The Internationalization of Amazonia

This stopped the north americans Show of the brazilian Minister of Education in the United States This one deserves to be read, after all is not every day that a brazilian shut the north americans up. During a debate at an university, in USA, the ex-governor of DF, ex minister of education and current senator CRISTOVAM BUARQUE, was asked what he thought about the internationalization of Amazonia. The young American beginning his question saying that he expected an answer of a humanist point of view, not of a brazilian. This was the Cristovam Buarque’s answer: â€Å"In fact, as a brazilian, I simply would speak against the internationalization of Amazonia. As much as our government don’t have the right care of this heritage, it’s ours. As a humanist, feeling the environmental degradation that threatens the Amazonia, I can imagine its internationalization, and for everything that has a lot of importance to our humanity as well. If the Amazonia, as a humanity ethics, should be internationalized, let’s also internationalized the oil’s reserves around the world. The oil is as much important for the welfare of the humanity as the Amazonia is for our future. Nevertheless, oil’s owners feels on the right to increase or decrease the extraction of petroleum, as well as raise its price. The same way, the financial capital of wealthy countries should be internationalized. If Amazonia is a reserve for all the humans, it can not be burned by the will of its owner, or its country. Burned Amazonia is as serious as unemployment caused by arbitrary decisions of global speculators. We can not let that the financial reserves serves to burn down entire nations according to the whims of speculation. Even before Amazonia, I would like to see the internationalization of all the big museums around the world. The Louvre can’t only belong to France. Each museum of the world is guardian of the most beautiful peaces produced by human genius. We cannot let this cultural heritage, as the Amazonia natural heritage, be manipulated and treated by the style of its owner or country. Not long ago, a Japanese millionaire, decided to bury with him a big master’s frame. Before it, this frame should have been internationalized. During this meeting, the United Nations are realizing the Millennium Forum, but presidents of several countries had difficulties in attending it by constraints on the U. S. border. Therefore, I think that New York, as headquarters of United Nations, should be internationalized. At least Manhattan should belong to the entire humanity. Such as Paris, Veneza, Roma, Londres, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Recife, each city, with its own beauty, its own history, should belong to the entire world. If the United Sates wants to internationalized Amazonia, due to the risk of letting it in a brazilian hand, let’s internationalized all U. S. ’s nuclear arsenals. Even because they have already proved they are capable to use these weapons, causing destruction thousands of times bigger than the deplorable burnings done in brazilians forests. I support the idea of internalizing the world forests reserves in exchange for debt. Let’s beginning using this debt to guarantee that each child in the world will have the change to eat and go to school. Let’s internationalized the children, treating, all of them, regardless the country of their birth, as a heritage who deserves care from the entire world. As a humanist, I agree to defend the internationalization of the world. But, while the world treats me as a brazilian, I will fight for the Amazonia to be ours. Only ours! †

Being A Student Essay

Being a student is a full time job. Students work five days a week, seven hours a day. There is a constant load of work that is given to us, and there is a strict set of rules. Being a student is similar to working at a full time job in many ways. Like working adults, students follow a grueling daily routine, which includes waking up early in the morning, focusing for long hours at a time, having to complete a strenuous work load, dealing with unfair teachers or bosses, an extremely high level of stress, a lot of procrastination, and loss of sleep, among others. These are all problems that students and working adults must deal with on a daily basis, but not all similarities between the day of a student and the day of a working adult are negative. Both students and most working adults go through similar ups and downs throughout a typical day, but there is one profession in particular that is so similar to the job of a student that both students and this specific type of working adult are doing their jobs in the same buildings every day. Students and teachers are alike in so many different ways. If one were to observe the similarities in the days of students and teachers, the observations would include both arriving at a school some time between seven o’clock and eight o’clock in the morning, both going to class throughout the day, both having lunch breaks in cafeterias, both being involved in athletics after school, both having the weekends off, as well as spring break, winter break, summer break, and most holidays, both facing daily academic challenges, and both going home at night to do work in order to prepare for the next day. Students and teachers work together in harmony on a daily basis, learning from each other and becoming better people. Neither could prosper in a school environment without the other. Without teachers, students would not be able to learn, and they would have no one to keep them in line when necessary. Without students, teachers would not have a purpose for working in their profession because they would not have anyone to teach. They depend on each other, and, while learning is a full time job for students, and teaching is a full time job for teachers, both bond over their time spent working and learning together at school every day.

Media Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Media Power - Essay Example Persons with power are rather few in number and are associated with even few owners and corporations producing, directing, editing and selecting topics and issues deemed "newsworthy." Given media's extreme power to influence, study of media is most critical to understanding how political behavior is, or can be influenced. News should be logical and objective, applying every possible test to verify the data or information gathered. The journalist should constantly strive to eliminate personal feeling and preference. He or she must resist temptation to seek only the data that support his topic. There is no attempt to persuade or to prove. The journalist should elevate clear thinking and logic as well as suppress feeling and emotion in his analysis. Politics - the struggle over who gets what, when and how - is largely carried out in the mass media. The arenas of political conflict are the various media of mass communication - television, newspaper, magazines and the internet. What we know about politics comes to us largely through these media. Great power derives from the control of information. Who knows what helps to determine who gets what. The media not only provide an arena for politics; they are themselves players in the arena. The media not only report on the struggles for power in society; they are themselves participants in those struggles. The media have long been referred to as America's "fourth branch" of government - and for a good reason. Media power is concentrated in leading television networks, the nation's leading newspapers and broad circulation magazines. The reporters, anchors, editors and producers of these prestige news organizations constitute a relatively small group of people in whose hands rests the power to decide what we will know about people, events and issues. The Myth of the Mirror Media people themselves often deny that they exercise great power. They sometimes claim that they only "mirror" reality. They like to think of themselves as unbiased reporters who simply narrate happenings and transmit videotaped portrayals of people and events as they really are. Occasionally, editors or reporters or anchors will acknowledge that they make important decisions about what stories, people, events, or issues will e covered in the news, how much time or space they will be given, what visuals will be issued and what sources will be quoted. They may also occasionally acknowledge that they provide interpretations of the news and that their personal politics affects these interpretations. But whether or not editors, reporters, producers or anchors acknowledge their own power, it is clear that they do more than passively mirror reality. Government and the media are natural adversaries. Public officials have long been frustrated by the media. But the US Constitution's First Amendment guarantee of a free press anticipates this conflict between government and the media. It prohibits the government from resolving this conflict by silencing its critics. Media professionals are not neutral observers of American politics rather are active participants. They not only report events but also discover events to report, assign them political meaning, and predict their consequences. They seek to challenge government officials, debate political candidates, and define the problems of society. They see their profession as a "sacred trust" and themselves as the true voice of the

Ancient Eqyptian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ancient Eqyptian - Essay Example The main role of the Pharaoh was to mediate between the gods and his people. The Pharaoh had a responsibility of sustaining the gods through the offerings and rituals, which were meant to ensure that the gods maintain order (Kaplan 12). Ancient religion in Egypt was a state affair, and the state dedicated enormous amounts of resources in order to ensure the rituals were conducted. Additionally, the state provided resources for the constructions of temples. Egyptian religion was characterized by many gods and goddesses. The goddesses were worshipped in different times and locations, and for different purposes. In Egypt, people interacted with the goddesses and gods for different purposes. In most of the cases, people sought to appeal to the gods and goddesses for help through prayers. They were also compelled to act through magic. Though these practices were distinct from the formal rituals, beliefs and institutions, they were closely linked. Popular religious practices and traditions grew prominent during the history of Egypt (Pinch 22). In addition to the beliefs and practices, Egyptians believed in funeral practices and an afterlife. Egyptians made efforts to acquire tombs, offerings and grave goods in order to ensure their souls survived. The offerings were meant to preserve the spirits and bodies of the dead. Egyptian religion, which had its roots in pre-historic Egypt, lasted for over 3,000 years. Over time, certain gods and goddesses became preeminent and popular. Changes in the ancient religion were prompted by the fact that details of the religious views changed, and the importance of the gods and goddesses declined or rose. During these changes, the intricate relationships between the gods and goddesses and humans also shifted. The rituals and beliefs, which are described as Ancient Egyptian Religion, were essential aspects of the Egyptian culture (Wilkinson 31). The religion was

International Marketing Master Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Marketing Master - Assignment Example Power mainly holds with Prime Minister. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of People's Republic of China and it maintains a high degree of autonomy in all matters relating to government and politics except foreign and defense affairs. It is regarded as separate entity though maintained as dependency on certain issues on china. In South Korea the government structure is determined by constitution of republic of Korea. The country has always had a presidential system with a relatively independent chief executive. Law systems in these countries are distinctly different from each other. Japanese law and judicial system is influenced by civil law of Europe and has also the roots of Chinese whereas Hong Kong though now a part of China and have its own autonomy still follows the common law which was established under British colonial law. So if we consider our product of Play station it won't have a big effect if any problems crop up as these countries law system is quite streamlined enough to make its own impact towards the issues. In South Korea taxes are imposed on both national and local level. Taxes like property tax, license tax fall under local tax levels whereas custom duties tax and international tax come under national level. Taxes are imposed both on companies which are global or foreign and national companies. The difference however ranges from the slab rate which is offered to each of them. The following figure shows the corporate Income tax rate for general corporations Corporate Income Tax Rate for General Corporations Previous Revised Tax base Tax rate Tax base Tax rate 80 million 20% (24%) 100 million won or less 20% over 80 million won * Unlisted Large-scale Corp.:33% (39.6-41.25) * Non-Profit Corp.: 27% (32.4-33.5%) * Corp., other than the above: 30% (36-37.5%) over 100 million won 20 million won + 34% of an amount in excess of 100 million won Source: http://www.asiatradehub.com/s.korea/tax1.asp If we look at the Hong Kong economy and business prospects one thing we can gather information from it is that tax system followed. It can be said as most business friendly tax system in the world. The best part is that there are no values added taxes (VAT) or sales tax. Taxes are usually levied on profits, salaries and property. The tax rate when profit tax is considered is 17.5 % for corporations and 16% for other business environments. Similarly property taxes are 16% on the annual rent. If we consider Japan, we can say taxes form two categories. They are National Tax and Local Tax. Under these categories lots of subcategories are present which deal with every type of tax which is imposed in the country. Taxes on all issues like bathing tax, consumer goods tax, and gasoline tax are imposed. The consumption tax rate is 5%.Income tax is applied to foreigner which is way too complicated than we can

