Tangent Line to a Function

Finding the tangent line to the graph of a function at a single point can be extremely useful when interpreting the information that the function represents. So first to describe what a tangent line is: A tangent line of a function at one point shows the direction that the function is going at that point (Fig. 1). Theoretically the tangent line is only touching the curve of the function at one single point, or the point of tangency. To find the equation of the tangent line, certain bits of information are required. One of these bits of information required is the slope of the tangent line. To find the slope of the tangent line of a function at a single point, the equation is used, assuming that â€Å"a† is the single point on the equation. The rest of this paper will be used to describe, through graphical methods, why this equation finds the slope of the tangent line. The slope of any linear equation can be described as rise over run, y over x, the output of a function over the input of a function, or the dependent variable over the independent variable. All of these terms mean the same thing: the Y value on a graph over the X value on the graph. If the equation is examined closely, then it is clear that it represents a slope. The equation has the change of two output values, g(x) – g(a), over the change of two input values, x – a. The equation uses the change of an output, and the change of an input because two points on the graph is the minimum amount of information required to create a line. Fig. 2 and Fig. show how the two points on a graph can create an accurate tangent line. Fig. 2 shows that two points on the function can create a secant line with a slope that is approximately close to the slope of the tangent line, but it is not accurate enough. Fig. 3 shows that as the second point, D, on the function moves closer to the original point, C, the slope of the secant line approaches the slope of the tangent line. This movement shows how the slope of the secant line is equal to the equation. All the equation for the slope of the secant line is the change in the Y value over the change of the X value. As point D gets closer to point C, the reason why finding the tangent line has to be a limit equation, and not just the secant line equation, becomes clear. The denominator of the secant slope function makes it so x cannot equal a. If x were to equal a, then the equation would be undefined because the denominator cannot equal 0. So the slope of the tangent line is the limit as D approaches C.

Religious Diversity in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a small country in Asia, with the major population to be Muslim (80%). However, it is also the home of other religious groups, mainly Hindu, with a population of about 16% and also Christians and Buddhists with small percentage. Minorities include Biharis and tribal; among the tribal Chakma is the largest. In general, this country never had major issues regarding religious diversity; but to know the opinion of people in general, we interviewed a Muslim housewife, a Christian woman working at a beauty parlor, and a Hindu university student. We asked them a number of questions about their religious festivals, faith, and opinion on other religions and cultural differences. According to our gathered answers, the main two festivals for Muslims are- Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul_Azha; for Hinduism- Durga and Kali puja; for Christians- Christmas and Easter. Overall they all showed respect towards other religion and said that Bangladesh is receptive to diversity. The student felt that religion is indeed a major cause for unrest around the world. The opinion of the Muslim lady and the Christian student matched as they said that to keep peace intact, we should not criticize other religions and not say anything offensive about them. Everyone has their own belief and they are right on their positions. Therefore, we should not feel ourselves superior to others. Regarding culture, there are a number of differences in eating habits, dress up and daily life. Bangladeshi people are fond of rice, vegetables and fish basically. However, Hindu people are fond of chapatti (a form of bread) and sweet dishes; Christians like wine a lot and they eat bread and drink wine to remember Jesus, this is called- Communion. Muslim ladies wear saree or salwar kameez mainly, and at times they wear a veil (knowh as nakab) to cover their faces. Hindu gents wear dhoti, a white cloth wrapped around the lower part of their bodies, and Punjabi during their puja or other various festivals. The marriages also differ significantly; Christian brides wear white on their wedding day, whereas in Hinduisim, white is worn by widows. Every religion is different. They are unique in their own ways, with the faith, colours and in their way of practice. There are many Masjids, mandirs, Temples and Churches in Bangladesh; all different in their decoration and followers. But at the end of the day, it all comes to one conclusion- Humanity. No matter which religion we belong to, or whether we worship ALLAH, RAM or JESUS- we are humans, created by the same God, and thus should live together in harmony, show respect to others and maintain an unbreakable unity, not only in the country, but also in the world as a whole. Related article: Padma Bridge

Olympics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Olympics - Term Paper Example In the event, the games will take two cluster organization methods. There would be a coastal cluster for ice events in Sochi, and a mountain cluster located in the Krasnaya Polyana Mountains (Nauright and Charles 76). There are expectations this kind of arrangement would make the games one of the most compact Olympic Committee has ever organized. The Sochi Olympic Park construction is along the Black Sea coast in the Imeretinskaya Valley. This is where all ice venues would take place. These include the Bolshoi Ice Palace, the Sochi Olympic Skating center, the Maly Ice Palace, the Olympic Oval, the Olympic Curling Center, the Central Stadium, and the main Olympic Village. In the mountain cluster in Krasnaya Polyana, this would be the home of all skiing and sliding sports activities (Hofstetter 78). The preparation for these games has triggered construction of new and modern telecommunications, electric power, new Olympic Park along the coast of Black sea, and transportation systems. W omen gymnastics would feature and as expected, the China Women gymnastic team would rock the event (Franks 88). They have previously put some distance on the other contenders in past Olympic Gymnasium competitions. Team goal or task – Level of difficulty In order to recreate the amazing moments that prompted the women gymnastics team of China to be branded exceptional, there ought to be more of what this women team have been doing. This actually calls for perfectionist awareness of the skills needed to be a top contestant in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The women teams needs medal, and for that golden medal to come by, they know that not only thorough preparations and rehearsals will come calling in the subsequent days but also their bodies need to reach that high level of flexibility (Coma?neci 64). Since the attaining number four in Olympics competitions for China women gymnastics in 2012, there has been that pressure and pursuit of the entire team to reach that level of perfec tion. The team can win everything by not only producing a stunning performance but also attaining the level of flawless performance. The team’s head coach Lu Shanzhen, would want a repeat of the 1996 margin of almost near perfect performance over the most competitive opponents even if it were not the Russians (Crawley, Sara, Lara and Constance 102). This came to a success because the entire country, board and the bench team were exceptional. The coaching staff and the gymnasts need to wake into reality that their greatest task and level of difficult is the repeat of the standards once termed by the Bela Karolyi, a legendary gymnastic coach in US as performance so rare for 16 years old minors (Nauright, John, and Charles 110). The China team comprises of a beautiful bouquet of individual talent, which showed greater unity, mental toughness, and togetherness to compete 2012 Olympics (Hofstetter 79). The same zeal and commitment is the ultimate goal if the team has to affirm ful ly its heights in the sport of gymnasts. In order to put 1996 and 2012 performances in line of repeat, the head coach is ensuring that the team remains a solid entity despite individual talents and skills. There are no cracks of jealousy and rivalries among the gymnasts if success is their goal in 2014 Sochi Olympics. The team goes through individual qualifying by challenging each other in order to reach the individual all around. This is the pre-trial performances that have helped in fine-tuning the bests of these gymnasts and even makes

Ecology - tasks (1-2-3-4) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ecology - tasks (1-2-3-4) - Assignment Example The local economy grows because of buying from the local farmers, and this still keeps them into the business. Buying local food means that food is not travelling long distances by trucks, ships, planes and trains, which all use energy and thus spew pollution the results to global warming and unhealthy quality of fair. Such pollutions have effects on our health that reflected in high rates of asthma besides other respiratory symptoms. In addition, consuming local foods gives the benefit the chefs call better and fresher tasting food on your table. Moreover, food miles represent that distance your food travels from to the point where it is eaten. According the World Watch Institute, the transportation of food has been a fast-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions e.g. carbon dioxide thus leading to climatic change. The result of this is that, a basic diet of imported products uses four times the energy and then produces four times the emissions of an equivalent domestic diet. II. Eat locally made foods. The local foodstuffs reduce the amount of emissions into the air due to shipping and other modes of transportation. Eating local foods maximizes on the security and freshness and finally supports the local economy. V. Buy products that are organic and local. Produce having undergone treatment of pesticides are good for the environment and ones-self. The local foodstuffs use less gas to get from the farm to your plate, and since the distance travelled is shorter, they reach your plate while still fresh. 1. The government reviews the existing information and the habitats in the area of the proposed project. There is comprehensive involvement of appropriate agencies at the inception of the project in its planning stages so that they can identify the potentially sensitive ecological resources that could be present in the vicinity of the project. 2. The relevant authorities are engaged into the conduction of pre-disturbance surveys so that they

0perations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

0perations management - Essay Example Most processes differ on the basis of four Vs, i.e. volume, variety, variation and visibility. Processes need to have the following elements to be successful and help the business grow. These include a) quality, b) speed, c) dependability, d) flexibility, and e) costs (Slack, Chambers, Johnston, & Betts, 2008). In terms of the operations managers these are essential characteristics that they need to not only know but also be able to effectively and efficiently manage them. The role of the managers is to ensure that the operations of the business are well planned and strategically implemented, to ensure that the costs are low however the overall returns from the processes are high. With the ever changing environment of the operations management, it is evident that the importance of operations management and processes management is now becoming an essential aspect of the business and impact all the sectors of the society (Slack, Chambers, & Johnston, Operations Management with MyOMLab, 2010). It is imperative for the operations managers to know and understand the characteristics of the processes, as this allows them to make more informed decisions and the managers can effectively not only control the costs but also develop the processes in a manner that permits overall growth of the company as a whole. Having a holistic view of the processes of a company will permit the managers make more accurate decisions and will also permit an overall improved business as well, hence it is essential for the operations managers to keep track of all the characteristics of processes and also have a clear view of the process development. The following section will detail the process development process. The development of a process involves five main stages. These stages need to be clearly understood and identified by the managers to ensure that there is a clear and smooth development process. The stages include a) development of the concept, b)

IT Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

IT Security - Essay Example A sneak peek into the operations of the CBC Corporation provides that the company has over one thousand employees who are on full time employment. As such, the company admits 1000 persons into the company on a daily basis that can be a source of threat to the operations of the company, especially on its IT security systems. In addition, the company also has a vast array of Information Systems, which include about 600 UNIX workstations, 600 terminal emulators, 1000 PCs running Windows, 300 external client dial-in systems, as well as 100 hundred authorised at-home dial-in systems. Of the 1000 members of staff, 160 of them are full-time staff members of the Information technology department. This consists of about 16% of the company’s total workforce team. As such, it so appears that the company has to protect its assets, as well as sensitive information from theft of all kinds, be it leakage, internal operators of the company, as well as external perpetrators keen on acquiring illegally the company’s assets and information. Therefore, the work cut out for ESS is to evaluate the state of security at the company and suggest possible solutions to the arising threats. The company may end up losing its assets as well as critical information to thieves, or leaking out confidential information to the wrong hands because of its poor security network. An overview of the company’s security system provides that it is tantamount to a number of threats, both external as well as internal owing to the inappropriate security measures put in place by the management of the company. The following provides some of the most important threats that the company needs to attend to immediately. It also categorizes the physical assets that the company needs to put security for against thieves. The main assets of the company include 600 UNIX workstations, 600 terminal emulators, 1000 PCs running Windows, 300 external client dial-in systems, as well as 100

