Jollibee Essay

Tony Tan Caktiong’s Jollibee has been one of the most admired, most copied, most innovative and most professionally-run company here in the Philippines. It has been the number one fastfood chain overtaking giants such as Mc Donalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC. How did a local jolly red bee knocked down a multinational red-haired clown named Ronald? Let’s see another inspiring story of the founder of one of my ideal businesses. With its success, a Jollibee franchise has now a tag price of P25+ Million (US$ 500,000+). Wow! Tony Tan Caktiong’s Life and his Jollibee company is another rags to riches story of an entrepreneur that truly inspires everyone. Tony was the third of seven siblings born to poor parents who migrated from the Fujian province in China to look for a better life here in the Philippines. Tony to return back to Manila and pursue his course Chemical Engineering at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). In 1975, Tony and his colleagues went on a visit to a Magnolia Ice Cream plant located in Quezon City and learned that it was offering franchise when he saw a poster for it. By the month of May, with his family savings, he took P350,000 to grab the franchise opportunity and opened two Magnolia ice cream parlors named Cubao Ice Cream House. They all worked hands-on but as the business propels, they noticed they could not do it all so they started to set up an organization hired store managers, and trained people. Tony started with just two ice cream. Then after two years, he offered chicken and hamburger sandwiches, because customers were telling them they didn’t want to be eating ice cream all the time. They prepared the food in the back kitchen, and soon noticed that people were lining up more for hamburgers than for ice cream. Then in 1978, when they already had six ice cream parlors, they asked themselves: â€Å"Why don’t we change into a hamburger house?† That was also the time they decided to incorporate and realized they needed a brand name. They were looking for a symbol that would represent the group, and because Tony was very impressed with Disneyland characters, they decided on a bee. The bee is a busy creature that produces honey – one of life’s sweetest things. They thought it would be a very good symbol to represent everybody. They decided they would all be very busy and happy at the same time, because if they were busy but not happy, it would not be worth it. That’s why they put the word jolly and just changed the â€Å"y† into â€Å"i† to form a brand name – JOLLIBEE. â€Å"It wasn’t long before we heard that the multinationals were coming in – including McDonald’s. Friends started asking us if we were going to get a McDonald’s franchise but I remember saying, if you franchise, you can’t grow outside the Philippines†, says Tony.

Workplace

Workplace ShiftsSherry BestGrantham University March 20, 2018 The workforce is contingent with the teamwork of personnel and state. The workforce remain the main concern of employers everywhere. All areas of employment are touched by economics and its affected by births, plus the quality of training each person receives. 100 years ago, jobs were manufacturing in nature, what I mean is that individuals worked in factories or on an assembly lines. These types of positions weren't very challenging because it's a situation that was repetitious as the worker repeat steps. Subsequently new technology happens to be more demanding, very aggressive and creative. Women are employed within position that once was considered â€Å"only men were productive in. Work shifts are divided into three shifts for several organizations. They're basically eight hours a shift and the employee usually work forty hours a week. Over the years the workforce has added four generation of workers. This has caused a distinctive effect on the workforce causing them to face the age differences. The HR knows the older generation of the past consequently will sway the future of various organizations. They know that achieving their goal depends on how workers. Also, the facts show that countless people are not retiring but are carrying on working well past the age of 65. HR specialists find that they're having to formulate additional resolutions to link the demands relating to the workforce with the aging workers. Which requires HR specialists to understand and be able to execute ways to create jobs and to fill them with acceptable workers. Meanwhile workers and jobs are always transforming so organizations realize that they have diversity and the skill to maintain a balanced workforce being competent to accomplish their goals for the future of the organization. Also, companies have moved to global level with improved technology and communication. Besides more women employees entered the workforce which was not the state 100 years ago where women lives tended to be centered around their families. During WWI changed who the workforce would use once the men were either volunteering or being drafted to serve in the military which resulted in there was no one to fill the positions. So businesses hired the women to work in the men's place. After showing the factories that the women were capable to carry out the duties that the men could do, but they were paid less for the same job. Since then women have demanded rights for