Biometrics Identification Attendance Monitoring System Essay Example for Free

Biometrics Identification Attendance Monitoring System Essay Technology plays an important role in our society because of modernization. One that makes the daily activities of organizations more convenient is the use of technology. The internet that is really abundant today for handling information, web-based applications are some example of this and Information Technology (IT) is a big help to many companies. To resolve the problems encountered in the daily processes as well as to make their company effective and competitive. â€Å"Business Analytics† is a continuous iterative exploration that refers to the technology, application, processes and a fact based management to driven decision making. Philippine Auto Components, Inc. was established in the Philippines in 1995. The company is a part of DENSO Corporation Japan, which is the leading company in automotive technology components in the world. The products are car air-conditioning and heating systems, electrical automotive and electronic control products, filters, fuel management systems, instrument panel clusters and radiators. PAC is certified as ISO 14001 in August 1998 for it regards the preservation of natural resources and international and environmental standard. The company have the mission to contribute to the better world by creating value together with a vision for future. It’s Vision to become the top design engineering who totally develop Electronic automobile technology. Its philosophy, such as Customer satisfaction to quality products and services, Global Growth through anticipation of change, Environmental Preservation and harmony with society and Corporate vitality and respect for individuality. The organization works the spirit of having teamwork, as One for All, All for One†. The policy in the manufacturing as 3M- Minimum space, stock, investment; 3N- No defect received, produced, delivered; 3S- speed, simple, s. o. p and 3Z- Zero emission, variance, accident. The principles of HR to their employees to motivate them to work with encouragement by fully concentrating with their capabilities, to recruit, assign, retain, and develop competitive workers with creative power and fair HR management policies to gain for DENSO recognition in both community and associates. Since they expanded last year, they will focus on recruitment of new employees and maintaining the performances of their current workers. Because of this they exceed more time and focus for the HR Personnel to generate reports about the employees, the applicants as well as the supervisors. In the recruitment process, there are applicants that will have an exam once they submitted their resume in the company; applicant wait hours while screening of their resume which is checked by HR Personnel. Applicants who passed the exam will be informed through phone for scheduled interview and requirements. Usually applicants wait months with the result. When an employee requests a sick leave, he/she is required to fill up explanatory form. Before request leave acceptance, he is required to submit medical certification for the updating signed by concerned Officers for HR archiving and verification. Ailing personnel is considered unfit to work. Meanwhile, the supervisors have several tasks to accomplish also and the top priority is the work for the flow of the production. They should go to the designation area of the supervisors and employees to update records correcting inconsistencies accomplishing this with given deadline. HR has other reports to be done apart from this. Through cooperation and time management the process with the HR, it should be easier for them to handle. We focused our study on the HR department about their current process in the recruitment, evaluation and filling leave by the employees as well as the reports for the HR. The researchers want to contribute to the improvement of the processes through this study. The Philippine Auto Components, Inc. is one of the companies that want improvement, in their office because they encountered inconveniency. The main objective of the study is to develop efficiently the current process of Human resources of Philippine Auto Component, Inc. Specifically, the study aims to achieve the following: 1. To determine the problem with regards to data rendering of Human Resources. 2. To determine the issues with regards to generating reports of Employees Information. 3. To address accurately the information for the Human Resources related decision. 4. To speed up the process of monitoring the records in recruitment, job evaluation and performance, leave request and employees’ information. 5. To provide a system that can be effective, accurate, reliable, user friendly and secure. 6. To improve the reports and employees information being mishandled that leads to the lost of data and errors in records. Conceptual Framework The researchers used a paradigm structure to support the fundamental principles of the study. A paradigm is a pattern or a model that corresponds to the real world of processes on what the researchers have gathered. It guides the development of the study regarding what the proponents want to improve for the satisfaction among the persons involved in this study. The figure shows the paradigm that is based upon the process in the Human Resource Department or the office. The paradigm has the Input, Process and Output that will guide the researchers for the development of the automation in some HR processes. INPUTPROCESSOUTPUT Figure 1. Conceptual Framework The figure shows the process inside the HR that the information about the employee, applicants and even the supervisors are being recorded. The employees information like their leave request, their performances in their designated jobs including the personal information and which the department they belong to. The applicants’ information with the flow of recruitment and their training are also being input. The supervisors are also being evaluated by the employees. This will be processed and have an output of the reports in evaluations of three, the absence calculations and the lists of the current employees and newly hired as well as the applicants’ information and list. Significance of the Study Prior to the advent of computerization, data is processed manually. However, in the past few decades, the computer and electronic technology has been incorporated into almost every aspect of our lives. They now play a big role in the lives of people and assist them in taking care of files and documents. Today, there is probably no better indication of how technologically advance is the society than a computerization process. Nowadays, computers have become the base technology that enables the people to tap information resources as the fast growing industry of the