Analyze How Embraer Has Structured Itself Economics Essay

Analyze How Embraer Has Structured Itself Economics Essay This paper will focus on the commercial aircraft industry. The report will analyze how Embraer has structured itself and gained competitive advantage in lower end segment of the aircraft industry and then the analysis of cost of capital of Embraer will be projected. The commercial aircraft industry has faced a tough times in recent past which resulted in failures, mergers and joint ventures. The aircraft industry has faced a lot of competition from two of the giants Boeing and Airbus which have dominated the whole aircraft market and has maximum market share. These two giants have huge pool of investment, better infrastructure and government support and because of that they are dominating the aircraft market. All these companies see the current business environment possessing the challenges of a weak global economy and demand due to the economic turmoil, high and unstable fuel costs, and lack of foreign investments. Brazil PEST Framework: Political: Federal Republic framework which is similar to that of United States of America. The federal republic has three independent branches independent branches: executive legislative and judicial. The President heads the executive branch. The increasing divergence between US and Brazilian foreign policy creates high geopolitical risk. This will lead to increasing confrontations between the US and Brazil and the continued decline of foreign direct investment. The main source of violence in Brazil is criminal rather than political. Personal security is poor as there is an extremely high rate of criminal activity in major cities. Police fails to assure safety for citizens as well for business. Brazilian legal system is not very effective and has several faults in them. Honest government is also a big problem in Brazil for ex. the impeachment of a former Brazilian president Mello in 1992 who have been involved in an extortion scheme, and the current corruption scandal of the ruling party of Lula. Inefficient government policies towards economic development of a country for ex. continuous budget deficit, negative net income, high external debt, etc. Poor and inefficient public health and safety conditions infant mortality and mal-nutrition are the leading reasons. Inefficient education system both lack of quality and quantity are the main issues and government is not paying much attention towards this issue. Government regulations favour the minority shareholders. Government policies towards globalisation and openness to market had favoured exports. Economic: Brazil is considered to be as the worlds tenth largest economy and one of the largest economies of South .Its GDP (PPP) per capita is $10,200, putting Brazil in the 105th position in the world. The inflation rate in Brazil is 4.2% which has decreased from 5.9% in 2008. Major export products include aircraft, electrical equipment, automobiles, ethanol, textiles, footwear, iron ore, steel, coffee, orange juice, soybeans and corned beef. The country has been expanding its presence in international financial and commodities markets, and is one of a group of four emerging economies called the BRIC countries. Economic environment still considered volatile as compared to more stable economies. Complex tax policies and regulations. Multiple taxes affecting business plans and increasing risks of contingencies. Considerable bureaucratic rules and regulations for certain businesses and industries. High demand for investments in the distribution channels and infrastructure. Difficulties in reorganizing companies quickly, including high costs for employee terminations. Lack of local financing coupled with high real interest rates. Economic growth risks are high. Private consumption will be constrained by high unemployment and continued erosion of real earnings. The risk of a significant decline in foreign exchange reserves is high because of the economic turmoil. Investment risk in Brazil is much higher than generally perceived. High public debt exposed to domestic interest-rate trends and maturity that is still too short Lack of investment in infrastructure building. Social: The culture of Brazil is very much similar to that of Portuguese culture. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese which is spoken by almost all of the population. Important cultural customs, including a different perception of the due diligence process. Semi-skilled and unskilled labor in certain developing areas. Unequal distribution of wealth a significant portion of the population not participating in the consumer market. Socio-political obstacles to necessary structural reforms (education, social security, job market, taxes, regulations). Technological: In Latin America, Brazil is a leading nation in the field of science and technology. Sectors like bio fuels, agricultural research, remote sensing and aircrafts manufacturing Brazil operate as a global leader. Government put more emphasis on the development of research labs and innovation and RD in these particular sectors to foster growth and development. Overall Risk Assessment of Brazil: Positive Brazil has abundant natural resources. Fiscal and monetary policy has been prudent and realistic. Domestic market potential and low labour costs have continued to attract foreign investors. The current level of growth foster Brazilian companies to be competitive. Strong international financial support. Policy of maintaining fundamental macroeconomic equilibrium. Size and potential of the domestic market. Broad industrial base and a diversified economy. Government policies favoured globalisation. Negative External financing needs are too great in comparison to currency earnings due to the debt amortisation burden. Socio-political obstacles to necessary structural reforms (education, social security, job market, taxes, regulations) Lack of investment in energy, rail, road, port, and airport infrastructure Exposure to fluctuations in world prices for certain staple commodities. Economic environment still considered volatile as compared to more stable economies. Complex tax policies and regulations. Improper financing regulations. Commercial Aircraft Industry Analysis: Embraer is now the worlds third largest aircraft manufacturer they had gained competitive advantage by creating cost- efficient and innovative aircrafts in the lower end segment. Competitive rivalry among existing players: The competitiveness in the aircraft industry is very high but the competition is not very fierce because most of the market is shared between Boeing and Airbus and rest is with Embraer and Bombardier. The aircraft industry is truly a global industry so each of the manufacturers has to think globally. Barrier to exit is very high because of huge investment and high specialised equipments. Boeing and Airbus had gain market share from each other using prices, product design, advertising, and direct selling efforts. Due to the intensity of the rivalry among Boeing and Airbus, the profits are shared. The industry is technically very sound