equal pay and equal treatment. Because the workforce have become more diverse with gender, age, and culture it has caused organizations to change how they attain workers and maintain their numbers. The older workers are still present in the workforce is making HR to consider alternative ways for hiring, training, and what type of benefits plans to offer as enticements.Today HR managers needs to spend considerable time and money in training in new technology and keep them updated. The future US workforce groups in 2025 would be mostly aged population over 60 years. The workforce I filled with many kinds of technology such as computers, internet, smart phones and many mobile devices that has opened communication where everything seems to move at the speed of light. Therefore, HR will need to be on their toes to meet every task in the future. ReferencesAnderson, B. E. (2000). Journal of Economic Perspectives. Worker Protection Policies in the New, 207-214.DeCenzo, D. A. (2016). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. Danvers, MA: John Wiley ; Sons.Effortless HR. (2018). Retrieved from The Past, Present and Future Workforce: https://www.effortlesshr.com/blog/present-future-workforce-generations/Huczynski, A. ;. (2010). Organizational behaviour. London: Financial Times Prentice Hall.Khan, A. H. (2012). Impact of job satisfaction on employee performance: An empirical study of autonomous Medical Institutions of Pakistan. African Journal of Business Management, 2697.Micheal Bailey. (2018). Retrieved from Demographic shifts and the HR challenges of the future: https://www.michaelbaileyassociates.com/news/hr/demographic-shifts-and-the-hr-challenges-of-the-futureWomen in the Workplace. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-09-15/edit-page/28241044_1_indian-women-chinese-women-chinese-counterpart

How effectively the authors of your chosen texts explore

Parent/Child relationships are widely portrayed in the two novels, Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones and Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. The authors both explore and portray the relationships between the main characters and a parental role differently in relation to the other despite them both being from opposite sides of the world, as well as the story being set in different time periods. In Mister Pip, its Matilda a young black girl from the island of Papua New Guinea with her mother Dolores and in The Curious Incident.. ts Christopher, a young boy with Aspergers Syndrome from Swindon along with father Ed Boone. The children on the island in Mister Pip are made to look inferior to the adults earlier on in the novel. Despite being a norm or value, the children in Mister Pip are made to abide all the rules that are set by the adults which often makes them feel less important than the adults. This is established early in the first few pages of the novel â€Å"We weren't worthy of that. It was as if we didn't exist† (page 3). Although its the norm in most cultures and societies that the children are raised to respect the elder peers, follow the rules set by them and inherit their general knowlegde, its seems that both the children and their parents are intellectually equal despite the difference in age and observation. â€Å"When our ancestors saw the first whit guy they thought they were looking at ghosts.. † (Page 5) This shows the intellectual relationship between the children and their parents who mainly base their knowledge of what they've observed forcing the children to believe it word for word. However, Christopher in the Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night Time, does not consider the adults superior in the novel when he is being shouted at by Mrs Shears for being on her lawn and holding the corpse of the dog Wellington he just ignored her. â€Å"The policeman took hold of my arm and lifted me onto my feet. I didn't like him touching me like this. And this is where I hit him. † (Page 9). Christopher lashes out in the way he believed to be right rather than the way he was aised to deal with these types of situations which suggests that besides his syndrome, there have been a lack of trust between Christopher and his dad during his upbringing that Christopher felt he didn't have to stick by the rules enforced: in this case, â€Å"you know its wrong to hit a policeman† (Page 22). In Mister Pip, the relationship between Matilda and her mother Dolores is very complicated, they come into conflict over the book â€Å"Great Expectations† when Matilda tries to tell her mum Dolores about how much she enjoyed the book. Lloyd Jones portrays Dolores as a strict Christian who is a very proud woman however is embarrassed to tell Matilda her daughter, of her age. So when Matilda tries to tell her mum about the book Dolores goes against the story by saying its immoral causing the two characters to drift further apart. â€Å"She must have anticipated this because she used her softer voice, the one she used the night before Great Expectations came between us† (Page 36) Matilda quotes as she realises anything regarding Great Expectations angers her mother. This then leads to conflict with Mr Watts, the teacher which Dolores shows a lack of respect by calling him Pop-Eye (the nickname the children had developed for Mr. Watts). The contention then begins to grow between Dolores and