Drivers Of The Recent Wave Of Globalisation Economics Essay

Drivers Of The Recent Wave Of Globalisation Economics Essay Globalisation describes the ongoing process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures become integrated through a global spanning network of communication, cultural diffusion, travel and trade. The phenomenon of globalisation has been present since the start of the nineteenth century and it has nowadays been established as perhaps the most vigorous force shaping contemporary society, business, management and economics. The term is sometimes used to refer specifically to economic globalisation, in other words the reduction and removal of barriers between national borders in order to facilitate the flow of goods, capital, services and labour, (1). The unrestricted flow of information, ideas and cultural values add to the globalisation processes promoting converging market preferences and market-driven open economies. Although a situation of perfect integration (called homogenisation), where ideas and values are characterised by a global commonality does not exist (2), business orientation becomes more global based on the belief that the world is becoming more homogeneous and that distinctions between national markets are not only diminishing but, for some products, will eventually disappear (3). Recently the problem of business globalisation has become more evident worldwide. Even the most successful and well-established companies cannot survive on domestic sales alone, if they are in global industries such as banking, consumer electronics, travel services, entertainment, etc. It is, hence, useful to identify a number of key drivers, which affect the structure of economies and markets. According to George S. Yip, it is possible to define globalization drivers in four areas: Market Drivers Cost Drivers Governmental Drivers Competition Drivers The drivers of globalisation are a combination of many factors which have lead businesses to look outside their domestic markets for growth opportunities (4). It is usually the combined effect of just some of these separate factors that have more of gravity rather than all of the factors separately. In the next section the first three globalisation drivers are further analysed. Further investigation Market Drivers Market drivers refer to global market convergence, in other words, the increasing similarity of consumer tastes and product preferences in certain markets, as evidenced by the popularity of global brands in certain markets. Market globalisation drivers depend on customer behaviour and the structure of distribution networks. These factors are analysed in more detail below: Common customer needs: product and technology are transferred by means of communication throughout countries with similar needs. Some products such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds, KFC, etc. have been palatable to many countries. Global customers: not only consumer needs become more similar but also firms operating in globalised markets become global customers and may search for suppliers who can operate on a global basis. Global market channels: free trade, which was facilitated by regional trade blocks such as the formation of EU and NAFTA, and falling trade barriers have formed globe-spanning channels that enable companies to distribute goods and provide services internationally. For example, Carrefour and Wal-Mart have developed global channels to distribute products. Deloitte and HSBC have expanded their services worldwide. Lead countries: some countries have built up reputation in certain manufacturing industries. For instance, Japan is well known for consumer electronics, Switzerland for watches as well as its banking system, USA for computer software, etc. Transferable marketing and global branding: Adidas, Top Shop, IBM, Toyota, Apple, Samsung, Kodak, Vodafone have become local brands in the global environment. Global market convergence is measured by the percentage of worldwide sales attributed to standardized products. We have the example of NOKIA here, which increased its Indian market share from a mere 300,000 subscribers in 1996 to a whopping 55 million subscribers in 2004 (5). More and more global brands are brought to life, with the percentage of worldwide sales attributed to them continuously increasing. Cost Drivers Globalisation of the productive process allows firms to choose concentrating or dispersing value adding activities around the world according to the location advantages to be obtained. The cost advantage obtained affects activity concentration and depends on the following factors: Global scale and scope economies: national markets cannot be large enough for a domestic business to achieve all economies of scale and scope. A global organisation can expand and coordinate internal production and operations to increase its value through a combination of manufacturing, reduced delivery costs and economies of scale. The aim is to join multiple markets and sell a standardized product in several countries, increase overall sales thereby reducing the cost per unit of development, concentrate selected value activities and shift production in response to exchange rate fluctuations (6). Figure 1 shows the rise of standardized IT serves. Almost 60% out of the 340 companies of the survey admitted a significant benefit of using standardized products due to lower production and services costs of the product, lower operations costs and easier deployment (7). Figure : The Rise of Standardized IT Servers Sourcing efficiencies: centralized purchasing of new materials can significantly reduce the costs. We have two categories of sourcing efficiencies: outsourcing and offshoring. Outsourcing is when a company relocates a whole process, a piece of a process, a function, or a discrete piece of work outside of its own corporate boundaries. India has been the most popular outsourcing destination the last decade. Off-shoring refers to the relocation of a whole process, a piece of a process, a function, or a discrete piece of work outside the geographic boundaries. The work can be done in an offshore location either within the boundaries of the company or outside the boundaries of the company. Favourable logistics: A favorable ratio of sales to transportation costs enhances the ability of the company to concentrate production. Other factors are negligible need of location close to customers, absence of time urgency, even the shape of the product. Favourable logistics is the main reason retailing accounts for 75% of logistics activity in China. The sector is also stretched to the breaking point. The total handling capacity of Chinas coastal ports is already over one billion tons, and capacity is increasing quickly. Not quickly enough though (8). Knowledge and experience: some industries are characterised by an emphasis on creating value from new ideas and concepts, the so called knowledge-based industries. The accumulation of foreign market expertise can be highly beneficial for technology intensive many sectors like software development, engineering services and biotechnology. Other areas include financial services and pharmaceuticals. The steeper the knowledge and experience curve, the higher the benefit. We have the case of increasing workforce being educated in Western countries and returning to their Eastern located home countries. Product development costs: product development costs are rising due to short life of products that require higher return on investment, e.g. airlines, communications, pharmaceuticals, etc. These costs can be reduced by developing a few global or regional products rather than many national products. Differences in country costs and skills: Factor costs vary across country. The availability of particular skills also varies. Concentration of activities in low-cost or high skill countries can increase productivity and decrease costs. Managers, however, have to anticipate the danger of training future offshore competitors. Governmental Drivers The increased globalisation of financial markets, the fading of trade barriers and the formation of global alliances provide firms with the opportunity to take advantage of beneficial national regulations. Unrestrictive trade and investment policies: Reduction of tariff barriers, creation of trading blocks, decline in role of government, reduction in non-tariff barriers, shift in open market economies, increase in level of world trade, increase in foreign acquires of corporation, increased formation of global strategic alliances and globalization of financial markets are all favourable trade policies that promote globalisation of industries and services. Compatible technical standards: differences in technical standards, especially government imposed standards, limit the extent to which products can be standardized. For example Motorola products were withdrawn from the Japanese market because they were operating at a higher frequency than permitted. Common marketing regulations: the marketing environment can also affect the extent to which global marketing policies can be applied. Certain types of media can be prohibited or restricted. For example, it is the case that in many countries advertisements showing children toys are either not allowed or allowed after a particular time of the day. Globalisation drivers are revealed by the increasing percentage of countries that possess uniform or mutually- recognized technical standards, increasing staring from US and Canada, EU to China which recently became an open economy.

