Log Mgmt

Log Management in the Cloud: A Comparison of In-House versus Cloud-Based Management of Log Data A SANS Whitepapers – October 2008 Written by: Jerry Sheen Sponsored by Alert Logic Basic Practices Questions for the Cloud Provider Considerations for In-House Log Management Executive Summary In the 2008 SANS Log Management Survey, 20 percent of respondents who were satisfied with their log management systems spent more than one week each month on log analysis. Most of those companies were in the Global 2000.The remaining small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB) and government organizations spent twine a half-day to five days per month on log analysis. The survey also showed that, because of difficulties in setup and integration, most organizations have only achieved partial automation of their log management and reporting processes. These difficulties have organizations, particularly SMB, wondering if they should turn over log management to an in-cloud provider†one that prov ides their log management software and log data storage over the Internet.In January, 2008, Stephen Northup, president of the SANS Technology Institute, wrote that there are pitfalls with putting log management in-the-cloud. On the plus side, he adds, â€Å"you will almost certainly save money. In addition, real experts on log analysis are hard to find†¦ † 1 Recently, vendors began offering log management in-the-cloud (otherwise known as Software as a Service or AAAS), as a way to simplify log management because the provider can dedicate the material resources and retain the talented, focused personnel to do a better Job for less money.This particularly makes sense not only for SMB without the dedicated manpower, but also for enterprises whose IT resources are stretched trying to manage multiple distributed Lana. While IT managers agree that log management is difficult, they are leery about handing over their log data to a third party application provider because the dat a might not be available when they need it, not to mention the sensitive nature of some of the data that shows up in log files.Before deploying or overhauling log management systems, organizations need to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each model in context of their business requirements. To simplify the process, this paper presents some questions to consider when vetting those business needs against each (and in many cases, both) of these log management models. Www. Sans. Du/resources/leadership/log_logic_interview. PH Log Management in the Cloud Basic Practices When looking at both models of log management (internally or in the cloud), begin with the end in mind by clearly laying out the reasons you want to collect log data.The following are some pre-selection tenets to keep in mind when considering both models of log management: Identify Your Goals One of the keys to any successful project deployment is identifying the goals before starting. Log management needs are differen t for each business unit staking a claim in the process. The IT group may be interested in the value of log data for problem solution; the security team may be interested in information management or event management tied into an overall SEEM; and the audit and compliance group is most likely interested in tracking what people are doing in regard to sensitive data.Other possible uses for log data include marketing, forensics and HER accounting. As they identify goals, companies would do well to consider the broader advantages of log management and analysis, and look for systems or services that will allow a migration toward a more complete use of log data in the future. Of importance to all groups is the type of reporting supplied by the service or system. Log management systems often have reporting that is geared toward compliance for PC, SOX, HAIFA and other similar standards.Apart from required reports, log management can generate reports that are helpful for system maintenance, security management and many other purposes. Whether log management is handled in-house or in the cloud, reporting and correlation features should be easy to use and able to meet current and future business goals. Locate Resources Critical to the success of any log management initiative is finding the staff needed to implement, manage and maintain the system. This is particularly difficult for SMB and government agencies that can't afford top dollar for IT talent.Yet, according to a Gardner paper in May of 20082, compliance drivers are pushing organizations with smaller security staffs to acquire log management systems. In these cases, in-cloud services make sense. Larger organizations with dedicated security staffs and advanced log management processes, on the other hand, are more likely to keep log management functions in-house. But even those organizations might use log management services for branches, or as a part of their larger security or network management operations. 2 GO 56945, Mark Nicole and Kelly Savanna's.SANS Analyst Program Try Before You Buy The computer industry is fraught with solutions that don't work nearly as well as they purport. So, testing and trial use is critical to determine whether the system or service suits your needs. Put the search interface through its paces to test for functionality and accuracy. Start off with a few devices sending log data, but also set up as many devices as you are allowed to test during the trial period. Some log management systems work very well for a small amount of data; but as the data feed test larger, the performance goes down quickly†and the systems or services can miss events.A good way to test the system or service is to send some suspicious data to a device that is being monitored. Then go look for that particular data to make sure it's all there in the logs. One way to do this is to use the Kiwi Slog Message Generators to send messages to the target, for example by using an option in the program to send a simple text message followed by a number. This makes it simple to see if any of the test messages have been picked up by the log management system or service and reported upon as required.If there is a security component to the monitoring service (there usually is), try attacking your server and see how the provider responds. The specifics of how you would do this testing will vary with your goals, but logging in as a user and intentionally mistyping the password enough times to lock the account should get a response from the log service or system. I have actively used this testing approach on some appliances that collected security information and never got a response. If you choose to do this kind of testing, start slowly to get an idea of where the response threshold is.In addition to testing for nationality and security, pay attention to the user interface. In most cases, this will be a Web-based front end. Go through all the options and make sure they work. A lso, make sure that responses to the GUI are intuitive. If you have a report that you need regularly, you should be able to get that report reasonably easily, even have it e- mailed to a specified account. Custom reports and specialized reports may be more complicated to receive as a test, but the basic flow of the system should make sense.Finally, make sure that the people who will use the service test the interface before decisions are finalized. Www. Sociology. Com/kiwi-slogged-overview Questions for the Cloud Provider Selecting a log management software service provider is more like cementing a partnership than making a purchase. The service provider will have copies of critical log data†at times they may have the only copies of that data. The table below offers a quick snapshot of what to cover in a Service Level Agreement with a log management cloud service provider.Following that are questions to consider before taking the plunge. AAAS availability No more than 2 minute s of downtime a day and no more than 5 minutes per week. Timeliness of log data showing up in system Individual logged events must be available to a search from the customer portal within 90 seconds of the event. Timeliness of log data analysis Regulatory compliance Alerts must be delivered to the client within 30 minutes of a critical event. The AAAS provider must maintain compliance to changing regulations within 30 days of notification of change.New attack vectors should be applied to the processing system within 24 hours of a new attack being identified. The processing system must be upgraded to support changes and modifications to alerting from supported systems when systems are available for mineral release. Prompt upgrades to support new attack vectors Prompt upgrades to support upgrades to hardware and software 4 When considering cloud-based log management applications, organizations should ask the following questions (most of which can also be applied to in-house log manage ment systems): Is It Safe?Many IT managers are concerned with the safety of their log data, and rightly so: Log data can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. Attackers can get valuable information from reading the logs. For example, they can see if their attacks work, been known to show up in logs). Log data as common as Web or e-mail traffic often contains confidential information. Having control of logs can be useful to attackers who, in some cases, will try to clean the log data to remove any traces of their activity. Therefore, it's important to look at the safety of log data†whether it's stored on- or off-site.If the log data is stored locally, it's often kept on each individual computer producing the data. Larger organizations will have log servers that will store the log data in a centralized attached storage device. Those systems are, in an ideal situation, secured and difficult to break into. In the cloud model, this data storage would be handed off to the c loud provider, which relieves the organization of the hardware, security and HER burdens involved with keeping storage in-house. However, as they lose control of that data, organizations must rely on the cloud service to handle their data securely.The issue of whether a service organization is competent is difficult to determine, and is ultimately based on reputation. Cloud providers must create a trust model as they manage collected log data securely and separately in a multi-tenant environment. This creates the need for additional layers of security to operate multiple tenants from one another on a shared server, while also protecting the data stores from attackers. Firewalls, encryption and data loss prevention are all areas of security that apply to sensitive log data stored in the cloud†a cloud that's increasingly brutalized.Fertilization, in itself, is not necessarily a negative, as long as proper security procedures are followed within the virtual cloud. The same charac teristics of fertilization that make it a concern as a hacking agent also provide a hiding technology that has the potential to make user accounts harder for attackers o access. Already security vendors are developing virtual technologies so that their anti-mallard products can't be detected and overruled by today's kernel boot- level rootlets. 5 How Is It Transported?Ask the cloud provider for specifics about how the data gets transmitted from your systems to their operations center. Is the data encrypted in transit? What type and strength of encryption is used? Is the encryption proprietary? Be wary of providers that claim their encryption information is confidential or proprietary; instead, look for providers that use proven technologies such as SSL or AES. There are numerous examples of companies that have invested vast amounts of money in creating their own encryption technologies only to find out after release that they missed a critical component.How Are Keys Stored? It would be easier for a log management vendor to use the same encryption secrets client, that attacker can access the accounts of all clients. A different key for each customer account would not only offer better protection against customers accessing one another's accounts, but also against an attacker cracking a password and getting the keys to the entire kingdom. Logical separation of key storage is also important for the same reasons. How Often Is The Data Transmitted? Most log management systems send data in batch mode.The collection appliance typically waits for either a specified time or amount of data before transmission. In general, a quicker frequency is better because the data is getting processed faster. More frequent transmission minimizes traffic bursts and gives an attacker less time to interrupt or block the transmission of alerts, a technique attackers use in an attempt to avoid detection. What Is The Level Of Compression and Bandwidth Utilization? Bandwidth utilization is a question that you'll want to keep an eye on as you test your log management service.It is common to get 90 percent compression or better on ASCII (plain text) logs, while binary log compression ratios may be less. If your Internet connection is currently heavily utilized, the log traffic may impede other traffic, and you'll want to plan for this issue ahead of time. One way to monitor the bandwidth is to capture traffic statistics using Net Flows. If you aren't monitoring your overall Internet traffic utilization, it's best to get a handle on that prior to implementing a log management service and use this number as a baseline. What Backup and Redundancy Is Included ? If a cloud provider claims to be set up to handle this type of data correctly, verify that it is, in fact, doing a better Job than you would. The provider should have data stored at multiple locations and secure backups for redundancy. Check, too, with the company that is actually doing storage. In the cloud model, storage could be handed off to another vendor. Ask questions about how stored data is encrypted, how it is transferred, where the tapes or other media are stored, and if there is a process for racking tapes.Find out how long backup data is retained, how it's destroyed, and what happens to the data if the service is terminated. It will probably be impossible to verify most of this, but the cloud provider should be able to answer questions and provide benchmarks, customer references, service agreements and other documentation. What Are The Responding Options? System. These built-in reports typically cover things like regulatory compliance and common performance and security metrics. Verify that the reports your organization needs are included as overbuilt reports, or that they're easy enough to customize.Often, reporting is not as straightforward as people would like it to be. Sometimes, the logging application won't provide the required information directly, but it may be available i ndirectly. For example, a security manager may want to identify invalid session IDs on a Web site because a high frequency of invalid session IDs may point to an attacker trying to guess a session ID and clone or hijack the session. If the log manager doesn't report that information directly, it may be possible to get similar information by tracking the number of connections built from any given IP address. How Much Of The Data Is Actively Searchable?In some cases, the most recent data will be more quickly accessible for searching than data that has been removed from an active state. Moving data out of an active part of the database can make databases faster, so some data may be moved into an area that provides slower access. Ask if there are any special requirements to access archived data or whether the only issue is a performance penalty†and request a demonstration. 7 How Much Of The Data Is Stored? If data is moved out of primary storage, is the full log data retained or w ill recovery of data be limited to searchable data fields and metadata?If some detail is eliminated, determine whether this will cause problems with regulatory compliance, forensics processes and other log management and reporting needs required across your organization. If there are processes that automatically eliminate some data, can those processes be suspended for special circumstances, such as litigation requiring the preservation of data? How long does it take to make such changes? What Log Data Will Be Accepted? What specific devices, operating systems and applications are supported?Several operating systems and hundreds of widely used appliances and devices are critical o today's diverse organizational IT infrastructures. The number of applications a log manager may be called upon to understand is staggering. Prioritize on all your critical devices and applications. How are they supported by the service provider, and how thorough is that support? How Are Its Instructions Fo r Setting Up Devices? Log management can become more complicated as the number of log-producing for setting up devices, operating systems and applications that need to be monitored.Often, a company will need to deviate from the normal setup procedure, based on the peculiarities of its business that complicate the log data life cycle. As a result, setup instructions should be termed as guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Rules often must be massaged to work with the varying operating systems and applications (including their versions) that an organization needs coverage for. 8 How Are Alerts Determined? If the cloud provider is offering to send alerts for events of interest, find out how they determine what is of interest and compare that to what is of interest to your organization.Are they looking solely at security events or do they include more routine support and maintenance events? If the events of interest include both types f events, how do they distinguish between the two? H ow much involvement does the log management client have in setting up what alerts are of interest to them? If a drive runs out of space, for example, that can often be Just as big a problem as an attacker compromising a system. Ask, also, if they can correlate related events to give the analysis situational awareness. For example, an administrator logging into a domain controller at 10 a. . And creating a user is quite different from the DNS process starting a command shell and creating a user in the middle of the night. In both cases, a user is being created. In the first instance, the process seems normal; but in the second instance this combination of events could be associated with the RPC DNS exploit as demonstrated in an April, 2007, SANS Webmaster. Cloud (and in- house systems) should, therefore, include situational awareness to understand when creating a user is a normal event and when, as in the second example, it is not normal.In addition to automated monitoring and alerts , it would be ideal if cloud providers could offer human review of logs as an add-on fee for service. Human review is required under some regulations, and is a good basic best practice for organizations to follow because automated systems don't catch everything. How Quickly Does Processing Occur? Timing is an important issue with log management that the cloud model is well- suited to address. One typical problem with in-house log management is that events are often found after a problem is noticed.It is, of course, best to detect log events leading up to a critical event in order to avoid the critical event. The question about processing speed encompasses a number of different issues: Once an event has been logged at the local device, how long does it take for that event to show up in the yester? If that event should trigger an alert, how long will it be before the alert is relayed to the client IT department? Is there an option for the vendor to do more than April 24, 2007 Webmaste r – www. Sans. Org/websites/show. PH? Beastie=90861 9 How Often Are The Alerts Updated? Operating systems and network devices are constantly coming under new and different attacks requiring new responses. The errors from these devices also change with some upgrades, so it is important for the Log Management provider to conduct regular and timely updates to its system, and respond reasonably when errors occur. How Are System Upgrades Handled? In the cloud, upgrades to the log management systems are handled by the provider, thereby relieving the organization from having to maintain these systems in-house.There is a risk, however, that the upgrades may cause outages in coverage by accidentally introducing new compatibility or protocol problems. It would be a good to ask the cloud provider about how upgrades are handled and how clients are protected during the upgrades. By the same token, how would updates to any internal system log-generating devices affect the cloud provider's coverage? 10 Considerations for In-House Log Management Many of the same questions that apply to companies offering log management service in the cloud also apply to internally-managed log management systems.The 2008 SANS Annual Log Management survey indicates it is still incredibly difficult to automate log management systems to the degree organizations need. A recent article by Patrick Mueller in Information Week refers to log management as a â€Å"monster. † Just because it's difficult doesn't mean log management needs to be outsourced. When weighing in-house log management, consider the following factors: Could A Personal Change Ruin Your Log Management Process? Log management is often the pet project of one person while the rest of the IT staff tries not to get involved.If that person leaves the company, it can be difficult for initiatives. Will Your Staff Monitor The Logs Regularly And Maintain Updates? Log management services have requirements built into their contract s for response time and full-time monitoring. Can your staff live up to those same expectations? One of the issues for log management companies is keeping up with updates to applications, operating systems and regulatory issues. Is your staff able to keep up with the changes? As an example, how did your staff do when Windows Server 2008 changed all its event Ids?At the time, most administrators used a collection of scripts; however, all those scripts, which were working, suddenly became broken. Floggers lashed out about it. For a log administrator who finally has everything working, that sort of a situation can be a demoralizing surprise. Maintaining updates and monitoring logs is complicated by the fact that most companies support a diversity of logging devices. To properly support local log management, an IT group will need to work with different vendors ho use different types of log data.At times, it may be necessary to bring in consultants to assist with tracking down specific i ssues. Organizations need to consider the associated costs and frustrations of working with multiple vendors and integrators along with the costs of the initial deployment and ongoing internal staffing requirements. 56 www. Informational. Com/story/charities. Jhtml? Articled=208400730 www. ultimate windows security. Com/wick/WindowsServer2008VistaSecurityLog. Sash 11 Roll Your Own Or Buy An Appliance? A big debate in the log management arena is how to deploy log management tools.According to the SANS Log Management survey, the majority of organizations (38 percent) are building home grown solutions through the use of slog servers, custom scripts and applications. The remaining respondents used a combination of commercial software and appliance-based tools or checked â€Å"other. † In either case, organizations are not happy with their level of automated correlation or system coverage, according to the survey. Coverage, automation, correlation and access must all be addressed, maintained and improved upon as needs dictate, regardless of which option is chosen.