End of Life Care Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

End of Life Care - Research Paper Example The same nurses constantly supply allowable medical information to the end of life patients’ families and friends. The nurses’ healthcare training and years of actual medical experience equips the nurses with the capacity to contribute influential recommendations to the decision making process, especially in terms of terminating the end of life patients’ earthly abode. Consequently, the nurses must be allowed to contribute their share to end of life patients’ decision making activities (Els et al., 2008). In the business world, customers pay for the services of the company. The company uses the customers’ payments to pay for the expenses needed to continue the company’s daily business operations. The business operation expenses include the salaries of the line and staff employees, electricity expense, water expense, and telephone expense. The company uses the customers’ payments to purchase the latest business equipments and inventorie s. Without the customers, the company will be forced to close shop. Further, the same business principle applies to the healthcare facilities. Nurses must prioritize the end of life patients’ rights in the exercise of their duties as nurses (Westrick, 2008). Without the patients, the healthcare facilities will not receive cash inflows. ... The healthcare facilities’ expenses also include the usual electricity expense, water expense, and telephone expense. The healthcare facilities use the patients’ payments to acquire the latest healthcare equipments, tools and inventories. Without the cash payments from the healthcare patients, the healthcare facilities, including the hospitals and home for aged facilities, the healthcare facilities will have no other recourse except to file for bankruptcy proceedings. Likewise, Mary Cooke and Ciaran Hurley emphasized that the patients should be given a greater role in deciding whether to continue end of life medical intervention (Cooke, M., Ciaran, H., 2008). Healthcare service is a partnership between the service providers and the service providers’ patients. The financial factors contribute to the partnership between the healthcare parties. One of the factors is finance. The poor patients cannot afford retaining the healthcare services of the healthcare facilit ies. The healthcare facilities cannot continue serving the needs of the patients if they cannot pay for the services of the healthcare facilities. Further, the healthcare workers, including the nursing professionals, must bend to the preferences of the patients (Cooke, M., Ciaran, H., 2008). For example, the patients can choose to be roomed at the ward or cheapest bed area within the healthcare facilities. The patients may not be able to pay for the exclusive or higher costing rooms of the healthcare facilities. Medical professionals and the nurses must bend to the wishes of the patients to prescribe cheaper but similarly effective medicines. The doctors and nurses should implement the patients’ preferences to under cheaper medical procedures, when the patients’ finances prevent the patients

Why green energy should come to austin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why green energy should come to austin - Essay Example More and more people are migrating to urban areas in search of jobs or better residence. This leads to higher consumption of water, electricity, gas and other basic utilities. The population of Austin has grown at the rate of 48% in 1990s and 3.4% annually. The current population of Austin is more than 7,400,000 according to 2007 census. The city was ranked 16th among the fastest growing cities in the entire US. The rapidly growing urbanization has also raised several environmental issues. The growing population has raised the need of housing and the development of industries has also given rise to realty issues. The land prices are growing rapidly making it difficult for people to but affordable homes. The high realty rates have created housing problem in Austin. At present about 4000 are homeless in Austin and 18% of people are below poverty line. The growing urbanization had also resulted in many other problems such as, transport, electricity, water. It has increased the demand of public transport, electricity, and water supply. There is also increasing demand of public transport and better infrastructure to meet the ever-raising demand. The increased consumption has also raised issues of availability of fresh water. The water consumption of city has growing very rapidly and there are hardly few initiatives to recycle the waste water.

Two Forks Medical Mystery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two Forks Medical Mystery - Essay Example She described the details of her older brother’s similar experience less than a month ago. It struck me then that the carrier who had infected Cam had possibly infected his older brother Cord. Nora was unable to listen to my reasoning as most cases of the Paratyphi-type are passed through visibly-uninfected carriers also known as ‘Typhoid Mary’. Since it was very early in the investigation (I had not yet interviewed the town’s people) it could not be ascertained that this was a case of ‘Typhoid Mary’ but nonetheless was a strong possibility. It appears that Cam Watanabe fell sick after possibly eating and drinking the food served at the restaurants on the fourth of July celebrations. Nick, one of Cam’s friends, accompanied Cam and their other friend Adam that very day. As he recollected in the County Sheriff’s car, he told Nora, the deputy and me what had happened. The boys went to a total of four eateries but I noticed Noraâ€⠄¢s frown when Nick mentioned Grapplin’ Bear. He noticed it too and abruptly ended the conversation. That gave me a hint as to selecting the most possible restaurant that gave Cam the bacterium.

The Stamp Act The Coming of the American Revolution Essay

The Stamp Act The Coming of the American Revolution - Essay Example Resistance also increasingly arose when the British attempted to raise more revenue from the colonialists. The unity of the colonies in violence against the British increased as they resisted the colonial ideas of raising more revenue from taxes. Violence become regular and eventually the now united colonies voiced their grievances from a central legislature. This resistance led to rebellion that consequently led to war (Williams 120). The colonialists formed a national congress through which they expanded their rebellion against Great Britain. The result of such unity was the creation of the colonial military that fought to see declaration of independence in 1776 to establish the United States of America. The British underestimated the political consensus existing among the colonialists about the essence of republican government. They also underestimated the ability of the colonialists to organize and inform one another and work together to build bounds of national community. This ignorance boosted the American rebellion since they organized themselves across the different regions, ethnics and economic conditions (Williams 234). The colonials used newspapers, committees, pamphlets, group protests and community organizations to discover their shared concerns and to foster a new American identity of independence against the British. Communities must not just be local to form a nation. There can be national, regional or international communities that form a nation. This is the philosophy the binds the United States of America as a nation. This was the message that saw the realization of an American dream to move away from the British Empire to declare their independence (Great Britain public records office

At-Risk Students Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

At-Risk Students - Assignment Example Some factors are predetermined to be causes of risks for dropping out of high school among the youth. Most of these are but not limited to: having divorced parents or undergoing divorce; lack educational support at home; financial instability; lack ties to community, school, and peers; high rates of mobility; little or no extra-curricular activities; has a long history of being unsuccessful academically; being emotionally unstable; sufferers of physical, emotional or sexual abuse; have psychological and/or addiction problems; have no health care plans; juvenile law-offenders or gang-members; or have not finished the grieving process for the loss of important loved ones (McGee, 2001). The presence of one or a combination of any of these risk factors increases the stress levels of students, which makes them lose focus on studying and instead lets them dwell more on such problems. In addition, the lack of a proper support groups or guidance counselors would leave these youths unable to cope with the strains both in the home and in the self, which could prevent them from properly learning, and would ultimately lead them to self-pitying, hopelessness, and eventually dropping out from school or pursuing their chosen careers. Most students recognize the need to graduate in order to improve their lives, so it would be absurd to think that they chose to drop out for no sound reason (Pillow, 1997). They would even show signs to teachers or advisers that they want to finish school but they might not know how to do this effectively. These indicators would show up in behaviors such as showing up in class despite having low grades, submitting half-done homework and taking or retaking exams despite previous scores. However, it  does not get enough support and encouragement from their teachers in being pushed forward to graduate, or if they feel that they do not receive any help, these students would feel discouraged and even think that it is not worth doing anymore since help is not available anyway.

