European Car Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European Car Market - Essay Example In the real world, there is no such market as a perfect competition as every firm tries to differentiate its product from others and perfect competition involves perfect homogeneity. Perfect competition occurs where every characteristic of competition is known to the seller and as well as the buyer thus giving all information to the market. Due to the interaction of forces of demand and supply the market price stays for all thus the firms become price-takers and mainly compete on the terms of cost only. This raises the issue of profit maximization and firms in the perfect competition tend to increase their profits by only reducing costs. Further the point that perfect knowledge about the market means that despite of how much a firm produces it will get the same price throughout its production schedule as in a perfect market the average revenue is constant and so is the marginal revenue thus implying that the price elasticity is zero thus a decline or raise in price would bring about no change to the total revenue. In the perfect market, demand tends to stay constant throughout and since the firms are small, increment to the cost will only add up to the loss. The perfect market is more vulnerable to competition as there are many buyers and sellers. So the effect of entry and exit of a single supplier does not play a major role in upsetting the market whereas in the oligopolistic case, the effect of exit of any one firm plays a vital role in changing the entire market structure. Product Homogeneity and competition Product homogeneity is another factor that deters the taxonomy of the car industry as being perfect. In a perfect competition, the products are considered as homogenous thus they share the same attributes as of their rival products. This again reflects the point that this market is more prone to price changes and therefore entry and exit of firms will keep on happening. Consider that if the car market is to be called as perfect market then there would be many firms wanting to join the industry to reap better profits as it is a growing industry and so addition of new firms would keep on expanding the market thus there would be a time when the supply of cars will exceed the desired demand thereby causing a decline in price making many firms lose out. Thus only short term profits could be achieved and further it is possible that the losing firms may not be able to cover up their costs even. The point to be raised is that is there a substitute use of the machinery needed to manufacture cars Probably not as the technology required to build car engines would be in appropriate to be applied to Water-filters or cigarettes. In this case if the demand for cars falls so can the producer make a sudden move and go into the cigarette industry Never, it is difficult to shutdown large plants in a short period of time. Economies of Scale The point from which the economies of scale start is hard to attain at the momentary run. Economies of scale reflects the efficiency of the firm in the long run and in perfect competitio

My Favorite Summer Vacation :: Summer Vacation Essays

My favorite summer vacation was when my Father took me to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. What made it even more memorable was the fact that it was my very first time on an airplane. I cannot recall another time in my life when I experienced so much joy. That trip to Universal Studios was the first time my Father and I actually did something together, just the two of us and was something brought me close to my Father. In this essay I will tell you about my plane ride over there, what I did right when I got there, and about my time at Universal Studios. I can still remember how excited I was before take off, I mean it felt like forever while we sat in the plane waiting to take off. Just all the anticipation that was inside of me had just made the wait even longer for me. Finally, I heard the pilot say 'prepare for take off'. When I heard those words I was so overjoyed I could hardly contain myself. That rush I got once the plane took off was an experience like no other. The plane ride was about hours long and I enjoyed every minute of it. Little did I know, that was less than half of the fun I was going to have at Orlando. After we got off the airplane, we rented a car and drove to my Uncle Joe?s house. We finally got there and then we all went out to eat dinner. We went to some Italian restraunt and boy was it good. To this day, I have never tasted anything as good as the Veal Picata I had that day. I ate so much that I could hardly move and once I got back to my uncle?s, I just passed out and went to bed. I had a big and exciting day ahead of me. I was going to Universal Studios and I couldn?t wait. The whole drive there I was just wondering what I was going to do and see over there. I mean I thought I thought I was excited about my plane ride there, but that wasn?t even half of what I was feeling at that time. Once I saw the roller coasters as we drove to Universal?s Island of Adventure my face just lit up like the sun.

