Advertising Decline. In 1994, Rust And Oliver Predicted

Advertising Decline In 1994, Rust and Oliver predicted the â€Å"Death of Advertising† in the Journal of Advertising (Dahlen Rosengren, 2016). It has been over twenty years since the authors suggested advertising academia should create a new name other than advertising and reinvent itself. Today, many believe that advertising is dead. Can it be that it’s not dead but advertising formats and spending patterns have just drastically changed (Dahlen Rosengren, 2016)? This document will examine the decline of advertising and why it is a modern phenomenon. Advertising In the business world, advertising is critical and serves a critical purpose. It enables businesses to compete with each other for the consumer’s attention, as well as communicate†¦show more content†¦The dynamics of how consumers see and pay attention to brand messages have forever been changed by digital advertising and interactivity (McLuhan, 2016). In the past 15 years, the media used by advertising and marketing utilize to convey messages is driven by innovation in technology such as the smartphones and tablets opening up consumers to more visual, interactive, and immediate experiences. As digital media exploded and guarantee consumers would most likely see the advertised message, traditional media found itself in trouble to remain relevant. Digital advertising offered inexpensive journalism, distributed online with a significant reach which negatively impacted magazines and newspapers. In addition, television and radio models found itself competing against the capabilities of DVR’s, podcast and streaming video service, such as Netflix and Hulu not to mention search engines. Search Engines. Search engine advertising had contributed to the decline of traditional advertising. Traditional media such as television, newspapers and magazine advertisement can be very expensive and gives businesses a specific time of day during certain television shows with limited reach. However, search engine advertising allows business to exposure to consumers that a business would notShow MoreRelatedAn Investigation of Customer’s Perception and Expectation of Services in Pension Fund Administration (Pfa) in Nigeria (a Study of Pfa Customers in Enugu)21541 Words   |  87 Pagespension industry matures, with increasing competition among PFAs for patronage, gaining competitive advantage through satisfaction and service quality has become a potent weapon for survival. With increased consumerism, media attention, increased advertising and technological advances, consumers have become more sensitive to service quality. This have all contributed in raising customer expecta tions and the belief that they have a right to receive products and services that meets their expectationsRead MoreRetailing Characteristics of Fast Food Stores and Their Impact on Customer Sales and Satisfaction29639 Words   |  119 Pages of scale, and coordinated cost reductions. Furthermore, with the number of modern trade stores growing faster than total sales, as is the case in China, the share of trade for an individual retailer is actually in decline. At the same time, consumer loyalty to individual stores is low. Shoppers in China continue to switch between outlets, including the wet markets. As a result, all supermarkets appear to be extremely price conscious. DemographicRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesAND SHAPING NEW MANAGEMENT The powerful results of the American business economy through the end of the 1990s continued to defy and fundamentally challenge many of the traditional approaches regarding how corporate growth and earnings could be predicted and realized—and continue to do so as the economic winds have shifted. Very few longer-term projections got it right—except on a rearview-mirror basis—on either a national or a global basis, and there are several reasons for this. Of fundamental

Is Latin America a More Democratic Place Today Than It Was in 1945 Free Essays

Is Latin America a more democratic place today than it was in 1945? Given the word and time restrictions, an in depth analysis of each Latin American country’s democratic progression across the time period would simply not be feasible. Instead I will attempt to look at Latin America’s progression as a whole and will provide examples of specific countries situations where relevant, in particular Venezuela. Firstly it is important to distinguish between two ideas. We will write a custom essay sample on Is Latin America a More Democratic Place Today Than It Was in 1945 or any similar topic only for you Order Now One is democracy. For democracy to work, there must be free and fair elections. There must be more than one political party. The people of the country should have a good education so that they can make informed choices. They should share a common culture. All must accept the idea that everyone has equal rights. Finally, there must be rule by law, not by power. In other words there must be a separation of power, which means that the judiciary has to be a completely different body from the governing power of the country. Many nations in Latin America have had dif? culty achieving democracy because all these factors are not present. The second idea is that of democratic culture. This involves the existence of constitutions, respect for rights, transparency when it comes to policies and governmental decisions and crucially, no corruption. Latin America, when viewed as a whole, is generally viewed as a more democratic place now than in 1945 but it would be wrong to assert that during the past 68 years Latin American countries have undergone a steady increase in democracy. Brazil is a prime example of a country that has gone through fluctuations in democracy throughout the period. Currently in Latin America, despite being in a state of relative poverty when compared to the rest of the world, the majority of countries have become, at least formally, electoral democracies. 13 countries are now classed as free, 8 as partially free, with only Cuba and Haiti being deemed as not. Venezuela, following the recent passing of Hugo Chavez, is at a crossroads on its journey to democracy. However many question how democratic a ruler Chavez actually was in his time as president. One of two very important relationships to analyse is that of democracy and the level of development in a country or in this case Latin America. This leads on to what is one of the most stable relationships in social sciences, the positive correlation between high levels of wealth and established democracy (Lipset 1959). To back this statistic up, a democratic regime has never fallen after a country has reached a certain level of income per capita, which is said to be $6055 (Przeworski 2000). In 1945 Latin America was still recovering from the economic shockwaves caused by the great depression of 1930. This global economic crisis meant that the rest of the world was not demanding any imports from Latin America. At the time these would have been mainly raw materials and this lack of export revenue for the South American countries had a detrimental effect on their situations in the majority of cases. During the decade or so after the great depression, around 1945, the effects will have trickled down and income per capita and GDP levels will have been significantly reduced. This will in turn have destabilised democracy attempts and can be viewed as a reason for why Latin America was less democratic then than it is now. Without the economic and financial means it is very difficult to achieve a fully functioning democracy. Of course it is worth pointing out that we are nearing the end of a fairly gruelling global economic downturn today but the consequences for Latin America are far less in this instance. The economic growth in Latin America has been very modest throughout the 68 years in question but more importantly it has been volatile. Periods of prosperity in several countries have been followed by long periods of stagnation and even negative growth. This volatility can be seen in Latin American countries progression since independence in terms of democracy as well. Take Brazil as an example. The country became independent in 1822 and was ruled by a monarchy. In 1930 this monarchy was overthrown and the country was under a dictatorship for a couple of decades. In 1956 an elected leader was installed only to be replaced by military rule 10 years later. Finally in the 1980’s, as a result of yet another economic decline, Brazil was yet again ruled by an elected president. The other significant relationship that needs to be looked at is that of democracy and corruption. Corruption is usually defined as a violation of the norms of public office for personal gain (Nye 1967). It has been suggested that corruption permeates everyday life in Latin America with only very high profile cases ever being unveiled in a court of law and even then this only happens in the more democratic countries (Blake and Morris 2009). Here are a few statistics to back this assertion up. In a 2004 survey 42 % of respondents ranked the probability of paying a bribe to the police as high, while 35% expressed the same ease of bribing a judge (Blake and Morris 2009). In a 2005 survey, 43% of respondents in Paraguay and 31% in Mexico admitted to having paid a bribe just within the past twelve months (Blake and Morris 2009). Democracy has a complex and multifaceted relationship to corruption (Doig and Theobald 2000). It provides alternative avenues to obtain and then use power and wealth. This leads to brand new opportunities for corruption. However despite the fact that democracy makes it easier for corruption to exist, when there is a democracy it becomes of even greater importance to supress corruption as it strikes at the very meaning of democracy itself. To sum this idea up, corruption undermines the essence of citizenship, distorting and crippling democracy (Blake and Morris 2009). It is clear from the statistics in the previous paragraph that corruption continues in today’s Latin America to have a tight grip over many if not all of its countries. Therefore it is very difficult to say that democracy has come on in leaps and bounds since 1945 when as crucial a factor as corruption is still such a plague to the region. Another factor when looking at democracy in the continent is the level of education. People must be aware of the fact that there is more than one option in a democracy. It is also crucial that the population of a country understands the concept of propaganda. A democracy can only work in a country with a certain level of education otherwise it can easily be classed as brainwashing, especially with the level of influence that the media can have over an ill-educated population. An example of what a lack of education can do in a democracy is that during the elections in which Chavez was voted in, he very nearly missed out on the appointment because his main rival was a former Miss Venezuela. The implication of this is that a worrying amount of the Venezuelan public didn’t vote for Chavez because there was a far better looking female alternative. Of course this could just be cynicism and she may well have had a very impressive manifesto and realistic yet progressive goals. During Chavez’ time in power though, he managed to substantially increase literacy along with reducing poverty by over half. Chavez had many positive effects on Venezuela, not least providing them with 14 years of stable rule. However his recent death has thrown the country off its feet and they are at risk of descending into political turmoil. Further examples of why Latin America was less democratic in 1945 include the fact that leading South American countries such as Columbia and Argentina had still not given women the right to vote. Universal suffrage is something that can be found in certain definitions of democracy for example Dahl’s and was definitely holding those countries back at that stage in their bid for democracy (Dahl 1971). To conclude, it is safe to say that Latin American countries are in a better overall place than in 1945 but that corruption in particular is holding them back. A country needs to be not only ready for democracy but also willing to accept it. It can definitely be argued that not all Latin American countries are ready for democracy but one final point may indicate that they are nearing acceptance of it. This is that something the Latin Americans care greatly about is their national identity, an idea that is very closely linked to democracy. Therefore with the rapid increase in globalisation endangering this coveted national identity, South American countries are rapidly warming to the idea of being democratic. Bibliography: Charles H. Blake Stephen D. Morris (1999), Corruption and Democracy in Latin America, published by the University of Pittsburgh Press. * R. A. Dahl (1971), Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition, published by Yale University Press. * Alan Doig and Robin Theobald (2000), Corruption and Democratization. * S. M. Lipset (1959), Some Social Requisites of Democracy, Economic Development and Political Illegitimacy. * A. Przewor ski (2000), Democracy and Development: Political Institutions and Well-being in the World 1950-1990, Cambridge University Press. How to cite Is Latin America a More Democratic Place Today Than It Was in 1945, Papers

