An evaluation of competitive advantages of electronic advertising to Dissertation

An evaluation of competitive advantages of electronic advertising to companies in UK - Asda and Tesco - Dissertation Example This analysis is primarily an evaluation of the market potential of electronic advertising for businesses in the UK, with case-studies of notable examples. The relevant findings that necessitate studies such as this include data that portrays as many as 14 million households in the United Kingdom going online to discover current details about goods or services in September of 2009 – 14 million within just one month. (Office of Fair Trading, 2010) Other relevant findings indicate an ongoing growth rate in the subsequent advertising revenue that can be achieved for those that take advantage of online advertising opportunities. The percentage of advertising revenue generated from online commerce has grown 17% in the five years between 2003 and 2008, for example. (Office of Fair Trading, 2010) There are additional complexities to this form of advertising, but there is strong evidence to suggest that electronic marketing/advertising is a growth area which must be pioneered by any c ompany that does not wish to be left behind by history. As of 2010, the practice of behavioral advertising through online targeting is responsible for revenue as high as ?95m. (Office of Fair Trading, 2010) This represents the fraction of possible online marketing revenues known to be possible within the United Kingdom, to say nothing of the global market, but even within the UK there is potential for further growth. Online marketing allows for an element of behavioral tailoring which is more difficult in other forms of media – even other visual media. The competitive advantages of electronic advertising through online sources allow the vendor to maximize the relevance of an advertisement by adjusting content pertaining directly to the consumers’ desires. This potential is far greater than what might be achieved through less responsive media. Television advertisers for decades have sought to generate programming specific to a selection of the demographic most likely to be watching a given program at a given time, but this method has its limits. A television station attempts to acquire as many advertisers as possible, and must negotiate its scheduling to satisfy all of them, and the most popular programs may have a diverse demographic. Some commercials may be relevant to any particular viewer, but in the course of satisfying all advertisers inevitably there will be much content there any particular view or will not find worthy of attention. Television is not responsive in the way that online navigation could be. The television viewer has already responded by selecting the channel, and no further customization is possible. The situation is similar with radio. Electronic advertising through online sources allows the advertiser to adapt their message in a way that capitalizes upon the very personal nature of website navigation. In front of the computer or mobile computing device, the user has access to an ever growing network of information and enter tainment, far more options than could ever be feasible for the programming of a radio or television company. The range of options is dizzying, but provides a golden opportunity for advertisers. Those who attempt to market to individual website users do not need to cater to the totality of need for an audience of (hopefully)

LEGISLATION IS INTRODUCED TO PROTECT UNMARRIED COHABITANTS Essay

LEGISLATION IS INTRODUCED TO PROTECT UNMARRIED COHABITANTS - Essay Example Under the Children Act 1989, an unmarried mother has the sole parental responsibility over her children however this was amended under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 where parental responsibility shall be acquired by the father if he is registered as the child’s father; there is a parental responsibility agreement; or when the court orders that he shall have parental authority upon his application.  Under the Children Act 1989, an unmarried mother has the sole parental responsibility over her children however this was amended under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 where parental responsibility shall be acquired by the father if he is registered as the child’s father; there is a parental responsibility agreement; or when the court orders that he shall have parental authority upon his application.   The legislative pronouncement protecting cohabitation may be used by couples who are prescribed by law to marry by reason of legal impediment or public policy to cir cumvent the law. A case in point is B & L v the United Kingdom where a parent-in-law is prohibited from marrying their child-in-law unless both had reached aged 21 and both their respective spouses had died. B was L’s father-in-law, and they wished to marry. L’s son treated his grandfather, B, as ‘Dad’. However, upon application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), it was ruled that the prohibition violates the right to marry notwithstanding its laudable and legitimate aim of protecting the family and any children of the couple. The prohibition was based primarily on tradition and considering the same situation, no legal prohibition exists when the couple would engage in an extra-marital relationship.   In fine, there are enough laws to protect the interest of unmarried cohabitants. They must only be vigilant in protecting their rights and interests so that they may not be unduly deprived of their rights and interests.... Under the Children Act 1989, an unmarried mother has the sole parental responsibility over her children however this was amended under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 where parental responsibility shall be acquired by the father if he is registered as the child’s father; there is a parental responsibility agreement; or when the court orders that he shall have parental authority upon his application.  Under the Children Act 1989, an unmarried mother has the sole parental responsibility over her children however this was amended under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 where parental responsibility shall be acquired by the father if he is registered as the child’s father; there is a parental responsibility agreement; or when the court orders that he shall have parental authority upon his application.   The legislative pronouncement protecting cohabitation may be used by couples who are prescribed by law to marry by reason of legal impediment or public policy to cir cumvent the law. A case in point is B & L v the United Kingdom where a parent-in-law is prohibited from marrying their child-in-law unless both had reached aged 21 and both their respective spouses had died. B was L’s father-in-law, and they wished to marry. L’s son treated his grandfather, B, as ‘Dad’. However, upon application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), it was ruled that the prohibition violates the right to marry notwithstanding its laudable and legitimate aim of protecting the family and any children of the couple. The prohibition was based primarily on tradition and considering the same situation, no legal prohibition exists when the couple would engage in an extra-marital relationship.   In fine, there are enough laws to protect the interest of unmarried cohabitants. They must only be vigilant in protecting their rights and interests so that they may not be unduly deprived of their rights and interests. Any legislation that would be enacted would put the cohabitation relationship at par with marriage and civil partnership is a mockery to the institutions. It would further erode marriage and civil partnership and from the growing number of couples choosing to cohabit without the benefit of marriage or civil partnership, it is marriage and civil partnership that need protection. Unmarried cohabitation should be left alone to give the parties freedom to choose but they cannot invoke protection as this is a direct assault on the institutions of marriage and civil partnership.  