Modern technology is enhancing social life

Technology is indispensable in solving modern problems, enhancing social life and ensuring a better future (Diamond 240). Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to reach among others industrial and commercial objectives of an organization or a society. It has cultural, organizational and technical aspects (Freeman and Francisco 142). Technology has become a powerful tool that is being used to improve social life and solve human problems like poverty and deceases. In addition, technology has increased the power of human beings to control and manipulate nature thereby enhancing our ability to adapt to the environment (Global Scenario Group Report 19).Despite all the benefits of technology, it has negative side effects like unemployment. It is therefore important to assess dangers and promises of a technology in order to formulate safeguards to eliminate its negative impacts or its misuse. It is also important to put limits on some technologies like biotechnology so as to harness their full potential without lowering the dignity of human beings (Freeman and Francisco 327).DiscussionThere are many areas in which technology impact positively in the society. The globalization of the internet for example, has extended and empowered the human network (Cisco Systems E25). It has changed positively the manner in which social, political, commercial and personal interactions are occurring. The internet presents a platform on which businesses can be run, emergencies can be addressed and individuals can be informed. It is being used to support education, science and government. (Global Scenario Group Report 24).Education has immense impact on a society. It trains the human mind to think and make right decisions. Through education, one acquires knowledge and information which can be used to solve problems like unemployment in a society (Cisco Systems E27). Technology enhances the processes of communication, collaboration and engagement which are fundamental bui lding blocks of education. It supports and enriches students learning experiences.It helps to deliver learning materials like interactive activities, assessments and feedbacks to a larger number of students faster and cheaper. In contrast to traditional learning methods which provide only two sources of expertise, that is, the textbook and the instructor which are limited in format and timing, online courses can contain voice, data and video which enhance understanding (Cisco Systems E30). Technology has thus removed geographical barriers to education and improved students’ learning experiences.Technology has facilitated the formation of global communities through social networks like facebook. This has fostered social interactions independent of geographical location (Global Scenario Group Report 27). The online communities enable sharing of valuable ideas and information capable of increasing productivity and opportunities in a society. For example, one can post to a forum to share health and treatment information with other members of the forum from all over the world. Though this kind of interaction is not physical, people are still able to share their social experiences and values more efficiently with people from diverse backgrounds.Technology has also helped to reduce poverty. Advancement in technology has led to new efficient sources of energy even to poor rural communities. The availability of cheap sources of energy opens up a society to investments and economic activities (Diamond 253). For example, technology has made it possible through genetic engineering to engineer crops that convert solar energy to fuels more efficiently.Governments are thus able to provide cheaper efficient sources of energy even to poor rural communities since solar energy is available virtually anywhere in the world (Freeman and Francisco 307).   Genetic engineering can also be used to create plants that produce valuable products like silicon chips for computers ef ficiently. This can result in improved income and living standards to members of a society. Technology can therefore bring about social revolution by enriching villages thereby attracting people and wealth from cities (Freeman and Francisco 331).Technology enables farms in remote places to function as part of the global economy. Through advancement in technology, agricultural outputs have improved thus ensuring food security. Technology helps farmers to avoid losses caused by natural disasters like drought. For example, a farmer can use a laptop enabled with a Global Positioning System to plant his or her crops with precision and efficiency resulting in high harvests.At harvest time, the farmer can use technology to co-ordinate harvesting with the availability of grain a transporter and storage facilities using mobile wireless technology. This can help to reduce losses caused by delays. The grain transporter can monitor the vehicle in-route to maintain the best fuel efficiency and s afe operation. In addition, through technology changes in status can be relayed to the driver of the vehicle instantly (Cisco Systems E34).   Technology has thus improved efficiency and effectiveness in the agricultural sector. It has enabled societies to have abundant healthy food.Modern technology is also widely used in the entertainment and travel industries. The internet has enabled people to share and enjoy many forms of recreation, regardless of their location. For example, one can explore different places interactively without having to visit them. Technology has also enabled the creation of new forms of entertainment, such as online games (Cisco Systems E36). Entertainment is important in a society since it reduce stress and problems caused by depression.Fears have been raised about some technologies such as nuclear weapons being used to cause massive destructions in the world (Freeman and Francisco 308). But the global community has the ability to enforce controls and lim its on technology use to ensure that technology is not misused.   