Legal System and Skills Metropolitan Police

Question: Describe about the Legal System and Skills for Metropolitan Police? Answer: Facts and Legal Arguments in Laporte v The Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis [2014] EWHC 3574 Cecily White and George Thomas represented the Metropolitan Police on 31 October 2014 in the famous case of Laporte v The Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis [2014] EWHC 3574. Justice Turner made the circumstances clear in which the police officials can support a body or an organization conducting a public meeting to restrict people from disturbing the meeting. In the case of Laporte v. Chief Constable of Gloucestershire [2007], an interesting set of applications was introduced relating to breach of peace. The claimant was same, but this time, he was not successful[1]. The plaintiffs, in this case, were protestors. They protested against the reduction in the provision of local services. The plaintiffs entered the Haringey Civic Centre to attend a meeting; it was to be decided at this meeting about the budget of the local authority and the reasons that led to the reduction of the services in the local authority. The claimants stayed in the private area of the building where the meeting was being conducted. The claimants, along with ten other people gained access to the private area of the building[2]. They protested staying in the private area of the building. The Metropolitan Police, however, removed the protestors by force. The Police officials believed that the protestors breached peace while the meeting was going on. The Police Officials arrested the claimants for assaulting the police officials. According to the Police force, when they restricted the protestors from protesting, they assaulted them. However, it was held by the District Judge tha t the prosecution failed to prove breach of peace that happened at the time when the meeting was going on[3]. The claimants, on the other hand, filed a case against the Police officials on the following grounds: Assault False Imprisonment Malicious Prosecution Breach of freedom of expression Violation of freedom to form assembly or associations The claimants held that their rights were violated under Articles 10 and 11, of the European Council of Human Rights (ECHR). According to the protestors, the police had no lawful rights for physically removing them from the building[4]. The legal arguments presented in favor of the Police Officials are that the police officials acted in the execution of their duty. It was the duty of the Police Officials to protect the Haringey Council. Justice Turner held that they exercised their reasonable power as a police authority to prevent any nuisance happening at the time when the meeting was conducted. Additionally, it was also held that those people who attend meetings have the power to decide who shall be the attendees of the meeting. If the attendees do not behave in a prescribed manner, then they may be given the authority to remove the nuisance makers from the meeting. This power is enumerated in the Local Government Act, 1972, section 100. According to the given section, a person who holds disorderly conduct at a meeting can be excluded from the meeting by other attendees of the meeting. It is not necessary that there has to be an actual breach of peace, a trespasser can also be held liable for failure to fulfil pea ce[5]. Turner J held that there was breach of peace in this case, and the breach continued even when the officials arrived at the area to curb the breach. However, it was also held by the same Judge that the Court might pass an order for intervention for the police officials when the violation takes place, rather in the case of Laporte, where the breach had not yet taken place. The claimants were merely part of the violation of peace but had not done anything illegal per se, while they held the intention to revolt. The behavior of the claimants gave enough power to the police officials to arrest them. It was further held that none of the claimants was subjected to perverse force while they were detained. Therefore, the protestors right to freedom of expression or freedom of form an assembly has not been violated[6]. Decisions reached in the original trial and the subsequent cost hearing: To determine whether there was ongoing breach of peace or not, at the time when the police officials arrived at the Haringey Civic Center is to be identified in the light of a number of factors. The event that happened at the time when the meeting was taking place was confusing. The building was crowded and to make proper assessment of the witnesses was difficult. There were differences in the witnesses that were produced. The local people were in favor of the claimants while the police witnesses were inclined towards justifying the actions of the police authorities. The police witnesses were overstating the seriousness of the condition that prevailed at the Civic Centre. Emotions overruled the witnesses of both the parties than objectivity. This made the profession of the Judge difficult[7]. The incident took place in the year 2011, and the claims reached the Court in the year 2014. By the time the allegations reached the court, it is expected that the witnesses will be more untrustworthy and unreliable due to the passage of time. The Court, however, invested a lot of time in cross-examining both the sides. The purpose of a trustworthy cross-examination was to establish a more reliable and trustworthy set of recollection of the incident. The Court finally concluded that the police authorities who acted in a resilient way were to protect them from disrupting the meeting. It was clear from the CCTV footage that the police authorities used more force than required to overcome the confrontation of the protestors. Mr. King was one of the protestors who attacked the corridor of the building[8]. According to Mr. King, the reason he invaded the building was to protect his fellow protestors against the police officers, who used unreasonable force to protect us from protesting. Es ther, his daughter was also present at the time when the meeting was held. She also held a similar view like her father. Mr. Over, another protestor also held that he did not consider the use of force by the police reasonable. The people, who protested, demonstrated their witness in a way that seemed to be affected by emotions than objectivity. A situation like this is likely to contaminate the balance of a good decision. On the other hand, the people who represented the police authorities were overstating the seriousness of the incident as compared to the protestors who understated it. The Court, however, held that the rights of freedom of the protestors had not been violated. It was significant in a democratic society to protect the equipment of local government from being brought to languish state by a disruptive conduct of the protestors[9]. Applicability of other cases: Turner J referred to the decision that was made by the Court of Appeal in the in Halsey v. Milton Keynes General NHS Trust, in which the Court held that certain factors are to be considered when examining a refusal to connect in "Alternate Dispute Resolution" (ADR) were not justified. Lord Dyson in the mentioned case observed that if a party has refused to act reasonably in involving ADR must be warranted by the circumstances of the case. The following circumstances can be reviewed when a refusal to engage an ADR is questioned: Nature of the dispute The merits of the case The attempts made by other settlement methods The approximate cost of the ADR The amount of time that ADR shall take to dispose of the case The prospect of accomplishment[10]. Turner also referred to the case of PGF II SA v. OMFS Co, 2014. In this case, Justice Briggs held that it is unreasonable to refuse an invitation to participate in the Alternate Dispute Resolution. Another reference was made to the case of Dunnett v. Railtrack, in which the Court of Appeal made it clear that those people who refuse to accept mediation would be penalized with costs. The Court of Appeal, in the cases mentioned above, stated that if any person refuses to accept invitation to solve a matter through the "alternate dispute resolution," then he or she has to justify his refusal in the light of the existing circumstances in the case[11]. Justice Turner applied the Halsey, PGF and Dunnett factors to the facts of the case: Nature of the dispute: Justice Turner refused to entertain the defendants arguments because ADR will not be able to address the legal point of action. The protestors would still have been successful in receiving damages even if they had lost in the law part. Merits of the Case: The defendant, at first, agreed to engage in mediation "with an open mind". However, on 2013 October, they refused to respond to a formal letter issued by the Court. In January 2014, they again agreed to meet the claimant in the mediation process in an attempt to narrow the issues for tria[12] The attempts made for other settlement: It was clear from Laporte case that the defendant did not attempt for other settlement methods. The approximate cost of the ADR: The defendant accepted that although the cost of the mediation would not have been high, however, the ultimate settlement of the matter would incur a significant amount of liability as far as the costs were concerned. The amount of time that ADR shall take to dispose of the case: In the case of Halsey, a lot of time was spent on deciding the case. The first offer of mediation was made nearly a year ago. The prospect of accomplishment: The defendants, in this case, believed that they would not be ready to accept the financial offer of the claimants. Since they would refuse to accept the financial offer, ADR was not an appropriate way out. However, the Jude held that there was scope for success in mediation. The claim made by the defendant was not justified. Justice Turner held that the defendant's failure fully and adequately to engage in the ADR process should be reflected in the costs order to make. He prohibited one third of the costs after examination, knowing that they had been successful on all substantive matter. Difficulties faced by Justice Turner in Laporte v The Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis [2014] EWHC 3547: Justice Turner faced many difficulties in deciding the Laporte case. While the witnesses on the side of the protestors were driven more by emotions than objectivity, the police officials were overstating the facts relating to the use of force. The incident took place about three and a half years ago before the Court made the claims. Therefore, it is expected out of the people that their recollection of the incident will fade with time. The claimants argument was not part of the earlier statements. If the statements were recorded in the year 2011 itself, then there were fewer chances of the declarations to be articulated. Therefore, with the passage of time the memories related to the incident have faded. Justice Turner noticed that much of the police officials who acted, as witnesses were not guided by their recollection of facts, they were dependent on other people's opinion[13]. Their views were contaminated by the information received from other people[14]. Additionally, other difficulties faced by Justice Turner was the assessment of the individual witness, assessment of the witness of the police officials, the evaluation of the conduct of the people who used force, assessment of the argument related to the use of unreasonable force and evaluation of other witnesses[15]. Reference List: Bingham, Terry, and Susan Majka.Legal Writing for Legal Professionals. Prentice Hall, 2016. Channing, Iain.The Police and the Expansion of Public Order Law in Britain, 1829-2014. Routledge, 2015. Edwards, Linda H.Legal Writing: Process, Analysis, and Organization. Aspen Law Bus., 2014. Garner, Bryan A.Legal Writing in Plain English: A text with exercises. University of Chicago Press, 2013. Herring, David J., and Collin Lynch. "Teaching Skills of Legal Analysis: Does the Emperor Have Any Clothes?." (2013). Keene, Sherri Lee. "One Small Step for Legal Writing, One Giant Leap for Legal Education: Making the Case for More Writing Opportunities in the'Practice-Ready'Law School Curriculum."Mercer Law Review65 (2014): 467. Kruse, Katherine R. "Legal Education and Professional Skills: Myths and Misconceptions About Theory and Practice."McGeorge Law Review45 (2013): 7. Lamparello, Adam, and Charles E. MacLean. "Proposal to the ABA: Integrating Legal Writing and Experimental Learning into a Required Six-Semester Curriculem That Trains Students in Core Competencies, Soft Skills, and Real-World Judgment, A."Cap. UL Rev.43 (2015): 59. Lebovits, Gerald. "Legal Writing in the Practice-Ready Law School."Gerald Lebovits, The Legal Writer, Legal Writing in the Practice-Ready Law School85 (2013). Mika, Karin. "A Third Semester of LRW: Why Teaching Transactional Skills and Problems is Now Essential to the Legal Writing Curriculum."The Second Draft The Official Magazine of the Legal Writing Institute27.2 (2013): 8-9. Payne, Sue, et al. "Skills is Not a Dirty Word: Identifying and Teaching Transactional Law Competencies."Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law15.3 (2014): 7. Rankin, Sara K., Lisa Brodoff, and Mary Nicol Bowman. "We Have a Dream: Integrating Skills Courses and Public Interest Work in the First Year of Law School (and Beyond)."Chap. L. Rev.17 (2013): 89. Schultz, Nancy. "Integrated Curriculum of the Future: Integrating First-Year Legal Writing with Other Lawyering Skills, The."Elon L. Rev.7 (2015): 405. Thomson, David IC. "Skills Values, Lawyering Process: Legal Writing and Advocacy."Skills Values, Lawyering Process: Legal Writing and Oral Advocacy by David IC Thomson, LexisNexis, Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc., and Matthew Bender Company, Inc(2013): 13-32. Turner, Tracy L. "Diversifying the First-Year Skills Coverage by Creating Three Separate Tracks for 1Ls."Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing22.2 (2014). Vorenberg, Amy. "Preparing for Practice: Legal Analysis and Writing in Law School's First Year." (2015). [1] Channing, Iain.The Police and the Expansion of Public Order Law in Britain, 1829-2014. Routledge, 2015. [2] Herring, David J., and Collin Lynch. "Teaching Skills of Legal Analysis: Does the Emperor Have Any Clothes?." (2013). [3] Edwards, Linda H.Legal Writing: Process, Analysis, and Organization. Aspen Law Bus., 2014. [4] Kruse, Katherine R. "Legal Education and Professional Skills: Myths and Misconceptions About Theory and Practice."McGeorge Law Review45 (2013): 7. [5] Keene, Sherri Lee. "One Small Step for Legal Writing, One Giant Leap for Legal Education: Making the Case for More Writing Opportunities in the'Practice-Ready'Law School Curriculum."Mercer Law Review65 (2014): 467. [6] Thomson, David IC. "Skills Values, Lawyering Process: Legal Writing and Advocacy."Skills Values, Lawyering Process: Legal Writing and Oral Advocacy by David IC Thomson, LexisNexis, Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc., and Matthew Bender Company, Inc(2013): 13-32. [7] Bingham, Terry, and Susan Majka.Legal Writing for Legal Professionals. Prentice Hall, 2016. [8] Rankin, Sara K., Lisa Brodoff, and Mary Nicol Bowman. "We Have a Dream: Integrating Skills Courses and Public Interest Work in the First Year of Law School (and Beyond)."Chap. L. Rev.17 (2013): 89. [9] Lamparello, Adam, and Charles E. MacLean. "Proposal to the ABA: Integrating Legal Writing and Experimental Learning into a Required Six-Semester Curriculem That Trains Students in Core Competencies, Soft Skills, and Real-World Judgment, A."Cap. UL Rev.43 (2015): 59. [10] Mika, Karin. "A Third Semester of LRW: Why Teaching Transactional Skills and Problems is Now Essential to the Legal Writing Curriculum."The Second Draft The Official Magazine of the Legal Writing Institute27.2 (2013): 8-9. [11] Mika, Karin. "A Third Semester of LRW: Why Teaching Transactional Skills and Problems is Now Essential to the Legal Writing Curriculum."The Second Draft The Official Magazine of the Legal Writing Institute27.2 (2013): 8-9. [12] Payne, Sue, et al. "Skills is Not a Dirty Word: Identifying and Teaching Transactional Law Competencies."Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law15.3 (2014): 7. [13] Turner, Tracy L. "Diversifying the First-Year Skills Coverage by Creating Three Separate Tracks for 1Ls."Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing22.2 (2014). [14] Mika, Karin. "A Third Semester of LRW: Why Teaching Transactional Skills and Problems is Now Essential to the Legal Writing Curriculum."The Second Draft The Official Magazine of the Legal Writing Institute27.2 (2013): 8-9. [15] Herring, David J., and Collin Lynch. "Teaching Skills of Legal Analysis: Does the Emperor Have Any Clothes?." (2013).