How has CMOS memory changed over the years? Essay

How has CMOS memory changed over the years? CMOS really hasn’t changed very much from what I could find on the internet†¦ Mainly the speeds have increased and the noise has been reduced it also went from analog to digital. Originally, the IBM PC only used of a small portion of CMOS memory and the balance of the 64 bytes were left undefined. Once other manufacturers cloned the AT form factor it wasn’t long that other areas of the CMOS was used by various BIOS manufacturers for such user-selectable options as memory wait states, memory type, initial boot drive selection, boot-up clock speed, hard drive interface type, green options, shadow RAM options, cache options, and password protection of the CMOS contents. It still uses a small battery in case there is a power outage and still uses volatile RAM. Has the size of the CMOS memory increased, decreased, or stayed the same? The size of the CMOS memory has also pretty much stayed the same because there is no need to increase the size. There was never any need to store more than 512 bytes in the memory as it holds the absolute basic boot settings for the system. The typical size is still 512 bytes currently. All it comes down to is â€Å"If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.†, so it’s been that way since almost the very beginning. It does its job which is to just get the computer started and make sure everything is in place and then hands it all over to the computers OS. Determine if CMOS still utilizes RAM, requiring a battery on the motherboard, or has it evolved into using EEPROM? The CMOS still utilizes RAM but it is being rapidly replaced with EEPROM in today’s time. EEPROM is a small chip that data can be written and re-written to with codes. As we all know RAM losses data every time you loss power to your system, well EEPROM does not require a power source to maintain its data. Although EEPROM is relatively slower than RAM it is fine for applications, such as storing saved BIOS settings?

