Did the French revolution and the Bolshevik revolution each improve Essay

Did the French revolution and the Bolshevik revolution each improve the lives of the Women - Essay Example The women were only defined by sex their and not by their innate capability and ambitions. Even though the Enlightenment writers seemed to advocate for women liberation, they had a limited scope; there was nothing like public rights. This essay shall critically evaluate various facets of both French Revolution and Bolshevik Revolution in an attempt to establish whether they really improved the lives of women. Years before the onset of Bolshevik Revolution, women had no voice in the Soviet Union. The women were treated as inferior sex that had no right to participate in any public event. In fact, most of them were left for peasantry jobs and house chores. The industrial jobs were preserved for men. Women would come from the farm and attend to her household at home. In France, the perception of women was not very far from that in Russia. The Enlightenment writers gave men more powers over women, just like John Locke had formulated. Rousseau, for instance, insisted on the traditional roles of women. He stated that women should limit their participation to family level. He discouraged any active participation of women in public and political events. Most women in France were, thus, peasants, laundresses and shopkeepers1. There was also no formal education for this gender. Education was only for few men who belonged to the middle and upper classes. A woman needed not to be educated, as claimed the chauvinists. Her work was to educate the girl child. The lack of formal education limited the chances of women securing job opportunities in some service industries. In France, Rousseau had argued that if a woman was to obtain any form of education, the knowledge should only be used to manage the family and not in any public offices. The arguments of Rousseau raise questions about his reasoning, him being a learned person. How can such a great scholar be in support of oppression? The French Revolution that began in 1790 was marred with

Formal linkage mechanisms Essay Example for Free

Formal linkage mechanisms Essay Formal linkage mechanisms such as mergers and joint ventures are supposed to reduce transaction costs in a business enterprise. However, sometimes companies can experience increased cost if the management fails to lay down proper strategies (Jones, 2006). It is worth noting that joint venture refers to two or more parties coming together to carry out business activities. In this case, these parties agree to share revenues and expenses. On the other hand, mergers entail two or more companies joining but each maintains their identity. The likely causes of increased costs In both mergers and joint ventures, there is the possibility of double running of the departments(Jones, 2006). This comes about by failure of the companies to do away with similar operating departments. For instance, when the joined and merged companies each maintain their human resource department, the results are increased expenses in running the departments. Increased company cost can also result from uncertainty about the future by the trading partners. In this regard, the resulting merger or joint venture has to cater for the associated risks. For instance, the possibility of one or more parties pulling out will result to increased cost since the ratio of sharing cost changes. Conclusion and Recommendations The above factors would contribute to an upward trend in the companys transactions costs. Therefore, it would be of significance for the computer company to consider the following recommendations. The companies should review their former organizational structure by joining departments that perform similar functions to avoid duplication. Moreover, the companies in the merger should work out a plan towards reducing uncertainty costs such as increasing the number of partners in the merger (Jones, 2006).

Types Of Business Activities And Business Organizations Commerce Essay

Types Of Business Activities And Business Organizations Commerce Essay Sole Trader-ship is the most primitive form of business organization. A business organization owned and managed by only one person, having full share of profit and responsible for all the losses of the organization is called sole trader-ship. Due to some of sole trader-ship the limitations including limited capital, limited scope of business and short-life a need for a new organization was felt. Thus a new business organization evolved that is known as partnership. In a partnership two or more persons pool together their resources to form the partnership business. The partnership combined financial resources, mental resources, and experience of partner for the success of the business enterprise. The rules and regulation that governs the partnership business is called partnership contract. The contract is the bye-laws of business and specifies the nature of the business, partners capital, profit and loss ratios and various terms and conditions relating to the business. Limited financial resources, unlimited liability and limited life of the partnership are cited as the peculiar demerits of the partnership, hence a need have been felt for a new organization that do not have the abovementioned demerits. A new type of business evolved after the industrial revolution called Joint Stock Company (Corporation in USA). A joint stock company is a business organization that is an artificial person, having perpetual existence and common seal with transferable shares, and separation of management from shareholders. This type of business tries to eliminate the demerits associated with sole-trader-ship and partnership (limited capital, limited life, and unlimited liability) plus it provides professional management of the company affairs through separation of ownership and management. The owner of the enterprise selects Board of Director amongst itself that chalk out broad-range policies concerning the business enterprise. The day-to-day affairs of the business a re run by professional who have expertise in their related field. Types of Business and Strategic Objectives: The objectives of the business depend on whether the business is owned by private investors or by the government. A private business is a business owned, managed and control by private investor(s. It may take any form including sole trader-ship, partnership or Joint Stock Company. On the other hand public enterprise also known as state-owned enterprise is owned, managed and run by government through its representative. If the business owned by private investors some of the possible objectives may be: To achieve a stated goal in terms of profit To achieve a stated goal in terms of sales To achieve a stated goal in terms of Return on Investment (ROI) To be a leader in a category To achieve a stated percentage of Earning Per Share (EPS) To be an environment friendly organization To be socially admirable organization To be a producer of quality products and/or services On the other hand if the business is owned by government (state owned enterprise) some of the possible objectives of the enterprise may be: To provide high quality services (e.g. health, education, communication etc) to the masses on equality bases To provide quality products and/or services to the masses at a lower cost as compared to private sector To reduce the disparity between the masses by reducing the income/status gape To provide access to quality product and/or services to all the masses irrespective of income, status, religion, geographic territory etc. Financial Activities and Organizational Structure: According to Vanhorn and Wachowics (2001) financial management is concerned with acquisition, financing and management of assets with some overall goal in mind. The overall goal is usually to increase the wealth of present and prospective shareholders. Organizational structure is an arrangement of organization activities that portray the various relationships amongst the organizational member. The organizational structure depicts who is the boss and who is the subordinate. Usually organizational structure are build on pyramid type, as depicted in Figure 1.3. Figure 1.3. Organizational Structure Macro (External) Environmental Factors: The macro environment consists of uncontrollable forces that directly or indirectly influence an organizations ability to achieve a desired result. In the word of Kotler and Armstrong (2003) marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside marketing that affect marketing managements ability to build and maintain successful relationships with target customers. These influences create both opportunities and threats for a manager. A prudent manager is supposed to capitalize the opportunity provided by the macro environment and decrease potential bad impact of a threat that may hinder the organization performance. The macro environmental factors include economic factors, demographic factors, social and cultural factors, technological factors, and legal and political factors. An organization management is supposed to constantly monitor and evaluate these factors, and capitalize the opportunity if any. Organization that failed to take action in response to change in the environmental factors will not be able to succeed and hence to achieve its mission. Section 2 Investigating Business Resources. 2.1. Human Resource Management: Organization resources can be grouped into four categories including Financial, Information, Physical and Human Resources. According Braton (2005) Human Resources Management is the the direction of organizational systems to ensure effective and efficient use of human talent to accomplish organizational goals. The human resources of the organization are the most crucial assets of the organization. In fact one can argue that the factor responsible for success and failure in most of the cases is HR, but unfortunately it cannot be portrayed on Balance sheet as an Asset because it is priceless. 2.2. Purpose of Business and Technological Resources: Resources such as air, water, gas, oil, forests, paper, iron, core etc is known as physical resources, while technological resources includes, computer, plants, machinery etc. Organization needs to ensure that best utilizations of these scarce resources, by showing quality, efficiency, and waste management issues are addressed to improve performance and reduce costs. The management of these resources involved obtaining the desired materials, supplies, equipment, premises and energy and using them in the most efficient way to decrease operational cost and to attain the organizational objectives. 2.3. Access source of finances: In order to start a business or boost the established business through injection of new funds there are various sources of finances that an entrepreneur can access. The various options include banks that provide short, medium and long term finances to business enterprise. On the other hand there are also various developmental institutions that provide grants to boost a business in a particular sector, for example industry, trade, exports, agriculture, etc. Another possible option to get the fund is from venture capital provider, who usually charge slightly higher rate than the market. 2.4. Interpret financial statement: Financial statement is interpreted using ratio analysis. Financial ratio provides an insight about the firms performance. The organization can compare its financial results with its previous year results or they can compare the results with another player of the same industry. Financial ratios quantify many aspects of an organization including sales, profitability, creditworthiness, liquidity, usage of assets, and are an integral part of financial statement analysis. Thus ratios of a company in different industries provide an insight regarding a firms risk, capital requirements, and the nature of competition. Section 3. Introduction to marketing: 3.1. Key concept and principle of marketing: According to Kotler and Armstrong marketing is the process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others. So we can say that the task of marketing is satisfy consumer needs and wants while achieving organization goals. A need is basic such as need for food, shelter, safety etc. when these needs are shaped by individual preferences and culture it becomes wants. The task of marketer is thus to identify a consumer need, translate that in wants, and designed the offering that have the capability to satisfy such needs and wants. When organization deliver the product and/or service to its customer, customer get a product and/or service, that have the ability to satisfy a consumer need and want while organization get money in exchange. 3.2. How and Why Marketing Research is conducted by Organizations: In achieving the organization mission and carrying out their marketing responsibilities, managers need a great deal of informations to make inform decision keeping in view the customer needs and wants. Marketing research provide manager insight regarding customer taste and preferences, product pricing, place and promotion strategy, competitors products, etc and help manager make better marketing decisions. Thus marketing manager increase his chances of success in the market by using up-to-date information while designing the marketing mix for the company offerings. Marketing research involves collecting information relevant to a specific marketing problem facing the organization through research by defining problem and coming up with the research objectives, preparing the research plan, and then implementing and interpreting the findings through research report for actions to marketing manager. 3.3. Kinds of Marketing Information used by Organization: According to OBrien and Marakas (2004), an information system can be any organized combination of people, hardware, software, communications, networks, and data resources that stores and retrieves, transform, and disseminates information in an organization. A company can use two types of marketing information based on the position of the end-users and type of use: the MIS for the managers and MIS for operational sales and marketing activities. The users of Marketing Information system and decision-making systems are primarily senior executives, Heads of SBUs and Manager Marketing, and analyst. Usually experts use raw data collected from various sources and refine them to be presented to marketing department. 3.4. How Marketing Increase Demand. The marketing concept is a process by which marketers identify consumer needs and wants and then provide products that satisfy these needs and wants, in a process of achieving organizational objectives. A product created and delivers based on the marketing concept benefit customer when it satisfies his need or want. When one have the ability, desire and authority to purchase certain product it is called demand. Marketer creates demand for his offering by providing to its target markets four types of utility known as form utility, place utility, form utility and possession utility. Section 4: Effective People communication and information: 4.1. Important of employing suitable people: For effective communication in an organization it is vital to employee suitable people across the organization. The communication within and outside the organization will have impact only when the receiver (one who receives and interpret the message) pursue exactly what the sender (a person who transmit and idea or message) mans. This depends a lot on the people inside the organization. If people inside the organization are talented and have mature personality they will interpret the message by using their professional skills acquired through various training and development. If the case is opposite, the organization will be facing difficulties in every wake of life. Communication skills of an employee also add goodwill for the employee as well as the organization. 4.2. Communication using appropriate method: The appropriate method of communication is first to determined the purpose of communication. The manager can determine that by answering: Why is the communication required? After defining the purpose of the communication the manager then need to identify the target audience, as the construction of message will depends a lot on the audience. He is supposed to ascertain some background information regarding the receiver of the message including position, educational level, experience etc. The communicator is then required to develop his message in a very clear, coherent, correct, concise and logical manner by maintain positive attitude that is reflected in choice of words. 4.3. Different type of information and how it can be process: Communication can occur through different processes and methods and can also be classified on the channel used and the style of communication. On the basis of channels communication can be divided into verbal communication (communication in written or oral form) and non-verbal (communication through body language, expressions, visuals etc.) On the basis of style communication can formal and informal. Formal communication occurs when in formal organization settings including communication between a superior and subordinate or organization and taxing authorities etc. On the other hand informal communication is free and unrestricted communication between employees who share casual relation with one another. An example of this is communication between pears. 4.4. Presenting Information Effectively: Effective information contains 7 characteristics that are known as 7 Cs of effective communication. This 7 Cs are Credibility, Courtesy, Clarity, Conciseness, Correctness, Coherent, and Consideration. Credibility of information means that the information present should be trustworthy. Courtesy means that the presenter of information should starts and end on courteous note. Clarity is important regardless of the content of the message. A message is clear when it contains information that is easily interpreted. A message should also be correct when it is 100% error and accurate and facts and figures are backed through documented evidence. The presented message need also be consistent, meaning stable and have no ups and down. Concreteness of message is present when the message is not vague and abstract but rather a solid statement that is used to reinforce the confidence. Conciseness of the message means providing to the point information to the target that saves time for both sender an d receiver. Section 5: Introduction to Accounting: 5.1. Purpose of accounting and categorization of business income and expenditure: Accounting is said to be the language of business. According Horngren and Harrison (2001), accounting is the system that measures business activities, processes that information into reports, and communicates these findings to decision makers. An organization income can be classified into Gross Income (the residual of total revenue minus cost of goods sold or direct expense), Operating Income (Gross Income minus Operating Expense), Income before taxes (Operating Income minus interest expenses) Income After Taxes (Income before taxes minus corporate taxes, if any). On the other hand expenses can be categorized on the basis of Cost of goods sold (material, labor and overhead expenses in case of manufacturing, and purchase price plus direct expenses in case of merchandizing business), operating expense (include marketing, sales and administration expense). 5.2. Preparing a cash flow forecasts: Cash flow forecast is the amount of money that organization expects that will come-in (Inflow of cash) and goes-out (outflow of cash). The inflow of cash includes sources such as cash sales, collection from customer, bank loan, and proceeds of stocks issued, or through sales of fixed assets. On the other hand cash outflows include all the disbursement to suppliers, payment of staff salaries and benefits, repayment of loan and/or capital, payment of expenses like rent, rates, taxes, capital expenditure for the acquisition of new assets, and interest payment by an organization. The total net cash flow is the difference between the total cash Inflow and total cash outflow for a particular period of time. The forecasting of cash flow includes tabulating all the major cash inflows, for example, cash sales, receipts from customer, loans etc and then analyzing the timing of expected payments in the form of salaries, material, capital expenditure etc. To this amount the current period net ca sh flow is added (if positive) while the desired started cash flow for the upcoming year is then subtracted. If the organization has left with negative figure then it arranges a loan accordingly. 5.3. Profit and loss account and balance sheet: The profit and loss account also known as Income statement portrays the results of business for particular period of time usually a year. It can be called a moving picture of the business stating the total revenue earned by the organization and total expenses incurred on earning the revenue, and the end result whether profit have been earned or losses have been sustained. On the other hand Balance Sheet depicts financial position of a business organization on a particular date usually at the end of year. Balance Sheet is like a snapshot of the organization that portrays the Assets it organization and liabilities and owners equity of the organization. 5.4. Review business performance using simple ratio analyze: In order to evaluate an organization performance one can use ratio analysis for interpreting the results and then comparing that with its own past results or with that of industry player. The most commonly used ratio includes liquidity ratios, that measure the business liquidity whether the firm will be able to pay its short term debts when it comes due or not. Profitability ratios measure firms profitability with respect to sales, equity, assets, long term assets etc. Coverage ratios measure whether firm will be able to pay its fixed charges from the profit or not. Activity ratios measure various activities of the organization including inventory, receivables, payables, etc.