Mr. Watts when Dolores visits the school to preach about religious faith. As the conflict grows, it seems that Matilda is being forced into thinking two different ways of life. â€Å"The same space had come to exist between Mr. Watts and my mum. And I knew I would have to choose between the two† (Page 40) shows Lloyd Jones uses the intellectual conflict between the adults to highlight how this happens regular between parents which often impacts on the child and what they will be like growing up. On the other hand, in The Curious Incident†¦ Christopher's relationship with his father is jeopardised after he finds out that his father lied to him about his mothers death. Father said that he didn't know what kind of heart attack she had and now wasn't the moment to be asking questions like that† (Page 36) This particular event in the story changes the dynamics of the novel, tension and the relationship with his father as he wanted to know what had happened to his mother. The problem resulted to Christopher taking independence within his own life on his journey to London to find his mother, then becoming very close again in the latter part of the novel; While he realises the reality of life that his parents never allowed him to understand. Mark Haddon uses the syndrome of Christopher to emphasise how eager he is to be self reliant, this separates the characters because that's what Christopher tries to achieve although he is not in a self reliant position due to his condition and age. The Bond between Matilda and her real father can be described as non-existent throughout majority of the novel up until towards the end when he returns from the mines. Matilda considers Mr Watts as her main male figure for majority of the novel and even when her father does come back she continues to accept that Mr Watts (Pop-eye) is the â€Å"father† in her life. This was considered another reason why Mr watts and Dolores have a lot of conflict when it comes to Matilda. In Curious Incident, at first the bond between Christopher and his father is very strong. It is so strong you they had more than a family bond, they also had a good reliant friendship. In both the curious incident and mister pip the adults/ parental figures are secretive when it comes to telling the children in the two novels the truth about certain incidents. The children in Mister Pip are not told about what is going on in the war and are kept from finding out the truth, which gives the indication that just like in today's society the children are being protected from the truth about current affairs in the world because of their age and innocence. Christopher in The Curious incident is kept from finding out the truth of his parents split up, even though he is not a child and is in his teens the parents feel that he would not fully understand the reasons for them splitting up which would give us the impression that there is trust issues between Christopher and his parents. The authors used different techniques to explore the child and adult relationships, despite of the circumstances each main character was facing and/or due to the lack of a biological parent. In regards to the question, the authors explore the relationships well as both Mark Haddon and Lloyd Jones use their novels to define trends in relationships throughout different places and era and how that can affect them in the long-term. Despite also defining that both parents and children within the novels are equally reliant on one an other.

Foreign Direct Investment in Egypt Essay

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is investment directly into production in a country by a company located in another country, either by buying a company in the target country or by expanding operations of an existing business in that country. Foreign direct investment is done for many reasons including to take advantage of cheaper wages in the country, special investment privileges such as tax exemptions offered by the country as an incentive to gain tariff-free access to the markets of the country or the region. In the global economy today, we see many developing countries competing for foreign direct investment. FDI is said to be an important factor for spurring the development of a nation. Foreign direct investment (FDI) an important vehicle for economic growth in emerging markets countries. Since 2006/2007, Egypt has become the leading attractor of overall foreign direct investment (FDI) on the African continent. Up till 2008, Egypt has attracted 56 foreign investment companies in the textile sector, employing 14,169 workers with total investment value of $ 172. million, and total production value of $ 370. 6 million. Furthermore, Egyptian-Foreign joint venture companies totaled 150; employing 30,635 workers; with an investment of $ 515 million, and a total production value of 509. 