i.e. there is not much differentiation between the players and their products hence, there is much price competition. Threat of new Entrants: Enter into aircraft manufacturing market is very tough because it requires huge capital investment and knowledge of technical know-how. Cost advantages of big players like Boeing and Airbus because they have enormous experience and knowledge about the industry. These two giants have dominated the entire aircraft industry and they also have strong brand loyalty of their products because they are the best in the business. They have a proper network of loyal supplier and distributor for their products and long term after sales service contracts. Threat of substitutes: No immediate substitutes are present for aircraft manufacturers. The players and their products in the industry are substitutes of one another. Bargaining power of Customers: The bargaining power of customers is relatively low in aircraft industries because most of the buyers in the aircraft industries are government of different countries and some private airlines. Aircrafts are very expensive commodities and show high in cost when switching aircrafts because of that the bargaining power is low in aircraft industry. But because of intense competition between Boeing and Airbus the bargaining power of buyers is moderately higher between these two companies otherwise its relatively low in terms of industry. Bargaining power of Supplier: The aircraft industries is dominated by two big giants Boeing and Airbus and they are such big companies that they have more bargaining power than their suppliers so because of this reason the bargaining power will be low in the aircraft industry. The aircraft industry needs huge investments and high class technology the forward integration is very low or impossible for the suppliers. According to this analysis the main components which are needed to compete in aircraft industry are global strategy, cost effectiveness, innovative and high class technology and huge capital. Core Competencies of Embraer which helps them to compete in Aircraft Industry: Country Factor: The Brazilian government has had a strong affect on Embraer. As mentioned, the company was founded by the government in 1969. Before its privatization in 1994, Embraer had established several partnerships abroad and was very focused on exporting its aircraft to new markets. The government does have strategic power and has ability to refuse certain decisions. Global Strategy: Embraer has proven itself a truly global company in many ways. Embraer has more than 90% of its sales outside Brazil. It has a worldwide operation network. It has appeased global investors because it deals mostly in US dollars. Embraer focuses on business growth, solid corporate culture, and strategic partnership to operate globally and market analysis before entering a new market. Economies of scale: Embraer is proved to be a very efficient company in the aircraft industries because Embraer recognises that China has skilled cheap labour and technology intensive manufacturing centre so they have opened their research hubs and manufacturing units in China. Embraer has been able to design common platforms for its aircrafts with superior performance capabilities which helped them to compete in the aircraft industry and now they have become the worlds third manufacturers and they have overtook Bombardiers in several aspects. Innovation: Embraer has focused its RD on the development, systems engineering and integration of the more than 28,000 parts and components that make up an aircraft. Embraers strategy has been to focus its RD funds on key technologies that it can effectively produce in house. It has outsourced the production of components that other companies can manufacture more efficiently. Embraer trains its engineers, not only in aeronautics, but also in market research and finance, allowing a broader understanding of the industry. Determined Approach: Embraer has very determined company they are very much determined of what they are doing and thats why they have succeeded to gain market share from their competitors like Boeing and Airbus. Embraers ability to continually and successfully forecast future global demand and its ability to meet that demand in unique and innovative ways will be the keys to its future success. Cost of Capital Analysis of Embraer: Cost of capital is the minimum required rate of earning or the cut off rate for capital expenditure. Soloman Ezra. To calculate cost of capital we have to calculate cost of equity and cost of debt. Cost of Equity: The minimum rate of return that a firm offers to its shareholders is called cost of equity. Formula: Cost of equity = Risk free Rate + Beta (Mature Market Premium) + Country Risk Premium First to calculate Beta for Embraer: Average Beta = 1.19 Market D/E Ratio = 22.94% Tax Rate = 20.05% Unlevered Beta = 1.00 Cash/ Firm Value = 7.90% Unlevered Beta corrected for cash = 1.09 To calculate Levered Beta the formula is: Levered Beta = Unlevered Beta (1 + (1- tax rate) (D/E ratio) = 1 (1+ (1-.2005) (.2294)) = 1.18. Risk free Rate = Market Interest Rate Default Spread (Brazil) = 8.75 2.60 = 6.15% Equity Risk Premium Brazil = 4.79% * 25.83% / 15.27 = 8.10% Country Risk Premium Brazil = 8.10% 4.79% = 3.31% Cost of equity = Risk free Rate + Beta (Mature Market Premium) + Country Risk Premium = 6.15 + 1.18(8.10) + 3.31 = 19.01% Cost of Debt: (Rf + credit risk rate)(1-T), where T is the corporate tax rate and Rf is the risk free rate. Cost of debt Emerging Market company After Tax= Riskless Rate + Country Default Spread + Company Default Spread (1-T) = (6.15 + 2.25 +2.60) (1- .2005) = 8.79% Sovereign Bonds of Brazil = 2.25 Corporate Bonds of Brazil = 2.60 Country Rating of Brazil is Baa3. WACC Calculation: The WACC equation  is the cost of each capital component  multiplied by its proportional weight and then summing: WACC = E/V * Re + D/V * Rd * (1- T) Where: Re = cost of equity Rd = cost of debt E = market value of the firms equity D =  market value of the firms debt V = E + D E/V = percentage of financing that is equity D/V = percentage of financing that is debt T =  corporate tax rate = 20.05% Market Value of Embraers Equity = 5970531 Brazilian Real for year 2008. Market Value of Embraers Debt = 6990127 Brazilian Real for year 2008. V= 12960658 Brazilian Real WACC = 5970531/12960658 * 19.01 + 6990127/12960658 * 8.79 * (1- .2005) = 10.71%

Analysis Of The Code Of Conduct