Superman - All American Essay -- essays research papers

Superman, All-American Hero Gary Engle describes Superman as the ultimate American, â€Å"Superman is the greatest American hero† (Engle, 677). After reading three comic books I notice an occurring theme of wanting to protect what is good, even though the comic books chosen span over eleven years. Several distinct things to Superman’s personality are his cape, the respect he has for others, the respect others have for him, his intelligence, his protection of all life and what is right, his origin, and the sacrifices he makes. Superman is considered to be the greatest American hero of all time. The Superman epic has gone on for years and years; yet the story line has always remained the same: The core of American myth is Superman consists of a few basic facts that remain unchanged throughout the infinitely varied ways in which the myth is told – facts with which everyone is familiar, however marginal their knowledge of the story. Superman is an orphan rocketed to Earth when his native planet Krypton explodes; he lands near Smallville and is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who inculcate in him their American middle-class ethic; as an adult he migrates to Metropolis there he defends America – no, the world! no, the universe – from all evil and harm while playing a romantic game in which, as Clark Kent, he hopelessly pursues Superman, who remains aloof until such time as Lois proves worthy of him by falling in live with his feigned identity as a weakling. That’s it. (Engle, 678). This is the same in any tale of Superman, the same occurring theme. This adds character to Superman, and explains why he is so all-American. Firstly, Superman is an alien, to the United States and to the world. But is he really that different from you and me? We are all descended from people who were immigrants to America. Engle writes: â€Å"All Americans have immediate sense of their origins elsewhere† (Engle, 678). So doesn’t it make sense that everyone that fights or works for our natural freedoms are aliens, the soldiers, the doctors, the teachers, and Superman himself? â€Å"Like the peoples of the nation whose values he defends, Superman is an alien† (Engle, 678). Like all aliens the reason for coming to this country is to make something better of ones self. Where one may run any kind of business they please and not worry about someone else intervening because they simply can. Superman ... ..., to stand up and fight for what he/she believes in. Superman finally kills the creature but in the process end up dying himself. This is the sacrifice Superman makes for his people: he loses his life and his true love Lois. But it was all worth it in his eyes because he was protector of his nation. Superman had many things going for him, his invincibility against the humans, his strength, and most of all his love for Lois Lane. Superman could have easily fled and would have never been seen or herd from again. But to him America was worth his sacrifice of everything he has, including his life. Any true American is expected to sacrifice his life for his country. Superman is an astonishing being. His self-sacrifice presents an ideal of what any soldier should do for his country. His politeness is an ideal for how every person should behave. His ability not to overreact is an example of what to be like in a dangerous situation. Superman is a glorified all-American and would do anything for the people. He goes beyond the call of duty to make life easier on at least one other person. Without a doubt everyone should know why Superman is considered the greatest American hero of all time.

Perspectives

Pavlov (1927), founder of classical conditioning used dogs in his experiments. The key terms within his experiment were stimulus and response. The unconditioned stimulus of the child's fear would be the presence of animals and the unconditioned response would be the behavior of crying. The unconditioned response would become conditioned as It's associated with the stimulus (Doherty, Hughes, 2009). Skinner (1966) developed operant conditioning, focusing on reinforcement or punishment to elicit changes in behavior.He found reinforced behavior becomes strengthened and repeated whereas behavior not reinforced becomes extinct and weakened. For child X, his previous experience with animals may have been negative; therefore he may prefer the experience not to occur again (Miller, 2011). Watson (1924) believed Individual differences and experiences mould our behavior as emphasized below. â€Å"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own special world to bring them up in and I'l l guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select†¦ (quoted in Schaffer, 2004, peg. 336). Influenced by Pavlov, Watson believed behavior can be controlled through understanding relationships between stimulus and response. Child Ax's home or educational setting could change to adapt a pet policy within the environment, to become confident to eradicate his fear. Bandeau (1986) emphasized on behavior as imitation with four elements; attention, mental representation, mitotic response and motivation. Child X could have seen someone showing negative affection towards an animal (attention allowing him to remember his observations (mental representation).This may be the reason as to how he behaves In the same way (mitotic response) when he felt the urge to cry (motivation) (Levine, Munich, 2011 This theory highlights people learn from imitation as a direct reinforcement of their own behavior within their environment. â€Å"The psychodr ama approach focuses on the role of internal processesÃ'›. In shaping personality, and thereby behavior. † (Clansman, Had, 2009, peg. 224) our preconscious mind or they are totally inaccessible within our unconscious mind.Our unconscious thoughts can become conscious through dream interpretation, free association and transference. Many unconscious thoughts are experiences best forgotten (Gross, 2010). Child X could have experienced a negative incident with animals causing him to erase this event from his mind. Freud recognized three structures of personality resulting in clashes. Old is the basic personality wanting everything and will do anything to feed it's desires through operating a ‘pleasure principle'. For child X, the id would make him cry while looking at animals making it uncontrollable.Superego is the sensible structure conditioned by the environment and has a conscience of both right and wrong, so would tell child X not to seek attention by crying. Ego is a mediator between id and superego; therefore controls both structures (Hermann, 1994). However, as child X grows older, his superego ill control his id through moral principles resisting temptations of crying. Humanists are optimistic and recognize behavior through own free will (Gross, 2010). Mason (1968) and Rogers (1951) regarded personal growth and fulfillment in life as basic human nature.Both theorists emphasis on growth and fulfillment for a person to be able to self-actualities (Nee, 1996). Mason believes individuals have capability to progress towards the level of self- actualization highlighted through hierarchical stages (see appendix 1). However, if there is a failure to meet lower level needs, progression to the next stage is delayed. Although there are many needs to be met at the bottom there is a potential to achieve for all (Nee, 1996). Child X may have experienced a dangerous situation with an animal; therefore his safety needs would need to be met for him to progre ss onto the next stage.Rogers believed humans have one basic aim; to self-actualities by fulfilling their own potential. His theory highlights self-esteem as the ‘real self and the ‘ideal self. Being able to achieve what one is capable of allows self-actualization and positive regard from others to promote self-esteem (Doherty, Hughes, 2009). If child X was shown positive regard when in the presence of animals, he may remove his fear and begin to self-actualities. â€Å"Cognitive psychology is concerned with†¦ Perception, learning, memory, language, emotion, concept formation and thinking. (Essence, 1995, peg. L) Cosmogonists view people and their environment as important. Piglet's (1969) constructivist theory is based on age ability of stage learning. His theory describes children's perspective on their world (Levine, Munich, 2011). Pigged identified four stages of learning (see appendix 2) believing past experiences shape children's organization of the world. Ref lecting on Piglet's stages, child X would be in the very early stages of the pre-operational stage as he cannot see his fear of animals from another perspective.Using symbolic features within this stage may allow him to make links between reality and fantasy (Dates, Grayson, 2004) forming close links to the psychodrama approach regarding accessing the unconscious mind. Child X may not access his unconscious mind due to unpleasant past experience. Weights (1978) emphasized social interactions through scaffolding and understanding of the world (Curtis, Change, 2005). Like Pigged, he constructed a stage theory (see appendix 3). Child X may understand emotions and experiences if knowledge is stored within him.Making him understand there is nothing to fear about with animals, may be beyond his intellectual capability because of his global developmental delay. He may not have reached the stage of maturity within ZAP to remove his fears. However, through reconstruction and social interacti ons, he may become used to the presence of animals within his environment. The cultural context within stages may influence his fear as family contexts may imply a ‘no pets' policy, Hereford imitating the family attitude.Behaviorist's emphasis on connections between the environment and the behavior and ignore physiological and cognitive events occurring. Pavlov and Skinner experimented on animals whereas Bandeau and Watson experimented with children. The behaviorism perspective is concerned with nurture as the environment is the stimulus of it's theories. It does not take into perspective holism, therefore against the humanistic approach (Clansman, Had, 2009). Humanists found the psychodrama approach to be too pessimistic in comparison to their optimistic approach.This approach is individualistic and studies internal world of the person rather than external. Measles hierarchy suggests moving upwards in regards to achievement similar to the stage theories for other perspectives . Although his theory is not age related, it is similar to Hoosegows as individuals' progress accordingly. However, Pigged identified children cannot progress onto the next stage without having developed fully in the previous. All these theorists have one thing in common; failure to meet lower level needs results in a delay or fixation to develop (Gross, 2010).

