The Way of Geisha Dance

The way of Geisha dance demonstrates to us the importance of maiko in the traditional Japanese culture. The difficult times that the character goes through serve to prepare her for the tedious maiko training. Maiko entertains people from all cadres.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Way of Geisha Dance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This, at the same time brings to us the rich Japanese culture. The whole process through the dance displays the thorough training the Maiko usually go through. Geisha lessons prepare women to become independent with little dependence on men. Their sanctity when training shows how the trainers value developing maiko women who respect themselves. The main character loses parents and a sister. The death of parents and the punishment do not serve any good to the character. The dance reveals the element of jealousy among women as they compete for the attention of men. The concept behin d may not be men as depicted because maiko grow up women who never get married but it seems the push is economic gain. An appreciation by men comes in terms of monetary rewards. The dance is crucial to the lives of many Japanese women. It has created a constant source of income to these women. Maiko is an avenue for trainers to make income. The training is formal and schools exist. The tutors who are specially trained must be paid. The geisha houses, recruitment, and training are income-generating stages. The structure of the training itself creates a continuum that is a source of income to people at every level. From art training, learning in teahouses through to the teachings on the navigation of social networking people earn income. The trainers, entrepreneurs who run geisha houses, hairdressers and stylists all get income. The maiko girls are very successful businesspeople.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper wi th 15% OFF Learn More The dance attracts tourists in Japan (Masuda 77). The visitors who are always very enthusiastic about the dance, come to purchase the traditional costumes called kimono along with the geisha makeup. Geisha has been expanded to cover modeling and taking international tours. Through this, the Japanese culture that is considered the impeccable form of art is spread across the world. Geisha has succeeded in giving women economic and financial independence. The comparison between Geisha and Japanese dance draws many differences. Whereas the Japanese dance has two types i.e. Odori and Mai, geisha is one dance that has two divisions that are Tchikata and Jikata. Geisha is a dance dominated by women, and the Japanese dance is male oriented. Geisha is performed in public places that include social functions while the Japanese dance is performed in rooms. Ballet is a western traditional dance. It has its own vocabulary that compares to the special regalia won by geisha dancers. There are several types of the ballet depending on the geographical origin including the French ballet, Russian ballet, and Italian ballet. This is different from geisha that only has one origin. Other similarities include the training that is intensive and takes time to sharpen skills that cover a range of issues such as dancing, acting, and other artistic displays. The two dances also prominently feature women who sing and play musical instruments. Both dances stem from the cultures of respective communities. We can confidently conclude that as much as the dances originated from countries that are far apart, they have more similarities than differences and most of them promote their respective cultures.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Way of Geisha Dance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Masuda, Sayo. Autobiography of a Geisha. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003. Print. This essay on The Way of Geisha Dance was written and submitted by user Landon Bowers to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

buy custom Businesses in Vermont State essay

buy custom Businesses in Vermont State essay VermontState provides a favorable environment for operating businesses because of a typical tax and legal structure. Since there is no county government in this state, cities and towns assume the administrative responsibilities, such as property tax collection and assessment. An example of a business activity in Vermont includes the selling of Teddy Bear and Ice Creams. Individuals sign valid contracts in order to supply Teddy Bear and Ice Creams to various institutions. However, some instances of evils, such as money laundering and felony, though not common, affect various businesses in Vermont. Some managers often engage in evil activities such as money laundering, which hinder the development of an organization or company due to insufficient money. Money laundering involves concealing the source of the money that an individual has obtained through illegal means. Such individuals lack business ethics, which are the moral values and principles that people apply to social behavior in business contexts. Some managers lack even the moral minimum, which is the minimum extent of ethical behavior that a manager should possess in an organization. Organizations may report such managers to the criminal justice in order to get the money back. However, because of privilege, judges do not question the defense that the accused managers provide (Miller Jentz, 2011). Such managers consider the accusations as a slander. Many businesspersons in Vermont experience felony either at their businesses stalls or far from their business centers. When the businesspersons undergo assault, they become fearful and surrender their valuable properties to the attackers. Felony may include battery, which involves a serious physical harm to a businessperson (Miller Jentz, 2011). It is necessary for Criminal Justice System to catch the felony suspects red handed and punish them thoroughly in order to avoid subsequent crimes. Some felony suspects claim that the accusations are mere defamation, which is an actionable offence, when there is no evidence against their actions. Other felony suspects may confess under duress when the victims threaten them. In most cases, the promisor attacks the promisee. In this case, the promisor is the client who has taken goods on credit and promises to pay back later, and the promisee is the businessperson. Buy custom Businesses in Vermont State essay

Explain Marx's 'general law of capitalist accumulation' and discuss Essay

Explain Marx's 'general law of capitalist accumulation' and discuss its contemporary relevance - Essay Example Marx’s earliest writing reflected a critique of the relationship between civil society and the state and progressively builds up to his dire prediction that capitalism would result in the rise of proletariat/working class and the ultimate reversal of fortunes as expressed in The General Law (Gurley, 1980). Ultimately, Marx’s The General Law predicts that capitalism would grow and expand to a point of self-destruction (Marx & Engels, 2007). The 2008 global financial crisis can therefore be seen as an example of the contemporary relevance of The General Law’s contention that capitalism would eventually dig its own grave by overproduction, greed, exploitation and alienation. This paper examines The General Law and its contemporary relevance. In order to put The General Law in its proper perspective, this paper will first identify and examine Marx’s political ideas culminating in The General Law and identify its contemporary relevance throughout. ... 187). For Marx, as reflected in The General Law and earlier writings, the forces of production, historical materialism and social relations would create conflicts which would lead to destruction rather than reconciliation (Elliot, 1978-78, p. 148). The 25 year old Karl Marx’s response to Hegel’s Der Philosphie des Rechts (Philosophy of Right) provides some insight into how Marx would eventually come to view the destructive forces of capitalism in The General Law. Marx honed in on Hegel’s â€Å"political science† (Jackson, 1990, p. 799). In this regard, Hegel defended the state and its constitutional structures claiming that this amalgamation of power was necessary for order in civil society (Depew, 1992, Chapter 2). Marx was quick to point out that the constitution should be nothing more than a reflection of man’s consciousness and this could only be accomplished if man was â€Å"the principle of the constitution† (Marx, 1977, p. 20). Marx (1 977) also sets the stage for the articulation of his critique of capitalism in The General Law and in general. Marx (1977) criticized Hegel’s reference to the state is far too abstract and that Hegel seems to forget that the state’s activities are carried out by man and reflects man’s own social qualities. According to Easton (1981), Marx was setting up his later argument that the state was nothing more than an instrument of control by the ruling classes. This argument would balloon into the neo-Marxist contention that the state was commandeered by those with â€Å"economic leverage† (Nordinger, Lowi, & Fabbrini, 1988, p. 875). The significance of economic gain in the ordering of society is a major theme in The General Law and the idea of economic