Marketing Strategies of Catering Firms Essay Example for Free

Marketing Strategies of Catering Firms Essay Basically, the Descriptive method of research will be utilized in the study since it is designed for the investigation or to gather information about present existing conditions. [1]This will be done by gathering the descriptive data through the use of researcher-made questionnaires. Manuel and Medel(1990) defined Descriptive Research as a research that describes ‘what is’. It involves the description, recording analysis, and interpretation of the present nature, composition or how a person, group or thing behaves or functions in the present. It often involves some type of comparison or contrast.[2] According to Polit and Hungler(1999), Descriptive Research describes what exists and may help to uncover new facts and meaning. The purpose of Descriptive Research is to discover, describe and document. Aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs.[3] In other words, Dsescriptive Reserch design is a valid method for researching specific subjects and as a precursor to more quantitative studies. Whilst there are some valid concerns about the statistical validity, as long as the limitations are understood by the researcher, this type of study is an invaluable scientific tool.[4] Its common means of obtaining information include the use of the questionnaire, personal interviews with the aid of study or interview schedule, and observation, either participatory or not. Descriptive Research includes studies that gives meaning to the quality and standing of facts that are going on. For instance, the information about a group of person, a number of objects, a set of conditions, a class of events, a system of thought or any other kind of phenomenon or experience which one may wish to study.[5] This method will be appropriate and used in the study because it is concerned with the conditions that exist and help to answer the questions involving the Marketing Strategies of Catering Firms in selected towns in Rizal. SETTING OF THE STUDY This study will be conducted in selected towns in Rizal. Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON, just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the countrys national hero,Josà © Rizal. Rizal Governor Dr. Casimiro Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building, constructed in Antipolo by Ortigas Co., owner thereof, was completed by December of that year. Built on 5-hectare lot at the Ynares Center, it employs 2,008 employees. The New Capitol was successfully inaugurated on March 4, 2009, bringing back the Capitol Building inside the provincial territory, from which it was absent for 33 years (when Pasig was incorporated into Metro Manila). Rizal is bordered by Metro Manila to the west, the province of Bulacan to the north, Quezon to the east and Laguna province to the south. The province also lies on the northern shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country. Rizal is a mountainous province perched on the western slopes of the southern portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Antipolo boasts of a wonderful view of Metro Manila and it is where Hinulugang Taktak, a waterfall popular with tourists, can be found. The Rizal Province will be accessed by the future C-6 Road connecting the provinces of Bulacan and Cavite and cities of Taguig (beside Laguna de bay), Paraà ±aque and Muntinlupa which are located within Metro Manila. [6] The selected towns to be involved in the study are Tanay, Taytay, Angono, Binangonan, and Cainta. Tanay is a first class municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. It is located 57 kilometers (35 mi) east of Manila, although a typical commute between Manila and Tanay will take between one to three hours depending upon traffic conditions. It contains portions of the Sierra Madre Mountains and is bordered by Antipolo City in the northwest, Baras, Morong and Teresa in the west, General Nakar (Quezon Province) in the east, and Pililla, Santa Maria (Laguna province) as well as the lake Laguna de Bay in the south. According to the latest census, it has a population of 94,460 people in 15,720 households. The majority of the population consists of Tagalogs who live near Laguna de Bay, though there are also a significant percentage of mountain dwelling people living in the northern portions of the municipality. The towns major trades consist of fishing, agriculture and regional commerce. Tanay is also believed to be the birthplace of the Sambal language. [7] *Continuation of Setting of the Study* The City of Taytay is a first class, densely populated municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. It is currently the third most populous municipality in the country. Conurbated with Metro Manila, it is bounded by Cainta on the north, Pasig City and Taguig City on the west, Antipolo City in the East and Angono on the South. It is the Woodworks and Garments Capital of the Philippines.[8] Angono is a first class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. It is known as Arts Capital of the Philippines, and located 30 kilometers (19 mi) east of Manila. According to the latest census of August 1, 2007, it has a population of 97,209 inhabitants (or 4.26% of Rizal provinces total population of 2,284,046) in 15,740 households. First created as a pueblo in 1766, Angono was a barrio of its neighboring town Taytay and Binangonan before being legally proclaimed an independent municipality in 1935 by then President Manuel L. Quezon. It is home to the Angono Petroglyphs, the oldest known work of art in the Philippines. [9] The Municipality of Binangonan is a first class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 249,872 inhabitants in 38,488 households in census. It has a land area of 64.38 km ². A thriving fish port and fishing industry is found in Binangonan, having a long coast line facing the Laguna de Bay, including the western part of Talim Island. The plant of Rizal Cement and Grandspan are in Binangonan as well. Their main livelihood are fishing and farming. With the continuous expansion of Metro Manila, the municipality is now part of Manilas conurbation which reaches Cardona in its eastern-most part.[10] The Municipality of Cainta (Filipino: Bayan ng Cainta) is a first-class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. It is one of the oldest (originally founded on August 15, 1571), and is the town with the second smallest land area of 26.81 square kilometers (10.35 sq. mi) next to Angono with 26.22 square kilometers (10.12 sq. mi).Cainta serves as the secondary gateway to the rest of Rizal province from Metro Manila. Cainta became one of the most urbanized towns due to its proximity to Manila.[11] Subject Of The Study The subject of the study will be twenty five(25) owners or caterers in selected towns in Rizal. The selected towns to be involved in the study are Tanay, Taytay, Angono, Binangonan and Cainta. The researchers will distribute the questionnaire – checklist to the five(5) catering firms in each selected towns. Sources of Data In this study, the researchers will use a questionnaire – checklist as the main tool in gathering the needed data or information on the marketing strategies of catering firms in selected towns in Rizal. The researchers adapted the questionnaire of Caisip et al, with some modifications to suit the type of respondents. The questionnaire – checklist is divided into three parts: Part 1 pertains to the personal profile of the respondents which includes the age, job position, sex, civil status, educational attainment, monthly salary, type of catering, ownership, accreditation, affiliation and location. Part 2 consists of the profile of catering firms that perceived by the respondents which includes the physical facilities, services offered, capacity, number of staff, income per year, price per pax, target market and amenities. Part 3 contains the different marketing strategies used by the caterers to attract customers. These will be answered by the respondents by putting a checkmark on the corresponding space by using the following five-point scales: SCALE| VERBAL INTERPRETATIONS| 5| Very Much(VM)| Always(A)| 4| Much(M)| Frequently(F)| 3| Moderate(MO)| Occasionally(O)| 2| Little(L)| Rarely(R)| 1| Very Little(VL)| Never(N)| This scale will be used to know the effectiveness of the marketing strategies that the catering firms applied. Procedure Of The Study The researchers underwent planning which includes the formulation of the problem, they decided to go on the title â€Å"Marketing Strategies of Catering Firms in Selected Towns in Rizal†. After the research instructors’ approval of the title, the researchers gathered related literature and studies to complete the Chapter 1 and 2. In Chapter 1, the researchers collected the needed information involving the Introduction, Background of the Study, Theoretical Framework, Conceptual Framework, Statements of the Problem, Hypothesis, Scope and Limitation of the Study, and Definition of Terms. The Statements of the Problem will be pattern to the Study of Caisip, Catherine C. et al. While in the Chapter 2, the researchers did the same thing in gathering the data needed, which includes the Research Method, Sources of Data, Setting of the Study, Subject of the Study, Procedure of the Study, and Statistical Treatment. Upon the completion of the 2 chapters, the research instructors will schedule the researches for the colloquium. So, the constructive criticisms will be made by the panelists for the improvement of the study. Statistical Treatment To analyze the data gathered, the indicated statistical treatment below will be used in the study: Problem number 1: Frequency and Percentage Distribution will be used to determine the profile of the respondents in terms of age, job, sex, civil status, educational attainment, monthly salary, type of catering, ownership, accreditation and affiliation, and location. Problem number 2: Weighted mean will be used to determine the marketing strategies of catering firms in selected towns in Rizal in terms of physical facilities. Frequency and Percentage Distribution will be used to determine the marketing strategies of catering firms in selected towns in Rizal in terms of services offered, capacity, number of staff, income per year, price per pax, target market and amenities. Problem number 3: F-Test(One Way ANOVA) will be utilized to determine if there is any significant difference on the marketing strategies of catering firms in selected towns in Rizal with respect to the different aspects in terms of physical facilities, service offered, capacity, number of staff, income per year, price per pax, target market and amenities. End Notes 1http://www.slideshare.net/Angilo/descriptive-research, July 10, 2012 2Rupinta, Sheila Marie G. et. al â€Å"Status of Tourisim Components in the Different Hospitality Industries in Selected Towns in the Province of Rizal.† 3http://www.reserachproposalsforhealthprofessionals.com/descriptive-research.html 4http://www.experiment-resources.com/descriptive-research-design.html, August 5, 2010 5http://www.slideshare.net/Angilo/descriptive.research, July 10,2011 6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizal, August 15,2012 7http://www.wowrizal.com/towns-and-cities/tanay-rizal-facts-location-population-barangays-history/ , April 4 2010 8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taytay,_Rizal, August 24,2010 9 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angono,_Rizal, July 22, 2012 10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binagonan,_Rizal, July 7,2012 11