The Greatest Threat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Greatest Threat - Essay Example The increased relationship between china and United States will also be looked at especially the role that plays in the increased effort by both countries to step up their intelligence gathering and spying each other. The increasing Iran terrorism network and support they are giving to their allies will also be looked at in the paper. Iran has expanded its terrorism network support and they offered support to nations that fight with Israel or whose individual interest is against United States. Russia critical role and its growing influence are also highlighted especially in light of its power struggle with the United States and its allies. The paper will use credible sources and credited writings by including retired colonels and other authors with greater insight into this intelligence game plays. The publication used also gives the details of some of the cases arrested and prosecute by the spies agencies both in America and overseas. Lastly, it will look at the different countries intelligence agencies and how each is a threat to America national security. The security and intelligence dimension of the three countries, Russia china and Iran will be examined. China is the country posing the greatest threat to U.S. national security. Many analyst and official are unanimous that there is increased china growing appetite for secrets. United States is faced with a number of critical challenges from abroad; including Iran is close to having nuclear weapon and increasingly more assertive china1. Iran however don’t appear to pose great threat because they don’t have the large forces that equals the ones that China and Russia have. China has a very formidable nuclear arsenal which is actually a great threat to U.S national security. Anytime rivalry and contest can brew, and with china advancing their formidable nuclear

Article Rebuttal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Rebuttal - Essay Example The views of Mr. Mackey are one dimensional and lack a sense of ethics. His argument is weak since he does not provide any empirical evidence that philanthropy is bad for business. My perspective regarding this issue is the complete opposite of Mr. Mackey. As a customer anytime I see a company donating money to a good cause such as world hunger I get excited about the initiate. The good deed stays in my mind and when I go shopping if I see any products produced by that company I am inclined towards supporting the firm. The use of social responsibility adds value to the brand of a corporation. John Mackey seems to believe that the only purpose of going into business is making money. He fails to realize that each corporation has a different reason for existence. The man that was once the richest person in the world, Bill Gates, has donated billions of dollars generated by Microsoft towards social causes. The company is still the market leader in the software industry. Shareholders do not mind when a company that is profitable shares some of the wealth with the less fortunate members of our society. John Mackey went as far as saying that donating money towards social causes is stealing money from the investors. This view is completely biased and does not represent the views of the majority of businesspeople in the United States and abroad. I think that by making these absurd statements Mr. Mackey is the one that is decreasing the shareholder value of the company. As a customer I would not support any company with a management team that has such a greedy perspective in life. There are many problems our global society is facing. The majority of the world’s wealth is not in the hands of the 210 governments of the world. The private corporations have hundreds of trillions of dollars in wealth. Our society depends on the generosity and good intentions of the corporate world. In the United States corporations can deduct up to 5% of net income if they

Stats30 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stats30 - Essay Example Answer True False   Question 4    If the data for a chi-square test for independence form a 2?2 matrix, then the value obtained for the chi-square statistic will be influenced by the sample size, but the value for the phi-coefficient will not. Answer True False   Question 5    In general, a large value for the chi-square statistic indicates that the null hypothesis is correct. Answer True False   Question 6    The phi-coefficient can be used to measure effect size for a chi-square test for independence provided there are exactly two categories for each of the two variables. Answer True False   Question 7    Which of the following is a characteristic of a nonparametric test? Answer a. A numerical score is required for each individual. b. The hypotheses concern population means and variances. c. The test requires assumptions about the population means or variances. d. none of the above   Question 8    The null hypothesis for the chi-square test for goodness of fit s pecifies ____. Answer a. proportions for the entire population b. proportions for the sample c. frequencies for the entire population d. frequencies for the sample   Question 9    Which of the following accurately describes the observed and expected frequencies in a chi-square test? Answer a. Both the observed and expected frequencies will always be whole numbers. b. The observed frequencies are always whole numbers but the expected frequencies may be decimals or fractions. c. The expected frequencies are always whole numbers but the observed frequencies may be decimals or fractions. d. Both the observed and expected frequencies may be decimals or fractions.   Question 10    A researcher obtains a value of ?8.50 for a chi-square statistic. What can you conclude because the value is negative? Answer a. The observed frequencies are consistently larger than the expected frequencies. b. The expected frequencies are consistently larger than the observed frequencies. c. There are large differences between the observed and expected frequencies. d. The researcher made a mistake. The value of chi-square cannot be negative.   Question 11    A chi-square test for independence is used to evaluate the relationship between two variables. If one variable is classified into four categories and the other variable is classified into two categories, then the chi-square statistic will have ____. Answer a. df = 3 b. df = 7 c. df = 8 d. cannot determine the value of df from the information provided   Question 12    The chi-square test for goodness of fit will produce a large value for chi-square when ____. Answer a. the sample proportions match the hypothesized population proportions b. the sample proportions are much different than the hypothesized population proportions c. the sample mean is close to the population mean d. there is a large difference between the sample mean and the population mean   Question 13    The sample data for a chi-square test are call ed ____. Answer a. expected frequencies b. observed frequencies c. expected proportions d. observed proportions   Question 14    A researcher would like to test the claim that 9 out of 10 doctors prefer Brand X. A sample of 60 doctors is obtained and each is asked to compare Brand X with another leading brand. The data show that 48 of the doctors picked Brand X. If these data are evaluated using a chi-square test f

Starbucks Management Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Management Essay Management clearly plays one of the biggest roles in how successful a company can and will\be. Starbucks profoundly shows exquisite and powerful connections with their employees and coffee suppliers. Their management skills shadow Mitz Berg’s liaison roles and Katz’s human and conceptual theories by taking it into their own hands to connect and support each supplier. Not only does Starbucks show these great managerial aspects, they portray the beauty of an open system and use of the modern behaviors in their roles. Starbucks is a great example of a beautifully functioning business, integrated with the interpersonal skills needed to thrive. Management is defined as the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. Dub Hay, the Starbucks Senior VP of coffee, demonstrates some of the best managerial skills needed to be successful in a company. Hay shows that he can properly control the flow of product into a company by also controlling the relationship he has with the product growers. Jerry Miccolis and Marina Goodman state â€Å"†¦ the relationship between any two assets changes with how the assets themselves are performing (47). They put it quite perfectly, relating back to how Starbucks would not be able to operate so perfectly without the proper relationship with their assets, the growers and suppliers. Starbucks, according to Hay, specifically pays more for their coffee from their suppliers so that their suppliers may have a steady income as well. This builds an excellent relationship as well as product security quality and flow into the company. According to an online video, this process is obviously working for Starbucks for they have more than 6,000 outlets in 30 countries with annual revenue of 3. 3 million dollars (http://lc. gcumedia. com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/mgt240_starbucks-video-v1. 1. php). This revenue and success are not only measured upon sales, but upon managerial roles as well. Mitz berg has many managerial roles but the one that Hay portrays the best is the liaison role. The liaison establishes and maintains contacts inside and outside of an organization. Hay specifically demonstrates this by ensuring that each supplier of coffee has the best income possible and is producing the best coffee possible. Starbucks chooses its suppliers carefully and makes certain they know the exact practice of producing the best coffee beans. This relationship is what