Reason for Returning to School Essay Example for Free

Reason for Returning to School Essay The reason of why I decided to go back to school and obtain my Bachelor Degree has never been anything out of the ordinary. In todays society, I see many working adults pursuing their degrees to obtain security and self-fulfillment. While others are looking for the advancement in pay and position in their current or new job. There are even those who need to gain more confidence in their skills to do a good job for their company and they feel that by getting a degree, they can achieve this goal. All of them pertain to me. Especially to todays current economy, I strongly feel that there is a great advantage to having a degree versus to not having one when it comes to searching for a job. More and more each year, I see new programs for education that are designed for working adults. If there were no real demand for these programs, I believe they would not exist. But that demand is real. There is a larger competitive environment in the work force now then there was a few years ago. With many new and fresh graduates coming out of college, I feel the pressure to increase my credentials to be able to compete. Even though I have built my experience through years of on the job education, I feel that by obtaining a graduate or even undergraduate degree is the only way to secure my position against the growing population of new graduates. I believe that you must continue updating your skills to keep up with this very competitive market. Then, there are those current working adults who are already established in their field, but would like to find a way to increase their potential of getting a raise or promotion. By obtaining a degree, this can show the managers how much value of an employee you are to the company. To have the qualifications and experience can give you a better success rate of getting the raise or promotion that you would ask for. Its a way of selling yourself and your worth. With a degree, you just are more armed to the task of requesting for an advancement. Once I have obtained my degree, I can then see myself seriously requesting for an advance of my pay and position from my manager. Most importantly is the ability to feel confident in doing your job and to  have that credential to show people. There were many projects that I have been involved in that required myself to learn new skills. One example was learning how to program in Visual Basic 6 to create an interface GUI for one of our robot systems. Another accomplishment that I achieved was generating a database for system files used by our integration department. In almost each project, there were other managers involved besides my own manager. And each one had their doubts in my ability to succeed in the project. I have yet to fail, but each time a new project is started, these doubts from these managers come along with them. Even though I have five-years of experience in my field, I can see that it is harder to prove your ability in your skills with out a four-year degree. It is also much harder to have the confidence in yourself when there are others that lack that confidence in you. That is why I can se e by obtaining a degree can benefit me in many ways besides security and advancement in pay and position. There are times that I try to imagine how different it would be one I have earned my degree. And each time all I can imagine are anything but positive results. Sure, there are concerns and sacrifices that I would need to make down the road. Sacrifice like time. Time with my family and time for myself. But what is a couple of years of sacrifice compared to a lifetime of advancement? I once read an article about a successful businessman and how he achieved his goals by following one philosophy he recited to himself everyday. He believed the reward in terms of happiness is directly proportional to the sacrifice that each one makes. Great philosophy. And I try to live it everyday.