Management of Local Environmental Projects

Management of Local Environmental Projects There are various methods or approaches that can be used to manage local environmental projects through the implementation of environmental management measures with varying degrees of success and effectiveness. The methods and approaches used to manage local environmental projects can vary due to the objectives, active group membership, and the actual geographical location of those environmental projects. The scale and objectives of local environmental projects can vary greatly, ranging from short-term projects with a single objective such as regenerating a polluted area or on longer- term projects with many objectives. These environmental projects will range from those with a few volunteer members to those that could involve hundreds of people and rely on links between pressure groups, volunteers, and local or even national government. Since environmental projects started to emerge from the late 1960s as concern began to grow about the ecological impact of human economic activities methods of environmental project management have evolved. For ecologists the planning and implementation of local environmental projects has always been a major part of their strategy as a means of empowering local communities to improve their quality of life whilst helping the local environment. Local environmental projects had the advantage of not being controlled by government or businesses and could be regarded as an important strand of the social movements that emerged almost simultaneously with the ecology movement. Local environmental projects represented and still represent an alternative economic, social and political outlook upon life and how irresponsible material gain should not be the primary objective of governments and societies (Eatwell Wright, 2003 p. 233). Every environmental project should certainly consider the need for project management, whether on a full time, part time, or consultancy basis to maximise the ecological impact of the project. When it comes to protecting the world’s environment people often assume that national governments have the largest role to play in adopting measures to slow down or even reverse ecological damage. However, everybody has an individual responsibility to do their bit to protect their local environment. Environmental projects in theory and frequently in practice have shown that as individual projects they have a limited impact upon the global environment yet if the affects of all the environmental projects were added together they are far from being insignificant (Eatwell Wright, 2003 p. 234). Modern economic practices tend to emphasise that projects and economic activities at the local level are largely insignificant in comparison to regional, national, and international economic trends or decisions. That is not actually the case as much that has been achieved at protecting the environment has been influenced by or implemented by local environmental projects. Local environmental projects can help to change the widely held belief that only multinational corporations and national governments make a difference to the environment as ‘what cannot be measured is of no importance’ (Porritt, 1984 pp. 43-4). The people that manage local environmental projects have to consider several factors once it has been decided to start their environmental project. Unlike the earliest local environmental projects there are now a variety of government, non-governmental and business funding resources available that means people that are involved in local environmental projects do not have to meet the costs of running or working on their environmental projects. That is an important consideration when many environmental project workers could be unemployed or volunteers, the majority of local environmental projects would not be able to function if their workers and volunteers were forced by financial necessity to work elsewhere. For local and community environmental projects that are intended to have a long term future having a skilled environmental project manager that has the knowledge and the experience to attract funding is without doubt essential. An effective environmental project manager came make all the difference between continuing the project for the benefit of the local community and the environment, or the project closing down through lack of funding or volunteers. Funding can come in the form of grants made by central and local government, grants made by non-governmental organisations such as the National Lottery, or through business sponsorship or endorsements. In certain circumstances local and community environmental projects could be used as contractors or sub-contractors to achieve the policies of local and national government. Businesses may genuinely want to help to protect the local environment or they may just want to gain some positive publicity for themselves. Whatever peoples underlying reasons for supporting local and community environmental projects it is clearly in everybody’s self –interest to assist any projects that can protect their local environment (Jackson, 1996 pp. 181-3). As well as staffing levels and funding local environmental projects and their managers should also consider the resources that they need to operate effectively with and whether they can use sustainable resources or not. Local environmental projects may only be on a small barely detectable scale when the global environment is considered as a whole yet they can prove significant at the local level. If every local community could decrease its consumption levels when added together that could have highly beneficial results (Redcliffe, 1996 p. 91). Local and community environmental projects should be projects that effectively manage their resources so that they can limit environmental damage and help prevent or possibly reverse pollution levels within their respective communities. Local and community environmental projects should be evaluated to judge how their resource requirements could be met through sustainable resources, recycling, and the conservation of energy. Local and community environmental projects for instance should try to keep their use of paper, energy, and water to a minimum so as to reduce pollution (Chokar, Pandya, Raghunathan, 2004 p. 137). Thus all local environmental projects where possible should promote greener forms of energy consumption, and transport to improve the environment in their local area. There have not always been enough reasons for local and community environmental projects to proceed as the scientific proof of environmental decline was not widely or publicly accepted (Redcliffe, 1996 p. 136). If practical projects should attempt to use renewable energy sources either by selecting a renewable energy supplier or finding ways to operate their own power supplies (Chokar, Pandya, Raghunathan, 2004 p. 122). Ironically enough local and community environmental projects can become more effective and numerous as a result of national directives or legislation to protect and in some cases to conserve the environment (Jackson, 1996 p.173). Local authorities can help improve the environment in their local areas by promoting traffic free zones and encouraging greener transport use. They could even consider helping local and community environmental projects by assisting those projects in using cycles and promoting walking (Vaz, 1999 p. 99). Local and community environmental projects should also help to protect the local and community environment by recycling as much as possible. Not only is recycling helping to improve environmental sustainability it could also be an extra source of income for some local and community environmental projects depending upon the volume of material recycled. Recycling has the added benefits of reducing the levels of waste and pollution in local communities. The management of local environmental project needs to evaluate the ease of travel to the site of the environmental project. Consideration has to be made for people to walk, cycle or use public transport to reach the environmental project, either as workers, volunteers, or visitors. Transport issues can be more significant if the local and community environmental project is in a rural area with less public transport and greater distances for people to travel to it. Persuading people to walk or cycle to the environmental project would hel p to reduce the vehicle exhaust emissions that increase pollution and acts as a major cause of health conditions such as asthma. Reduced levels of pollution are good for local communities, less pollution brings public health, and economic benefits to those areas compared to other areas were there has been no environmental projects established and operating at all (Vaz, 1999 p. 158). Environmental project managers can gain funding, volunteers and workers for their projects through various channels. Gaining the support of the local community could be just as important for long-term success and continuation as obtaining direct funding can be. Local and community environmental project managers could attract supporters and volunteers by arranging publicity in the local press and television coverage to make people aware of the environmental project and its objectives for improving the environment in the local area. Public awareness can lead to people donating to the project, working for the project, or it can make them adjust their individual behaviour to help the local environment by themselves (Redcliffe, 1996 p.136). Publicity campaigns if well judged or well timed could make the local environmental project newsworthy and with increased support or influence within the local community it is there to help. As well as press releases and articles in local newspapers lo cal and community environmental project workers have found forging relationships with local schools, colleges, and youth organisations is beneficial. Such relationships can prove useful in raising the profile of their local and community environmental project; managers believe it useful in the gaining of workers or volunteers in the present and the future. Local and community environmental projects can form close links with schools, colleges, and youth groups by organising visits to those places or arranging for these groups to visit the environmental project. Project managers could also consider the option of allowing school children to go on projects as part of their work experience training or placement. Recruiting students at college or university could be another source of workers or volunteer as well as recruiting local people from the community (Vaz, 1999 p. 158). Increasing the number of people that visit local and community environmental projects potentially has legal consequences for the management of such projects to worry about. The local and community environmental projects management have to consider that they are legally responsible for the health and safety of everybody that works for, volunteers for, or simply visits their environmental projects. Managers should establish whether any of the materials, waste products, or working practices carried out as part of the projects are dangerous or detrimental to the health and safety of anybody linked to those projects. Before cleaning up pollution managers should check that all work does not contravene health and safety considerations (Jackson, 1996 p.55). Legal liability in the event of accidents could prove costly and lead to the closure of environmental projects that are inadequately insured. Local and community environmental projects especially if they work closely with local government and central government departments may have contractual arrangements that can only be broken or unfulfilled at the cost of legal action been taken or threatened. With local and community environmental projects often needing public funding or believing they need it, the cost of losing such contracts could be financially hard hitting for environmental projects. Environmental projects could also be victims to changes in political policy decision making which might decide to reduce the funding available for environmental projects (Vaz, 1999 p. 138). A good example of a local and community environmental project that has benefited or could benefit from the use of project managers was the Colchester Local Food Project. The Colchester Local Food Project had two distinct objectives. Firstly the Colchester Local Food Project attempted to increase the profile and sales of organically grown products from the Colchester area. Organic farming has obvious environmental advantages, for instance not using artificial fertilisers and pesticides that cause pollution and health problems if not used properly. The other part of the project was to help keep the local farms in business by establishing a Farmers’ market for the local area. The environmental benefits of conventional farming techniques may not be as obvious as organic farming yet farming would cause less damage to the local environment than building new homes or industrial sites on the land. Environmental project managers could have brought benefits to the scheme by finding fund ing for the organic growers and farmers, as well as advice in producing the local food directories and promoting the Farmer’s market. The actual project ran from June 2003 through to December 2004 with the directories helping to improve awareness and food sales (www.en-form.supanet.com). Bibliography Chokar K B, Pandya M, Raghunathan M, (2004) Understanding Environment, Sage Publications, New Delhi, Thousand Oaks and London Eatwell R Wright A, (2003) Contemporary Political Ideologies 2nd Edition, Continuum, London Jackson T, (1996) Material Concerns – Pollution, Profit and quality of life, Routledge, London and New York Porritt J, (1984) Seeing Green: the politics of ecology explained, Blackwell, Oxford Redcliffe M, (1996) Wasted – Counting the costs of Global Consumption, Earthscan, London Vaz K, (1999) Cities for the future, Hansib Publications Limited, London W.W.-form.supanet.com/projectsenform.htm