Shylock and Antonio in essays

Shylock and Antonio in essays One of the main themes of The Merchant of Venice is Good verses Evil. By incorporating characters into this theme, the two I see as most fitting are Antonio, representing good, friendship and honesty and Shylock as Antonios enemy, represents evil and dishonesty. Therefore the character of whom I most admire is Antonio, as he stands for all that is good. As much as I admire Antonio, I dislike Shylock, who has no mercy for those around him and would probably exact a harsh revenge even on his best of friends. We first meet Shylock in (Act I (scene iii)) where Bassanio seeks out Shylock for a loan in Antonios name, it is the first we hear of the Jews hatred for Antonio, I hate him for he is a Christian. (Act I (scene iii) ) This shows the reasons for Shylocks hatred towards Antonio, both financially and religiously. Any chance he can get, he will destroy Antonios life and fortune. This is proved by what he says later on in Act I scene iii, If I can once catch him upon the hip, I will feed fat the grudge against him. While the bond is being decided Shylock hides his hate for Antonio and instead misleads him to believe their differences have been forgotten and that friendship has shone through. This is to entrap Antonio in order to hold him into a bond, which most certainly will end up feeding Shylocks revenge even more. If Antonio defaults then Shylock is to take a pound of Antonios flesh, Taken in what part of your body pleaseth me. (Act I (scene iii)) We know Antonio thinks of Shylock as a friend by what he says in (Act I (scene iii)), The Hebrew will turn Christian, he grows kind. However, this friendship is dependent on him changing religion. There can be no possibility of compatibility if he remains Jewish. For the rest of Act I and II we hear little of Shy...

The Thin Red Line is a film about World War two on an island called Guadalcanal Essays

The Thin Red Line is a film about World War two on an island called Guadalcanal Essays The Thin Red Line is a film about World War two on an island called Guadalcanal Essay The Thin Red Line is a film about World War two on an island called Guadalcanal Essay Essay Topic: Call of the Wild The Thin Red Line is a film about World War two on an island called Guadalcanal. The American troops have discovered a Japanese air base and have come to the island for war. The movie starts with Jim Caviezel, staring as Private Witt, and a nameless soldier co-operating with the islanders. From there they are found by the American soldiers whilst being on AWOL. They are then re-recruited and sent to war. I believe that the plot is well put together, fast-paced and has many different representations, which makes the movie brilliant. The first ten minutes of the film include many links from image sound and theme. Malick uses these ten minutes to give a visual representation of the calm and tranquil nature of the island before war attempting to make you feel like you are there. He does this with the links of image, sound and theme as it really brings the film to life. After the first ten minutes he brings war to the film. This contradicts the former peaceful mood and now turns the oasis of gentle surrounding to a more exciting and careful feeling. This is because of the situations where care is needed in the film for example where the Americans need to creep up the hillside, making sure that they are not seen. In the first ten minutes of the film, there are three critical scenes I have chosen, as they all show great links between image, sound and theme. The first scene shows Private Witts nameless companion in a medium close up camera shot whilst handling a wild, tropical bird. There is a strong image and theme link here with the man and bird representing a strong relationship between mankind and nature and an even deeper link into equality as the wild bird is interacting with an American soldier, not just the native islanders. Showing us that Terence Malick is trying to get the message across that anyone can have a relationship; there is potential, people just need to make the effort. The film shows that freedom is possible and that is what they are fighting for. The sounds in this scene, so far, are diagetic. Malick does this so that we hear the same sounds as the soldiers, from there we empathise with the soldiers and there is a close relationship between us which allows us to see that all of the soldiers are individuals and have their own opinions on the war at hand and the sounds and environment around them. The peace and beautiful nature around the soldiers gets destroyed by the war and the peaceful nature of the natives is also destroyed by the guns. This shows Malicks views on war as a force that destroys equality between mankind and nature and destroys peace on earth. Another scene is where Private Witt is talking to a native islander about her baby. The conversation starts with less trust, the baby is afraid of the unknown an there is no background music. The long camera shot shows that the conversation is unfamiliar for both cultures. The native then begins to laugh as she becomes familiar to Witt, the calm music returns as the familiar, joyful relationships return. The camera shot turns to an over-the-shoulder shot representing the, now, intimate relationship between the native and Private Witt, formerly the camera was a long-range, two-person shot giving a sense of seclusion as if we are not in the conversation. The growing relationship between the native and Private Witt shows a contrast between black and white cultures, how opposites can work together for happiness and how different races have a lot in common. In contrast to the relationship between cultures, the soldiers are white skinned but have a black nature; they have a dark and evil reason for being where they are. The native has black skin but has a white nature as she is clean living, there are no problems. This could represent Malicks thoughts on war as well, with him believing that war has a dark and evil nature. I think that he has used an excellent situation and has an excellent perspective on war. An important moment in those first ten minutes is when the native boy is holding shellfish in the safety of the palms of his hands. Malick wants us to concentrate on the shellfish in the hands; he does this by using and over the shoulder shot and Hans Zimmer excludes all music. I think he uses the over-the-shoulder shot so that by not seeing the boys expressions we can only look at the image on screen and see the shellfish in the boys hands. The shellfish in the boys hands represents that the shellfish are safe, which is a link of image and theme to the safety on the island. It is also another image that shows the harmonic relationship between mankind and nature. There is freedom in the safety of the shellfish and freedom is what is being fought for, also it, again, links to larger points like how the beautiful nature gets destroyed and the peace shown will get destroyed by guns later on in the film. Another link between image, sound and theme is that the islanders hold peaceful, quiet shellfish safe in their hands whilst the soldiers hold loud, destructive guns and they are constantly in danger. Here Malick is representing his views on war by showing how war means the participants are constantly in danger and may also bring destruction. As a conclusion I believe that Terence Malick starts the film with the opening sequence on the island to show us his views on war and how it is a destructive force with a dark nature, its participants are constantly in danger and it brings horror to mankind; destroying equality and peace.

Phillis Wheatley - Slave Poet of Colonial America

Phillis Wheatley - Slave Poet of Colonial America Dates: about 1753 or 1754 - December 5, 1784Also known as: sometimes misspelled as Phyllis Wheatley An Unusual Background Phillis Wheatley was born in Africa (probably Senegal) about 1753 or 1754. When she was about eight years old, she was kidnapped and brought to Boston. There, in 1761, John Wheatley bought her for his wife, Susanna, as a personal servant. As was the custom of the time, she was given the Wheatley familys surname. The Wheatley family taught Phillis English and Christianity, and, impressed by her quick learning, they also taught her some Latin, ancient history, mythology and classical literature. Writing Once Phillis Wheatley demonstrated her abilities, the Wheatleys, clearly a family of culture and education, allowed Phillis time to do study and write. Her situation allowed her time to learn and, as early as 1765, to write poetry. Phillis Wheatley had fewer restrictions than most slaves experienced but she was still a slave. Her situation was unusual. She was not quite part of the white Wheatley family, nor did she quite share the place and experiences of other slaves. Published Poems In 1767, the Newport Mercury published Phillis Wheatleys first poem, a tale of two men who nearly drowned at sea, and of their steady faith in God. Her elegy for the evangelist George Whitefield, brought more attention to Phillis Wheatley. This attention included visits by a number of Bostons notables, including political figures and poets. She published more poems each year 1771-1773, and a collection of her poems was published in London in 1773. The introduction to this volume of poetry by Phillis Wheatley is unusual: as a preface is an attestation by seventeen men of Boston that she had, indeed, written the poems herself: WE whose Names are underwritten, do assure the World, that the POEMS specified in the following Page, were (as we verily believe) written by Phillis, a young Negro Girl, who was but a few Years since, brought an uncultivated Barbarian from Africa, and has ever since been, and now is, under the Disadvantage of serving as a Slave in a Family in this Town. She has been examined by some of the best Judges, and is thought qualified to write them. The collection of poems by Phillis Wheatley followed a trip that she took to England. She was sent to England for her health when the Wheatleys son, Nathaniel Wheatley, was traveling to England on business. She caused quite a sensation in Europe. She had to return unexpectedly to America when they received word that Mrs. Wheatley was ill. Sources disagree on whether Phillis Wheatley was freed before, during or just after this trip, or whether she was freed later. Mrs. Wheatley died the next spring. The American Revolution The American Revolution intervened in Phillis Wheatleys career, and the effect was not completely positive. The people of Boston and of America and England bought books on other topics rather than the volume of Phillis Wheatley poems. It also caused other disruptions in her life. First her master moved the household to Providence, Rhode Island, then back to Boston. When her master died in March of 1778, she was effectively if not legally freed. Mary Wheatley, the daughter of the family, died that same year. A month after the death of John Wheatley, Phillis Wheatley married John Peters, a free black man of Boston. Marriage and Children History is not clear about John Peters story. He was either a neer-do-well who tried many professions for which he was not qualified, or a bright man who had few options to succeed given his color and lack of formal education. The Revolutionary War continued its disruption, and John and Phillis moved briefly to Wilmington, Massachusetts. Having children, trying to support the family, losing two children to death, and dealing with the wars effects and a shaky marriage, Phillis Wheatley was able to publish few poems during this period. She and a publisher solicited subscriptions for an additional volume of her poetry which would include 39 of her poems, but with her changed circumstances and the wars effect on Boston, the project failed. A few poems were published as pamphlets. George Washington In 1776, Phillis Wheatley had written a poem to George Washington, lauding his appointment as commander of the Continental Army. That was while her master and mistress were still alive, and while she was still quite the sensation. But after her marriage, she addressed several other poems to George Washington. She sent them to him, but he never responded again. Later Life Eventually John deserted Phillis, and to support herself and surviving child she had to work as a scullery maid in a boardinghouse. In poverty and among strangers, on December 5, 1784, she died, and her third child died hours after she did. Her last known poem was written for George Washington. Her second volume of poetry was lost. More About Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley: Analysis of Her Poems Suggested Reading on This Site African American History and Women Timeline 1700-1799African American Writers Recommended Books Phillis Wheatley - Bibliography Vincent Carretta, editor. Complete Writings - Penguin Classics. Reprint 2001.John C. Shields, editor. The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley. Reprint 1989.Merle A. Richmond. Bid the Vassal Soar: Interpretive Essays on the Poetry of Phillis Wheatley. 1974.Mary McAleer Balkun. Phillis Wheatleys construction of otherness and the rhetoric of performed ideology. African American Review, Spring 2002 v. 36 i. 1 p. 121. Childrens Books Ages 8-12:Kathryn Lasky. A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet. January 2003.Susan R. Gregson. Phillis Wheatley. January 2002.Maryann N. Weidt. Revolutionary Poet: A Story about Phillis Wheatley. October 1997.Young Adult:Ann Rinaldi. Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Phillis Wheatley. 1996.