Impact of Direct Tax on Consumer Equilibrium

Impact of Direct Tax on Consumer Equilibrium OBJECTIVE This term paper is being done in order to check and determine the effect of various factors of the direct tax that have an impact on the consumer equilibrium. The main objective of this term paper is as under: To determine what is direct tax and consumer equilibrium Analysis of articles Impact of direct tax and other factors on consumer equilibrium. INTRODUCTION In introduction , we will start with the basic like- what is direct tax and what is consumer equilibrium. We will discuss these two in a elaborated manner. DIRECT TAX CONSUMER EQUILIBRIUM DIRECT TAX The term direct tax generally means a tax paid directly to the government by the persons on whom it is imposed.In the general sense, a direct tax is one paid directly to the government by the persons. on whom it is imposed (often accompanied by a tax return filed by the taxpayer). Examples include some income taxes, some corporate taxes, and transfer taxes such as estate (inheritance) tax and gift tax. In this sense, a direct tax is contrasted with an indirect tax or collected tax (such as sales tax or value added tax (VAT)); a collected tax is one which is collected by intermediaries who turn over the proceeds to the government and file the related tax return. Some commentators have argued that a direct tax is one that cannot be shifted by the taxpayer to someone else, whereas an indirect tax can be. The direct tax definition is not complete until we do not define or throw some light on indirect tax, thus- INDIRECT TAX A tax that is not assessed on and collected from those who are intended to bear it. Unlike a direct tax , it cannot take individual circumstances into account. Although levied on Producers , the burden of an indirect tax may be shift to consumers. Ex: value added tax, sales tax, payroll tax and excise duties CONSUMER EQUILIBRIUM When consumers make choices about the quantity of goods and services to consume, it is presumed that their objective is toÂÂ  maximize total utility.ÂÂ  In maximizing total utility, the consumer faces a number ofÂÂ  constraints, the most important of which are the consumersÂÂ  incomeÂÂ  and theÂÂ  pricesÂÂ  of the goods and services that the consumer wishes to consume. The consumers effort to maximize total utility, subject to these constraints, is referred to as theÂÂ  consumers problem.ÂÂ  The solution to the consumers problem, which entails decisions about how much the consumer will consume of a number of goods and services, is referred to asÂÂ  consumer equilibrium. Determination of consumer equilibrium.ÂÂ  Consider the simple case of a consumer who cares about consuming only two goods: good 1 and good 2. This consumer knows the prices of goods 1 and 2 and has a fixed income or budget that can be used to purchase quantities of goods 1 and 2. The consumer will purchase quantities of goods 1 and 2 so as to completely exhaust the budget for such purchases. The actual quantities purchased of each good are determined by the condition for consumer equilibrium, which isÂÂ   This condition states that the marginal utility per dollar spent on good 1 must equal the marginal utility per dollar spent on good 2. If, for example, the marginal utility per dollar spent on good 1 were higher than the marginal utility per dollar spent on good 2, then it would make sense for the consumer to purchase more of good 1 rather than purchasing any more of good 2. After purchasing more and more of good 1, the marginal utility of good 1 will eventually fall due to the law of diminishing marginal utility, so that the marginal utility per dollar spent on good 1 will eventually equal that of good 2. Of course, the amount purchased of goods 1 and 2 cannot be limitless and will depend not only on the marginal utilities per dollar spent, but also on the consumers budget. LITERATURE REVIEW Hegde, Prakash and Barve, Nachiket, June 27,2010, Impact of direct tax code on individual, BUISNESS LINE says that Though most of the existing provisions of the income-tax law are finding place in the DTC, many provisions are new or modified that will affect the individuals significantly.The prominent ones are like DTC proposed significant reduction in individual income-tax by increasing tax slabs 30 per cent tax rate at an income level of Rs 25 lakh (present Rs 8 lakh).If proposed tax slabs and rates are implemented, then taxpayers take-home pay may see a substantial jump. However, in view of relaxation or rollbacks of other tax proposals, one has to wait and watch whether Government still intends to offer the proposed tax slabs and rates. EEE preferred over EET, EET results in higher tax at retirement in contrast to ability to pay. Recognising the fact of absence of a well developed social security system and other challenges (technical / administrative) Government thought it fit to retain EEE and partial EET. One of the strange provisions in DTC, which had not caught public attention but can affect a common man travelling abroad, is furnishing an undertaking to the tax officer to the effect that he has made satisfactory arrangement for discharging his tax liability in India before he leaves India. The tax officer has to issue a no-objection certificate for his travel. If travel is made without a no-objection certificate from the tax office, the owner or charterer of the aircraft will be held responsible to pay the taxes due, if any.This process would have been more of a hurdle than a smooth ride. Gillingham, Robert and Greenlees, John S, 4 August 1987, The Impact of Direct Taxes on the Cost of Living says in the article that, a cost-of-living index including direct taxes. They show its relationship to the traditional index and demonstrate how non consumption costs are properly treated. They then define a fixed-weight approximation, a tax and price index (TPI). Using federal, state, local, and social security tax rates for 1967- 85, the authors construct annual TPI series based on household data. They find that inclusion of direct taxes has sizable impacts on the estimated rate of inflation. Partitioning their household sample, they find that recognition of taxes significantly alters inflation rate differentials estimated using consumption prices alone. Subramani, V.K, 29, August 2010, Expectation from code revision, according to the author, There is a huge expectation that the revised Code would address the concerns of the taxpayers at large, by retaining the existing tax concessions and providing smooth transition, with minimal scope for confusion or litigation. There is Positives, negatives traits of the code. There are some positives in the first draft of the DTC, such as: (i) minimum rate of personal tax at 10 per cent for incomes up to Rs 10 lakh;(ii) deduction in respect of savings (similar to Section 80C) up to Rs 3 lakh;(iii) presumptive taxation of income for turnover up to Rs 100 lakh;(iv) short-term capital loss under the present law, called as terminal allowance in the DTC, eligible for deduction while computing business income; and(v) making reference to financial year instead of the currently used terms such as previous year and assessment year.The negatives of the DTC, prima facie, include: (i) clubbing of spouse inc ome with the income of spouse, whoever has higher income;(ii) restricting the exemption in respect of accumulated balance in provident fund account up to March 31, 2011;(iii) denying carry forward of business loss to any year, if the return is filed beyond the due date both in the year of incurring loss and any subsequent year in which it is carried forward with or without set off ;(iv) denying deduction in respect of medical treatment expenses (present Section 80 DDB) to HUF;(v) reduction in time limit for passing order of rectification to two years;(vi) advancing the date for filing the return of tax base and imposing penalty for failure to file tax base return before the due date as against the present time limit of March 31 of the assessment year; and(vii) giving precedence to the DTC in the event of conflict between DTAA and DTC. Parthasarathy, Suresh, 20,June 2010, How the revised tax code impact us, BUISNESS LINE, says that without social security the proposed EET (Exempt-Exempt-Taxed) structure was harsh on individuals, the revised code has proposed to bring some relief to long-term savings investment such as PF, PPF, New Pension Scheme, approved pure life insurance, annuity schemes and GPF. These will now be subject to the Exempt-Exempt-Exempt (EEE) method of taxation rather the EET model proposed last year. . The revised DTC proposes to follow the existing method of tax deduction on home loan at least for the interest paid. In case of the house being self-occupied, the individual will be eligible for deduction of interest on capital borrowed for acquisition or construction of the house, subject to a ceiling of Rs 1.5 lakh, from the gross total income. This revised proposal is a change from the earlier stand of disallowing tax exemptions on the interest and principal paid on house property. The New Pensio n Scheme, was struggling to find patronage owing to uncertainties relating to its tax structure. In a attempt to make this scheme more attractive and to introduce some flexibility in making withdrawals in lump sum without being subject to taxation, the revised code proposes to extend the EEE method of taxation to the pension scheme administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, apart from PF, GPF and recognised Provident Funds. Under the revised code, capital gains arising on account of transfer of equity shares or units of an equity oriented fund held for more than one year will be computed after allowing a deduction at a specific percentage of capital gains without any indexation. Buch, Drupadh, 30 July 2010How Revised Direct Taxes Code Will Impact Senior Citizens, EZINE ARTICLES, according to the author of the article, it states that how direct tax has impact on senior citizen there has not made any changes in the Income Tax Rates and Income Tax Slabs that were proposed in the original draft. That means there is no change in the basic exemption limit for the Senior Citizens (resident individual of 65 years or above), which is 240,000 per year. In the revised DTC, there is no change in the limit of deductions from taxable income for savings in specified investments. In the original draft, the limit has been proposed to be revised to 300,000 from the present limit of 100,000. However, it should not make much difference to the Senior Citizens, as the tax incentives for savings are basically meant for the youngsters. , the retirement benefits such as gratuity, commuted pension, voluntary retirement compensation and leave encashment will be exempt from tax subject to specified limits. Original Draft DTC had proposed a scheme of deferment of tax on retirement benefits, that is, the retirement benefits would not be taxed if it were invested in a Special Retirement Benefit Account, which would be subsequently taxed in the year of withdrawal. In the New DTC, be it in the original draft or in the revised discussion paper, there is nothing very much special for the senior citizens except the higher income tax slabs and the corresponding reduced tax rates. If the basic exemption limit of 240,000 for senior citizens were revised substantially, it would have definitely been a great boon to the Senior Citizens. Latest IRI Research Finds a New Consumer Equilibrium Emerging as Economy Continues to Transform It is no secret that the ongoing economic turmoil is dramatically affecting consumers shopping and purchase behaviors. Consumers are eating out less, reducing the number of doctor visits and foregoing vacations to stretch their limited dollars. But, which consumer groups are driving these cost-saving strategies? The latest research from Information Resources (1) The data and information assets of an organization, department or unit. See data administration. (2) Another name for the Information Systems (IS) or Information Technology (IT) department. See IT. , Inc. (IRI), Competing in a Transforming Economy 4.0: The New Equilibrium leverages post-inaugural survey results to identify key consumer segments that are leading the change and helps retailers and manufacturers connect with their most important consumers. Since the beginning of 2009, a new consumer equilibrium has emerged in which behaviors initially implemented to weather the storm have the potential to last well beyond an economic recovery. In this phase of our research, we went beyond studying the common spending, self-reliance and self-health strategies that are becoming common place in todays environment and examined how economic pressures have driven different types of consumersby income level, household composition and even varying consumer mindsetsto change their strategies. Gidwan, Sunil and Desai, Jignesh, October, 2010, New Direct Tax Code: Impact on Banking sector, THE ANALYST. According to the author, The DTC is a good step taken by the Government of India to reduce litigations and simplify the tax provisions followed for nearly five decades. The banking sector plays a vital role in the economic development of any country. In India, the financial service sector is now acknowledged as the next growth engine. It is therefore crucial that fiscal policies recognize this role and through various measures support and strengthen the sector. Despite the representation made on behalf of the financial service sector after the first draft of the Direct Tax Code (DTC), the new DTC does not seem to address some of the issues faced by the banking sector. India has a better banking system in place, as compared to the other developing countries, but there are several issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure that these issues do not remain as hurdles in t he sustained economic development of the country. . A number of stringent proposals were brought in the draft Direct Taxes Code, 2009. There were several areas of concern. Most of them, such as asset-based Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) and treaty override, were addressed by the Finance Minister through the release of a Revised Discussion paper earlier in June this year SOURCE OF DATA: The source of data that I have used is SECONDARY SOURCE DATA. Secondary data is elected in form of information which has already been collected by someone. Along with this some information on direct tax, their features are collected from internet. For more information regarding research methodology , books from library have been referred. ANALYSIS OF THE TOPIC The direct tax and the consumer equilibrium has a direct relationship with each other. The direct tax code slabs affect the consumer in many ways and its not just only direct tax that has an impact on the consumer equilibrium there are many other things that effect consumer equilibrium. When the direct tax which are implemented on the individual are low, i.e., the rate of tax that a consumer has to pay is minimum, it provides him the larger window to earn more money as less money will be deducted from his earnings. Due to this the budget line of the consumer will show the deviation, it will move towards right side INDIFFERENCE CURVE EQUILIBRIUM POINT BUDGET LINE QTY OF A QTY OF B Fig a:High direct tax Figb: Low direct tax As we can see the above figure depicts if the direct tax that the individual has to pay are decreased than there will be the upwards shiftment of the budget line which will allow the consumer to buy more products by increasing his budgets. Indifference curve in the figure plays an important role , indifference curve should be tangential to the budget line because its the most optimum level at which the consumer could use his budget to get maximum satisfaction. The following conditions should be kept in mind for consumer equilibrium: Consumer spends all the income in buying two commodities ;hence point of equilibrium will lie on budget line. The point of equilibrium will always be on the highest possible indifference curve that consumer can reach. Slope of indifference curve should be equal to the slope of budget line. In other words: MUm/MUn = Pm/Pn There are also some major factors that has effect on consumer equilibrium, which are as under: Price effect Income effect Substitution effect Price Effect: Change in the price of the any of the goods he consumes will also lead to change the equilibrium point. Price effect shows the reaction of consumer to the change in the price of a commodity, other things remaining the same. It measures the change in amount (quantity) demanded of a commodity with change in its price when price of the other commodity with which it is being combined remains the same. When there is increase in the price of a commodity, obviously he consumes it less (and becomes worse off). And when the price of the commodity decreases or falls, he consumes the commodity more (and becomes better off). Remaining the consumption of a commodity in the combination same, it is clear that when the price of commodity (another in combination) increases, consumer shifts to the lower indifference curve, and when price falls, consumer goes to higher indifference curve. When the price of a commodity in X-axis increases (remaining the price of commodity on Y axis same, consumer will certainly reduce the consumption of commodity in X axis. Budget line shifts downward. After increase in the price of good in X axis, his budget line moves down wards. He gets the new equilibrium point at which it is lower. This is in case of rise in price of a commodity. Price Consumption Curve may be upward sloping, downward sloping (or backward sloping). Nature of slope of PCC shows the types of goods and their cross elasticity of two goods. Slope PCC is dependent on the nature of goods whether they are inferior, superior, luxurious or whether the combination is complements or substitutes. Income effect: When there is change in income of consumer, there is change in equilibrium point due to change in quantity demanded; when there is change in income, there is shift in budget line. Generally income and quantity demanded relationship is positive. But it depends on the nature of goods whether it is inferior or normal. If good is griffin paradox or inferior, income demand relationship is negative. A line joining equilibrium points which are set due to change in income is income consumption curve. When there is increase in income , quantity demanded of both commodities increases. PL is the original budget line or price line. When income of consumer decreases from PL to PL1, consumer consumes both the commodities less and Equilibrium E1 is set on new budget line P1L1 and in lower Indifference Curve IC1. But when there is increase in income of consumer, his budget line shifts upward to the right from the origin (P2L2). During increase in income, consumer consumes both the commodities more and equilibrium is set at point E2 on higher IC on budget line P2L2. Both commodities in X and Y axis are normal goods so ICC is sloping upward. E2 E1 P2L2 PL P1L1 PL1 Substitution Effect: Substitution effect is also one of the responsible factor to cause change in consumers equilibrium. Substitution effect is the result of consumers inherent tendency to substitute cheaper goods for the relatively expensive ones. Substitution effect means the change in the purchase of a commodity as a consequence of change in relative price alone, real income remaining the constant.When price of a good changes, the real income (or purchasing power) of the consumer is also changed. To keep real income of the consumer constant so that the effect due to change in relative price may be known, price change is compensated by simultaneous change in income. For example when the price of good X falls, real of consumer increases. To find the substitution effect (i.e change in demand of X due to change in its relative price), we reduce the money income of consumer (to cancel the increase in real income due to fall in price of X). For further study of substitution, two slightly different theories have been developed. Theory developed by Hicks and Allen is called Hicks Substitution Effect and theory developed by E.Slutsky is known as Slutsky Substitution Effect MERITS/DEMERITS OF DIRECT TAX MERITS OF DIRECT TAXES Direct taxes are the main income sources of government. These taxes are easy to calculate on income and wealth of individuals and businesses. Direct taxes finance government affairs to run smoothly. These taxes help government to start and continue public welfare operations DEMERITS OF DIRECT TAX The implementation or direct tax is a tough job as people are resistant and show wrong assessment of their income and avoid tax payment. Direct tax has the negative impact of individual income and decrease the amount of disposable income. The collection is difficult as compare to indirect tax where consumer do not feel a direct burden of tax. Cost of collection of direct tax is greater than indirect tax. Change in the rate and pattern is also difficult for direct taxes as compare to indirect taxes