Caterpillars International Strategy

Caterpillars International Strategy Caterpillars International Strategy The domain of international business theory contains an overwhelming array of perspectives and dimensions. International business (IB) definitions and assumptions are as diverse and ambiguous as their sources. Approaches to IB have established the fundamental perspectives as being global or organisational, but the content of these areas are immense. The development of the global approach, or more correctly labelled as ‘macro (Rugman and Hodgetts 2000. pp. 24), has recently evolved in the 1990s as a result of the mixed organisational orientated approaches, otherwise labelled as ‘micro. This discussion takes the form of analysing Caterpillar in the international business arena by highlighting issues and theories that relate initially to the wider macro environment, then specifically towards Caterpillar as an organisation. The selected definition of IB for the basis of this discussion has been taken from an opening statement. This being ‘transactions taking place across national boarders (Rugman and Hodgetts 2000 pp. 5). This simple statement is considered sufficient to incorporate its entirety, however the recognition of the multi dimensional perspectives and their interrelatedness needs to be comprehended. The aim of this discussion is to explain the international strategy of Caterpillar by using its context as a platform for applying relevant literature. Caterpillar history For clarity reasons it is considered necessary to offer a brief introduction to Caterpillar. They have been established in the construction equipment industry for over 75 years and recorded $20.45 billion turnover in 2001 (annual report 2001). Their main products are divided as machinery with 58% of sales, engines with 33%, and financial products with 9%. The mission statement of Caterpillar is to ‘be the global leader in customer value; this clearly indicates the attention to a high quality of service as being their competitive edge. This service is integrated through a sophisticated network of 1840 locations across all six continents, of these; Caterpillar has foreign direct investment (FDI) in 255 locations. The corporate strategy for the future is to bolster their leadership in the market through initiatives labelled by Data monitor (2003) and the annual report (2001) as being ‘profitable growth, championing continuous quality improvement, aggressively reducing costs, and developing an integrated e-business. In attempting to understand the reality of Caterpillars strategy, theories are applied to offer explanations behind the corporate publishings.  The critical success factors associated with Caterpillar are primarily their h3 brand; this is then supported by network and service capabilities that represent reliability and consistency. Caterpillar is also renowned for product innovation; they have continually innovated which has contributed to the brand and reputation. The international market responds to positive brand vales because the nature of the industry requires trust and relationships. The macro factors present are unlimited in the current dynamic world but the important perspectives are structured as political, economic, technological and social. The elements of these perspectives are selected according to the importance for Caterpillar; therefore they are discussed in this context with reference to relevant literature. The political climate is continuously being developed and negotiated amongst the nationalities that exercise power. The current instabilities are dominated by the differences in opinion over the Palestine conflict and the Iraqi situation. As Caterpillar is active across the globe, its operations would need to be sensitively applied so that the local governments are appreciated. The situation of Caterpillar is slightly precarious due to the fact that in political terms, the Americans are seen as the bullying nation, which is a mentality that ideally Caterpillar would like to distance themselves from. On the other hand, the American political objective may provide an opportunity as reconstruction and other Caterpillar products may experience an increase in demand as a result of the speculated war (eg. tank engines and construction products). This circumstance for Caterpillar represents a relations nightmare because in the home country it would need to communicate support in line with t he public opinion, and in the host countries it may benefit from addressing the local perspective. E.g. the activities in China would be adjusted as to address the sensitive issues to ensure sustainability, rather than inhibiting ill feelings from enforcing the ‘American way. Global political situations are important to Caterpillar because they could gain first mover advantage by moving into recently opened markets such as China. The extent that a region is privatised or Lasses-faire is of interest to Caterpillar because it would aid the process of negotiating a relationship. It would be beneficial for Caterpillar to tailor management to either foreign governments or foreign organisations. IB massively influences the macroeconomic environment. The recent conception is that IB is predominately concentrated around three regions rather than integrating the world. This can be seen through the development of trade blocs that encourages IB amongst its members. The most significant research into this economic environment highlights the triad perspective as being dominant. The triad perspective as explained by Rugman (2001) states that the world economy and FDI is based around Europe, America and Japan, this also extends to FDI clusters, namely Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Pacific rim, that are supported by the dominant triad member. The evolution of this economic environment has matured into a three way economic power base that contributes significantly to the adopted international strategy. The conclusions drawn from Rugmans (2001) research appear to dismiss the argument of a global strategy because an organisation like Caterpillar would only have to accommodate the triad perspectives as opposed to incorporating worldwide responsiveness. The analysis of the macroeconomic environment also includes a consideration of the currency markets, and in particular the value of the US dollar against Caterpillars large foreign investments. Caterpillars largest FDI is in Japan; therefore the continual decline in the economy influenced the strategic decision to operate financially in the Japanese market instead of exposing themselves to exchange rate risk. In theoretical terms this strategic decision is known as ‘currency diversification (Rugman Hogetts 2000 pp. 203). On the other hand Caterpillar has a favourable impact from the sales in other currencies, primarily trading with Euros and the Australian Dollar against the weaker US Dollar. The macro social issues relevant to Caterpillar are identified as originating from the animosity felt by the east towards the west. These issues include the resistance of the east in adopting the ‘western way, this then extends into the business sector where an international business strategy involves a high degree of managing through different social contexts. This is supported by Gesteland (1999 pp. 27) who demonstrates the concept of ‘deal first or relationship first. A relevant example of this in terms of Caterpillar is highlighted by Peppas (2002. pp. 52), which suggests that ‘differences were found in terms of attitude towards a code of ethics. Caterpillar places a heavy bias towards its ‘code of conduct, but is this sufficient to address social issues in international business. At present these publications are not enough, as pointed out by Mokhiber and Weissman (2002 pp. 12). This opinion labelled Caterpillar as a ‘bad apple because its ‘D- 9 bulldozer is used by Israeli military to carry out its programme of ‘home destruction, this is directly inconsistent with the ‘code of conduct (2000 pp. 2) which states that it ‘uses our strength and resources to improve, and in some cases rebuild, the lives of our neighbours. Another important social issue involves the rate of investment into the developing world. The recent trend has been to transfer manufacturing to developing countries, which has stimulated construction and booming economies. This suggests that the international market place is dynamic and evolving, which should influence Caterpillar to adapt in emerging markets and control in mature ones. This idea is also interrelated with the triad perspective, it could be advised that Caterpillar enter the clusters with triad adapted strategies, then encourage segmented alterations in response to market conditions. With this idea incorporated within the strategy, it would combine the economies of scale benefits through behind the scenes standardisation, and benefit from local responsiveness by empowering each of the triad bases. The technological environment is particularly significant for Caterpillar to consider. Not only does Caterpillar have to continually improve the current products but it would also be beneficial to innovate new products to overcome original construction problems. This is highlighting the need to be more advanced than the competition, when Caterpillar enters a market it must ensure that the product offerings are compatible with the geological and business needs. For example track driven vehicles are more appropriate than tyres for working on loose sand. Caterpillar must also undertake a broad view of technological developments in order to identify issues such as alternative power, through to advantages identified in the logistical operation. A recent technological innovation has been the Advanced Combustion Emission Reduction Technology (ACERT); in short this is a more environmentally friendly engine. Along with product development and product innovation, Caterpillar must also be aware of opportunities to diversify. The most recent example of this is where Caterpillar introduced financial products to encourage a struggling economy to buy Caterpillar products. Caterpillars international strategy operates within an environment that is affected by the macro factors. These factors are recognised in a global context and are normally uncontrollable; therefore their management involves negotiations rather than influencing and controlling. The strategic decisions that affect the effectiveness of Caterpillar are mainly catered towards the micro level factors. Meaning the micro level factors are at work within wider macro issues. The discussion here extends to the most important micro factors that Caterpillar must consider when structuring their international strategy. The factors in brief are competition, structure and logistics, culture, and marketing. Each of these factors is discussed using relevant theories in the context of Caterpillar and its environment. Competition within the construction equipment industry (CEI) can be described using the industry life cycle and the five forces analysis (Porter 1985). The CEI is arguably beginning to mature internationally because the competition has been shaken down to leave only 27 organisations that are considered major competitors across all product areas (Datamontior 2003 pp. 13). This information excludes the financial products because these are largely dependent on the machines and engines. Due to the maturing nature of the industry, it implies that the customers will be repeat customers as opposed to new. This increases the value of the relationship and importance of having a h3 brand. Caterpillars position is one of leadership through product quality and support servicing; this directly builds the good perception of Caterpillar in the minds of the customers. The components of the five forces model (Porter 1985) illustrate the competitive environment of the CEI. The rivalry amongst existing firms reflects the increasingly internationalised nature of the market. The basis of competition is held in the ability to offer a broad range of equipment, and build confidence through meeting changing needs. The strategy employed by Caterpillar involves creating extra value by offering an extensive range with a supporting service that provides an excuse for premium prices. The main competitors for the heavy equipment market include Komatsu Ltd, Kubota Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. These are the most powerful competitors whose strategy also includes creating value and charging premium prices. It is noted that two triad areas, namely Japan and the US, predominantly contest the makeup of this market. Although it is conceded that European competitors are significant in the industries architecture. To some extent, the internationalisati on of the industry has provided a situation that can arguably be labelled as an oligopoly (Grant 2002 pp. 71), meaning there are a few organisations that are powerful enough to be deemed sustainable. Again this is more evidence that the industry is maturing, therefore influencing Caterpillars strategic decisions. The other main product of Caterpillar is their engine. The main competitors within this industry are identified, amongst others, as Rolls Royce, Ford Motor Company and Hino Motors Ltd. These competitors are of similar size and employ a strategy of offering reliability and supporting services. However it is noted that Ford and Hino Motors do cut costs and charge cheaper prices, but they still maintain the view of being the leaders. Again the geographical base of these organisations supports the triad perspective introduced by Rugman (2001). The basis of competition is the development of quality in terms