Fiber Supplements :: Nutrition Weight Loss Health Papers

A. Purpose of treatment: Fiber supplements benefit the body through maintaining regularity in the digestive system. Fiber supplements assist the body in compensating for fiber deficiencies when there remains an inadequate amount of fiber in the digestive system. In addition, fiber supplements help to relieve constipation. Fiber can become an aid in weight reduction as well. In all fiber supplements assist in the maintenance of good health and nutrition. B. Rationale of fiber supplements: After eating, one does not digest the total amount of food that they consume. Fiber becomes indigestible because of a certain class of a plant called cellulose. Ground up psyllium seeds, water absorbing particles, constitute the main component of commercial fiber supplements (Enker). A tablespoon, a bar, or certain class of pill contributes to approximately seventy-five percent of the recommended intake, or fifteen grams (Enker). One should take fiber supplements at night, and after a meal. Through regular use, the bowel can function in a regular, methodical manner. Fiber supplements help create roughage, and roughage then aids in discarding the body's toxins and wastes in the digestive tract. Fiber mixes with the stool, takes in liquid and increases into a "gel bead" (Enker). The stool then becomes moisturized through the gel bead, therefore relieving the colon. For this process to work, one must take these fiber supplements with an ample amount of water for absorption, thus accumul ating mucous and acting as a lubricant. There remain two classifications of fiber, insoluble and soluble, which have various physiologic effects. Insoluble fibers do not hold water. Insoluble fiber also increases intestinal conveyance, increases fecal weight, retards starch hydrolyses, and slows glucose intake. Water-soluble fiber soaks up water, increases, and adheres to bile acids. Because they emerge with bile acids, they become discharged; thus reducing insidious cholesterol and triglycerides into the blood. Fiber supplement manufacturers claim that insoluble fiber can reduce serum cholesterol, however it does not benefit the body in the most effective manner. They claim that soluble fiber remains the most efficient type of fiber because it becomes simple to digest and aids in converting the fiber into a gel. This gel then assists in making the other nutrients in the fiber supplements remain in the body for an extended period of time. This process helps to avoid dehydration. Furthermore, manufacturers believe that solu ble fiber creates a "full feeling" because the fiber expands in the stomach.

