The Condition of the Working Class in england Analysis

The Condition of the Working Class in england Analysis Originally written in German as Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England, The Condition of the Working Class in England, published in 1845 is a study of the proletarians in Victorian England. It was also Friedrich Engels first book, written during his stay in Manchester from 1842 to 1844. He was only 24 years old and son of a German textile manufacturer. He was sent to Manchester to work in a British textile firm owned by his father. Manchester was then at the very heart of the Industrial Revolution, and Engels compiled his study from his own observations and detailed contemporary reports as he immediately states in the Preface to the German Edition that we will analyse further on. It was his research methods which led to the conclusion regarding the structural inequalities which were, and are, inherent in the capitalist system. After considering other historians point of view in this essay I will argue that Engels and his book can indeed be considered reliable. Engels arrived in Manchester at almost the worst period of what was certainly the most catastrophic slump of the nineteenth century.  [1]  He shows that in large industrial cities mortality from disease, as well as death-rates for workers were higher than in the countryside. In cities like Manchester and Liverpool mortality from smallpox, measles, scarlet fever and whooping cough was four times as high as in the surrounding countryside, and mortality from convulsions was ten times as high as in the countryside. The overall death-rate in Manchester and Liverpool was significantly higher than the national average (one in 32.72 and one in 31.90 and even one in 29.90, compared with one in 45 or one in 46).  [2]   Engels has been accused of everything: from taking too gloomy an interpretation of the conditions of the British working class in 1844, to handling his material in a way which falls below generally accepted standards of scholarship by two Manchester University researchers W. H. Chaloner and W. O. Henderson in 1958.  [3]  The British Marxist Historian Eric Hobsbawm, on the other hand, has defended his account vigorously in his book Labouring Men. Most of the people accepted Engels account as standards, even if they disagreed with the analysis and the conclusions and was consistently in print and widely regarded by non-Marxist historians as a reliable account which they could safely recommend to their students.  [4]   Nonetheless gloomy interpretations have been made by a number of other historians or writers such as Elisabeth Gaskell in her social novels Mary Barton or North and South, J.Philips Kay, contemporaries and contemporary journalists and also official reports like the ones used by Engels himself, the Report to the Home Secretary from the Poor-Law Commissioners or Observations on the Management of the Poor in Scotland and its Effects on the Health of Great Towns or the First Report of the Commissioners for Inquiry into the State of Large Towns and Populous Districts. Far more gloomy descriptions have been written down in the same year by a number of other people. Engels clearly does not want to impress, scare or disgust his readers, he gives details, facts and numbers, you can tell that he both used his personal experience of living in Manchester, when he says I have rarely come out of Manchester on such an evening (Saturday) without meeting numbers of people staggering and seeing others lying in the gutter.  [5]  He uses a number of different sources too, from Dr Kays The Moral and Physical Conditions of the Working Class, to Carlyles Chartism (London, 1840) and many more. Conditions in England were bad, filthy. People lived in an ill-ventilated and abominable state. Engels did not exaggerate at all as he personally states: I am forced to admit that instead of being exaggerated, it is far from black enough to convey a true impression of the filth, ruin, and uninhabitableness, the defiance of all considerations of cleanliness, ventilation, and health which characterize the construction of this single district (Old Town of Manchester), containing at least twenty to thirty thousand inhabitants.  [6]  These descriptions are not even a bit revolting compared to the ones of Edwin Chadwick, Secretary of the Poor-Law Commissioners. He in fact writes: The scene which these places present at night is one of the most lamentable description; the crowded state of the beds, filled promiscuously with men, women, and children; the floor covered over with the filthy and ragged clothes they have just put off, and with their various bundles and packages containing al l the property they possess, mark the depraved and blunded state of their feelings, and the moral and social disorder which exists. The suffocating stench and heat of the atmosphere are almost intolerable to a person coming from the open air, and plainly indicates its insalubrity.  [7]   Even worse is the Report of the General Board of Health on the Epidemic Cholera: The worst circumstance about these slaughter-houses is the accumulation of an enormous quantity of animal and vegetable matter in large holes, where they lie festering, fermenting and putrefying together, and from which there is a constant emanation of offensive vapour poisoning the atmosphere (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) I have seen persons heaving and vomiting. As to the houses, it is utterly impossible to keep the stench out by closed windows; every room is pervaded by it. I am myself obliged to put a handkerchief over my nose and mouth scented with spirits. Most of the neighbours awake with headache, nausea, and loss of appetite. It is one of the most disgusting sights to see the loading of charts; scores of yards of green, blue, or yellow putrid entails hang in festoons over the sides and wheels. I have also seen coagulated blood, and sometimes the whole stuff of a brownish red colour from this addition.  [8 ]   For honesty of intentions I also have to say that other reliable witnesses during the Industrial Revolutions such as British Conservative Statesman and literary figure Benjamin Disraeli or Alexis De Tocqueville in his Journeys to England Ireland do not regard the conditions of the British workers as significantly as Engels or Elisabeth Gaskell. Journeys to England and Ireland heralds Friedrich Engels Conditions of the Working Class in England, but although Tocqueville had been struck by the unhappy conditions of the English working people, he does not seem to have been in touch with Chartist activities in those years.  [9]  Benjamin Disraeli publishes his novel Sybil or The Two Nations trying to trace the difficulties of working classes in England, but then makes one of his characters say that statistics proved that the general condition of the people was much better at this moment than it had been at any known period of history.  [10]  This statistical argument was continue d and affirmed by Professor Silberling and for a generation the cheerful school (Chaloner and Henderson) pinned their faith primarily to him.  [11]  He constructed an index of money wages and of the cost of living for the first half of the nineteenth century and, combining both, arrived at the conclusion that the real wages of the working-class had risen. But he was wrong, because we know that the money-wage rates of a good many, generally skilled workers on time rates, and a lot on piece rates, which are, of course, not very helpful by themselves. We know next to nothing of what people actually earned. How much overtime or short time did they work? How often were they unemployed and for how long? As for the cost of living theory it was equally shaky because it was largely based on guesswork. Chaloner and Henderson point out Engels slips and minor errors, which even Hobsbawm admit that are very numerous. Normally, if a book is full of minor errors and transcription mistakes, it is normal to consider it dishonest, but not in this case. We have to focus on the nature of these inaccuracies. He has been accused to not quote bluebooks textually. A bluebook is a publication that establishes the correct form of case citations or of references to a legal authority showing where information can be found.  [12]  For example he wrote 16 years when the source said 17, he wrote that a sample of children was drawn from one Sunday school, whereas it was two, and so on. This could reduce the credibility of the book, it is true, but in any case readers that want to quote blue-books, should go to the original source in any case. Not that Engels is unreliable: in actual fact, the concrete cases where Engels slips or bias are alleged to have led him to give a wrong or misleading impressi on of the facts, can be counted on the fingers of two hands, and some of the accusations are wrong.  [13]   The first point to make is that most of the descriptions in The Condition of the Working Class in England are not those of Engels himself, but are taken from contemporary reports. Engels used a vast amount of material throughout his book. On a very rough count he used over 30 reports and articles, a number of the second from the Journal of the Statistical Society of London, over 25 official documents, including those of various Commissions of Enquiry (Childrens Employment, 1842 and 1843; Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population, 1842) and reports of Hansards Parliamentary Debates (1843 and 1844) and almost 60 newspaper articles. It is true that the majority (30) of the newspaper items were taken from the Northern Star, the central organ of the Chartists, but he also used the Manchester Guardian (10 items) and The Times (8 items) quite extensively. Engels himself says in the Preface to the German Edition:  [14]   Whenever I lacked official documents for describing the condition of the industrial workers, I always preferred to present proof from Liberal sources in order to defeat the liberal bourgeoisie by casting their own words in their teeth. I cited Tories or Chartists in my support only when I could confirm their correctness from personal observation or was convinced of the truthfulness of the facts quoted because of the personal or literary reputation of the authorities I referred to. Always in the Preface to the German Edition he says that he may have made some minor mistakes:  [15]   I know equally well that here and there I may be proved wrong in some particular of no importance, something that in view of the comprehensive nature of the subject, and its far-reaching assumptions, even an Englishman might be unable to avoid; so much the more since even in England there exists as yet not a single piece of writing which, like mine, takes up all the workers. But without a moments hesitation I challenge the English bourgeoisie to prove that even in a single instance of any consequence for the exposition of my point of view as a whole I have been guilty of any inaccuracy or to prove it by data as authentic as mine. Another way of discrediting Engels is to argue that the sources he uses are unpresentative or selective. Henderson and Chaloner say: These blue-books (or books, or pamphlets, or articles) were not disinterested searches for truth. They were compiled by reformers, passionately anxious to abolish certain abuses (or by revolutionaries, passionately anxious to discredit capitalism). Therefore they picked out the worst cases, because these would cause most public indignation.  [16]  But the exact same things and stories came out from nineteenth-century novelist that are reliable without statistics, partly because they are good observers, partly because the episodes described are far from unlikely. There is no strong evidence to the contrary, so why shouldnt we believe Engels? Chaloner and Henderson have tried really hard to shake the gloomy view of the condition of the British labouring people in the first half of the nineteenth-century, they have tried firmly to discredit Engels book , checking every source, discovering every omission and mistake, not to mention some which are not even there. No other book has been subjected to such systematic and scrupulous hostile examination.  [17]  Having basically failed in their attempt to discredit the book, they started affirming that the conditions were awful, but it was not the fault of capitalism, but of the workers themselves that self-induced poverty because of the expenditure on drink, gambling and tobacco. As we already said one of the main reasons that helps us understand why Engels is a reliable witness of the Industrial Revolution is the Preface to the First German Edition where he clearly explains sources and terminology used. We previously analysed the sources, what is now important to understand is the terminology, that always makes things clear from the beginning and leaves no space to misunderstanding. He therefore states:  [18]   I have used the world Mittelklasse all along in the sense of the English word middle class (or middle classes, as is said almost always). Like the French word bourgeoisie it means the possessing class, specifically that possessing class which is differentiated from the so-called aristocracy the class which in France and England is directly and in Germany, figuring as public opinion, indirectly in possession of political power. Similarly, I have continually used the expressions working men (Arbeiter) and proletarians, working class, propertyless class, and proletariat as equivalents. This shows how careful and precise he was. He was very meticulous even when it comes to the structure of his writing: at the end of every chapter he summarizes and repeats the important parts. He wants no confusion, he wants his writing and therefore what he believes and argues to be as clear as possible. For example in a footnote, he clearly states that Dr Kay occasionally confuses the working class in general with the factory workers, but then underlines how excellent the pamphlet is.  [19]   Engels in the fifth chapter, clearly states that he wants to demonstrate that the bourgeoisie is responsible, as a ruling class, for the murder of working-men. The ruling power of society is the class which holds social and political control and therefore bears the responsibility for the conditions of proletarians. Engels is not surprised about what the workers have become given the circumstances they are living in. Obviously their physical, mental and moral status is so badly damaged that they cannot reach an advantage age. He consequently states that their only enjoyments are sexual indulgence and drunkenness to the point of complete exhaustion of their mental and physical energies.  [20]  He blames the society and the bourgeoisie, all throughout his book, making a relation with modern international Socialism, that in 1844 did not yet exist. Engels in the Preface to the English Edition writes that the ideas in his book represent one of the phases of Socialisms embryonic develop ment. Marx, a very good friend of Engels, used his ideas to build up the theory of Communism as the emancipation of society at large, including the capitalist class, from its narrow conditions. The book was received with great approval in socialist circles. For many workers it was the first time they had been aware of the possibility of a working-class movement. However, the revolutionary conclusions within the text were deplored by bourgeois critics, even though they recognized the accuracy of Engels observations. These conclusions might have been revolutionary, but we have to say that they are the result of his research methods and not a preconceived theory of revolution. Engels did not have a theoretical analysis in which to seek the social conditions that would fit his perspective. His early writings such as this book pre-date both his contact with radical thinkers of the time and the formulation of socialist theories. Engels life experience and observations illustrate how the t heory stated in The Condition was informed by reality and shock for what he saw. Engels starting point was therefore not theoretical, but the raw observed facts of capitalist society.  [21]   However what Marx would have probably never done, is describe the Irish as Engels did in chapter 4: Irish Immigration. Yes, Engels by writing this book was trying to support the working class, by blaming disease, poverty and bad conditions on the bourgeoisie. Because of this, of his background thoughts and because of him trying to politically agitate and politically condemn the English middle class, he should have described with a bit more tact the condition of Little Ireland. He should have said that it was because of the industrial revolution and because of the society in which they were force to live, that they were in such awful conditions. He sort of did this at the end of the chapter by stating: What else should he (the Irishman) do? How can society blame him when it places him in a position in which he almost of necessity becomes a drunkard; when it leaves him to himself, to his savagery?.  [22]  However before that we see that not even Engels was immune to racial prejudic e when he describes Little Ireland as a group of a few hundred mean cottages set in masses of refuse, offal and sickening filth, populated by a horde of ragged women and children swarming about here, as filthy as the swine that thrive upon the garbage heaps and in the puddles. The race that lives in these ruinous cottages, behind broken windows (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), this race must really have reached the lowest stage of humanity. That race, he argued, was disposed by nature and environment to careless and feckless behaviour, and had brought its dirty habits with it into the hearts of the great English and Scottish towns. Filth and drunkenness, too, they have brought with them, importing a mud cabin level of existence into Britain and degrading and corrupting the English workers through their presence and their competition in the labour market.  [23]  Engels made the mistake of confusing the effects of poverty and ignorance on the poor devil, for the effects of racial characteristic s, but the physical conditions of Little Ireland undoubtedly existed as Engels described them. In conclusion I can affirm, along with historians such as Hobsbawm and using David McLellan words that Engels descriptions can be taken, by and large, as probably the best piece of contemporary evidence that we have available to us.  [24]  The Condition of the Working Class in England is an astonishingly precocious work that recapitulates earlier and contemporary complaints about the damage to human beings created by the rise of industrial capitalism. Seeking to denounce the bourgeoisie for its cruel enslavement and exploitation of the proletariat, his work has still to be considered reliable and accurate. Engels took us through the slums of Manchester and other industrial cities, making us realize and fully understand the disintegration of the individual, the demoralizing influences of poverty, dirt and low environment a disorderly confusion that has been indeed brought by the devastating effects of the industrial society.  [25]  