of reliability and consistency; it is also an advantageous position to offer a wide range in products. Caterpillar currently offers around twenty different kinds of engine (Caterpillar Product Line 2002), there are also many variances that can be offered within these product ranges. Caterpillar is also recognised for its detailed service; an example of this is that they had temporary p ower established at ground zero hours after the September 11 events. Rugman (2001) demonstrates organisational structure theory as a series of alternative options. This approach offers a clear indication of strategies available, however it is implied that the alternatives are one-way avenues, when in fact a holistic view of organisational structure would include the facility of a hybrid approach. A significant limitation to Rugmans (2001) approach is that it failed to recognise the decision makers predisposition. Whether an organisation is categorised as either ethnocentric, polycentric, regiocentric, or geocentric (Pearlmutter 2001, Rugman 2001) would influence the extent to which it could execute a structure. Can a totally integrated transnational network structure be effective if extreme ethnocentric directors excessively control it? The majority Caterpillars board of directors are American, but the boards predisposition is known only by evidence in the companys structure. Caterpillars operations include a dealer network that is claimed to be an im portant competitive advantage, the dealer network comprises of relationships with local outlets totally integrated with private locations involving large amounts of FDI. This is arguably grouped as a ‘transnational network structure, but it obviously operates to an extent with governance from the home country. To maximise efficiencies and quality of service then the structure may need to consider the triad perspective mentioned earlier. The strategy could involve different approaches relating to sensitivity, but also incorporate the logistical economies of scale and scope. In addition to the ‘transnational network structure, Caterpillar is pursuing alliances, most recently with Ford. The aim for this partnership is to develop supply chain software based on their experience in the vehicle parts market. The American perspective dominates this strategic decision concerning the structure of Caterpillar; therefore if the alliance proves profitable then they are likely to integrate it universally. However this perspective may not be profitable in other cultures, which suggests that different locations are equipped to decide what to integrate and how. Current research by Miller and OLeary (2002) evaluated the performance of Caterpillar factories. The conclusions supported the argument of common manufacturing recommendations, these being the trend of computerisation, multi skilling, and the encouragement of an emergent approach. This new factory architecture represents the absence of control, this may be beneficial in the developed American labour market, but this would not be advisable in bureaucratic cultures such as the Chinese. Further American research is provided by Rao, Scheller-wolf, and Tayur (2000), here they intended to make recommendations for the development of a rapid response supply chain for the compact equipment. These recommendations included background theories such as the network theory, inventory theory and simulation theory, to reason their novel features like the ‘duel nodes of supply, which is to benefit dealer replenishment and customer demand in terms of service speed. The point stressed from such ar ticles is that they are only valid to the specific environment, in terms of structuring internationally then these issues would need to be addressed in each geographical location, and this would be unique in each case. Therefore the construction of an international structure is dependent on the location it chooses. Internally Caterpillar has developed a universal approach of how to operate. They have labelled this 6 Sigma. ‘6 Sigma is about success – about being better than weve ever been. Its about getting there faster (www.caterpillar.com/about), the fact that Caterpillar implement this universally suggests that there is an ethnocentric orientation towards the international management. The micro factor of international culture is a consideration that involves negotiation in order for an organisation to be efficient. Organisational culture on the international stage can be viewed as an extension from the four primary attitudes outlined earlier (Perlmutter 2001, Rugman 2001), these attitudes govern the perceptions of how a company organises its activities. Rugmans (2001) ideas outline the important issues of culture as being language, religion, values and attitudes, manners and customs, material elements, aesthetics, education and social institutions. Although the attitudes of the organisations decision makers are catered for, it is felt that this is the starting point when evaluating an international culture. The unconscious attitude of decision makers will directly affect the extent to which they can implement a strategy such as ‘polycentric. For a pure international strategy, not only do the cultural differences need to be understood, but also the drivers th at influence the culture. This opinion is supported by research undertaken by Gulbro and Herbig (1999), this conclusion states that ‘firms must be better prepared, must improve their knowledge of the other side and its culture. This implies that cultural management is a process of negotiations rather than the encouragement of a ‘one best way approach. Gulbro and Herbig (1999) emphasised the need for organisations to learn from studies that show how different cultures are, therefore this would provide the resources to negotiate effectively the desired business activities. Research into Australian construction companies in Malaysia by McGrath-Champ and Carter (2001 pp. 20) found that ‘HR policies and corporate culture are used as marketing devices, not solely for management strategy. The theory formed from this research highlighted the fact that IB in developing economies needs to provide better insights into the role of the domestic market. It is argued that interna tional business ‘is not simply driven by cost or quality but the success the transactions it has within a host country (McGrath-Champ and Carter 2001 pp.). Caterpillars use of internal and external marketing attempts to communicate culturally consistent messages. Caterpillar regularly produces documents and articles such as the ‘code of conduct, ‘corporate support programs, a magazine, and network and product information. This is evidence that Caterpillar attempts to interact with stakeholders such as the communities, customers, dealers and employees. Another suggestion that Caterpillar manages culture effectively is the resolution of the six-year strike with the United Auto Workers (UAW). However it must be highlighted that it wasnt effective management that created the dispute, or dragged it along for six years, but since its settlement Caterpillar has recorded increasing profits year on year. However an argued reason for this maybe the weak dollar and h3 growth abroad, therefore these markets are in earlier in their life cycles which would suggests that problems may arise in the future. Hopefully experience shall instruct Caterpillar to observe the problems at an early stage. Ba Banutu-Gomez (2002) provides an indication of how to manage culture in developing countries. His recommendation implies that the management of international culture ‘requires a h3 commitment to a high standard of conduct. Managing in this kind of situation requires being able to design and implement a bottom up system, which involves a two-way exc hange. (Ba Banutu-Gomez 2002 pp.39). Similar to Rugmans (2001) highlighted issues; Hofstede (1991) identified four dimensions of work related cultural differences, namely ‘power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualismcollectivism, and masculinityfemininity. This research is an extensive piece based on questionnaires; it provides validity in terms of its thoroughness and its aim is to ‘help managers to identify how to create global competitiveness from diversity (Hoeklin 1994). Caterpillars cultural situation involves the problematic issue of combining the culturally diverse network into an efficient information sharing system. The documentation to signify cultural attention is at a thin level; the vast majority of the corporate marketing is of a very directive nature. For example ‘we are placing renewed emphasis on becoming a continual learning organisation at Caterpillar, using 6 sigma as the way we work (Annual Report 2001 pp. 5). The 6 sigma itself is a continuous improvement programme designed by Americans to implement internationally, this obviously does not recognise the needs to negotiate and exchange for maximum productivity and innovation, instead of enforcing a single way. The microenvironment involving marketing tactics is fairly consistent throughout its international markets. The products that are offered are broadly the same apart from simple language adaptations and alike. The important international marketing issue is the content of the supporting service; this would need to communicate in a way that is consistent with local perceptions. The constant problem for Caterpillar is learning what to communicate and where, therefore it is obvious that it should adopt a ‘polycentric approach as identified earlier. For implementing such a strategy techniques such as Yip and Masdens (1996) ‘Global account management have been proclaimed. Benefits associated with this technique include: Establishing links across regions that carry over time to build institutional relationships Good service leading to reputable benefits that can be transferred to new strategic regions or industries. (Yip and Marsden 1996 pp. 38) There is evidence of this within Caterpillars strategy because firstly, they produce ‘supplier communications guidelines. This maybe against cultural theory but nevertheless they are an attempt to establish a link within regions. The strength of the Caterpillar brand has been utilised by extending it to products associated with the core brand values, such as heavy footwear, clothing and watches. This strategy is confirmed with Chernatory, Halliburton, Bernath (1995 pp.20), where their approach ‘argued that international branding should be based on the core essence of the brand, in terms of its added values and positioning. However it must be recognised that the associated values may need to be refined when marketing in more sensitive markets. With the product being largely standardised and economies of scale being utilised, then the marketing and servicing operations need only to appreciate the local values, instead of marketing a differentiated product. Caterpillar largely promotes a consistent message of reliability, expertise and value for money; these are the underlying assumptions that are connected to the Caterpillar brand. Internal marketing could involve more negotiations through understanding local cultures, although this may unconsciously happen it does not get promoted through the documentation. In summary Caterpillars international strategy has evolved within a market environment that demands reliability and dynamic customer requirements. Therefore their international strategy is a unique response that matches the capabilities with customer demands. The current direction of the strategy is to ‘recalibrate our focus (Annual Report 2001 pp.2), meaning to concentrate on successful products and either retain or achieve leadership. Caterpillar does, and should continue to innovate in terms of products and logistics to maintain opportunities for leadership. The brand values provide a critical advantage in supporting the services because the interrelated nature of this allows prosperity. Caterpillars brand management and marketing internationally is effective in communicating the values, but it has been hinted here that the fundamental values may be ideal for the American market, but not necessarily maximising in foreign markets. Caterpillars logistical network involves vast amounts of investment of money and time; therefore it poses as a significant barrier to entry. The critical aspects of this network are the working relationships. Caterpillar manages these by documenting the ideal personality of a networked company. However, it is concluded that Caterpillar has ethnocentric characteristics, which may be inefficient by suppressing the domestic firms. The structural design of Caterpillar resembles that of a transnational network company, this network covers a large proportion of the globe, but the development of the structure extends from a triad perspective due to early investments in Japan and Europe. A criticism of this suggestion is that Caterpillar have sufficient power to influence networked companies, therefore it could be argued that there is evidence so suggest that it undertakes a global area structure. This is based on the opinion that they have a bureaucratic nature, which works against the network structure fundamentals. The competitive forces of the environment, namely the need for reliability and support service, would suggest that the network structure is more appropriate. Caterpillars ability to develop and produce products is a major advantage, but to create total dominance of the construction industry, their logistical network would need continual maintenance. The resulting recommendation is to encourage an emergent approach that encourages communication and business development within the network.