Strategic alliances to gain global integration

Strategic alliances to gain global integration Introduction Multinational companies (MNCs) are defined as a firms with strong tangible and intangible assets, thus the capability to expand their business worldwide, with global diffusion as an important resource for competitive advantage (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1998). In the stage of going global, most companies have to deal with the pressures of both global integration and/or local responsiveness, and some choose to form a strategic alliance with a partner to achieve global integration and/or local responsiveness more easily. Global integration and Local responsiveness Global Integration Global integration pressures are the forces that make MNCs exploit worldwide resources and integrate their activities on a global basis to realize economies of scale and achieve cost reduction. Bartlett and Ghoshal (1998) summarize that the motivation of Global Integration is the need of efficiency. More specifically, the developments of advanced technologies allow companies to expand manufacture globally and achieve economies of scale, resulting in the more standardized products. Moreover, the tastes of consumers have become homogeneous worldwide. Besides, MNCs tend to have global chess strategy, using the profit generated in one market to fund operations in another. Local Responsiveness In contrast, local responsiveness requires MNCs to make strategic decisions based on local context (Roth and Morrison, 1990). According to Bartlett and Ghoshal (1998) the drivers for local responsiveness are (i) the differences in consumer tastes in different countries; (ii) the typical characteristics of the product system in host countries; (iii) the administrative costs of coordinating manufacture on a global basis; (iv) the improvements in technologies enable companies to disperse manufacture to smaller local plants with low cost; (v) the trade and legislative barriers set by local Governments. Similarly, Hill (2001) discusses that the main pressures for local responsiveness are the differences in consumer tastes and preferences; differences in infrastructure and traditional practices; in distribution channels; and host government demands. Such pressures for local responsiveness urge multinational firms to adjust their products and services to better meet the demand of indigenous people. The Integration Responsiveness Framework The I-R framework, which is initially rationalized by Lawrence and Lorsch (1967) and later developed by Doz (1980), provides an insight into how MNCs compete internationally (Johnson and Julius, 1995). Bartlett and Ghoshal (1998), Spender and Grevesen (1999) mention the I-R framework to explain different ways MNCs respond to global integration and local responsiveness based on their strategy. As in Figure 1 below, MNCs pursuing a global strategy often emphasize on global integration and coordination. In contrast, multidomestic companies (called as multinational companies in Bartlett and Ghoshal model), with most pressures coming from customizing operation towards local context, focus on local responsiveness. International companies have an emphasis in knowledge transfer, because most of value they create is from transferring valuable resources to foreign markets. For transnational companies, facing equal pressures from both integration and responsiveness, they adopt a multifocal stra tegy aiming to achieve both cost efficiency and responsiveness. However the study of Bartlett and Ghoshal (1998) was restrained at internal organizational issues. Figure 1: How MNCs respond to Global integration, Local responsiveness and Worldwide learning based on their strategy (Bartlett and Goshal, 1998) Strategic Alliances There have been several researches on strategic alliances. Holmberg and Cummings (2009) contend that strategic alliances are becoming more and more important to every company in its strategic effort to maintain competitive advantages in the global marketplace. Strategic alliances are links between two or more companies to mutually carry out a specific project by coordinating necessary resources while still preserving their autonomy (Dussauge and Garette, 1999). Wheelen and Hunger (2000, p. 125) define a strategic alliance as a partnership between two or more companies to achieve strategically important targets that are mutually beneficial. According to Elmuti and Kathawala (2001), there are four main motivations for forming strategic alliances: (i) the growth strategies of parent companies to enter to a new market; (ii) the procurement of new technology or best quality or cheapest cost; (iii) the mitigation of financial risks; and (iv) the maintenance of competitive advantage for enterprises. Nowadays in a dynamic global environment, the role of strategic alliances is even more critical to the performance of a multinational company. Robson and Dunk (1999) have generalized the three main stages to develop an alliance including: Partner selection, Venture design and Venture management. The three key stages defined are similar to those by Hill (2001). Some typical features of strategic alliances are that their operations are subject to multiple decision making, continuous bargaining and conflicts of interests (Dussauge and Garette, 1999). Therefore it is not easy to successfully manage an alliance. Bleeke and Ernst (1993) find that among 49 alliances in their research, about 67% confront troubles within the first two years. Holmberg and Cummings (2009) give examples of failed strategic alliances, mostly due to lack of rigorousness in partner selection process. It is important to know if the way alliances can create value for the firm is appropriate to the parent firms strategy. So the first thing MNCs managers should consider from partner selection stage is to identify and verify that the way strategic alliances help to expand business is in line with the overall international operation strategy of parent firms. In this paper, the ways strategic alliances help multinational companies to achieve global integration and/or local responsiveness will be examined to assess their importance to the partner companies in relation to the partner companies strategy. Evaluating the ways strategic alliances allow multinational companies to achieve Global integration and Local responsiveness. There have been approaches to classify the ways that a strategic alliance cooperates to expand the business of parent companies. For example, Todeva and Knoke (2005) have listed 18 typical ways that strategic alliances can support multinational companies. This paper will approach the classification of Dussauge and Bernard (1999) because the systematized typology helps to provide a more comprehensive