Raymond Carver an Example of the Topic Personal Essays by

Raymond Carver Love, loss, ignorance, loneliness are some of the basic tenets of human existence. Ever since man was created, the question of how to find love has always lingered? How to deal with a loss? Gaining insight and relegating ignorance to the backburner are but some of the issues that have preoccupied human beings. This, it would appear, is what human beings were created for. To live life, satisfying and painful as it might be, to discover fresh grounds, to conquer the negative aspects of life, the whole essence of humanity depends on this. Raymond Carver has been hailed as a twentieth-century writer, successful in every way possible, in representing these facets of humanity in works of fiction with an unparalleled simplicity, the simplicity that shows what complex existence human beings sometimes lead. Human beings in his works are evidently creatures living on the edge, on the verge of toppling over. Need essay sample on "Raymond Carver" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Undergraduates Frequently Tell EssayLab writers: How much do I have to pay someone to make my assignment today? Specialists recommend: Buy Essay Papers And Live Free From Troubles Cheap Essay Helper College Papers Online Cheap Custom Essays Best Essay Writing Service Reviews Many a time this is their doing that puts them in this precarious situation, sometimes the circumstances are just beyond them and are but helpless pawns in the game of existence. They find themselves shoved into a battlefront they much would have liked to avoid. How does Raymond Carver, the great writer that he his, help us delve into the yet critical aspect of humanity that we are guilty of ignoring it? It has been written by Carver: In his calloused hands, with dirt under his fingernails, he carried the same torch that Wordsworth and Coleridge had used to set poetry aflame. Raymond Carver employed "the language really used by men" to tell the story of the damaged white American. Broken hearts populate Carvers literary country; they hide out in the wood-paneled camouflage of middle-class American homes, where sticky liquor bottles crowd kitchen shelves and yellowing baggage occupies the garage. These characters are tougher than they know, ignorant of their own resilience, and blind to the pitched battle they wage against loneliness. Though they continually suffer from alcoholism, divorce, and domestic violence, their stories do not approach the level of melodrama; these divorcees, drunks, and adulterers are as mundane, ordinary, and pathetic as day-old white bread (Art and Culture 2008). His three short stories, now lying on the table awaiting dissection should help gain a few useful insights and a new appreciation of what it means to love, to experience deep and profound loss and what it means to open eyes to important things long blinded by our attitude and darkness of the heart that has the effect of stopping humans from experiencing the beauty and joy that abounds about them. What do Raymond Carvers three short stories, Small, Good Thing, Cathedral and What We Talk about When We Talk about Love, all carry in common? What is the point inherent in all of these supposedly classic narratives? Granted, all of them seem to start from, and lead to divergent viewpoints, but without a doubt, they all touch on the very basic of all human need and desire: Love. Though not similarly, love is a motif that runs through all three of Raymond Carvers stories. Love lost, love unrequited, understanding love, gaining a new, if brutally honest or even skewed appreciation of love, romantic love, love beyond the ordinary. What Carver seems to be imploring us is to look at what composes humanity. What makes us human? What should we do to attain this sometimes lost cause? What is it that will drive us ever closer to this critical aspect of our existence? The three stories tell that, if ever we should want to lead a meaningful existence, we should be able to let go, be a kind, forgiving, open-hearted and an open-minded lot. Not many, I presume, think differently. We shall focus our attention on each of the three stories in order to find out how this is so. In A Good, Small Thing we are confronted with the family of Scotty, an eight-year-old who has the misfortune of being knocked down by a car on his birthday. From the start of the story, the reader is surrounded by this dark brooding mood that something terrible is bound to take place in what up to now seems to have been a serene existence. All along we get this feeling, the one that all human beings dread, the one about what is not supposed to happen to happen. Anne Weiss goes to order a birthday cake for her son, Scotty. The bakers lack of interest beyond what his work entail is somewhat disconcerting and Anne does not like it one bit. He made her feel uncomfortable, and she didn't like that (Carver 1983). Nevertheless, she orders the cake for her son instructing the baker on how the cake should be made to look like. The cake will represent a rocket taking off into space. Matters of space and spaceships must fascinate Scotty. After ordering the cake, Anne goes home and she all but forgets about the weird baker. Monday, Scottys birthday, comes swiftly and on the day that everything should go perfectly well, everything that can go wrong goes wrong. As if it was scripted. Instead of Scotty enjoying his wonderful cake he ends spending his birthday at the hospital in a coma after knocked down by a hit and run driver. This has the effect of throwing the somewhat perfect existence of the young family into depths of anxiety and finally sadness like they have never known before. This is one story that is both beautiful and sad. The enormity of the tragedy that befalls Anne and her husband Howard tugs at every cord of the readers heart forcing us to share in the anxiety of Anne and Howard becoming our sincere hope that Scotty lives. The readers as well the familys expectations are however dashed when Scotty passes away three days after being admitted to the hospital. The devastation of the couple when Scotty does not make it is there for all to see. The family hits rock bottom. Fortunately, as we read on we discover how they overcome it in a special way. This tragic story in spite of its dark nature opens us into the life of Anne and Howard Weiss and that of the baker, all the principal characters that in more ways than one represents us. Ironically it is at the hospital that Anne discovers how far apart as a family they were becoming, with life for her revolving around Scotty and less about all the three as a family. It is at the hospital that this critical discovery is made and is somewhat happy that they are reunited albeit at a bad moment. All around Anne there are telling stories. Few of the people she comes in contact with seem to totally lack the ability to understand what she is going through. The nurses for and the orderlies for starters exhibit a total lack of compassion, going about their duties in a machine-like manner, the grief of a mother meaningless to them. One nurse even has the cheek to ask what is wrong with Scotty with that I-couldnt-care-less attitude and offers that he such a sweetie. All around Anne it looks like the doomsday bells are tolling in the fullness of time for her benefit. The only patient he comes to learn about, Franklin, dies and the baker having lost the subtleties of human interaction keeps making calls that are almost a prelude to Scottys passing. When Scotty passes on it is as if almost all is lost for Anne and Howard but in one twisted stroke of fate, the beautiful thing happens. Anne and Howard are able to reach out to another human being and help him rediscover the feeling of being a part human company. How it is to be human again. The loss of a son did help another person become whole again. At the end of we learn the vital lesson of forgiveness and kindness and how it is important for us as human beings to practice them. In the second story Cathedral we are introduced into the not so eventful life of the narrator who is detached from some parts of humanity and displays arrogance. This narrator we, however, come to discover is a lonely, insecure human being unable to fully reap the joys of human existence. When the narrators wife invites her longtime blind friend Robert, he can but offer his somewhat arrogant commentary of the situation form how his wife and the blind man to the moment he steps on his porch to entering his house to eating and drinking with them late into the night. Being that he leads a deadbeat existence he surmises that the same must go for his wifes blind compatriot. He finds it amusing that a blind man should have a wife and lead a married existence. He questions Beulahs wisdom in getting married to Robert seeing as how Robert was in no position to acknowledge