A beneficial technology cannot therefore be abandoned when measures can be put in place to shape and direct its use. Moreover, governments in the form of regulatory institutions and professional bodies have the potential to regulate technologies that are susceptible to misuse to ensure that they do not impact negatively on values of the society (Freeman and Francisco 316).ConclusionTechnology is embedded in all aspects of our society and has extensive implications on culture and social activities. Technology has significantly improved health, agriculture, education, transport and communication sectors. These are critical sectors in any society as they contribute to development and improvement of living standards. Although some technologies might have side effects, measures can be put in place by governments and the international community to ensure that all technologies are used for the benefits of the society.Analy sis and evaluation1.The sources I used are qualified on the subject of technology and its social impacts. Cisco Corporation is a leading and credible technology firm. Its products are widely accepted all over the world. In the Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility Report of 2009 the organization outlined its key activities and how they contribute to the social welfare of the community. Cisco also offers certification courses that are very popular world wide.The Cisco Networking Academy Program is a good example of how technology can be used to enhance learning experience. In the program, the instructor provides a syllabus and establishes a preliminary schedule for completing the course content. The expertise of the instructor is supplemented with an interactive curriculum comprising of text, graphics, audio and animations. In addition, a tool called packet tracer is provided to build virtual representations of networks and emulate functions of various networking devices (Cisco Syste ms E31).Freeman and Francisco in their book give a lot of examples of how technology can be used to enhance social life. They also point out some side effects of modern technology and how they can be addressed. In addition, the publisher of this book, Oxford University Press is a credible publisher and the source can thus be relied on.Some social impacts of the modern technology are common in homes and workplaces. For example, the impacts of the internet on commerce are common. Majority of people have embraced electronic commerce and are buying goods and services online from the comfort of their homes. Electronic commerce has thus opened new doors of opportunities that are being exploited in the society.Diamond in his book explores the rise of civilization, discussing the evolution of agriculture and technology and their impact on the society. He gives clear examples of how technology has improved the social welfare of communities especially through improvements in agricultural prod uction. Some of the examples he gives are common and can easily be related to what is going around.The Global Scenario Group report is a credible source. Its main sponsors who include Stockholm Environment Institute, Rockefeller Foundation, the Nippon Foundation, and the United Nations Environment Programme are advocacy organizations in the fields of technology and the environment. The research explored the historical background of technology, the current situation and what the future might look like. It gives clear examples of major scientific discoveries that are driving technology and their potential impacts.If I had adequate time, I would do additional research to find more information on effective measures the international community can take to ensure that technology is not misused. I would particularly focus on tools the international community can employ to protect technology from irresponsible individuals like terrorists. This is because technology itself is not bad, but it is the human beings who in some cases use it irresponsibly. Therefore, if correct measures and controls are put in place technology can be used for the benefit of all in the society. This can eliminate fears and most of the side effects of technology.2a. Technology shapes institutions, values and day to day activities in our society. It affects identities, relationships, social structures and economic activities (Freeman and Francisco 316). Technology is thus inevitable in the modern world. The internet has enhanced our social, political, commercial and personal interactions enabling us to share information and ideas more efficiently. Technology has significantly improved the quality of education. It has enabled learning materials to reach a larger number of students efficiently and cheaply. An improvement in the quality of education enhances the social life of a community since it enables individuals to make creative decisions capable of solving social problems.Technology has faci litated the formation of online communities were members can share their diverse experiences and ideas. This has the potential of increasing productivity in a society. In addition, technology has helped to reduce poverty. It has resulted in efficient sources of energy even in rural areas thereby opening up rural areas for investments and developments. Modern technology has also improved efficiency in the agricultural sector therefore ensuring food security. Moreover, I discussed how modern technology has been used in the entertainment and travel industries to create new forms of entertainments like online games. Finally, I noted that although some technologies have side effects, governments and the international community have the potential to direct and control the use of technology for the benefit of the society.2b.Some of the evidences I used include the Cisco Networking Academy Program which is an example of how technology can be used to improve quality of education. The second evidence is of a farmer using a laptop enabled with a Global Positioning System to plant his crops with precision and efficiency. The example illustrates how technology can be used to improve agricultural production. The third evidence illustrates how genetic engineering can be used to engineer crops that convert solar energy to fuels more efficiently. The energy can then be used in the rural areas to create wealth and employment opportunities. Finally, I illustrated how technology has been used in the entertainment and travel industry to create new forms of entertainment like online games.2c.The major assumption I made is that the international community has the potential to control and direct the use of technology. This is only possible if there is peace and cooperation among all countries of the world. But this is not the case especially in the Middle East. The instability in countries like Iran and the existence of extremists have increased fears of technology being used to caus e massive destruction.3.Someone might ague that technology is a problem because we rely on it so much and that although it makes us better it also make us worse. My position is that in any human community there must be control and order. It is therefore the responsibility of governments to ensure that the society is protected from negative effects of technology.   Some people might point out the destructive effects of technology on the environment to ague against it. But if correct measures are put in place we will be able to assess the dangers and promises of any technology in order to formulate effective safeguards against its side effects.Works citedCisco Systems, Inc. Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility Report. cisco.com. Cisco Systems, Inc. 2009. Web. 2009.Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel:   The Fates of Human Societies. New York.   W.W. Norton. 1999. Web.Freeman, Chris and Francisco Louca. As Time Goes By:   From the Industrial Revolutions to the Information Re volution. England. Oxford University Press. 2001. Web.Global Scenario Group Report. Great Transition: The Promise and Lure of the Times Ahead.     gsg.org. Global Scenario Group. Web. 2002.

