wesfarmers, 2015). The company is committed towards reducing the greenhouse gas emissions, for which, the company monitors and manages its own emissions in an active manner and makes attempts towards reducing the same. The company also understands the specific risks which are formed due to the changes in the climate for the business of the company and also attempts to reduce such risks. The company, for 2016, reduced its greenhouse emissions by more than 2% in comparison to 2015, and since 2012, the company has decreased the same by more than 30% (Wesfarmers, 2016a). The raison d'tre behind for working towards reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions is due to the international treaties like the UNCCC, i.e., United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. The international convention of UNFCCC was initiated in 1992, which works in the direction of stabilizing the emissions from the greenhouse gases, in order to decrease the degraded impact which they leave on the climate. UNFCCC helps in specifying the limits for the greenhouse gases, in place of specifying an international treaty (Harrison, 2013). Another similar treaty, which was formed in 1997, is the Kyoto Protocol. This is also focused upon reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. The raison d'tre behind this is due to global warming which is aptly present, and which results from the emission of carbon dioxide which has been formed due to the actions undertaken by man (Krber, Schwirzenbeck and Barth, 2008). The Kyoto Protocol implements the objectives of UNFCCC. Hence, both of these treaties work towards fighting global warming by reducing the concentration of the greenhouse gasses present in the atmosphere, by taking it to such a level through with the dangerous anthropogenic inte rferences with the climate system can be prevented (Massai, 2011). The Paris Agreement is one of the agreements within the UNFCCC, which deals with the mitigation and adaption for the greenhouse gases, along with the finance which starts in the year of 2020. Its language was negotiated amongst the representatives of 195 nations, which took place on December 12th 2015, at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, and was held in Paris (Blau, 2017). The Paris Agreement is aimed at enhancement of the UNFCCCs implementation by holding the increase in the global average temperature which is less than 2?C and also makes efforts towards limiting the increase to 1.5C and both these limits are over the pre-industrial levels (Bates, 2015). Recognizing that the climate change is due to human actions, and acknowledging that Wesfarmers and the nation of Australia have a huge rule in mitigation of the climate change, Wesfarmers takes various initiatives towards safeguarding the climate. Wesfarmers works towards this, for limiting the global warming to the levels of 1.5C 2C higher than the pre-industrial levels. Wesfarmers believes in working together with the industry and the government for achieving these desired outcomes. For the decarbonisation to take place in an efficient manner, the long term policy needs to have a certainty. Hence, the company has pledged to continue on improving the greenhouse gas efficiency in all of its operations, which would not only reduce the business risks and costs for the company, but would also contribute towards the mitigation of the climate change (Wesfarmers, 2017c). Wesfarmers also undertook steps to encourage the government to apply for the ERF, i.e., the Emissions Reduction Fund, so that the energy efficiency could be implemented across the retail business of Wesfarmers. Wesfarmers business takes the LED lights into use when the companys new stores are being developed. The company also makes the retrofitting of more than two million new and highly efficient light fittings in the stores which are already present in the nation and the same is also being done for the distribution centers of the company, within a period of seven years. By undertaking these initiatives, Wesfarmers would successfully avoid the addition values for fifteen thousand tones of CO2e every year, i.e., carbon dioxide equivalent annually (Wesfarmers, 2016b). As has been highlighted earlier, Target is one of businesses of the nation. For the year of 2016, Target took a comprehensive due diligence program for making certain that the importation of the regulated timbre products was not done from the illegally logged sources. This was due to the Federal Government of Australias initiative with regards to adherence to the Illegal Logging Act 2012 of the Europe, along with its regulations (Wesfarmers, 2016c). The human element plays a huge role in the Wesfarmers as a conglomerate. And so, a number of international treaties and covenants in this regard, have to be followed by the company. The company has also drawn a statement as per the Modern Slavery Act 2015s Section 54, Part 6, which is an act of the United Kingdom (Wesfarmers, 2016d). References AMP Capital. (2015) AMP Capital Sustainable Share Fund. [Online] AMP Capital. Available from: https://www.ampcapital.com.au/AMPCapitalAU/media/contents/Documents/Sustainable%20Share%20Fund/1503-ssf-stock-holdings.pdf?ext=.pdf [Accessed on: 21/04/17] ASX. (2016) Wesfarmers. [Online] ASX. Available from: https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20160921/pdf/43bbqf00p6wwcy.pdf [Accessed on: 21/04/17] Bates, A.K. (2015) The Paris Agreement: The Best Chance We Have to Save the One Planet We've Got. San Bernardino, CA: BOOK Publishing Company. Blau, J. (2017) The Paris Agreement: Climate Change, Solidarity, and Human Rights. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Harrison, J. (2013) The European Union and South Korea: The Legal Framework for Strengthening Trade, Economic and Political Relations. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. IBIS. (2016) Wesfarmers Limited - Premium Company Report Australia. [Online] IBIS. Available from: https://www.ibisworld.com.au/australian-company-research-reports/retail-trade/wesfarmers-limited-company.html [Accessed on: 21/04/17] Krber, C., Schwirzenbeck, M. and Barth, K. (2008) The Kyoto Protocol. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag. Massai, L. (2011) The Kyoto Protocol in the EU: European Community and Member States under International and European Law. Prato, Italy: Springer Science Business Media. Wesfarmers. (2015) GRI G4 Content Index. [Online] Wesfarmers. Available from: https://www.sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-data/gri-g4-content-index/ [Accessed on: 21/04/17] Wesfarmers. (2016a) 2016 Annual Report. [Online] Wesfarmers. Available from: https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/docs/default-source/reports/2016-annual-report.pdf?sfvrsn=4 [Accessed on: 21/04/17] Wesfarmers. (2016b) Stakeholder engagement. [Online] Wesfarmers. Available from: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-approach/stakeholder-engagement/ [Accessed on: 21/04/17] Wesfarmers. (2016c) 2016 Sustainability Report. [Online] Wesfarmers. Available from: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/media/1835/edited-extract-of-wesfarmers-2016-sustainability-report.pdf [Accessed on: 21/04/17] Wesfarmers. (2016d) Wesfarmers human rights and modern slavery statement. [Online] Wesfarmers. Available from: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-data/wesfarmers-human-rights-and-modern-slavery-statement/ [Accessed on: 21/04/17] Wesfarmers. (2017a) A New Head Office Wesfarmers House. [Online] Wesfarmers. Available from: https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/who-we-are/our-history/a-new-head-office-wesfarmers-house [Accessed on: 21/04/17] Wesfarmers. (2017b) Our History. [Online] Wesfarmers. Available from: https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/who-we-are/our-history [Accessed on: 21/04/17] Wesfarmers. (2017c) Environment. [Online] Wesfarmers. Available from: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-principles/environment/climate-change-resilience/ [Accessed on: 21/04/17]

Monday, March 30, 2020

The Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden Tour free essay sample

I knew that it was going to be great; I just didn’t know that it was going to be that great. That which I am referring to is The Eagles concert that I attended. I went to the concert on November 9th, 2008 in Kansas City, MO at the Sprint Center. I was awestruck when I first arrived. Then during the concert I couldn’t believe how amazing it was. Then, once the night concluded itself and we had to drive home, I was on a natural high the entire time. It was miraculous. When we grew near to the Sprint Center I could not help but to flail around in the car with excitement. We had to go to the top of a parking garage to park and I practically ran to the Sprint Center from there. When I stepped in I was amazed at how big it was, they have an escalator that is almost three stories tall! Then we(My mother, my father, Brad Sherman and I) made it to where are seats were and I couldn’t believe the view. We will write a custom essay sample on The Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden Tour or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Sure it was a little far back but we had a really good angle and direct visual of the stage. I was already astonished and the show hadn’t even started! Soon a chant raged all over the through the crowd. They were chanting for the show to begin. We all began a slow clap progressing into a faster pace and soon The Eagles emerged from backstage. The crowd roared with excitement as they saw the shadowy figures in the dark. Soon the lights materialized and the entire band began to play. The crowd gained excitement as the night progressed and so did the band. The famous Joe Walsh got a chance to strut his stuff when they performed a song packed full of guitar (Joe Walsh plays lead guitar)and they gave him a helmet cam! He went around playing looking at the crowd and everything that he saw was projected up onto a large screen. It was extraordinary! Soon they â€Å"finished† playing and went off stage but Brad and I pulled out a couple of lighters and started swinging them and screaming and along with the rest of the multitude of spectators cheering we managed to bring them out for an encore. Pre-which I was really hoping for a few songs that they didn’t play and they sure delivered in the encore! After that we all made our way out of The Sprint Center and maneuvered our way to the car for the voyage home. It was not until almost 2 in the morning that we got home but the entire ride back was an experience. After the show I was on a natural high from all of the music and thrill of it. Even though it was super late and I had school the next day I just could not sleep. I was truly dazed and confused so long it’s not true. We had to drop Brad off at home and he had to crawl out of the car he was so tired, I don’t even think that I said bye. I think that one of the best parts of the entire thing was sporting my new t-shirt the next day at school.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

113 Great Research Paper Topics