Market Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Market Structure - Essay Example Simultaneously, economics can be defined as a way of thinking. In the present day context, business units get largely impacted by the market structure of the place or a particular nation as business performance is directly dependent on how the economy behaves in the long run. Notably, on the basis of economic situations and other features, market structure of a place is divided into several forms including perfect competition, monopolistic competition and oligopoly and each one of them has their own characteristics or features. Business units have the need to analyze these particular features to ensure the accomplishment of their business targets (Baumol & Blinder, 2011; Hubbard, 2007). In this proposed discussion, the main aim will be to describe various market structures including perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly along with identifying a few of the characteristics of each of the market structures. Additionally, the paper will discuss the way in which high entry barriers into the market can influence long-run profitability of a firm. The paper will also discuss price elasticity of demand of each of the market structures and its impact on pricing of products to get a more comprehensive understanding about the same. Perfect competition describes such market conditions, where a large number of sellers are involved in business activities and also the sellers are dealing with homogeneous products. Notably, in this sort of market structure, none of the players are big or large enough to capture the entire market by their operations. In such market scenarios, each of the players in the market is competent enough to ensure perfect competition for others in the same market which further augments the level of competition in the market. This sort of market structure provides utmost opportunities for business units to perform in an effective manner; otherwise they might perish while attaining long-term sustainability (Baumol

Personals IELTS Scores Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personals IELTS Scores - Coursework Example In this case, the math test is considered to be independent variable while scores of personal IELTS scores in listening and reading are considered to be dependent variables. The IELTS test can be defined as a high stakes selection test that is applied in measuring the proficiency in the English language of NESB students who intend to study in a tertiary institution (Hawkey 2006). The test report is based on the test performance and it includes a band score that is between 0-9 for every subtest as well as an overall score; the mean of the results. The IELTS which is considered as the admission tool is seen to have become popular for the past decade (Hawkey 2006)Null HypothesisThere is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of personal IELTS scores in listening and reading when doing math test.Alternative HypothesisThere is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of personal IELTS scores in listening and reading when doing math test.The table above shows that FMU6PA group has a mean score of 7.5 and 8 for listening and reading respectively. The standard deviation is also 0.39 and 0.3 respectively. This means that the variation in listening data is higher than that of reading. The median and mean is almost the same for reading and this implies that the data is normally distributed. The table above shows that Foundation science group has a mean score of 7.7 and 6 for listening and reading respectively.

Breast Cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Breast Cancer - Research Paper Example There are many studies and intensive research is underway in order to identify the most important factors that are the reason for the constant increase of the incidence of breast cancer in the last several decades. The results and information’s from this research should help us reduce the morbidity and mortality from breast cancer and increase the self-awareness of the general population about the risks for this disease. In this study we will conduct a systematic research on the risk and other factors that are the most important factors in the etiology of breast cancer and also we will discuss the challenges of effective screening and treatment of breast cancer. Introduction Breast cancer is malignant neoplasm that is originating from the tissues of the breast. It has significance as one of the most common cancers in the population that almost exclusively affects the female population, however in small percentages this malignancy is present in the male population also (less than 1% of all cases of breast cancer) (Florescu et al. 2011). Breast cancer is the most common type of invasive malignancy that affects women and contributes up to 23% of all invasive cancers that affect female population worldwide. It is registered that in year 2008 13.7% of cancer mortality in the female population in the world was caused by breast cancer or 6% of all cancer mortality worldwide (men and women) was caused by breast cancer (GLOBOCAN 2008). These numbers are alarming and show that breast cancer has severe impact on the global morbidity and mortality especially on the female population. It is also alarming that incidences of breast cancer are constantly increasing dur ing the last three decades and this tendency is maintained till the resent day (Louwman et al 2008). It is believed that this is caused by the modern way of life and the changes that appeared in the habits and diets of modern way of living, changes in the reproductive behavior of the female population and other factors (Dignam et al 2003). This fact can be elaborated more clearly if we understand that the incidence of breast cancer is higher in western, developed countries and in countries that accept western way of lifestyle. For example incidences of breast cancer in population of 100 000 in western Europe is 78, in North America is 90 and these rates are significantly higher when compared to eastern Asia with 18 cases per 100 000 population, in sub-Saharan Africa 22 etc. (Stewart and Kleihues 2003). United States has the highest incidence of breast cancer in the world with 128 new cases of breast cancer on 100 000 women and in United States breast cancer is the second most common cancer after the skin cancer and the second most common cause of cancer mortality after lung cancer (American Cancer Society 2007). As we can see from the above statistics breast cancer has significant effect on the mortality in the population worldwide but especially in the developed countries. 3. Risk factors for breast cancer 3.1. Unchangeable risk factors for breast cancer There are many factors that is believed are the risen for the increase of the incidence of breast cancer in developed countries. In order to understand these factors we will look at the risk factors that are found to be associated with increased incidence of brea

The Positive and Negative Effects of European Colonization of South Research Paper

The Positive and Negative Effects of European Colonization of South Eastern Australia - Research Paper Example This earliest establishment however, faced relatively tough conditions because of the overall land quality around Sydney Cove area. The second fleet arrived in 1790 to offer much relief for the settlers of the first settlement and greatly increased the overall presence of Britain on Australian soil. The overall purpose of establishing the colonies in Australia was mostly based upon the fact that British lost most of its American colonies in war of Independence. As such there was an emphasis on founding the replacement colonies at other places in order to continue to fulfill the political and economic objectives of the British Government. Besides the country was also considered as suitable for the purpose of plantation while at the same time, this colony could also provide compensation to British Loyalist Americans. This paper will however, attempt to explore and analyze the overall negative and positive impact of the European Colonization in the South Easter Australian region. Coloni alism- a general introduction Colonialism has a rich history as nations attempted to expand themselves beyond their physical borders by establishing colonies in other areas. Under this mechanism the indigenous population is either directly ruled or displaced to reduce the overall resistance to the power. England was one of the main countries which have established colonies across the whole globe to achieve different political as well as economic objectives. (Osterhammel 1997) One of the key impacts of the colonization of the territories was the systematic use and exploitation of these territories’ resources, markets as well as labor. As such due to these factors important socio-political and cultural changes took place in these areas which virtually eroded the original culture of these areas. It is important to note that the colonies which were established as a result of this were different in nature wherein nations either attempted to establish settler colonies, plantation c olonies, dependencies as well as the trading posts. These were established in order to achieve larger socio-political objectives besides ensuring that the overall power of a nation remains a dominating factor in world politics. Countries like Australia and New Zealand were settler colonies established with a major aim of transporting large number of people from the parent countries to these host colonies. However, the inter-mingling of the different races created strong health related issues. In many instances almost half of the race died of the different diseases. Aborigines of the region mostly died either through conflict with the Europeans or out of the diseases. European Settlements in Australia The early evidence for the attempts made by Europeans to settle in Australia dates back to 1606 when Dutch attempted to occupy the land. They were the first to sail through to this land however, they were heavily confronted by the Aborigines therefore they had to leave without settling there. It was also because of this reason that Dutch only made one landing on the soil of Australia and did not attempted to settle there. During 1770, British tried for the first time to sail through the area and attempt to establish a proper base in the region. In 1770, Capitan James Cook sailed around this region and named it as New South Wales. Cook also claimed the land in the name of England while at the same time ignoring the Aborigines.