Fattening: The social implications on the Azawagh Arabs and the real me

Throughout the ethnography, â€Å"Feeding Desire† written by Rebecca Popenoe, we see one consistent theme that is brought up time and time again – women and the fattening of them to obtain a desired look. From the perspective of a Western third party, the idea of fattening to appear beautiful/appealing seems ridiculous. It simply makes little sense because fattening, is incredibly unhealthy, something that is recognized in Western culture and at the same time we prefer women to be as fit as possible. Looking through the ethnography we see that there are many reasons for fattening being a key factor in making women â€Å"an object of desire† (Page.. citation) as stated by Popenoe. We can examine these cases through the work of Popenoe and determine as to how she came to this conclusion. At the start of the ethnography we can see from Popenoe’s initial experience while working with the Peace Corps in Niger, that the idea of fattening and how the women she saw originally seemed as â€Å"unattractive lumbering† (Popenoe 2004: 20). It was however while working with the Peace Corps that Popenoe noticed that this rounded shape that was the norm among the women and was far more appreciated and desired. After having decided to live with the Azawagh Arabs, Popenoe expresses the obvious indication of her being the outcast when it came to female sexual competition shown through the statement, â€Å"With collar bones protruding and not a stretchmark to be found on my upper arms, I believe many women considered me a poor specimen of my sex.† (2004: 20). Even though it is shown that women and men are usually separate, Popenoe’s lack of physical beauty as per the Azawagh Arab women, allowed her to communicate with the men with no fear from the women that... ...dent that his job in gathering better subsistence is going very well, likely meaning he is wealthy. It is not something which is meant to show off, but just happens in cases of abundance (2004: 112). Most importantly is the control a woman can have over their husband, by waiting till the night to discuss what is on their mind as that is the point in the time where a man can’t refuse them, their lust and sexual desire forces them to listen pretty much. Popenoe does an excellent job in her ethnography giving us the perspective of the Azawagh Arab society. We see how the culture is in such a society where women are fattened for many reasons that are important such as sexual desire, marriage, and the passage towards womanhood. Such fattening has run societies in the area including the Azawagh Arabs since they were discovered and continue to do so today.

The Effects of Divorce on Children Essay -- Divorce and Adolescent Dep

Introduction In America, about one in every two marriages will end in divorce. Around 60% of those divorcing couples have children. (Cherlin, 2012). Half of the marriages in America end in divorce, and more than half of those couples have children, which means that about every other divorce that is filed in America, a child is impacted. Between 850,000 and 950,000 divorces occur each year. (National Center for Health Statistics, CDC., 2014). Given that roughly 60% of those divorcing couples have at least one child, at least 510,000 children are affected a year. Estimates have been done to suggest that in the near future, 70% of divorces could involve children under the age of eighteen. (Block, Block, and Gjerde, 1986). Because of the large number of children in America having broken families, it is important to understand the effects of divorce on children’s' day to day lives so that they may be provided for in a proper and beneficial way. Changes in the Family There are many different outcomes that the effect of a divorce may have on a child. Though divorce isn't always a positive thing, sometimes there are scenarios where a family is better off this way. According to research, the bond maintained between parent and child is the main change that plays a factor on the child's outcome when a divorce happens. The relationships between parents and their children were found to be more influential than the parents’ marital status. Negative effects were null if relationships remained intact after the divorce. However, sometimes the ability to keep these relationships closely knit just isn't as simple as it was before the divorce. Keeping a relationship intact is especially difficult for the non-custodial parent. (He... ...du/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2012/02/Cherlin_JMFmarriagepaper.pdf Harvey, J. H., & Fine, M. A. (2004). Children of divorce stories of loss and growth. Jeynes, W. (2002). Divorce, family structure, and the academic success of children. New York: Haworth Press. Jost, K., & Robinson, M. Children and divorce. CQ Researcher, 1, 349-368. Stuart, I. R., & Abt, L. E.,. (1972). Children of separation and divorce. New York: Grossman Frank Trovato, (1987). A Longitudinal Analysis of Divorce and Suicide in Canada. Journal of Marriage and Family., Vol. 49., No. 1, pp.193-203. Robert H. Aseltine, Jr. (1996). Pathways Linking Parental Divorce With Adolescent Depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior., Vol. 37, No.2., pp.133-148. Satoshi Tsujimoto, (2008). The Prefrontal Cortex: Functional Neural Development During Early Childhood, Neuroscientist 14:345.

The Warning in The Beast in the Jungle :: Beast in the Jungle Essays

The Warning in The Beast in the Jungle "In the case of Henry James there should not be much dispute about the exactness and completeness of the representation; no man ever strove more studiously or on the whole more successfully to reproduce the shape and color and movement of his æsthetic experience." These are the remarks of Stuart P. Sherman from his article entitled "The Aesthetic Idealism of Henry James," from The Nation, p. 397, April 5, 1917. Now, some seventy-two years later critical readers are still coming to terms with James' aesthetic vision. As we have discussed in class, James aestheticizes everything. Sexual intercourse, carnal knowledge, painful self-discovery, human mortality, etc., are often figuratively and metaphorically veiled so as not to disturb or repulse the reader. Taking a closer look at this, one might say that James did this so that he himself would not be repulsed. Perhaps James wasn't thinking so much of the reader as he was thinking of himself. In "The Beast in the Jungle" James has aesthetically hidden the reality of Marcher's destiny by treating it as a symbolic crouching beast waiting to spring. The reader will ask why James has done this? Wouldn't it be more effective to speak plainly of Marcher's and Bartram's relationship? The author could tell us exactly why John Marcher does not marry May Bartram. The narrator tells us that Marcher's situation "was not a condition he could invite a woman to share" and "that a man of feeling didn't cause himself to be accompanied by a lady on a tiger hunt" (p. 417). This is nonsense. Marcher won't marry May because he doesn't want to inconvenience her with his condition or endanger her life on a tiger hunt? First of all, he inconveniences her right up to the day of her death with his condition, and as for the metaphorical tiger hunt, what exactly does that refer to? What is it here that James will not speak of in plain language? Simply what is the meaning of this; what is the author's intent? One might speculate that this story is somewhat autobiographical in that James himself never married and often carried on close personal relationships with a very select few. The various biographers of his life

Inventory System Essay

Background of the Study Technology has taken a big leap forward in 21st century, with computer programs, electronics upgrading by the month & even by the day. Technology has influenced & greatly simplified almost in every aspect of a student’s life today. It is amazing what technology has done to our society and how dependent we have become on it. Nowadays there are so many companies using technical system to improve the quality of service of their company, but there are some companies still using manual computing for their product inventory like the Renz Trading. One of our group mates, her family is engage in a business which trades a Fire Extinguisher. In that case, it’s easy for the group to gather information from the said chosen company, to perform a new system, for its betterment. The group decided to work it out to find a system that will truly help the company. We noticed that some of their clients were not aware how important to know when will the fire extinguisher will expires, it is for their own safety. So we decided to add a system that will notify (via SMS) our clients or users that their purchased fire extinguisher will be expired one year after purchased and must be refilled again. And also to develop a computerized inventory system for Renz Trading which could help the operation of the company. 1. 3. 2 Specific Objectives The following objectives that the researcher would like to achieve. †¢ Reduce Effort. In calculating the income gain by the Renz Trading because the system will provide a report that if the company is earning from its expenses. †¢ Respond to trends faster. Nowadays, technology is much needed in the society that’s why the group aims to help Renz Trading to go with the trends by using computerized system. †¢ Improve Customer Service. In part of the system, fast transaction will be given. †¢ Reduce Cost Risk. The system also aims to have a monetary increase in their business. †¢ Accuracy of Sales Income. So like instant when the system is done, because it will provide a report about the sales income of the Renz Trading. †¢ Inform Client. By the use of SMS Notification which is part of the system. 1. 4 Significance of the study This section will provide brief description on the various significances of the study given the three categories Educational, Technological and Economic. To Company. The proposed system is important to the company because it will benefit them in terms of easy business transaction in their customers, recording their sales and monitoring their product. †¢ To Proponents. This proposed system is the most significance to the proponents in which overcoming the problems and analyzing things with the programs and data’s we’ve acquired. It feeds the proponents the experience and knowledge in which they can apply for the future jobs they indulge with. †¢ To Future Researchers. The future researchers can benefit this study in order to provide them a broad ideas and knowledge to gather information about the sales and inventory with SMS notification. 1. 5 Scope and Limitation 1. 5. 1 Scope of the study The proposed study is about the Sales and Inventory System with SMS Notification of fire extinguisher for Renz Trading. The proposed system has the capability to track, monitor and gives an alert if a specific product reaches the minimum allowance stock amount and it notify a server if the product is going to expired. A search index is also added for the users to easily track their client that need to be informed about the expiration of the purchased product, so that the client will know if they will need to replenish their purchased fire extinguisher or just buy a new one. Login account for different users will be created for database security purpose. The users that can access the system are the Owner and the Accounting clerk. The system can also provide a hard copy of daily, monthly, yearly reports; the data gathered from the users are automatically recorded on the database. 1. 5. 2 Limitation of the Study The system only handles about the sales reporting and inventory with the SMS Notification. The owner will input some needed information that will process inside the system. The Serial No. of the Fire Extinguisher which is stick onto the tank and also the date of done product made. So that, the system can notifies the Renz Trading clients. Delivering of products to customer is not part of the system. The system will print out reports if asked by the owner and of course having human intervention. 1. 6 Definition of Terms Inventory – is primarily about specifying the shape and percentage of stocked goods. It is required at different locations within a facility or within many locations of a supply network to precede the regular and planned course of production and stock of materials. Revenue – is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. SMS – Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line and mobile phone devices. Notification – The act or an instance of notifying, or to inform by means of word or a letter. Sales – is the act of selling a product or service in return for money or other compensation, it is an act of completion of a commercial activity. Clients– a person, company, or organization that uses the professional services of another. Admin –is a person employed to maintain and operate a computer system and/or network. System administrators may be members of an Information Technology (IT) or Electronics and Communication Engineering department. System – whole compounded of several parts or members, is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Twenty