3 Great Research Paper Topics SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we’ve done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 3 interesting research paper topics. They’ve been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you. In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper. What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic? Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics. #1: It’s Something You’re Interested In A paper is always easier to write if you’re interested in the topic, and you’ll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don’t feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well. #2: There’s Enough Information to Write a Paper Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you’re so excited to write about it, you won’t be able to produce a good paper if there isn’t enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper. Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn’t have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you’ll have all the information you need to write your paper. #3: It Fits Your Teacher’s Guidelines Don’t get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you’re writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won’t be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you’re really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing. 3 Good Research Paper Topics Below are 3 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We’ve organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you’re looking for. Arts/Culture Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance. Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world. How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years? How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music? How has rap music evolved in the past decade? How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed? Current Events What have been the impacts of China’s one child policy? How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades? How has the Trump presidency changed international relations? Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea. What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment? What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage? How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries? How have the US’s immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades? How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US? What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US? What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)? What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power? Discuss the history of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Education Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers? Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests? Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren’t receiving a free meal? Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools? Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms? How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method? Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on? What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act? How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries? What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students’ health? Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools? Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools? Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching? How does college debt affect future life choices of students? Should graduate students be able to form unions? Ethics What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US? How and why have divorce rates changed over time? Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace? Should physician-assisted suicide be legal? How has stem cell research impacted the medical field? How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world? Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money? Government Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes? Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer? Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another. Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result? Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs? Which prison reforms have proven most effective? Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet? Health Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet? How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss? How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other? What are the most effective ways to treat depression? What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods? Which methods are most effective for improving memory? What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US? What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis? Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss? How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week? Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children? What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs? How does stress affect the body? History Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials? Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation? How has New Orleans and the government’s response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina? What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire? What were the impacts of British rule in India? Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary? What were the successes and failures of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States? What were the causes of the Civil War? How did Abraham Lincoln’s assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War? Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution? What caused Hitler’s rise to power? Discuss how a specific invention impacted history. What led to Cleopatra’s fall as ruler of Egypt? How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries? What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide? Religion Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church? Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.) How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church? How has the Catholic church’s power changed over the past decades/centuries? What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/agnosticism in the United States? What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha? How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September th? Science/Environment How has the earth’s climate changed in the past few decades? How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US? Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades. Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time. How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods? How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety? What are the pros and cons of fracking? What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far? What have NASA’s biggest successes and failures been? How can we improve access to clean water around the world? Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment? Should the US rely on nuclear energy more? What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction? What impact has climate change had on coral reefs? How are black holes created? Technology Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression? How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users? Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles. How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods? Has social media made people more or less connected? What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence? Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity? What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom? How is Google search affecting our intelligence? When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone? Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates? How to Write a Great Research Paper Even great research paper topics won’t give you a great research paper if you don’t hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers. #1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don’t want to start writing without it! As some examples, if you’re writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be â€Å"Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom.† If you’re writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be â€Å"While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states’ rights, and territorial expansion." #2: Back Every Statement Up With Research Remember, this is a research paper you’re writing, so you’ll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You’re allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give. #3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing You don’t want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn’t enough research to back up the points you’re making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you’re trying to make! Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you’ve collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you’re going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it’ll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper. What's Next? Are you also learning about dynamic equilibrium in your science class? We break this sometimes tricky concept down so it's easy to understand in our complete guide to dynamic equilibrium. (coming soon) Thinking about becoming a nurse practitioner? Nurse practitioners have one of the fastest growing careers in the country, and we have all the information you need to know about what to expect from nurse practitioner school. Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Market - Assignment Example Trying to sell it to people from the lower social class will make it seem like an inferior product (Camillo 67). Therefore, I can take advantage of this situation and advertise this product to people of the upper and middle social class in order to for it get the purchases it deserves. The product will be packaged in relatively expensive cases in order to give it that wealthy touch. Personal influence can also be tied to social influence whereby people who consume wine want to be seen as people with wealth or class in the society (Camillo 72). That is why when we visit people they insist on offering us wine to prove their class. Therefore, I can incorporate a renowned public figure during the advertisements of the product in order for people who consume it to feel associated with the figure. Also, the casing of the wine will have a picture of the person, which will attract more people to it. A lot people perceive that taking alcohol will give them the happy mood they have been longing for (Camillo 88). Therefore, during advertisements, a happy person should be incorporated in it in order for buyers to also want the same feeling. Happiness is priceless; hence, the price of the product should replicate what it gives to the

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

The Historical Development of the Juvenile Court Essay

The Historical Development of the Juvenile Court - Essay Example In 1825, a refuge institution was opened in New York that was the first of its kind to deal with the juvenile delinquents, followed by the opening of two other institutions of the same kind. The methods of treatment used in these institutions included corporal punishments and heavy labor. Voices were raised against such a treatment of the children and eventually, a juvenile court bill was passed in 1899 in Illinois. The main role of these courts was to rehabilitate and reform neglected children, children who committed offences not deemed appropriate for their age and who committed offences that would be considered crimes if carried out by adults. 2. Discuss the development of due process rights for juveniles through several key U.S. Supreme Court cases. Answer: The U.S. Supreme Court did not recognize procedural restrictions for juvenile courts because of their rehabilitative nature as opposed to punitive nature. But the Gerald Gault case of 1964 set precedent for the subsequent deve lopment of the due process rights for juveniles. In this case, the child was initially institutionalized for six years, the punishment for the similar offence for adults was a mere 50$ or a few months detention. On the appeal of the parents, the Supreme Court reversed the Arizona case decision and the development of due process rights started taking shape. Other significant developments in defining procedural restrictions which resulted from case trials were: the decision in the Mckiever v Pennsylvania case that the states had the right to use jury trials independently in juvenile cases but this was not a constitutional requirement, the Roper v Simmons case which resulted in the minimum age for death penalty being set at 18 years and many other such cases. 3. What are different models used to transfer a juvenile to adult court? Why would a state want to transfer a juvenile out of the juvenile justice system? Answer: There are three models of transferring juveniles to adult courts: a ) Judicial Waiver: It is the instance of transferring a juvenile case to a criminal court due to the transfer or waiver of jurisdiction by the judge himself. b) Concurrent Jurisdiction: It is also known as the Prosecutorial Discretion because in these cases the prosecution has the choice of either filing the case in the juvenile court or the criminal court. c) Statutory Exclusion: The cases where the criminal courts have original jurisdiction, the juvenile cases are transferred through this model. The reason why some of the juvenile cases are transferred to adult courts is that the nature of their offences is extremely violent and the public outrage over some of the offences like school shootings etc. makes it difficult to prosecute them under juvenile due process.  