Effects of Parental Relationships on Children as Evidenced by Shakespea

Effects of Parental Relationships on Children as Evidenced by Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Families are the essential building blocks of the relationships we form in the later years of our lives. If we are given unconditional love by those we hold most dear, we learn to trust in others and their love for us. However, if we do not receive the appropriate attention, we may grow to believe that we are incapable of either being loved or loving others. These kinds of proceedings in a household may lead a child to a lifetime of troubling consequences. Just as important as the relationship they hold with us is the relationship between the mother and father that we grow up observing. Parents should maintain a healthy relationship in order to prevent their children from forming a skewed image of love and trust. After Hamlet’s experience with his mother’s incestuous remarriage to Claudius, he no longer sees love as a pleasant sentiment. Gertrude exclaims the exact basis of her son’s apparent madness when, in response to Claudius’s proclamation that Polonius knows the origin, she exclaims â€Å"I doubt it is no other but the main, / His father’s death and o†erhasty marriage.† (II. ii. 59-60). This swift and incestuous marriage suggests to Hamlet â€Å"the impermanence of human affection as well as of life, and it also, less obviously, compels him to think of the violation of the union which gave him his own life and being.† (Scott 110). He learns from this occurance that love is nothing but a fleeting emotion, with no meaning to it. This attitude towards love spills over into his treatment of Ophelia. Hamlet’s exclamation of â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman!† (I. ii. 152) applies in his mind, not only to Gertrude, but now al so to Ophelia. ... ... in others after forming a firm sense of one’s own identity, saying, â€Å"It is only when identity formation is well on its way that true intimacy â€Å" which is really a counterpointing as well as a fusing of identities â€Å" is possible.† (Staal 27). Although not all cases of divorce may end in this fashion, more than likely, most will. It is a difficult experience for children to adjust to and compensate for in their behavior. The same is true of Hamlet in respect to Gertrude’s rapid remarriage to the murderer of her recently departed husband. Her actions have an effect on her son’s way of thinking and ultimately, acting throughout the play. Love and trust are the two most difficult emotions for children in these situations to rebuild after a complicated experience. Therefore, to protect their children, parents should always maintain a healthy, cordial relationship.   

The Class-Size Amendment Must be Repealed in Florida! :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

The Class-Size Amendment Must be Repealed in Florida! The latest amendment to the Florida constitution reduces the average class size in schools around the state. Although many people believe that smaller class size will help students learn by giving them more time individually with their teacher, studies prove that class size has little or no effect on student achievement. The class-size amendment is a waste of non-existent money, and in the long run, it will only hurt Florida’s economy and the education program. On November 5, 2002, voters approved the reduction of class sizes around the state, much to the dismay of the governor and well-informed citizens everywhere. Governor Bush previously had warned that the revision to the constitution would cost $27.5 billion over eight years and would force the state to raise taxes and cut services. Unfortunately, naà ¯ve supporters of class size reduction chose to go ahead with the modification of the constitution for emotional reasons, having no actual evidence demonstrating benefit from smaller classes. Much evidence exists, however, to demonstrate why this amendment should not have been passed. In 1986, the Tennessee legislature commissioned the Tennessee Class Size Experiment to determine if class size made a difference in achievement for disadvantaged students. After studying 79 different schools in 42 school districts for 4 years, the researchers found that class size only had an effect on students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, and that effect was minute. The impact was only on reading, not math, and smaller classes did not help disadvantaged students. A 2002 study of New York City schools showed that smaller schools, not smaller classes, had an effect on student success. From these and other studies, Florida should have learned that paying $27.5 billion to count the number of children in a class is a waste of money. Instead,

Affirmative Action :: essays research papers

Affirmative Action Paper Q: What is a Definition of Affirmative Action: Affirmative action- a plan to offset past discrimination in employing or educating women, blacks etc. (Websters New World Dictionary.) The phase "affirmative action" was used in a racial discrimination context. Executive Order No. 10,925 issued by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. The order indicated that federal contractors should take affirmative action to ensure job applicants and employees are treated "without regard to their race, creed, or national origin." A person could define this statement as an order to imply equal access and nothing else. Q: What is the History of Affirmative Action? Affirmative action was implemented with the idea and hope that America would finally become truly equal. The tension of the 1960's civil rights movement had made it very clear, that the nations minority and female population was not receiving equal and social economic opportunity. The implementation of affirmative action was America's first honest attempt at solving a problem it had previously chose to ignore. The history of affirmative action has its roots in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and stems from the United States Supreme case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. In 1969, the department of Labor exposed widespread racial discrimination of the Construction Department so President Nixon decided to incorporate a system of "goals and timetables" that provided guidelines for companies to follow and comply with affirmative action regulations. Which brings us to today Q:What caused the lawsuit. After applying to the University of Michigan Law School, Barbara was waitlisted then rejected. Similarly, Jennifer and Patrick were waitlisted then rejected by the University's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. After learning that race played a large role in the University's admissions policies, all three realized that they would have been admitted had they been of a preferred race — black, Hispanic, or Native American. The three sought legal representation to vindicate their right to be free of racial discrimination. Q: What wad the Plaintiff’s Point of View? The three named plaintiffs and the class of rejected applicants they represent seek primarily injunctive relief to ensure that future applicants will be judged as individuals without regard to race. It is unfair to be judged by the color of your skin†¦ NO MATTER WHAT COLOR YOU ARE!!! WHITE IS A COLOR TOO Q: What is the Defendants Point of View? . That the University should remain off limits to the majority of working class and most middle class youth, but that it should be made â€Å"diverse† through the selective admission of a small percentage of minority students, who are given preference over qualified white students.

Internship report outline Essay

Executive Summary (Describe where your internship was carried out shortly (company, department, location, etc. ). Summarize your internship goals, activities, and accomplishments. In addition, describe the key learning from your internship (both personal and professional)). Table of Contents Table of Figures/Tables I. Overview of Internship a. Student name, ID, program & specialization, telephone, email. b. Internship dates/Period c. Internship company name, department/division, address, contact numbers, e-mail d. Internship company supervisor’s name and position e. Internship objectives f. Job scope – Job description/duties & responsibilities (intro) g. Student’s contribution to the company h. Benefits to the individual/Student i. Student’s career interest(s) j. Problems and difficulties if any faced during the internship period k. Recommendations and suggestions (Analyze your performance during the internship. What are your three primary strengths? Give examples of what you did well. What are three areas that you would like to improve? Give examples of what you would do differently. Ask your company supervisor for input on this aspect of the report. ) II. Organization Part (on overall issues about the organization, its legal status, organizational structure, character of business activities, list of the main business operations; character of works, performed directly by the student during the internship, explain how the work done during the internship relates to your major or to your career objectives) a. Introduction (Objective, methodology, scope, limitation)Â  b. Overview of the Company c. Management Issues d. Marketing Issues e. Finance/Accounting Issues f. Operations Management and Information System Issues g. Industry and Competitive Analysis (SWOT, market dynamics, competitive dynamics) h. Observations/Findings i. Summary and Conclusions j. Recommendations III. Project Part (on a particular issue – a topic preferably related to student’s major and internship/work) a. Introduction (background, objective, significance of the issue) b. Methodology c. Findings and Analysis d. Summary and Conclusions e. Recommendations References Bibliography (List the books, articles, websites that are referred if any) Appendices (Tables, maps, government reports, conversions if any) Required size of the MBA Internship Report – not less than 25 pages without appendices, 1. 5 space, 12 font, Times New Roman Required size of the BSc Internship Report – not less than 15 pages without appendices, 1. 5 space, 12 font, Times New Roman