internet. Great help will be provided for the company Philippine Auto Components, Inc. in terms of trends in Information System, thus, improving the HR functions and benefits as the delivery of services within the organization. The following are the beneficiaries: Company. The Philippine Auto Components, Inc. will benefit because they can save materials like papers and inks as part of their cost in the operation of the company, especially they can now have strategic planning to be more competitive advantages instead on focusing to the manual process that HR has. The company will remove the barrier between the branches or other department. HR Personnel. Can give less effort in the report, target deadlines are being done before the date, eliminates human errors, save time, the leave and absences made by the employees are monitored as well as the communication between the applicants and employee is more convenient. The possible loss of information is less. Supervisors. Accurate and up to date leave reporting and a real-time tracking of leave will generate the system. They are easily informed about the leave request and handling of approval and disapproval will not disturb their other work activities within the company. Employees. Can easily file a leave request without filling up many forms like explanation slip, and they can monitor and aware of their allotted leave such as sick leave and vacation leave. They can work in a fair environment. Their performances are also shown for they will be in the sense of improving their jobs and have a goal to do task well managed and be an asset to the company. Applicants. Hiring within the company is easily being known by the applicants and they will prefer online applications than traditional walk-in job hunting which is time consuming and costly. The announcement online will benefit them, for they can easily apply for what exact job they are looking for. The follow-up Interview schedule through email would be better than waiting for a phone call. Researchers. This will help the future researchers to use this as their reference in their study as well as the programming language being used. This will aid them in enriching their study and will serve as a source of their related literature. Scope and Limitation This study will focus on the HR functions in the company, Philippine Auto Components, Inc. and is intended to eliminate the common problems encountered by the current process of the organization. The information about the current employees, applicants as well as the supervisors will be input to the system. The employees can request a leave which is being approved by the supervisor with the use of the system. Employees can also monitor their allotted leave and performances in their jobs. Applicants can follow-up scheduled interviews through the notification in the HR admin who uses the system. They can also view hiring position within the company. HR can monitor the training of the newly hired employees. The information list of employees in their classification belonged to like contractual, under probationary, regular employees and on the job trainees are also being monitored. The allotted or remaining absence or leave will be monitored by the employee. The performances of employees being evaluated by the supervisor and the applicants’ information are being updated by the HR Personnel. The system offers reports like list of employees, list of applicants, leave monitoring and evaluation reports among the employees. There is a communication between the employee and the HR department and employees can also suggest some ideas to the management. The system does not cover the inventory of all the materials inside the company, cannot compute the sales of the company, do not monitor the prices of the product, cannot monitor trucking and shipping of the products and cannot make purchase order. Definition of Terms Online. A computer-related application that uses an internet connection to be access by the users of the system to communicate easier and faster among the people involved in the institution. It helps the organization to gain more competitive advantages. Company. This is the working environment that has one goal in achieving their vision in terms of business and customer services depending on their products. Organization. It is the groups of people in the company that are involved in the process of Human Resources and needed to have the full attention with regards to the data handling. I. S. Information System. System that help the current process to be more accurate, efficient, secured, user friendly and make their work and day to day operation be more convenient. HRIS. Human Resource Information System. System that develop to collect, process, store and distribute information applying to the policies and process of the Human Resource Management. HRM. Human Resource Management. It encompasses the recruitment, records, leave reports and other information that provides a safe and fair environment in the company. HR Personnel. Person who are responsible in the Human Resource in the current process. HR Department. The persons who are involved in the data reports, recruitment, evaluation and the whole Human Resource process in the company. Supervisors. The head officer of each department in the company that implement the rules and regulations of the company, communicating to the HR for the better flow of the employees’ job, be motivated and guides them for their leave request. Employees. The persons who work within the company’s premises. Applicant. The people who seek job vacancies in the company to have a work and be stable to the day to day life. Leave Request. The employees need to file when in sick, emergency, even maternity and paternity leave covered on period of the date. Computerization. It is the process of applying technology in the paper handling materials for betterment of the organizations’ tasks in the company. Paradigm. A pattern that will help the researchers to overview the covered processes of the HR on what are should be the input data and the accurate output of the system. Quantitative Data. It express the data’s certain amount or range. It makes sense to set boundary limits to such data and it is also meaningful to apply arithmetic operations to data. Quantitative research. This is a technique like surveys whose findings may be expressed numerically and can be computed through mathematical manipulation. That will help the researchers to estimate the future events or quantities. Lickert Scale. It is the way to measure the mean figure responses and evaluate a study through questionnaire using decrement value (Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither, Disagree and Strongly Disagree). Iterative Waterfall. The focus is on delivering a sprint of work as opposed to a series of valuable/shippable features.