Analysis Of The Code Of Conduct Planning is no longer a fashionable concept particularly after the collapse of socialism in the recent past and which has exerted the influence upon the environment (Evans, 1995). It is the part of land use planning system which used to balance the developments in future in context of economic, social and environment areas. According  [2]  to Davies, A N, Planning is the process of setting goals, developing strategies, and outlining tasks and schedules to accomplish the goals and it is a tool for guidance and facilitation for various areas like regeneration and development. According  [3]  to Lewis Keeble, Planning is the art and science of ordering the use of land and the character and siting of buildings and communication routes so as to secure the maximum practicable degree of economy, convenience and beauty. Since the postwar planning system was put into place in Britain, Major changes have taken place during this time in society, the economy, and the political scene some of which have been touched upon in this rapid overview. In these changing frames, town and country planning has grown into a series of different policy areas which gave different directions for the profession. As the profession underwent a number of changes, the development of various acts, policies, frameworks and guidance notes came into existence. According to Evans, B., The British planning has emerged out from particular circumstances like economic, political and cultural as a form of land use control which is different to the emerged systems in other countries. The essay analyzes the critical adequacy of Royal Town Planning Institute`s (RTPI) Code of Conduct in other light of ethical concerns which are also an important concerns in planning actions/decisions. It begins with introduction about RTPI`s Code of Conduct, distinguish between ethics, ethical issues and as well as between Codes of Conducts and Codes of Ethics. It then describes the arguments between different authors about ethical dilemmas in the context of planning theory, changing role of professional planners due to confronting of ethical issues/dilemmas and criticism of the RTPI Code of Conduct in different ethical concerns like personal, social and environmental etc because the involvement of political/personal concerns, social reforms and environmental protection/concerns were added to the planning actions/decisions over the time. So its really important to analyze the Code of Conduct in their context. It concludes by looking over different ethical concerns critically to find out the importance of Code of Conduct for future in the context of different ethical concerns. In the British Planning practice system, The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is a dynamic organisation leading the way in the creation of places that work now and in the future  [4]  . The RTPI has its own professional Code of Conduct as last amended on January 2007. The Professional Code of Conduct sets out that how the members of RTPI should behave among their all the professional activities and ethics. It has also numbered clauses which are more detailed, explains the Code of Conduct. Ethics are defined  [5]  as the moral quality of an action or the rightness. It is important to distinguish the ethics and ethical issues. Ethics are helpful to guide the planners in their daily professional work schedule while ethical issues majorly focused upon the moral correct behaviors and involve conflicts/dilemmas about the right/wrong ends and principles. Within the planning profession there are codes of conduct (RTPI, adopted 1994) and codes of ethics. It is important to differentiate these: a code of ethics is comprised of visionary statements regarding the normative and ethical aspects of the profession While a code of conduct has certain guidelines/regulations for professional behavior including conflict of interest and professional competence (Hendler 1991). The ethics of competence, integrity and equality are the main objectives in the purposes of RTPI`s Code of Conduct among their all the professional activities and Code of Conduct is also giving emphasis to personal, professional and political ethical frameworks. Planning theory is also describing the ethical dilemmas of different sectors which are like environment, social and economic etc. According  [6]  to Campbell S S. Fainstein S., Planning theory in itself, is a slippery subject and explanations are often frustratingly tautological or disappointingly pedestrian Consequently it appears as overlap with theory in all disciplines of social sciences and its hard to limit the scope of planning. According to William L., planners are torn between public, serving professionals and fellow members. So this dilemma is further complicated by the extension of planning actions and conflicts between the different sectors like environment, social and economic development and these conflicts creates problems not only in planning actions as well as in professionals and in the whole planning process. The changing role of planners over the time is also a one of reason for the increase in confronting of profession by ethical issues. These changes can be measured from two perspectives as Change in the planning profession itself over time and changes in the way in which public and clients perceive planning professionals and their profession. Planners have seen in different role models over the time and recently they are seen to be more interactive, exchanging knowledge and ideas with clients and a wide range of other interested parties (Healey 1991). Now planner is recognized as expertise, is more to deal with exchanging ideas/knowledge instead of framing policies and report writings. According to Prior (2000), the current role of planner is seems to be as a mediator between different interests in land development and Forester (1989) also gave examined planner`s current role as a facilitator who is assisting others rather than a technical expert. Thomas and Healey (1991) also describe  [7]  planning as a multi-disciplinary field drawing on diverse fields of knowledge. Planners must be able to draw together these diverse fields and co-ordinate agencies with different knowledge and responsibilities. Every country has its own bodies (Government/NGO`s) for ensuring the equality among different groups in the society. The RTPI Code of Professional conduct under No.2, It mentions the equality and elimination of discrimination in the context of sex, religion, disability, age and sexual orientation in all the professional activities among members others. In the 1970s, to address the new questions and goals, an attempt was done to broaden them by criticizing the professional code of conducts by Howe, Kaufman and Marcuse. According to them, as they were criticizing the professional planning codes from the UK, Canada USA, some of the codes in UK have no references to the ethics, and they are just mentioning some general terms related with ethics and in some, more emphasis on personal ethics of individual planners. The RTPI Code of Conduct also mentions that the members have to keep their personal, private, political and financial interests separate from their professional duties so that they should perform their duty without any disruption and take steps/precautions time by time to keep them separate from professional responsibilities but according to Marcuse (1976),  [8]  In most cases, even the rules for telling right from wrong are not clear. Obligations to clients conflict with obligations to the public; following professionally accepted standards of conduct produces results repugnant to most laymen; professional integrity and democratic decision making seem to conflict; the bounds of professional concern are hazy. Marcuse