Brian Moore – the Donegal connection

Belfast-born Brian Moore left Ireland a young man, and spent more than fifty years In Canada and the US. However, as Martin McKinley found out (belatedly he had strong links with Dongle. The great Brian Moore and the Dongle connection So I mention to Muriel that I'm doing an article about Brian Moore, the writer, and she says, â€Å"His mother was from Dongle, wasn't she? † It seems that the world has been aware for some time that the man regarded as one of the great Irish novelists had Dongle connections and, even better, Courthouse connections.If only I'd known that when I saw him read in a lecture theatre in Queen's university in Belfast, more than ten years ago. I could have asked him something original, like about the influence of Courthouse on his work. Instead, I asked him if he'd thought about coming back to live in Belfast. I mean, the man lived in Malibu at the time. He died there In January, 1 999, which was a shame for people like myself who waited for his new nove l every two years or so. It was hard to believe there would never be another Brian Moore book. But he had a long publishing career.His first novel, ‘The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearse', from 1955, Is probably still the one he's best known for. Four others were also made into films – The Luck of Ginger Coffey, ‘Catholics', ‘Cold Heaven' and ‘Black Robe'. He won many literary prizes, and was shortlist three times for the Booker Prize. He also worked with Alfred Hitchcock, writing the screenplay for Torn Curtain', starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. It's not really regarded as a classic, but Brian liked to take the credit for a particularly drawn-out – and famous – murder scene.He told Hitchcock he had learned from his father, a actor, that â€Å"people didn't always die as quickly as they did in movies. † Hitchcock took him at his word. Dentally Lodge The story of Brian Moor's Dongle connection begins back in another age, 1889, when his mother Eileen McFadden was born outside Courthouse, apparently in the download of Clashes. Her parents were Pat and Grace (nee McGee). She was among the youngest of a large family, and grew up in the family home in Dentally, a little way along the Courthouse to Carrier road.The McFadden were quite a notable family. Linen's grandfather Edward had a corn mill at Dentally. His brother was FRR Hugh McFadden UP Challenge, who died in 1868. He was the priest who accompanied some of those evicted in Terry. ‘each to Dublin on the first leg of their dinner arranged for them in a Dublin hotel. Linen's father Pat had two brothers who also became parish priests in the Arapaho diocese – Dean Hugh McFadden, UP Dongle and Vicar General, who died in 1908, and Archdeacon James, UP Challenge, who was known as ‘James of Glenda'.Eileen Moore attended Loretta Convent in Lettermen. She would have been fifteen when her father Pat died in 1905. As was fairly common in those days , she spent some time living with a relative, n her case Dean Hugh McFadden. It seems that he left her some money when he died and she used this to fund her nurse's training in Belfast. FRR John Silks, the well- known historian and diocesan archivist, recalls his mother Susan (nee McKinley from Boomer in Courthouse) telling of three girls from the parish who went to Belfast and all â€Å"married well†.One of them was Eileen McFadden. In 1915, when she was 25, she married a doctor more than twenty years her senior, James B. Moore, a Bellman man who worked in the Mater Hospital. In the next 12 years she had nine children, with Brian coming in number four on 25th August, 1921. The family lived in no 11 Clifton Street in North Belfast until they were bombed out of the house by the Germans in the Second World War. The house was eventually demolished in 1995, in spite of a campaign to save it because of its associations with Brian Moore.Briar's father also came from a strong Cathol ic background, if it was a bit more unusual than most. James Bi's father, James B. Senior, was a Presbyterian law clerk in Bellman who decided to become a Catholic even before he got married to one, Eleanor O'Hare. Their house was stoned every year on the Twelfth. It seems James B. Enron brought up his family with the zeal of a convert. All in all, it seems hardly surprising that Brian Moore spent a good part of his writing career exploring the whole idea of Catholicism, religion and the question of the afterlife.Holidays in Courthouse Growing up in the ass and ass, Brian spent quite a bit of time on holiday around Dentally and Courthouse. His sister Nun Maguire, who lives in Alular, says he had very fond memories of it. He stayed in Dentally with his mother's brother Jim Pat and his wife Martha. Patricia Craig writes – â€Å"The farmhouse was called Dentally and stood above a glen; it contained a stone-floored kitchen with huge iron cooking-pot; it was pervaded by the punge nt smell of turf-smoke, and not far away was the fifteenth- century Doe Castle, an enticing ruin in those days . † Brian himself wrote – â€Å"l seemed to be in an older Ireland, a place where life was elemental and harsh, yet close to a reality which was timeless and true. I would see a pig slaughtered, its blood running in rivulets in the yard outside the kitchen door. I would see a stallion mount a mare, its hooves scraping at the barrel of her rib-cage †¦ I would be butted by allow-eyed goats, kicked by donkeys when I tried to climb on their backs. I would see people drink tea, not from teacups as in Belfast, but from large china bowls I nth eighteenth-century manner.I would sit by the hob of the kitchen turf fire watching as floury potatoes were doled out to the men coming in from the fields for their noonday dinner . I would see long white clay pipes and plugs of tobacco laid out near Jugs Jim McFadden, a grandson of Linen's brother Jim Pat, is one of the ol der McFadden, and has a well-known shop in Strange. He doesn't really remember Brian at Dentally, but does recall the McFadden getting ready for the Mores' visits a few times. â€Å"One thing I do remember – Dry Moore smoked cigars.It was a very unusual thing for me to see anybody smoking cigars in those days. † Jim thought that the Mores didn't really feel at home in Dentally. â€Å"It wasn't really what they were used to, although the house was a lot better than most of us had at the time. † It may have been the profits from the McFadden cornmeal which helped the family build Dentally well over a hundred years ago. It was regarded as one of the finest houses in the rear, certainly a cut above the ordinary with its sitting room, bedrooms and an outside toilet.Michael McFadden, who lives in the modern Dentally now with his wife Caroline and their children Bobbie (12), Doran (6) and Michael (5), says wedding receptions used to be held in the sitting room. A coupl e recently returned to mark their golden wedding anniversary by getting their photograph taken in front of the marble fireplace. However, as Brian Moore recalled it in an article in 1980, Courthouse was still a big change from city life – â€Å"Dongle is an extremely wild and rocky-looking place in the west of Ireland. I used to go there when I was a boy, to a farm owned by a poor Irish subsistence farmer.I would move from our middle-class world to an absolutely peasant environment. † Loved the country Jim recalls him going to a farm belonging to an uncle-in-laws brother around Darwinian to help out during the summer. â€Å"l don't think he liked it very well – I think he said they cut the bread too thick! † But Brian Moor's sister Nun Maguire says he had very fond memories of Dentally. â€Å"He loved the country. Going there on his holidays as a child gave him a great sense of freedom. We grew up in a four storey house in Belfast, but we had no garden. The freedom in Dongle appealed very much to him.He could wander about in a way that we wouldn't be allowed to in the city. † Brian Moore left Belfast a young man and traveled around theatres of the Second World War as a civilian working with the British Ministry of War Transport. He lived for eleven years in Canada and became a Canadian citizen. He moved to the United States in 1959, and it was his base for forty years. His writing career began with a series of detective potboilers under various names, which he reckoned sold about 800,000 copies. ‘Judith Hearse' was his first ‘serious' novel in 1955. An early ‘review in the summer of that year came in a letter from his mother.She said about some of the more explicit bits – muff certainly left nothing to the imagination, and my advice to you in your next book leave out parts like this. You have a good imagination and could write books anyone could read. † She added, â€Å"l am glad to find you we re kind to the Church and clergy. † The book was later banned in the Republic. In 1995 Brian and his wife Jean built a house in Nova Scotia, on the coast. He said at the time – â€Å"It's beautiful. It looks out on a bay that looks Just like Dongle. It's very wild He was quite a regular visitor to Ireland over the years, but recognition came fairly late here.This was the man who went into a Dublin bookshop at one point and asked if they'd anything by an Irish novelist Brian Moore. He was told no, but they did have one or two books by a Canadian novelist of the same name. It seems that Brian Moore didn't re-visit Dongle very often, although he and Jean stayed with Brian Fries and his wife at Mobile on at least one occasion. His brother Seam's, a doctor in Belfast who also died in recent years, did keep up contact with the Courthouse connection. Michael McFadden says that Briar's late sister Pebbling, who lived in Manchester, also visited in recent years.Final farewell B riar's final visit to Dentally came with Jean and his sister Nun, she thinks about twelve or so years ago. They visited Challenge Castle, and then went across to Courthouse and over to Dentally. Brian thought the house was â€Å"spruced up† a lot from how he remembered it. He knocked on the door, but there was no one in. Brian went across the road and spent a while looking over the bridge at the spectacular gorge with its trees and fast-flowing water, as he'd done in his childhood. â€Å"He had ere, very happy times there,† Nun said.Both Brian and Jean loved the west coast, and on one of their tours came across a tiny graveyard in Connector. Brian was surprised to find in this beautiful spot the grave of Bubble Hobnobs, a Belfast Quaker, one-time vice-president of Sin Feint, and a good friend of his father and his uncle Neon O'Neill. Later when Brian and Jean talked of where their ashes would end up, they both wrote their choice separately on a piece of paper. The piec es said the same thing – the Connector graveyard. It seems that Brian Moor's remains will finally return to the west of Ireland, which he came to know as a boy.

Law Enforcement Agencies Essay

Identify three federal law enforcement agencies. Roles and responsibilities and comparison of local and state law enforcement duties, functions, and their two main differences. The duties, functions, and responsibilities of Local Law Enforcement agencies are as follows: They are required to arrest law violators, perform routine patrol, investigates crimes, enforce traffic laws (including parking violations), provide crowd and traffic control for example parades and other huge public events. Today they also have duties such as: Performing the duties of coroners, tax assessors, tax collectors, keepers of county jails, court attendants, and executors of criminal and civil processes, as well as law enforcement officers. The duties, functions, and responsibilities of State Police Agencies are as follows: patrol small towns and state highways, regulate traffic, and have the primary responsibility to enforce some state laws. They also carry out many duties for local police agencies, such as the managing of state training academies, criminal identification systems, and crime laboratories. Some of the differences between the state and the local police are as follows: State police cooperates with an assortment of law enforcement agencies such as local police, the highway patrol, and park or forest rangers. Really the differences between a sheriff and a police officer vary slightly from state to state, which sometimes lead to confusion. Three federal law enforcement agencies are: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Administration or Agency (DEA), and the Alcohol Tobacco Firearms (ATF). â€Å"The FBI is a threat-based, intelligence driven national security organization, their principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Justice and a full member of the U.S. Intelligence Community,†(FBI 2010). These agents are â€Å"dedicated men and women of the DEA are working hard to investigate and arrest the traffickers of the dangerous drugs.† These agents also help keep our schools and neighborhoods safe and secure. The â€Å"Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seeks to reduce alcohol smuggling and contraband cigarette trafficking activity, divest criminal and terrorist organizations of monies derived from this illicit activity and significantly reduce tax revenue losses to the States,† (ATF 2010). These agents are also reducing violent crime, and enforcing the Federal explosives laws and regulations. These agents are working to enforce Federal firearms laws and regulations.  All these agents whether local, state or federal work together to protect the United Sates residents from all criminals activities.