Economy of Brazil and Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economy of Brazil and Russia - Essay Example This paper is divided into two sections which look at Russia and Brazil individually. The main goal of this report is to answer two questions. First, whether the Russian and Brazilian governments have been successful in running their economies from 2003-2005. Secondly, it will conduct an identification and evaluation of the different policies implemented by both governments within the time frame and their effects on the overall economic performance. According to the United State's Center Intelligence Agency World Factbook, Brazil is the ninth largest economy in the world based on purchasing power parity. Recovering from its inflationary problem in the early 1990s, Brazil has now emerged as a stable economy owing from the Real Plan implemented since 1994 (Economy of Brazil 2006). In order to fully assess the economic performance of Brazil during the past three years, this paper will look at various economic indicators which include nominal GDP (Gross Domestic Product), GDP growth rate, per capita GDP, and inflation growth from 2003-2005. This paper will utilize the data provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Figure 1 shows the GDP and GDP growth rate in Brazil from 2003-2005. ... All in all, the Brazilian economy recorded a 7.32% increase in GDP during the three year period. It should be noted that nominal GDP is in an upward trend, albeit at a decreasing rate. Figure 2. GDP per capita (Real) and Inflation (%) in Brazil (2003-2005) Figure 2 shows the GDPO per capita and inflation rate of Brazil in from 2003-2005. Consistent with the upward trend in nominal GDP, per capita GDP is also increasing at a decreasing rate. There is a huge drop in the growth of inflation rate from 2004-2005. However, the economy was not able to sustain the 2004 level. Inflation slightly mounted by 0.3% in 2005 relative to what is recorded in the previous year. Compared to the previous years, the Brazilian government has been highly successful in fostering economic growth. World Bank reports that the country "has succeeded in reducing poverty to some extent and stepping towards attaining the millennium goals" and "for the first time in three decades, Brazil is experiencing an internal and fiscal equilibrium and low inflation." These improvements has been directly attributed to the government's active role in alleviating the economic situation. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stresses that the development of the Brazilian economy in the past three years is a result of its notable macroeconomic policies including the inflation targeting model and the Fiscal Policy legislation. Economists refer to these policies as the "main institutional pillars for macroeconomic management and consolidation" (Economic Summary of Brazil 2005) in Brazil. The inflation targeting framework has been adopted by Brazil in 1999 after putting in place a floating exchange rate regime. This requires the

Reparation Law & Evidence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reparation Law & Evidence - Assignment Example Introduction When a claimant seeks compensation to harm incurred from a situation or individual, the most desirable means of settling the dispute would be by incorporation of alternative dispute resolution tactics without necessarily going to a court trial.3 Such techniques may include use of arbitrators, or regulators to deliver resolved the dispute or by offering an opinion on the matter that may assist the parties in dispute to resolve the dispute. Before claim, other key areas to note include the economic status of the defendant. If the defendant is bankrupt and has no property of value or in debt, it may be unwise to seek payment since it would only cost the plaintiff legal fees which they may never be able to recover.4 In such a case, if still necessary to make a claim, it would be wise to state an amount and the time of payment, as well. United Kingdom laws require that compensation claims against a wrongdoing have adequate evidence that explicitly shows the actual instance of wrongdoing. This may be in the form of witnesses or a document footage, which must all be presented to the court handling the case. Without proper evidence, it is quite impossible to follow up a successful claim against a defendant.5 There are claims involving companies, well noted in company law. Such cases include breach of contracts, whether by a company or an individual. Such cases, usually seek compensation for the required service or product stated in the contract, where one party did not meet the end of their bargain, or acted against provisions in the contract.6 Cheryl acquires injuries on her face, after being hit by a pedal from Lizzie’s bike after it was run over by Donnas’ car to the point that she could not see through her right eye. She cannot be able drive for at least a week. This inconveniences her from attending a concert, hence losing money used to purchase tickets to that concert. Cheryl earns her living as a model, and because of the injuries incu rred, she cannot attend an audition as well as a photo shoot for an advert for a company. Cheryl has several claims that she could be able to pursue in the case of her situation. The UK law provides that she can make a whiplash personal injury claim. She could direct the claim to either Lizzie, the bike’s owner, to Donna, who smashed Lizzie’s bike and finally to Donald, the car owner who initially hit Lizzie. The claim against Lizzie would have a basis on the aspect that Lizzie did not wait for the lights to turn green before she started crossing the road, and in the event, she is at the centre of an accident involving Lizzie and Donald’s car. The basis on such a claim would be that Lizzie was careless and that she did not follow traffic regulations that require her to wait until the lights are green before she crosses the road. She could use either Donald or Donna as her witnesses since both of them were present at the time of the accident.7 Donald would be a b etter witness, since he would also be trying to ward of blame on hitting Lizzie. He would, therefore, make a strong support for Cheryl’s claim against Lizzie. Towards Donna, Cheryl can make a personal injury claim based on the aspect that she was the one who runs over Lizzie’s bike, and in the event, a pedal comes off, only to hit Cheryl on the face.8

The Positive and Negative Effects of European Colonization of South Research Paper

The Positive and Negative Effects of European Colonization of South Eastern Australia - Research Paper Example This earliest establishment however, faced relatively tough conditions because of the overall land quality around Sydney Cove area. The second fleet arrived in 1790 to offer much relief for the settlers of the first settlement and greatly increased the overall presence of Britain on Australian soil. The overall purpose of establishing the colonies in Australia was mostly based upon the fact that British lost most of its American colonies in war of Independence. As such there was an emphasis on founding the replacement colonies at other places in order to continue to fulfill the political and economic objectives of the British Government. Besides the country was also considered as suitable for the purpose of plantation while at the same time, this colony could also provide compensation to British Loyalist Americans. This paper will however, attempt to explore and analyze the overall negative and positive impact of the European Colonization in the South Easter Australian region. Coloni alism- a general introduction Colonialism has a rich history as nations attempted to expand themselves beyond their physical borders by establishing colonies in other areas. Under this mechanism the indigenous population is either directly ruled or displaced to reduce the overall resistance to the power. England was one of the main countries which have established colonies across the whole globe to achieve different political as well as economic objectives. (Osterhammel 1997) One of the key impacts of the colonization of the territories was the systematic use and exploitation of these territories’ resources, markets as well as labor. As such due to these factors important socio-political and cultural changes took place in these areas which virtually eroded the original culture of these areas. It is important to note that the colonies which were established as a result of this were different in nature wherein nations either attempted to establish settler colonies, plantation c olonies, dependencies as well as the trading posts. These were established in order to achieve larger socio-political objectives besides ensuring that the overall power of a nation remains a dominating factor in world politics. Countries like Australia and New Zealand were settler colonies established with a major aim of transporting large number of people from the parent countries to these host colonies. However, the inter-mingling of the different races created strong health related issues. In many instances almost half of the race died of the different diseases. Aborigines of the region mostly died either through conflict with the Europeans or out of the diseases. European Settlements in Australia The early evidence for the attempts made by Europeans to settle in Australia dates back to 1606 when Dutch attempted to occupy the land. They were the first to sail through to this land however, they were heavily confronted by the Aborigines therefore they had to leave without settling there. It was also because of this reason that Dutch only made one landing on the soil of Australia and did not attempted to settle there. During 1770, British tried for the first time to sail through the area and attempt to establish a proper base in the region. In 1770, Capitan James Cook sailed around this region and named it as New South Wales. Cook also claimed the land in the name of England while at the same time ignoring the Aborigines.

Reparation Law & Evidence Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reparation Law & Evidence - Assignment Example Introduction When a claimant seeks compensation to harm incurred from a situation or individual, the most desirable means of settling the dispute would be by incorporation of alternative dispute resolution tactics without necessarily going to a court trial.3 Such techniques may include use of arbitrators, or regulators to deliver resolved the dispute or by offering an opinion on the matter that may assist the parties in dispute to resolve the dispute. Before claim, other key areas to note include the economic status of the defendant. If the defendant is bankrupt and has no property of value or in debt, it may be unwise to seek payment since it would only cost the plaintiff legal fees which they may never be able to recover.4 In such a case, if still necessary to make a claim, it would be wise to state an amount and the time of payment, as well. United Kingdom laws require that compensation claims against a wrongdoing have adequate evidence that explicitly shows the actual instance of wrongdoing. This may be in the form of witnesses or a document footage, which must all be presented to the court handling the case. Without proper evidence, it is quite impossible to follow up a successful claim against a defendant.5 There are claims involving companies, well noted in company law. Such cases include breach of contracts, whether by a company or an individual. Such cases, usually seek compensation for the required service or product stated in the contract, where one party did not meet the end of their bargain, or acted against provisions in the contract.6 Cheryl acquires injuries on her face, after being hit by a pedal from Lizzie’s bike after it was run over by Donnas’ car to the point that she could not see through her right eye. She cannot be able drive for at least a week. This inconveniences her from attending a concert, hence losing money used to purchase tickets to that concert. Cheryl earns her living as a model, and because of the injuries incu rred, she cannot attend an audition as well as a photo shoot for an advert for a company. Cheryl has several claims that she could be able to pursue in the case of her situation. The UK law provides that she can make a whiplash personal injury claim. She could direct the claim to either Lizzie, the bike’s owner, to Donna, who smashed Lizzie’s bike and finally to Donald, the car owner who initially hit Lizzie. The claim against Lizzie would have a basis on the aspect that Lizzie did not wait for the lights to turn green before she started crossing the road, and in the event, she is at the centre of an accident involving Lizzie and Donald’s car. The basis on such a claim would be that Lizzie was careless and that she did not follow traffic regulations that require her to wait until the lights are green before she crosses the road. She could use either Donald or Donna as her witnesses since both of them were present at the time of the accident.7 Donald would be a b etter witness, since he would also be trying to ward of blame on hitting Lizzie. He would, therefore, make a strong support for Cheryl’s claim against Lizzie. Towards Donna, Cheryl can make a personal injury claim based on the aspect that she was the one who runs over Lizzie’s bike, and in the event, a pedal comes off, only to hit Cheryl on the face.8

The Intermountain Region Essay Example for Free

The Intermountain Region Essay The Intermountain Region is a region that is located in parts of Canada and America, while lying between the Rocky and Coast Mountains, the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada. The high plateaus and isolated mountains with the only deserts in the US of A are very sparsely populated (excluding major cities). In Canada, this region is consisted of the interior plateau valleys of BC and the Yukon. The economic development of the Intermountain Region is greatly affected by its topography which is full of streams and rivers which instead of flowing into the sea, instead flow into the brackish lakes or disappear into desert sinks. However, there are still some that do reach into the ocean. The dry deserts of parts of the Intermountain Regions do not do well when it comes to agriculture- farming operational costs have increased greatly because of the need for irrigation which means that contrastingly irrigation companies generate lots of income for the region and nation as a whole. But this may be dangerous as the companies are going into long term debt from rushing to upgrade their systems in the next century. Death Valley does just fine though with its lack of water, do to being a large tourist attraction with its warm climate in that area, contributing to the economic development. As before mentioned, the climate in the Intermountain Region varies with elevation and location, in some parts it is cold and wet or dry and hot in winters. Going southward winters are lacking in precipitation and are dry and short. North, precipitation is also scarce but the climate is more moderate with dry, hot summers and moist winters. Also in the north, because the summers are shorter the growing season is shorter as well, which does  not help the agriculture industry. As you go farther down the eastern slopes of the mountains, air retains moisture and warms up. The Intermountain Region is so dry because of this rain shadow effect. As a cause of this, vegetation is made up largely of sparse grassland and plants that do well in semi-desert or desert climates. The Intermountain Region is full of contradictions however, as the areas that are higher up are covered in forests full of pine trees. These pine trees cover over 60 million hectares contributing 15 Billion dollars to the foresting industry, but because of the industrys clear cutting of old growth forests and damaging logging practices, approximately 36 million hectares are now protected. Now, will be moving on to the settlement patterns of the Intermountain Region. Climates in the Intermountain Region also make for an unappealing living area, going from extremes of being either cold and wet or hot and dry. As these climates are so inhospitable, vegetation is few and far and do not make for easy access to produce, etc Most areas of the Intermountain Region are thinly populated because of the deserts and high mountains. They are more densely populated around major cities such as Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Denver in the south. In the north there is Prince George and Williams Lake. In conclusion, Topography, climate and vegetation greatly influence the economy of regions as well as the settlement patterns. The Intermountain Region is diverse in its ways of economic gain and topography.