Confucian Philosophy in the Han Dynasty Essay

This paper will evaluate a brief evaluation of the rise of the Han Dynasty and how Confucian corresponds with it. With included references to authors, Tanner, Liang, Dubs, and Wang, will supply knowledge regarding to Sima Qian’s historical points, incorporation of Confucian principles within the Han Dynasty and the emperor, and within the social lives and families. I will highlight some of the major points of beneficial factors to Confucian thought as well as a brief opinion on how it isn’t always good to base a society of false claims regarding to divinity and how the society originated. However, I hope to make clear a better understanding on why and how the Chinese people in general came to be in current day China. â€Å"Before the founding of the Han dynasty, thinkers of every stripe cited the Five Classics to legitimate their ideas, but the transmission of the Zhou’s cultural heritage was not clearly documented until Sima Qian (second century B. C. E. ) traced the study of the Five Classics back to Confucius. † Sima Qian finished an essay called â€Å"The Collective Biographies of Confucians,† which â€Å"summarizes classical learning from the beginning of the Western Han to the end of the reign of Emperor Wu. † He is considered the first great exemplar of the Chinese historical tradition; however, before he was able to finish his works and had angered the emperor, he took the option of being castrated over controversial writings about a general that had been defeated and surrendered to the Xiongnu, to finish his writings. Sima Qian was a man dedicated to his work for which he chose castration over having to commit suicide. â€Å"The style of Sima Qian’s work was didactic, its purpose to communicate the moral lessons of the past. ’ â€Å"In both its organization and its approach to history, the ‘Records of the Grand Historian’ served as a model for all subsequent officially sanctioned Chinese historical writing. † Ban Gu eventually took up Sima Qian’s work in 90 B. C. , although he was imprisoned at first for his unauthorized history of the Han emperor, but was freed later due to the emperor’s liking of his work. Regardless whether the historical contexts of both Ban Gu and Sima Qian, it shows that the histories were often dishonest due to the preferences of the elite, but as. Ban Gu was pardoned, there might be more truth to what the Han’s historical past entails. â€Å"It was during the former Han period that Confucianism developed from being the teaching of a few pedants in a semi-retirement, at the end of the Chou period, to become the official philosophy of the government, which had to be adopted by anyone who hoped to enter public life. † Although it was a gradual process, early Han emperors embraced Confucianism by incorporating its teachings in education and establishing a Confucian Imperial University, which ultimately distributed literati among offices in the government. As this concept became bigger and more popular among the elite, the development of the examination became prominent as there was a high importance of literary ability and Confucian training, to be able to obtain a position within a government entity. It was believed that with all of the claimed advantages of Confucianism, â€Å"unifying the country intellectually by making one system of thought current among all educated men led to the elevation of Confucianism. † In 141 B. C. , Tung Chung-shu, advocated a principle to Emperor Wu that all non-Confucian philosophies should be destroyed with intellectual unification of the country—Emperor Wu did act upon this by proscribing Legalism and elevating Confucians to be his highest officials. With the rise of Confucianism in the Han Dynasty, it not only effected the elites’ primary preferences for what should be within the government body, but it also effected the view of the emperor himself. The conception of the central government of the Han Dynasty from a Confucian perspective was that the ruler must be a man, be of noble origin, ordained by Heaven, having great wisdom and virtue, and must be a ruler that is â€Å"all-under-Heaven. † To strengthen the claim to the throne, â€Å"all the rulers of China before Liu Pang were believed to have been of divine origin. † â€Å"However, the living Han ruler, like the rulers of other dynasties, was not regarded as a god, nor was any worship instituted for him. † It was common practice, as in all histories, to have a greater social distance between those who command and those who obey, often times through rituals and ceremonies. The Confucian scholars introduced ceremonies in 201 B. C. which was considered necessary for a new ruler to elevate to an â€Å"unapproachable position. † This of course resulted in the emperor or ruler to be catapulted into the highest authority. Much like in other empires, that due to this common practice of using divinity as the main aspect of the throne, that anyone who goes against, protests, or is considered disrespectful, most often paid the price through draconian laws and usually sentenced to death. The morality of Confucian belief as it was incorporated into the social lives of the common people, also included what the roles should be within the family. Ban Zhao (48? -116? CE), historian Ban Gu’s sister, was famous for her writings on the expected roles of women in Han society. Ban Zhao believed that it was the husband’s duty to control while the wife serves him, but at the same time the wife would be allowed to be educated and literate. Ban Zhao further mentions that the husband and wife must play their roles, but men have the ultimate responsibility to control and to have authority. She further continues, â€Å"If women are to understand and perform their expected roles, then they must learn to read so that they can learn from the same ritual texts as men do. † This all of course is stemming and adding to the Confucian ideology. Perhaps, even though she was a remarkable matriarchal woman, she believed that this ideology is a cornerstone for maintaining a strong and healthy nuclear family environment. In conclusion, it is very apparent that Confucian ideology was the main stronghold for both the Eastern and Western Han Dynasty. Confucianism, with Sima Qian, Ban Gu, Ban Zhao, and a collaboration of other historians, had a major influence on how the elitists, the government, and the common people, were to go about their daily lives and follow what was considered a respectable social order at that time. The ideology of Confucianism built a halo around the emperor to catapult him to a position of higher order, causing the people to look up to him rather than revolt against him for being in a position undeserving. As with many empires, which all rise and fall at some point, the elitists and the emperor always has a philosophical tale which tries to explain where its origins came from, sometimes referring the emperor as a god himself. In essence, there is usually no ground proof what the true history was, mostly due to the perversion of some historians’ ideology relating to their religious affiliations. Perhaps too, with fear of draconian laws and punishment, especially with low self-esteem and high-ego type of authority, that history in itself will only boil down to â€Å"his story. † Regardless, despite whether or not the histories of Confucianism and the Han Dynasty are valid, there is strong evidence that the Confucian principles still exist today as we see in the current-day Chinese culture regarding to the social lives and families of many. Bibliography: Liang, Cai. 2011. â€Å"Excavating the Genealogy of Classical Studies in the Western Han Dynasty (206 B. C. E. -8 C. E. ). † Journal of the American Oriental Society 131, no. 3: 371-394. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (Accessed February 25, 2013). Dubs, Homer H. 1938. â€Å"The Victory of Han Confucianism. † Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 58, No. 3: 435-449. American Oriental Society. http://www. jstor. org/stable/594608. (Accessed February 25, 2013). Wang Yu-ch’uan. 1949. â€Å"An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty. † Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 12, No. ?: 134-187. Harvard-Yenching Institute. http://www. jstor. org/stable/2718206. (Accessed February 25, 2013). Tanner, Harold M. 2010. â€Å"China: A History. † Hackett Publishing Company, 118. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Liang, Cai. â€Å"Excavating the Genealogy of Classical Studies in the Western Han Dynasty (206 B. C. E. -8 C. E. ). † Journal of the American Oriental Society 131, no. 3 (2011): 371. [ 2 ]. Liang, Cai. Excavating the Genealogy of Classical Studies in the Western Han Dynasty, 372. [ 3 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History. Hackett Publishing Company (2010), 118. [ 4 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 118. [ 5 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 118. [ 6 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 118. [ 7 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of Han Confucianism. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 58, No. 3 (Sep. , 1938), 435. [ 8 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of the Han Confucianism, 446. [ 9 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of the Han Confucianism, 447. [ 10 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of the Han Confucianism, 448. [ 11 ]. Dubs, Homer H. The Victory of the Han Confucianism, 448. [ 12 ]. Wang Yu-ch’uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty. Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 12, No. ? (June 1949), 139.. [ 13 ]. Wang Yu-ch’uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty, 139. [ 14 ]. Wang Yu-ch’uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty, 140. [ 15 ]. Wang Yu-ch’uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty, 140. [ 16 ]. Wang Yu-ch’uan. An Outline of the Central Government of the Former Han Dynasty, 140. [ 17 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 121. [ 18 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 121. [ 19 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 121. [ 20 ]. Tanner, Harold M. China: A History, 121.

Managing Markering Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Markering Communication - Essay Example Integrated Marketing Communications, or IMC, basically refers to the process of combining all the tools used in advertising so that they can function together. Promotion, one of the marketing mix’s 4 Ps, has its own combination of communication elements. All of these elements operate better if they are combined together than when they are used in isolation. Their functions are improved when integration incorporates more than the essential communication tools. There are other kinds of integration like vertical and horizontal integration. Horizontal Integration can happen across business functions as well as the marketing mix. For example, communications production, distribution, and finance should operate simultaneously when the telecom service providers seek to channel messages to their consumers. Different divisions like direct mail, sales, and advertising can operate concurrently via data integration. This calls for a marketing information structure which gathers and shares the pertinent information across different corporate divisions. Vertical Integration basically denotes that communications and marketing purposes have to be formed in such a way that they support the higher level commercial goals and objectives. Internal Integration, on the other hand, calls for all the staff to be kept informed and inspired about new advancements. In a telecom service provider, these could mean new corporate identities, new advertisements, new strategic partners or even new service standards.... Internal Integration, on the other hand, calls for all the staff to be kept informed and inspired about new advancements. In a telecom service provider, these could mean new corporate identities, new advertisements, new strategic partners or even new service standards (Schultz and Schultz, 2003). External integration calls for external allies like PR agencies and advertising to work collaboratively in order to avail an integrated and cohesive message. The main principles of integrated marketing communications comprise: Consistency: A major topic in integrated marketing is consistency. It basically speaks to delivering an identical message about a brand or service across all elements of the media. This is a function that can assist a telecom service provider to create a brand identity that is both effective as well as impressive. For example, a corporation with a high-quality brand has to ensure that its message to different media outlets maintain the same timbre of message that conve ys the promise of superb quality (Pelsmacker, Geuens and Bergh, 2004). If the business invests in an effective TV advertisement but cuts costs in its advertisements in print media, the clients will get a mixed message about the service. Distribution Considerations: Integrated marketing is also about the supply-chain outcomes of a service provider. This basically entails working with contractors that have good reputations that will raise the profile of the telecom service provider. It also means utilising information gathered during marketing to enhance services that meet customer expectations while also improving the general experience of the consumer. Interactive: Interactive marketing encourages and supports a two-way communication process with consumers. This

Adolf Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Ideology Essay

Adolf Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Ideology - Essay Example Anti-Semitism and the idea of white supremacy were not new ideas in the 1920s and 1930s. Hitler’s tortuous ideology about a superior â€Å"Aryan† race in need of living space and liberation from corrupting non-Aryan, i.e. Jewish, influences tapped into ideas that had been around for many decades, if not centuries. The German nation felt a sense of disillusionment and betrayal after losing the 1914-18 War and was looking for a reason why their soldiers had failed to win the war. The ruling elite of the old German Empire had largely survived into the years of the Weimar Republic and therefore they were not held in great respect by the German people. Hitler’s theories of a betrayed superior race, facing a common enemy in the â€Å"Jew†, tapped into that feeling of betrayal and made sense to many disillusioned and impoverished Germans, often from the lower middle classes. Hitler’s attempt to overthrow the government of the Weimar Republic in 1923 – an act of treason – therefore did not damage him in the eyes of many Germans but added to his credibility and hero status. Germans were in desperate need of a leader figure – a fà ¼hrer – and Hitler’s charismatic approach made sense to the masses who were not looking for intellectual debates but seemingly longed for explanations why their once great nation was at its knees. A scapegoat for all evils was needed and found in the â€Å"Jew†. Germany’s old ruling (then still often identical with aristocratic) classes looked upon Hitler and his organizations of brown shirts (SA) and SS and the party wing, the NSDAP, with disdain and the belief that they would be able to contain and control them.