Acco 310 Midterm

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY JOHN MOLSON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING ACCO 310/4 Winter 2011 MID TERM EXAMINATION All sections February 11, 2011 6:00 to 9:00 P. M. |Marks |Minutes | | | | | |Question 1 |24 |43 | |Question 2 |25 |45 | |Question 3 |35 |63 | |Question 4 |16 |29 | | |100 |180 | Materials Allowed †¢ Silent, cordless calculators (financial calculators are permitted) †¢ Translation dictionaries QUESTION 1- 24 MARKS- 43 MINUTESPlease answer all parts of this question in your answer booklet PART A- MULITPLE CHOICE Select the Best Answer 1. Which of the following criteria must be met before an event or item should be recorded for accounting purposes? a. The event or item can be measured objectively in financial terms. b. They are probable. c. The event or item is an element. d. All of these must be met. 2. Which of the following is a recordable event or item? a. Changes in managerial policy b. The value of human resources c. Changes in personnel d. None of the se 3. Which of the following never affects the current year’s income statement? a. Correction of an amortization error made two years ago. b. Using raw materials in the production process c.Dividend declaration and subsequent payment d. None of these affect the current year’s income statement. 4. An accrued expense can best be described as an amount a. paid and currently matched with earnings. b. paid and not currently matched with earnings. c. not paid and not currently matched with earnings. d. not paid and currently matched with earnings. 5. If, during an accounting period, an expense item has been incurred and consumed but not yet paid for or recorded, then the end-of-period adjusting entry would involve a. a liability account and an asset account. b. an asset or contra-asset and an expense account. c. a liability account and an expense account. d. receivable account and a revenue account. 6. In posting from the general journal, an expense item was debited to a lia bility account in error. Which of the following is true? a. The net income for the period will be understated by the amount of the expense. b. The net assets at the end of the period will be unaffected. c. The trial balance will be out of balance. d. None of these. 7. Which of the following statements is not an objective of financial reporting? a. Provide information that is useful to users in making resource allocation decisions. b. Provide information about an entity’s economic resources, obligations, and equity/net assets. c.Provide information on the liquidation value of an enterprise. d. Provide information about changes in an entity’s economic resources, obligations, and equity/net assets. 8. In establishing financial accounting standards, â€Å"due process† refers to a. the process of giving interested parties ample opportunity to express their views. b. the practice of researching, creating a task force, issuing an exposure draft and establishing the new GAAP. c. the researching of the legal implications of proposed new accounting standards. d. the requirement that all accountants must receive a copy of financial standards. 9.. The purpose of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is to: a. evelop a single set of high quality, understandable and international financial reporting standards for general purpose financial statements† b. develop a uniform currency in which the financial transactions of companies throughout the world would be measured. c. increase the transparency of financial reporting by achieving a single, global method of accounting.d. arbitrate accounting disputes between auditors and international companies. 10. Generally accepted accounting principles include a. specific rules, practices and procedures. b. broad principles and conventions of general applications c. underlying concepts (the conceptual framework) d. all of these. 11. Professional judgement plays an important role in Canada because a. he business environment is complex and there cannot be a rule for every situation. b. Canadian accounting standards are based primarily on general principles rather than specific rules. c. professional accountants have the experience and education that enables them to apply GAAP principles. d. all of these. 12. The exercise of professional judgement does not involve which of the following: a. the use of knowledge gained through education. b. the application of knowledge gained through experience. c. the use of ethical decision making. d. none of these. PART B ( 3 MARKS) Explain why providing information to users is a challenging task. PART C ( 9 MARKS)Presented below are three independent, unrelated statements regarding the formulation of generally accepted accounting principles. Each statement contains some incorrect or debatable statement(s). Statement I The users of financial accounting statements have coinciding and conflicting needs for statements of various types. To meet these needs, and to satisfy the financial reporting responsibility of management, accountants prepare different sets of financial statements for different users. Statement II The AcSB should be responsive to the needs and viewpoints of the entire economic community, not just the public accounting profession. The AcSB, therefore, will succeed because it will deal effectively with all interested groups. Statement IIIStarting on January 1, 2011 all companies in Canada must use IFRS. This is because Canada has extensive economic relations with the United States and all US companies are required to use IFRS. Instructions PROVIDE YOUR ANSWERS IN POINT FORM – DO NOT WRITE AN ESSAY Evaluate each of the independent statements and identify the areas of