Effect of Export Performance on Economy

Effect of Export Performance on Economy CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION In this chapter, first we introduce the study by highlighting its background followed by a brief description of Malaysias economy and external trade based on relevant statistics related to economic growth trends and international trade, respectively. Next, we further proceed to look in detail at the export performance concept. Then, we indicate the current major products exported by Malaysian firms, and their main export destinations. Research problem, question, and objectives, followed by the significance, scope, limitations, and organization of the paper, are all discussed in the last part of the chapter. 1.1. Background of the Study With the increasing trend of globalization, the arena of market and competition for business firms has expanded from domestic markets to the international markets. This has accentuated the importance of understanding the behavior of firms in foreign markets. Exporting represents a viable strategic option for firms to internationalize and has remained the most frequently used foreign market entry mode chosen (Zhao Zou, 2002), as it provides the firm with the flexibility needed to penetrate and compete in new international markets. In 2001, the World Bank published the report Globalization, Growth and Poverty: Building an Inclusive World Economy. The report shows that 24 developing countries, which increased their integration into the world economy, achieved higher growth in incomes, longer life expectancy and better schooling (Van Dijk, 2002). Exporting is considered to be one of the most important ways for developing countries to link with the world economy. Therefore, it is identified by governments and public policy makers as a priority (Morgan, 1997). 1.1.1. Malaysias Economy and External Trade The Malaysian economy has shown to be one of the most dynamic economies in the Asia Pacific region. The structure of the Malaysian economy had a dramatic transformation in the last five decades. Gradually over this period, it has displayed attributes of newly industrialized country and its economy has shown an impressive track record (Hamid, 2004). The country had an impressive annual growth in the 1970s reaching 7.8%, and continued to grow at a rate of 8.8% in the 1980s except during recession in 1985 to 1986. The recovery started in 1988 and the economy sustained an annual growth of over 8% in the 1990s. However, the Asian financial crisis had the worst impact when the economy shrank by 11.2% year on year in the fourth quarter of 1998 (The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2009). This led the Malaysian government to implement several economic policy adjustments which started in 1999 in order to speed up the recovery. Consequently, the economy recorded a positive growth in seven consecutive years. After a strong take-off of 5.3% in 2003, the second half of 2006 recorded a higher than expected growth of 5.9% (Malaysia Economic Report , 2006). Recently, as a result of the global recession, Malaysias real GDP contracted by 6.2% year on year in the first quarter of 2009 (The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2009). However, the economy reco vered gradually later in the same year. Malaysias trade policy focuses on greater integration into the world economy and enhancing its global position as a trading nation. The country has consistently maintained its position as the 18th largest global exporter and the 20th largest importer in the last few years (WTO, 2005). Malaysias trade with the world from 2000 to 2009 is illustrated in figure 1. The bar chart shows that Malaysia had a steady increase in total trade. The country reached a peak of approximately RM787.5 billion and RM643.1 billion in 2009 for exports and imports respectively, yielding a trade surplus of RM144.4 billion. This trend is expected to continue in the next few years as more economic reforms would take place, coincided with high growth rates expected. 1.1.2. Export Performance Export performance is broadly defined as the outcome of a firms activities in export markets (Shoham, 1996). The fundamental importance of export performance to international marketing has led to a substantial body of research. It is recognized that research on export performance is of vital interest to three major groups: public policy makers, managers and researchers. First, export performance is important for public policy makers or governments as it contributes to the development of foreign exchange reserves, increases the level of imports a country can afford, provides a vehicle for job creation, improves employment opportunities, improves standards of living, and encourages better working conditions and more efficient business (Lages Montgomery, 2004). Second, at a micro level, managers view exporting as a way to expand their firms access to international markets, benefit from economies of scale, reduce the dependence on their domestic markets, and enjoy faster sales, employment, and growth (Freeman Lawley, 2005). Third, as a result of its importance for both policy makers and managers, researchers consider exporting a challenging and promising area for theory building in international marketing (Zou Stan, 1997). Since gaining independence from Britain in 1957, Malaysia implemented a series of 5-year development plans in order to transform its economy from being an exporter of rubber and tin to emerge as one of the worlds largest producers of palm oil products, timber, oil and manufactured products (Wheeler Mohamad, 1993). Additionally, due to its impressive growth, the manufacturing sector has replaced agriculture as the number one sector in the economy. Table 1 shows Malaysias major export products in January 2010. The manufacturing sector remains a dynamic engine of growth for Malaysia with an estimated share of 31.5% of GDP in 2005 (WTO, 2005). It is considered to be the most dominant sector with approximately three quarters of total exports. This is mainly due to the significant contribution of electrical and electronic products as they are Malaysias leading export earner with a value of RM21,372.3 billion, representing 40.75% of total exports in January 2010. Palm oil retained as the second largest export revenue earner with a total value of RM3,985 billion or 7.6% of exports. Third, liquefied natural gas (LNG) made up 6.5% of total exports with RM3,400.3 billion. Chemicals chemical products were the fourth largest commodity accounting for 6% of total exports with RM3,173.9 billion. The remaining different products Table 1: Malaysias major export products in January 2010 (Billion Ringgits) Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia, January 2010, Malaysia External Trade Statistics. Retrieved on 16/2/2010 from: http://www.matrade.gov.my/cms/documentstorage/com.tms.cms.document.Document_2c11596d-7f000010-584c584c-f259ef13/Press%20release%20Jan10%20Eng.pdfCalculated based on the values of the table. including crude petroleum, refined petroleum products, and others, formed approximately 40% of total exports in the same period. For export destinations, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was Malaysias major export market in January 2010, with RM7,094.9 billion (13.53% of total exports), as shown in table 2. Table 2: Malaysias major export markets in January 2010 (Billion Ringgits) Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia, January 2010, Malaysia External Trade Statistics. Retrieved on 16/2/2010 from: http://www.matrade.gov.my/cms/documentstorage/com.tms.cms.document.Document_2c11596d-7f000010-584c584c-f259ef13/Press%20release%20Jan10%20Eng.pdf Calculated based on the values of the table. The next major export destination is Singapore (13.26%, RM6,953.5 billion), followed by Japan (11.15%, RM5,849.7 billion), USA (9.37%, RM4,917.2 billion), and Hong Kong (5.5.%, RM 2,876.2 billion). These top five export destinations accounted for more than half of Malaysias total exports. The statistics reflect the increasing significance of exporting as a key economic tool for growth and development in Malaysia. In addition, despite the downturn caused by the Asian financial crisis thirteen years ago, Malaysia has made rapid strides in economic development through the continuous adoption of appropriate policies and strategies to ensure sustainability of growth (WTO, 2005) as well as to transform the economic structure of the country into a manufacturing and export-based economy. 1.2. Problem Statement, Question, and Objectives of the Study A problem is defined as any situation where a gap exists between the actual and the desired ideal state (Cavana et al., 2007). It is critical that the problem of the study is unambiguously identified, and followed by a clear, precise, and succinct statement of the question and objectives of the study. 1.2.1. Research Problem Much of the knowledge about successful export activity is fragmented, and the tradition of building on previous findings is not well-established in the export marketing field (Aaby Slater, 1989). Many export performance studies focused only on a single factor affecting export performance, while there have been only few attempts to come up with models that incorporate a wide range of relevant factors. These exceptions include, (Cooper Kleinschmidt, 1985); (Cavusgil Zou, 1994). Some of the discrepancies in the literature might be attributable to differences regarding the way in which export performance has been assessed (Walters Samiee, 1990). In this context, the vast majority of studies have utilized objective performance indicators (Katsikeas et al., 1996). However, there are two problems with the use of certain objective measures: First problem is concerned with research methodology i.e. accurate objective indicators of export performance are not easy to obtain since formal company financial statements and reports often make no clear distinction between domestic and export business operations, partially due to the fact that many firms view exporting as an extension of their domestic activities (Yang et al., 1992). Second, a serious comparability caveat may arise as a result of inherent measurement weaknesses underlying most objective measures (Katsikeas et al., 1996). Differences among industries and product subsectors in terms of competition or technology could lead to incoherent comparison across the sample firms. In other words, objective indicators of export performance, such as sales volume, sales growth and market share, might have little meaning in those cases where the firms surveyed belong to different industry or product groups (Covin, 1991). Accordingly, in order to fill this literature gap, it is important to use different indicators to measure the multi-dimensionality of export performance and increase the reliability of the results. In this research, we adopt three subjective indicators to measure export performance of Malaysian manufacturing firms by asking respondents three questions to indicate their perceptions in achieving objectives regarding export sales, export market share, and export profitability. We use this subjective composite indicator because, compared to other objective export indicators, it cancels the size effect and it also facilitates comparison between companies of different sizes and industries. 1.2.2. Research Question Are firms characteristics, export marketing strategy, management perceptions, and export commitment associated with export performance? If so, which of these contributes most to the variance of the dependant variable? 1.2.3. Research Objectives This study aims to contribute to the meager but growing literature on firm-level export performance for developing countries by using Malaysia as the empirical platform. The study was designed to reexamine some determinants of export performance mentioned in the export marketing literature, more specifically, certain firms characteristics, export marketing strategy adopted, managements attitudes and perceptions, and export commitment are integrated factors that viewed as significantly influencing export performance. In a nutshell, the study seeks to achieve the following two objectives: To investigate the relationships between export performance on one hand, and firm characteristics, export marketing strategy, management perceptions, and export commitment on the other hand. Establish the relative importance of each of the independent variables in influencing export performance of Malaysian manufacturing firms. 1.3. Significance, Scope, and Organization of the Study In the next few paragraphs, we address the approaches deployed in this paper that contribute to the significance of this research in the context of export marketing field. Further, the scope, limitations, and organization of the paper, are all discussed subsequently. 1.3.1. Significance of the Study With the increasing global business competition, it has become important, particularly for firms in developing countries, to understand the determinants of export performance as firms survival and expansion, and consequent economic growth of many developing countries are strongly dependent on a better understanding of what determines the export performance (Sousa et al., 2008). In spite of the numerous empirical studies of export performance published since the 1960s, the conclusions reached by researchers in this area have, however, varied widely. The significance of the present study is derived from its design to look anew at some determinants of export performance mentioned in the literature in order to examine their effect on export performance manufacturing firms in Malaysia where export marketing research is of extreme relevance for both practitioners and scholars, knowing that the country is considered to be the worlds eighteenth largest exporter, and the trend is growing significantly over time. For example, exports posted a double digit growth in December 2009, year-on-year, rising significantly by 18.7% to RM54.7 billion, compared with December 2008 (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2010). 