Supply and Demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Supply and Demand - Essay Example Furthermore, the relationship between supply and demand among consumers and suppliers establishes through pricing. It is noteworthy to recognize that, in microeconomics, it is possible to neglect the effects of supply on the demand. However, within macroeconomics, it is not possible as within this field the changes in both supply and demand are immensely vital. Ultimately, this is so because the suppliers are able to act as consumers at the same time. In relation to the topic, the following paper includes an elaborate analysis and summary of supply and demand in various companies and the way they affect people. In an article from Forbes, Brad Thomas presents an interview of a legendary investor talking about the commercial real estate business. As the legendary investor, Sam Zell spoke he was keen to provide vital opinions of what the future holds as far as commercial real estate is of concern. Sam Zell meticulously gave a clear analysis of how demand and supply affected the business . The article clearly deduces that in the real estate, since the year 2007 has had drastic changes, which have had detrimental effects. The supply field involves bringing up more buildings for consumers to take up, but since 2007, this has not been happening. The demand is soon outweighing the supply as the population is also on an increase (Thomas, web). Within the same article, we learn that the supply is not affected by demand only. Other factors play a significant role, for example, in the commercial real estate, supply and demand are highly affected by things such as technology and unemployment among the citizens seeking affordable places of residence. In addition, the article speaks of factors fuelling an increase in demand, which in this case is the need for housing. On the other hand, various factors, such as economy, play a leading role in discouraging supply. The article also clarifies that, in the commercial real estate, office space demand is on a decline. This is a fact propelled by the decline in supply. Hence, the relation between supply and demand is on a common platform where each factor has an essential effect on the other. The article indicates that it was in the year 2009 when people within the commercial real estate were most distressed in the industry. However, since then the distress is on a regular decline and by now, it is at its minimal. Concurrently, as the distress is on a reduction, various factors still fortify it, such as expiring loan maturities and distressed assets. Ultimately, research from the same article indicates that, over the next few years, people within the construction and development industry will be quite inactive. This is a fact attributed to the equilibrium of demand and supply factors. Within yet another article from The Economist, titled â€Å"Risk permanent damage,† we witness of how the inability to determine the supply factor led to inflation and depression of the economy in America. The article gives clear evidence of over investments back in the 1930s, which led to economic depression. This is a true reflection of the aftermath of a change in the equilibrium of supply and demand (The Economist, web). In addition, making false estimates on supply may also lead to detrimental effects on the economy. Evidence proves that overestimation of supply policies resulted to extensive inflation in the America. In the article, a well elaborate example is when in the 1970s and 1960s,

Early Greek Legacy - Choice of topics listed Essay

Early Greek Legacy - Choice of topics listed - Essay Example did not have any belief in material image of God- no creature can represent the creator. Whereas in Eastern religions like Hinduism, the material images of God is worshiped. They believed in the personality of human of being in God like he could be angry, even jealous, but his primary attributes were righteousness, justice mercy, truth and faithfulness. He is represented as king, Judge and shepherd. Whereas in Hinduism various deities are worshiped at shrines; the divine trinities, representing the cyclical nature of the universe, are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. The first books of Hebrew law contain legal writings of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. The fifth book of the Bible was called Deuteronomy [Second Law] primarily a report of the last words and deeds of Moses. It contains numerous laws, often in the context of interpretation and preaching whereas Hindu law preaches the birth, death and rebirth of living things, and its precepts cover many more activities than does any secular legal system. The Hebrew people gave Torah special reverence than the portion of the Hebrew Bible because the written Torah which consists of the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy .The scrolls are considered mostly holy. Whereas the Hebrew Bible which is also called as the Jewish Bible even though it consists of Hebrew Scriptures, 39 books originally written in Hebrew, except for a few sections in Aramaic, the script of Hebrew Bible was not given importance while compared to Torah which valued the tradition without any modification. In the case of the covenant between God and the Hebrew people, God’s obligation is conceived as the defense or vindication of the people .His righteousness is shown by his saving arts [see, for instance ,psalms 98:2;Isaiah 51:5] Hebrew’s obligation on the other hand ,is to obey the will of God as disclosed in the Torah, the law. Yes, each party honored the

No Topic Yet Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

No Topic Yet - Research Paper Example Bowerman, Connell and Orris (2004) explains that to effectively develop a marketing plan, there is a need of the marketers of an organization to collect data that is able to depict the preferences of customers regarding the products of the company. It is this type of information that Nokia used to correct its weaknesses in the marketing strategy, Nokia began collecting data that highlighted the kind of mobile communication gadgets that consumers preferred. This paper gives a detailed analysis of how Nokia used this information to transform its business operations. Nokia Corporation is a telecommunications company that was formed in the year 1967, mainly because of a merger of three companies based in Finland. After entering the telecommunications business environment, Nokia was able to quickly develop itself as an innovative company that produced highly technological products, especially mobile handsets. In the 1980s, Nokia was able to develop a long term expansion strategy by acquiring French, Finnish as well as German electronic business organizations. These acquisitions were able to strengthen the position of the company in the field of consumer and telecommunication electronics. Approximately 80% of the revenue earned by the company emanates from its mobile business operations (Matsuo, 2013). This is despite the huge competition, and the current downward trend that is experienced in the mobile telephone market. Millar, Millar and Choi (2010) further explains that Nokia controls about one third of the mobile market all over the world. However, during the later years of 2000, the dominance of Nokia in the mobile phone industry began to diminish. This is because of the introduction of smart phone products from companies such as Apples, Samsung and Google was able to take the company’s market share. For instance, the Android operating system of Google, and the iPhone of Apples proved

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Accounting - Essay Example The company was started in 1939 and currently holds the 9th rank in the fortune 500 companies, as of 2009. The company has its headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. The company’s total revenue as of July 2008 has been calculated to be whooping $113.1 billion. The company elected Mark Hurd as the CEO and President of the company on 29 March 2005. Since then Hurd has been working aggressively to ensure the company reaches higher levels of success. He has made a number of changes to the organization in terms of the culture, structure and the controls used. The main products of Hewlett Packard include Personal Computers, Laptops, Printers, Scanners and other utilities. The company also develops the software necessary for running its products such as the printers, scanners, webcams, etc (HP). The company’s code is HPQ in the NYSE. The company has moved up from the 14th position in the Fortune 500 to the 9th position. The company has seen a high level of increase in the revenue a nd earning, as much as 13% and 15% respectively. HP has been the leaders in core technology areas. The company has three main business groups, i.e. The personal Systems Group – deals with the business and consumer PCs and also with mobiles and computing devices, b) The Imaging and Printing Group – Deals with inkjet, LaserJet, supplies for printing, and many more and c) the Technology Solutions Group – which mainly deals with the business products like storage, servers and managed

Pettiness,jealousy,and selfishness abound in our daily interactions Essay

Pettiness,jealousy,and selfishness abound in our daily interactions with each other - Essay Example Among these vices, pettiness tends to thrive among people who have the same level of education. It is common to see people getting angry at small things like how the other looked at them or how others walk or talk. More so, it is common to see people creating enemies out of this pettiness. Instead of seeking to understand one another and the simple things that characterize us, some people will use these petty things to create enmity among one another. Thus, it is common to see neighbors who barely talk to each other despite being close neighbors. It is common to see people despising one another in a public bus despite having met and might probably never meet. With such attitudes, people forget that humans don’t live twice and fail to seize happiness whenever possible by being free with one another, understanding one another and loving their neighbors. Jealousy, unlike pettiness is seen among people that know each other and who are not ready to celebrate the achievements of others. Jealousy exists among family members, among friends and among those that you can never think could be jealous. It starts with admiration and then it goes beyond this. Sometimes, it can lead to destruction as others can do anything just to bring down their friends or those whom their jealousy is directed to. Jealousy is felt because of so many reasons such as because of someone’s beauty, wealth or even positions. People who are jealous might try to strive others from these things until they succeed In the end, it becomes like a disease that is hard to cure. Apart from these two is selfishness, which I have come to realize that is in many people. It is hard to find people who are not selfish. People with this problem are never willing to help others and the worse thing is that they want to be helped. They never want to share whether they have a lot or whether they don’t. Instead of sharing, which is one thing that keeps the society