understanding on how strategic alliances allow MNCs to achieve integration and responsiveness. Alliances between non-competing companies International expansion joint ventures International expansion joint ventures (JVs) are established with a foreign partner aiming to penetrate into a new geographic market. One partner (the MNC) often seeks for market penetration, while the other (the local partner) has wide knowledge on local market thus can provide more easy market access. For example, in 1998, Yamaha Motor, the premier Japanese motorcycle manufacturer, together with Vietnam Forest Corporation, a state-owned corporation in forestry and Hong Leong Industries from Malaysia established a joint venture named Yamaha Motor Vietnam Ltd., providing motor cycles in Vietnam market (Yamaha Motor). The state-owned corporation has understanding about the market as well as necessary relations to the authority, combined with the expertise in manufacturing of Yamaha Motor, created a viable basis for the JV to thrive in Vietnam. This model is beneficial for both local government and the foreign MNC. For local government, equity sharing in JVs makes the MNCs more responsible and interested in the success of the JV. For the MNC, the local partner may provide the privilege access and political connections supporting effective market penetration. However this type of JV may result in the conflicts of benefits between the MNC and local partner. In many cases the JV is only one part of the total network of the MNC, so the MNC may have detrimental decision to the JVs performance. International expansion JV is rarely the first choice of MNCs managers since they prefer wholly owned subsidiary. However it is still common practice for MNCs when shifting business beyond borders (Dussauge and Bernard, 1999). International expansion JVs are common for MNCs facing great local responsiveness pressure (i.e. multidomestic and transnational companies), because it seeks solutions to overcome the legislative barrier and complexities of local market. In other words, it helps the MNCs to tailor their operation to fit local context. Vertical partnerships Vertical partnerships bring about cooperation opportunities for two companies at different successive stages of the production process. Normally, one partner may become a supplier or customer of the other. For example, Heinz, a global US food company is the supplier of many food products for ASDA in UK. That enables ASDA to fully deploy the resources of Heinz. However there are also shortcomings in this model. Since there is no bidding process, the opportunities to find the most cost-effective supplier are limited. As a result, the buyer tends to become dependent on the supplier. Although this model delivers mutual understanding, there are still potential conflicts of benefits (Dussauge and Bernard, 1999). Vertical partnerships relate to a strategic issue that MNC managers often deal with to increase efficiency: make or buy, or cooperate decision. MNCs choose to outsource when the cost to produce by their own is higher than the cost to outsource to a strategic partner. Consequently vertical partnerships are often exploited by MNCs facing high pressures from cost reduction (global and transnational companies). That model may help the MNC to maximize economies of scale and achieve global integration. Cross-industry agreements Cross-industry agreements are cooperation between two companies in different industries with a view to create a brand new business to diversify their operation, by taking advantage of the partners resources. For example, in 2001, Sony Corporation a Japanese electric equipment producer, and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson a provider of telecommunication equipment and services from Sweden established a 50:50 joint venture, Sony Ericsson. The JV has become a world-class mobile-phone manufacturer (Sony Ericsson). Nonetheless the drawback of cross-industry agreements is that they often post small profit margin, because most of the cases, the level of convergence of the two initial businesses is more moderate than expected. Besides, this model requires a high level of compatibility of the resources contributed by the two parties; and the new business developed must have a clear marketing strategy to become successful. Lastly, successful alliances can impose threats of new competitors if one ally obtains key skills/resources of the other (Dussauge and Bernard, 1999). Based on above characteristics, it can be inferred that cross-industry agreements support MNC to achieve global integration while looking for combining abroad complementary resources to reduce cost of the new business. It is also discussed that cross-industry agreements help to achieve local responsiveness, in case a MNC cooperates with a local company to introduce a brand new products to that specific local market. Alliances between competitors Shared-supply alliances Shared-supply alliances are the form of JV cooperation between competitors sharing similar resources to produce a certain product that is specific to each partner. Shared-supply alliances allow the partners to realize economies of scale, since they will not be able to reach an efficient scale if they produce individually. For example, BMW teamed up with Mercedes to produce a design of a front-wheel-drive-car. The new shared platform allowed BMW to expand the Mini range model more flexibly, while providing Mercedes more conventional and cost-effective measures to launch a substitution for the A- and B-class designs (Autocar, 2007). It is argued that shared-supply alliance is not the only choice for MNC managers, because the target of cost reduction can be solved by traditional method of outsourcing. Firms should only opt for shared-supply alliances once they have other strategic targets other than cost reduction. Moreover, cooperating with competitors to produce similar components may lead undifferentiated products and loosing competitive advantage. Besides, the budget for shared-supply alliances may limit other budgets for necessary activities in the MNCs thus hinder further improvements (Dussauge and Bernard, 1999). Shared-supply alliances can be suitable for MNCs suffering from cost pressure (global and transnational companies). However MNCs should consider carefully before establishing shared-supply alliances because of the potential conflicts. MNCs should consider other strategic benefits other than sole cost efficiency, e.g. exploiting the partners manufacturing experience in local countries. Consequently this model, in case prudently chosen after considering all pros and cons, may be a good choice for transnational companies who have to balance integration and responsiveness. Quasi-concentration alliances This