Eddard Eddard Stark rode through the towering bronze doors of the Red Keep sore, tired, hungry, and irritable. He was still ahorse, dreaming of a long hot soak, a roast fowl, and a featherbed, when the king's steward told him that Grand Maester Pycelle had convened an urgent meeting of the small council. The honor of the Hand's presence was requested as soon as it was convenient. â€Å"It will be convenient on the morrow,† Ned snapped as he dismounted. The steward bowed very low. â€Å"I shall give the councillors your regrets, my lord.† â€Å"No, damn it,† Ned said. It would not do to offend the council before he had even begun. â€Å"I will see them. Pray give me a few moments to change into something more presentable.† â€Å"Yes, my lord,† the steward said. â€Å"We have given you Lord Arryn's former chambers in the Tower of the Hand, if it please you. I shall have your things taken there.† â€Å"My thanks,† Ned said as he ripped off his riding gloves and tucked them into his belt. The rest of his household was coming through the gate behind him. Ned saw Vayon Poole, his own steward, and called out. â€Å"It seems the council has urgent need of me. See that my daughters find their bedchambers, and tell Jory to keep them there. Arya is not to go exploring.† Poole bowed. Ned turned back to the royal steward. â€Å"My wagons are still straggling through the city. I shall need appropriate garments.† â€Å"It will be my great pleasure,† the steward said. And so Ned had come striding into the council chambers, bone-tired and dressed in borrowed clothing, to find four members of the small council waiting for him. The chamber was richly furnished. Myrish carpets covered the floor instead of rushes, and in one corner a hundred fabulous beasts cavorted in bright paints on a carved screen from the Summer Isles. The walls were hung with tapestries from Norvos and Qohor and Lys, and a pair of Valyrian sphinxes flanked the door, eyes of polished garnet smoldering in black marble faces. The councillor Ned liked least, the eunuch Varys, accosted him the moment he entered. â€Å"Lord Stark, I was grievous sad to hear about your troubles on the kingsroad. We have all been visiting the sept to light candles for Prince Joffrey. I pray for his recovery.† His hand left powder stains on Ned's sleeve, and he smelled as foul and sweet as flowers on a grave. â€Å"Your gods have heard you,† Ned replied, cool yet polite. â€Å"The prince grows stronger every day.† He disentangled himself from the eunuch's grip and crossed the room to where Lord Renly stood by the screen, talking quietly with a short man who could only be Littlefinger. Renly had been a boy of eight when Robert won the throne, but he had grown into a man so like his brother that Ned found it disconcerting. Whenever he saw him, it was as if the years had slipped away and Robert stood before him, fresh from his victory on the Trident. â€Å"I see you have arrived safely, Lord Stark,† Renly said. â€Å"And you as well,† Ned replied. â€Å"You must forgive me, but sometimes you look the very image of your brother Robert.† â€Å"A poor copy,† Renly said with a shrug. â€Å"Though much better dressed,† Littlefinger quipped. â€Å"Lord Renly spends more on clothing than half the ladies of the court.† It was true enough. Lord Renly was in dark green velvet, with a dozen golden stags embroidered on his doublet. A cloth-of-gold half cape was draped casually across one shoulder, fastened with an emerald brooch. â€Å"There are worse crimes,† Renly said with a laugh. â€Å"The way you dress, for one.† Littlefinger ignored the jibe. He eyed Ned with a smile on his lips that bordered on insolence. â€Å"I have hoped to meet you for some years, Lord Stark. No doubt Lady Catelyn has mentioned me to you.† â€Å"She has,† Ned replied with a chill in his voice. The sly arrogance of the comment rankled him. â€Å"I understand you knew my brother Brandon as well.† Renly Baratheon laughed. Varys shuffled over to listen. â€Å"Rather too well,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"I still carry a token of his esteem. Did Brandon speak of me too?† â€Å"Often, and with some heat,† Ned said, hoping that would end it. He had no patience with this game they played, this dueling with words. â€Å"I should have thought that heat ill suits you Starks,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"Here in the south, they say you are all made of ice, and melt when you ride below the Neck.† â€Å"I do not plan on melting soon, Lord Baelish. You may count on it.† Ned moved to the council table and said, â€Å"Maester Pycelle, I trust you are well.† The Grand Maester smiled gently from his tall chair at the foot of the table. â€Å"Well enough for a man of my years, my lord,† he replied, â€Å"yet I do tire easily, I fear.† Wispy strands of white hair fringed the broad bald dome of his forehead above a kindly face. His maester's collar was no simple metal choker such as Luwin wore, but two dozen heavy chains wound together into a ponderous metal necklace that covered him from throat to breast. The links were forged of every metal known to man: black iron and red gold, bright copper and dull lead, steel and tin and pale silver, brass and bronze and platinum. Garnets and amethysts and black pearls adorned the metalwork, and here and there an emerald or ruby. â€Å"Perhaps we might begin soon,† the Grand Maester said, hands knitting together atop his broad stomach. â€Å"I fear I shall fall asleep if we wait much longer.† â€Å"As you will.† The king's seat sat empty at the head of the table, the crowned stag of Baratheon embroidered in gold thread on its pillows. Ned took the chair beside it, as the right hand of his king. â€Å"My lords,† he said formally, â€Å"I am sorry to have kept you waiting.† â€Å"You are the King's Hand,† Varys said. â€Å"We serve at your pleasure, Lord Stark.† As the others took their accustomed seats, it struck Eddard Stark forcefully that he did not belong here, in this room, with these men. He remembered what Robert had told him in the crypts below Winterfell. I am surrounded by flatterers and fools, the king had insisted. Ned looked down the council table and wondered which were the flatterers and which the fools. He thought he knew already. â€Å"We are but five,† he pointed out. â€Å"Lord Stannis took himself to Dragonstone not long after the king went north,† Varys said, â€Å"and our gallant Ser Barristan no doubt rides beside the king as he makes his way through the city, as befits the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.† â€Å"Perhaps we had best wait for Ser Barristan and the king to join us,† Ned suggested. Renly Baratheon laughed aloud. â€Å"If we wait for my brother to grace us with his royal presence, it could be a long sit.† â€Å"Our good King Robert has many cares,† Varys said. â€Å"He entrusts some small matters to us, to lighten his load.† â€Å"What Lord Varys means is that all this business of coin and crops and justice bores my royal brother to tears,† Lord Renly said, â€Å"so it falls to us to govern the realm. He does send us a command from time to time.† He drew a tightly rolled paper from his sleeve and laid it on the table. â€Å"This morning he commanded me to ride ahead with all haste and ask Grand Maester Pycelle to convene this council at once. He has an urgent task for us.† Littlefinger smiled and handed the paper to Ned. It bore the royal seal. Ned broke the wax with his thumb and flattened the letter to consider the king's urgent command, reading the words with mounting disbelief. Was there no end to Robert's folly? And to do this in his name, that was salt in the wound. â€Å"Gods be good,† he swore. â€Å"What Lord Eddard means to say,† Lord Renly announced, â€Å"is that His Grace instructs us to stage a great tournament in honor of his appointment as the Hand of the King.† â€Å"How much?† asked Littlefinger, mildly. Ned read the answer off the letter. â€Å"Forty thousand golden dragons to the champion. Twenty thousand to the man who comes second, another twenty to the winner of the melee, and ten thousand to the victor of the archery competition.† â€Å"Ninety thousand gold pieces,† Littlefinger sighed. â€Å"And we must not neglect the other costs. Robert will want a prodigious feast. That means cooks, carpenters, serving girls, singers, jugglers, fools . . . â€Å" â€Å"Fools we have in plenty,† Lord Renly said. Grand Maester Pycelle looked to Littlefinger and asked, â€Å"Will the treasury bear the expense?† â€Å"What treasury is that?† Littlefinger replied with a twist of his mouth. â€Å"Spare me the foolishness, Maester. You know as well as I that the treasury has been empty for years. I shall have to borrow the money. No doubt the Lannisters will be accommodating. We owe Lord Tywin some three million dragons at present, what matter another hundred thousand?† Ned was stunned. â€Å"Are you claiming that the Crown is three million gold pieces in debt?† â€Å"The Crown is more than six million gold pieces in debt, Lord Stark. The Lannisters are the biggest part of it, but we have also borrowed from Lord Tyrell, the Iron Bank of Braavos, and several Tyroshi trading cartels. Of late I've had to turn to the Faith. The High Septon haggles worse than a Dornish fishmonger.† Ned was aghast. â€Å"Aerys Targaryen left a treasury flowing with gold. How could you let this happen?† Littlefinger gave a shrug. â€Å"The master of coin finds the money. The king and the Hand spend it.† â€Å"I will not believe that Jon Arryn allowed Robert to beggar the realm,† Ned said hotly. Grand Maester Pycelle shook his great bald head, his chains clinking softly. â€Å"Lord Arryn was a prudent man, but I fear that His Grace does not always listen to wise counsel.† â€Å"My royal brother loves tournaments and feasts,† Renly Baratheon said, â€Å"and he loathes what he calls ‘counting coppers.' â€Å" â€Å"I will speak with His Grace,† Ned said. â€Å"This tourney is an extravagance the realm cannot afford.† â€Å"Speak to him as you will,† Lord Renly said, â€Å"we had still best make our plans.† â€Å"Another day,† Ned said. Perhaps too sharply, from the looks they gave him. He would have to remember that he was no longer in Winterfell, where only the king stood higher; here, he was but first among equals. â€Å"Forgive me, my lords,† he said in a softer tone. â€Å"I am tired. Let us call a halt for today and resume when we are fresher.† He did not ask for their consent, but stood abruptly, nodded at them all, and made for the door. Outside, wagons and riders were still pouring through the castle gates, and the yard was a chaos of mud and horseflesh and shouting men. The king had not yet arrived, he was told. Since the ugliness on the Trident, the Starks and their household had ridden well ahead of the main column, the better to separate themselves from the Lannisters and the growing tension. Robert had hardly been seen; the talk was he was traveling in the huge wheelhouse, drunk as often as not. If so, he might be hours behind, but he would still be here too soon for Ned's liking. He had only to look at Sansa's face to feel the rage twisting inside him once again. The last fortnight of their journey had been a misery. Sansa blamed Arya and told her that it should have been Nymeria who died. And Arya was lost after she heard what had happened to her butcher's boy. Sansa cried herself to sleep, Arya brooded silently all day long, and Eddard Stark dreamed of a frozen hell reserved for the Starks of Winterfell. He crossed the outer yard, passed under a portcullis into the inner bailey, and was walking toward what he thought was the Tower of the Hand when Littlefinger appeared in front of him. â€Å"You're going the wrong way, Stark. Come with me.† Hesitantly, Ned followed. Littlefinger led him into a tower, down a stair, across a small sunken courtyard, and along a deserted corridor where empty suits of armor stood sentinel along the walls. They were relics of the Targaryens, black steel with dragon scales cresting their helms, now dusty and forgotten. â€Å"This is not the way to my chambers,† Ned said. â€Å"Did I say it was? I'm leading you to the dungeons to slit your throat and seal your corpse up behind a wall,† Littlefinger replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. â€Å"We have no time for this, Stark. Your wife awaits.† â€Å"What game are you playing, Littlefinger? Catelyn is at Winterfell, hundreds of leagues from here.† â€Å"Oh?† Littlefinger's grey-green eyes glittered with amusement. â€Å"Then it appears someone has managed an astonishing impersonation. For the last time, come. Or don't come, and I'll keep her for myself.† He hurried down the steps. Ned followed him warily, wondering if this day would ever end. He had no taste for these intrigues, but he was beginning to realize that they were meat and mead to a man like Littlefinger. At the foot of the steps was a heavy door of oak and iron. Petyr Baelish lifted the crossbar and gestured Ned through. They stepped out into the ruddy glow of dusk, on a rocky bluff high above the river. â€Å"We're outside the castle,† Ned said. â€Å"You are a hard man to fool, Stark,† Littlefinger said with a smirk. â€Å"Was it the sun that gave it away, or the sky? Follow me. There are niches cut in the rock. Try not to fall to your death, Catelyn would never understand.