Research Paper on Outsourcing and Insourcing

Research Paper on Outsourcing and Insourcing Out-sourcing and In-sourcing Making sourcing decisions within an organization is considered to be a very significant aspect, which is often referred to as strategic decisions in regard to the kind of services or products will at the end be provided internally or externally. In-sourcing is a strategic decision making process that leads to utilization of experts from a different company employed as a turnkey global extension of the workforce and workplace of a company. This decision takes place without moving the project management and the existing decision-making control measures to an outside provider. In this mode of sourcing, the business in general is empowered with offshore development capital and the existing settlements that are attached directly with the process of project management (Belohlavek, 2007, p65). Outsourcing on the other hand is when the business function, such as a particular process, task, role or process, to another individual, who in this case is taken as a third party over a significant period of time. Control over the overall function is taken by the third-party organization and it turns out to be in charge the operation and success of the process. It is clearly understood that outsourcing begun as an accepted means of contracting previously done work within an identified company to a provider who is an outsider. This person must be the one who specializes in the existing job or operation. Therefore, outsourcing involves the process of transferring a noteworthy amount of management control and decision-making to another different organization (Murugan, 2007, p.102). Outsourcing Advantages The following are the common advantages of outsourcing: I Focus on Core Activities In times that growth is rapidly experienced, expansion is also experienced in the company’s back-office operations of a company. Such kind of expansion sometimes may start consuming the available resources, such as humankind and financial, at the expense of the main activities that have brought success to the company in general. When outsourcing is carried out over the identified activities, refocusing is critically allowed or enhanced over those identified business activities that are considered significant without surrendering the overall quality. II Cost And Efficiency Savings Through outsourcing, the company is able to carry out a number of functions within the office in an effective and successful way in achieving such results. This helps in having an effective costs and efficiency saving. III Reduced Overhead Overhead costs that are realized by performing a certain function of back-office are normally considered to be extremely high. For the purpose of trying to make sure that such functions within the office are easily moved, and at the end the overhead will be reduced. IV Operational Control Outsourcing is supposed to be considered in operations where costs have been found to be running out of management source. Various departments and units that may have developed over time into uncontrolled and also poorly managed regions are found to being main motivators for outsourcing. Also through this process, the company involved in outsourcing is able to bring in better management skills. V Staffing Flexibility Outsourcing has a way to allow better operations that normally have seasonal or recurring demands when it comes to the case of resource utilization. Where additional resources are brought in at the times of need and then release when the work is done. VI Risk management and continuity At times there is an increase in demand of employees and a company hires new ones due to the sudden rush in demand. After a while the company does not need the services of the employees and are forced to fire them and when demand of employees rises they do the same thing. In order to avoid this distrustful experience a company is advised to outsource for the skills. Example; A company’s accountant gets involved in a car accident and the assistant is on a month long leave you advised to outsource. VII Internal staff development. A company’s staff may acquire new skills from outsource on an area they didn’t know or understand fully. This will help the company not to need to outsource the next they want that task completed Outsourcing Disadvantages I Hidden costs You pay only for the services and products being offered as per the contract to the outsourcing company. Any other cost that may be incurred not in the contract is you that pay for it. Also in making of the contract you will need to hire a lawyer who you have to pay. II Loss of managerial control When any task or function is given to another company the managerial control is lost to the outsourcing company. This is a company driven to making profit and the completion of the task at hand as per the contract. III Threat to Security and Confidentiality In each and every company there are secrets confidential information and even secret code numbers used only by some few people this are very important details that should remain in the company alone and at times you are forced to share this details with the outsourced company. Some of these companies go ahead to misuse such information and its good come up with consequences to be met by those who bleach rules set by contract. This information may include pay rolls medical reports pin numbers and many more IV Quality Problems That’s what