Diamond Wipes International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diamond Wipes International - Essay Example The company has an annual revenue of around fifteen million dollars and employs over 100 people now. Yen had no former experience as a business owner or as a manager but she managed to pursue her enterprise to come to the top. Diamond Wipes International was featured in Fortune Small Business as well as other prestigious business avenues. The journey has not always been smooth for Eve Yen given she had little management and business experience when she started out (Longnecker, Petty and Palich). This case study will look into various choices made by Eve Yen in context of her company’s management and business choices to decipher their success. Recommendations will be provided for areas where improvements could be done. What leadership style did Eve Yen use with her employees? Describe her actions that support your choice. Eve Yen can be seen largely as a democratic and an affiliative leader in most of her actions. Eve’s respect for other people’s opinions especial ly her employees opinions before making large decisions reflects that she acts as a democratic leader. In addition, Eve’s close relationship to her employees and her sensitivity towards her employees shows that she is an affiliative leader (Longnecker, Petty and Palich). What aspects of Eve’s leadership approach directly or indirectly affected the problems that developed? Clearly explain the connections between Eve’s behaviors and the resulting problems. A business leader must wear many hats at the same time in terms of being a leader. Among other leadership styles, the leader must be authoritative where required. This does not mean that the leader must be authoritative at all times but it does indicate that the leader must act authoritatively where he feels it is required. The lack of management experience meant that Eve Yen acted too personally with her employees in terms of leadership style. This meant that employees saw her as a weak character whose instruct ions and set objectives could be ignored (Lerner). In addition, Eve’s lack of character judgment meant that she hired the wrong people for the right positions. As a consequence of this bad decision making, the company lost money as the newly hired people failed to perform their duties as per the settled objectives and provided instructions. Another major shortcoming on the part of Eve Yen as a leader was her lack of consideration for short term and long term objectives. A good leader must have the ability to stand above everyone else and see beyond the horizon. Only this can allow a business leader to guide his team in the right direction. However, Even Yen failed to look beyond everyone else and faced numerous challenges as her organization was expanding. Being a leader, Eve Yen should have speculated what was required to expand especially for a rapidly expanding company like Diamond Wipes International. Explain why entrepreneurs in general have difficulty being effective or ganizational managers. How does Eve Yen reflect these characteristics? As mentioned before, an entrepreneur must wear many different hats at the same time in order to be an effective leader. Most entrepreneurs wear one leadership style that suits them and then try to make employees attune themselves to that leadership style. However, individuals working for an organization differ in their thinking and approach to work. The business leader must be ready to deal with differentiated individuals by being a wholesome leader for all employees. In order to deal with this dilemma, the business leader has to be prepared to work as a dynamic leader who keeps shifting his leadership style as the situation requires of him. Ineffective organiza

Ethics, Political Philosophy and IR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ethics, Political Philosophy and IR - Essay Example International law tries wherever possible to take a non-biased stance, not favouring one region or another during conflict. However, this is difficult where two regions are in conflict with one another and have different views and desires. This type of problem was the case for both Kosovo and Palestine. Kosovo was a territory of Serbia although it declared its independence in 2008 and was subsequently accepted by the international community, while Palestine remains a territory of Israel. This has become a difficult international relations issue, and Palestine continues to be a territory of Israel, which has been the source of much violence instigated by both sides. The difference in approaches by the international players has occurred because of the warfare that is occurring between Israel and Palestine, and the terrorism component of the Palestinian government. This makes it difficult for international organisations and external states to support Palestine. An additional important a spect is the fact that Kosovo deliberately manipulated their position in order to gain international sympathy and assistance. Background Kosovo is located in southeast Europe with a land area of 10,887 square kilometres and a population of approximately 1.8 million people. It gained its independence from Serbia in February of 2008 and is now recognised as an independent state. Although the US and the EU have recognised the independence of Kosovo, some states, including Serbia, contest this and do not feel that the state should be considered as independent . The decision to grant Kosovo independence in the international arena was unusual, as conflict has been occurring between Kosovo and Serbia. Nevertheless, the move of Kosovo was considered to be legal under international law and the state consequently became independent . However, the same is not true of the Palestinian territories. The Palestine territories are not recognised as an independent state, instead they are considered t o be part of Israel. The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been ongoing, with external states and international agencies attempting to facilitate resolution. External states hoped that eventually Palestine could be recognised as an independent, democratic state, however, this has not come to pass. In 1993, Israel agreed to allow a period of self-rule for Palestinian territories. However, they maintain military, maritime and airspace control of the region, as well as restricting access. The Palestinian territories are areas of continued violence and debate. The territories consist of two main regions, the larger West Bank and the smaller Gaza Strip. The regions are controlled separately. Mahmud Abbas, the elected Palestinian president in 2005 governs the West Bank, while members of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) control the Gaza strip. As Palestine seeks to gain its independence to be recognised internationally, violence continues to rage between the two sides . Isra el’s approach to Palestine has resulted in occupation for close to 30 years, and economic initiatives that have damaged Palestine while strengthening Israel . Conflict continues to grow between Palestine and Israel and the situation is now that of a civil