Monday, January 27, 2020

General Characteristics Of Construction Project Manager Construction Essay

General Characteristics Of Construction Project Manager Construction Essay This report comprehensively discusses about involvement of a Construction Project Manager; describing how to manage a proposed housing Development Complex project through proper construction management techniques. This proposed high rise building complex comprised with twenty storied; luxury housing apartments and six basements to accommodate as car parking area, Multipurpose room, Swimming Pool, Supermarket and required utility services such as storage water tank from main supply, water distribution system and Sewerage System. This Housing Development project will be constructed at Colombo-07 adjoining Park Road. Project investor is a wealthy Sri-Lankan Businessman. Presently, I am appointed in this project as a Construction Project Manger. Clients has emphasized me his objectives, to obtain a maximum turnover of the project, implementing Proper Construction Management System. My responsibility is doing so; to archive the project goals in terms of time, Quality, Cost, Safety and Environmental Sustainability as I have conveyed all the way through this report. I have identified significant project management key measures, to use through overall project, such as construction planning and choice of construction technology and Construction methods influence the selected planning, as well as programming and control methods, schedules and progress control using relative software packages available, and also identified key risk elements in this construction project. MAIN BODY Definition about construction project manager The construction project manager is a responsible person to handle overall construction of projects from start to finish. And his duty will be act as the representative of the employer as well as additional consultation to the overall project for the successful initiation, planning, execution and closure of a project. General characteristics of Construction Project Manager Construction project managers engage with particular management activities for mange construction projects in proper way, hence they have the specialize knowledge for project planning, directing, coordinating and budgeting process. As examples for construction project; Commercial building, Industrial building, Roads bridges, Water treatment plants, Schools hospitals, also particular civil engineering works etc. Further common features can be described as; Supervise and coordinate entire project activities or some part of the project until end of the project. Programming; Scheduling and coordinate all design and construction process. When required specialize trade contractors, select and hire them according to the requirements of the project. Project designs, specifications, contact documents and agreement, Construction Project Manger should supervise them very clearly. Always keep well coordination with project owner, architect, engineers, and with other stakeholders directly who are involved in project. Educational Background Generally they are degree holders or relevant reputed qualifications in field of civil engineering, construction management or construction science, also with adequate experience, some of them are appointed obtaining from supervisor level with particular experiences and they have improved their knowledge studying some specific associates degree program such as, project control and development, site planning, design, construction methods/ construction materials, value analysis etc. Most of universities offer master degree programs for upgrade their knowledge as well. As other qualifications, ability of flexible and clear decision for mange and resolve problems, also good understand about engineering drawings and very familiar to operate computer softwares, as well as talent, good communication skill, leadership skill, good relationship with relevant parties, Construction Project Manager Responsibilities: Significant responsibilities and duties are; Observe construction land and study feasibility studies to get understand what type of land required for the project. Prepare master program to the overall project and agree with the employer. Execute a key role in project planning, budgeting, and identification of resources required. Form the teams, developing the objectives, goals of each and allocate individual responsibilities. Managing budget, team expenses and minimizing exposure and risk in the project Manage/ monitor the construction activities progress according to schedule. Keep well communicate with the contractors and Co-ordinate with all parties which involved in the project Financial advice to the employer and cost control. Monitor strictly budgetary guidelines, quality and safety standards. Periodic inspection of construction sites. Manage the progress meeting and kick off meeting as required Obtaining all necessary permits and licenses Preparations for handover process in respect of agreed master program. There are some specific qualitative attributes in project management roles such as capability to plan and organize a team effort, well client management and kindness building ability, ability to motivate, guide and increase morale of the teams, successful time management and logical decision-making skill, ability to handle work force, physical and mental fitness, physically powerful focus on quality. Specific Duties of a Construction Manager As specific duties, CPMs handle multitude tasks, determining and review that what are the necessary to give prior for finish at the beginning. In a large scale project, generally divide several activities segments such as site preparation, including clearing and excavation of the land, installing sewage systems, and landscaping and road construction; building construction, including laying foundations and erecting the structural framework, floors, walls, and roofs; and building systems, including protecting against fire and installing electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning, and heating systems. Construction managers may be in charge of one or several of these activities. Construction managers must also inspect and review the construction project on a periodic basis to ensure compliance with safety code and building code regulations. What is a Construction Project? A Construction project is a temporary endeavor to create an inimitable product or service. Construction Projects generally include constraints and risks concerning cost, schedule or performance outcome. Every project has a start and an end. The end of a project is defined by the successful complete of the product or service. There are specific traits that all projects have in common. The most distinguishing feature is a specific time frame. Projects must have a clear, definitive objective and activities tasks. Those are planning, organizing, Control and closure tasks and the resources and execution that is the focus of project management. Key Characteristics of Projects: Unique solution. Project boundaries. One-time effort, usually requiring specified resources. Specified start and end dates. Understand of reached the end of the project. What is the Construction Project Management Process? According to the PM4DEV Project Management for Development Organizations, noted in it, Project management is a process of leading a team of capable people in planning and implementing a series of related activities that need to be accomplished on a specific date with a limited budget. Because of its nature, coordinating all these activities requires a process approach. This management process specially consists of some specific functions such as, Project initiation, Planning, organizing, controlling and managing resources to complete a construction project successfully within on time, cost and quality. The construction project management process need the direct individual, the project manager, to oversee the construction schedule, the allocation of personnel and equipment and the projects budget. General functions of construction project management usually include the following Project objectives and plans; (including definition of scope, scheduling, budgeting, setting performance requirements) Maximizing resource efficiency through procurement of labor, materials and equipment. Implementing various operations through proper coordination and control of planning, design, estimating, contracting and construction in the entire process. Developing effective communications and mechanisms for resolving conflicts The Project manger is the overall responsible person to direct the construction project management process. Also Project manager is the specific professional in the field of project management. Hence project manager has the ultimate responsibility such as, planning, execution and successful completion of the