† With that, he was over the side of the cliff, descending as quick as a monkey. Ned studied the rocky face of the bluff for a moment, then followed more slowly. The niches were there, as Littlefinger had promised, shallow cuts that would be invisible from below, unless you knew just where to look for them. The river was a long, dizzying distance below. Ned kept his face pressed to the rock and tried not to look down any more often than he had to. When at last he reached the bottom, a narrow, muddy trail along the water's edge, Littlefinger was lazing against a rock and eating an apple. He was almost down to the core. â€Å"You are growing old and slow, Stark,† he said, flipping the apple casually into the rushing water. â€Å"No matter, we ride the rest of the way.† He had two horses waiting. Ned mounted up and trotted behind him, down the trail and into the city. Finally Baelish drew rein in front of a ramshackle building, three stories, timbered, its windows bright with lamplight in the gathering dusk. The sounds of music and raucous laughter drifted out and floated over the water. Beside the door swung an ornate oil lamp on a heavy chain, with a globe of leaded red glass. Ned Stark dismounted in a fury. â€Å"A brothel,† he said as he seized Littlefinger by the shoulder and spun him around. â€Å"You've brought me all this way to take me to a brothel.† â€Å"Your wife is inside,† Littlefinger said. It was the final insult. â€Å"Brandon was too kind to you,† Ned said as he slammed the small man back against a wall and shoved his dagger up under the little pointed chin beard. â€Å"My lord, no,† an urgent voice called out. â€Å"He speaks the truth.† There were footsteps behind him. Ned spun, knife in hand, as an old white-haired man hurried toward them. He was dressed in brown roughspun, and the soft flesh under his chin wobbled as he ran. â€Å"This is no business of yours,† Ned began; then, suddenly, the recognition came. He lowered the dagger, astonished. â€Å"Ser Rodrik?† Rodrik Cassel nodded. â€Å"Your lady awaits you upstairs.† Ned was lost. â€Å"Catelyn is truly here? This is not some strange jape of Littlefinger's?† He sheathed his blade. â€Å"Would that it were, Stark,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"Follow me, and try to look a shade more lecherous and a shade less like the King's Hand. It would not do to have you recognized. Perhaps you could fondle a breast or two, just in passing.† They went inside, through a crowded common room where a fat woman was singing bawdy songs while pretty young girls in linen shifts and wisps of colored silk pressed themselves against their lovers and dandled on their laps. No one paid Ned the least bit of attention. Ser Rodrik waited below while Littlefinger led him up to the third floor, along a corridor, and through a door. Inside, Catelyn was waiting. She cried out when she saw him, ran to him, and embraced him fiercely. â€Å"My lady,† Ned whispered in wonderment. â€Å"Oh, very good,† said Littlefinger, closing the door. â€Å"You recognized her.† â€Å"I feared you'd never come, my lord,† she whispered against his chest. â€Å"Petyr has been bringing me reports. He told me of your troubles with Arya and the young prince. How are my girls?† â€Å"Both in mourning, and full of anger,† he told her. â€Å"Cat, I do not understand. What are you doing in King's Landing? What's happened?† Ned asked his wife. â€Å"Is it Bran? Is he . . . â€Å"Dead was the word that came to his lips, but he could not say it. â€Å"It is Bran, but not as you think,† Catelyn said. Ned was lost. â€Å"Then how? Why are you here, my love? What is this place?† â€Å"Just what it appears,† Littlefinger said, easing himself onto a window seat. â€Å"A brothel. Can you think of a less likely place to find a Catelyn Tully?† He smiled. â€Å"As it chances, I own this particular establishment, so arrangements were easily made. I am most anxious to keep the Lannisters from learning that Cat is here in King's Landing.† â€Å"Why?† Ned asked. He saw her hands then, the awkward way she held them, the raw red scars, the stiffness of the last two fingers on her left. â€Å"You've been hurt.† He took her hands in his own, turned them over. â€Å"Gods. Those are deep cuts . . . a gash from a sword or . . . how did this happen, my lady?† Catelyn slid a dagger out from under her cloak and placed it in his hand. â€Å"This blade was sent to open Bran's throat and spill his life's blood.† Ned's head jerked up. â€Å"But . . . who . . . why would . . . â€Å" She put a finger to his lips. â€Å"Let me tell it all, my love. It will go faster that way. Listen.† So he listened, and she told it all, from the fire in the library tower to Varys and the guardsmen and Littlefinger. And when she was done, Eddard Stark sat dazed beside the table, the dagger in his hand. Bran's wolf had saved the boy's life, he thought dully. What was it that Jon had said when they found the pups in the snow? Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord. And he had killed Sansa's, and for what? Was it guilt he was feeling? Or fear? If the gods had sent these wolves, what folly had he done? Painfully, Ned forced his thoughts back to the dagger and what it meant. â€Å"The Imp's dagger,† he repeated. It made no sense. His hand curled around the smooth dragonbone hilt, and he slammed the blade into the table, felt it bite into the wood. It stood mocking him. â€Å"Why should Tyrion Lannister want Bran dead? The boy has never done him harm.† â€Å"Do you Starks have nought but snow between your ears?† Littlefinger asked. â€Å"The Imp would never have acted alone.† Ned rose and paced the length of the room. â€Å"If the queen had a role in this or, gods forbid, the king himself . . . no, I will not believe that.† Yet even as he said the words, he remembered that chill morning on the barrowlands, and Robert's talk of sending hired knives after the Targaryen princess. He remembered Rhaegar's infant son, the red ruin of his skull, and the way the king had turned away, as he had turned away in Darry's audience hall not so long ago. He could still hear Sansa pleading, as Lyanna had pleaded once. â€Å"Most likely the king did not know,† Littlefinger said. â€Å"It would not be the first time. Our good Robert is practiced at closing his eyes to things he would rather not see.† Ned had no reply for that. The face of the butcher's boy swam up before his eyes, cloven almost in two, and afterward the king had said not a word. His head was pounding. Littlefinger sauntered over to the table, wrenched the knife from the wood. â€Å"The accusation is treason either way. Accuse the king and you will dance with Ilyn Payne before the words are out of your mouth. The queen . . . if you can find proof, and if you can make Robert listen, then perhaps . . . â€Å" â€Å"We have proof,† Ned said. â€Å"We have the dagger.† â€Å"This?† Littlefinger flipped the knife casually end over end. â€Å"A sweet piece of steel, but it cuts two ways, my lord. The Imp will no doubt swear the blade was lost or stolen while he was at Winterfell, and with his hireling dead, who is there to give him the lie?† He tossed the knife lightly to Ned. â€Å"My counsel is to drop that in the river and forget that it was ever forged.† Ned regarded him coldly. â€Å"Lord Baelish, I am a Stark of Winterfell. My son lies crippled, perhaps dying. He would be dead, and Catelyn with him, but for a wolf pup we found in the snow. If you truly believe I could forget that, you are as big a fool now as when you took up sword against my brother.† â€Å"A fool I may be, Stark . . . yet I'm still here, while your brother has been moldering in his frozen grave for some fourteen years now. If you are so eager to molder beside him, far be it from me to dissuade you, but I would rather not be included in the party, thank you very much.† â€Å"You would be the last man I would willingly include in any party, Lord Baelish.† â€Å"You wound me deeply.† Littlefinger placed a hand over his heart. â€Å"For my part, I always found you Starks a tiresome lot, but Cat seems to have become attached to you, for reasons I cannot comprehend. I shall try to keep you alive for her sake. A fool's task, admittedly, but I could never refuse your wife anything.† â€Å"I told Petyr our suspicions about Jon Arryn's death,† Catelyn said. â€Å"He has promised to help you find the truth.† That was not news that Eddard Stark welcomed, but it was true enough that they needed help, and Littlefinger had been almost a brother to Cat once. It would not be the first time that Ned had been forced to make common cause with a man he despised. â€Å"Very well,† he said, thrusting the dagger into his belt. â€Å"You spoke of Varys. Does the eunuch know all of it?† â€Å"Not from my lips,† Catelyn said. â€Å"You did not wed a fool, Eddard Stark. But Varys has ways of learning things that no man could know. He has some dark art, Ned, I swear it.† â€Å"He has spies, that is well known,† Ned said, dismissive. â€Å"It is more than that,† Catelyn insisted. â€Å"Ser Rodrik spoke to Ser Aron Santagar in all secrecy, yet somehow the Spider knew of their conversation. I fear that man.† Littlefinger smiled. â€Å"Leave Lord Varys to me, sweet lady. If you will permit me a small obscenity—and where better for it—I hold the man's balls in the palm of my hand.† He cupped his fingers, smiling. â€Å"Or would, if he were a man, or had any balls. You see, if the pie is opened, the birds begin to sing, and Varys would not like that. Were I you, I would worry more about the Lannisters and less about the eunuch.† Ned did not need Littlefinger to tell him that. He was thinking back to the day Arya had been found, to the look on the queen's face when she said, We have a wolf, so soft and quiet. He was thinking of the boy Mycah, of Jon Arryn's sudden death, of Bran's fall, of old mad Aerys Targaryen dying on the floor of his throne room while his life's blood dried on a golden blade. â€Å"My lady,† he said, turning to Catelyn, â€Å"there is nothing more you can do here. I want you to return to Winterfell at once. If there was one assassin, there could be others. Whoever ordered Bran's death will learn soon enough that the boy still lives.† â€Å"I had hoped to see the girls . . . † Catelyn said. â€Å"That would be most unwise,† Littlefinger put in. â€Å"The Red Keep is full of curious eyes, and children talk.† â€Å"He speaks truly, my love,† Ned told her. He embraced her. â€Å"Take Ser Rodrik and ride for Winterfell. I will watch over the girls. Go home to our sons and keep them safe.† â€Å"As you say, my lord.† Catelyn lifted her face, and Ned kissed her. Her maimed fingers clutched against his back with a desperate strength, as if to hold him safe forever in the shelter of her arms. â€Å"Would the lord and lady like the use of a bedchamber?† asked Littlefinger. â€Å"I should warn you, Stark, we usually charge for that sort of thing around here.† â€Å"A moment alone, that's all I ask,† Catelyn said. â€Å"Very well.† Littlefinger strolled to the door. â€Å"Don't be too long. It is past time the Hand and I returned to the castle, before our absence is noted.† Catelyn went to him and took his hands in her own. â€Å"I will not forget the help you gave me, Petyr. When your men came for me, I did not know whether they were taking me to a friend or an enemy. I have found you more than a friend. I have found a brother I'd thought lost.† Petyr Baelish smiled. â€Å"I am desperately sentimental, sweet lady. Best not tell anyone. I have spent years convincing the court that I am wicked and cruel, and I should hate to see all that hard work go for naught.† Ned believed not a word of that, but he kept his voice polite as he said, â€Å"You have my thanks as well, Lord Baelish.† â€Å"Oh, now there's a treasure,† Littlefinger said, exiting. When the door had closed behind him, Ned turned back to his wife. â€Å"Once you are home, send word to Helman Tallhart and Galbart Glover under my seal. They are to raise a hundred bowmen each and fortify Moat Cailin. Two hundred determined archers can hold the Neck against an army. Instruct Lord Manderly that he is to strengthen and repair all his defenses at WhiteHarbor, and see that they are well manned. And from this day on, I want a careful watch kept over Theon Greyjoy. If there is war, we shall have sore need of his father's fleet.† â€Å"War?† The fear was plain on Catelyn's face. â€Å"It will not come to that,† Ned promised her, praying it was true. He took her in his arms again. â€Å"The Lannisters are merciless in the face of weakness, as Aerys Targaryen learned to his sorrow, but they would not dare attack the north without all the power of the realm behind them, and that they shall not have. I must play out this fool's masquerade as if nothing is amiss. Remember why I came here, my love. If I find proof that the Lannisters murdered Jon Arryn . . . â€Å" He felt Catelyn tremble in his arms. Her scarred hands clung to him. â€Å"If,† she said, â€Å"what then, my love?† That was the most dangerous part, Ned knew. â€Å"All justice flows from the king,† he told her. â€Å"When I know the truth, I must go to Robert.† And pray that he is the man I think he is, he finished silently, and not the man I fear he has become.