OSIM International Ltd Analysis

OSIM International Ltd Analysis INTRODUCTION OSIM is a global leader in branded healthy lifestyle products such as massage chair, shoulder and neck massagers, foot massager and slim belt. The company is well-known in Malaysia. OSIM is a brand management and niche marketing company with a focus on the consumer. Today, OSIM Company operates a wide point-of-sales network with outlets is over 371 cities over 33 countries in Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, United Kingdom and North America.â€Å"Inspiring Life† is the motto of the OSIM Company. OSIM (M) Sdn Bhd is engaged in marketing, distributing and franchising of healthy lifestyle products. The Company operates in two segments that are retail and distribution. The retail segment is engaged in outlets and counters operated by it in selected shopping centers and departmental stores where the products are sold directly to end user customers. The distribution segment is engaged in products distributed by the Company and franchisees in overseas markets. Its subsidiaries include OSIM International Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, OSIM (M) Sdn Bhd, OSIM (HK) Company Limited, OSIM (Taiwan) Co., Ltd, Nutrition Focus (USA) Inc, Global Active Limited (GAL), OSIM (China) Co., Ltd, Nutri Active Pte Ltd, Victoria House Pte Ltd and VHE China Limited. OSIM (M) Sdn Bhd also the most trusted brand. They receive a title as International Safety Standards because harmony to worldwide health and safety regulations. The entire product designed with safety and appropriate to health and safety regulations. Furthermore, the company also good in quality performance because all their product has been approved from clinic research, medical certifications and scientific studies. Their health-care product also checked and studies scientifically by expertise and they awarded certification and recognition from independents bodies. In terms of innovation and technology, OSIM company are worldwide technology patents and have a design right and trademark rights. OSIM is always in the frontline of innovation and the development of the most exhaustive range of products to bring the good health benefit to customer. OSIM also receive Award-Winning Design. OSIM brand and product design awards garnered from Japan, Europe and Asia. OSIM product was awarded the Largest Health Check and Care Equipment Retail Chain by the Malaysian Book of Records and Asia Pacific Honesty Enterprise Keris Award 2002. OSIM has been recently awarded ASIA No 1 Brand in healthy lifestyle equipment by a prestigious International Survey, it is for international market research company to determine Asian most preferred brand of health-care products. Besides, OSIM has also been rated by AC Nielsen survey in 2005 as the Number One brand in seven attributes (High Quality Products, Advance Technology, Premium Brand, Innovative Design Features, Trustworthy Brand, Good Customer Service and Good Store Ambience). BACKGROUND AND HISTORY The origins of OSIM International Ltd business began in November 1980 when Dr Ron Sim Chye Hock commenced his sole proprietor business of retailing an array of household goods such as knives, knife-sharpeners and mobile drying rods under R. Sim Trading Co and it was originally established in Singapore. OSIM were subsequently incorporated in 1983 under the name ‘‘R.Sim Trading Co. Pte Ltd to take over the sole proprietorship. Operating from OSIM International Ltd company first premises is at a shop Peoples Park, OSIM were only selling 2 health-care related products, namely, hand-held massagers and foot reflexology rollers. By 1987, OSIM had created a distribution network of 10 outlets in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan marketing household goods and health-care related products. Dr Ron Sim Chye Hock is a founder of OSIM then felt that there was market potential for specialty home health care products in an increasingly affluent Asia. Early 1987, OSIM saw that the home health care products sector was dominated by a disparate group of equipment manufacturers with little or no emphasis on marketing and as a result there was a lack of brand consciousness among consumers. Hence, in 1989 their decided to bring together different home health-care products from different equipment manufacturers and market their product using specialty branding. For this purpose, OSIM created the brand ‘‘Health Check Care to build and exploit a niche market in home health-care products. OSIM business start grew rapidly and by 1994 we had approximately 60 point-of-sales outlets in Asia. In business strategy, they believe that marketing and strengthening of their brand equity is of vital importance. As ‘‘Health Check Care was a generic name and was difficult to be registered as a trademark in many countries, in 1996 the company officially launched ‘‘OSIM brand name which had been using since the early 1990s. ‘‘OSIM is a combination of the founders surname and the letter ‘‘O which symbolizes for vision to become a globally recognized brand. As at 31 May 2000, the company have registered the name ‘‘OSIM as a trademark in 26 countries spanning Asia (including Australia), Europe, North and South America, South Africa and Israel. There are also made trademark applications for ‘‘OSIM in 10 other countries. A major tenet of OSIM marketing strategy is to have an extensive point-of-sales network and geographical coverage in their markets. Presently, they have point-of-sales outlets in Singapore located in all major departmental stores and suburban shopping malls. The company began developing their overseas distribution network in 1986 when they ventured into Hong Kong and in the following year, into Taiwan. To ride on the rapid development of the Asian economies in the early 1990s, OSIM expanded their operations to Thailand in 1990, Malaysia in 1992, Indonesia and Beijing in 1993, and Shanghai in 1994 by opening point-of-sales outlets in these countries either directly or through their franchisees and distributors. Furthermore, OSIM expanded their markets to the United States in 1997 and Dubai in 1999 through the appointment of franchisees/licensees to market and sell their products in these countries. At present, OSIM have 10 franchisees/licensees, 3 subsidiaries, 6 are affiliated compan ies controlled by their Controlling Shareholders and the remaining 1 is an unrelated company. The company point-of-sales outlets in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia are operated by Company and subsidiaries. The rest of their point-of-sales outlets are franchised outlets with the exception of outlets in the PRC for which we have trademark and licensing agreements with the owners. This is OSIM business strategy that future expansion of their point-of-sales network will be substantially undertaken by franchising. OSIM company begun to gradually move away from being a retailer to being a franchisor and, in furtherance of this strategy, they have also entered into franchise agreements with their subsidiaries, OSIM (HK), OSIM (Taiwan) and OSIM (Msia). Further, franchising help them to expand and multiply their point-of-sales outlets to more geographical markets at a faster pace with significantly less capital exposure. Franchising is also less taxing on their managements time than operating self-owned outlets in penetrating new markets. To diversify their sources of revenue, in 1998 OSIM ventured into wholesale distribution of health-check and health-care products such as blood pressure monitors, thermometers and pulse massagers, in Singapore to hospitals like Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Kandang Kerbau Womens and Childrens Hospital, pharmacies like the Apex Pharmacy and the Guardian Pharmacy chains, and Chinese medical halls. While wholesale distribution is currently only carried out in Singapore which contributes between 1 and 2 per cent. to their turnover in Singapore, and then the company intend to develop this