The Physiological Effects of a Concussion on the Brain Research Paper

The Physiological Effects of a Concussion on the Brain - Research Paper Example On the basis of severity traumatic brain injury can be divided into mild, moderate and severe. Concussion or mild traumatic brain injuries are used to describe any injury in which the symptoms may or may not last. Neurologically a concussion is defined as an injury in which there is loss of consciousness for less than 30 minutes and post traumatic amnesia which lasts less than 24 hours. Concussions usually have good prognostic value as usually patient leads to full recovery. A concussion can cause pathophysiological changes to the brain in which there are metabolic and ionic processes due to the twisting of axons (Silver et al 3-6). A concussion occurs due to mild trauma to the brain. The cascades of physiological events that occur are an injury which is followed by abrupt neuronal depolarization. The depolarization excites the neurotransmitters and causes their releases which in turn lead to ionic misbalance and disruption in glucose metabolism. Coupling of neurotransmitters that are excitatory like the coupling of glutamate and the receptor of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor results in additional depolarizing of the neuron with the ejection of potassium ions and inflow of calcium ions. This alteration in the balance of ions results in fluctuations in the physiology of the brain cells which may be acute or subacute. To counter the potassium-calcium misbalance, the pump of sodium and potassium starts to works with an increase need in ATP’s. This causes an increase in the glucose metabolism and ends in an energy crisis. Axonal twisting and stretching has proved to be the core pathology in the occurre nce of a concussion. The metabolic events that occur post traumatically are uncoupling of cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism which results in energy emergency. Injection of calcium ions leads to impaired oxidative metabolism. Another physiological change affecting the motor functions of the brain is decreased

Ib Economics Commentary 1 - Microeconomics Essay Example for Free

Ib Economics Commentary 1 Microeconomics Essay Rebecca Bundhun, (October 19, 2012) Cost of summer getaways hit as air ticket prices rise, The National, http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/industry-insights/tourism/cost-of-summer-getaways-hit-as-air-ticket-prices-rise The cost of an airline ticket can fluctuate tremendously based on a number of factors. The goal of airlines is to maximize their capacity by having the greatest number of passengers on all trips. This may however be difficult, as airlines pricing is not only dictated by their own operating costs and profit margins required but they have to consider complementary items that could have an effect on supply and demand for their product. By definition, demand theory explains the inverse relationship between quantity and price. This law explains that if the quantity available of a product or service wanted by the public is low, the price for that product or service will be high. As demand for a product or service increases, the price will increase. This law is critical as we are able to predict prices based on the demand of a product. In the case of airlines, they are able to predict that prices for their services will go up during the high travel months. People are willing to pay more for travel during the summer months, as they know that supply is limited and their available time is defined by their vacation schedules. If we were to graph this scenario, we would find that price and quantity relationship creates a maximum efficiency point called equilibrium point. The equilibrium point tells us the best combination of price and quantity. With the graph below, we can illustrate that some travelers will be forced to cancel their travel plans due to high ticket costs, just as we can identify travelers that will have to fly no matter what the cost of the fare is. However what economists tend to focus on is trying to find an equilibrium point between price and quantity. As we know, airlines provide a service to clients by connecting passengers to desired destinations worldwide. Although prices tend to be set by supply and demand, they are also exposed to externalities. An externality occurs when the actions of consumers or producers give rise to positive or negative side effects on other people, who are not part of these actions and whose interests are not taken into consideration. A perfect example of a negative externality is the rise of jet fuel. As a barrel of oil rises, the price of jet fuel also rises and consequently the price of an airline ticket also rises. Externalities can create a positive or negative demand or effect on a product or service. Price elasticity of demand is a term that helps us understand the measure of the responsiveness of the quantity demanded to changes in price. In general, if there is a large responsiveness of the quantity demanded, the demand is referred to as being elastic, if there is a small responsiveness, demand is inelastic. Airlines take advantage of the existence of inelasticity. Mr. D’Souza states in the article, â€Å"People are still flying. People traditionally plan these breaks, and regardless of the price, they fly. The demand is very, very high.† On the contrary, airlines understand price elasticity and use this well. They know that fare prices can be considered both elastic and inelastic based on the circumstance the traveler finds themselves in. Airlines study their client base, their competitors, and use patterns to predict the behavior of clients based on the condition. They know the probabilities of travelers changing to an alternative airline if their price rises, if they modify their routes, but most of all, they use price elasticity to predict the success of promotions offered by themselves or any other competitor. Airlines want to lure business by creating special values and convince unplanned tourists to take the trip. Say an average ticket price from Dallas to Las Vegas is $550.00; airlines will create a promotional price and may offer the same route for $199.00. Since the price is so low, people will often forget that they are taking an unplanned trip and will justify the trip by thinking about the cost savings realized and not of the unplanned expense. The demand curve below shows how changes in price lead to changes in the quantity demanded. Although airline tickets are considered elastic and inelastic, most economists consider it elastic unless travel is done for business use. Domestic airline travel can be substituted by bus transportation, automobile, train etc. Airline travel is elastic especially as the person’s income increases so their opportunity for travel increases and they will be more likely to afford the variation in cost.

Ethical Issues On Genetic Engineering Philosophy Essay

Ethical Issues On Genetic Engineering Philosophy Essay There have been over the years many ethical issues as it concerns new technologically or scientifically advancement projects and inventions. Men were afraid of using lifts the first time it was invented. Men were also afraid of the use of airplanes the first time that they were invented and even till date, there exists some group of people in some parts of the world that doesnt desire to make use of airplanes as a means of transportation due to their view that this is a bad means of transportation. It is therefore however, a point worthy of arguing the different sides taken by different individuals that exists today as it concerns the science of cloning and genetic engineering. It is of great importance to make some explanations and definition of terms. What is Cloning? According to Voneky Wolfrum Cloning is the technological process and science of creation of an identical copy of the original organism or human through the mechanism of unfertilized ovums nucleus replacement with the nucleus of a body cell from this original organism or human. (Voneky Wolfrum, 2004). This establishes the fact that the developing embryo will actually have to die. This is because once its nucleus is changed; it means that this embryo has been changed because the nucleus is its functional unit and hence its identity. This is the basis of many arguments against this science. On the other hand, the definition of genetic engineering is the act of modification and changes to the DNA structure. We will talk more on genetically engineered foods and this however can be defined as food items that their DNA structure have been changed or modified through the science of genetic enginee ring. To concentrate now on the cloning technology, it will be of great importance to productively and constructively argue out this situation. Harris stated that the initial emergence of the cloning technology was met with great obstacles by individuals, governing bodies and the socially significant post holders. (Harris, 2002). Technological challenges and constraints the most fundamental limitation is the impossibility of repetition of consciousness, and this means that we cannot talk about the full identity of individuals, as shown in some movies, but only on the conditional identity measure and the boundary of which is yet to be research, but for the support of the basis takes the identity of monozygotic twins. Failure to reach absolute purity of the experience causes some clones is not identical, for this reason that decreases the practical value of cloning. Fear of causing such things as a large percentage of failures in cloning and related possibility of the appearance of people-freaks, as well as the issues of fatherhood, motherhood, inheritance, marriage, and many others. From the point of view of the worlds major religions (Christianity, Islam and Judaism), human cloning is a problematic act or an act that goes beyond dogma and demands theologians clear justification of a position religious hierarchy. The key point, which causes the greatest aversion, here is the fact that to order to obtain a clone of one human being it is necessary to kill the embryo of another human embryo. Moreover, there are ethical beliefs, social and religious beliefs that continue to emphasize the need never to allow cloning. The major reason posed by these groups of people includes; 1) the creation of man is the sole duty of God and that it is bad for humans to try to take up these duties upon themselves and 2) the killing of one person to give life to the other through the act of replacement of the embryos nucleus is considered as murder according to most religious beliefs due to the fact that they believe that the embryo is human. Some investigations show the fact that some people hereby declare their stands that hold the belief on the other side. It is the duty of man to provide all help for his life and this he can do through the increased advancements in technology. There were the periods of Stone Age culture, computer and jet age and all these portray increased advancements in technology and also portray yet the reasons for more advancement. Advancements in technologies are aimed at solving mans problems and making life easy for a man. It is through the process of cloning that the endangered animal species could be salvaged. This forms also the opportunity of help to infertile humans with the need of reproducing their like. It is a way of maintaining the existence of the gene of any great influential man that had ever lived overcoming the barrier that death poses to hinder the furtherance of the societal economic important activities of this trait. The embryo at this stage has no senses, does not breath, has no awareness of the environment and hence is not yet a human but just an organ. When we consider the therapeutic cloning that could be used instead of organ transplantation, we can appreciate the fact that cloning is a very useful aspect of medicine as it affords an easier opportunity of managing such a patient in order that there will be no such need of prescribing immunosuppressive drugs which has its own numerous deleterious side effects against the human organism. There are two main approaches to human cloning: the human reproductive cloning and the therapeutic cloning. The human reproductive cloning suggests that an individual who was born as a result of cloning, gets the name, civil rights, education, upbringing, in a word has the same life as all ordinary people. The reproductive cloning is found with many ethical, religious, legal problems, which today still have no apparent solutions. In some states, work on reproductive cloning is prohibited in law. The therapeutic cloning suggests that the embryo development is stopped for 14 days, and the embryo is used as a product to obtain stem cells. Legislators in many countries fear that the legalization of the therapeutic cloning will lead to its transition into the reproductive one. However, in the USA and UK the therapeutic cloning is allowed. In addition, it is important to mention the main types of cloning. Bacteria cloning: Cloning is the only method of reproduction for bacteria. However, usually when people talk about cloning bacteria, they mean the intentional reproduction of some bacteria, the cultivation of its clones, and culture. Natural cloning (in nature) of complex organisms: Cloning is widespread in nature in different organisms. In plants, natural cloning is done with various methods of vegetative propagation. Molecular cloning: Owing to fundamental biological discoveries of the 19-th century, namely: the discovery of cellular tissue, the invention of the electron microscope, the discovery of the cell nucleuss structure, chromosomes, the DNA and genes, scientists can make possible what is now called molecular cloning. This is the technology of cloning the smallest biological objects molecules of the DNA, their parts and even individual genes. Molecular cloning of the DNA (usually in some way modified) is incorporated into a vector (e.g., bacterial plasmid or phage genome). Cloning of multicellular organisms: The greatest public and scientists attention involve multicellular organisms cloning, which was made possible due to success of genetic engineering. By creating special conditions and interfering with the structure of the cell nucleus, the experts make it evolve into the desired tissue or even whole organism. There are complete (reproductive) and partial cloning of organisms. With the help of complete cloning it is possible to recreate the entire body as a whole but partial cloning of the organism is not fully recreated (for example, only one or another of its fabric.) Animal, higher plant cloning and human cloning. To consider the ethical issues against the use of genetic engineering on food items, it is necessary to mention the opposing side and their points of argument at first and then lay down my expository and productive counteracting points on the proposing side. The opposing sides to the usage of genetically engineered foods have the following points; 1) these foods usually have been exposed to new toxins by method of genetic engineering making them dangerous to health, 2) there is lack of full control to these processes and there could be spontaneous and unexpected outbreak of unfavorable outcomes, 3) the alteration forms could lead to death as has been recorded concerning the altered form of food supplement- L-tryptophan killing an American citizen. This is a well-known fact that genetic engineering leads to the breeding of new strains of crops with disease resistance by the manipulations that organizes the stronger genes together and the removal of the weak ones. There is also the abi lity of producing crops with added nutrients like vitamins. This is a method that ensures fast and increased rate of food production to feed the worlds growing population. This affords the opportunity of growing crops that resist pest destructions. Finally, the presence of anti-freeze gene extracted from cold water fish which can be used genetically to induce higher cold tolerance in crops and prevent their damage by cold. In conclusion, it is rational to consider convincingly with these points of scientists that improvement in technologies have to be given full support to continue as it tends more towards solving mans problems than the possible disadvantages it can bring.