Germany An International Business Plan Economics Essay

Germany An International Business Plan Economics Essay Abstract This paper will examine the country of Germany from the aspect of a corporation looking to do business there. It will consider aspects from the culture, people, technology, government, and their economic system. A business environment analysis report has been conducted to examine things corporations must consider when doing business in Germany. A report on opportunities for market entry has been conducted to identify potential import and export prospects for a potential firm in Germany. A market entry strategy assignment has also been conducted to develop a market strategy for launching new products in Germany. Germany: An International Business Plan MARKET INTELLIGENCE REPORT Profile The official name of Germany is the Federal Republic of Germany. The head of state is currently Christian Wulff and the head of government is Chancellor Angela Merkel. The population of Germany is 81.8 million people, with about 8% of the people being of foreign origin. Protestants and Catholics each make up third of the religious population, with an assortment of other religions filling the other third. German is the official language spoken in Germany; however, the vast majority of the population also speaks English. Geography Germany is a very temperate country located in Europe. It is much cooler and rainier than most of the United States. It is approximately 137,000 square miles, about the size of Montana. The largest city is Berlin with a population of about 3.5 million people. The next three largest cities, Munich, Cologne, and Hamburg all have populations over a million. As far as the terrain is concerned there are low plains in the north; high plains, hills, and basins in the center and east; mountainous alpine region in the south. People Most inhabitants of Germany are ethnic German. However, there are also more than 7 million foreign residents, a lot of those who are related to guest workers. Guest workers were foreign workers, mostly from Turkey, invited to Germany in the 1950s and 1960s to fill labor shortages) who remained in Germany. Germany has a sizable ethnic Turkish population (2.4% at the beginning of 2010). Germany is also a prime destination for political and economic refugees from many developing countries. An ethnic Danish minority lives in the north and a small Slavic minority known as the Sorbs lives in eastern Germany (Germany, 2012). Most foreigners do not have German citizenship, even if they were born and raised in Germany. This is due to highly restrictive German citizenship laws. However, change is coming, and with the citizenship and immigration law reforms that took place in 2002, many foreign citizens have been getting their citizenships and have gained the ability to naturalize. Germany has one of the worlds highest levels of education, technological development, and economic productivity. Since the end of World War II, the number of youths entering universities has more than tripled, and the trade and technical schools of the Federal Republic of Germany (F.R.G.) are among the worlds best (Germany, 2012). Germany, as country, is mainly middle class. The social welfare system that is set up in Germany provides universal medical care, generous unemployment compensation, and provides for many other social needs. Germans also travel extensively, and millions of Germans travel abroad every year. It is estimated that the population of Germany will decline from the current 81 million people to around 77 million people by 2050. Due to this demographic change, the available workforce aged 20-64 will shrink by more than six million by 2030, resulting in a marked shortage of skilled workers. In the absence of appropriate and timely policy action, demographic change threatens to become a constraining factor for prosperity and growth (Germany, 2012). When unification happened in 1990 Germany began a major undertaking. Their goal was to bring the standard of living of people living in the former German Democratic Republic to where it was in western Germany. This has really been a struggle for Germany because of how inefficient business had been in the former German Democratic Republic. There was also the issue of property ownership that had to be settled. On top of all of that, there was a tremendous amount of environmental damage from communist rule as well. Economic uncertainty in eastern Germany is often cited as one factor contributing to extremist violence, primarily from the political right. Confusion about the causes of the current hardships and a need to place blame has found expression in harassment and violence by some Germans directed toward foreigners, particularly non-Europeans. The vast majority of Germans condemn such violence (Germany, 2012). Economy Market Overview The state department has done a thorough overview of Germanys market and concluded the following: The German economy is the worlds fourth largest and, after the expansion of the EU, accounts for more than one-fifth of European Union GDP. Germany is the United States largest European trading partner and is the sixth largest market for U.S. exports. Germanys social market economy largely follows free-market principles, but with a considerable degree of government regulation and generous social welfare programs. The German economythe fifth largest in the world in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms and Europes largestis a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force. Like its Western European neighbors, Germany faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and declining net immigration are increasing pressure on the countrys social welfare system and have compelled the government to undertake structural reforms. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economywhere unemployment can exceed 20% in some municipalitiescontinues to be a costly and long-term process, with total transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $3 trillion so far. In 2011, gross domestic product grew by 2.7%. The countrys export-dependent economy is growing more quickly than the euro-zone average. In 2010, gross domestic product grew by 3.6%, and the German economy experienced its strongest rate of growth since reunification. Domestic demand is becoming a more prominent driver of growth. The German labor market also showed a strong performance in 2010 and 2011, with the unemployment rate dropping to 5.5% in October 2011. Economists attribute the decrease in unemployment to structural reforms implemented under the government of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and to the use of government-sponsored short-time (Kurzarbeit) work programs. The German economy so far has been largely unaffected by the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone, but a recession or slowdown of Europes largest economy is expected for the winter half of the 2011-2012 year, mostly due to declining exports to the countrys European partners. The European Union (EU) gave Germany until 2013 to get its consolidated budget deficit below 3% of GDP, and the governments 4-year fiscal consolidation