project. A significant component of the construction project management process is maintenance the project on schedule and within the estimated budget as well, to achieve these goals, Further concerning Project management process can be described as follows; Project management is the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, and quality and participation satisfaction. (Refer to Figure 2-1) Figure 2-1:Â   Basic Ingredients in Project Management Specific Benefits of Construction Project Management Process There are few specific benefits of Construction Project Management process, these benefits are very essential for the project success. Preferable efficiency in delivering services Improved/increased/enhanced customer satisfaction Enhanced effectiveness in delivering services Improved growth and development within your team Greater standing and competitive edge Opportunities to expand your services Better Flexibility Increased risk assessment Increase in Quality Increase in Quantity When execute the essential project management strategies, Construction Project Manager Intention will focus to reach the desired goals within specific time and cost, Quality. The Top 10 Benefits of Project Management Essential Factors of Project Management Process Generally Construction projects have specific factors for contribute of project success or project fail. Each factors directly effect with other factors in order for a project to be successful. Those are as follows; Project Team and Team Motivation Project Manager Project Planning Avoiding Scope Creep: Risk Management: Project Closure: Read more: Factors for Project Success | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7495173_factors-project-success.html#ixzz26WXLGm8N Eight Key Factors to Ensuring Project Success Author: Duncan Haughey, Version 1.0, project smart.com .UK http://www.pmhut.com/project-management-role-and-responsibilities Project Management Roles and Responsibilities Particularly strong project management skills are very essential to deliver the project successful of project goal. Hence project management process has combined a set of skills and techniques committed under following tasks. Integrate planning and conduct modify control Define and manage the scope of the project Prepare a budget and manage costs Prepare and track schedules Ensure that the right resources are allocated to the project Manage contracts and vendors and procure project resources Facilitate team and external communications Facilitate the risk management process Also document and monitor the teams quality management process makes the final decision on the issue by transitioning into the role of decision leader to enable the project to continue. Hence above roles and responsibilities should be covered within the project management process as well. Project Management Process According to the PM4DEV, Project Management for Development Organizations, as noted in it, There are nine significant management processes under Construction Project Management to be implemented within role of the project manager. The nine project management processes are: Scope Management Schedule Management Budget Management Quality Management Team Management Stakeholder Management Information Management Risk management Contract Management Above management process have divided into two groups: Enabling processes Facilitating processes This management process phases are interrelated with entire project life cycle. Below given graphic chat will shows management process interrelationship with project lifecycle. Enabling Process Project Life Cycle Facilitating processes Figure 4.1 Project Management Processes and Phases Enabling Processes In the construction management process enabling process include with project scope, schedule, budget and quality. Hence these are should enable to direct some specific objectives of the project and for project success within on time, cost, quality. Scope Management In Construction project management process; Scope management is very critical for project success. Also project scope is the way to illustrate the boundaries of the project. Hence project manager should awareness concerning the scope of the project. Therefore project manager be able to co-ordinate with designers to get update and control the project scope and also acknowledge of project team, as well as the contractors about scope of the work accordingly and should monitor and control work executions too. Further about scope management by below given graphic chart will explain briefly; Schedule Management Schedule management is the development of a project schedule that includes all project activities, hence project manager has to stick on starting and completion dates of each trade packages as programmed, and management team also has to monitor progress of construction and forecast the completion date accordingly. If completion date is not matching the master program, control process is required. As example; assumed some work element unable to complete as programmed due to less progressing or late in starting. If so, it will affect to other work sections too and will delay accordingly. Therefore project manager should advice to allocate additional resources to accelerate the delayed work section to complete it as pre programmed. Budget Management Budget management process is required to ensure the project is completed within the estimated budget. Hence this is the vital responsibility of the Construction Project Manager to handle and complete the project within allocated budget of the project. As well as monitor and control the cost of project at both pre post contract stages are also important part of this management process. Cost Controlling Cost controlling system is critical process of the cost management process, to run the project without commercial backlog. (Refer to Chat 1.02) Chart 1.02 Cost controlling and cost management system Pre contract cost management Generally preliminary budget estimate is prepared based on the clients intended budget and also concerning separate trade packages. As well as Cost plan (elemental analysis), Cost check, Tender reconciliation process also important activities for the cost controlling under pre contract stage. Post contract cost management BCIS slandered form is followed (Elemental Standard Form of Cost Analysis Principles, Instructions, Elements and Definitions 4th Edition) to prepare elementary cost analysis method and gaudiness. Further detail herein for cost control, using S- curve methods; (Refer to Chart 1.03) Chart 1.03 Cost control S-Curve (Programmed) Referring to the above diagram; it shows expenditure and income occurred. This is being monitored regularly, to avoid the cost overrun. . Quality Management Quality management is the process to ensure that the project will satisfy the needs of the beneficiaries. Hence project manager has to monitor and control the quality of work and devlpolp the quality paln. also he has to allocate experienced project coordinator to advice force the contractor to maintain the quality of work. Each work element should be approved by a qualified quality controller or an Engineer prior to handover. Also he has to check the quality of materials and should be strict to the contractor to use standard materials for construction as specified in drawings and specification to maintain the quality of work. Hence all materials should be approved by a quality controlling team prior to use for construction. Some of the most important quality tools are; Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle, Fishbone Diagram, Pareto Chart, Scatter Diagram, Decision Matrix, Flowchart, Stratification, Control Chart, Histogram, Brainstorming, Tree Diagram etc. http://theconstructor.org/constrution/project-quality-management-in-construction/292/ Facilitating processes This process includes with some specific function such as, Team, stakeholder, information, risk, and contract management, these are facilitating for assist and make possible for the project to achieve its objectives. Team Management Team management is a techniques, processes and tools for organizing and coordinating a group of individuals working towards a common goal, there are few critical factors for success of the team management process, identify the roles responsibilities, reporting relationships and getting the people that will be allocate to the project, develop the team. As well as team evaluation is very important part to identify the staff performance and their skill level and required improvement. Stakeholder Management Stakeholder management include stakeholder identify, analysis, planning and communication. Project stakeholders are very important people for the project success, hence project manager has to mange them in proper way, because of all of them interest to the project success. As example donors, beneficiaries, local government organizations, partners