type of alliance allows two competitors to manufacture and market a common product. The partners objective is to realize economies of scale on the product, while their autonomy is still preserved, since the risk of acquisition is avoided. Quasi-concentration alliance is most common in airline industry, e.g. the cooperation between Sud-Aviation in France and British Aircraft Corporation in the UK to form Concorde in 1962 (Heritage Concorde). The advantage of this model is that the partners will not have to compete against each other on that common product. However, Quasi-concentration model may result in the competition between the common product and partner companies products. Additionally, the model may cause the risks of leaking the core technologies to the competitors. Lastly, in case the partners decide to establish a JV to coordinate all the functions of the alliance, there is a risk of losing control over the JV and converting the parent companies in to mere shareholders (Dussauge and Bernard, 1999). Quasi-concentration alliances, with its initial objective of cost reduction, are appropriate for achieving global integration, hence global and/or multinational companies. Complementary alliances In this case the alliance allows partner companies to contribute different assets and resources to executing the cooperative project. For example a firm distributes a rivals product in domestic market. FPT, one of the largest information technology companies in Vietnam went into partnership with Dell to distribute Dells computers and other products in Vietnam market (FPT, 2008). FPT looks for Dells expertise in computer production, while Dell needs FPTs knowledge on local market and distribution network. The advantage of the model is that complementary alliances avoid direct competition between rivals. The alliance also brings about the opportunity to acquire new skills from the partner. However the potential competition between allies does not totally disappear (Dussauge and Bernard, 1999). Complementary alliances may help the partner to achieve local responsiveness because normally the local partner provides the knowledge on how to market the product in local marketplace. However in highly competitive industries, such alliances enable the MNC to focus in its core profession, rather than setting budget for establishing a local distribution network. From that perspective, complementary alliances are also good for global integration. Implications for MNCs For MNCs pursuing a global strategy, the partners in the alliance tend to be highly integrated to the network and operation of the MNCs. The partners are meant to conduct the chosen global strategy of the MNCs (Vapola et al., 2010). From the analysis above it can be inferred that global companies may deploy vertical partnership and quasi-concentration alliances. Multidomestic companies often prefer to have diversified partners, of which each of them is best suited to a particular function in a specific location. In an effort to customize their products towards local demands, multidomestic companies often differentiate their operations in each footprint countries by selecting the most compatible model and partner to form alliance in that nation. Therefore international expansion JVs and complementary alliances are most suitable models for a multidomestic partner. For transnational companies, the alliances are diversified with differentiated contributions, from sensing and exploiting opportunities from local level, to occupying certain roles in the exploitation of the value chain. Each of these partners may possess different partnership needs. So MNC should utilize different types of alliances simultaneously after considering all advantages and disadvantages (Vapola et al., 2010). In the case of international companies, the key issue is knowledge transfer with partners. The MNCs will success if they can transfer their key competencies and knowledge to foreign markets, especially tacit knowledge which is more difficult to codify and transfer than explicit knowledge. On the other hand, this may lead to a conflict with the need for confidentiality of information. Therefore based on their detailed strategy, international companies can consider any suitable type of alliance, but should be extremely prudent with cross-industry agreements and quasi-concentration alliance, since those types of alliances may lead to serious conflicts in knowledge transfer. Another content common to all types of alliances, is the control problem. Control is a critical issue especially in groups of alliances between competitors, since these groups of partner are more sensitive to conflict. In order to successfully manage an alliance, MNCs should focus on control, combining effectively all level of control from personal centralised control, bureaucratic formalised control, output control, to control by socialisation. Those measures are to assure the alliance operates in line with the MNCs original strategy. The cost of control may be high especially for transnational companies who have to deal with all kinds of alliances to achieve both integration and responsiveness. So transnational companies should be prudent in applying control policy with alliance, to avoid the risk that an increase in cost of control could erode profit. Conclusion There is a trend that MNCs are facing increasing pressures from both global integration and local responsiveness equally. No MNC pursuing pure integration or pure responsiveness strategy can become totally successful in the global arena. As a result, achieving the balance between global efficiency and local responsiveness has become an essential issue with most MNCs (Paik and Sohn, 2004), (Girod et al., 2010). Bartlett and Ghoshal (1998) assert that companies must become more globally competitive and, at the same time, more sensitive and responsive to national conditions. MNCs should flexibly choose the way to cooperate with strategic alliance on a case-by-case basis to achieve their specific target for a specific market. From the analysis above we can see that each way of cooperation in alliance has its own advantages and disadvantages. There is neither best model of strategic alliance nor idealistic coordination that leads to optimal performance for all MNCs. Each MNC, based on its own strategy, needs to consider all pros and cons of possible types of strategic alliance before making alliance decision, in order to achieve global integration and/or local responsiveness hence their business plan and strategy. In other words, companies should be clear about why they are entering the alliance and what they expect to gain from it. They also need to understand how it fits into their business plan. (Elmuti and Kathawala, 2001). BIBLIOGRAPHY Autocar (2007) BMW and Mercedes team up to think small. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25th March 2011] Bartlett, C. A. Ghoshal, S. (1998) Managing across borders the transnational solution. 2nd ed. Boston: Havard Business School Press. Bleeke, J. Ernst, D. (1993) Collaborating to compete using strategic alliances and acquisitions in the global marketplace. New York: John Wiley. Doz, Y. L. (1980) Strategic management in multinational companies. Sloan Management Review (pre-1986),21, (2) pp. 27 46. Dussauge, P. Garrette, B. (1999) Cooperative strategy Competing successfully through strategic alliances. Chichester: John Wiley. Elmuti, D., Kathawala, Y. (2001) An overview of strategic alliances. Management Decision, 39, (3) pp. 205 218. FPT (2008) FPT Distribution Dells authorized reseller in Vietnam [online] Available at: [Accessed 25th March 2011] Girod, S., Bellin, J. B. Ranjan, K. S. (2010) Operating models for a multipolar world: balancing global integration and local responsiveness. Journal of Business Strategy, 31, (6) pp. 22 27. Harzing, A. W. (2000) An empirical analysis and extension of the Bartlett and Ghoshal typology of multinational companies. Journal of International Business Studies, 31, (1) pp. 101 120. Heritage Concorde. 1962 Concorde Treaty. Anglo French Agreement. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25th March 2011] Hill, C. W. L. (2001) International Business Competing in the global marketplace. 3rd ed. New York: Irwin McGraw-Hill. Holmberg, S. R. Cummings, J. L. (2009) Building Successful Strategic Alliances: Strategic Process and Analytical Tool for Selecting Partner Industries and Firms. Long Range Planning, 42, (2) pp. 164 193. Johnson, Jr. Julius, H. (1995) An Empirical Analysis of the Integration-Responsiveness Framework: U.S. Construction Equipment Industry Firms in Global Competition. Journal of International Business Studies, 26, (3) pp. 621 635. Lawrence, P. R. Lorsch, J. W. (1967) Organization and environment: managing differentiation and integration. Boston: Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University. Paik, Y. Sohn, J. H. D. (2004) Striking a balance between global integration and local responsiveness: the case of Toshiba Corporation in redefining regional headquarters role. Organizational Analysis; 12, (4) pp. 347 359. Robson, M. J. Dunk, M. A. J. (1999). Developing a pan-European co-marketing alliance: the case of BP-Mobil. International Marketing Review, 16, (3) pp. 216 230. Roth, K. Morrison, A. J. (1990) An empirical analysis of the integration-responsiveness framework in global industries. Journal of International Business Studies, 21, (4) pp. 541 564. Sony Ericsson. Mission and Profile. [online] Available at: [Accessed 25th March 2011] Spender, J. C. Grevesen, W. (1999) The multinational enterprise as a loosely coupled system: the global integration local responsiveness dilemma. Managerial Finance, 25, (2) pp. 63 84. Todeva, E., Knoke, D. (2005) Strategic alliances and models of collaboration. Management Decision, 43, (1), pp. 123 148. Vapola, T. J., Paukku, M. Gabrielsson, M. (2010) Portfolio management of strategic alliances: An international business perspective. International Business Review, 19, (3) pp. 247 260. Wheelen, T. L., Hunger, J. D. (2000) Strategic management and business policy: entering 21st century global society. 7th ed. London: Prentice Hall. Yamaha Motor Japan. Asia and Oceania group companies [online] Available at: [Accessed 25th March 2011] PART 2: REFLECTION Word count: 1,431 words Description The International Business Strategy module is contained in the MSc Accounting (Financial services) course which I am attending. The module provides an insight into the strategies of multinational companies (MNC) i.e. international strategy, global strategy, multidomestic strategy and transnational strategy. Based on that basic knowledge, implications for organizational structure, control, knowledge transfer, modes of entry, strategic alliances and internationalization of SMEs are introduced. General evaluation The module has provided me knowledge that is both old and new to me. From undergraduate program in my home country I have studied about globalization, key drivers and how globalization affects international trade. However in this module I found more insights into how globalization affects the formation and development of multinational companies. The theories are really necessary and helpful to understand the real business world, and the way multinational companies are actually formed, structured, managed and developed. The knowledge on globalization and MNCs are systematized and in line with current academic and empirical understanding about international business. However, I believe the knowledge would be absorbed more quickly if more methods of studying are combined, for example group presentations or debates. Analysis I chose to write my assignment with topic 1: Evaluate the ways strategic alliances allow multinational company to achieve global integration and local responsiveness, since I realize this is the increasing trend in international cooperation. I have found a lot of academic literature on the field that I chose. There are a lot of useful information about strategies, Integration Responsiveness framework and strategic alliances. Among those academic literatures, I found the book by Hill (2001) International business Competing on the global marketplace very useful for understanding about the strategy typology of multinational companies. Although prior to Hill (2001) there have been several relevant researches on multinational companies strategy typology, the book still provides comprehensive and detailed description about the four type of strategies adopted by multinational companies, the stages to establish a strategic alliance, and the pros and cons of each strategy. I continued to read about Integration Responsiveness Framework and found the work of Roth and Morrison (1990) helpful to understand about the key concepts of I R Framework, the relationships with strategies and limitations of I R framework. The illustrations and explanation of Bartlett and Goshal (1998) are also fundamental to explain the relationships between I -R Framework and strategies. Although I did not use all the information I read for my assignments due to irrelevance, those are what I am going to bear in mind about the I R Framework in the time to come. For strategic alliances, the book by Dussauge and Garrette (1999) is very useful for the typology of strategic alliances and the advantages/disadvantages of each type of alliance. I made much reference to that book in my assignments due to the systematized typology of alliance and the in-depth analysis the book provides. Besides, the journal of Vapola et