highly drives outsourcing companies. Due to this fact they tend to give under quality products and services by cutting down costs in their production methods as long as they are working under the contract rules and regulations. You end up loosing a lot at the end of the task you tasked out to the company V Tied to the Financial Well-Being of another Company By outsourcing a task or various tasks to a company, you now work under their financial aid and budgets. So in case of a financial constrain in the outsourcing company you will be affected as much as they are with the task you had given to them. Any business has financial problems hence it’s not uncommon for an outsourcing company to go bankrupt or being closed. VI Bad Publicity and Ill-Will People have different opinions on different situations and when it’s on outsourcing people who get the jobs are the people who see the good side and those that the jobs are snatched away from them have a totally different opinion on the idea. Advantages of In-sourcing I High degree of control The company that is in sourcing is highly involved in decision making and are in the managerial position in any task II Ability to oversee the entire program An in sourcing company is able to be available from the beginning of the task to the end and is well detailed about the whole task III Economies of scale and/or scope With every business activity they are involved they are in expansion and also go ahead in acquiring profit and more knowledge gathered. This really helps in the growth of a business by making more profit and acquiring new contacts in the process. Disadvantages of In-sourcing I In-sourcing require strategic Flexibility. You cannot just hire permanent people for a task scheduled for a short period of time hence you need to utilize the labor force available to them. II Required high investment You need a lot of money to be invested and only those who can afford it are able to invest and enjoy the good fruits of outsourcing. III Loss of access to superior products and services offered by potential suppliers You end up losing access to other products due to the reliability of inside corporate labor at your disposal. In spite of different disadvantages in outsourcing, it is the new trend to follow in the harsh environments of business, as it really helps improve a business. Reasons for Delegation of Management Authority In organizations people perform as unit so as to accomplish a task, and they do this by utilizing one another’s ability and comprehend one another in completion of tasks. Ones success lies upon the success of other peoples in an organization hence the success of any manager is determined by how well people are working as unit and producing positive results. Therefore, delegation of authority is the art of sharing of power or the stated authority for the purpose of performing a certain task in an effective manner. The following are viable reasons as to why delegation of management authority is carried out (Schniederjans, Schniederjans Schniederjans, 2005, p.106). Delegation of management authority eases the challenging jobs that a manager undertakes Through delegation of management authority, managers become effective in ensuring that their workload is distributed to others, and this works in favor of the manager, thus giving more time to concentrate on other functions of management. Creates an environment where subordinates are motivated When subordinates are motivated and operates within an environment that they appreciate, they are normally encouraged to be effective responsible when they have influence to do things as they wish, but within their responsibility and the policies that govern the business. They turn out to be more interested in whatever they are doing, become initiative and cautious over their safety in the field of work. Therefore, through delegation, employees are positively motivated and thus at the end leading to development of a better profile of manpower. Delegation of management authority assists in developing efficiency and immediate actions Delegation of authority acts as a time saver, a prospect that enables all employees to become effective when dealing with different problems within the system, hence being faster when taking decisions within the existing organizational structures. When dealing with issues to do with routine, it is of prudence that one has to believe in his abilities of doing better than taking the whole matter to the superiors. The reason of this action being that the whole issue heaves the general competence in an Organization. Assists in developing morale of employees Delegation of authority can in one way or another act as a morale boaster on employees, as they are assigned tasks and sustaining authority. They normally think that they are being taken as responsible employees and appreciated of what they are delivering in the organization. The overall impact of this projection is that attitude of all subordinates, especially towards the assigned duties, turns out to be more constructive benefiting. It is a way of developing team spirit within staff members This is achieved with the effect of having effective communication existing between the top management team and other employees. They become answerable to the organization’s top management team, and the top managers on the other hand are responsible for the overall performance of their employees, hence bringing better relations profile and the spirit