also mentioned that the existing ethical and professional standards are often inherently inconsistent, conflicting and contradictory with the profession`s public oriented image. So ultimately they are a weak guide to ethical conduct for practicing planners. The conflict between the views of elected members and the professional planners is also another dilemma. As elected members have different views  [9]  compared to planners because members are typically interested in getting votes which can resultant in different views priorities for a member. So an elected member may have different priorities for developments in district as like social/economic instead of environmental and ultimately it conflicts with the views of planners because planners are responsible for the development of all the sectors and the prioritized issues but in RTPI Code of Conduct, it doesn`t have no references or guidelines for such issues/conflicts between elected members and professional planners. Its true that planners should act professionally but it is also important not to take the biased steps/planning actions under any pressures of elected members or other pressure groups. Even According  [10]  to Brewster R., there are chances of conflicts between the views between elected members/representatives and the planners working in the local Government and its crucial to ensure the successful completion of planning actions. According  [11]  to Friedman, It may be a biggest problem in understanding and theorizing of planning, in his paper on planning research and he mentioned the approach of planning research by encouraging planner researchers to identify the actual situations of city politics with planning to address the question of power. From point of view of planning research and issues related with it, a very little discussion of ethical issues related to planning research has done compared to ethical issues relating to planning only (Hendler,1995)  [12]  . While in the criticism of professional Codes of Conduct done by Howe and Kaufman, (1979); Marcuse, (1976) shows that there is no direct reference/link to planning research in these codes, as these codes are for the regulation of planning profession but which is a different activity from research. So planning research is a part of planning actions/decisions which also deals with the same ethical issues/dilemmas as well as to identify vario us specific issues like related with power, politics etc. Social Justice There are significant shifts over the time in ethical judgments which were informed by notions in the context of social and ethical concerns (Watson, V., 2006). According  [13]  to David Harvey, The social justice is ideally based upon the principles of equal worth of all, shelter and other basic amenities, opportunities for all and eliminating the inequalities from society. The equal distribution among individuals is a simple meaning of social justice (Ernesto M., 2008). The issues of social justice are a prime concern in the context of development, socio-economic aspects. There are number of examples of injustice in the form of suppression, unequal opportunities, inequity etc. According to (Okin, 1989), Feminists have complained that the principles of justice do not apply to the family, and thus, cannot secure equal justice for women and children and he also suggests about the gender neutrality of the original position which will guard against gender discrimination While Rawls notes that the principles of justice apply directly only to structuring the basic social institutions; they do not apply to structuring voluntary associations, including the family. The social issues like equality and elimination of discrimination can be eliminated as mentioned by RTPI Code of Conduct and It will also help to maintain the equal distribution of social benefits and burdens of the society at all the levels of Government but the influence of the class and professional background of planners in producing the cultural prejudice in their attitudes and efforts in the planning profession and increase in the social groups awareness and participation can also affect the professional ethics and planning actions in terms of personal behaviors and time deadlines for applications. The communities and pressure groups are becoming more aware, demanding so the planners are facing ethical issues which become more important and increased. As a result, planners encouraged to interact with communities/groups but at some stages these involvements/interactions with communities creates pressure on the planning actions and as well as on planning professionals. The increased involvement of community groups was identified  [14]  by particular Councils as an increasing challenge facing district Councils in the planning actions in terms of creating more ethical dilemmas for planners. According to Marcuse`s (1976) criticism of the implicit conservation of the ethical discussions and codes of practices which ignores the social values and ethics while the individual actions which can help, remains in the process because of individual concerns as due to their nature and focus on individuals behaviours and neglects the conditions and supports which can help towards ethical concerns. Even According to Wachs (1985), work on planning ethics has focused on the codes and the individual planners behaviours is more instead of social ethical concerns in the planning codes of ethics. Healy (1991) also identified  [15]  the distinction between professional related practice and scholarly practice and different relationships between planning research and planning practice. So she also recognized that scholarly researches as well as planning research are not much in practice. Environmental Justice Environmental Justice is a subset of social justice concerned with the environmental consequences (Ernesto M., 2008). As like Social justice, planners are facing the most important change in all over the changes is the environment. The importance of environment has been increased as it is confronted for number of problems and issues in recent time. So now the authorities/agencies are also concerned about environmental justice as like social justice. As economic growth was the main aim of local authorities and the professional planners but recently and even since the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, the environment and sustainable development have become major issues. This introduces a whole new field of thought to planners, namely Environmental Ethics. Environmental ethics can be defined as that area of thought and moral discourse dealing with our ethical duties to, and relative to, the natural environment (Beatley 1994). There are number of arguments on this point of view by planners and environmental agencies in the light of the increasing importance of the environment and it has lead to an increase in the issues that planners must consider which consequently creates further ethical issues. So like other ethical issues, environmental justice issues are also important concerns in the planning actions and how we can address all these ethical