or organizations are the stakeholders of construction project. As well as managing them keeping good relationship between stakeholders and project. Information Management Risk Management Identification of possible risks in advance is important and major responsibility of the Construction manager. The project management team will be able to take necessary actions to avoid or minimize the risks by identifying them early. Safety of work, Economic matters, Weather conditions, political matters etc also includes in risk management. Hence it is important to take insurances for the construction, material on site, employees; third party etc. Contract Management Safety of Work Safety of work is very important at the site to avoid delays in construction. Hence all employees should educate about safety matters and should provide safety equipments, safety wears etc to employees. Required safety instructions should be display on public notice boards. Fire fighting equipments such as fire extinguishers, water, sand, hose real etc should install at site and well trained fire preventing team also should be there. First AID boxes, clinics, Ambulance etc also should available at the site. Problem Solving Identify problems arise from trade contractors is essential to take necessary actions as required to avoid unnecessary delays. As example; Suspended ceiling contractor has to coordinate with MEP contractors to identify his requirements such as voids at ceiling to fix diffusers at the ceiling. Also design problems, practical problems should solve immediately as soon as those arise by using communicating, coordinating and negotiating techniques with related parties Closing and Handover the Project Final inspection should carry out by the Construction Project Manager after completion of constructions of the project. He must re-check all approval for quality of work, testing and commissioning reports, scope verification etc. Then the project is ready to hand over to the client. All related claims, cost proposals and Final payment application etc should be finalized on time.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Global Strategy and Local Needs in the Luxury Car Market Essay

1 Introduction Since the 1980’s researchers have been trying to understand what globalization is and how competitive advantage can be gained out of it. This study will look at this movement with a critical eye and reflect whether or not it is sometimes better to give local needs priority in management decisions. The purpose of this study is to analyse whether the â€Å"Global strategy, but local needs† assumption leads to success. The objective is to provide scientific evidence for this strategy, analyse different organizations’ strategies and provide a possible recommendation for the best practice. Globalization is a driver of luxury 1 but it is not the best solution to apply this approach in all strategic decisions. This paper will not only look at this strategic approach in general, but will try to focus in specific on the luxury car market. The luxury segment is a fascinating subject for scientific research, because it still provides possibilities for relatively fundamental research within its niche. 2 Although there is considerable literature about specific brands, there is a lack of systematic and scholarly work that â€Å"analyses the luxury car phenomenon itself. † 3 The importance of this segment has also been emphasized in Sergio Marchionne’s recent speech to the shareholders (appendix 7. 2). The CEO of the Fiat S. p. a and of the Chrysler Group LLC underlined that his strategy for the future of the Group is located in the premium4 car production. 5 The motivation of this paper therefore is to analyse the challenge Maserati will have to address and to arrive to some practicable conclusions. 1 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 12. 2 Cf. Heine 2012, p. 6. 3 Cf. Berger 2001, p. 160. 4. Expression intentionally quoted to illustrate a later explained statement 5 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012b. Definition and terminology 1. 1 2 Methodology The findings of this project are derived from primary, secondary and tertiary sources of information. The tertiary source was mainly the catalogue of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek in Frankfurt. Another important part of the data collection contributed the Internet. Most data has been found with the search engine google. com and scholar. google. com and the homepages of the relative brands mentioned in the project. The biggest part of the project’s information was taken out of secondary sources such as textbooks, newspapers and specific literature. Finally, the annual reports of 2011 of selected brands have been consulted. 2 Definition and terminology 2. 1 Strategy â€Å"†¦ Strategy in corporate practice is an integrated concept with the objective of ensuring long-term survival in active interaction with the competition †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 6 In today’s everyday changing business environment all companies are forced to reassess their strategies, their structures and their processes regularly. But the answers to every strategic and organizational challenge is varying among industries. 7 Therefore first a summary of different general strategic alternatives will be presented. Afterwards a detailed analysis of the characteristic strategy in the luxury car market will be developed. 2. 2 Global or Local Strategy In this chapter both terms global and local strategy should be defined. Moreover the strategic challenge of a business to decide between both strategies should be analysed. 6 Cf. Kotler/Berger/Bickhoff 2010, p. 12. 7 Cf. Bartlett/ Ghoshal 1990, p. 17. Definition and terminology 3 Businesses have been international since ancient times and at its beginnings international business had simply the form of exporting and importing. Any business that carries out some of its activities across national boundaries can be defined as an international business. 8 In the 70s and 80s keywords as standardization, rationalization and centralization marked the new tendency towards globalization. 9 Globalization is a term that emerged in the 1980s/90s10 and that has become a buzzword in the 1990s. 11 Originally globalization was only an economic phenomenon that described the integration and merger of national economies, and the development of communication and production of knowledge, transportation and migration. 12 Today the extent to which the organization’s activities are spread across geographical regions has become a major consideration in the implementation of an organizations strategy. 13 A global strategy is the tendency of a company to a consistent strategy and adaptation to local circumstances become redundant. Global organizations gain competitive advantage overcoming national and continental boundaries. Therefore it was a widely held belief that there was the risk that the globalization would overrun all regional and national differences. 14 Though today we have evidence that there is no â€Å"global village† and that regional and national differences cannot be so easily neglected. On the contrary the majority of the apparently global organizations use local differences to gain competitive advantage. 15 Therefore numerous literature and research on the counter-rotating trend to globalization, the so-called localization, can be found. Localization in general means the adaptation to or consideration of local market conditions. Most of the research concluded that the two apparently contrary concepts do not mutually exclude but depend on one another: â€Å"Globalization can mean the reinforcement of 8 Cf. Campbell/Stonehouse/Houston 2002, p. 255. 9 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 36. 10 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 9. 11 Cf. Rohm 2010, p. 4. 12 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 9. 13 Cf. Campbell/Stonehouse/Houston 2002, p. 254. 14 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 10 15 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 58. 4 Definition and terminology or go together with localism as in ‘Think globally, act locally’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  16 . Numerous literatures even deduce a new concept called â€Å"Glocalization. † Glocal strategies are strategies that provide evidence to global and local players, to respond advantageous and purposeful to globalization. They should assist global players to localize their activities where worthwhile and show ways and means to local players to make use of the global area respectively – in both cases without abandoning their global or local character. 17 2. 