of everyone in the organization. Ensures that cordial relationships within the organization is greatly enhanced Necessary authority is given out to subordinates only when superiors are able to trust and believe in them concerning better service delivery. The subordinates acknowledge their liability and this expands on the existing working relationships within the organization. Delegation of management authority fosters the concept of management development This is achieved through a process of standing-in as a preparation platform for management and development issues. Learning becomes a paramount issue within this environment, and subordinates gains an opportunity to learn, grow and even develop new significant traits and abilities. Therefore, it acts as a bank that creates a pool of executives, who will in turn, be of great importance to the organization. Ways in which management policies are influenced by environmental factors Management policies are sets of regulations that are developed for a given purpose, which allows organizations to manage and track all the happening within an organization, such as duration within which certain information is supposed to be retained or the actions supposed to be taken towards such information. Management policies acts like a legal platform, where all the structure within the organization are directed in a way of complying with the existing legal policy systems, or following the implementation of the existing business procedures within the organization. The following are ways how environmental factors influence management policies (Reda, Reifler Thatcher, 2005, p.87). a. Government Policies It has been found out that every organization normally depends to a large extent, on the structured government policies. Organizations do well in various states where the intention of their governments over the private industry is least. Government policy also assists in shaping how much financial support the organization is supposed to receive. Therefore, it affects the end product of an organization thorough tax-cut, exchange rates, and inflation, as all of them are under the control and evaluation of the government. They are the same policies that establish some of the most crucial economic factors that have been found to be affecting many organizations. b. Consumers influence Whenever a business opportunity is created, consumers are always the bottom line of the desired operation. Organizations generate services and goods to sell, but if the power of spending on the side of consumers reduces or become aversive to a certain type of good or service, then an organization is doomed to be affected incalculably. Therefore, it is of importance that all leaders within different organizations are in a position of gauging all changes experience, especially in tastes and preferences of the existing customers. This will assist then in being prepared for any contingency. c. Suppliers Another dynamic that has the possibility to get in the way with the growth of an identified business opportunity is its suppliers. If the suppliers do not have redoubtable competition within their business, it is of high chance that very high prices can be charged, particularly to business premises. If the suppliers fail to deliver their service or goods on time, the creditability of an organization is another aspect that will be affected, and in the end the whole process can be delayed. d. Society Social background play a significant role when it comes to developing prospects of a given business venture. This factor has come to existence with the materialization of multinational organizations and also with their entry in conventional markets. e. Competitors In the current global market, most of the organizations intensely compete with each other to entice consumers, but all in all, the consumer in this case is in a situation where he or she has many options to opt from. Hence, organizations on their part have to make sure that they are on their toes with all vigilance to counter their rivals. f. Location and Technology Geographical circumstances and the right to use technology have been found to be of significance over the overall growth of a business. If access to capital, people, technology, suppliers is difficult to be achieved by a business, then it also hard to merge with their rivals, and this is also hinder the accessibility to better and current technologies. The effect to this occurrence is experienced in the overall production and quality of the products and services, thus creating a significant impact on the development of an organization. Over the years, leaders in various organizations have come up with different ways that are supposed to determine working solution on existing issues for the purpose of anticipating viable changes within the organizational structure. They are also supposed to prepare their organizations to be in a position of enduring unexpected changes within the system. References Belohlavek, P., 2007, The Natural Organization of Outsourcing and In-sourcing, California, USA: Blue Eagle Group. Murugan, M. S., 2007, Management Principles and Practices, New Delhi, India: New Age International. Reda, J. F., Reifler, S. Thatcher, L. G., 2005, Compensation committee handbook, Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Schniederjans, M. J., Schniederjans, A. S. Schniederjans, D. G., 2005, Outsourcing and in-sourcing in an international context, California, USA: M.E. Sharpe.