the finer details of her beauty, both natural and artificial. How mistaken he is. The narrator also offers us insight into the previously unfulfilling love life of her wife to an Air force officer. How it almost led to her demise. The narrators life as we have also seen is no better than those of the people likes to describe for us. He does not think much of his work which he does for the sake of doing it. Carver uses the symbol of the cathedral to show us that we need not lose the true meaning of humanity. The cathedrals were built magnificently because they are the houses people intended to praise and worship God in. Humanity should also be enjoyed to its fullest. The joys of compassion and understanding are all there for the taking. We should not let prejudices cloud our view of the beautiful aspects of our lives as human beings. At the storys end, the protagonist is lifted from the ignorance that had made his life a bitter pill to swallow. A blind man full of life liberates him yet all along he thought the life of blind man must be one long, boring existence. Finally to the third story which is What We Talk about When We Talk about Love. In the story, we met two couples who over a drink of gin pour out the contents of their hearts regarding the strange subject of love. The two couple friends Mel and Terri, and Nick and Laura empty glass after glass of alcohol into their innards as Mel McGinnis leads them in a topic that we all think we know so much about yet, in reality, we know so little about The eternal story of love. Because of alcohol, it appears that they are not shy about tackling a matter that is all but meaningless at times, yet for the love of God we couldnt live without. Fred Moramarco writes: Carver want us to consider questions about the meaning of love as it actually occurs in the world the world of late 20th century Albuquerque, New Mexico, the transient western U.S. city where Carvers story is set (Moramarco 2008). The couples doing the drinking and doing the talking are evidently slaves of love and alcohol. Love and alcohol both have a way of clouding reality when it is at its peak. But when it wears off we come crashing down in a manner that might be harmful. Some of us will carry the wounds of this crash for a long time while others will recover as fast as possible. What has however been observed to be true of love and alcohol is that we are always back, seeking them no matter the damages they cause us. It is almost like a drug and we could all do with a quick fix. In this story, the writer has used the element of light and darkness stating that the couple drank from day till darkness caught up with them. This is a telling symbolism in that when it comes to matters of love and even our addictions, say alcoholism, they have a way of throwing us right into the center of trouble. We have all looked back sometimes and asked ourselves what good were certain relationships for and the answer is nothing yet we cannot explain our endless quest for them. The same can be said of harmful addictions. No good either. In conclusion, we can say that all the three of Raymond Carvers stories lead to some sort of discovery. An epiphany occurs to the characters and their eyes are open (Gioia et al 2005). The characters discover some things they had no intention of ever knowing after being confronted by unique situations and they all come to acknowledge and gain a deeper appreciation about these aspects of life, chief of them being love. The love between a wife and a husband and love between all fellow human beings. What is baffling enough is that carnal love is disposable, same as alcohol if you compare it with food. No nutritional value. Yet what is always first on our agenda is carnal love. The stories tell us what it is we should find value in our lives. Reference Art and Culture. (2008). Raymond Carver. Retrieved July 8, 2008. Carver, R. (1983). A Small, Good Thing. Buffalo.edu. Retrieved July 8, 2008. Gioia, D., Kennedy, X., J. (2005) Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. New York: Longman Moramarco, F. (2008) Carvers Couples Talk about Love. Whitman.edu. Retrieved July 8, 2008. Moramarco, F. (2008) Carvers Couples Talk about Love. Whitman.edu. Retrieved July 8, 2008.

Calvin Klein Essays - Calvin Klein, Warnaco Group, Free Essays

Calvin Klein Essays - Calvin Klein, Warnaco Group, Free Essays In Back to the Future, Marty McFly goes by the name Calvin Klein after he is called that by his fifties mother because he is wearing CK underwear. On Family Guy, Klein is seen asking to use Stewie in one of his ads. When Peter feels unsure, Brian states "Peter, this is heterosexual fashion designer Calvin Klein," referencing the homosexual stereotype of male fashion designers. 1. Calvin Richard Klein born November 19, 1942, in The Bronx, New York Developed a passion for fashion and drawing at age of 14 2. EDUCATION Studied at Manhattans Fashion Institute of Technology, but never graduated Attanded the High school of Art and Design, gratuaded from it when he was 18 4. BUSINESS Launched his own clothing company with childhood friend Barry Schwartz With Kleins designs and Schwartzs financialbacking, a fashion empire was born Hes been designing sportswear since the 1970s The first Calvin Klein jeans were introduced in 1972 Started selling his own CK brand underwear when he was 40 5. PARFUMES Sinece the late 80s First: Obsession and Eternity 6. COSMETICS since the 1990s launched his own CK brand cosmetics and make-up at the age of 55 only sold in the best department stores such as Harrods, in London, and Bloomingdales in New York 7. Calvin Klein has been awarded Coty Award - 1973,1974,1975 Council of Fashion Designers of America Award - 1982,1983,1986 CDFA (Council for Fashion Designers of America) award - 1993 Americas Best Designer of 1993 Award Key Dates: 1968: The Calvin Klein brand is launched. 1973: Klein wins his first Coty American Fashion Critics Award. 1979: Calvin Klein controls one-fifth of the designer jeans market. 1982: Klein enters the underwear business. 1985: A new perfume called Obsession is launched with a $17 million advertising campaign. 1989: A Unilever Co. subsidiary purchases the Calvin Klein cosmetics/fragrance line. 1994: A unisex fragrance, cKone, is introduced; the companys underwear business is licensed to Warnaco Group Inc. 2000: Klein files suit against Warnaco Group and its CEO Linda Wachner. 2003: Calvin Klein is acquired by Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation. Quick Facts BORN IN The Bronx FATHER Flore Stern SIBLINGS Barry Klein, Alexis Klein SPOUSES Jayne Centre Klein, Kelly Rector CHILDREN Marci Klein EDUCATION Fashion Institute of Technology High School of Art and Design FOUNDER/CO-FOUNDER Calvin Klein NET WORTH $700 Million Following His graduation from the High School of Art and Design, Calvin Klein studied clothing design at Manhattans Fashion Institute of Technology. Inspired by the new and unaffected style of New Yorks city youngster, Klein was ready to start his own clothing company in 1968. With financial aid from a childhood friend Klein hired a dressmaker to make a some of his elegant womans coats and dresses. This merchandise was seen in a dirty showroom by a merchandise administrator from Bonwit Teller. The department store purchased $50,000 worth of apparel and displayed samples in eight windows, kicking of Kleins career. By 1970, Calvin Klein acquired a trademark for his infamous CK trade mark. Soon thereafter, Klein received the Coty Award, a prestigious design award, three continuous years in a row in 1973, 1974, and 1975. In addition, he added many product lines and categories and obtained models such as Brooke Shields and Mark Wahlberg. These models careers took off after their Calvin Kl ein debut because the brand has received much recognition over the years for its sleek, classic, and minimal look. By 2003 Phillips-Van Heusen purchased the company where Calvin Klein remained active within the company as a head designer. The company continues to offer a variety of products to a wide target market. The Calvin Klein brand, owned by Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, covers a wide variety of product classifications. Designer Calvin Klein made his debut at a small New York showroom with coats and dresses for women in 1968. Kleins first designs represented a city chic style of a young woman living and working in New York. These designs were noticed in the apparel industry, and a successful brand name was founded in that small showroom. The next product line from Calvin Klein was womens sportswear, which attracted the interests of popular fashion magazines Bazaar and Vogue. Klein has included sportswear for 5 women in his seasonal lines since the original line was launched . The trademark product of the Calvin Klein brand came out in 1970 and has been the most popular