1.3.2. Scope and Limitations of the Study The evidence reported in this paper should be interpreted in the light of several limitations. That is, in addition to the relatively low response rate of just 17%, the research effort was restricted to manufacturing firms within a specific country context, thus caution may be exercised in generalizing the present findings too broadly. Nonetheless, generalizations of the study findings may be applicable to those exporting frameworks with similar structural characteristics of export marketing. Furthermore, the cross-sectional nature of the data limits our ability to rule out cause-effect inferences (Katsikeas et al., 1996). Such one-shot study may not be suitable for a research that involves a dynamic phenomenon, therefore, the adoption of longitudinal studies in future studies can provide more insights into the dynamic aspects of export behavior and performance. Other limitations were related to time constraint, specifically during data collection period which started in mid-February 2010. This stage of the research was coincided with celebrations of the Chinese New Year, on February 14th, the period during which most companies in Malaysia had at least a one week holiday. As a result, it took us a relatively longer time than expected to receive responds in order to proceed for further analysis. 1.3.3. Organization of the Study In this study, an attempt is made to synthesize and empirically test a model of export performance focusing on exporters from an ASEAN member. Specifically, the sudsy constitutes indigenous Malaysian manufacturers trading with overseas distributors. The paper is formatted into several sections. First, an in-depth literature is presented including key theoretical and measurement problems. Next, a conceptual framework of export performance is developed through the statement of several hypotheses. Then, the research design approach and methodological procedures including data analysis are described. Lastly, we present the findings of the study followed by a discussion, conclusions, and recommendations. Summary of Chapter One Through its external trade policy, Malaysia aims primarily for a greater integration into the world economy in order to maintain its position as one of the largest global exporters, specifically exports of manufactured products. At a micro level, export performance refers to the outcome of a firms activities in export markets. It is a way to expand access to international markets, benefit from economies of scale, reduce the dependence on domestic markets, and enjoy faster sales, employment, and growth. Studies within the export marketing field are characterized by the discrepancy and fragmentation of the findings. In this context, most export performance studies utilized objective export performance measures. However, this might result in the fragmentation of findings due to some issues related to research methodology and comparability caveat among firms. Therefore, subjective indicators are employed to measure the dimensionality of export performance in the Malaysian context. The objective is delineate the relationship between export performance (dependent variable) on one hand, and firm characteristics, export marketing strategy, management perceptions, and export commitment (independent variables) on the other hand. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, a conceptual background of export performance is coherently addressed; starting with a relevant review of the export marketing performance literature and their main characteristics including the way in which export performance has been measured. We further proceed to identify and classify the multiple independent variables that have been frequently used in past studies. At the end of the chapter, some examples of the discrepancies in the findings of some studies are highlighted. 2.1. Export Marketing Performance Literature The classical economic view tries to explain why it is beneficial for a country to engage in international trade based on the assumption that countries differ in their abilities to produce goods efficiently. The comparative advantage theory, for example, helps to explain the pattern of international trade that we observe in the world economy (Heckscher Ohlin, 1991); (Ricardo, 1817); and (Smith, 1776). However, the assumptions underlying the principle of comparative advantage are unrealistic in many countries and industries. That is because competitive advantage depends on the capacity to innovate and upgrade. It also depends on the extent to which a home environment is dynamic, challenging, and forward looking. Therefore, competitive advantage is not inherited; in other words, it does not grow out of a countrys natural endowments, its labor, its interest rates or its currencys value, as classical economics insist (Porter, 1990). A plethora of studies have been published in the past 30 years on the determinants of export performance. This is mainly due to the increasing relevance of export marketing as an area of inquiry. Existing literature shows that the United States is the most researched country in export performance studies. However, an increasing number of studies have been conducted by European researchers from non-English-speaking countries who published in English-language journals. Examples include, (Bijmolt Zwart, 1994), (Holzmuller Kasper, 1991), and (Madsen, 1989). Some other studies have also been conducted in developing countries in Asia and Latin America. Characteristics of the studies reviewed are summarized in table 3. The main characteristics that we focused on are: 2.1.1. Size of the Sample Except for one study which used a data base of 20,161 Indonesian firms from different manufacturing sectors, the size of the samples used in the studies reviewed ranges between 51 and 783. Most of them were drawn from multiple manufacturing industries, while just few such as (Cavusgil Kirpalani, 1993), (Singer Czinkota, 1994), and (Sriram Manu, 1995), had included in the sampling, reselling and service firms in addition to manufacturing firms. 2.1.2. Industry Context of Studies The vast majority of the reviewed studies employed samples drawn from multiple manufacturing industries. Only few have included in addition to manufacturers, reselling and service firms. Examples include (Cavusgil Kirpalani, 1993), (Singer Czinkota, 1994), and (Sriram Manu, 1995). This reflects the importance of manufacturing firms in the world economy. However, findings cannot be generalized to other industry contexts. Table 3: Characteristics of the reviewed articles Solberg 2002 Norway 150 mult manuf SML survey correlation/ anova firm Albaum, Tse 2001 Hong Kong 183 mult manuf SML survey regression firm Gencturk, Kotabe 2001 USA 162 mult manuf SML survey anova firm Effect of Export Performance on Economy Effect of Export Performance on Economy CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION In this chapter, first we introduce the study by highlighting its background followed by a brief description of Malaysias economy and external trade based on relevant statistics related to economic growth trends and international trade, respectively. Next, we further proceed to look in detail at the export performance concept. Then, we indicate the current major products exported by Malaysian firms, and their main export destinations. Research problem, question, and objectives, followed by the significance, scope, limitations, and organization of the paper, are all discussed in the last part of the chapter. 1.1. Background of the Study With the increasing trend of globalization, the arena of market and competition for business firms has expanded from domestic markets to the international markets. This has accentuated the importance of understanding the behavior of firms in foreign markets. Exporting represents a viable strategic option for firms to internationalize and has remained the most frequently used foreign market entry mode chosen (Zhao Zou, 2002), as it provides the firm with the flexibility needed to penetrate and compete in new international markets. In 2001, the World Bank published the report Globalization, Growth and Poverty: Building an Inclusive World Economy. The report shows that 24 developing countries, which increased their integration into the world economy, achieved higher growth in incomes, longer life expectancy and better schooling (Van Dijk, 2002). Exporting is considered to be one of the most important ways for developing countries to link with the world economy. Therefore, it is identified by governments and public policy makers as a priority (Morgan, 1997). 1.1.1. Malaysias Economy and External Trade The Malaysian economy has shown to be one of the most dynamic economies in the Asia Pacific region. The structure of the Malaysian economy had a dramatic transformation in the last five decades. Gradually over this period, it has displayed attributes of newly industrialized country and its economy has shown an impressive track record (Hamid, 2004). The country had an impressive annual growth in the 1970s reaching 7.8%, and continued to grow at a rate of 8.8% in the 1980s except during recession in 1985 to 1986. The recovery started in 1988 and the economy sustained an annual growth of over 8% in the 1990s. However, the Asian financial crisis had the worst impact when the economy shrank by 11.2% year on year in the fourth quarter of 1998 (The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2009). This led the Malaysian government to implement several economic policy adjustments which started in 1999 in order to speed up the recovery. Consequently, the economy recorded a positive growth in seven consecutive years. After a strong take-off of 5.3% in 2003, the second half of 2006 recorded a higher than expected growth of 5.9% (Malaysia Economic Report , 2006). Recently, as a result of the global recession, Malaysias real GDP contracted by 6.2% year on year in the first quarter of 2009 (The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2009). However, the economy reco vered gradually later in the same year. Malaysias trade policy focuses on greater integration into the world economy and enhancing its global position as a trading nation. The country has consistently maintained its position as the 18th largest global exporter and the 20th largest importer in the last few years (WTO, 2005). Malaysias trade with the world from 2000 to 2009 is illustrated in figure 1. The bar chart shows that Malaysia had a steady increase in total trade. The country reached a peak of approximately RM787.5 billion and RM643.1 billion in 2009 for exports and imports respectively, yielding a trade surplus of RM144.4 billion. This trend is expected to continue in the next few years as more economic reforms would take place, coincided with high growth rates expected. 1.1.2. Export Performance Export performance is broadly defined as the outcome of a firms activities in export markets (Shoham, 1996). The fundamental importance of export performance to international marketing has led to a substantial body of research. It is recognized that research on export performance is of vital interest to three major groups: public policy makers, managers and researchers. First, export performance is important for public policy makers or governments as it contributes to the development of foreign exchange reserves, increases the level of imports a country can afford, provides a vehicle for job creation, improves employment opportunities, improves standards of living, and encourages better working conditions and more efficient business (Lages Montgomery, 2004). Second, at a micro level, managers view exporting as a way to expand their firms access to international markets, benefit from economies of scale, reduce the dependence on their domestic markets, and enjoy faster sales, employment, and growth (Freeman Lawley, 2005). Third, as a result of its importance for both policy makers and managers, researchers consider exporting a challenging and promising area for theory building in international marketing (Zou Stan, 1997). Since gaining independence from Britain in 1957, Malaysia implemented a series of 5-year development plans in order to transform its economy from being an exporter of rubber and tin to emerge as one of the worlds largest producers of palm oil products, timber, oil and manufactured products (Wheeler Mohamad, 1993). Additionally, due to its impressive growth, the manufacturing sector has replaced agriculture as the number one sector in the economy. Table 1 shows Malaysias major export products in January 2010. The manufacturing sector remains a dynamic engine of growth for Malaysia with an estimated share of 31.5% of GDP in 2005 (WTO, 2005). It is considered to be the most dominant sector with approximately three quarters of total exports. This is mainly due to the significant contribution of electrical and electronic products as they are Malaysias leading export earner with a value of RM21,372.3 billion, representing 40.75% of total exports in January 2010. Palm oil retained as the second largest export revenue earner with a total value of RM3,985 billion or 7.6% of exports. Third, liquefied natural gas (LNG) made up 6.5% of total exports with RM3,400.3 billion. Chemicals chemical products were the fourth largest commodity accounting for 6% of total exports with RM3,173.9 billion. The remaining different products Table 1: Malaysias major export products in January 2010 (Billion Ringgits) Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia, January 2010, Malaysia External Trade Statistics. Retrieved on 16/2/2010 from: http://www.matrade.gov.my/cms/documentstorage/com.tms.cms.document.Document_2c11596d-7f000010-584c584c-f259ef13/Press%20release%20Jan10%20Eng.pdfCalculated based on the values of the table. including crude petroleum, refined petroleum products, and others, formed approximately 40% of total exports in the same period. For export destinations, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was Malaysias major export market in January 2010, with RM7,094.9 billion (13.53% of total exports), as shown in table 2. Table 2: Malaysias major export markets in January 2010 (Billion Ringgits) Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia, January 2010, Malaysia External Trade Statistics. Retrieved on 16/2/2010 from: http://www.matrade.gov.my/cms/documentstorage/com.tms.cms.document.Document_2c11596d-7f000010-584c584c-f259ef13/Press%20release%20Jan10%20Eng.pdf Calculated based on the values of the table. The next major export destination is Singapore (13.26%, RM6,953.5 billion), followed by Japan (11.15%, RM5,849.7 billion), USA (9.37%, RM4,917.2 billion), and Hong Kong (5.5.