4 million in 2008. Egypt has experienced profound political changes over the past two years. On February 11, 2011, President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule came to an end under intense popular pressure as hundreds of thousands of Egyptians converged on Tahrir Square. Transition to democratic rule has been marked by advances and challenges. Egypt has seen several prime ministers and multiple cabinet changes since the revolution, and many investors have reported that the constant shuffle and interim tenure of government officials have contributed to a difficult business environment. Nonetheless, in January 2012 Egypt seated its first parliament elected in free and fair elections, and many of the members have identified increasing foreign investment as a top priority for the government. Even though political uncertainty and economic downturn in Egypt , this African country still present a lot of opportunity to make profit for foreign direct investor especially in textile and apparel industry . Foreign Direct Investment In Egypt Investing in Egyptian Apparel and Textiles Industry 2-Apparel and Textile Industry Egypt is home to the only fully vertically integrated textiles industry in the Middle East, with the entire production process —from the cultivation of cotton to the production of yarns, fabrics and ready-made garments —carried out domestically. Egypt is the largest producer in Africa and worldwide of long (LS) and extra-long staple (ELS) cotton, accounting for 50 percent of world production in 2008, it has built a brand reputation for its quality of cotton. The sector plays an extremely central role in the Egyptian economy. It is the second largest producing sector after agro-industry and the first in terms of jobs accounting form30% of local employment in 2008. It accounts for 3% of the GDP, 30% of industrial output and around 13% of Non-Petroleum exports in 2010 / 2011, according to the Central Bank of Egypt. There are more than 6,700 textile-related companies registered with the Industrial Development Authority. The power player within the sector is readymade garments (RMG), worth 75% of the textile and garment industry. The RMG subsector produced more than 313million pieces in 2009, with global brands such as Marks & Spencer, GAP, Wal-Mart, Levi Strauss, Target and Calvin Klein sourcing from and investing in Egypt. Of the 25% of the industry focused on textile production, home textiles constitute 12% of the industry, and cotton yarn 8%, while the remaining 5% is attributed to other cotton fabrics and textiles. The majority of spinning (50%), weaving (60%) and hemming (60%) capacity is owned by the public sector while 90% of garmenting capacity is private. For the spinning and weaving industry, medium-to large-scale companies dominate the industry with a strong public sector presence in spinning and weaving. The government’s strategy is to boost exports to the European garment market by moving up the quality ladder in garments, vertically integrating the garment production value chain (e. g. use local extra-long staple (ELS) cotton, improve design and patternmaking offering) and defending leadership in low-end garmenting by establishing strong brands at both country and supplier levels. Also on the agenda is restructuring the domestic textile industry by privatizing mills and leveraging on low cost and provided labor in addition to large domestic supply of high-quality cotton. Currently, the main markets for the sector were EU countries with about 34% of total exports in 2010, Arab c ountries and USA with 16% and15% respectively, according to General Organization of Export and Import Council (GOEIC) 3- Country Summary As one of the most influential nations in the Middle East, Egypt has encountered mixed success in transitioning from an economy driven by natural resources to one with a healthy amalgam of industry and services over the past 50 years. Although it has successfully diversified its economy, Egypt remains one of the poorest of its regional neighbors on the basis of per-capita income, and a succession of unstable governments have left the nation with inconsistent political institutions, weakening social infrastructure, and a legacy of corruption. Long-term national competitiveness will require a clear economic strategy and continuity of effort. Egyptian cotton is recognized globally for its unmatched quality, fueling a textile cluster that has historically been an important component of the national economy. Bolstered by superb endowments and several advantageous related industries, the textile cluster faces new challenges as falling structural barriers to trade boost the intensity of global competition Egypt is located strategically between the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea, at the crossroads of Africa and southwest Asia. Bordering Sudan, Libya, and Israel, Egypt is home to the Nile, the longest river in the world. The nation’s rapid population growth from 23M citizens in 1960 to 83M today —has increased Egypt’s regional importance but also deeply changed Egypt’s character. Egyptian urban areas have become some of the most crowded in the world, with Cairo itself recently laying claim to the title of world’s most densely-populated city. Agriculture is similarly constrained; only 3% of the country’s total land mass was under cultivation in 2008 (AFDB, 2009). By 2010, Egypt was the fourth-largest economy in the Middle East. Recent economic performance has been positive, with 4. 75% annual GDP growth from 2001 to 2010. Per capita GDP remains relatively low compared to regional peers. Egypt’s economy is diversified as compared to its largest regional neighbors, many of which depend heavily on commodity petroleum exports (Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the UAE). As of 2010, the largest sector in the economy was the manufacturing sector (16. 