business and carry out wholesale distribution in all their principal markets eventually. As part of its business strategy to extend the control over of their business process and to exercise greater involvement and participation in the source of supply for their products, in 1995 the company entered into a joint venture with Daito Electric Machine Industry Company Limited (‘‘Daito), a Japanese supplier  to OSIM Group, to take up a 30 per cent interest in Daito-OSIM (Suzhou) with Daito taking up the remaining 70 per cent.. Presently, Daito-OSIM (Suzhou) has a plant in the Singapore-Suzhou Industrial Park in Jiangsu, PRC that manufactures products like hand-held massagers and foot reflexology rollers mainly for re-export and distribution to the markets in Japan and USA. Under the joint venture agreement, Daito has the right to appoint 3 directors of Daito-OSIM (Suzhou) while OSIM only have the right to appoint 2 directors as they are the minority shareholder. However, Daito-OSIM (Suzhou) shall not change the scope of its business activities from that as descr ibed in the foregoing, without the consent of Daito and OSIM. Any material financial commitment which is above US$100,000 or material contract to be entered by Daito-OSIM (Suzhou) also requires the consent of Daito and OSIM. The joint venture agreement is of unlimited duration but may be terminated with the consent of Daito and OSIM. Neither Daito nor OSIM can transfer an interest in the shares in Daito-OSIM (Suzhou) without first making an offer to sell the interest to the other shareholder. On 28 March 2000, the founder Dr Ron Sim Chye Hock was conferred an honorary doctorate in business administration by the Wisconsin International University in recognition of his prominent achievements in business. In July 2000, pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, Investor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited, subscribed for 11,600,000 new Shares, representing approximately 5 per cent. of the post-Investor Subscription and post-Invitation enlarged share capital of the Company, at the price of $0.47 per Share, representing a discount of approximately 10 per cent. to the Offer Price. The company believes that the investment by Investor is a milestone in their corporate development and an endorsement of their Group. Investor has given an undertaking not to dispose of or transfer any part of its  respective shareholding for a period of 6 months commencing from the date of their admission to the Official List of the SGX-ST. Mr Khor Peng Soon, a nominee of Investor, was appointed as OSIM non-executive Director in June 2000. Ethics Ethics are common believes on whats right or wrong and good or bad based on individuals values and morals, plus a behaviours social context. Business ethics definition is ‘a normative undertaking, seeks to provide ethical insight and guidance to individuals in business, businesses as organizations, and to society. Although there is an overlap between corporate social responsibility and business ethics, they still can be distinguishing. Corporate social responsibility is about responsibility to all stakeholders and not just shareholders where as ethics is about morally correct behaviour. Not many business organisations directors will deny the essentialness of good, trusting relationships with customers, employees, suppliers and the community. All these are actually the elements of success that a company should rely on. Ethics in business is a very prominent issue nowadays especially in this high competitive business world. Organizations usually have a set of ethical as well as o perational or business values which they wished to see in operating their business. These values guide ideas of acceptable, desirable and responsible behavior, above and beyond compliance with laws and regulations. Ethics is formulated to enhance the standard of corporate governance and corporate behaviour. One should be ethical for motivation, good behaviour usually bring a reward. Think about it, if it were always in ones interest to be good, there would be no need for ethics. One can simply act selfishly and forget about obligation. People invented ethics precisely because it does not always coincide with self interest. Owners, employees, suppliers and customers were expected to have a good behaviour in their work place giving that issues of ethics will affect the business. Starting from the individual ethics, it is important since everyone has their own responsibilities in their work place. The very least a person can do is to be honest about what they do each day. Bribery should not be tolerated. There is so much poverty, so much hunger across the world. Greed for revenue and profits can only transform our world into an animal kingdom. Top management level of the company should have first practice good ethics themselves in order to show a good example to the employees and lead them to become more productive and efficient. Behaviour toward the employees, top management level of the company should practice fair policies such as adequate amount of time given to the employee to be notified if the company intend to conduct layoff exercise within the company and affected parties should be compensated accordingly. Other than that, the company is responsible for providing conducive environment which is clean and save for its employee to work in too. Employee salaries should be paid according to agreed amount based on their working hours and job classification. Privacy of employees must be respected too. Based on the information we gathered through our interview with OSIM, their company do have ethics practices. One of the examples is, employees who were stationed out of town for training were provided with decent accommodation. Every single employee has equal chances of being promoted. Outlet supervisors must also possess high accountability and responsibility in performing duties, without abusing power and position for self-gain or other interested parties. Employees are expected to always endeavour to improve knowledge, creativity and innovation as well as team spirit. Those who are in the sales position are required to be self-motivated to achieve great sales like theres no limit to it. Proper basic personal grooming and dress in clean, smart and decent clothing at work is a must and its considered basic manners for especially for those in sales  position working at the outlets. Strict basic grooming is required to reflect the professionalism of the employee. Furthermore, OSIM emphasised a lot on professionalism among its employees. Employees must always carry out duties efficiently, effectively and productively in order to produce excellent service. The managers are very strict on the employee, they must always on good behaviour and punctuality. The company will always provide in-house training for their employees. In addition, the company sales force undergoes trainings like product training, salesmanship training and on-the-job training. Other than that, OSIM organise talks by health-care professionals in their corporate headquarters for their sales staff. Periodically, they will also send senior management staff overseas to attend seminars and exhibitions. Therefore, employees are expected to improve knowledge and skills to produce efficient, prompt and accurate service as well as to possess characteristics of creativity, innovation, motivation and competitiveness This show that the company practices good ethics as their provide and g ive chances for them equip themselves. The product of OSIM International Ltd complies with Safety and Quality Standards of International Certification Boards. The company does not compromise its products quality lightly, and this is a good business ethics practice. OSIM have the quality controls namely product quality assurance for its products and service quality assurance to ensure the staff deliver their best. Last but not least, the company take honesty into account very seriously. No