3 More Misplaced Modifiers

3 More Misplaced Modifiers 3 More Misplaced Modifiers 3 More Misplaced Modifiers By Mark Nichol Additional information must be placed carefully in a sentence to ensure that it is associated with the correct part of the sentence. Here are three sentences with misplaced modifiers, plus discussions and revisions. 1. â€Å"John Smith was the school’s first Lombardi Award winner in 1979, given to college football’s best lineman.† This sentence implies that John Smith was the first of two or more teammates to win the Lombardi Award in 1979, and that 1979 was given to college football’s best lineman. However, the award is given to only one student-athlete each year, and â€Å"given to college football’s best lineman† modifies â€Å"Lombardi Award,† not 1979 (and not winner, so â€Å"in 1979† cannot be shifted to the end of the sentence without further modification of the sentence). This revision correctly places the modifying phrase and alters the verb phrase to allow â€Å"in 1979† to follow the parenthetical description of the award: â€Å"John Smith won USC’s first Lombardi Award, given to college football’s best lineman, in 1979.† 2. â€Å"The superintendent spoke about a Nazi-themed assignment given to students at a news conference.† According to this statement, the students were given the assignment at a news conference. To clarify that the assignment was discussed, not assigned, at the conference, the reference to the conference should begin the sentence: â€Å"At a news conference, the superintendent spoke about a Nazi-themed assignment given to students.† 3. â€Å"Hydrogen and oxygen do not need an enzyme to create water because of their perfect valence electron pairing.† The part of the sentence starting with because modifies the rest of the sentence. But the location of the modifying phrase sets up the possibility that the discussion will have a â€Å"not because [this], but because [that]† structure. For a clear reading of the sentence, start with the modifying phrase: â€Å"Because of their perfect valence electron pairing, hydrogen and oxygen do not need an enzyme to create water.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?Five Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"Rite, Write, Right, Wright

Change of Demographics in Central America from 1450 to 1914 Essay - 2

Change of Demographics in Central America from 1450 to 1914 - Essay Example However, as soon as Columbus discovered America, the indigenous people were exposed to many kinds of diseases including measles and smallpox. Most of these diseases were brought to the land of Central America by the animals kept by the Europeans. In 1450, the total population of the people in Central America was some millions. 3 centuries later, in 1750, number of people left in the Central America was even lesser than 10 per cent of the population in 1450. Immigration, was one factor that particularly revered the conventional demographic pattern in the Central America. In 1500s, Europeans began to immigrate to the Central America in large numbers. Europeans brought new kinds of domestic animals including cows and horses as well as germs to the Central America. The indigenous people, who acquired the diseases and died away were replaced by the slaves from Africa. The Africans grew much more in population as compared to the Europeans. There were about 10 million Africans in Central America in 1750. In 1790, number of slaves in Haiti was 500000 while the number of whites was no more than 40000 and there were 30000 people of mixed colors. The Industrial Revolution that took place around the year 1914 improved the general health and safety conditions of the people of Central America, as a result of which, the population seared up. More and more people moved towards the cities to make use of the emerging employment opportunities and improve the quality of living. Most of the Central America was urbanized during this time, and the descendants of Europeans and Africans replaced the original indigenous people of Central America. Women in Judaism are considered equal to yet separate from men. Their responsibilities are totally different from those of the men but are equally important. In Judaism, unlike most other religions, God is not referred to exclusively as male.

How the existence of cheat codes could hurt Johnsons argument about Research Paper - 1

How the existence of cheat codes could hurt Johnsons argument about video games - Research Paper Example If there is one thing that could invalidate Johnson’s arguments on the usefulness of video games in building the mental and cognitive abilities of children, it is in the existence of cheat codes. It therefore becomes pertinent to analyze Johnson’s arguments on this issue in order to ascertain its validity. Johnson bases his arguments on what he calls the sleeper curve as he says that, â€Å"the Sleeper Curve is a universe of popular entertainment that trends intellectually speaking, ever upward, so that today's pop-culture consumer has to do more cognitive work, making snap decisions and coming up with long term strategies in role playing video games, for example, or mastering new virtual environments on the Internet than ever before.† (Johnson 39). The existence of cheat codes; such as the ability of a player to access skill levels, tools, extra lives and abilities have really affected Johnson’s arguments on video games as his idea that video games help i n broadening people’s minds are relegated to the background by the availability of cheat codes. Johnson believes that even the most boring video games are capable of stimulating interesting cognitive work in the mind of a child. Johnson could be right in his arguments that playing video games develop a child’s intelligence quotient (IQ) as research has shown that children that play video games tend to have higher IQs than children that do not, but the fact remains that the importance of video games in developing a child’s mental ability has been negated by the existence of cheat codes. These cheat codes have made it possible for children to win games easily and the essence of video games as a cognitive and mental building tool has been lost. Children play video games for fun and they derive more pleasure in winning their opponents and to achieve this, they use different tactics and strategies that would make them victorious in a particular game (Gee 17-18). John son also says that, â€Å"One of the best ways to grasp the cognitive virtues of game playing is to ask committed players to describe what’s going on in their heads halfway through a long virtual adventure like Zelda or Half Life.† (Johnson 47). The fact that the art of playing video games involves problem solving techniques would truly help make people that play them to be mentally alert, but when there are now cheat codes, this purpose is ultimately defeated. Children would usually rely on cheat codes, which are like shortcuts to success and video games would no longer serve the purpose that Johnson feels they should serve as these video games would no longer have the capability of building the intellectual capacity of the children. Rather than make good use of the advantages of the video games in building their intellectual capacity, children begin to see that there is a shortcut to success in life. Through the availability of cheat codes, the children would begin t o look at life from another perspective as they would have a very bad mentality and think that they can achieve success by being insincere. While Johnson’s argument about video games could be true, the fact remains that they are only true in cases where there is no access to cheat codes. Video games if played the normal way have been known to develop a child’s mental ability. Children that play video games without access to cheat codes have the tendency of doing better than their parents on an IQ test, but the ones that use cheat codes would not have the same mental ability as the ones that play the games the normal way. The difference between the real world and the gaming world can also be deduced from this statement, â€Å"