9%), followed by mining (14. 4%), and agriculture (14%). Exports are concentrated in the hospitality and tourism, transport and logistics, and petroleum products clusters. Egypt’s shifting export product mix over the past 20 years is symptomatic of a broader economic change —from a singularly natural resource-focused economy to one that is less factor driven. Egypt’s national competitiveness is aided by favorable endowments and some positive microeconomic elements, ranking 63rd out of 138 countries in business sophistication and 26th in market size. But Egypt has been hamstrung by adverse macroeconomic conditions, ranking only 129th in macroeconomic environment, 133rd in labor-market efficiency. Egypt’s strongest competitive advantages lie in its natural endowments. The country’s position at the crossroads of three continents has made it a historic trading hub, amplified by the construction of the Suez Canal in 1869. Roughly 10% of the world’s maritime volume has passed through Egyptian waterways, and the canal spawned a robust shipping and logistics cluster that facilitates export of goods like textiles. The Nile Delta, an area of northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads into distributaries and drains into the Mediterranean Sea, has served as Egypt’s breadbox for over five millennia (Baines, 2011). Twenty years of redistributive economic policies have left Egypt with inefficient, low-quality social institutions —the nation boasted a 29% illiteracy rate despite 96% enrollment in primary education. In an economy characterized by a high degree of centralized planning, Egypt spent only3. 7% of its government budget on education and 6% on healthcare. Corruption and unreactive centralized economic planning constitute major challenge to Egyptian macroeconomic competitiveness. a- Background To Business in Egypt Egypt has recently been through the most profound of changes with a popular revolution, widely referred to as ‘ the Arab Spring’, sweeping away the decades long, semi-totalitarian rule of Hosny Mubarek and replacing it with†¦? Time will tell how successful the putative new, democratic institutions will be but despite all of this Egypt remains one of the fastest growing economies in the world and a country which many economists predict will become increasingly successful and influential in the region. Egypt is, in a strange way, both a secular and a religious state and it is worth bearing these two important strands in mind on any business trip to the country. It could be said that the Egyptian economy is ‘mixed’ in two vital, but differing ways. Firstly, many businesses were nationalized after independence, during the prolonged period of ‘Arab socialism’ which typified the Egyptian approach in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The government still plays a vital role in setting both business and macro-economic agendas but the past couple of decades have seen the proliferation of larger-scale private companies which may be locally (usually family) owned or joint-venture operations with overseas conglomerates. Secondly, companies fall into the category of either Islamic or non-Islamic in orientation. Those companies which are Islamic in orientation will govern their approach to business through the strict interpretation of classical Shari’a law which impacts on such varied issues as attitudes to borrowings, shareholder profile and HR policies. Before entering into business negotiations in Egypt it is important to do some homework on any potential contacts. Is the company state-owned or private; is it Islamic or secular in approach? b- Egyptian Business Structures Many companies in Egypt operate according to Islamic, rather than secular law and this impacts on a number of key areas of business structure and performance. One key issue is that, due to Islamic strictures on avoiding usury, the difference between companies and banks are less defined than in western economies. Companies tend to be financed through a combination of equity capital and short-term loans where the lenders do not charge interest but take a share of profits or losses (PLS loans. ) Thus all risks are shared equally amongst the shareholders and lenders. In addition, many companies have a religious Supervisory Board comprised of Islamic jurists whose role is to ensure that the company’s operations comply with the strictures of Shari’a law. Thus employees must be Muslims and work stops for the regulatory prayer sessions every day. Firms are expected to make reasonable, but not excessive, profit and managers have a social as well as corporate responsibility – they are expected to balance the interests of the company with the interests of society at large. None of the above applies to the workings of those firms that are non-Islamic in orientation (remember that 10% of the Egyptian population are Coptic Christians) or joint-ventures with overseas organizations. c- Egyptian Management Style Most Egyptian companies tend towards extremely hierarchical structures and this is reflected in the management style most frequently manifested within these companies. The approach is often described as ‘managing authority consultatively’ which implies the need for discussion without any loss of perceived status or power. Thus Egyptian managers (who are on the whole men) will