fallacious reasoning in each and explain why the reasoning is incorrect. Complete your discussion of each statement before proceeding to the next statement. QUESTION 2- 25 MARKS- 45 MINUTES For each of the following items, indicate : A. The appropriate balance sheet classification of the item B. the usual valuation of the item C.The additional disclosure required for the item, if any All of your responses should be in accordance with IFRS. 1. Common shares 8. Long-term bonds payable 2. Prepaid expenses 9. Land (in use) 3. Natural resources10. Land (future plant site) 4. Property, plant, and equipment11. Patents 5. Trade accounts receivable12. Trading securities 6. Copyrights13. Trade accounts payable 7. Merchandise inventory QUESTION 3- 35 MARKS- 63 MINUTES The following schedule was prepared by your colleague to summarize the corrections required to adjust the accounts of WNR Inc. and to form the basis of the revised financial statements that will be prepared for the years ending December 31, 2009 and 2010.    | | | | | | |   |Adjustments required: | | | | | | | |3 |depreciation expense- never previously recorded | | (3,200) | | (4,000) | |4 |Removal of unrealized gain on available for sale investments | (40,0 00) | | – | |5 |Adjust for contingent lawsuit | | | (80,000) |   | – | |Total adjustments | | | | | 111,800 |   | (74,000) | |   |Tax (expense) or saving | | | | | (44,720) |   | 29,600 | |   |Revised Net Income | | | | | 292,080 |   | 145,600 | | Additional Information: The company’s tax rate is 40%. The company has only one class of common shares issued and outstanding, Class A common shares. As at the end of 2009, there were 1,000 shares outstanding for a total value of $10,000. As at the end of 2010, the company had 2,500 common shares issued and outstanding for a total amount of $55,000. The company was incorporated on Nov. , 2008 and began operations on January 1, 2009. On December 15, 2010, the company declared a dividend of $5 per share to all its shareholders of record on that date. The dividend was payable on January 15th, 2011. It is now February 11, 2011 and your colleague, a big winner in this week’s 649 lottery draw, has suddenly quit his job, and left the country indefinitely. Your boss has asked that you review the document left and prepare the following: 1. For each adjustment shown on the schedule, an explanation of what the likely error was, to require the adjustment shown on the schedule. It is believed that all of the adjustments shown on the schedule are correct.Ensure that you explain fully the extent and effect of the error on all relevant accounts (balance sheet and income statement accounts). (10 marks) 2. For each of the adjustments shown on the schedule, prepare the required adjusting journal entry assuming that the books for 2010 are still open. INCLUDE INCOME TAXES (15 marks) 3. Using all of the information from above, prepare a Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity, for the period January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010 in proper format, including all of the disclosures required as per IFRS and Part 1 of the CICA Handbook. ( 10 marks) QUESTION 4-16 MARKS- 29 MINUTES You have just landed an interview with an exciting new start-up company in the biotech industry.As the company management is comprised solely of cientists, they have hired a local CA firm to interview the applicants for the accounting position that you are interviewing for. The company is anxious that the person they hire be technically proficient in all aspects of financial statement presentation as the rest of the management team is not well versed in the area of accounting and finance. During the interview, the CA asks you to take a short written test to explain fully, the disclosure required, for an enterprise that follows Part 2 of the CICA Accounting Handbook ( Private Enterprise Gaap) with respect to the following areas: 1. Discontinued operations ( 8 marks) 2. Statement of Cash Flows ( 8 marks) You may use point form in your response to these issues.

Global Supply Chain Management

Global Supply Chain Management ERP Business Administration , 3rd year Project by Arhire Alexandru Coordonating professor Pavaloaia Daniel Contents Introduction3 Chapter 1. Issues within the Global Supply Chain Management System4 Chapter 2. Global Supply Chains Management – Company Strategies5 Chapter 3. Global Supply Chain Model6 Chapter 4. The virtualization of Global Supply Chain Management8 Chapter 5. Conclusions10 References11 Introduction In order to understand what global supply chain management is we must first become familiar with the concept of supply chain management. The supply chain management is the network of services, material and information flow that link a firm’s customer relations, order fulfillment and supplier relations processes to those of its suppliers and customers. It is the science of developing a strategy to motivate, control and organize the resources involved in the flow of services and materials within the supply chain†. Nowadays, mo re and more companies source globally, sell globally, or compete with some other company that is involved in such activities. Thus, global supply chain management (GSCM) represents a central area of focus for many businesses and business schools today. Although the extraordinary growth of GSCM attests to its robustness and practical importance, the field is diffuse and complex. Many methods and perspectives on GSCM have emerged from logistics, operations, marketing, management, economics, sociology, personnel, information systems, and international relations. Their diversity and rapid growth make it hard to keep abreast of significant developments. Moreover, many of these approaches have evolved with relative independence, paying little attention to how they relate to existing methods or interrelate with each other.This makes it difficult to accumulate wisdom in the field and to develop a coherent knowledge base to guide research and practice. † Many businesses have found â₠¬Å"global supply chain management† to be an important issue when trying to outsource in regions across their borders. This can be explained by the increase in globalization. To outsource on a global level is difficult