one in the company should leak out the companys private and confidential information such as internal finance reports, marketing strategies and etcetera. Disciplinary action will be taken against those who leak out the information might face dismissal from the company. In conclusion, every business organisation has strict ethics to follow. The field and practice of business ethics is now well established. Often times senior individuals were hired in large companies and other organisations with dedicated teams to monitor that ethical standard and corporate responsibility (CR) commitments are understood and advocated. These commitments will be driven both by a set of ethical and business values set by the organisation itself, and by relevant legal and regulatory requirements that determine what acceptable conduct is. It is important to establish a standard or ethics of competence for corporate accountability which includes standards of professionalism and trustworthiness in order to uphold good corporate integrity. The experience within the country like Malaysia has exposed a critical need for the formulation of corporate accountability standards in order to establish an ethical corporate environment. It also ensures Malaysia is on the right track in turning into a first world country. Companies who are truly committed to uphold ethical conduct were found to be consistently outperforming companies who do not display ethical conduct according to research done by Does Business Ethics Pay? by The Institute of Business Ethics (IBE). If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you dont have integrity, nothing else matters. Alan K. Simpson INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY USED â€Å"Information technology (IT) by definition is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications†. More recently it is the use of the computers and IT to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of businesses that has led to technological change. Due to technological changes is so rapid, there are important implications for businesses. A business can be affected by the following technological change in production, the provision of services and in the office IT act as an effective tool to aid businesses gain and make the best use of knowledge. Some of the systems can be very tedious to set up and time-consuming to maintain. About two decades ago, most businesses agreed that effective IT strategies needed to be embedded within the business strategy. Business executives needed to possess those IT strategies as well as the business strategie s in order to implement those business strategies successfully. Undeniably, IT has become an increasingly important business tool from small to big organisations, it is important for businesses to ensure that their business gets the most out of any system it introduces. In order to achieve this, you need to make sure that the IT system chosen supports the business and adds value to it. Databases organise information for easy access, managed and updated. For example, a business might have a database of customers storing their contact information, their orders and preferences. The database is one of the cornerstones of information technology, and its ability to organise, process and manage information in a structured and controlled manner is the key to many areas of modern business efficiency. As a business, the more we understand about our customers, suppliers and competitors, the better. Hence, the gathering, storing and processing of informationusing databases cangive businessesa distinct advantage. The advantages are such as cutting down the amount of time spent managing data. Allowing businesses personnel the ability to analyse data in a many of ways. It is also a way of promoting a disciplined approach to data management. In addition, databases technology turns different information into a valuable resource and improving the quality and consistency of informati on. Value of information in line with maintenance and production cost. Most companies produce information on demand to place a value to it. E-commerce is the ability of businesses to trade with the world via websites. With E-commerce, businesses are able to market and create awareness on their products a larger group of audience and business is now open 24 hours every day. This has created new opportunities for businesses that trade locally and may not trade internationally before to now expand the size of their market to worldwide. Amazon.com is one example of e-commerce as a worldwide book and CD sellers. Consumers can also make comparison on the products and search for best deals online. It allows entrepreneurs and or even individuals to sell directly to consumers. This is the opposite of conventional ways of selling at retail outlets. In other words, business transactions are now taking place online too. OSIM Directors believe that e-commerce is emerging as a very important marketing and distribution channel for businesses although the extent of the impact of e-commerce cannot be conclusively known today. OSIM have t he intention of tapping into the huge potential of e-commerce and other health-care retailers may also follow suit. Smartphone with internet access enabled and personal computers featured with office applications with office applications, save businesses time and travelling cost by enabling employees, customers, and suppliers to communicate from any location. This gives much convenience for the on-site and off-site employee to communication with each other. However, effective communication is very essential to most IT and e-commerce systems. Most of these technologies are invented to make communication between buyers and sellers faster and more reliable. On top of that, Computers can be used to process, analyse and store vast amounts of data to give the business more quality information. The Internet can also be useful for various purposes. One of it is to make business sales message to be send out to customers especially potential ones. To get sales message out to customers and potential customers, marketing by email and on the internet offers speed and cost benefits over traditional mail marketing. Company resources are put into better use as chances of reaching out potential customers are much greater. Other types of online marketing such as social media like Facebook also provide a cost-effective avenue for businesses in reaching customers. OSIM has registered their own website ‘‘www.osim.com to market themselves on the Internet to let more people know about the company and its products. It is important for a company to have a website especially for developing new products, offering new services and reaching new clients. Todays information age has leaded many people to use internet to search information and others. People can access to any website with just a few clicks. Although setting up a website might be costly, it is offset by reaching a large pool of potential customers and providing necessary information for existing customers too. OSIM is making use of the popular Facebook as a tool for them to promote their products and provide brief information and latest happenings in regard to their road shows. Job recruitment advertisement is also in their website, this will save the companys cost in advertising in other means such as the newspaper. Consumers can also sign up for the mailing list to receive spe cial offers, promotions and well-being tips from OSIM. Last but not least, OSIM made us of IT to provide its customers order tracking if they are not sure if their package has been delivered .The order tracking service will help you track it down. In conclusion, technological change can bring many benefits to a business. It reduces running costs, improve productivity, improved competitiveness, improved quality of service (e.g. speed of service) and reduce resources wastage. For companies who have yet to use IT to run their businesses should really consider it. Technology and business go hand in hand. Hence, technology is compulsory for business. 