3 Bartlett’s and Ghoshal’s model According to Bartlett and Ghoshal there are three traditional strategic directions a company can follow. Tab. 1: The three strategic directions 18 Multinational Global International Strong local presence Cost reduction through Usage of knowledge and through respect of national centralized but worldwide competences of the HQ needs oriented activities through worldwide diffusion and adaptation 2. 4 The multinational organization The multinational organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal is the archetype of the organization. At the beginning of the 1900th century this was the most diffused organizational model. As shown in figure 1 in the multinational organizational model the HQ is at the centre with many decentralized, interdependent and autonomous branches surrounding it. The specific needs of the local markets are encouraged and therefore they are able to react to local needs. Historically this organizational model was the one of many European companies that expanded into foreign countries. Several of these companies originally where family owned companies. Processes were based on personal relationship and 16 Cf. Pieterse 1995, p. 49 zitiert nach Lohmeier 2008,p. 53. 17 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 64. 18 Cf. Bartlett/ Ghoshal 1990, p. 32. 5 Definition and terminology informal contacts rather than formal structures and systems. Therefore only elementary financial control was necessary. 19 Branch Decentralized federation: Many key assets, responsibilities and decisions are decentralized Branch Branch HQ Branch Personal control: Informal HQ – subsidiary relationship, simple financial control Branch Multinational mentality: Management considers overseas operations as portfolio of interdependant business. Branch Figure 1: Multinational organization 20 2. 4. 1 The international organization This organizational model has similarities to the multinational organization. However as shown in figure 2 the branches are more dependent on the transfer of information and knowledge from the HQ. The objective of this kind of organization is to transfer knowledge and competences in aspects such as technology or marketing to underdeveloped foreign branches. The national branches can adapt products or strategies, while the HQ determines innovation and processes. In comparison to the multinational organization model there is more systematization and control. According to Bartlett and Ghoshal the international organization model had its breakthrough in the post-war period. The international organizational model is the model for the typical American Management culture of empowerment and delegation. 19 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 73. 20 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 74. 6 Definition and terminology Branch Branch Coordinated federation: Many assets, resources, responsibilities and decisions are decentralized but controlled by HQ Branch Branch HQ International mentality: Management considers overseas operations as appendix to a central domestic corporation Branch Administrative control: formal management planningand control systems allow higher HQ-subsidiary linkage. Branch Figure 2: International organization 21 2. 4. 2 The global organization Global companies develop their products and strategies considering only one equal worldwide market. Product development, production and marketing strategies remain centralized. 22 As shown in figure 3 the most important characteristics of the classical global organization have HQs that are a centralized hub that severely controls the branches and a management-mentality that views the world as one economic entity. The main feature is the centralization of assets, resources and competences. The function of branches is reduced to sales and services. In some cases financial competitive advantage is gained outsourcing the production sites abroad. Compared to the multinational and international organizations the branches in global organizations have less power to develop or modify new products and strategies. Managers in global organization, especially those located in HQ, often are more concentrated on the global market and consider the market to be equal worldwide. They have no comprehension of the local needs because there is no exchange of information between HQ and the national branches. 23 21 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p 77. 22 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 31. 23 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 75 f. 7 Definition and terminology Internationalization pioneers like Henry Ford build up their production plant according to this model and the Japanese started their offensive in the 70s and 80s with this model. 24 Normally global organizations first where very successful in their home market and used this success then to expand internationally. 25 Branch Branch Centralized hub: Most of the strategic assets, resources, responsibilities and decisions centralized Branch HQ. Branch Operational control: Tight control of decisions, resources and information through HQ Branch Global mentality: Management considers overseas operations as channels for the supply to a unified global market Branch Figure 3: Global organization 26 2. 4. 3 The transnational strategy Bartlett and Ghoshal claim that the traditional directions do note lead to adequate results anymore. Global and international organizations look out for a centralized answer to a worldwide market opportunity. Multinational companies search local solutions. Therefore Bartlett and Ghoshal developed the assumption for a new approach to solve the challenge of increased competitive and changing environment: The transnational strategy. 27 Companies nowadays can only survive in the competitive environment if they succeed in developing simultaneously worldwide competitiveness, multinational 24 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 75. 25 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 31. 26 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 77. 27 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 33 and p. 90. Definition and terminology 8 flexibility and global learning capabilities. These are the main elements of the transnational model. 28. The transnational model is a symbiosis or rather compromise of the other three traditional strategic directions. It combines both kind of competitive advantages: Because the affiliations are seen as strategic partners they can better respond to local needs and global synergies can be positive side effects. In the transnational model local markets are respected, and the proximity to the market is mainly an instrument to react more flexibly on a global scale. 29 The distinction between multinational and transnational companies is the amount to which the HQs are directly involved in the management of the branches. While a transnational company often has a strategic centre that manages to a high degree all the global operations a multinational company does not coordinate directly its foreign activities but rather considers the branches as interdependent business. The transnational organization acknowledges that there are certain resources and competences such as finance or research and development that are better centralized in the HQ while other resources are more advantageous to be decentralized in the markets to spread the competences on a global level. 30 2. 5 The Luxury Concept and Definition. The concept of luxury is known since ancient times. Lucullus, a roman senator who was famous in the ancient Rome for his marvellous evening events and his love for beauty, delicacies and sensorial pleasures, can be considered inventor of the luxury concept. 31 Chevalier and Mazzalovo provide a definition as follows: A luxury brand is selective and exclusive and provides an additional creative and emotional value for the consumer. It is a brand that is giving the desirable attribute of being scarce, sophisticated and in good taste. It also has a slightly understated and aristocratic attribute. 32 28 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 33. 29 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 84 30 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 84. 31 Cf. Heine 2012, p. 2. 32 Cf. Chevalier/Mazzalovo 2008, p. viii Definition and terminology 9 According to Kapferer and Bastien a luxury brand can be defined by six criteria:33 †¢ An extremely hedonistic experience or product †¢ The price is exceedingly higher compared to the functional value †¢ Tied to a tradition, exclusive expertise and culture ascribed to the brand †¢ Accessible only through controlled and restrained distribution †¢ Obtainable with tailored supplementary services. †¢ Indicating a social representation, making the holder or beneficiary feel special and privileged 2. 