program worth approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬80 billion (U.S. $109.6 billion) is intended to meet deficit targets. Germanys deficit decreased from 3.3% of GDP in 2010 to 2.0% of GDP (est.) in 2011 thanks to the strong economy and low unemployment. In May 2011, Chancellor Merkel announced Germanys plan to phase out nuclear energy power by 2022. It is expected that this policy will further accelerate the growth of the renewable energies sector. Germany is the largest consumer market in the European Union with a population of over 82 million. However, the significance of the German marketplace goes well beyond its borders. An enormous volume of worldwide trade is conducted in Germany at some of the worlds largest trade events, such as MEDICA, Hannover Fair, Automechanika, and the ITB Tourism Show. The volume of trade, number of consumers, and Germanys geographic location at the heart of a 27-member European Union make it a cornerstone around which many U.S. firms seek to build their European and worldwide expansion strategies. Market Challenges The German economy has improved markedly in recent years. The economy took a serious hit during the economic crisis, but recovered quickly. The German economy has been steadily improving recently. There was a serious setback during the economic crisis, but recovery occurred quickly. Like most other OECD countries GDP declined significantly in 2009 (by 4.7%), but grew by 3.6% in 2010, the highest rate since unification. Following a 3% growth in 2011, the pace of expansion is expected to slow in 2012 (Germany, 2012). Most of the market research organizations had been predicting the GDP of Germany in 2012 to be around 1%, but are lowering that to around 0.6%. Labor The United States State Department (2012) had this to say in regards to Germanys labor market: The labor market remained resilient during the economic crisis and continued to be strong in 2011. In addition to a series of labor and social reforms implemented in recent years, many experts credit the government-funded short-time work program for limiting unemployment. Other factors, such as moderate wage increases, flexibility in bargaining agreements, numerous company-level alliances to retain jobs, and employers willingness to accept higher unit labor costs, also contributed to the stability of the German labor market. Job cuts in logistics and manufacturing have been offset by job creation in other sectors, such as services and health care. Also due to a declining workforce, average unemployment dropped to 2.976 million over the course of last year, with an average jobless rate of 7.1% down from 7.7% in 2010. For 2012, the government expects unemployment to decline to an average of 6.8%. Although unemployment is still higher in the east of the country than the west (11.3% versus 6.0%), it dropped to the lowest level in 20 years. The number of persons in employment living in Germany reached an all-time high (about 41.6 million) in November 2011, an increase of 521,000 from a year ago. The wages in Germany, when compared to the rest of the world, are among the highest in the European Union and worldwide. German labor is also known to be very productive and highly skilled. German quality is known throughout the world. Labor Law The unions in Germany are incredibly large and powerful. Strong labor laws protect the workers and give them many rights. The laws in Germany are much more substantial than in the United States. Ordinary dismissal of workers must be preceded by notice, which depends on the duration of the time the employee was with the company. It may vary from 1-7 months. The employee may also challenge the dismissal in court. The Mother Protection Law grants a mother a total of 36 months leave. 6 weeks prior to birth and 8 weeks thereafter are on paid leave. The mother and the employer can agree on a parental leave (max. 36 months), after which the employer provides her with the same job prior to the birth of the child. Social Security and Health Care cost are equally split up between the employee and the employer. Average working hours are 37.5 hours/week and annual leave varies between 20 and 30 working days (Export.gov Home, 2012). Trade Barriers There really are not a lot of formal barriers concerning trade with the United States or investment. The only one that could be considered substantial would be Germanys participation in the EUs Common Agricultural Policy and their continued restrictions on biotech agricultural products. This does place some barriers on U.S. goods. Germany has continually tried to get the EU commission to ease up on the regulations to help and try to promote innovation and help the EU members become more competitive. The government under Merkel has made the case for widespread reform in Germany. Specifically, there is a drive to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and reduce the costs due to the complex nature of their bureaucracy. The complexity, in and of itself, offers a certain degree of protection to the local businesses because the complexity of the regulations makes it that much more difficult for foreign competitors to do business in Germany. There are very stringent safety standard and environmental standards that are zealously applied that cuts back on the access available to U.S. products. As a result, any American companies considering exporting to Germany really need to evaluate the standards that would be applicable to their products and insure that they met them on a timely basis. Foreign Relations Germany continues to be close with the United States of America. They maintain their membership in NATO, and they continue to be a vital component of the EU. Germany made sure that after the war that they were actively involved in closer cooperation politically, economically, and defensively with other countries of Western Europe. Germany has been, and will continue to be, one of the largest contributors to the EU budget. After the war, Germany made great effort to repair its relationship with the countries of Eastern Europe. They started by establishing trade agreements and worked their way up to actual diplomatic relationships. When Germany unified in 1990, their relationship with other democratic countries in Europe blossomed even further. Government The government is parliamentary, and a democratic constitution emphasizes the protection of individual liberty and division of powers in a federal structure. The chancellor (prime minister) heads the executive branch of the federal government. The duties of the president (chief of state) are largely ceremonial; the chancellor exercises executive power. The Bundestag (lower, principal chamber of the parliament) elects the chancellor. The president normally is elected every 5 years by the Federal Assembly, a body convoked only for this purpose, comprising the entire Bundestag and an equal number of state delegates (Germany, 2012). The Bundestag, which serves a 4-year term, consists of at least twice the number of electoral districts in the country (299). When parties directly elected seats exceed their proportional representation, they may receive additional seats. The number of seats in the Bundestag