because it involves doing business with a variety of companies and suppliers which have their own codes of business conducts and various perspectives on business ethics; mainly on how to trade internationally.Global Supply Chain Management involves two big concepts: the supply chain management concept which was discussed above and the concept of globalization. This concept infers the cross-border movement of good and the emergence of global competitors and opportunities across competing supply chains with an industry. However, the current trend towards the globalization of supply chain management leaves many managers confused. Managers often question the differences between a global market and a single market, in that many of the same conditions exist in both.Alt hough this may be true, the complexities of cross-border operations are exponentially greater than in a single country, and the ability to compete in the global environment often depends on understanding the subtleties that emerge only in cross-border trade—that is, in â€Å"Global Supply Chain Management†. Chapter 1. Issues within the Global Supply Chain Management System For companies to operate on a global level is no easy task. There are many complications that arise from trying to do business across borders. 1. The first issue it faces is the costs and expenses of doing business â€Å"across borders†.Dealing with international business is a difficult task because it involves many types of different businesses in many countries. Costs for the company may involve: renting the required space, state taxes, transportation and others. â€Å"Additionally, companies need to factor in the exchange rate. Obviously, companies must do their research and give serious c onsideration to all of these different elements as part of their global supply management approach. † 2. The second factor that can put a dent into â€Å"global supply management† is the necessary time to conduct all the activities when dealing with this issue. The productivity of the overseas employees and the extended shipping times can either positively or negatively affect the company's lead time, but either way these times need to be figured into the overall procurement plan†. There are multiple factors that can influence the amount of time spent when doing business overseas, factors like: the delay of a shipment due to bad weather conditions, this can also influence the production process, or the time it takes for the merchandise to get clearance through customs.When dealing with the issue of â€Å"global supply chain management† the expression â€Å"time is money† takes a bigger and more literary meaning. 3. Another factor that managers tend t o consider important when dealing overseas is the place where you chose to do business. Some companies may choose technologically developed countries for the obvious reasons: information travels faster, the production process can be sped up and so can the shipment process. Other companies may choose poorer countries just due to the fact that the labor in those types of countries is cheap.And some companies might want to keep their activities somewhere closer to the main headquarters in order to reduce costs and expenses. 4. Probably one of the most pressing issues is that global supply chain managers deal with is the selection of the suppliers. It is a difficult task to try and get the ideal supplier because there are many and making a comparison between them is very difficult due to various issues like being pressured by time or trying to choose the cheapest supplier due to insufficient funds. A company must take its time when choosing the suppliers ost fitted for them and must ana lyze from all perspectives: quality, price, reputation, promptitude and many others. Taking the time to make a thorough research for suppliers on the market should be one of the main priorities of a company. 5. Another issue that can arise in â€Å"global supply chain management† is of logistic nature. Companies that choose to ship their products overseas can encounter issues such as: how many factories or plants does it need? How many suppliers are needed to ensure a fast manufacturing process in order to meet the market demand? Where should the company export their goods and why? For example, if a business uses a number of vendors around Bangalore, India than it may make sense to locate the manufacturing plant that would utilize those supplies in or around Bangalore as well. Not only will this provide lower employee costs, but overall shipping and tariff expenses should also be reduced. This would then save the company money†. Chapter 2. Global Supply Chains Managemen t – Company Strategies For a company to go global is always a difficult and long-term task. It has to face a lot of risks and issues that arise from trying to accomplish such a goal.When faced with the questions of what are the most challenging aspects of going global for a supply chain, managers and executives tend to reffer to the following: * Total resources required to manage supply chain * Recruitment and retention of sufficient local talent * Integration of IT systems between the company and vendors * Degree to which central manageement was required * Degree to which local management was required * Identification and implementation of risk-management strategy * Grater difficulty of managing safety and/or quality Speed at which competitive advantages from extending operations to low-cost markets evened out across us and our competitors * Infrastructure to support local workforce It is inveitable that when a company chooses to go global that it should face these challenge s. Many of them represent a great risk while others are technologically based. Technological development for a company is a key factor for success because especially nowadays, a company that has it’s own IT department and systems can easily gain a competitive advantage. Another important challenge that a company is faced with, is the recruitment of employees.When expanding to different territories finding talented people to work for the company can be a huge challenge. The company may need to transport capable employees from the mother company to new locations in order to ensure a good start for it’s