4P ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 1: The Marketing Mix Marketing mix is one of the most important aspects in marketing. The important of marketing mix are usually categories into four parts which are product, price, place, and promotion. The main purpose of this four Ps marketing is to help the company to achieving their target market. Customers are not the components of the marketing mix. However, the customer is the target of all the companys marketing. Product can be usually classified under two parts that is consumer product and producer products. Consumer product normally purchased for individuals used and these products are divided into three more categories that is convenience product, shopping product and specialty product. Secondly, the producer product, this product is purchased to use in running businesses. Beside that, physical of the product also become the main point to attract the customers for example the packaging and size of the product. Price is the price level that business wants to sell their product to consumer. There are many parts need to be consider first before the product were decides to be sell. The considerations such as objective of the business, the degree of competitor in the industry, channel of distribution and the business image. Furthermore, there are some strategies that can help a business in order to arrive at a selling of their product such as cost-plus pricing, mark-up pricing, predatory pricing, skimming pricing, penetration pricing, prestige pricing and demand-orientated pricing. Place is where the product put on the target market. This place refers to those points that are stores and the retail outlets where the product should be easily accessible by the customer. Next, is to the channel of distribution means the business uses to get their product from factory and make it available to consumers. Wholesaler, retailer and Distribution Company are example for channel of distribution. Promotion is the method of the company introducing and selling products and its one of the ways to attract consumers aware of their product. There are various ways of promotion such as advertising, personal selling, sales promotions, branding and packaging, direct email and loss leaders. Promotion is important of communication between the product and the customer in order to increase the sales. In conclusion, a marketing mix involves four Ps. In another word, the four Ps entire are related to each other in reaching target market. PRODUCT OSIM is a company that sells healthy lifestyle product. There are various type of health product that they sells such as massage chair, foot massagers, head massagers, back massagers, eye massagers, soothing gel pads, slim belts, pedometer, blood pressure monitor, personal hygiene and water purifiers. These products are help to maintain health and can give relaxing to the people. The latest product that OSIM launched is uDivine massage chair. The uDivine was designed by Japanese Master, Sato Tsuyoshi and he is expert of Japanese Chiropractic Massage. The uDivine is the world first Human-3D massage chair and this massage chair are combined with strategically position system airbags, realistic and human contour based, delivering the most humanized, pleasurable and effective full body massage. uDivine have multi-sensory pleasures from head to toe. The design of this massage chair are intelligent design with plenty to admire and it give more living space, seamless navigation, stereo sound build-in speakers, supreme comfort and family-friendly safety function. OSIM Company makes a consideration to the number of stage in development of new product. The first stage is the generation of ideas. The company thinks future whether the product that they create meet the objective of the business or not. Furthermore, they also make a question will the product contribute to the continued growth of their business and does the business have the spare capacity to produce the product. Secondly, is testing the new concept. OSIM want to know is there a sufficient market for the new product. This stage of the product development  process will involve carrying out extensive primary market research to test consumers reaction to the suggested product. Next, analyzing the cost or revenues. Based on cost of production, they will set the reasonable price of product to be selling. OSIM also caring of what will be the profitability of the new product and how many units of the product they want to produce. Furthermore, they make a considered of developing a prototype. The design, materials, quality and safety of the product will become paramount. A prototype of the product will be developed using the detail that the market research indicated that consumer wanted. It is essential to ensure that this stage of the development process is detailed ad extensive, since to make alterations and modification at a later date will be extremely expensive and time-consuming. Lastly, the goal of the company for their product is to make the customer easy to recognize its brand and provide customer satisfaction. If the product does not fit the customer needs or meet the standard, the company accepts the criticism and modifies their products until it is fulfilling the needs of their customer. PRICE OSIM (is one of the high-end brands that sells health-care product in the market. It stands by its own name, image, quality and safety. The good in pricing strategy of the company will affect the quantity of sell and the profit-margin received per unit. In order to achieve at selling price for its product, there are some method that can be use which is cost-plus pricing, mark-up pricing, predatory pricing, skimming pricing, penetration pricing, prestige pricing, demand-oriented pricing and competition-oriented pricing. The first procedure for setting price is to determine the objectives of pricing. Earning a profit is the main objective. OSIM Company has three strategies in setting the price of their product. OSIM used cost-plus pricing, where the total cost of producing each unit of product is calculated. After that, the percentage profit is added to this unit cost to arrive at the selling price. Next is skimming pricing, all of their products are innovative and high technology product. So the strategies for these products usually set at the high price because it required high cost to produce the product and it design to create an up-market. Nonetheless, another pricing strategy of OSIM Company is competition-oriented pricing. Competition-oriented pricing is the strategies to set a price for a product with comparison with the competitor. Some product of OSIM were pricing based on the price charge by the competitors. In conclusion, setting a price is not an easy job, it need certain method to set the product price. For the beginning, a listing price, varieties of discount and allowance should include when setting a price. PLACE MAP 1: MAP 2: OSIM has chosen the right place for selling their products. In Map 1 shown one of the places which OSIM outlet located, that is in Bintang Mega Mall, Miri, Sarawak. Our group got to visit this outlet to conduct interview about OSIM for this team project. Normally in business, without a good place to promote the company product will make harder to get successful in target market even the product have a reasonable price. In other words, to reach the target market, positioning is one of the important steps for placing. The location of the product should be easier for customer to purchases the product. If the customer hard to get the product, they might give advantage to other companies which they can get it easily. However, every customer has different needs with aspect of time and place. In order to attract more customers, the location of the product should fulfill the customers requirement. The company also can offer a delivery service in order to make