was reduced to 598 for the 2002 elections. The Bundesrat (upper chamber or Federal Council) consists of 69 members who are delegates of the 16 Laender (states). The legislature has powers of exclusive jurisdiction and concurrent jurisdiction with the Laender in areas specified in the Basic Law. The Bundestag has primary legislative authority. The Bundesrat must concur on legislation concerning revenue shared by federal and state governments and those imposing responsibilities on the states. Germany has an independent federal judiciary consisting of a constitutional court, a high court of justice, and courts with jurisdiction in administrative, financial, labor, and social matters. The highest court is the Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court), which ensures a uniform interpretation of constitutional provisions and protects the fundamental rights of the individual citizen as defined in the Basic Law (Germany, 2012). Technological Status Information technology, without a doubt, is the single most important factor in transforming the world into a global economy. As the rankings are starting to point out, how a company ranks as far as its advancement with information technology is also how it ranks in the overall global economy. Technology is what differentiates a superior economy from that of an inferior one. Technological innovation always lies at the core of any long-term potential of any economy, and Germany is no different. When looking at Europe as a whole, technological capability runs the gamut. In Great Britain and Ireland, they are much higher on capability than the rest of Europe. On the bottom end there is Greece, Italy, and Spain. Germany, and the rest of Europe, is somewhere in the middle. There is a lot of advancement in IT in fields that would necessitate that, such as aerospace, mobile phones, and pharmaceuticals. However, it is very poor in the service sectors. The general consensus is that Europes information technology infrastructure not only lags behind the U.S. and Japan, but that the technology gap is rapidly closing between Europe and Asias new tech powerhouses (like China, India and South Korea). Europe risks being squeezed between the high end challenge posed by the U.S. and Japan and the catch-up challenge posed by the rapidly developing countries (Hamilton Quinlan, 2008). Where Germany is a little stronger in the technological exports is within the realm of medium-high tech exports. According to Hamilton and Quinlan (2008): When it comes to high-tech exports, Germanys share (20.5%) lags behind the EU15 average (25.7%), and is well under the share of the U.S. (36.1%) and China (36%). Against this backdrop, as Germany edges closer to being a knowledge-based service economy, it must keep and embellish its competitive strengths in high-tech goods and services, or suffer a loss in average economic welfare. In a world economy where the application of technology and innovation increasingly dictates both the pace of change and the level of economic prosperity, Germany is challenged to raise its innovation-intensity production and capabilities, while continuing to attract the investment capital and IT core competencies of foreign technology leaders. However, this is not to say that Germany does not have its strengths. In fact, Germany was the third ranked company in 2006 for global patents. The regions in Germany account for nine of the 20 innovation regions in Europe. Germany is more advanced in IT usage and applications than most of Europe and is a favored destination for IT leaders looking to tap indigenous RD talent (Hamilton Quinlan, 2008). Germany is also way ahead of the rest of the EU in terms of their citizens using the internet and using computers at home and at work. Underpinning this dynamic, Germany is ahead of the EU in general in the use of the internet and computers at home and at work. Germany has also become the world leader in alternative energy technology, and has produced a third of all solar cells and half of all wind turbines worldwide. BUSINESS EVIRONMENT ANALYSIS REPORT Center of European Economy Largest Market in Europe. Of all the markets within Europe Germany is by far the largest. It makes up 20 percent of Europes gross domestic product. It also contains close to 20 percent of the total population of the European Union. The GDP has grown about 1.8% every year for the last five years. The economy of Germany is very industrialized, with a very heavy focus being on service and production. They are also very forward thinking in Germany, evidenced by the large amounts of money earmarked for research and development. Belief in Exportation Even though there has been a tremendous amount of shakiness in the world economy, Germany has somehow managed to stay stable. They continue to export worldwide on a grand basis. In fact, in 2003, Germany became the worlds leading exporter, having overtaken the United States for that title. Germanys biggest trading partners include France, UK, the Netherlands, Japan, China, and the United States. Foreign Direct Investment Preparing for FDI Free and Open Markets. An attractive part of the German business environment is how welcoming Germany is towards foreign direct investment. Foreign direct investment, in its classic definition, is defined as a company from one country making a physical investment into building a factory in another country. The direct investment in buildings, machinery and equipment is in contrast with making a portfolio investment, which is considered an indirect investment (Graham Spaulding, 2004). The interesting thing is that Germany treats German investment into business the same way as they treat foreign investment into business. There is no distinction made. There are also no restrictions or barriers to capital transactions or currency transfers, real estate purchases, repatriation of profits, or access to foreign exchanges (Germanys business environment:, 2009). Attracting FDI Globally. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Germany ranks among the worlds leading countries for foreign direct investments with more than EUR 476 billion in FDI stocks in 2008. Official German statistics further underscore Germanys attractiveness as a business location. Bundesbank (German Central Bank) FDI stock statistics indicate a growth of 2.2 percent in 2007 to EUR 459billion (Germanys business environment, 2009). New Investment Projects Foreign Direct Investment Projects. There are over 45,000 foreign companies that operate within the borders of Germany, and these companies employ over 3 million people. Every year more companies realize that operating from Germany is a financially sound decision. Diverse Industry Opportunities. When looking at the different markets that foreign companies are invested in, one will note that it is quite diversified, including 39 different industry sectors. Most of the new investment from foreign companies is invested in to the IT and software industry. In fact, this industry accounts for 20% of every foreign direct investment project in Germany. Business and financial services, and automotive and industrial machinery and equipment are the next top industries. Research and Development