Opening A Cafe In Moscow Russia Marketing Essay

Opening A Cafe In Moscow Russia Marketing Essay We are a newly established company in food and drink industry. We plan to set up our first cafà © shop in a business area in Moscow, Russia. We want to differentiate ourselves from our competitors by providing high product quality and high service quality. Our cafà © shop is not only a place for people to enjoy life but also a suitable place to work. Russia is a very different in culture (Euro-Asia) comparing to other western countries. It changes so quickly that we need to work deeply on our marketing plan to adapt to this fast changing market. 2. Market Analysis 2.1. The Market of Russia Russia is the worlds largest country in terms of area, stretching from the Baltic to the Pacific across 10 time zones, with an estimated population of 144 million. Russia is one of the fastest growing emerging markets at present with a GDP growth of 7 percent in 2008. Revenue from crude oil and natural gas exports and strong domestic demand are contributing to a booming economy, making it the bright spot in an otherwise challenging region. Russia ranked third, in A.T. Kearneys Global Retail Development Index 2008, which qualifies it as one of the most attractive retail markets for international investors. Robust income growth, a reduction in unemployment, consistent government policy and a rapidly increasing middle class offer optimistic expectations for the future development of retailing in Russia. 2.2.The Market of Moscow ¼Ã‹â€ where we want to set up our first cafà ©Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Moscow is the capital and the largest city of the Russian Federation. It is also the largest city in Europe, with the Moscow metropolitan ranking among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world. 2.2.1. Population According to the 2002 Census the population of the Moscow was 10,382,754, however, this figure only takes into account legal residents. Substantial numbers of internal migrants mean that Moscows population is still increasing. 2.2.2. Economy Moscow is a major economic centre and is home to the largest number of billionaires in the world, which is the reason why we choose Moscow to start our Cafà © chain business before expand to other cities of Russia. Since a significant portion of Russias profits and development is concentrated in Moscow as many multi-national corporations have branches and offices in the city, we may consider whether to target this segment of white-collar working class by providing a special quieter area in our coffee shop especially for them, with Wi-Fi free of charge, making them feel that our coffee shop is a suitable place to work while enjoying their coffee break. 2.2.3. Crime However, while the overall stability has improved in the recent years, crime continues to remain a problem hindering business development. Pick-pocketing is frequent in Moscow, as well as burglary from vehicles. Organized crime in Moscow and Russia in general, has often been involved with drug trafficking, cyber crime, prostitution, and financial crimes. Thus, we have to consider the security level when we are selecting the location of our coffee shop(s), not only for the safety of our shop itself, but for the safety of our employees and our customers. 2.2.4. Transportation Air There are five primary commercial airports serving Moscow: Sheremetyevo International Airport, Domodedovo International Airport, Bykovo Airport, Ostafievo International Airport and Vnukovo International Airport. We may consider whether we open a coffee shop inside the Sheremetyevo International Airport or/and the Domodedovo International Airport, as Sheremetyevo International Airport is the most common entry point for foreign passengers, handling 60% of all international flights, while Domodedovo International Airport is the leading airport in Russia in terms of passenger throughput, and is the primary gateway to long-haul domestic and CIS destinations and its international traffic rivals Sheremetyevos. Metro Local transport includes the Moscow Metro, a metro system famous for its art, murals, mosaics, and ornate chandeliers. Today, the Moscow Metro contains twelve lines, mostly underground with a total of 177 stations. The Moscow Metro is one of worlds busiest metro systems, serving more than nine million passengers daily. Again, when selecting the location of our coffee shop, we have to take into account the transportation factor. We must choose a place where it is not only easy to recognize but also convenient to arrive at. 2.2.5. Internet User Internet penetration is lower than in Western countries, although it is developing at a fast pace in Russia, and is currently at 30.2%. The number of internet users has risen from just 220,000 in 1995 to 42,936,000 users in 2007. Service providers are expanding beyond their traditional markets in Moscow and St. Petersburg into Russias regions. Although still low at around 38%, PC penetration improved rapidly from less than 1% in 1990. Continued growth in the home ownership of PCs will spur further development in the number of internet users as PC ownership and internet development are closely linked. Possession of PC and growth of internet users: 2002-2007  ¼Ã‹â€ Source: Euromonitor International from national statistics/ITU ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° 3. Industrial Analysis 3.1. Foodservice Industry in Russia Cafà ©s and restaurants account for 37.3% of the industrys value in 2007. 3.1.1. Market Value Forecast The compound annual growth rate of the industry in the period 2007-2012 is predicted to be 5.1%. 3.1.2. Market Volume Forecast The compound annual growth rate of the industry volume in the period 2007-2012 is predicted to be 0.3%. From the above data, we can see that the market volume for the next 5 years is expected to grow steadily but low in growth rate, In 2012, the Russian foodservice industry is forecast to have a volume of 5,112.1 million transactions, an increase of 1.7% since 2007, while the market value during this period will enjoy a healthy growth. In 2012, it is forecast to have a value of $6.5 billion (165.6RUR billion), an increase of 28.3% since 2007. That is to say, the market will be in a trend with low volume of transactions but can generate higher value. This information will lead us to differentiate our cafà © shop from other common coffee shops by providing high quality of products and service with comparatively higher prices. 3.2. Hot Drinks Industry in Russia Coffee sales proved the most lucrative for the Russian hot drinks market in 2007, generating total revenues of $2.5 billion, equivalent to 64.1% of the markets overall value. In comparison, sales of tea generated revenues of $1.3 billion in 2007, equating to 33.5% of the markets aggregate revenues. 3.2.1. Market Value Forecast The compound annual growth rate of the market in the period 2007-2012 is predicted to be 2.2%. 3.2.2. Market Volume Forecast The compound annual growth rate of the market volume in the period 2007-2012 is predicted to be 0.9%. In 2012, the Russian hot drinks market is forecast to have a value of $4.3 billion, an increase of 11.3% since 2007, and a volume of 285.8 million kg, an increase of 4.7% since 2007. Again, the above data justifies our decision of entering Russia market, as coffee still remains the most popular and important hot drinks among Russians. Buyer Power Self-realized muscovite people with high consumption potential Spontaneous group of people buying compulsively Needs and wants change very quickly 3.3.Porter five forces Indirect Competitors Retail stores and malls New Players New large groups like Starbuck chain look at enter the market Long time to enter the market because of barrier of laws and government Number of new players already in the market Foodservice Industry Russia Number of new companies, choice offered to the customer Higher growth in value than in volume Differentiation in product quality and visibility Brand building is key for this market very competitive market Services alliances (suppliers) Necessity to make alliances with suppliers to survive Importance of having good quality food at low price  ¼Ã‹â€ Source ¼Ã… ¡DataMonitor Published September 2008) 3.4. SWOT analysis STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Strong market growth Purchasing high quality raw materials give us a competitive advantage Being able to adapt our product and business model to the market needs and wants customer changes Strong market study to verify our assumptions on the field and later on adaptation through regular surveys Strong operation process Alliances with suppliers Staying aware of the different cultures that exist in Moscow Strong values in accordance with customers own values (e.g. on quality respect) Time to implement the structure due to our lack of market knowledge Seasoned industry (week-end and days off for holidays because of business area) High cost for commodities (high level of equipment required) Build a partnership with business partners can be long and not solid enough Lack of stability of human resources OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Taking into account the market changes High capacity for adaptation Having a leading strategy In Moscow will put us one step ahead from competitors, is a key factor to create a new trend Create a team spirit in the company that keep Faithful the human resources Government regulation: Competitors like Starbuck Coffee with a financial advantage Market demand difficult to evaluate 4. Strategies Our strategy is a market penetration strategy, focusing reaching a new customer market niche. Current products New products Current Markets Market penetration Strategy Product-development Strategy New Markets Market development Strategy Diversification Strategy Source: Strategies for diversification by Igor Ansoff Our approach is to enhance relationships with our customers, the self-realized people that it corresponds to middle-aged people with a high consumption potential. 4.1. Objectives (a 5-year Plan) Investment: 100,000 euros for the first cafà © shop Timetable: Time actions results T0 +6 months Marketing study T0 + 12 months Preparation for the establishment of our first cafà © in Moscow Get everything done before operation (place, suppliers, HR, etc) T0+30 months (to be consolidated) (Breakeven point) (estimated after 18 months of operation) operation of our first Cafà © shop and consolidation At least to reach breakeven T0+36 months Find investors and prepare to open the second cafà © shop Open the second cafà © in the same city T0+ 60 months Find investors and prepare to open more cafà © shop Expend more cafà © shops in other cities in Russia Quantifiable Average number of customer per day Number of days of operation per year (5 days / week) Total sales per year Estimated profit after 2 years of operation (5%) 300 400 250 days 500,000 euros 25000 euros per year Achievable We think that our objectives are achievable and this lowest estimate will be consolidated. 