6 Luxury versus premium car market The concept of luxury is represented in numerous sectors of activities 34. In this study we will look into more details of the specifics of the automobiles luxury sector. According to Chevalier and Mazzalovo luxury automobiles are â€Å"those cars that consumer perceive as being very special and different from the others. †35 It is necessary to differentiate between the concept of luxury and the concept of premium. The term luxury vehicle suggests a vehicle with a higher quality equipment, better performance, particularly precise construction, comfort, higher design, technologically innovative, and features that transfer an image, brand, status or prestige. Often the image is strongly related to the country of origin of the product. Premium products are upper-range branded products with an increased price without the emotional characteristics like hedonism or myth. „Upper premium brands remain comparative, whereas luxury is superlative. â€Å"36 Suitable examples for this difference can be found in the car industry. While an Audi A6 or A8 are super-premium cars because of the excellent usage value they provide, an Aston Martin or a Lamborghini are luxury cars because of their rarity and the prestige of the name. 37 33 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 47. 34 Sectors of activities of luxury: Ready-to-wear cloth, jewelry and watches, perfumes and cosmetics, fashion accessories, wines and spirits, automobiles, hotels, tourism and private banking. 35 Cf. Chevalier/Mazzalovo 2008, p. x. 36 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 43f. ; Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 53. 37 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 53. 10 Strategic examples One historic management error that underlines the difference between luxury and premium is the Jaguar case. When Ford acquired Jaguar in 1989 they invested a lot in technology and training of the Jaguar employees. Thanks to common platforms with Ford they tried to sell small Jaguars. But this strategy seriously damaged the image of Jaguar and loosing the feeling of exclusivity they lost the luxury status. 38 3 Strategic examples In this chapter the before described theoretic information should be put together into a strategic framework. The strategic examples that will be considered are the most successful competitors of Maserati in terms unit sales: Porsche, Audi, Mercedes and BMW (figure 4). The first step was to obtain an overview of the structure of these companies and to identify their dependencies among each other and with other organizations (appendix 7. 3). The second step was to identify certain characteristics of these organizations and to put them into a framework developed to identify their degree of globalization or localization (appendix 7. 4). Based on this information a picture of their strategic directions has been deduced (appendix 7. 5). Bentley 2,57% Audi 6,56% Maserati 1,81% Jaguar 3,06% Maserati Market 2012 Aston Martin 1,74% Ferrari 1,26% Lexus 0,09% Porsche 48,43% BMW 12,23% Mercedes-Benz 22,25% Figure 4 The Maserati market in Germany in 2012 (market shares) 38 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 51. 39 Management Services Helwig Smitt GmbH, Hofgeismar. 39 Strategic examples 3. 1 11 Daimler AG Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz invented the automobile in 1886. 40 Today the Daimler Group integrates different car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach. Cooperating with various organizations worldwide it has converted from a mainly domestically oriented exporting company to a globally operating one. The company is now well established not only in Europe but also in Brazil and Argentina and has established joint ventures also in China. 41 However for the Daimler Group â€Å"the cultural inertia has been difficult to overcome, and global pretensions and traditional German attachments form a contradictory and unstable mix. †42 Therefore it is difficult to classify the group to Bartlett and Ghoshals model. The Daimler AG is rather a combination between the multinational and the global organization. Mercedes-Benz being historically strongly connected to its German roots has a centralized HQ, but at the same time its business units have been made self-responsible profit centres and procurement of materials is globally coordinated for each group of materials. Furthermore this has been intensified through local settlement of direct production, more consultancies and engineering in the branches, and also some development tasks located outside Germany. 43. Daimler is relocating its production sites into emerging markets, as for example the recently opened site in Hungary. This trend can be underlined by its decreasing production figures in Europe. They are currently reducing their production in Sindelfingen. 44 3. 2 BMW AG The BMW group may be the most German focused of the three companies. It is globalized in its objectives rather than in its activities. 45 Approximately 60% of the production of BMW is still located in Germany (figure 5). However BMW is one of 40 Cf. Daimler AG 2012, p. 4. 41 Cf. Lane 2001, p. 84. 42 Cf. Lane 2001, p. 85 43 Cf. Lane 2011, p. 84f. 44 Cf. Berens 2012, p. 17 45 Cf. Lane 2011, p. 86. 12 Strategic examples the most respected brands in the world. The explanations for BMW’s success are a strong brand character, a stable, family shareholding and a very German business philosophy. 46 It can be deduced that having local roots increases the perceived value of BMW. Producing nearly all its automobiles in Germany customers perceive BMW as an authentic product of German culture. BMW follows the same strategy of keeping the Mini production in England. 47 South Africa, 3,06% China, 5,65% Austria, 5,91% CKD, 2,16% UK, 11,23% US, 15,88% Germany, 56,11% Figure 5: Vehicle production of the BMW Group in the world in 2011 48 Therefore BMW can be classified an international organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal’s model. BMW’s key competences are centralized but many other competences are decentralized. Thus BMW efficaciously implements the strategy of local assembling and local purchasing in countries with high customs duties on imports such as Russia, Thailand or India. However, under the terms of the distinction between luxury and premium products, the cars assembled in Thailand would not longer be defined as luxury products. They do serve to initiate customers into the brand, who then should develop the desire to purchase a ‘real’ BMW ‘made in Germany’. 49 BMW’s Management Meeting Place is a good example for the acquisition of knowledge in the HQ and then transferring it to the branches. First this discussion platform has been started in Germany and then it was transferred to locations abroad. The fact that this strategy works, and that behind BMW probably stands a 46 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 67. 47 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 78. 48 Cf. BMW AG 2012, p. 28. 49 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 78. 13 Strategic examples strong team is underlined by the fact that BMW has been rewarded being â€Å"The World’s Most Attractive Employer† by a study conduced lately. In fact the employee attrition ratio at BMW has decreased continuously in the last 3 years (figure 6). 5,85 percentage of workforce 6,00 4,59 5,00 4,00 2,74 2,66 2,16 3,00 2,00 1,00 0,00 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011. Figure 6: Employee attrition ratio at BMW AG 3. 3 50 Volkswagen AG The Volkswagen Group maybe is the most advanced example of a conglomerate of successful car manufacturers. Among all the subsidiary brands the most significant ones are Volkswagen AG, Audi AG and Porsche AG, but there are also Bentley, Lamborghini, Seat and Skoda (appendix 7. 3). In fact Porsche owns 32,5% of the Volkswagen Group shares. Succeeding in managing a portfolio of so dissimilar organizations under one umbrella certainly makes the Volkswagen Group to a transnational organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal. The cooperation in-between the brands of the Volkswagen Group are very well developed. One successful example of this approach is the common hybrid drive used in the Porsche Panamera, Cayenne and VW Touareg 51 . In addition the Volkswagen group has only little external cooperation mainly in the area of researching. The key competences remain inside the group. Becoming an integrated automotive industry is part of the group’s â€Å"Strategy 2018†. However, every single brand has its specific targets. Volkswagen’s target is to 50 Cf. BMW AG 2012, p. 39. 