issues and what weight can be provided to environmental issues in planning actions, what issues are more important. Nowadays in the urban forms, the effects or issues related to environmental hazards need more concern as like other developments. So to identify the solutions for these kinds of issues and their prioritization in planning actions, there is no reference given in the RTPI Code of Conduct. Conclusion The RTPI Code of Conduct sets out the professional practices and procedures for the planning members to perform their professional duties for the better and safe future directions for society. The RTPI Code of Conduct is particularly only oriented to the members of the planning profession which are working in the planning and development sector to ensure that the decisions should be appropriate and transparent. As the planning professionals are ensured by Code of Conduct towards their professional services, it can help to achieve the better environment for them and society in the light of those ethical concerns but Kaufman and Marcuse reviewed the Codes which explains the lack of proper referencing to ethics, but it gives only a reference to general terms, They also identified the conflicts between the statements like `Loyalty to public and to the one`s sponsor. From Planning theory point of view, it is also concerned about the different ethical issues between different concerns like environment, social and economic etc. According to various authors, its hard to define the exact scope and limits of planning theory and planning in it and the role of planners is also under such circumstances that the planners are confronted by ethical issues as well as by the field. So this dilemma is further complicated by the extension of planning actions and conflicts between the different sectors and these conflicts confronted by planning actions as well as in professionals and in the whole planning process. The RTPI Code of Conduct will help to the planning professionals to set out open, fair and transparent planning decisions based upon sound judgments and justified reasons and the Code of Conduct also sets out further Supplementary regulations and Bye Laws about the continuity of professional development, planning aid etc can be helpful to young planning professionals to confront the ethical issues. From point of view of other ethical concerns, Social justice and Environmental justice are also prime concerns in future planning actions/decisions. As the essay analyses the importance of social and environmental concerns and why they are more concerned in present and future scenario`s so it becomes an important part of such regulations or Code of Conduct to give emphasis towards these concerns. Furthermore, the increase in communities and agencies awareness demands more expectations from professional planners to undertake these concerns as well. From point of view of Planning research there are no links to the planning research, as these codes guides the profession which is totally different activity from research. So we can not apply the Code of Conduct directly to the planning research. However, The RTPI Code of Conduct guides the professional planners for or encourages the higher level planners to support and encourage other planners to maintaining the professional standards and following the guidelines of Code of Conduct and to deal with the and discuss the ethical issues/dilemma so that they can be further researched by professional planners. For Instance, if we think about the planning decisions and services without the set of practices and procedures given by RTPI`s Code of Conduct or other regulations in planning field, it can create an un-planned and haphazard situation for the planning professional as well as for society. So at the last, for the better planning futures and right decisions, we need appropriate changes/developments in the planning system in the form of rules/regulations, such Code of Conducts, policies which can help the professionals to achieve objectives of planning profession. As The RTPI Code of Conduct is helpful up to an extent for the planning profession to engage the planners with the set of procedures and guidelines but in future there is a still need of further additions/modifications in it. So that it can cover existing and future coming gaps in it and can direct the planning professional for better tomorrows and address the other major ethical concerns like social and environmental concerns.

Machiavellis Reputation in the Modern World Essays -- Biography Biogr

Machiavelli's Reputation in the Modern World Niccolà ² Machiavelli was known during much his life as a part of the republican government in Florence until 1512. At that time, the Medici family took over the city and ruled under a more monarchical system. From that point until his death in 1527, Machiavelli was always just on the outside of Florentine politics. He would occasionally get work from the Medici but his tasks were never as important as they had been under the republican government of the past. As he was trying to find his way back into a major role in Florentine government, Machiavelli wrote The Prince, a manual of sorts that explained how a monarch should rule his state and why. While Machiavelli had been a strong proponent of republican ideals in the past, in The Prince, his ideas are far from adhering to republicanism. The book seems to promote the ideal monarch as a cold, heartless person whose only goal in life should be to retain power, regardless of who or what he destroys. This includes killing enemie s of the state, personal enemies of the Prince, and even, in some cases, friends or family. While The Prince was not the first book of this kind, it was the first to suggest a government that rules with no regard for religion or morality. Machiavelli did not particularly pay heed to religious law in the way he lived his life, but he also did not particularly care for the Catholic Church of the time because of the lack of morality demonstrated by the Pope's and other supposedly "religious men's" actions at the time. There are other works that Machiavelli wrote both before and after The Prince that survive today, as well as letters he wrote to his friends that demonstrate a different set of ideals than th... ...: 1940-1960." The Journal of Modern History 33.2 (June 1961): 113-136. Howe, Daniel Walker. "European Sources of Political Ideas in Jeffersonian America." Reviews in American History 10.4 (December 1982): 28-44. Kocis, Robert A. Machiavelli Redeemed. Bethlehem: Lehigh UP, 1998. Machiavelli, Niccolà ². Machiavelli and His Friends: Their Personal Correspondence. Trans. James B. Atkinson & David Sices. DeKalb, Illinois: Northern Illinois UP, 1996. Machiavelli, Niccolà ². The Discourses from The Portable Machiavelli. Ed. & Trans. Peter Bondanella & Mark Musa. New York: Penguin, 1979. Machiavelli, Niccolà ². The Prince from The Portable Machiavelli. Ed. & Trans. Peter Bondanella & Mark Musa. New York: Penguin, 1979. Peterson, Paul E. "The President's Dominance in Foreign Policy Making." Political Science Quarterly 109.2 (Summer, 1994): 215-234.