4.2. Segmentation/Targeting To be useful, market segments must rate favorably on five keys criteria: It has to be measurable, substantial, accessible, differentiable and actionable. (Source Kotler Keller Marketing management second edition) The segment, we have chosen for this marketing plan complies with those criteria. Our target is the Self realized groups of Customers: What are their characteristics? Self-realized group is middle-aged people with a higher proportion of women. They have a high consumption potential. Their values go to life quality and healthcare. On the opposite of innovators group or spontaneous ones, they dont like advertisement. They want to make their own choice based on the facts they have access. What are our assumptions regarding to the benefits this type of customers want to find when entering in our Cafà ©? The list of characteristics we need to measure thanks to a marketing survey before applying to our Cafà © are the followings. Quality 1st Quick to get Comfortable when having more time Segmentation Customer type Benefits Innovators Spontaneous Ambitious Self-realized Settled Traditionalists Thrifty High quality drinks/food 3 1 5 1 5 2 6 High quality service 4 2 6 2 6 1 6 Relaxing area 2 5 4 4 2 4 5 Nice working area (with wi-fi) 6 6 1 3 4 6 5 Nice place to meet people 1 3 2 6 1 5 4 Takeaway/Phone order delivery service 5 4 3 5 3 3 4 Segment B A C A C D D Targeting: We want to target segment A which include Spontaneous and self-realized people. The second largest group, the Spontaneous, is dominated by men and singles, and they often buy goods impulsively. The Self-realised are middle-aged people, with a higher proportion of women, and a high consumption potential. This important group tends to be irritated by advertising, valuing quality and pays attention to healthcare. Explanation of the customer types in segmentation: Region-Media, specialists in Russian advertising, have conveniently identified seven types of consumers in this market. The growing group of Innovators are mainly based in Moscow, prefer to spend their free time involved in sports activities and active leisure and eat out in restaurants featuring exotic cuisine. The second largest group, the Spontaneous, is dominated by men and singles, and they often buy goods impulsively. The cluster of the Ambitious is smaller, and relies on advertising when looking for a product. The Self-realized are middle-aged people, with a higher proportion of women, and a high consumption potential. This important group tends to be irritated by advertising, valuing quality and pays attention to healthcare. The largest group are the Settled (25% of consumers in Russia and 21% in Moscow), a rather traditional group with great brand affinity: innovations barely interest them. The Traditionalists pack a low consumer potential, as half of them are retired and lo yal to retail outlets that have survived since Soviet times. The last and smallest cluster, Thrifty, mainly shops in discount shops. (Source: www.euromonitor.com Top 10 consumer trends in Russia) 4.3. Positioning To convince customers of our targeted segment that coming in our cafà © will offer the benefits they need. To spontaneous and self-realized people in Moscow that our cafà © shop is a nice place for both working and relaxation, because it offers products and services in high quality, free wi-fi access, takeaway/ phone order delivery services, 4.4. Designing the Offer ( Marketing Mix) 4.4.1. Products We offer high quality drinks and healthy food with first rate raw material. For us, products must be natural and fresh. Examples: Coffee ¼Ã… ¡ The basic offer contains, cappuccino, latte and espressos made with grains from different countries as Brazil, Italia, Colombia or Kenya. Chocolate: Our Caramel Chocolate is a creation with cold chocolate, whipped cream and a drizzle of hot caramel syrup. The Canadian chocolate is made with dark chocolate and cranberries. Tea: Our basic offer is represented by international flavour as Green tea and white tea from Japan and China and yellow tea, a very rare and delicate blend from China. The last one is Ceylon tea, a black tea from Sri Lanka. We also offer flavoured teas as Jasmine tea from India, a combination of green tea and oxidized jasmine flowers. The Mint tea from Morocco is Gunpowder tea in which is added, during the infusion, fresh mint leaves and sugar. And finally, Earl Grey tea that is a tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit. Our Cafe Menu COFFEECHOCOLATE Espresso The essence of coffee extracted into a concentrated one ounce beverage Espresso Macchiato A shot of espresso marked with a dollop of foamed milk Traditional Cappuccino Espresso combines with a velvety milk foam. _ 1/3 espresso _ 1/3 steamed milk _ 1/3 frothed milk Mocha Espresso with foamed milk with chocolate syrup or powder added Latte Espresso combines with steamed milk, topped with a small amount of milk foam. _ 1/3 espresso _ 2/3 milk Americano Espresso diluted (after brewing) with an equal portion of hot water Latte Art Latte Rosetta Hot Chocolate Mexican Chocolate Canadian chocolate Caramel Chocolate TEA Bushells, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Vanilla, Arctic Fire. Herbal Teas: Red Zinger, Chamomile, Lemon, Peppermint Ceylon tea: a black tea from Sri Lanka Green tea yellow tea: from China White tea: from Japan Jasmine tea: from India Mint tea: from Morocco SOUP Tomato Dill Soup Creamy tomato soup with chunks of sweet tomato. Topped with sour cream. Chicken Tortilla Soup Steamy chicken broth loaded with smoked chicken, jack and cheddar cheeses, tortilla strips and scallions. Potato Cheese Soup Rich and creamy potato soup topped with jack and cheddar cheeses, bacon and scallions. Hot borchtch (à Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬ °): Traditional Russians soups made with beetroot, beans, cabbage, carrots and beef with thick dark bread. Butternut Squash and Sage Soup Olive oil, onion, squashes, fresh sage, chicken broth , salt and freshly ground black pepper Shrimp and Basil Bisque Unsalted butter, onion , carrots , celery , bay leaf, long-grain rice, chopped tomatoes, basil leaves, heavy cream, salt and freshly ground black pepper White Bean and Rosemary Soup with Roasted Garlic Croutons Unsalted butter, olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, vegetable broth, fresh rosemary Creamy Potato Soup with Sour Cream, Bacon and Chives Bacon, onion, garlic, potatoes, chicken broth, salt and freshly ground black pepper , sour cream, Cheddar cheese ,chives Wintertime Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons Olive oil, celery, carrot, tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, bay leaf, cream salt and freshly ground black pepper Stracciatella (Italian Egg Drop Soup) Chicken broth, eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish, semolina flour, spinach, parsley, nutmeg, salt and freshly ground black pepper Mushroom Solyanka: cabbage with vinegar, tomatoes, and cucumber pickles, with little brine, mushrooms, onions, lemon skin. SALAD House Salad Mixed field greens with hearts of palm, red cabbage carrots. Served with your choice of a Candle dressing. Classic Caesar Romaine lettuce with herbed croutons in a creamy caesar dressing and sprinkled with toasted dulse. Chicken Salad Mixed leaves, chicken pieces, cucumber, tomato, corn, boiled egg and dijon mustard dressing Soba Noodle Salad Soba Noodles, ginger grilled tofu, shiitake mushrooms, edamame, julienne carrots, radish and sesame seeds over mesclun with a creamy wasabi dressing. Roasted Pear Salad Arugula, roasted pears, shaved fennel, cashew-tofu cheese and toasted walnuts. Served with a cranberry vinaigrette dressing. Aztec Salad Bi-color quinoa, black beans, red onions jicama topped with spiced pumpkin seeds and barbequed grilled tempeh. served over mixed field greens with a toasted cumin vinaigrette. Buffalo Chicken Salad Fried chicken tossed with spicy Buffalo sauce and served over a bed of mixed greens with Bleu Cheese crumbles, mushrooms, tomatoes and eggs. Best with Bleu Cheese dressing. California Bleu Salad Fresh mixed greens topped with Bleu Cheese crumbles, spicy sugared walnuts and fresh strawberries. Served with Bleu Cheese toast. Best with Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. Hawaiian Chicken Shrimp Salad A skewer of spicy grilled shrimp and tender diced chicken tossed in a sesame marinade. Served atop fresh mixed greens with tomatoes, sweet pineapple chunks, walnuts and toasted coconut. Best with Asian Sesame dressing. Monterey Chicken Salad Herb seasoned or Cajun-style chicken atop fresh mixed greens with bacon and egg, tomatoes, jack and cheddar cheeses. Best with Honey Mustard dressing. Spinach Goat Cheese Salad Leaf spinach, red onions, mushrooms, bacon and egg with goat cheese, topped with spicy sugared walnuts. Best with our Hot Bacon Vinaigrette. Asian Sesame Salad Diced fried chicken tossed in our sesame marinade over mixed greens, red onions, tomatoes and mandarin oranges. Topped with Asian noodles. Best with Asian Sesame dressing. Smoked Chicken Cobb Salad Smoked chicken atop mixed greens with tomatoes, black olives, red onions, jack and cheddar cheeses and crumbled bacon. Best with Ranch dressing. Provence Salad Chicken, ham, corn, peppers, cheese, cucumber, tomato, egg, mixed salad with a whole grain mustard and herbs de Provence dressing Nordic Salad Smoked salmon from Norway, egg, salad, sorrel, chives and raspberry vinegar Scallop Caviar Salad Fresh scallops, sevrugas caviar, endive, cider vinegar and saffron SMOOTHIES and HEALTH DRINKS Orange, Banana or Berry Smoothie Milkshakes Banana, Strawberry, Mango and Kiwi with pieces of white and dark chocolate on the top. Vitamin Power Strawberries, kiwifruit, yoghurt, soy milk, wheat germ and honey (high in vitamins) Pick Me Up Banana, pineapple juice, coconut milk, yoghurt, honey, wheat germ and ice (energy booster) San Pellegrino Still or sparkling water Freshly Squeezed Orange Apple or Cranberry juice Glass of Milk DESSERTS Carrot Cake Decadent Chocolate Cake Daily Cheese cake Sweet Potato Pie Seasonal Fruit Crumb Pie Chocolate Mousse Pie ( For the detailed price, we have to consolidate it during the first 6 months of detailed marketing study) 4.4.2. Services Our employees are well trained waiters and waitresses. They will always welcome customers with warm smile and serve you in a very polite manner. We also offer takeaway or phone order services for people in a hurry. We just want to provide as much convenience as possible to meet our customers needs. 4.4.3. Price According to our marketing research, the average cost for drinks is around 100RUB (3euros), desserts for 100RUB (3euros), a good meal costs about 400RUB (12euros) for one person, etc. As we are a cafà © with better products and services, we would price our products above average, say: CoffeeChocolate: 5-8 euros Drinks: 3-8 euros Tea: 5-10 euros Soup: 5-8 euros Salad: 5-10 euros Desserts: 3-8 euros 4.4.4. Place (distribution) We plan to find a place near the business area because our main target is business people who care about quality of the products and services. In our future planning, we would like to develop our cafà © business in Russia through franchising after we have established the model of our cafà © brand, of course, this idea should be based on the good operation result of our first cafà © shop. 4.4.5. Promotions As we are a totally new cafe shop in Moscow, it is very necessary to use effective ways to make us known to Moscow people. We plan to use the following methods to promote ourselves: Advertising Advertise our cafe shop on magazines such as business magazines, food magazines, etc. and newspapers Advertise our cafe through radio, so that Moscow people can get the information during breakfast time, driving a car, etc. We do not plan to do advertisement, for it is too expensive for us, however, radio ads is a comparatively cheaper way. Showing billboard-type ads in business areas Using transit ads on buses, subways and commuter trains Internet Marketing We decide to build up our own website in order to provide as much information as we can to attract more customers. Sales Promotion Establish customer management system. Offer a fidelity card for customers when reaches a certain amount of consumption. And each time they consume in our coffee shop, they earn points into his card. The earned points can be used as cash to pay for the products they buy in our cafe shop. Offer coupons occasionally Offer free goods according to different national holidays (eg. Valentines Day; Christmas, etc. 5. Action Plan Research has shown that: Relationship Marketing is the ongoing process of identifying and creating value with individual customers and then sharing the benefits from this over a lifetime association. It involves Understanding, focusing and management of ongoing collaboration Between suppliers and selected customers For mutual value creation and sharing Through interdependence and organizational alignment. (From Gordon, Relationship Marketing, pg9.) To implement our strategy with this approach we need to focus on customer benefits on a long time scale basis. The action plan has been established using this approach. What Objectives Benefit When Who/Lead Team organization Organize the whole team. What are the objectives, the milestones, people in chargeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Project Manager (PM) Align the project strategy with the business customer expectations Be align on a same set of objectives Going the same way. PM Project Launch Start the new project and let it know Project team/PM Describing the process and the people involved Be aware of the advantages each one has to forecast and organize in advance. Understand the constraints and possibilities offered by the process. By knowing who is doing what and for which purpose, people can improve the whole process Taking into account the customer survey Designing the offer, adapt the menu Adapt to the consumer requirements Designing the offer