High-Tech Germany High Turnover with Innovative Products. Over 27 percent of German manufacturing company turnover is generated from innovative products. These products are new to the enterprise and to the market. In France and the UK, this ratio is comparatively low at around 16 percent, whereas in Finland the level is at 21 percent. The European average lies at 19 percent (Germanys business environment, 2009). Technological Leader. Germany has always been known for their high quality and innovation, and they are one of the worlds leaders in developing new technology. They are also one of the largest exporters of high-technology goods as well. In 2007, Germany exported high-tech goods to the value of EUR 114 billion -making it the top exporter in Europe and third worldwide (Germanys business environment, 2009). Knowledge Base of Workers. Germany is also known for the knowledge of their population, namely scientists. Germany has the largest population of scientists in all of Europe. German scientists work on projects all over the globe. Business Climate Cost Effectiveness High Productivity. In the last decade, Germany has become incredibly efficient in their industries. Their overall productivity rose much faster than the labor cost increase. Because of this, it costs them much less to produce things than many other countries. This gives them a competitive advantage. As a result, much of the world views Germany as having the best process technologies in action. Labor Costs. Another reason Germany is favored by many companies considering foreign direct investment is the stable and low labor costs. Germany has the lowest labor rate growth in the last decade in all of Europe, at two percent. This has not been the case for the rest of Europe. Since 2000 wages have risen in most European countries -at a rate significantly above that of the EU-27 average increase of 3.7 percent (Germanys business environment, 2009). Competitive Tax System. The tax system in Germany is one of the most competitive in the world. Corporations only have to pay a 30% tax rate. Trade taxes have also been drastically reduced. Labor Market Highly Skilled and Educated Workforce. The workforce in Germany contains over 40 million people, the largest amount of labor in Europe. However, the sheer volume of Germanys labor force is not the main attraction. Germanys work force is highly skilled and educated. Eighty percent of Germanys workforce has had vocational training or is a college graduate. German government ties the amount of investment into education to Germanys gross domestic product, ensuring that the two stay linked. Germany also has one of the highest rates of workers receiving doctoral degrees. Germany also employs what is known as a dual education system. In this system, workers receive on-the-job training while they are attending school, for a period of two to three years. This system has over 300 occupations that are accepted in this program, and because it is regulated, a certain level of quality is guaranteed. Closer to Market Logistics. With state-of-the-art transportation networks by road, rail, sea, and inland waterways as well as a dense network of both national and international airports, Germany provides easy access to domestic and international markets (Germanys business environment, 2009). As a result, Germany is a major player in the logistics game globally. Their logistics account for 28% of the European logistics market, making them a huge player in Europe. In fact, more goods pass through the country of Germany, than any other country in Europe. Germany has the second busiest port in Europe, located in Hamburg. They also have Europes largest port container terminal in Bremerhaven. If that was not enough to cement Germanys stature as a global logistics force, there are also the companies in Germany themselves. In fact, the worlds largest logistics services provider is a German company Deutsche Post World Net (DPWN). Deutsche Bahn is the worlds second largest transportation and logistics company and Lufthansa Cargo is the global air freight services leader (Germanys business environment, 2009). Excellent Business Environment Good Legal System. Germany has an incredibly stable and transparent legal environment, and has been globally ranked as one of the safest places to conduct business. Germans was also ranked as the safest country in the world concerning the security of intellectual property. Secure Place to Conduct Business. Germany has a growing business landscape and is becoming well known for the safety in which that business is conducted. White-collar crime is lower in Germany than most of its neighbors. Laws are upheld, and private property laws are strong. Easy Start Up. Corporations and enterprises looking to set up shop will find that the process to do so could not be easier. The rules and regulations for starting up an operation in Germany are simple and thus, very efficient and quick. REPORT ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR MARKET ENTRY An organization should not only determine whether the business environment of Germany is conducive to their operations but also whether their product is within the growing industries of Germany. There are many industries blooming in Germany, but two stand far above the rest: management consulting services and medical equipment. Management Consulting Services Germany is the largest consulting market in Europe. Consulting took off in Germany during 2011 and overall revenues were up around 10 percent. This growth trend is supposed to continue through 2012 as well. Demand was especially strong in the automotive (up 19 percent) and consumer goods (up 14.3 percent) industries. The two largest consulting fields are strategic and organizational/process consulting (Germanys business environment, 2009). Projects that have to deal with growth and innovation, or business development, have great growth potential. Medical Equipment Germany also has the largest European market for medical devices, and is third in the world. Demand will mainly be driven by demographics and a substantial increase in the number of patients and by the need for more efficient procedures. The German medical market expects a sales growth of approximately 6% this year, with continued upwards trends predicted for next year as well (Germanys business environment, 2009). This industry sector has the most potential for corporations that can bring innovative products to the table at competitive prices. The medical technology sector continues to be strong on innovation and growth and will provide excellent potential for U.S. suppliers of innovative and price-competitive products. MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY ASSIGNMENT When considering how to undertake a successful market entry into Germany, there are two things to consider: high quality and modern styling. Germans are responsive to the innovation and high technology evident in U.S. products, such as computers, computer software, electronic components, health care and medical devices, synthetic materials, and automotive technology (Germanys business environment, 2009). Price is not that high of a priority for German buyers, the emphasis