activities in that area. This is why companies need to form a solid strategy for their supply chain and try to prioritize their goals. For example in a research done by McKenzy ; Company in 2008 have shown that the primary strategic goals that companies focus on are: * Reducing costs * Improving customer service Getting new products/services to market faster * Improving pr oduct quality * Reducing comapny’s carbon footprint * Maintaining majority of employees in home region The companies that are trying to emphasise on reducing costs the most are the companies that operate in developing or emerging markets. McKinsey ; Company also says that „perhaps comapnies in countries such as China are trying to anticipate the effect of rising costs (including labor costs and appreciating currencies) on the competitive advantages they currently enjoy as low-cost manufactureres†.The conclusion here is that if companies want to succeed on foreign markets they must develop strong strategies for market penetration, the speed to which the products arrive at the disposal of the customers, hiring competent personel and lowering costs. Chapter 3. Global Supply Chain Model In order for a company to be able to adapt to the everchanging global markets and to manage to keep up with the technological advances it mus have a sound „global supply chain mo del†. Researchers say that in order for a company to succeed it must have a „model of global supply chain agility†. Researchers ike Patty Swafford, Dr. Soumen Ghosh and Dr. Nagesh Murthy, define in their paper intitled „A Model of Global Supply Chain Agility and its Impact on Competitive Performance†, the concept of „global supply chain agility† as „a measure of the supply chain’s ability to efficiently adapt to a rapidly changing global competitive environment to provide and/or services†. They also state that „global supply chain agility† is determined by four componenets of flexibility, which are: * The flexibility of product development * The flexibility of sourcing * The flexibility of manufacturing * The flexibility of logisticsThey also state that „an organization’s information technology flexibility and its industry’s global competitive environment influence its level of global chain agility†. (Patty Swafford, Dr. Soumen Ghosh, Dr. Nagesh Murthy). An example of a practical „global supply chain management† model could be: Chapter 4. The virtualization of Global Supply Chain Management If a long time ago business was conudcted in the old fashioned way, like face to face trading, nowadays it is not required to physically be preasent when closing a deal or trading goods or services. This is mainly because of the Internet.This amazing invention which revolutionized how the entire world works, has rapidly made its way into the world of business and changed it forever. The birth of the Internet has brought to the business world instruments such as „E-business† or „E-commerce† which basicly means „the use of Interned-based computing and communications to execute both front-end and back-end business processes†. With the help of the Internet, comapnies can obtain a greater visibility outside their own borders on what i s happening with their activities and the activities of competitors and thus are able to quickly respond to changes in the market.The adoption of „e-business† can mean, for companies, a better global supply chain with the reductions of costs and expenses, the increase in flexibility and faster reactions in time. Hau L. Lee and Seunjing Whang, say in their paper intiteled „E-Business and Supply Chain Integration† that „ over the past decade a combination of economic, technology and market forces has compelled companies to examine and reinvent their supply chain strategies. Some of these forces include the globalization of business the proliferation of product variety, increasing complexity of supply networks and the shortening of the product life cycles.To stay competitivem enlightened comapnies have strived to achieve greater coordination and collabroation among supply chain partners in an approach called „supply chain Integration†Ã¢â‚¬ . T his means that the Internet plays an important role and will continue to play it in the development of the „global supply chain management† and provide fast and reliable ways of integration for the supply chain. The way in which a company conducts „e-business† will be an important factor in the succes of that company.If a company kows how to use the internet for its „back-end† operations like product development and design, procurement of supplies, production process, keeping inventory, distribution channels, services support, marketing and management then it is very much likely that the company will always be at a competitive advantage. Reseachers Hau L. Lee and Seunjing Whang have identified four key dimensions in which the impacts of „e-business† can be found on „supply chain integration†: a. „Information integration†. Which reffers to „the sharing of information among memebers of the supply chain†.If this system is implemented correctly, without the danger of leaking important company secrets to unwanted parties, then the communication between the memebers of a supply chain can be made easier an thus increase the overall performance. b. „Planning synchronization†. Which refers to „the joint design and execution of plans for product introduction, forecasting and replenishment†. This dimension refers to the ability of the supply chain memebers to use the information provided in order to acomplish their plans and meet their objectives. c. Workflow coordination†. It reffers to „streamlined and automated workflow activities between the supply chain partners†. This means to decide on how the provided information can be used and what is the best way to gain the most out of it. In the end it means to achieve efficiency thorugh technology solutions and to automate many of the cross-company workflow stages. d. „New Business Models†. „E-business allows partners to redefine logistics flows so that the roles and responsabilities of memebers may change to improve overall supply chain efficiency†.Taking an „e-business† approach to supply chain integration can mean improvements in effciency but can also spring