The Nephilim

The Nephilim David Wood 2/18/2013 Ever since I was a young boy mythology and the supernatural have always been very fascinating to me. I always loved hearing stories about ancient heroes and the tremendous deeds they performed with great might and strength. As I grew older I obviously became aware that these stories were not actually true and were in fact just legends passed down throughout the years. However, I have always wondered how these stories came about and if their origins contained any truth to them.While reading through the book of Genesis I stumbled across something that I believe may be the answer to how these stories of powerful heroes and men of renown came about. While only briefly mentioned in Genesis chapter six, the Nephilim could be the source of how these amazing stories came about. These mysterious creatures that are only mentioned in the bible a handful of times have aroused much debate and grabbed the attention of Bible scholars and secular scholars alike. The se debates even go back into the New Testament times when people started asking the question of just how did these â€Å"Men of renown† and â€Å"Heroes of old† come to be?The words used to describe these creatures that roamed the Earth in ancient times described men that had tremendous strength and unusual power that the average man didn't. It is also stated that these offspring of the â€Å"Sons of God† and the â€Å"Daughters of men† committed evil deeds and led many people astray from the Lord and corrupted them. It is obvious that the stories of these men would get passed down generation after generation so it is easy to see how some of the myths we still know of today could have very well been influenced by the Nephilim.Now as the Nephilim became an increasingly debated topic during the fifth century AD the church had accepted the view that fallen angels had come down to the Earth and mated with human women for hundreds of years. However critics lik e Celsus and Julian the Apostate used this angel belief to attack the Christian faith and attempted to portray it as foolish to others. In response to this, the theory of the Sethite explanation came about as an attempt to disprove any belief about the mating between angels and humans. Important figures likeAugustine embraced this Sethite theory which allowed this view to progress into the Middle Ages and many still believe it to this day. The Sethite view claims that the angel interpretation is inaccurate, and instead that these angels were called watchers and were in charge of watching and reporting human activity and did not mate with them. This then raises the question of how these Nephilim came about without angels mating with women. To answer the question of who the Sons of God are we must look at how the serpent deceived Eve then Adam.After their sin God tells the serpent â€Å"I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise y our head, And you shall bruise His heel. Genesis 3:15  (NKJV) This is God acknowledging that Satan had begun a war with Him and His people. He responded by stating that Lucifer would struggle until the end of time in order to contend with the truth which will be revealed through the seed of the Adam and Eve. As Abel was the firstborn this meant that he was the one to start this righteous line of men.After learning about this fate Satan began to plot on how to quickly to destroy the seed that God said would end up being his ultimate demise. He corrupted the mind of Abel's brother Cain and caused him to commit the first murder in history, seemingly disproving what God had said. However, God knew of Lucifer's evil plan and had a solution ready. After the death of Abel it is written that Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, â€Å"For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed†.Genesis 4:25 (NKJV) This seed of Seth can the n be traced through Biblical history starting with Seth to Noah, Abraham to David, and eventually to Jesus Christ. The truth was revealed in Christ so that the whole world can hear the good news of the Gospel. This whole story can then interpret the meaning of the sons of God as the children that came down from Seth who were carrying the seed of truth. So when the scripture proclaims that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and took them for wives, it is implying that the holy bloodline was being perverted.By taking the daughters of men, they did not remain faithful to only mating with those who believed in God. It is by the miracle of God’s work the holy line was kept from dissipating while Satan worked relentlessly to destroy the seed. Since the offspring of Seth were kept alive, Christ fulfilled the promise of a Messiah that God said He would send unto all the world. When looking at the Nephilim with the Sethitic genetic line view, it is believed that they were the mixed blood lines of the two different genetic lines that came down from Adam and Eve through Cain and Seth.Many believe that this is possible since it is likely for mutations to occur when mating between closely related people happen. This view is taught in many churches to this day as many are uncomfortable with the thought of angels mating with humans and would rather have an alternative to believe in. However, even though this story might be easier to accept that does not always mean that it is right. Works Cited NIV Bible. London: Hodder ; Stoughton, 2000. Print.

Examples Of Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, King Arthur’s court is the epitome of chivalry within its own secluded walls. The code of chivalry to which the knights adhere to included many virtues like mercy, courage, valour, fairness, protection for the weak, a loyalty to their lord, willingness to give up their life for another and the widely known courtly love. In the outside world when faced with opposing ideals and trials this code of chivalry is quickly forgotten or rather ignored. Looking at Sir Gawain in his travels shows how the behavior that was so prized and common in the court, is not used or shown on his journey to find the Green Knight. Even though he had the pentangle on his shield as a reminder of the behavior he should exhibit†¦show more content†¦While still at the court a year later when he had to find the Green Knight to receive the same strike he gave to the knight, which so happened to be a killing blow. He could have stayed in the hall, but he felt a ne ed to follow the code so he set out into the land to find the Knight as he said he would. Although it would have been a poor choice in the eyes of a knight if he hadn’t gone, as he would have to keep his word to prove his courage and bravery. For his journey to meet the Green Knight, Gawain has the symbol of the pentangle to remind him of the five virtues he holds so highly and to exhibit them along the way. When he couldn’t find some place to attend Christmas mass he prays to the Virgin Mary in hopes of finding a place and he is rewarded for his action as that is when he is taken to Lord Bertilak’s castle. This however was not the case for him the entire journey as there were multiple times he strayed from them. The major times he strayed from the code was when he was a guest in Bertilak’s castle. The host put his wife up to seducing Gawain for the game he had proposed to the knight. Where the courtly behavior between the two was a facade as they were both lying to one another in a sense. The Lady of the castle never told that her husband put her up to it and Gawain would feign sleep and keep his true thoughts to himself. Although he still refuses the Lady in a chivalrous manner which can be seen as the ideal behaviorShow MoreRelatedChivalry Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight904 Words   |  4 PagesChivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight There are many great movies, like â€Å"300† or â€Å"Saving Private Ryan,† that are told with the classic chivalry elements that were known to describe the noble knights from hundreds of years ago. Much like the courageous soldiers in these movies, Sir Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, faced many conflicts that might have questioned his moral code of nobleness. 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