consult widely with colleagues but be expected to make the final, firm authoritative decision. This decision will rarely, if ever, be delegated to a subordinate – even if the subordinate is a member of the family. After a decision has been reached, subordinates are expected to follow it to the letter and dispute or criticism are not expected or appreciated. Thus consultation has a ‘socializing’ aspect within an organization, but questions have to be asked as to the true extent of its impact on any final decisions. Management is expected to be cautious and not take too many risks – thus decision-making can seem extremely slow and cumbersome by US standards. It is also important to remember that religious considerations could form an important element in the final decision – something Western businessmen often forget within the negotiating process. It is important to factor this into any negotiating stance. d- Egyptian Business Meetings As in most of the Arab world, personal relationships are key to a successful meeting and good quality relationships can help to cut through the tendency towards an overly bureaucratic approach. Who you are and who you know really matter and for that reason it is often important to appoint a local go-between who has ready-made contacts who can operate on your behalf ‘ (and local often means local to the city or town. ) Initial meetings can often seem very formal to western businessmen and involve coffee, cake and lots of small talk – even when time is very short. Do not make the mistake of seeing these formalities as a waste of valuable time, as they form an integral part of the early relationship-building process. If time is not restricted, these formalities can start to eat away at the day and it is sometimes difficult to schedule more than one meeting per day. If concrete issues are discussed, it is advisable to ensure that specific actions are agreed upon and that individuals are tasked to perform them. If this is not done, things can very often drift and several months can elapse without any discernible progress being made. Time is very elastic and agreed start and finish times should not be relied upon. Patience is very necessary. It is not a good idea to arrange meetings on a Friday (or even Thursday) as these are the days of rest. It is advisable to travel to Egypt on business with a good supply of gifts, which can be given to key contacts. Gifts should be small and it is quite a good idea if they convey something of where you come from. However, when giving gifts be conscious of Muslim sensitivities and avoid the following: alcohol, pork, pigskin, perfumes with alcohol e- Egyptian Teams Working Teams revolve around a strong leader who usually allocates tasks rather than specific roles or functions. Individuals within the team expect direct access to and feedback from the leader. Thus teams tend to be more a grouping of individuals working independently towards a common objective. Many private companies are family-run and owned and family members would fill most management positions. Thus, the most obvious team grouping in a typical private company would be family-oriented but even this would be fairly hierarchical in nature. f- Egyptian Communication Styles  As in most of the Arabic world, people stand quite close to one another when communicating and many other cultures may feel that their personal space has been invaded. When this close proximity is coupled with strong same-sex eye contact and large amounts of tactility, many overseas business people can feel extremely uncomfortable. When attempting to build good relationships it is important that these differences in approach to body language do not become a barrier. Arabic conversation can be very hyperbolic with much use of flowery language and flattery. This is a protocol of the language and is expected. Do not misinterpret this approach as insincerity or a tactic. Try to express yourself in a similar fashion – especially when establishing relationships. It may sometimes appear that Egyptians are shouting at each other and in the throes of a very heated, acrimonious argument. Remember that emotion is used to convey conviction and that an overly reserved approach could be misconstrued as detachment or even lack of interest. Egyptians are proud of their country and Egyptian achievements (both ancient and modern. ) Egypt’s standing in the world, its history and local sport are all positive topics of conversation. However it is best to avoid discussing political issues or enquiring about female relatives of business acquaintances. When dealing with government officials, it is important to learn the titles of any contacts as titles are of considerable importance, denoting hierarchy and status. Do not address government officials in a familiar way unless specifically requested to do so. g- Women in Business in Egypt Women play a much less significant role in business life than in the West but are more active than in the Gulf States such as Saudi Arabia. Most senior business people are men, but it may be possible to meet a senior female employee. There would tend to be more women in prominent positions in joint-ventures, family businesses and companies owned by Coptic Christians. When dealing with women in business in Egypt keep a respectful, professional distance and do not try to ask personal