Impact of Korean Culture in North East India Essay

There is a foreign invasion taking place in India’s Northeast region. But the invasion is not from neighboring countries like China or Bangladesh. This time round, it is a cultural invasion. The North eastern states have been experiencing a shift in cultural assimilation from western Americanize ethos(people, system) to Korean and Japanese culture. The wave of globalization and information and communication technology revolution has also been felt in the North Eastern States of India. Korean culture is spreading like wild-fire across the North East India. Everything that’s Korean is selling hot. Korean culture ranging from soaps, music, food, movies. Markets flooded with Korean DVDs, sometimes pirated sold at 100-200 Indian Rupees. Every home has not less than 20 DVDs. The rooms of young people are adorned with posters of Korean actors. Koreans ethos has taken over hearts and homes of many families. The demand for Korean soaps, cinema, fashion and language is at a new peak. What made it possible? Many factors facilitate the raid of the phenomenon. Some of them may be discussed as follows: Socio-cultural implications of K-POP culture: New movie cult: The Korean movies are gradually replacing the Bollywood and even the Hollywood ones. Instead of current Bollywood favourites, it is movie names like â€Å"The Classic†, â€Å"Windstruck†, â€Å"A Moment to Remember†, â€Å"My Sassy Girl† etc. , that are on the lips of the teenagers. The posters of Korean actors and actresses have replaced that of Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Aishwarya Rai, and others. In Mizoram even the older generation has been addicted to Korean movies since the local cable television translated Korean films and dramas. New youth culture: With the arrival of Arirang, its impact upon the North East people, especially among the youngsters has been felt in many ways. For example, after watching the various Korean serials on Arirang, there is an earnest desire by the youngsters to imitate and copy everything from language, to food habit, to dress style, even the body language and some Korean manners. They have started using some common sentences used in the day to day life by the serial stars. For instance, aneo (hello), sarangheo (I love you), kamsahamnida (thank you), etc. They begin to wish each other through Korean style. They have become so familiar with the Korean actors, actresses and singers that most of them know Rain, Seven, Bigbang etc. Some of them can even sing some of their favourite Korean singers’ songs. Among school kids and teenagers, Korean movie is one of their hot topics since many things in Korean cultural life that are shown in serials and movies, can relate with their own life and society. The youths have also started sleeping on the floor of their room instead of on the bed. They feel that it is so fashionable. New business trends: These pirated films, which can be rented for as low as five rupees or ten rupees for a night are a rage with the audience. These movies come in special DVD formats consisting of around eight to nine movies in a DVD. They make copies and either sell them or rent them out. Imported items from South East Asian countries through Myanmar, are flooded with pirated movie, television serial and music CDs mainly from Korea. The rise of the Korean Wave in India particularly in the Northeast region of India is a unique phenomenon. The ‘wave’ has reached the shore of Northeastern region of India, particularly Nagaland state since 2007. The wave hit stronger after the first ever Korea-India Music Festival was held in Kohima in 2008 under the joint partnership of Nagaland government and the South Korea government. In 2009, the Korean singers, wrestlers and even Korean food featured during the Hornbill festival, a yearly event festival held in Kohima. Naga boys and girls belted out Korean songs. Why people in Northeast India have easily assimilated to Korean culture while Indian culture is just at their doorsteps? Perhaps this question is seldom asked. This may be because of physical similarities between the Koreans and the northeasterners who are mostly of Mongoloid stock. People find Solace/comfort/relief in Korean entertainment because of the likeness in physical appearance. Another factor might be attributed the ban of Hindi movies by militants in the northeast. However, had there been no physical similarities between Korea and the tribal of Northeast India, the wave may not have much impact to attract customers. The Korean Wave is therefore, the result of a star system and new entertainment management firms that have a strong appeal to the audience. On the other hand, as one of the most popular cultural discourses among Asians, the Korean Wave has certainly created a new set of cultural symbols in this region. The Korean government has combined this cultural symbol with economic development. It is clear that the Korean government has been trying to foster the ties apparently, for economic benefits through promoting cultural industry. The Korean wave has moved beyond a fad and is here to stay. But the cultural boom has helped the Koreans in two ways – promotes cultural ties and business deal follows.