51 Cf. Porsche AG 2012, p. 67. The Maserati case 14 become the global market leader by 201852. This underlines the global factor. On the other side Porsche’s target is to become â€Å"the leader of exclusive sports cars manufacturers†53. Audi finally has the target to become the â€Å"premium brand that delights customers worldwide† 54 . Therefore the group’s values and capabilities remain inside the group and with a broad portfolio of interdependent and specialized brands completely different target groups can be addressed. The Volkswagen Group leads the global tendencies of the considered companies. But the core strategic functions (e. g. R&D and design) remain mainly German. However the Volkswagen Group also recognizes the importance of knowing the local sources and therefore has implemented the C3-Sourcing program. Becoming technical, organizational and social laboratories foreign branches contribute to the integration of the whole group’s worldwide activities. Hence some Audi models that have the same platform as Volkswagen models are now produced in Volkswagen factories in China. This local adaptation is the key of success for Audi’s sales in China, where the top members of the communist party cannot own a car unless it is made in China, but at the same time it forces the brand to give up their luxury strategy and replace it with a premium one. 4 The Maserati case 4. 1 Introduction to Maserati The Italian sports cars producer with the trident on the logo has been founded as Societa Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati on December 1st 1914 in Bologna. Maserati was originally founded as a family business, but in 1937 it was sold to the Orsi family. In 1968 it was sold to Citroen and finally became part of the Fiat Group in 1993. 55 Thanks to his big sister Ferrari, Maserati has been reconstructed and from 2006 stands alone now in the structure of the Fiat S. p. a. (see figure 7). Today Maserati’s headquarter is based in Modena and it has two production sites in the north of Italy. Furthermore Maserati is divided in regions (Europe, Asia Pacific, 52 Cf. Volkswagen AG 2012, p. 233. 53 Cf. Porsche AG 2012, p. 14. 54 Cf. Audi AG 2012, p . 131. 55 Cf. Wikipedia 2012a. 15 The Maserati case. America and Middle East) with national branches in each separate country (e. g. France, Germany, United Kingdom). Maserati is currently becoming more and more significant for the rest of the Fiat Group. The first strategic milestone of the so-called â€Å"2010-2014 plan† was the integration of the Chrysler Group in June 2011. Figure 8 shows the increase of 30% of the workforce through this merger, mainly in North America. * including 58,5% Chrysler Group LLC Maserati (100%) Fiat Group Automobiles* (100%) AUTOMOBILES Fiat S. p. a. Ferrari (90%) Fiat Powertrain (100%) Magneti Marelli (100%). COMPONENTS & PRODUCTION SYSTEMS Teksid (84,8%) Comau (100%) Figure 7: Structure of the Fiat S. p. a. Workforce 80 62,583 63,214 60 40 2011 2010 60,336 44,668 24,616 23,596 20 56 39,498 5,579 0 5,838 Italy Europe (excl. Italy) NAFTA Mercosur 4,894 other regions Figure 8: Increase of the workforce in the Fiat Group through the integration of Chrysler in 2011 56 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2011, p. 11. 57 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012c, p. 30. 57 The Maserati case 16 The second milestone was the plan presented in February 2011 in which â‚ ¬ 500 million were invested for the relaunch a production site58. In this new pIant two new models will be produced: The new Maserati Quattroporte by the end of 2012 and the Maserati Ghibli in the second half of the year 2013. 59 Thereby Maserati plans to increase its sales: While in 2011 Maserati sold 6,159 vehicles worldwide, in 2013 20,000 units are planed and by 2015 a growth up until to 50,000 vehicles per year is projected. 60 The Maserati S. p. a. can be classified as a global organization. They concentrate their decision and strategy making in the HQ in Italy and product development, production and marketing strategies remain centralized. The function of the branches is reduced to the implementation and realization of sales, services and marketing activities. The reason is linked to the strong connection with the domestic country and the patriarchal organizational culture that has developed over the years. One cultural example for this approach is that usually in the branches employees refer to the HQ as â€Å"the factory†. And while until today Maserati’s production sites are located just in the domestic market, by the use of a common platform and production site with the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the United States for the new SUV model, Maserati will enter also in the global environment. 4. 2 Maserati’s strength 4. 2. 1 The cooperation with the Fiat Group Being part of the Fiat Group is strength and weakness at the same time for Maserati. Through the cooperation with the other brands of the group, Maserati can benefit from economies of scale and scope. E. g. particular engines for Maserati are developed and produced in the production site of Ferrari. Another example is the collaboration with Jeep that will allow the new Maserati Levante to share the expertise of Jeep in building SUVs. 61 Moreover the fact that the production of this new Model will be relocated to the United States will finally transform Maserati from a purely domestic manufacturer to a global player. 58 Officine Automobilitische Grugliasco. 59 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012c, p. 34. 60 Cf. Wehner 2012. 61 Cf. Baedecker 2012. The Maserati case 17 4. 2. 2 The luxury image Maserati as a brand itself and the Maserati products are stereotypes of luxury. Maserati is like none of its competitors a unique iconic and superlative brand that stands for an extravagant Italian lifestyle and sportiness. It profits from its long-time racing experience and expertise in building extremely performing engines. Additionally some parts are tailor made and its products are positioned in an upmarket pricing class that does not correlate with the functional value they provide. Moreover until today the units sold are rather restricted and therefore it is still a rarity to see a Maserati on the road. Thus possessing a Maserati is to a high degree socially representative and makes the owner feel special and privileged. Maserati is a myth and continuous to benefit from this legend. 4. 2. 3 Driving performance Another very strong characteristic of Maserati is its driving performance. Driving a Maserati is an overwhelming driving experience from the very first moment you switch on the engine. The expertise in building extremely performing engines is definitely a strength that should not be underestimated. „Hearing a Maserati’s V-8 engine scream on the way to its 7200-rpm redline is an experience gear heads will cherish. â€Å"62 4. 2. 4 The people that work for Maserati The people that work for Maserati are fundamental assets. A mixture of experienced and long-established employees on the one side and on the other side young, motivated and talented staff are the most important ingredient for the team that is able to face the current challenges. Maserati’s employees identify with the brand to a high level and therefore live for the brand. E. g. in the HQs in Modena are hanging poster with the slogan â€Å"I am Maserati†. 62 Cf. Floraday 2011. The Maserati case 4. 3 18 Maserati’s weaknesses 4. 3. 1 The image of the Fiat Group As mentioned above, being connected to mass-market brands like Fiat and Chrylser could affect Maserati’s luxury status. This is primarily related to the image of Fiat’s quality standards. The fact that some components are commonly introduced in both, Maserati and Fiat, could severely damage Maserati’s reputation. 4. 3. 2 Progress and technology Except for its engines, Maserati is not using the most advanced technology in his cars until now. Competition from other car manufacturers is very strong in this context (e. g. Porsche or BMW). Therefore this is a threat especially in those markets where technology and innovation are very important factors in the consumer buying behaviour process (e. g. Russia or Germany). Moreover while other manufacturers have already developed new propulsive forces e. g. the new Daimler electric fleet63, Maserati continued only the evolution of traditional fuel and diesel engines. As the petrol price rises also this threat is increasing. And depending on the trend of the environmental regulations in Europe and in the rest of the world, this lack of development could become an increasing challenge for the next future of Maserati. 4. 3. 3 Dealer network Another threat is the necessity to improve and expand the dealer network. There is a clear need to increase the distribution capillarity by appointing additional dealers. Moreover, there is also a need to transform the existing dealers bringing them to focus their activities and organizations on the brand. Dedicated sales, after-sales and marketing forces will be key to this transformation. E. g. most of the Maserati dealers sell also Ferraris and should adapt their staff with personnel dedicated exclusively towards Maserati. 63 Cf. Daimler AG 2012, p. 41. The Maserati case 4. 4 19 Maserati’s opportunities 4. 4. 1 Industrial opportunities With its current models range (Quattroporte, Gran Cabrio and Gran Turismo) Maserati is represented in the core segments.