remains on quality. Germany also has a very high rate of Internet access, and as more and more Germans gain access, products and services relating to that will grow as well. In speaking about the German market, the United States State Department (2012) had this to say: The German market is decentralized and diverse, with interests and tastes differing dramatically from one German state to another. Successful market strategies take into account regional differences as part of a strong national market presence. Experienced representation is a major asset to any market strategy, given that the primary competitors for most American products are domestic firms with established presences. U.S. firms can overcome such stiff competition by offering high-quality products, services at competitive prices, and locally based after-sales support. For investors, Germanys relatively high marginal tax rates and complicated tax laws may constitute an obstacle, although deductions, allowances and write-offs help to move effective tax rates to internationally competitive levels. Direct Marketing Germans do quite a bit of shopping from catalogs and they are starting to do more shopping online. Three-fourths of German companies use direct marketing in some fashion. Email marketing is by far the most common form of direct marketing and a company looking to gain market entry would be wise to consider the virtues of this method. Selling Strategies The key to selling in Germany is realizing that there has to be some form of long-term commitment. There is a feeling in Germany that U.S. corporations give preferential treatment to their domestic sales, at the expense of their global market. There is also the concern of corporations from the United States being in it for the long-haul and sticking around for after-sales support. Addressing these concerns will alleviate worry and establish credibility. The German customer also expects superior customer service. They expect to be able to call and talk with someone from the organization for help and would require this immediately. American exporters should avoid appointing distributors with impossibly large

Rhyme And Rythm in Blakes A Divine Image Essay -- Blake Divine Image

Rhyme And Rythm in Blake's A Divine Image In "A Divine Image", Blake uses several techniques and literary devices, to transmit his thoughts about social injustice, cruelty and human nature, Rhyme and rhythm are two of the main features in this poem this poem is the rhythm affect the whole mood, tone and meaning of the poem. The poet has chosen different methods to give the poem specific sounds that affect the pace and structure of the rhythm. The structure of the first stanza helps us understand the relationships between the four aspects of human nature presented, cruelty, jealousy, terror and secrecy. The first and third lines start with the main word, while in the second and fourth ones the words come preceded by the word "And". This makes the reader connect cruelty with terror and jealousy with secrecy automatically. We can notice that the stress of the lines in this first stanza falls onto the main word, giving an emphasizing effect. Unlike many other Blake poems, such as "The Tyger" or "The Lamb" we cannot find rhyming couplets in this stanza, but the rhyming and stressing effect is enough for the reader to tie the ideas together. This effect is strengthened by the repetition of the word "human" in every line and the repetition of the "y" ending sounds in lines one, two and four. The structure of the second stanza differs from the structure of the first one. We notice that each of the lines provide an "answer" in a "symmetrical" way to each one in the first s...

Why Are Museums Important? Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Cambridge Dictionary Online defined museums as â€Å"places of study, buildings where objects of historical, scientific or artistic interest are kept, preserved and exhibited†. To The Museums Association, a museum is â€Å"an institution which collects documents, preserves, exhibits and interprets material evidence and associated information for the public benefit†. Since 1998, this definition has changed. Museums now enable the public to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society. Mike Wallace (1996) categorised museums into four distinct types, namely National Museums that hold collection of national importance, Armed Service Museums, Independence Museums and Local Authority Museums. According to Wallace, the importance of museums lies in their role as a nation’s memory bank. Personally, what matters most about m useums is that they are the only source of â€Å"living history† and perhaps an insight to the future world that lies before us. History should be displayed for study not only because it is essential to individuals and to society, but also because it harbours beauty. Museums provide an ideal learning environment, whether it is formal or informal learning, active hands-on participation or passive observation (Hein, G. E, 1998). In The British Museum, each of the museums curatorial departments offers student research facilities, for instance Ancient Near East, Egyptian Antiquities, Japanese Antiquities, Medieval and Modern Europe and Prehistory and Early Europe. The Education Department even set aside â€Å"Study days† to allow more intensive exploration of the cultural background to an exhibition or area of the collections and they usually include slide lectures and gallery talks. In addition, The Education Department provides a range of services for teachers to help enhance students' experience of the Museum and about the cultures represented in the Museum's collections. The 2000/2001 brochure, listing events and resources for teachers and students, is promised to be available soon. Majority of the other museums also provide such education al services to the public. The National Museum of the Performing Arts has an Education Department that runs an annual programme of activities designed to support teachers in the deliv... ...ritish Columbia Museums Association: <a href="http://www.museumsassn.bc.ca/">http://www.museumsassn.bc.ca/ The British Museum: <a href="http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/">http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/ The Horniman Museum and Gardens: <a href="http://www.horniman.demon.co.uk/">http://www.horniman.demon.co.uk/ The London Dungeon: <a href="http://www.thedungeons.com/en/dungeon.asp?gotof=top&lang=en">http://www.thedungeons.com/en/dungeon.asp?gotof=top&lang=en The Museum of Culinary History and Alimentation: <a href="http://www.mocha.co.uk/">http://www.mocha.co.uk/ The National History Museum: <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/">http://www.nhm.ac.uk/ The National Museum of the Performing Arts: <a href="http://theatremuseum.vam.ac.uk/">http://theatremuseum.vam.ac.uk/ The National Science Museum: <a href="http://www.nmsi.ac.uk/">http://www.nmsi.ac.uk/ The Science Museum: <a href="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/">http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ Wilson, D.M. (1989). The British Museum: Purpose and Politics. London: British Museum Press.