new opportunities of business for the company that previously were not possible. For example with the help of the Internet a „supply chain network may jointly create new products, pursue mass cutomization and penetrate new markets and customer segments†. In conclusion, „e-business† and „e-commerce† are two powerfull tools for the integration of the global supply chain across a widespread area of industries and countries.Such instruments have the power to enable a faster and realiable cooperation between memebrs of the „global supply chain† and companies that adopt such methods will surely gain and important competitive advantage on the g lobal markets. The sharing of information benefits not only the company that does the sharing but the whole business community, thus establishing a network of „e-business† between companies all over the world is an important step towards the development of business processes and conducts.The internet not only helps develop a company but it also gives it new business oportunities which can enrich its portfolio and make it more attractive to customers. Chapter 5. Conclusions Considering all that has been said in this paper we can safely assume that the core of a business is its supply chain. Thus if the whole world is involved in doing business then we can say that „global supply chain mangement† is the core of the business world and it is what really „makes the world go round†.The main „driver† that stands behind the „wheel† of an efficient „global supply chain management† is without a doubt the Internet and the instrument known as „e-business†. With the help of the Internet companies now can gain real-time visibility into the flow of their good and services, get information on their suppliers, optimize inventory management, reduce transportation and shipping costs, the oportunity to quickly react to a change or shift in the market in order to respond to the customer needs.However, along with these benefits are the challenges that businesses need to overcome when operating globally. These challenges are related to foreign national economies, logistics, cultures, competition, and infrastructure. These challenges give rise to several risks in global supply chains. In the end â€Å"global supply chain management† is the network that opens countries to cross border trading and is an important part in global business. References * Luvai F. Motiwalla, Jeff Thompson, â€Å"Enterprise Systems for Management†, 2nd edition, Chp. 11, pg 327. John T. Metzner, Theodore P. Stank , Matthew B. Myers, â€Å"Why Global Supply Chain Management†. * http://www. epiqtech. com/supply_chain-Global-Management. htm , accessed on the 19th of May 2012. * McKinsey Global Survey Results, â€Å"Managing global supply chains†, pages 5,6,9. * Patty Swafford, Dr. Soumen Ghosh, Dr. Nagesh Murthy, „A Model of Global Supply Chain Agility and its Impact on Competitive Performance†, pg 2. * Hau L. Lee, Seunjing Whang, â€Å"E-business and Supply Chain Integration†, pages 2 and 4. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Luvai F.Motiwalla, Jeff Thompson, â€Å"Enterprise Systems for Management†, 2nd edition, Chp. 11, pg 327. [ 2 ]. John T. Metzner, Theodore P. Stank, Matthew B. Myers, â€Å"Why Global Supply Chain Management† [ 3 ]. http://www. epiqtech. com/supply_chain-Global-Management. htm , paragraph 2. [ 4 ]. http://www. epiqtech. com/supply_cha in-Global-Management. htm , parahraph 3. [ 5 ]. http://www. epiqtech. com/supply_chain-Global-Management. htm , paragraph 4. [ 6 ]. http://www. epiqtech. com/supply_chain-Global-Management. htm , paragraph 5. [ 7 ]. http://www. epiqtech. com/supply_chain-Global-Management. tm , paragraph 6. [ 8 ]. McKinsey Global Survey Results, â€Å"Managing global supply chains†, pg 9. [ 9 ]. McKinsey Global Survey Results, â€Å"Managing global supply chains†, pg 5. [ 10 ]. McKinsey Global Survey Results, â€Å"Managing global supply chains†, pg 6. [ 11 ]. Patty Swafford, Dr. Soumen Ghosh, Dr. Nagesh Murthy, „A Model of Global Supply Chain Agility and its Impact on Competitive Performance†, pg 2. [ 12 ]. Hau L. Lee, Seunjing Whang, â€Å"E-business and Supply Chain Integration†, pg 2. [ 13 ]. Hau L. Lee, Seunjing Whang, â€Å"E-business and Supply Chain Integration†, pg. 4.

Advertising and Consumerism The Face of the 21st Century...

Advertising and Consumerism: The Face of the 21st Century â€Å"Introducing the lasted, newly improved widget†¦ anyone whose anyone has one†¦ it is a must have!† These words sound familiar? This is due in part, because advertising today has taken such extreme measures to persuade the American public; materialism has become the most prominent and universal mentality. The need to have the newest and best has become an instilled characteristic of the average citizen. How, you may wonder, has the advertising industry become such a powerful entity? The answer is that propaganda has always played a vital role in society; this is not a new concept. Throughout history propaganda/advertising has been to entice, elude, and manipulate people.†¦show more content†¦It’s simple, striking, and exceptionally clever. How is this appealing you ask? Well if you are sophisticated and beautiful woman, you want this product. The simplicity of this ad is what gives it so much character. According to A Meeting of Minds, â€Å"Con necting objects through color or space conveys association among the ideas behind the objects† (Dobyns, 321). This ad compares a black stiletto heel, which can be associated with sex appeal, beauty, elegance, and power, to the slim mascara brush. This comparison causes the audience to subliminally associate those desirable traits with the mascara. Due to the exceptional contrast in the picture, the viewer’s eye is not distracted. It immediately focuses on the two objects present the stiletto and the brush. This extreme contrast of black and white can flood the viewer’s mind with a variety of associative polarities such as night and day or good and bad. Because the heel and the mascara are depicted in black gives the notion that black is dark, sexy, provocative, and smooth, which is what a high profile woman wants. She wants to catch attention, be recognized, and lusted after. 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