Opportunities for International Investors Essay -- Essays Papers

Opportunities for International Investors ATTITUDES TOWARDS FOREIGN INVESTMENT Because the Foreign Investments Law and supplementary rules establish the principle of equal treatment for domestic and foreign investors, foreign investors enjoy the same rights and duties as Argentine investors. However, the government no longer grants special incentives. Argentina welcomes foreign investments, and its laws governing foreign investment are among the most liberal in the world. In general, Argentina encourages investments through a free-market policy and low income tax rates rather than through subsidies. The basic attitude towards foreign capital is very positive; all previously existing requirements concerning prior government approval of foreign investments have been eliminated. Argentina has traditionally been very hospitable to foreigners. The Argentine government is making active efforts to attract foreign investments. Foreign investments obviously have also played a very important role in the privatization process, referred to below. Domestic capital resources are not sufficient for economic development; the government therefore encourages the inflow of foreign investment. Because Argentina formerly followed a protectionist economic policy to promote inward development, economic activity was excessively regulated. Under a new strategy to encourage foreign trade, rules that obstructed foreign trade have been modified or eliminated. Further, permission is no longer required to import goods, the import tariff structure has been simplified and tariffs have been reduced. Taxes on exports have been almost eliminated. All restrictions and procedures that in the past slowed down the entry of capital and technology from abroad have been abolished. Changes in foreign investment regulations have eliminated obstacles to the inflow of capital into Argentina. RESTRICTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS. All restrictions on foreign investments have been lifted and foreign investment does not require any prior approval from the Argentine authorities. Although some remain in sensitive areas such as defense, telecommunications, and oil and gas. Profits may be freely transferred. STATE ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS Special incentives for certain activities and tax reimbursements on exports, among others, are granted under identical conditions to nationa... ... and its eight hypermarkets. Royal Ahold also has a large operation; the Dutch retailer is joint owner of 235 Disco supermarkets. Any improvement for Wal-Mart in Argentina rests on its ability to increase its size substantially and on the economy improving; the outlook for the latter is still suspect. The economy performed worse than expected last year and the outlook for this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, is for 2.5% gross domestic product growth. Interest rates have fluctuated wildly, but the prime lending rate was still in the upper teens at press time.The government has attempted to institute reforms that will stimulate the economy and restore growth. Bibliography Howell, Llewellyn D. and Chad*censored*, Brad, "Models of Political Risk for Foreign Investment and Trade," Columbia Journal of World Business, Fall 1994a. Levy, John B. and Yoon, Eunsang, "Methods of Country Risk Assessment for International Market - Entry Decision," Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM), Report 11-1996. CNN- News Net Work/ business & Finance McGraw-Hill; International Business. e7th; p.191 www. Businessmonitor.co.uk World Bank / Argentina Opportunities for International Investors Essay -- Essays Papers Opportunities for International Investors ATTITUDES TOWARDS FOREIGN INVESTMENT Because the Foreign Investments Law and supplementary rules establish the principle of equal treatment for domestic and foreign investors, foreign investors enjoy the same rights and duties as Argentine investors. However, the government no longer grants special incentives. Argentina welcomes foreign investments, and its laws governing foreign investment are among the most liberal in the world. In general, Argentina encourages investments through a free-market policy and low income tax rates rather than through subsidies. The basic attitude towards foreign capital is very positive; all previously existing requirements concerning prior government approval of foreign investments have been eliminated. Argentina has traditionally been very hospitable to foreigners. The Argentine government is making active efforts to attract foreign investments. Foreign investments obviously have also played a very important role in the privatization process, referred to below. Domestic capital resources are not sufficient for economic development; the government therefore encourages the inflow of foreign investment. Because Argentina formerly followed a protectionist economic policy to promote inward development, economic activity was excessively regulated. Under a new strategy to encourage foreign trade, rules that obstructed foreign trade have been modified or eliminated. Further, permission is no longer required to import goods, the import tariff structure has been simplified and tariffs have been reduced. Taxes on exports have been almost eliminated. All restrictions and procedures that in the past slowed down the entry of capital and technology from abroad have been abolished. Changes in foreign investment regulations have eliminated obstacles to the inflow of capital into Argentina. RESTRICTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS. All restrictions on foreign investments have been lifted and foreign investment does not require any prior approval from the Argentine authorities. Although some remain in sensitive areas such as defense, telecommunications, and oil and gas. Profits may be freely transferred. STATE ASSISTANCE AND GRANTS Special incentives for certain activities and tax reimbursements on exports, among others, are granted under identical conditions to nationa... ... and its eight hypermarkets. Royal Ahold also has a large operation; the Dutch retailer is joint owner of 235 Disco supermarkets. Any improvement for Wal-Mart in Argentina rests on its ability to increase its size substantially and on the economy improving; the outlook for the latter is still suspect. The economy performed worse than expected last year and the outlook for this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, is for 2.5% gross domestic product growth. Interest rates have fluctuated wildly, but the prime lending rate was still in the upper teens at press time.The government has attempted to institute reforms that will stimulate the economy and restore growth. Bibliography Howell, Llewellyn D. and Chad*censored*, Brad, "Models of Political Risk for Foreign Investment and Trade," Columbia Journal of World Business, Fall 1994a. Levy, John B. and Yoon, Eunsang, "Methods of Country Risk Assessment for International Market - Entry Decision," Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM), Report 11-1996. CNN- News Net Work/ business & Finance McGraw-Hill; International Business. e7th; p.191 www. Businessmonitor.co.uk World Bank / Argentina