al. (2010) gives a systematic approach to analyze portfolio management of strategic alliances based on multinational companies strategy, which I find very useful and made citations in my work. Besides, I also study about other significant issues relating to multinational companies i.e. the structure of international business, control, knowledge transfer, modes of entry and the internationalization of SMEs. I did read a number of books and journals and managed to link relevant contents together. I have also made some inference to other fields of multinational companies like control and knowledge transfer, to have a more objective and broad view of the role of strategic alliances. However I think the links to control and knowledge transfer are not salient in this assignment, because of time and length constraint and especially the fear of deviating from the main topic. Conclusion Theories about I R Framework and its relation to the four strategies of multinational companies are very pragmatic and useful to understand the actual pressures faced by most multinational companies in the global marketplace. Those theories also provide a rationale of how multinational companies respond to global integration and local responsiveness, which helps me to perceive the business world in a more practical and systematic way. Theories about strategic alliances allow me to understand the most common ways that strategic alliances support the partners to achieve their strategic targets. There are 6 typical ways namely international expansion joint ventures, vertical partnerships, cross industry agreements, shared supply alliances, quasi concentration alliances and complementary alliances. I also understand the pros and cons of each type of alliances. I am now able to explain why a multinational company choose to cooperate with non-competitors or competitors, based on their strategy and nature of business. Implications for other concepts i.e. control and knowledge transfer are also inferred in the assignment, therefore a more objective view of MNC operation and its strategic alliances is provided. What has been drawn out from the assignment is that each multinational company, before deciding to cooperate in a strategic alliance, should consider all possible proposals, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal to judge if the type of alliance helps them achieve global integration and/or local responsiveness in the most effective way. From my perspective, I realize some kinds of strategic alliances are extremely common between developed and developing countries e.g. international expansion joint ventures or complementary alliances. Such knowledge may be useful when I come back to Vietnam and continue my job at an investment bank facilitating international trade and investments. It will be easier for me to fully understand the nature of transactions of MNC customers. I may work out the best solution to serve financial needs for MNC customers. For example, for some important MNC customers, I may propose to apply a more flexible cut-off time for their transactions, because their transactions are, by nature, often between nations in different time zones. Moreover, I may propose to apply a more competitive pricing for transactions between multinational companies and their alliances and/or subsidiaries. The reason is that when two partners contribute resources to a certain alliance project, the transactions for material purchasing, infrastructure costs, personnel mobilization tend to be frequent and of large amount, at least in the short term, which can deliver relatively high non-interest income for the bank. Besides, the business consultant services for institutional customers could be improved when the bank understand the needs of a MNC customer coming into a new developing market and seeking for a potential partner to set up a strategic alliance. The most important learning technique I studied is how to link together different fields of knowledge, in the case of th

Chocolate is Good for You! Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Chocolate is Good for You! Did you know that getting a daily dose of dark chocolate may be beneficial to your health? Not only is chocolate the perfect gift for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, it also may benefit your heart. The ingredients in chocolate are not only delicious, but dark chocolate and cocoa powders also contain disease-fighting antioxidants. The key to gaining the most benefits from dark chocolate is to enjoy it in moderation. According to cnn.com (2000), in addition to antioxidants, one of the fats found in chocolate, called stearic acid, may increase healthy cholesterol (HDL), and make bad cholesterol levels (LDL) less susceptible for oxidation, which leads to clogged arteries. This is the opposite effect one might expect, considering the amount of fat in chocolate. Dark chocolate may also improve blood flow, according to webmd.com (2004). In a study of 27 healthy adults given a cocoa drink with high levels of flavonoids, it was shown that adults over the age of 50 benefited the most. Flavonoids provide protection for plants, and when we consume them, we benefit from their antioxidant power. Antioxidants help the body’s cells resist damage from free radicals (Cleveland Clinic, 2004). The reason for the benefits of cocoa is that it controls the activation of nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme, that keeps blood vessels open allowing the blood to flow. Flavonoids may also lessen stiffening of the blood vessels, which is a common side-effect of aging (WebMD, 2004). It is to be noted that white and milk chocolate do not have the same effect on the body as dark chocolate. These are unfortunately more likely to expand your waistline than improve health. â€Å"Chocoholics† are still at risk for obesity, whic... ...ust 27). Dark Chocolate is Healthy Chocolate. WebMD. Retrieved January 30, 2005 from http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/ 73/81921.htm?printing=true. Peck, Peggy. (2004, May 20). The Right Kind of Chocolate is Heart Healthy. WebMD. Retrieved January 31, 2005 from http://my.webmd.com/content/article/ 87/99509.htm. Rauch, Catherine Ann. (2000, February 2). Chocolate: A Heart-Healthy Confection? CNN. Retrieved on January 29, 2005 from http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ HEALTH/diet.fitness/02/02/chocolate.wmd/. Somer, Elizabeth. (2001, July 16). Crazy for Chocolate. WebMD. Retrieved January 29, 2005 from http://my.webmd.com/content/article/41/1671_52404. The Heart Health Benefits of Chocolate Unveiled. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved January 30, 2005 from http://www.clevelandclinic.org/heartcenter/pub/guide/prevention/ nutrition/chocolate.htm.