Final global business plan Essay Example for Free

Final global business plan Essay The ASEAN was founded in 1967 to promote the alliances of the countries in Southeast Asia. The current members of the ASEAN are the Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam (ASEAN, 2010) Physical Environment The physical environment of Southeast Asia is primarily a warm climate other than the high elevation areas (Andaya, 2009). The physical environment also differs from the ocean and jungle geographical areas. A primary concern within the physical environment is the availability of safe drinking water in many areas of Southeast Asia and the air quality. Political Stability The political stability within Southwest Asia is very questionable in many areas of the region due to the terrorist activities; however with the support of the U.S. and other countries the threat is reduced just not eliminated. A scoring system was used to evaluate the region based on data that was provided by AMB Country Risk Reports. The rating system is; One Very Low Risk, two Low Risk, three Moderate Risk, four High Risk, and five -Very High Risk. The country leads the region with are risk score of one is Singapore followed by Indonesia two, Malaysia and Thailand three, Philippines and Viet Nam 4. The Philippines and Viet Nam have significant political risks that need to be taken into consideration (A.M. Best, 2010). Economic Conditions The economic risks within major countries of Southeast Asia are moderate at best. In the recent economic downward trend Southeast Asia is seeing the effects the slowing economic trend with their major trading partners the United States and Europe. The demands for exports are decreasing and forecasts for 2009-2010 expect this trend to continue (A.M. Best, 2010). A scoring system was used to evaluate the region based on data that was provided by AMB Country Risk Reports the rating system is; One Very Low Risk, two Low Risk, three Moderate Risk, four High Risk, and five -Very High Risk.† The country leads the region with are risk score of one is Singapore, followed by Indonesia two, Malaysia and Thailand three, Philippines and Viet Nam four. The Philippines and Viet Nam have significant economic risks that need to be taken into consideration (A.M. Best, 2010). Financial Options and Risks The financial system within the Southeast Asia region indicates a moderate to high risk on average other than the country of Singapore. As the global economy tightens credit requirements, this can have a significant impact on the financial stability in the region (Country Risk, 2010). A scoring system was used to evaluate the region based on data that was provided by AMB Country Risk Reports. The rating system is; One Very Low Risk, two Low Risk, three Moderate Risk, four High Risk, and five -Very High Risk. The country leads the region with are risk score of one is Singapore, followed by, Malaysia and Thailand three, Philippines and Indonesia four, and Viet Nam- five. The Philippines, Indonesia, and Viet Nam have significant financial risks that need to be taken into consideration (A.M. Best, 2010). Political stability There is a constant threat of terrorism according to the U.S. Department of State diplomacy in action website: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2794.htm, but the political stability is stable because of the continued efforts of the U.S. and other international entities such as the International Monitoring team. Economic conditions The economic conditions are stable; the Philippine government has been working over the past few years to reduce its deficits down to 0.2% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and is continuously working to balance its budget. Finance options available According to an article Philippines: Types of Business Organizations that Foreign Investors may Establish in the Philippines there are several financial options available that are: These include the establishment by a foreign corporation of a (i) local subsidiary through a domestic corporation, (ii) a branch office, (iii) a representative office, (iv) a regional or area headquarters, or (v) a regional operating headquarters. Entry into the Philippines can also be achieved through joint ventures with other domestic corporations (Manalastas, and Guinto, 2000). Physical environment and its affect on trade The locality of the Philippines creates some environmental issues that needs to be taken into consideration there are three main issues the first two are seasonal; the typhoon season from June through November, the monsoon rain season from July through December. The third issue that is unpredictable is the volcanic eruptions that can happen at any time (The Philippines, 2010). Social, health, and environmental conditions The majority of the Philippine people do live in poverty and the mortality rate for babies is high; however the health care is improving the Philippines have been recognized for eliminating Polio (The Philippines, 2010). Although there is a pollution problem, the government of the Philippines is stepping in to help reduce pollution by enacting and enforcing laws that actually is helping clean up their environment. Cultural considerations When doing business in the Philippines there is a couple of cultural consideration to keep in mind such as it is unacceptable behavior to correct a person in public, to cause a person to lose face by refusing or saying no to a person, and do not accept an invitation to a family meal when first asked, if the invitation is asked a second time then it is all right to accept (The Philippines, 2010). Organizational Description Apple Computer, Inc. is headquartered in Cupertino, California. The company is a worldwide producer, designs, markets, manufactures computers, digital music and video players. Founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ron Wayne, apple sells to all consumers small, mid-sized, and large businesses. The company sells its products through retail stores, online stores, and also third party wholesalers. The increase in awareness of value of the internet, and convenience it gives to its users will soon bring more to the table for the Philippines. Since the internet has been a big expansion for many markets many businesses have found use to this to expand their business overseas. Since 2000 to 2009 the internet usage has gone up from 2,000,000 (2.6%) to 24,000,000 (24.5%) in the Philippines. Apple’s line of digital music players has taken advantage by providing iPod users to download digital music files to their iPods. Apple Inc., sales a line of iPod digital music and video players to both the Windows and Mac users that also provides online services that can, as described in this article Reuters Profile: Apple INC. (AAPL.O) which states; â€Å"distribute third-party music, audio books, music videos, television shows, movies, podcasts, and applications† (Reuters, 2010), through the iTunes Store. ITunes is a digital music application for downloading and playing digital audio and video files. Since Philippines have about 24,000,000 internet users as of June 2009 which is about 24.5% of the population in the Philippines there is potential growth for this market to grow. With new information about Netflix possibly signing an agreement with Apple Inc. sales can possibly increase since there will be more possibilities for iPod users to download through Netflix servers. Risk Analysis Week 3 The purpose of this document is to analyze the risks that are involved in establishing a global business operation in a foreign country of the Philippines. The document will detail the risks of introducing Apple Incorporated and the iPod to the Philippines. The risks that will be covered include political risks, legal risks, exchange rate financial risks, and taxation risks. The document will also detail a variety of additional risks, specific marketing strategies and performance measurement that will impact the overall success of Apple Incorporated within the country of the Philippines. Political/Legal/Regulatory risks The Philippines is a bureaucratic country. It has a complex network of regulations, permissions, procedures, and authorities with approval procedures. Many of these restrictions are designed to bar off newcomers entering the country’s existing industries. This will not be the case for Apple Inc. The political, legal, and regulatory risks of opening an Apple store in the Philippines vary. Apple’s plan is to acquire an existing retail store and moving under the Apple brand. Even though the political risk is high Apple Inc. is in no way threatening to the political climate in the Philippines. The Philippines has been working in developing relationships with neighboring countries, â€Å"build close ties with neighboring countries in Southeast Asia through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)† (A.M. Best Company, Inc, 2009).Legally, the risk associated with opening the store could be great, and the company must make sure it is in compliance with rules and regulations regarding the opening and operation of the store. The most immediate regulatory risk to business is because of mandated price agreements used by the government to combat inflation. Apple Inc. sees Philippines as a country poised for a great economic turn-around in the Internet and electronics market. Indicators such as World Stats forecast that the country is on a steady uphill swing. Exchange/ Repatriation of Funds Risks Exchange rates and repatriation of funds needs to be considered with Apple opening a store in the Philippines. Philippines are very open to foreign investors as a way to grow the local economy. However on January 2007, in an ongoing effort to promote two key goals, â€Å"the Philippine government has issued the Seventh Regular Foreign Investment Negative List† (Baleva, 2007), protecting domestic industries and encouraging foreign investors to participate in certain areas of enterprise. Pricing will also be a factor if the company bases there pricing by US standards. Exchange rate on US dollars to Pesos needs to factor in. Competitive Risk Assessment Apple’s key competitors are already doing business in the Philippines and creating a strong and profitable presence. Competitors such as Sony, Samsung, and Sansa have been doing business in the Philippines for many years. Apple’s target entrance into the market will give consumers more options and encourage more competition within the market. Taxation/Double Taxation Risks The agreement of double taxation outlines what taxes are covered, defines who the parties are and the context of the agreement and itemizes what is covered under the agreement. Underlining the rules under which a business’ profits are taxed and when double taxation comes into action. The double taxation agreement defines the establishment of permanent residence, which Apple Inc. would seek to have by opening a store in the country on a permanent basis. HM revenue customs defines permanent establishment as, â€Å"a fixed place of business in which the business of the enterprise is wholly or partly carried on† (HM Revenue Customs, n.d.). Based on the information contained in the agreement it is possible that Apple will be possibly doubled taxed. Market risks (four Ps price, place, promotion, and product) One of the risks that every business needs to address when selling their product in a foreign country is pricing the product to high that only a small portion of customers can afford to buy the product. According to the article Manila’s living costs, wages among the lowest it states; â€Å"To illustrate, workers in Zurich are paid $22.60 per hour ($30.30 gross), while workers in Geneva are paid $20.40 per hour ($29.20 gross)—a far cry from what average workers in Manila are paid: $1.40 per hour ($1.60 gross)† (Victoria, 2009). One of the ways to address this issue is to buy in large quantity, so that cost can be driven down. Currently the Philippines is experiencing a power crisis, which is a risk within itself in the article Philippines power at crisis point of the Asian Times it states; â€Å"Recent electricity outages in the Philippines has sparked concern that the country is on its way to its second power crisis in 20 years† (Rubrico, 2010). If there is no electricity, it will be hard to sell iPods to customers especially in the dark. Our company can purchase generators that can be used during the power outages. The Ipods are very popular and expensive in the Philippines, which has created a market of iPod thieves. According to Davao Today article iPod Thieves on the Rise in RP that states; â€Å"iPods may now be joining wallets and mobile phones as attractive targets for thieves and pickpockets† (No author mentioned, 2010). Train both employees and customers how to avoid being a victim, this will show the customers we just don’t think of them as a sale but as a person. Marketing Research Approach The marketing research approach for the Apple Store is a five step process that includes defining potential problems, developing a research plan, collecting relevant information by specifying data, developing findings, and taking marketing actions based on the analysis of data findings (Marketing Research, 2006). The research objectives will be to determine if there is a demand for the products offered by the Apple Store. The research plan will consist of surveying a minimum of 1,000 to 2,000 consumers in the target region of the Philippines. Contact information will be gathered to later obtain positive or negative feedback on the products that are offered by the Apple Store. An online survey will also be conducted through the Apple Store via the internet. This will assist in later developing marketing strategies applicable to the products offer by the Apple Store that are in demand in the target region. Some types of questions that will be asked during the Apple Store survey are as follows: 1) What is your age? 2) What is your gender? 3) Would you purchase the products offered by the Apple Store? 4) What did you like about the product? 5) What did you dislike about the product? 6.) Was the product easy to use? 7.) What would you change about the product, if anything? 8.) Will you continue to use the product? 9.) Would you recommend the product to a friend? 