Audience Perception of the Stereotypical Black Image on Television Essa

Audience Perception of the Stereotypical Black Image on Television In the introduction to the section on understanding social control in Race, Class, and Gender in the United States, Paula Rothenberg states â€Å"The most effective forms of social control are always invisible†(507). One of the most prevalent forms of invisible social control the creation and perpetuation of stereotypes. Studies have shown that stereotypes can become so ingrained in the minds of those exposed to them that the target of the stereotype might not only believe the mythological image, but also inadvertently act out the image they are expected to play (Snyder). In addition, those who subscribe to the stereotypical images of others will â€Å"notice and remember the ways in which that person seems to fit the stereotype, while resisting evidence that contradicts the stereotype†(Snyder 514). Stereotypes control by creating false images that work to maintain the status quo and keep those who hold power in their positions of power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For stereotypes to be an effective method of social control, they must be created, dispersed and perpetuated. Though the process of using stereotypes as social control is invisible, as Rothenberg declares, the distribution of those images is anything but invisible. The average American watches between 30-31 hours of television per week (World Book). That constitutes the number of hours for a full-time job. This statistic illustrates that television is an incredibly powerful medium for dispersing information, entertainment, and misinformation: â€Å"negative images of African-Americans propagandize misinformation about African-Americans†(Cosby 137). Misinformation about disadvantaged groups in America has historically found plenty of airtime on television: â€Å"television brings to an otherwise heterogeneous audience a single set of values and social descriptions produced to the specifications of the owners of the broadcast industry and their advertising sponsors†(Matabane 21). These images have been shown to affect the way these groups are perceived and acted towards by the white mainstream (Ford 1997). The combination of the prevalence of negative images of minorities and the scientific proof of the effect these images on the behavior of the majority group lead to an invisible form of social control perpetuated through a most visible medium. Th... ...African-Americans on Person Perception.† Social Psychology Quarterly. 60. 1997 (266-278). Frye, Marilyn. â€Å"Oppression.† Race, Class, and Gender in the United States. Ed. Paula Rothenberg. New York: Worth, 2001 (139-143). Gray, Herman. Watching Race. Minneapolis: Univ. of Minnesota, 1995. Lewis, J. and S. Jhally. Enlightened Racism. Boulder: Westview, 1992. Malik, Sarita. Representing Black Britain: Black and Asian Images on Television. London: Sage, 2002. Matabane, Paula. â€Å"Television and the Black Audience: Cultivating Moderate Perspectives on Racial Integration.† Journal of Communication 38(4). 1998 (21-31). Ross, Karen. â€Å"In Whose Image? TV Criticism and Black Minority Viewers.† Ethnic Minorities and the Media. Ed. Simon Cottle. Buckingham: Open University, 2000 (133-147). Rothenberg, Paula. Ed. Race, Class and Gender in the United States. New York: Worth, 2001. Snyder, Mark. â€Å"Self-Fulfilling Stereotypes.† Race, Class and Gender in the United States. Ed. Paula Rothenberg. New York: Worth, 2001, (511-517) World Almanac & Book of Facts 2003, p282, â€Å"Statistics on the average number of hours Americans spend watching television per week as of October 2001.†

Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy Essays -- Existence Go

Rene Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy Rene Descartes’ third meditation from his book Meditations on First Philosophy, examines Descartes’ arguments for the existence of God. The purpose of this essay will be to explore Descartes’ reasoning and proofs of God’s existence. In the third meditation, Descartes states two arguments attempting to prove God’s existence, the Trademark argument and the traditional Cosmological argument. Although his arguments are strong and relatively truthful, they do no prove the existence of God. At the start of the meditation, Descartes begins by rejecting all his beliefs, so that he would not be deceived by any misconceptions from reaching the truth. Descartes acknowledges himself as, â€Å"a thing that thinks: that is, a thing that doubts, affirms, denies, understands a few things, is ignorant of many things† He is certain that that he thinks and exists because his knowledge and ideas are both ‘clear and distinct’. Descartes proposes a general rule, â€Å"that whatever one perceives very clearly and very distinctly is true† Descartes discovers, â€Å"that he can doubt what he clearly and distinctly perceives is true led to the realization that his first immediate priority should be to remove the doubt† because, â€Å"no organized body of knowledge is possible unless the doubt is removed† The best probable way to remove the doubt is prove that God exists, that he is not a deceiver and â€Å"will always guarantee that any clear and d istinct ideas that enter our minds will be true.† Descartes must remove the threat of an invisible demon that inserts ideas and doubts into our minds to fool us , in order to rely on his ‘clear and distinct’ rule. In constructing his argument for God's existence, Descartes analyzes several aspects of the nature of human thought. He begins by outlining the various types of thoughts we have, which include ideas, thoughts, volitions and judgments. Ideas, or images of ideas can only exist within the mind and are certain of existence. Volitions, or choices are firmly within the mind and are also certain. Emotions, such as love, fear, hate, all exist in the mind and are certain as well. Judgments involve reference to effects outside the mind and are subject to doubt. Therefore, judgments are not certain and distinct. Descartes believes that images, volitions, and emotions are never false but it is our judg... ... God alone remains; and, given the truth of the principle that whatever exists has a cause, it follows, Descartes declares, that God exists we must of necessity conclude from the fact alone that I exist, or that the idea of a supremely perfect – that is of God – is in me, that the proof of God’s existence is grounded in the highest evidence† Descartes concludes that God must be the cause of him, and that God innately implanted the idea of infinite perfection in him. Descartes second argument for proving God’s existence is very straightforward. He has four possibilities that created his existence. Through process of elimination he is left with God being his creator. Descartes succeeded in some parts of his proof for the existence of God, but failed in proving God’s existence from a logical point of view. Most religions prove that anybody can be right in his own description of existence of God. So, Descartes is right in his own way, but to others to accept his idea is totally up to them. No one is certain that God exists. Although there are many causes that could make one believe God is for certain, those causes which might be perceived, does not necessarily make them true.