Gender Inequality in the Song of Songs Essay -- Womens Studies

Gender Inequality in the Song of Songs INTRODUCTION Postcolonial Feminist Theory has taught us to look beyond the confines of narrow cultural lenses as we seek to understand the diversity of gendered experience. I believe it is even more empowering to go one step further and to look not only cross-culturally but also cross-temporally. In America, when the general population tries to articulate what traditional female gender roles were, it seems they often describe those prescriptions for being lady-like from the Victorian Era, 1950s post-war America, or maybe limited snapshots of the Middle Ages, like chivalry codes and chastity belts. Accordingly women were, supposedly and stereotypically, traditionally passive and acquiescent. Proper women spoke when spoken to, and then played merely a support role in conversation. They were to express virtue through chastity until marriage, and sexual reserve even within marriage. They were not supposed to ask for the date, lest they seem too forward. They found true fulfillment only in motherhood. They were physically delicate and timid. They were sexual objects instead of active subjects. They were more often written about than authors. They were defined in opposition to men. Places such as the ancient Near East, for example, provide a wealth of information about gendered experience that blatantly contradicts the stereotypical gender-associated behaviors that we in the contemporary West tend to call traditional. Much of it is written by women themselves, such as Egyptian love poetry and Sumerian temple priestesses' administrative records. Because many arguments about the nature of the feminine versus the socialization of femininity look only to relatively recent stereotypes to ass... ...D Falk, Marcia. Love Lyrics from the Bible: A Translation and Literary Study of the Song of Songs. Sheffield: The Almond Press, 1982. ---. The Song of Songs: Love Lyrics from the Bible, A New Translation. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. Freeman, Rebecca and Bonnie McElhinny. "Language and Gender." Sociolinguisitcs and Language Teaching. Eds. McKay, Sandra L. and Nancy H. Hornberger. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Fox, Michael V. The Song of Sons and the Ancient Egyptian Love Songs. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1985. Gordis, Robert. The Song of Songs. New York: The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1961. Sweeney, Deborah. Women and Language in the Ramesside Period. The Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology, Tel Aviv Univeristy. http://www.tau.ac.il/~archpubs/projects/women_language_ramesside.html

Group 4 Reflection Essay

Group 4 project was an interesting learning experience. It forced me to work with people that I haven’t worked with before, take into account our team’s different opinions and make the most out of what we had. We started out with an idea, water suspended on a table without a cup, that we spent a whole meeting on, before we realized that it was not possible to do it, which left us with two meetings to decide what we were going to do. I was then unable to make the two next meetings, and this caused major planning problems, which were reflected during our presentation, added to the fact that I did not talk enough with my team members about what we were going to do, which left our whole group pretty much clueless on our actual presentation. Added to this, we all had different ideas about what we wanted to do with the paper helicopter, what size should it be, how we were going to present it, which led to arguments on the day of the presentation. I am usually stubborn, and it is hard to make me change my mind when I am set in a direction, but we finally managed to come to a compromise which satisfied everyone. From this, I learned that my idea is not necessarily the only working solution, and that there isn’t always one solution to a problem, although better planning and better communication could have avoided such problem on the actual presentation day. Regarding the actual presentation, it was obvious that our planning was not very good. Some material was missing, and we had to run around last minute to gather what was left. My teammates were stressing out because they weren’t ready at all, but being used to doing things last minute, I think that managed pretty well to take charge of the group project to get what was needed and to lead the actual presentation, which surprised me. I am not a very good public speakers, in fact I don’t like standing in front of a class and talking, but I found that during this project, not only was I not afraid of going up, but I actually enjoyed it. I learned that when I put as much effort as I can into something, especially something that I like, my fear of public speaking actually goes away and all the hard work that we put into this project, even last minute, comes out and makes something that can be regarded as good. We did have trouble managing the presentation though, as soon as the class started making their own paper helicopters, it was really hard to get them focused again. Our whole team understood that, and instead we instinctively broke up into small groups to try and help everyone achieve the final design. To me, my overall opinion of our presentation is that although we lacked preparation, we ended up doing something good. What I learned from this experience is that I am not limited to what I have done in the past. Taking over the presentation was something that really surprised me, and although I know that I talked a bit too much, I am glad that it happened that way, as it showed me that public speaking can actually be one strength instead of my weakness.