The Full Cupboard of Life Essay -- essays research papers

The Full Cupboard of Life is the fifth book in a delightful series of books by Alexander McCall Smith. The series started with The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. Situated in Botswana, a country where the traditional values are slowly diminishing but life, as a whole rolls on. There are three main characters in the book; Mma Ramotswe, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni and Mma Makutsi. Mma Ramotswe is the star of the series and Botswana's No.1 Lady Detective. She started her agency after her father Obed Ramotswe, who was a good man and knew cattle like no other, died and left her the herd. She sold most of the cattle which enabled Mma Ramotswe to buy a house in Zebra drive and start her 'world famous' No.1 Ladies detective agency. Mma Ramotswe was in danger of being swamped by paperwork but luckily Mma Mak...

Interpersonal Communication Through URT Essay

Everyday we encounter people unknown to us. There are times when we are totally no interested in meeting and introducing ourselves to them. In certain situations we are forced or are voluntarily placing ourselves within there area of consciousness, like in a class or in our office, we disclose information about ourselves in order for a complacent relationship to transpire. This new connection will either grow or dissipate based on the disclosed information. Researchers say that interpersonal communication occurs only between two people who have known each other for quite some time (Borchers). This can be attributed to the contextual factors, such as psychological, relational and cultural, present in interpersonal discourses. The attainment of these factors signify that the two people conversing already know well of each other (King, 2000). At first, when we are asked by our late seatmate at first day of school who our professor is, or when we ask our office secretary who to call to fix a down network system, the interaction that occurs implies only an impersonal exchange between two people who ask for information because of external needs and is most likely to end that same moment. When you answer the above questions with â€Å"he’s the head of the department, we live in the same neighborhood† or â€Å"i know a little on systems troubleshooting but it isn’t my job, i’ll call one immediately,† the interaction introduces information related to the speaker and are affective to the receiver. This exchange becomes personal and may give way to a more gratifying relationship through following disclosures. These disclosures in turn reduces uncertainty, a considerably large blockage to a desirable relationship. Berger and Calabrese’ uncertainty reduction theory in 1975 presents steps on how we can achieve a fully ineractive personal relationship with other people. This theory explains why people tend to be information seekers and reduce the unpleasant effects of uncertainty in an introductory conversation and in the whole attainment of a relationship (Oregon State University). The theory discusses three stages of disclosure in interpersonal development. These stages are entry, personal, and exit (University of Twente). The interaction given above can be considered within the entry stage. By giving information on where you live or what your skills are(demographic), the receiver obtains also some point of conformity or agreement that sparks an interest for a relationship. Eventually we reveal our values, attitudes, and beliefs and we are taken now taken to the personal stage of disclosure. These somewhat â€Å"deeper† information suggest the existence of a relationship between two people. The exit stage relates to discourses on the shared values, beliefs, and attitudes which lead to actions or decisions where both interests are unified. Since interpersonal communication is based on two interrelated people’s discourses, this not specified only on verbal exchange, uncertainty reduction theory is an effective tool in determining interpersonal relationships and communications. By focusing on the information exchanged by two individuals we can predict the stage of their relationship – whether on entry, personal, or exit stage. Certainly, the information shared will not be as substantial in terms of personal relevance necessary for the attainment of interpersonal communication. Given the difficulty of initiating contact and conversation aimed at establishing a relationship, we are most likely to shy away and be frightened. If this happens, proceeding conversations are terminated. One basic method in squeezing out information from another person is to reveal your own personal information. Self-disclosure gives way to information not normally revealed through ordinary conversations. It requires an initiative to know and be known. Also, it is a way to know how the other people react and determine the topics under their interests. Furthermore, the voluntarily disclosure of personal information gives an impression of the willingness of a person in entering a relationship. In uncertainty reduction theory, self disclousre acts as the most effective way in removing the barriers of mistrust and non-complacency. By analyzing the information you reveal, one notices your values, beliefs, and emotional and moral tendecies accompanying your disclosures. These are considered to be a pattern for compatibility looked after by uncertain people. The situation above is common to almost everyone, given that the educated still dominate in number those who haven’t been to school or had work. I have experienced introducing myself to someone I am interested to. Most of the time I am replied with suspicion and mistrust which make me feel in need of proving myself. By self-disclosure I get their attention and know further what interests them and on fortunate times they react with personal disclosures too. Eventually the barrier of uncertainty dissipates and we are now getting ready for a more personal relationship. By reducing uncertainty we increase trust, thus more information is exchanged. Uncertainty reduction theory explains the systematic yet unsure disclosures toward interpersonal communication. Through complete understanding of the three concepts, uncertainty reduction, disclosure, and interpersonal communication, we can attain desirable relationships that can outlast time itself. References: Uncertainty Reduction Theory. 2006. Oregon State University. Retrieved 2 April 2008. http://oregonstate. edu/instruct/theory/ur.html King, Donnell. (2000). Four Principles of Interpersonal Communication. Pellissippi State Technical Community College. Retrieved 2 April 2008. http://www. pstcc. edu/ facstaff/dking/interpr. htm Borchers, Tim. (1999) Interpersonal Communication. Allyn & Bacon. Retrieved 2 April 2008. http://www. abacon. com/commstudies/interpersonal/interpersonal. html Uncertainty Reduction Theory. 2004. University of Twente. Retrieved 2 April 2008. http://www. tcw. utwente. nl/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Interpersonal