10.) What would you consider a fair price for the product? Apple Store Marketing Mix The marketing mix of product, price, place, and promotion is a crucial part of the introduction of the products being offered at the proposed Apple Store. A strong strategic marketing plan developed by the marketing team will assist the Apple Store in getting of to a positive start. The products offered by the Apple Store will include all items that a consumer can purchase through the on-line Apple Store web address http://store.apple.com/ph. The products include the wide variety of iPod products, iPhones, and Mac products. The physical location of the Apple Store needs to be in a high traffic public area that will attract many customers. The pricing strategy of the products offered at the Apple Store in the Philippines will targeted to under cut the competition in the region during the first 6 months of operation while still maintaining reasonable profit margins on the Apple Store products. This strategy will help in initially establishing the presence of the Apple Store in the target region. Apple Store executives will consistently monitor the progress of the Apple Store in the Philippines during the first 6 months of operations and recommend solutions to any potential risks that come up during this time period. After the first 6 months of operation in the region the product pricing strategy will be revisited. The location of the Apple Store will be critical to the overall financial success of the business. The attributes that are desirable for the physical location of the Apple Store include a highly visible location with heavy consumer traffic. An additional attribute is needs to be considered is the location of the store will be easily accessible for ease of the distribution channels to replenish inventory needs with minimal risk. In selecting a location with these attributes the Apple Store will have a higher probability of meeting or exceeding business goals and objectives. The strategic marketing plan will identify specific dates that will provide the best dates for a promotional sale grand opening of the Apple Store in the Philippines. To start the promotional period the marketing team will start advertising the grand opening of the Apple store several weeks prior to the grand opening. Apple Store products will be advertised by using magazine ads, internet and television spots, and any other means of promotion detailed as a strong promotional tactic in the region. The marketing team will need to pay close attention to see how quickly the product inventory will move from the shelves during the first few weeks of operation if the Apple Store is approved for implementation in the Philippines. The marketing strategy also needs to verify that there is sufficient demand for the Apple Store products. Distribution and supply chain risks There are a few items that make distribution and supply risky in the Philippines, as stated in the Spend Matters article Apple’s Risky iPod Supply Chain; What types of risk? Well, try an active volcano located less than 20 miles away, proximity within an earthquake zone (which makes San Francisco’s seismic activity look tame), and the very real threat of tropic storms and typhoons. And thats not even considering that the area around the plants is subject to regular flooding from storm water, blocking ingress of people and egress of goods [the factories] even sends people home early when a serious storm is forecast, because of the risk that the roads will be impassable.† (Busch, J. 2006) No one can prevent Mother Nature from happening, but we can be prepared by staying updated on the weather reports and staying alert to nature’s surroundings. By staying prepared and knowing what to do in the event of a natural disaster, will prevent personal injuries to emp loyees and customers as well as minimizing damages to our product. Distribution Channel Management The marketing team will perform extensive research before the introduction of the Apple Store begins business operations in the Philippines. Determining a reliable distribution channel in a global business operation is an important formula for success. The main distribution channel will start in the United States and products will be distributed to the Philippines based on inventory needs transmitted through an electronic data base. The distribution of the Apple Store products from shipping destination within the Philippines to the Apple store location is an addition characteristic that needs to be considered because of the threat of theft that exists within the target country. Once the store headquarters has been established then logistics such as shipping, receiving, and storage in smaller warehouses will be considered based on distribution risk factors have been evaluated. One prime objective of the Apple Store in the Philippines is to meet or exceed our customers’ needs. Physical and environmental challenges to entering and operating in a target market There are several physical and environmental challenges when operating a business in the Philippines, some of the physical challenges include political unrest, corruption, terrorism, and extortion these are just a few that needs to be address. The environmental challenges include pollution (water and air), natural disasters (volcano eruptions and flooding), unemployment according to Index munbdi: Philippines unemployment rate that shows for 2010 to be an estimated 7.5% (No author mentioned, 2010). Staying informed is key to handling these types of risks, some things can be handled by local authorities and others will have to be dealt with the best way possible depending on the situation. Social and cultural risks In the social and cultural circle, the risk of misunderstanding in many categories is very easily done such as those listed in the article Centre for intercultural learning: Cultural Information Philippines that are: â€Å"Conversation, Communications Styles, Display of Emotions, Dress, Punctuality, Formality, and Decision Making† (No author mentioned, 2009). Not knowing how to address each of these items can lead to offending the Filipino people, which will cause problems in doing business in the community. Common sense and proper communications will just about handle each of these risk, also by participating in community events and helping the community during a time of crisis will promote unity between the company and the local people. Cyber or Technology Stealing technology and cyber attacks are a big risks, the government of the Philippines still needs to catch up the laws concerning today’s technology. In the article, Experts Call for Stringent Laws against Cyber Crime in Philippines states that; â€Å"The security researchers states that these kinds of e-mail attacks occur more commonly across the Philippines since there arent any cyber crime laws in the country to catch and prosecute Internet criminals, particularly e-mail fraudsters† (No author mentioned, 2010). Common sense applies to these risks as well, making sure that our computer systems maintain the most recent updates on security programs and training the employees to never give out passwords and shut down the computer every night before going home are just some suggestions that will prevent problems down the road. Define and clarify mission and objectives The Mission Statement of Apple Incorporated will remain the same as researches through multiple sources according to Investor Relation of Apple (located on the FAQ page) it states that; Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone (Apple-History, 2010 6). Philippines Internet use has grown remarkably throughout the years. Internet World Stats estimated as of March 2009, there are 20.6 million Internet users coming to about 21.5% of the entire population in the Philippines. Apple Inc. has selected the Philippines to begin expansion providing stores and Internet downloading over the web for users to download digital audio, video, and podcast files. The primary business objective is to establish a 15% profit margin in the first year of operation within the Philippines. In each subsequent year after the first a 5% increase to the profit margin has been established as a goal until the profit margin reaches a 30%. Additional objectives include obtaining a 10% market share of the products offered by Apple Incorporated and a 4% increase per year over the next 3 years. Customer satisfaction has also been established at a target percentage of 97%. SWOTT Analysis SWOTT analysis is a useful tool to determine the strengths, weaknesses. Opportunities and threats that exist within a global business entity or region are being evaluated for risk factors. The team has developed a SWOTT analysis for the target region to identify these factors prior to engaging in any business operation within the Philippines. This will assist the team in identifying key characteristics in the structure and development of Apple Incorporated within the Philippines. Current Competitors Competitive Landscape The competitive landscape for Apple Store are the following companies that have a strong hold on a large portion of the population that Apple Store will have to compete with in the global market place. These companies manufacture similar technology devices that Apple Store is competing for to increase global market share. Their products are known throughout the global technology market where competition is extremely competitive. Competitors’ of the Apple Store include Dell Incorporated, Hewlett Packard, and Gateway. The engineering development of new improved technology will assist the Apple Store in gaining competitive advantage over the competitors. Customer satisfaction is a primary objective at the Apple Store. A recent survey conducted in 2008 by the University of Michigan named the American Customer Satisfaction Index ACSI indicated that Apple had a ten point advantage over its closest competitor (Computerworld, 2010). The Apple Store that is being considered in the Philippines will have the same target goal in reference to customer satisfaction in the target region. Strategy Selection The strategy selection of Apple Incorporated is to establish a base store that strategically reports back sales results and inventory needs to a home base location within the United States electronically. The strategy of the company will be to promote the iPod through lower price cost structures than existing competitors. The company will also launch a marketing campaign to promote this strategy through established marketing structures that exist within the Philippenes. This will assist Apple Incorporated in notifying consumers of company existence in the region while promoting our lower priced product. The mode of entry to develop Apple Incorporated to enter the Phillipenes will be the direct investment mode. Apple Incorporated will be establishing a location within the country and then based on all business results will determine if additional locations within the country are needed to meet customer demand. Advantages of this mode of entry include high sales potential, low political risk, and the company could be viwed as an insider (Quick MBA, 2010). Because of some of the high risk elements that exist within the Philippenes Apple Incorporated will need to be cautious by limiting the amount capital that the company will spend in the direct investment mode. Control and Evaluation Specific measures will be monitored on a weekly basis to track the progress and continous improvement opportunities that exist to set up operations within the Phillipenes. The key characteristics that impact overall business results will be evaltated to establish a proactive approach to issues that will have an impact these results. The key characteristics will include sales, inventory, taxes, and process limitations. This will assist Apple Incorporated in providing a quick responsive action to any underlying problems that need to be resolved. Sales goals and profit margins will also be evaluated to determine the overall success within the Phillipenes. Contigency Plan Apple Incorporated will need a contigency plan to account for risk factors that have some probability of resulting in business profitability not reaching overall expectations. The contigency plan that Apple Incorporated has in place consists of closing the existing store if business objectives are not achieved with leaving options open for changing the mode of entry into the Phillipenes to exporting the product through established distribution channels. This contigency plan still allows the company to establish sales within the Phillipenes while reducing investment risk. Financial Overview Apple has the possibility for a strong financial investment in the expansion into the Philippines. The risks associated with the investment into the Philippines do not outweigh the benefits that can realistically be achieved. After thoroughly researching the Pilipino market, the Ayala Group, one of the largest firms in the Philippines is supposedly involved in a project to put up an official Apple store in the Philippines (Technograph, 2009). This is beneficial because less money will have to be invested in research and development, as well as marketing and advertising since the organization is already known throughout the Philippines. The economy in the Philippines has not shown extreme changes or any sudden implications that the economy is getting stronger. The Philippine GDP for the year 2009 has barely risen 1% but has, â€Å"weathered the 2008-09 global recessions better than its regional peers due to minimal exposure to securities issued by troubled global financial institutions† (index mundi, 2008). Operating Expenses As projected for expenses for one apple store, the budget chart shows total operating expenses at $5, 482 and operating income at $11,740 and other income and expenses at $326. There are many providers that impact operating expenses such as utilities, taxes, and advertisement. Apple has projected a total operating expense at $5,482 for one apple store. When assembling a budget chart, it is essential to take into account all factors to properly manage a business. It is important to trust that focused investments in Research and Development (RD) are significant to a company’s future competitive and expansion position in a foreign market and are directed towards the development of new and improved products that are central to the company’s core business strategy. As such, Apple expects to make further investments in RD to expand and remain competitive in the Filipino market. Other factors of