Impact of Advertising on Customer Loyality

*BEST PRACTICE: Customer *loyalty _The limited number of business contacts, the difficulty of recruiting new business customers and the cost of some business products or services all mean that maintaining customer loyalty is key to B2B marketing success. Sara Goodwins looks at some popular approaches to this problem_ Is it easier and less expensive to sell to existing customers than to find new ones? Of course it is. In the B2B arena, however, sales cycles are longer. If customers are not to be tempted away by competitors, marketing needs to encourage them to develop a relationship with the brand. Anthony Green, sales & marketing director of Concep, comments: â€Å"If businesses keep in touch, customers become familiar with products and services on offer and the company will be taken into consideration when a purchase is made. † When keeping in touch with customers, communication should achieve a number of objectives. Firstly, it should reassure the customer that they made a good choice of partner/supplier. It should also add value to the relationship, above what has been contracted, seek additional opportunities for further business, and inform business and client about new developments. Existing customers, lapsed customers and prospects should be approached differently. Marketers can assume that customers are familiar with the business and currently prefer your products/services or have done so in the recent past. Ideally no customer should ever go elsewhere, but there will be events such as changes in personnel, expiry of contracts, upheavals in the market, that change the relationship. Julie Cooper, co-director of events management company Fab, points out, â€Å"If a key contact within the client company is replaced, you have to establish confidence and trust with a new person – and the new contact may well bring with them pre-existing relationships with competing suppliers. † Keep in touch Lapsed customers, because of the past business relationship, should not be contacted in the same way as prospects. Alan Curnow, communications manager of Grass Roots, explains: â€Å"The distinction between clients and prospects is (more one of) tone than substance; we may need to refresh prospects' memories of who we are, whereas clients – even if they haven't bought from us for some time – know us. † Jan-Pieter Lips, head of business-to-business at Loyalty Management UK, which operates Nectar for Business, adds: â€Å"Experience shows that there is a direct correlation between winning back a lapsed customer and the time that has passed since the last transaction. Simon Ward, director of rewards scheme Seed, considers that the frequency of customer orders is like a pulse. â€Å"Businesses should monitor customertransactions and identify when they change. They can then contact thecustomer and find out why. † David Lebond, executive director of P&MM, agrees: â€Å"Doing something wrong is the best opportunity for getting a customer for life; if you handle a complaint well, put things right and demonstrate that you have the customers' interests at heart then not only will customers be retained, they'll also talk about you in glowing terms. Newsletters Newsletters and customers magazines are one of the most obvious communications methods, which can be used to maintain customerrelationships and loyalty. Richard Bush, managing director of Base One, says, â€Å"The trend for customermagazines – which we saw in the mid 90s – has diminished as many businesses found they were expensive and their success difficult to measure, although the need for what they provided still remains. † Electronic newsletters have taken over as less expensive, more measurable and interactive replacements. To include relevant material, you need to consider things like: life cycle of products/services and how they relate to customers and information held about customers which helps target mailings. Allow readers to choose – for example: offer the flexibility to pick areas of interest, frequency of mailing, etc. but make sure that they can change their selections with each mailing. Denise Cox, newsletter specialist at Newsweaver, says, â€Å"Stay away from complicated password-protected access to subscription profiles; this is a real turn-off and readers may just start deleting your emails instead of trying to change their preferences. Newsletters need a simple lay-out, clear navigation and no fancy graphics such as Flash that could cause them to be filtered. They require a table of contents on each page to provide clear choice and encourage further reading; around five main articles per newsletter of 300-700 words and a 100-word synopsis of each article on the front page with a link. â€Å"It is also extremely important that you have a strong call-to-action in your articles,† says Cox of Newsweaver. â€Å"It's astonishing how many companies don't. Yet it's your key opportunity to incite sales, feedback and make requests for more information. Readers typically decide within eight seconds whether to read on, set the information aside – which probably means they'll never read it – or delete it. The ‘from' and ‘subject' of the email need to tempt recipients to open it. ‘From' should be your brand, helping to build recognition; ‘subject' should be interesting and relevant. Content could include: articles stimulating thought and discussion, pertinent information relating to technological innovations, legislation affecting the industry, links to relevant news, client wins and case studies, industry reports and website links. Email newsletters are extremely cost-effective, popular, and immediate, and offer measurable conversion rates. Their main disadvantage is one of commitment. Companies must be prepared to publish a regular, well thought-out newsletter for it to be of marketing use and to respond to the interest it arouses. Reward/loyalty programmes â€Å"Reward programmes and loyalty programmes are not the same. The former is tactical, the latter strategic,† says