Free Essays on Ten Commandments

All around the world people have different opinions and different point of views, especially when it comes to public issues that concerns everyone. And people are more concerned when it comes to religious problems, such as the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are statements that are related to religion, and highly respected by the three holly religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They include basic rules that one should follow in life and they are meant to guide people how to behave in their lives. For example, the 8th commandment: â€Å"Thou shalt not steal.† Such issue aroused a conflict among people, about whether the Ten Commandments should be kept as an essential guide that is dependable, or they should be removed and be replaced by the constitution. According to the article â€Å"Supreme Court Should Uphold Rights, Not Majority Sentiment in Ten Commandments cases† the writer Thomas A. Bowden is against the Ten Commandments and he believes that they sh ould be removed because, in his opinion, they are against liberty and individual rights. Although the writer’s argument was strong according to his beliefs, yet he was not convincing and did not support his ideas well in his article. Also, the principles and logos used in the article are weak because the Ten Commandments are not only religious, as mentioned, they have other aspects. After analyzing the text, there are some parts where the writer did not support his arguments. When he talked about the abortion and homosexuals cases that happened in the late nineteen’s, he said that the Supreme Court has exercised judicial review to support these cases and it actually happened. The judicial review supported the minority to have equality among people. The writer now is relating the case of the Ten Commandments to these cases that were exercised by the judicial review in the past. He wants the Ten Commandments to be treated the same way as these cases were, by the â€Å"jud... Free Essays on Ten Commandments Free Essays on Ten Commandments All around the world people have different opinions and different point of views, especially when it comes to public issues that concerns everyone. And people are more concerned when it comes to religious problems, such as the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are statements that are related to religion, and highly respected by the three holly religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They include basic rules that one should follow in life and they are meant to guide people how to behave in their lives. For example, the 8th commandment: â€Å"Thou shalt not steal.† Such issue aroused a conflict among people, about whether the Ten Commandments should be kept as an essential guide that is dependable, or they should be removed and be replaced by the constitution. According to the article â€Å"Supreme Court Should Uphold Rights, Not Majority Sentiment in Ten Commandments cases† the writer Thomas A. Bowden is against the Ten Commandments and he believes that they sh ould be removed because, in his opinion, they are against liberty and individual rights. Although the writer’s argument was strong according to his beliefs, yet he was not convincing and did not support his ideas well in his article. Also, the principles and logos used in the article are weak because the Ten Commandments are not only religious, as mentioned, they have other aspects. After analyzing the text, there are some parts where the writer did not support his arguments. When he talked about the abortion and homosexuals cases that happened in the late nineteen’s, he said that the Supreme Court has exercised judicial review to support these cases and it actually happened. The judicial review supported the minority to have equality among people. The writer now is relating the case of the Ten Commandments to these cases that were exercised by the judicial review in the past. He wants the Ten Commandments to be treated the same way as these cases were, by the â€Å"jud...

Deterministic Schema essays

Deterministic Schema essays Marxism is a deterministic schema in that according to its doctrine, each subsequent turn of events is a direct result of a specific sequence of causes. According to Marx and Engels in this statement, each stage of history is inevitable and is pushed into the next stage by specific forces, particularly class struggle. Class struggle in a Feudalistic society between the Autocracy, some craftsmen, and infinite numbers of peasants, combined with the onset of the Commercial Revolution in the sixteenth century leads to capitalism. The Industrial revolution that accompanies capitalism causes a new kind of class structure and with it, a new kind of class struggle. The middle class grows in size and wealth while the peasants become the working class and decline in wealth as their depravity increases. The Labor Theory of Value states that the worker can never make it because s/he never receives enough money for the worth of the product. All of the profit goes to further investment and the pro letarian is left overworked and hungry. This class related problem leads to the failure of the capitalist revolution and pushes society into socialism. Socialism is state capitalism. The workers own the companies and the issue of class is avoided it is a classless society. As a deep down moralist, Marx is most interested in the class struggle fueled push into socialism. He is quite vague about the necessary push from socialism to communism, and is more interested in the capitalism socialism transition. Steps cannot be skipped but can be sped up, so the question would be when will class struggle force society into communism from socialism. Communism according to the manifesto is the withering of the state and the ideal state of existence with much collaboration. Lenin takes the challenge of manipulating time (Marx didnt say when) and bringing communism into play. His was a combination of wanting to grab power for the will of the peopl ...

Server consolidation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Server consolidation - Essay Example At one hand this has increased the competition among various financial institutions and on the other hand it has also elevated the quality of service that a customer expects from the banking sector. This has led to many private and public sector banks going in for an increased focus towards IT deployment. Headquartered in New Delhi, the Alpha bank has more than 500 employees who focus on fund raising, credit lending, international operations, bank cards and intermediary business. As more foreign and local banks emerge to challenge its role in these fields, Alpha must strengthen its competitive advantages and find new ways to please its growing list of customers in the region. In order to do so, alpha decided to revamp its information technology (IT) infrastructure to support an ambitious program of new development. The company’s overall plan was to consolidate its core banking system, implement automatic deposits and withdrawals nationwide, and provide expanded banking service s to its customers through the deployment of new e-business applications. One of the first such applications was an e-banking system providing easy-to-use, 24x7 financial services to its customers via the Internet. This, along with other new e-business initiatives that would follow, needed the support of a highly reliable, available and scalable infrastructure. Alpha’s new revamped e-banking system--supported by a powerful server deployment and Linux platform deployed with the help of Company Alpha--enabled the company to extend traditional services to its customers in a new way.

Labor Laws and Unionization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Labor Laws and Unionization - Assignment Example It greatly facilitates implementation of policies that are directed at general welfare of employees rather than segregated for the benefits of few. Â  Unionization has significantly helped reduce exploitation of organized labor and provided them with a critical platform to bargain for their rights. The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 is important legislation that significantly curtailed the right of a single employee to work for reduced wages which were used to ensure that workers of government-sponsored construction projects were paid locally approved wages or wages as determined by the local unions of construction workers (Reynolds, 1987). Moreover, the clause of ‘in good faith’ is the essential paradigm that supports the union and asks that employers’ bargain be in good faith while coming to satisfactory conclusions with the union leaders. Thus, labor laws encourage unionization. Â  Yes, teaching assistants should be considered bona fide employees as they are contracted under defined terms and conditions as approved by the management. Moreover, under criteria set forth in 29 CFR Part 520.201, the teaching assistants are employees with rights, including that of joining unions and the rights to be eligible for the minimum as prescribed within the defined labor law. They are a vital part of academia and take on the responsibilities of assisting teachers. They help students on an individual basis and even take up teaching when required and therefore constitute an important part of academia. Â  Teaching assistants also provide the teaching staff with much mental and physical relief by relieving them of the stress of dealing with students who may require more personal coaching. Assistant teachers are playing vital roles in all types of schools, including higher education. They contribute considerably to the improvement of education and serve as a critical resource for the schools and academia in general (Kerry, 2001).