International Business on Heineken Essay

Identify 2 strategic objectives that your firm had for entering a specific foreign country. In 2010 entered the Latin American market by acquiring the beer businesses of FEMSA in Mexico and Brazil. The FEMSA, Fomento Economico Mexicano is the largest Mexican and Latin American beverage company.1 Reasons for entering this continent is to achieve their goals, also mentioned as objectives in Heineken’s annual report. Two of these goals include Grow the Heineken brand and Capture the opportunities in emerging markets. Entering the Latin American market, would enlarge the brand awareness of Heineken. By aiming on expanding the brand name,The brand performance in 2012 was strong both in developed and emerging markets. It was particularly noticeable in Brazil, Russia, India, China and Nigeria where Heineken enjoyed double digit growth. This development was largely due to a global approach to brand management and to effective marketing. 2 Furthermore Heineken aims on capturing opportu nities in emerging market, especially focussing on Mexico. Heineken has transformed its emerging market presence in recent years through a clear acquisition strategy, strong organic growth and joint venture partnerships. The beer volume increased from †¦ in 2007 to†¦. In 2012. In mexico they continue to implement their value growth strategy following the acquisition in 2010. Focused brand investment behind new marketing campaigns and upgraded packaging have supported growth of Carta Blanca, Tecate, Dos Equis, So and India brands. In addition, increased outlet distribution and targeted activation programmes resulted in the Heineken brand volume more than doubling in 2012. 5b) Which foreign entry modes has your firm used in the last 6 to 8 years, and which mode was used for which country? Please also explain for one of the entry modes used whether you think that mode was the best one or whether another entry mode should have been used instead. Substantiate our answer with at least two arguments. Heineken operates in more than 71 countries.3 The most common used entry modes are joint ventures and acquisitions. If acquisition in a foreign company is not possible due to government restrictions, Heineken decides to operate as joint ventures. Heineken aims on dominating the market and gaining the largest market share for beer. For this goal, the company tries to enter foreign markets by using Greenfield acquisitions and  have full control over their operations without having to add new capacity to the industry. This entry mode has also a faster entry speed and is used for emerging markets, where the competition and growth of the market is high. In this case, acquisitions are operated in the emerging markets. For example, the acquisition of the brand Tiger between Heineken and APB and APIPL enabled the brand to lift with the growth of Heineken. and established local premium brands including Biere Larue in Vietnam, Bintang in  Indonesia, SP in Papua New Guinea and Tui in New Zealand.4 As for companies that do already have a dominant market share in a country and do not need to upgrade to fit the global operations, Heineken decide to go for joint ventures, where the two companies work together, and limit the financial risk of investment by working together with local firms. Also Heineken enjoys knowledge of the local market. Full acquisitions have a high degree of equity control. Also the resource growth is external. Full acquisitions are chosen if it is important to enter the market quickly, if the it is a fast growing market, emerging markets? Also acquisitions are chosen if there are already companies existing of the same product. Certain costs will be avoided by doing so. As for joint ventures, the degree of equity control is low and has an internal resource growth. 5c) which of the four multinational strategies described in chapter 15 of the textbook most closely resembles your firm;s multinational strategy? Please explain your answer. 4 A) Consider the case of the focal company deciding to set up a new production facility in an emerging market of your choice. Why is this an appealing emerging market? The African market for Heineken is an appealing emerging market to expand in. This is due to a number of reasons: Population growth on the African continent is expected to grow from 1 billion as of today to 1.2 billion in 2020 and the African population is still relatively young in comparison to other established markets such as Europe and North America. Besides this, the middle class in the African content is growing steadily, consumers are  becoming more band-conscious and GDP per capita has been positively growing since the last decades due to the improving political and economical environment. Heineken is thus, presented with a number of advantages, in which the long term clearly outweighs the threats in establishing itself firmer in this emerging market. What are the threats that Heineken faces in penetrating the African continent as an emerging market more firmly? An issue that has encircled Africa throughout its history is the problem of corruption and bureaucracy. However, due to globalization and the increased interconnectivity around the globe this ethical issue has become a more prevalent topic amongst societies to be discussed and the same goes for the African countries. Although the issue still exists MNO’s argue that there’s a slow but gradual decrease in the severity of it in the African countries in which the improved political and economical environment is a positive contributor. Another threat that Heineken faces in the African emerging markets is the lack of good infrastructure and power supplies. On top of this poor education, health care, life expectancy and poverty are some of the other threats that can have an effect on the MNO. 4 B) How should your firm address the opportunities and threats of this emerging market? Some of the strategies Heineken as the multinational organization can undertake is by introducing unreleased brands into the continent. Some examples: are the introduction of the alcoholic apple cider beverage ‘Strong Bow’ in South-Africa, non-alcoholic beverages such as ‘Amstel ZERO’ alcohol that taste like alcoholic beer and a large variety of other alcoholic beverages which all fall under the global Heineken brand of beers. Besides that, Heineken can introduce TCM due to operational excellence, acquired throughout the years, and it can implement innovative and at the same time environmentally friendly PET bottles which they have recently introduced into the Democratic republic of Congo as example to underline their technological innovations. As consumption per capita is growing in the African countries, whilst excluding the steady population growth amongst the  African countries, an increase in demand for premium beer brands is emerging such as the ‘Heineken’ and ‘Amstel’ beers in the African continent in which the MNO Heineken is expected to face tremendous growth opportunities in the following decades. These strategies have been introduced into the European continent and have proven to be very successful, with Africa as an emerging market Heineken can introduce the successfully proven strategies, which the company has used throughout the years to solidify its market position even further. Heineken has a long history of in house training- and development. It has already established regional training schools in Nigeria and the DRC wherein they have established strong management development programs to attract and retain local talents. This is a way for the company to combat the threat of poor education. Heineken tries to better the life of its employees working for the company and as well the lives of people in the region: Heineken has established a healthcare program for all 30,000 of its employees where the government often lacks to adequately provide this. It has set up HIV programs in sub-Saharan breweries to educate its personnel and besides that founded African foundation programs such as Health clinics and malaria projects to better the lives of the people in its direct surrounding. 5 A) Identify two strategic objectives (i.e., reasons) that your firm had for entering a specific foreign country. Please explain your answers. Heineken has recently decided in 2013 that it will be planning on building a 60 million Euros Brewery in Burma (Myanmar). The Heineken group has decided to do so after it has seen positive progress in terms of political and social reforms in Burma. On the 22nd of April this year all sanctions against Burma were lifted by the EU council and on top of this other large MNE such as Coca Cola, Pepsi and Carlsberg have recently decided to move into the country as well. Another reason for entering the Burmese market is that beer consumption in Burma is still at a relatively low level: 3 litres a year per capita whereas its neighbour Vietnam is at a staggering 30 litres+ a year per capita. This gives out a signal that there are a lot of potential profits still to be made especially now that political and social  reforms are taking place. By investing with a 60 million Euros brewery, Heineken plans on solidifying it’s market position even further across the globe. 5 B) Which foreign entry modes has your firm used in the last 6 to 8 years, and which mode was used for which country? Heineken operates in over 71 countries.6 The most common used entry modes that the firm uses consist out of joint ventures and acquisitions. In case acquisition of a foreign company is not a possibility due to government restrictions, Heineken will decide to try and operate as a joint venture. Heineken aims on dominating the global market and is constantly seeking to acquire a larger market share for beer. For this goal, the company tries to enter foreign markets by using Greenfield acquisitions so that they have full control over their operations without having to add new capacity to the industry. This entry mode on top of not adding unnecessary extra capacity to the industry as well comes with a faster entry speed and is most commonly used for emerging markets, where competition and growth in the markets is high. In this case, acquisitions are operated in emerging markets such as Asia and Africa. For example, the acquisition of the beer brand Tiger between Heineken and APB and APIP L enabled the brand to lift with the growth of Heineken. Established local premium brands including Biere Larue in Vietnam, Bintang in Indonesia, SP in Papua New Guinea and Tui in New Zealand share similar stories.7 As for companies that have already acquired a dominant market share in their home country, Heineken opts for joint ventures if they are unwilling to sell, where the two companies then work together instead, and thus limit the financial risk of investment by working together with local firms. 5 C) which of the four multinational strategies described in chapter 15 of the textbook most closely resembles your firm’s multinational strategy? From the four multinational strategies described in International Business book Heineken organizational structure most closely resembles a transnational strategy. This is because Heineken, being the third largest  beer brewer in the world, has practically managed to penetrate itself in all markets in which it sells over 200 international premium, regional, local and specialty beers and cider. This vast variety of different brands has made the Heineken group highly responsive to consumers in which all their needs can be satisfied due to such a broad assortment. Due to Heineken’s high aggregation of benefits such as economies of scale and operational excellence the MNE captures the best of two worlds by being cost efficient and locally responsive, depicting the structure of a transnational strategy. 6 A) Identify two ethical dilemmas that the focal firm faces in a host country of your choice. Why are these issues ‘dilemmas’ and how has your firm dealt with them? An environmental issue that brewers cope with is the negative media of the use of alcohol. Consuming excessive alcohol has many negative health and behavioral risks. For this reason, many governmental laws and regulations charges alcoholic beverages. As a social issue for the company, more than 800,000 car accidents in Mexico occur due to the use of alcohol. Even though these issues impact the social side of sustainability, the health and well being of people. This is an issue to the firm, because they are accused as contributors of the harms as consequences of alcohol causing the firm to suffer from brand damage. Heineken must defend its image as a brewery, especially since the firm is leader of the industry. To avoid shifting the blame on breweries, due to the fact that they have no influence on controlling consumers‘ behavior, they aim on increasing awareness of the consequences of excessive consumption of alcohol. Heineken supports the idea of no physically or behavioral ha rm when moderately consuming alcohol. Heineken aims on contributing to the positive role of beer in society by encouraging responsible attitudes towards alcohol and discouraging the misuse of alcohol. The most important stakeholders in these social dilemmas are the consumers. 6b) Drawing on stakeholder theory, argue to what extent the focal firm should develop a globally standardized strategy to cope with the selected dilemma. The excessive use of alcohol occurs is a global issue. The use of alcohol  and driving does not only occur in Mexico, but causes many accidents and fatalities all over the world. Thus the issues discussed are of global relevance. The harm that this issue emphasizes applies to the users of alcohol and their environment. That is why Heineken launched an Enjoy Heineken Responsibly (EHR) Campaign in 2004, which is globally used. Measures that the firm has been taken include putting this message on all of their cans, bottles and packages. Also, in commercials and on their website they quote: ‘Great opportunities belong to moderate drinkers’ to encourage moderately drinking. Furthermore, they advertising boarding on all major sponsorships or sports. Furthermore, the company also tailored its strategy locally in Mexico, where they launched a Designated Driver Program to encourage attendees of to become or choose a designated driver for different occasions. The program is presented in 92 universities across the country and other youth organizations and events. By doing so, Heineken hopes to decrease the probability of accidents caused due to alcohol. To conclude, Heineken already has a global strategy and a local strategy to cope with the issues. The social issue in Mexico is actually a global issue, since it occurs in many other countries. The reason why Heineken focuses on Mexico is due to the explosive high rates of alcohol fatality in traffic in this country. We support the idea to expand the measurements taken for Mexico to other countries with high fatality rates, for instance in the United States where 31 percent of all accidents include fatality du e to alcohol use in traffic in 2009.8 6c) How do the actual solutions to the focal dilemmas relate to the solutions practiced by Unilever and which approach is better? Sustainability living is the core of Unilever’s operations. It aims on doubling the size of their business and simultaneously reducing their environmental footprint and increasing the positive social impact. As for reducing its impact on the environment through its supply chain, it aims to maximize their Reduce, Recycle and Replace journey. Concluded from their research, 68 percent of their total GHG footprint is founded by the consumer self. 26% of the footprint is due to the raw materials. To solve this, the company came up with improving eco-efficient production and improving the agriculture practices. The related dilemmas that occur between Heineken and Unilever is  to influence consumers behavior. Both companies cope with the fact that they cannot control the consumer use. Furthermore both companies try to communicate their issues through brand name. Unilever copes with this issue by adapting the sustainability plan. As for Heineken, they launched the Enjoy Heineken Responsibly campaign, as mentioned before. What differs is that Unilever focuses on sustainability across the value chain, while Heineken emphasizes the consumer use. From one point of view, the approach of Unilever is preferred over Heineken’s approach, because it tackles the entire value chain. Also, it works on the long-term solution. From another point of view it is clarified that Heineken works on valuing life on a social and physical level, by reducing the possibility of harming social and health. However this does not add value to future generations, thus we believe that Unilever has a better approach to tackle its issues. http://www.heinekeninternational.com/products_brands_brands.aspx http://www.centurycouncil.org/sites/default/files/materials/SODDFIA.pdf http://www.sustainabilityreport.heineken.com/impact/responsible-consumption/encouraging-responsible-consumption-through-our-brands.html http://www.heinekeninternational.com/companystrategyprofile.aspx file://localhost/Users/raymondjansen/Documents/IB/annual%20report%20heineken%202012.pdf book, 373