Lebond of P&MM, he adds, â€Å"Reward programmes are a form of payment for repeat business; loyalty programmes represent a state of mind created in the customer. Reward programmes are most effective when there is rivalry in a sector (the programme then makes the point of difference); or there are frequent purchases to lock collectors into the scheme; or it's easy to change suppliers so customers need to be induced to stay. Reward programmes are effective anywhere where customer retention is key. Geraldine Tosh, managing director of IP oints, says, â€Å"A client running a website which relies heavily on advertisers, for example, can tempt people to the site using a reward programme. Extra points could be offered to clients making it their homepage for example, or using it frequently, etc. Branded reward programmes are often more cost-effective and less labour-intensive as well as enabling value to accumulate quickly. The main disadvantage is that companies usually have to commit for a period of time. Steve Cooper, marketing manager at Argos Business Solutions says, â€Å"In some cases a tailored scheme is more appropriate for a company where aligning with a different brand may conflict with or dilute the impact of their own brand and communications. † White label reward programmes aim to build value into a company's brand and offer companies more control of how uch value they're giving away. Tosh of IPoints says, â€Å"Reward catalogues can be tailored to include a business's own product or service at a reduced price. Companies could even tailor the earning and redemption around their customers' business needs. † Customers who know that your company is helping to build their business have a powerful incentive to buy from you. Rewards are short-term encouragements; loyalty is long-term commitment. As Lebond of P says, â€Å"If you get the right people with the constant attitude of ‘how can I make my customers even happier' then you don't need a reward programme. Corporate hospitality Customer events are undervalued largely because the value of them is difficult to assess. Face-to-face communications and shared experiences are very personal and the positive associations remain for a long time. Sarah Webster, director of communications at Eventia, explains, â€Å"Corporate hospitality enables suppliers to deepen their relationship with clients and to understand the motivations and constraints that influence buying decisions. † Corporate hospitality also adds value, as Rob Allen, chief executive at TRO, explains. Take the example of an accountancy firm which organises a breakfast briefing for its clients on the morning following the budget. By explaining the full implications of the Chancellor's new financial provisions, the firm is enabling its client companies to make significant savings or profits. The client relationship is enhanced. † Bush of Base One has no doubt, â€Å"Thirty minutes in a room with your top 10 customers is worth thousands of DM pieces. † Dedicated client website Webpages are particularly powerful marketing tools when used in conjunction with other marketing communication. Businesses can track the customer's journey through the site. Marketers can then use the information to tailor communications which recognise each client's interests. The main problem with websites is that the information they contain needs to be frequently refreshed to ensure that customers revisit. Many of the suggestions for newsletters apply equally to websites. Anthony Green, sales & marketing director of Concep, comments: â€Å"Additional information tied into a newsletter article can be put on the webpage. Those who click on the webpage have decided consciously that they want to access further information. Companies can then analyse the click-throughs and understand the specific areas of interest on both a macro and per-recipient level. † Tosh of IPoints is succinct, â€Å"Use microsites and reward schemes to collect information and then use the information in communications. † Communication is the key Relevant, valuable and timely communications are seminal to maintainingcustomer loyalty. Lebond of P says, â€Å"Every piece of communication could potentially be the lowest common denominator in a business's contact with its clients, so each one must be as good as possible. More business is lost by poor communications then by anything else. † Newsletters draw customers to websites where their interests can be analysed and responded to, reward programmes encourage frequent transactions, and hospitality enables personal contact. Curnow of Grass Roots explains, â€Å"Loyalty is not so much a pattern of behaviour as a state-of-mind. The single most conclusive evidence of loyalty is advocacy, not usage. The acid test is not how much the customer spends but how hard it would be to prise him away. And of course you cannot put a value on that

Community Teaching Plan: Teaching Experience Paper Essay

The RN to BSN program at Grand Canyon University meets the requirements for clinical competencies as defined by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), using nontraditional experiences for practicing nurses. These experiences come in the form of direct and indirect care experiences in which licensed nursing students engage in learning within the context of their hospital organization, specific care discipline, and local communities. In 1,500-2,000 words, describe the teaching experience and discuss your observations. The written portion of this assignment should include: Summary of teaching plan Epidemiological rationale for topic Evaluation of teaching experience Community response to teaching Areas of strengths and areas of improvement Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment. You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. Only Word documents can be submitted to Turnitin.This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment. You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. Only Word documents can be submitted to Turnitin.