questions. h- Egyptian Dress Code Appropriate dress in Egypt is both conservative and modest. Standard dress for men would be trousers, jacket, and shirt and tie in formal business meetings. Women should dress modestly, wearing long sleeves. Skirts hould be of a reasonable length (not too short). Do not wear native attire, as this might be considered offensive. Top 20 Tips For Doing Business In Egypt Tip 1. It is important to research any company before approaching it in order to determine whether it is state-owned or private and secular or Islamic in orientation. Tip 2. When doing business with an Islamic oriented organization, do not overlook the potential impact of religious issues on any decision- making process. Tip 3. Business is driven by relationships and therefore a great deal of resource and time should be allocated to the development of key contacts. Tip 4.  Who you are and who you know are important issues in Egypt; therefore it can be difficult to break into business without access to the right initial contacts. Tip 5. In order to help develop the all-important initial contacts it is often necessary to appoint a go-between who can arrange meetings and act as a bridge into the culture. Tip 6. It may be necessary to appoint a number of different go-betweens who know the locality (i. e. one for Cairo and one for Alexandria). Tip 7. Egyptian companies tend to be hierarchical and power usually rests in the hands of a small number of key senior managers who make all the major decisions. Tip 8. Managers tend to give direct instructions and subordinates are not expected to show initiative. If something is not specifically requested, it may not get done. Tip 9. Meetings can involve sitting in rooms with unknown people who are simultaneously meeting your contact. In effect, several meetings may take place at the same time. Tip 10. Initial meetings can be very time-consuming and appear to deliver very little in terms of tangible returns. Tip 11. Time is very flexible and meetings may start very late (if at all) and last for many hours. It is difficult to schedule a series of meetings on the same day. Tip 12. Meetings may start with coffee and a great deal of non-business related small talk. Do not try to rush this process Tip 13. It is important to offer lavish compliments to your host – and be prepared to receive them in return. Tip 14. Do not try to do anything on Thursday or Friday and avoid key issues during the month of Ramadan. Tip 15. People may stand much closer to you than you are comfortable with. Try not to back away as this can seem stand-offish. Tip 16. Levels of eye contact are very strong and strong eye ontact denotes sincerity and trustworthiness. Tip 17. Avoid touching anybody with your left hand or pointing feet at people as both of these are seen as extremely rude behaviour. Tip 18. Do not comment on the political situation in the Middle East or make any adverse comments about the influence of Islam. Tip 19. Women are less prominent in business than in the West but play a more prominent role than in some other Middle Eastern countries (i. e. Saudi). Tip 20. Dress conservatively, but very smartly. You will be judged partly on your appearance.

World War One and its Aftermath, Extract from the Treaty of Versailles Essay

World War One and its Aftermath, Extract from the Treaty of Versailles (1919) - Essay Example notes, as does other writers in this field, that the chief architects instrumental in designing this peace deal – a deal which bashed Germany on the face and left her drop on a myriad of problems, acted so on pressure from the electorates of their respective nations. George Clemenceau- the French Prime Minister, Woodrow Wilson-the American President Vittorio Orlando-the Italian Prime Minister and David Lloyd- the British Prime Minister were the four members of council that deliberated on the peace deal. It is important to point out that Germany was excluded from the talks and their fate was determined by the council of four2. Kitchen seems to employ a neutral ground rather than that of criticism in his articulation of facts and opinions. He appears not to be holding belligerent views with other writers on this topic but instead, concurs to a larger extent with what is in other texts. His focus is on a sober audience who intends to find out historical facts free from personal prejudice and judgment, something, which I believe, is the underlying drive for this work. One exception though, he doesn’t seem to agree with those who are quick to blame the Versailles treaty as the direct cause of world war two. He instead has Hitler and his limitless ambitions to blame. The culmination of the bloody war which had far reaching effects on nations and humanity, which defied definitive calculation, came to a halt with the signing of the peace agreement on 28th of June 1919 in Paris, France. This was the peace treaty with Germany.3 Best 1984 p2 ,points out that there were other lesser treaties with Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. The former, he confirms, was crafted by the four council members while the latter was left to the government officials and inter-Allied agencies. What then were the outcomes of the Versailles Treaty? There is a general consensus in the works of many writers that the end result of the treaty was nothing to be desired by the Germans.