%, RM 2,876.2 billion). These top five export destinations accounted for more than half of Malaysias total exports. The statistics reflect the increasing significance of exporting as a key economic tool for growth and development in Malaysia. In addition, despite the downturn caused by the Asian financial crisis thirteen years ago, Malaysia has made rapid strides in economic development through the continuous adoption of appropriate policies and strategies to ensure sustainability of growth (WTO, 2005) as well as to transform the economic structure of the country into a manufacturing and export-based economy. 1.2. Problem Statement, Question, and Objectives of the Study A problem is defined as any situation where a gap exists between the actual and the desired ideal state (Cavana et al., 2007). It is critical that the problem of the study is unambiguously identified, and followed by a clear, precise, and succinct statement of the question and objectives of the study. 1.2.1. Research Problem Much of the knowledge about successful export activity is fragmented, and the tradition of building on previous findings is not well-established in the export marketing field (Aaby Slater, 1989). Many export performance studies focused only on a single factor affecting export performance, while there have been only few attempts to come up with models that incorporate a wide range of relevant factors. These exceptions include, (Cooper Kleinschmidt, 1985); (Cavusgil Zou, 1994). Some of the discrepancies in the literature might be attributable to differences regarding the way in which export performance has been assessed (Walters Samiee, 1990). In this context, the vast majority of studies have utilized objective performance indicators (Katsikeas et al., 1996). However, there are two problems with the use of certain objective measures: First problem is concerned with research methodology i.e. accurate objective indicators of export performance are not easy to obtain since formal company financial statements and reports often make no clear distinction between domestic and export business operations, partially due to the fact that many firms view exporting as an extension of their domestic activities (Yang et al., 1992). Second, a serious comparability caveat may arise as a result of inherent measurement weaknesses underlying most objective measures (Katsikeas et al., 1996). Differences among industries and product subsectors in terms of competition or technology could lead to incoherent comparison across the sample firms. In other words, objective indicators of export performance, such as sales volume, sales growth and market share, might have little meaning in those cases where the firms surveyed belong to different industry or product groups (Covin, 1991). Accordingly, in order to fill this literature gap, it is important to use different indicators to measure the multi-dimensionality of export performance and increase the reliability of the results. In this research, we adopt three subjective indicators to measure export performance of Malaysian manufacturing firms by asking respondents three questions to indicate their perceptions in achieving objectives regarding export sales, export market share, and export profitability. We use this subjective composite indicator because, compared to other objective export indicators, it cancels the size effect and it also facilitates comparison between companies of different sizes and industries. 1.2.2. Research Question Are firms characteristics, export marketing strategy, management perceptions, and export commitment associated with export performance? If so, which of these contributes most to the variance of the dependant variable? 1.2.3. Research Objectives This study aims to contribute to the meager but growing literature on firm-level export performance for developing countries by using Malaysia as the empirical platform. The study was designed to reexamine some determinants of export performance mentioned in the export marketing literature, more specifically, certain firms characteristics, export marketing strategy adopted, managements attitudes and perceptions, and export commitment are integrated factors that viewed as significantly influencing export performance. In a nutshell, the study seeks to achieve the following two objectives: To investigate the relationships between export performance on one hand, and firm characteristics, export marketing strategy, management perceptions, and export commitment on the other hand. Establish the relative importance of each of the independent variables in influencing export performance of Malaysian manufacturing firms. 1.3. Significance, Scope, and Organization of the Study In the next few paragraphs, we address the approaches deployed in this paper that contribute to the significance of this research in the context of export marketing field. Further, the scope, limitations, and organization of the paper, are all discussed subsequently. 1.3.1. Significance of the Study With the increasing global business competition, it has become important, particularly for firms in developing countries, to understand the determinants of export performance as firms survival and expansion, and consequent economic growth of many developing countries are strongly dependent on a better understanding of what determines the export performance (Sousa et al., 2008). In spite of the numerous empirical studies of export performance published since the 1960s, the conclusions reached by researchers in this area have, however, varied widely. The significance of the present study is derived from its design to look anew at some determinants of export performance mentioned in the literature in order to examine their effect on export performance manufacturing firms in Malaysia where export marketing research is of extreme relevance for both practitioners and scholars, knowing that the country is considered to be the worlds eighteenth largest exporter, and the trend is growing significantly over time. For example, exports posted a double digit growth in December 2009, year-on-year, rising significantly by 18.7% to RM54.7 billion, compared with December 2008 (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2010). 1.3.2. Scope and Limitations of the Study The evidence reported in this paper should be interpreted in the light of several limitations. That is, in addition to the relatively low response rate of just 17%, the research effort was restricted to manufacturing firms within a specific country context, thus caution may be exercised in generalizing the present findings too broadly. Nonetheless, generalizations of the study findings may be applicable to those exporting frameworks with similar structural characteristics of export marketing. Furthermore, the cross-sectional nature of the data limits our ability to rule out cause-effect inferences (Katsikeas et al., 1996). Such one-shot study may not be suitable for a research that involves a dynamic phenomenon, therefore, the adoption of longitudinal studies in future studies can provide more insights into the dynamic aspects of export behavior and performance. Other limitations were related to time constraint, specifically during data collection period which started in mid-February 2010. This stage of the research was coincided with celebrations of the Chinese New Year, on February 14th, the period during which most companies in Malaysia had at least a one week holiday. As a result, it took us a relatively longer time than expected to receive responds in order to proceed for further analysis. 1.3.3. Organization of the Study In this study, an attempt is made to synthesize and empirically test a model of export performance focusing on exporters from an ASEAN member. Specifically, the sudsy constitutes indigenous Malaysian manufacturers trading with overseas distributors. The paper is formatted into several sections. First, an in-depth literature is presented including key theoretical and measurement problems. Next, a conceptual framework of export performance is developed through the statement of several hypotheses. Then, the research design approach and methodological procedures including data analysis are described. Lastly, we present the findings of the study followed by a discussion, conclusions, and recommendations. Summary of Chapter One Through its external trade policy, Malaysia aims primarily for a greater integration into the world economy in order to maintain its position as one of the largest global exporters, specifically exports of manufactured products. At a micro level, export performance refers to the outcome of a firms activities in export markets. It is a way to expand access to international markets, benefit from economies of scale, reduce the dependence on domestic markets, and enjoy faster sales, employment, and growth. Studies within the export marketing field are characterized by the discrepancy and fragmentation of the findings. In this context, most export performance studies utilized objective export performance measures. However, this might result in the fragmentation of findings due to some issues related to research methodology and comparability caveat among firms. Therefore, subjective indicators are employed to measure the dimensionality of export performance in the Malaysian context. The objective is delineate the relationship between export performance (dependent variable) on one hand, and firm characteristics, export marketing strategy, management perceptions, and export commitment (independent variables) on the other hand. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter, a conceptual background of export performance is coherently addressed; starting with a relevant review of the export marketing performance literature and their main characteristics including the way in which export performance has been measured. We further proceed to identify and classify the multiple independent variables that have been frequently used in past studies. At the end of the chapter, some examples of the discrepancies in the findings of some studies are highlighted. 2.1. Export Marketing Performance Literature The classical economic view tries to explain why it is beneficial for a country to engage in international trade based on the assumption that countries differ in their abilities to produce goods efficiently. The comparative advantage theory, for example, helps to explain the pattern of international trade that we observe in the world economy (Heckscher Ohlin, 1991); (Ricardo, 1817); and (Smith, 1776). However, the assumptions underlying the principle of comparative advantage are unrealistic in many countries and industries. That is because competitive advantage depends on the capacity to innovate and upgrade. It also depends on the extent to which a home environment is dynamic, challenging, and forward looking. Therefore, competitive advantage is not inherited; in other words, it does not grow out of a countrys natural endowments, its labor, its interest rates or its currencys value, as classical economics insist (Porter, 1990). A plethora of studies have been published in the past 30 years on the determinants of export performance. This is mainly due to the increasing relevance of export marketing as an area of inquiry. Existing literature shows that the United States is the most researched country in export performance studies. However, an increasing number of studies have been conducted by European researchers from non-English-speaking countries who published in English-language journals. Examples include, (Bijmolt Zwart, 1994), (Holzmuller Kasper, 1991), and (Madsen, 1989). Some other studies have also been conducted in developing countries in Asia and Latin America. Characteristics of the studies reviewed are summarized in table 3. The main characteristics that we focused on are: 2.1.1. Size of the Sample Except for one study which used a data base of 20,161 Indonesian firms from different manufacturing sectors, the size of the samples used in the studies reviewed ranges between 51 and 783. Most of them were drawn from multiple manufacturing industries, while just few such as (Cavusgil Kirpalani, 1993), (Singer Czinkota, 1994), and (Sriram Manu, 1995), had included in the sampling, reselling and service firms in addition to manufacturing firms. 2.1.2. Industry Context of Studies The vast majority of the reviewed studies employed samples drawn from multiple manufacturing industries. Only few have included in addition to manufacturers, reselling and service firms. Examples include (Cavusgil Kirpalani, 1993), (Singer Czinkota, 1994), and (Sriram Manu, 1995). This reflects the importance of manufacturing firms in the world economy. However, findings cannot be generalized to other industry contexts. Table 3: Characteristics of the reviewed articles Solberg 2002 Norway 150 mult manuf SML survey correlation/ anova firm Albaum, Tse 2001 Hong Kong 183 mult manuf SML survey regression firm Gencturk, Kotabe 2001 USA 162 mult manuf SML survey anova firm