influence that can help expand Apple into the foreign market, is the company’s persistent expansion of its retail division in both international and domestic markets, top stock-based return expenses and higher spending on marketing and advertising (Apple Investor 2010). The chart below shows the estimated monthly general budget of the operation of one store in the Philippines, providing that the decision is made to proceed with the plans to set up and begin operations. This is a rough estimate, because of the many factors that may and will fluctuate either in a positive or negative way can cause a change on the expense side, however the further we proceed the more accurate our budget will become. Financial Overview General Budget Foreign Exchange Risk Studies have found that many Asian-Pacific businesses are exposed to one or more of the world’s major currencies: the Euro, the US dollar, the British pound, and the Japanese Yen. Some of the greatest dangers were produce by fluctuations in the US dollar. This impacted 58 percent in the Philippines, â€Å"currency fluctuations affected the profitability of companies whose financial assets and liabilities (most notably debt) were held in foreign currencies† (Vanderbilt, 2007). When choosing to invest in the Philippines, the foreign exchange risks associated with business ventures are significant because of an Asian financial crisis during (1996-1998), â€Å"more than half of the studied companies in Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines, and about a third of those in Japan and Singapore, were exposed to the dollar, and about a quarter of the firms in Singapore were exposed to the yen† (Vanderbilt, 2007). Risk Management Transaction risk refers to the fact that the cash flow value of foreign currency contracts may change due to exchange rate fluctuations. Additionally, since the organization will be buying and selling goods in foreign currency to a certain extent, the foreign exchange risk increases. The potential negative aspects associated with doing business in the Philippines are significant since the business will be using Filipino Pesos, which has an inflation rate of 4.4 percent. As a result, there is a risk that the exchange rate as with any currency may change unfavorably before the currency is actually exchanged. However, these risks can be counteracted by utilizing forward hedging, which is a way to lock in an exchange rate on an agreed future date. This will allow the organization to be completely aware of future cash inflows and outflows, as well as the value of the organization’s profits in US currency since the exchange rate will not change due to the purchase of forward hedging. Financing Given the current international economic instability, the choice of choosing from domestic or international financing is tough because there are significant risks associated with each. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has offered financing opportunities to the Philippines; currently the EIB has one billion euro allocations in 18 Asian countries including the Philippines. If the company chooses to move forward with the international venture, the company would choose to finance through the EIB. The EIB, â€Å"has provided over 600 million euros in funding for multiple projects in the country coursed through the government and private sector† (European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, 2009). Centralized versus Decentral ized The parent company and its iPod department within the parent company, both works as a centralized organization because having an effective control is essential to the everyday operations for both the domestic and global sectors. It would be essential for the parent company to make the final decisions regarding all aspects of the company’s operation, because every unit and sub-unit such as manufacturing plant located in Mexico and the shipping department located in the U.S. of the company has to report all information of their daily operations to the parent company allowing the parent company to know what the left and right hand is doing basically at the same time and can make an informative decision for whatever situation may arise. Both the domestic and global units and sub-units operate as a decentralize company, because certain situations such as environmental changes, customer needs, or political unrest will cause problems and disrupt a part of the company operations or even all parts of the company operations these problems to be addressed immediately and cannot wait for the parent company on the other side of the world to make an informed decision, even if the problem had happened before at a different location because what may work domestically may not work globally and vice versa. When making an informed decision whether at the unit, sub-unit, or the parent company level there is a need for a communication chain of command, starting with the employee who is out in the field working upwards to the parent company which may be the CEO (chief executive officer) who usually has the authority to make final decisions that will affect the company or the owner if there is no CEO available. The line of communications should always remain open, in the event of a minor glitch or a major emergency. Regardless of the value of the information, if the line is broken then a decision cannot be made in a timely manner or may not be made at all causing a problem to grow bigger or missing a profitable opportunity. The communication chart below shows the chain of command from the field representative to the parent company, not all information will reach the top because some decisions can be made at lower levels, for example; the parent company should not be bothered with whether a field representative needs office supplies. Exit Strategies The future is unknown, even if there is a planned exit strategy years from now does not guarantee it will happen as planned. Depending on the situation that is either planned, forced or requires our business in the Philippines to implement its exit strategy would determine the best strategy to use. In the event of a political uprising or civil unrest that results in raising the level of possible war, then the shutting down procedure would be best since it involve very little (if any) paper work and is the fastest way for U.S. employees and their families to get out of the country. If there is no time at all complete abandonment might be forced, either course of action will involve a monetary loss. If time allows and there is no rush in exiting the Philippines, handing the business over to our joint venture partner would be the best, this exit does involve legal paper work and would minimize loss (if any), it would also leave the path open for possible future ventures back into the co untry based on a friendly and healthy transfer of the business. Recommendation The Philippine iPod risk analysis team recommends proceeding with entering the Philippines market. After the exhausting task of finding the risks of entering the country, we had found that the benefits (profits) do exceed the risks (costs) even during the economic troubles that the U.S. is currently experiencing. Although we are not the first iPod and iPhone Company to enter the Philippines market, we still can become a major player and take a large percentage of the market. With the Apple Company creating a direct store that basically eliminates the middle man and develops a presence in the area that shows the potential customer that they will get the original iPhone without the worry of receiving a fake and less dependable copycat, which is a major problem in this region. Having direct shipping, of iPhones and iPods from the parent company will help with the recovery costs and to make a profit quicker. The company will gain additional profits once the store becomes fully operational and service contracts are purchased by new customers. Finally with the current economic stability of the Philippines, this is a good time for Apple to enter into this market because like our domestic customers love to have the latest technology, the Filipinos consumers also love to have the latest technology too. Because no other local company can offer the security or the guarantee of authenticity of the iPhone products, this gives our company a very unique position in the Philippine market. The company will be experiencing and dealing with many issues brought up by our customer base, because of the one on one contact with the customers this will help our operation on a global level allowing our technical department to learn from these new problems and coming up with new solutions this will make our product better and easier to sale globally. Conclusion In analyzing the risks invoved with Apple Incorporated conducting business within the Philippines the company will be in a better position to achieve the financial success. The process of risk assessment provides a clearer picture of the obstacles that need to be overcome within the Philipines. Strategic marketing plans can assist the company in establishing positive sales results in the target country. Electronic communication to proactively respond to business needs and issues will lead to satisfied customers. The initial mode of entry and an alternate mode of entry detailed in the contingency plan also indicate the company’s preparation. Establishing key business characteristcs to monitor on a regular basis will identify continous improvement opportunities for the company in conjuction with items identified in the SWOTT analysis. The combination of these critical factors will guide Apple Incorporated to make a more informative decision based on all the factual information c ollected. References Andaya, Barbara, 2009. Introduction to Southeast Asia. Retrieved April 4, 2010 from http://www.asiasociety.org/countries-history/traditions/introduction-southeast-asia A.M. Best Company. Ratings and Analysis Center: Country Risk, Retrieved April 4, 2010 from http://www3.ambest.com/ratings/cr/crisk.aspx ASEAN, 2009. ASEAN Member States. Retrieved April 4, 2010 from http://www.aseansec.org/18619.htm Manalastas, J. M. and Guinto, B. L. 2000, Philippines: Types of Business Organizations that Foreign Investors may Establish in the Philippines. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from website: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=9340login=truenogo=1 No Author Mentioned, 2009, TDS: Philippines Asia, Economy. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from website: http://www.traveldocs.com/ph/economy.htm No Author Mentioned, 2010, The Philippines. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from website: http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/The-Philippines.html Internet World Stats. (2010). Asia Marketing Research, Internet Usage, Population Statistics and Information. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia.htm#ph Thomas Reuters. (2010). Apple Inc. (AAPL.O). Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?rpc=66symbol=AAPL.O Internet World Stats. (2009). Internet Usage Stats and Marketing Report. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/asia/ph.htm Kian, C.C. (2004). Internet market in the Philippines shows full potential for growth. IDC. Retrieved from http://www.idc.com.my/philippines/press/IDC%20Philippines%20-%20Internet.asp A.M. Best Company, Inc. (2009). AMB Country Risk Report. Retrieved from http://www3.ambest.com/ratings/cr/reports/Philippines.pdf Baleva, M. (2007). Philippines Issues Foreign Investment List for 2007-2009. ALBLegalNews. Retrieved from http://au.legalbusinessonline.com/law-firms/philippines-issues-foreign-investment-list-for-2007-2009/1076/23599 Busch, J. (2006), Apple’s Risky iPod Supply Chain. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://www.spendmatters.com/index.cfm/2006/11/3/Apples-Risky-iPod-Supply-Chain Hicks, R. (2009). Philippines launches study on internet use. futureGOV. Retrieved from http://www.futuregov.net/articles/2009/jul/27/philippines-launches-study-internet-use/ HM Revenue Customs. (n.d.). DT15354 DT: Philippines: double taxation agreement, Article 5: Permanent Establishment. Retrieved from http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/dtmanual/DT15354.htm Rubrico, J.G.U. (2010), Philippines power at crisis point. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LD10Ae01.html Toby C. Monsod, (2009). The Philippine Bureaucracy: Incentive structures and implications for performance (4th ed.). Quezon City, Diliman: Human Development Network. Victoria, E. (2009), Manila’s living costs, wages among the lowest. Retrieved April 8, 2010, from http://www.asianjournal.com/dateline-philippines/headlines/2767-manilas-living- costs- wages-among-the-lowest-.html No author mentioned (2009), Centre for intercultural learning: Cultural Information – Philippine. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=ph No author mentioned (2010), Experts Call for Stringent Laws against Cyber Crime in Philippines. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.spamfighter.com/News-13688- Experts-Call-for-Stringent-Laws-Against-Cyber-Crime-in-Philippines.htm No author mentioned (2010), Index Munbdi: Philippines unemployment rate. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://www.indexmundi.com/philippines/unemployment_rate.html No author mentioned, Foreign Market Entry Modes, Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/global/marketentry/ No author mentioned (2010) What is Apple’s Mission Statement. Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.apple-history.com/?page=faq#1500 Index mundi. (2008). Philippines Economy Profile 2010. Retrieved from http://www.indexmundi.com/philippines/economy_profile.html Technograph. (2009). Official Apple Store to Supposedly Open in the Philippines. Retrieved from http://technogra.ph/2009/05/05/official-apple-store-to-supposedly-open-in-the-philippines/ Apple Investor Relations Annual Reports. (2010). Investor Relations. Retrieved from http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=107357p=irol-reports Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. (2005). Philippines-Central Bank of Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.bsp.gov.ph/ Vanderbilt. (2007). Foreign Exchange Risk of Firms in Asia-Pacific. Retrieved from http://mba.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbilt/About/faculty-research/featured-research