Ohio Senate Race 2012 Sherrod Brown vs. Josh Mandel Case Study

Ohio Senate Race 2012 Sherrod Brown vs. Josh Mandel - Case Study Example The key issue that the candidates are asking voters to consider is the recently passed health care law, popularly known as â€Å"Obamacare.† On one hand, Brown, just as a majority of Democrats, likes the law and supported its passage. On the other hand, Mandel wants this law repealed (Torry, â€Å"Healthcare†). Indeed, the healthcare issue has been divisive not only amongst Ohioans, but also across the entire nation. This issue is important because Ohioans will identify the candidate who will support their preferred choice for healthcare. The two candidates are asking voters to consider the issue of abortion, which is another issue that draws emotions in the American society with people being either pro-choice or against abortion. This issue is crucial, especially amongst women voters, since they need to make a decision regarding the candidate who will support their needs. In addition, the recent global financial crisis is another issue that the candidates are asking vo ters to consider. In line with this, voters will want to know the candidate who will bring measures that reduced the States federal debt while improving the economy of the state (Torry, â€Å"Federal Debt†). On one hand, Brown portrays himself as a defender of the middle class and  a supporter of the rights of women. ... Conversely, Mandel projects Brown’s pro-choice image as views of an extremist (Sewell). Through campaign ads, debates, and public rallies, the candidates are able to get their messages out to the voters. In fact, the Ohio Senate race is the most expensive race this election year (Davidson). Hence, various people and groups have spent money on ads in this campaign since the stakes are high. The candidates have tried hard to avoid any gaffes and controversies that might cost them the race due to the thin margin in the opinion polls. However, Mandel’s gaffe of calling Mourdock a â€Å"gentleman† and his remarks about abortion a â€Å"class act† might influence the voting patterns amongst women (Sewell). Nonetheless, Mandel indicated that he did not agree with Mourdock’s statement and the media failed to highlight this issue. The media’s coverage of the race is faultless. In this case, the local media and the national media have been instrumental in highlighting the issues that these two candidates propose to the voters. In addition, the analysis and the reporting have been fair since each candidate appears to have equal airplay by the media covering the race. Brown’s message to the voters regards the improvement of the State’s economy, and he provides specifics on the issue of taxes. On the other hand, Josh’s main message to the voters on tax opposes Brown’s message on tax extensions. However, the two candidates do not provide the specifics that lay a plan on reducing the deficit that the State is currently facing (Torry, â€Å"Federal Debt†). Thus, the media  are  not distorting the messages from these two candidates as the two candidates failed to provide a clear approach of dealing with the

Compare Article 5-109 (a) of the ( Amercian) Uniform Commercial Code Essay

Compare Article 5-109 (a) of the ( Amercian) Uniform Commercial Code with the approach under english, the full question is in - Essay Example The very relevance of a letters of credit is quintessentially based on its autonomy from the transaction that it supports. Any bank that issues a letter of credit simply cannot refuse to honour it and extend the requisite payments, once it is presented with the apt and authentic documents. This also stands to be true in a scenario when the transaction being backed by a letter of credit does not actually take place. On the one side, the letters of credit extend to the sellers the assurance of a guaranteed payment, while on the other side they safeguard the interests of the buyers by necessitating the presentation of the right documents that to a large extent ensure performance. Such documents may be the like of insurance forms, transportation documents and quality related certificates. The Autonomy Principle The underlying dogma supporting the autonomy principles associated with letters of credit is that the transaction backed by a letter of credit stands to be autonomous of the sales deed formalized by the buyer and the beneficiary. To put it simply, the two essentially contractual arrangements mentioned above are regarded as being independent of each other. In other words, the utility of a letters of credit is pragmatically solemnized by the severance of services and documents. It is this principle that is the legal ground on the basis of which banks agree to such transactions. Fraud Exception As already mentioned, a letter of credit is the legal and financial instrument, which extends to the beneficiary the security of getting the payment due to one. Yet, this bolstering of security to the beneficiary in a way dilutes the security against risk or loss to the account party. Thus, in the letters of credit, the balance of risk is tilted more in favour of the seller. Though the autonomy principle practically assures the expected commercial results in business transactions, this principle stands to be defective and inequitable when the underlying transaction is vi tiated by a fraud. Under such circumstances, the autonomy principle gets limited by the fraud exception. The US Approach In the United States, in Maurice O’Meara Co v National Park Bank, the court of law simply denied the possibility of invoking a fraud exception. The New York Court of Appeal ruled that that the primary concern of the bank should be pertaining to the veracity of the drafts and the accompanying documents, and not the associate transaction of goods. Also in New York Life Insurance Co v Hartford National Bank and Trust Co, the court ruled that the inquiry of a fraud by a bank needs to be limited to the establishment of the compliance of the documents with the letter of credit. Hence, the Uniform Commercial Code in the US allows the fraud exception only in case of a fraud in the complying documents. Besides as per Article 5-109(a) of the Uniform Commercial Code, even if a seller has committed a fraud in the complying documents, the bank is still required to honou r a letter of credit in a situation where the claim for payment has been transferred to a third party. The American approach actually safeguards the interests of the innocent third parties, by allowing for a waver of the fraud exception. The English Approach In the United Kingdom, in Harbottle v National Westminster Bank, the court stated that a buyer to avail any injunctive dishonour must establish an evident and clearly discernable case of fraud. This viewpoint laid the foundation