Introduction :: Economics

Introduction The aim of this coursework is to use economic theory and explain how supermarkets in my area compete for custom. To provide a fair competition, the four dominant super markets, Sainsbury, Asda, Tesco and Morrisons are chosen. I shall investigate how the ‘big four’ compete for profit against each other in Leicestershire. Research Plan: To prevent complications the class is divided into 4 groups according to their local supermarkets and accessibility. Each student is provided a price check list with a complete list of common items and compares each different supermarket’s product listing. This is the basic plan but comprehensive analysis and research techniques shall be started later on as we familiarize with economic skill and business brain of these clever large firms. Competition Theory: The medium in which a monetary exchange on a basis of business values takes place is known as The Marketing System or The Marketing Industry. Now The Market is such a place where buyers and sellers meet (outdoor/indoor) to exchange goods and services for a monetary value. The Buyer is actually the customer, consumer or the general public. In the U.K. Market is more defined as a place of competition, where survival of the fittest is the only necessary skill. A market can be an opportunity for success or a road to downfall. There are two kinds’ major kinds of businesses in a market that are Product Orientated Businesses and Market Orientated Business. A Market Orientated Business is where the focused product is produced first and then a market place is searched for it. Whereas, A Product Orientated Business is where the market environment and its demands are recognized first and then the product manufactured accordingly. This process of discovering the needs and investigating opportunities in a market is called Market Research. A market orientated business is more likely to have a Marketing Budget as it has performed market research and knows the pros and cons of the marketable product and therefore can predict a financial plan for a specified period of time and value , say a ‘5 years plan of 1million pounds’. The market is risky and tricky place for both buyers and sellers. The sellers want to drain the maximum money out of the public pocket. The seller’s goal is to sell a. Product for the maximum price and the buyer’s is to buy a product for the minimum cost. In order to make their goals not coincide, the sellers try to provide satisfaction for the products they sell. It’s all about the customer needs. For example; if a manufacturer (Asda) decides to enter the toy market, the firm will do a market research and try to predict the choice of

Student Survival Guide

First, print the Course Syllabus and Calendar to review before class begins. On your computer, create a folder for each class under My Documents. Create sub-folders by weeks, or one sub-folder for materials and one for assignments you completed for the class. Under the Classroom tab, find Materials for each week of class. Each week, download all files on your computer under the folders created. Backup your files in a portable device to avoid losing work you’ve already completed. In the Library tab, you can access the University Library as well as the Center for Writing Excellence. The University Library conducts your search from multiple databases and you may narrow down a search by database or more search options. Information for article search to keep in mind is the use of key words, publication date, title of the article, which database it was found in, the author and whether the article has been peer-reviewed. In the Library, you can also View the Research Tutorials, Read the Library Handbook or Ask a Librarian for more information. The Center for Writing Excellence provides essential tools. WritePoint is a system to which you may submit a paper to be reviewed for grammar that spell-check on a computer may miss. Plagiarism Checker is a system in which you can submit a paper to be reviewed for plagiarism. Tutorials and Guides offer a variety of tools. Aside from tutorials, you can view samples, information, and handbooks. Whether you need to learn on a topic or simply brush up on your knowledge. Upholding Academic Honesty Review the Student Code of Academic Integrity from CWE in the University Library. Using someone else’s work in your own, whether intentionally or not without giving the original author proper credit, is plagiarism. This is considered to be academic dishonesty and can result in expulsion from the University, failing grade for the assignment or class, or suspension from the University. Self-plagiarism, fabrication, unauthorized assistance, copyright infringement, misrepresentation and collusion are also forms of academic dishonesty and can also result in corrective action. Always list your references and submit your papers to Plagiarism Checker before submitting the assignment. Setting and Achieving Goals It is important for every student to set long and short-term educational goals, as well as career goals. List what those goals are for you using the SMART technique. Each goal must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. By setting specific steps to achieve your goals, you can make it easier to tackle obstacles as they may come. It is important to map out your goal in a way that you can see is attainable and realistic, so that you can measure your accomplishments every step of the way to reach your goal in the time you placed. When obstacles arise, re-evaluate your goal and adjust it where necessary. An Axia degree may be your goal, or a step-stone to your goal. Think of two long-term and short-term goals that will help you in your path to earning your degree. Then, think of one long-term goal in which your Axia college degree will benefit you. Managing Time Wisely Taking a look at your Course Syllabus ahead of time will help you map out how much time you will need to set aside for your courses during the week and when you can fit it into your schedule. Ensuring that you have time to complete assignments, submit them for review and submit them by the deadline. While taking two courses at Axia, weeks alternate between assignments and discussion questions. Each class is opposite to the other. Meaning that: while you have assignments due for one class; the other class is focusing on participation and vice versa. This makes your time between courses manageable. To juggle school, work and family responsibilities successfully, refer back to long-term and short-term goals. Prioritize your goals wisely. Utilize a planner to allocate your time realistically and efficiently. Make a time log of a typical day in your life. Identify activities that do not make good use of your time and think what you could have placed that time towards regarding your goals and priorities. This will avoid time-wasters and drive you towards your goals. Fostering Reading Comprehension and Retention Read in a distraction-free environment. Identify your reading purpose (pleasure, understanding, critically evaluation and/or practical application). Know your reading words per minute. Apply the SQ3R strategy to your reading routine will help to ensure you learn what you read. Surveying is your overview of what you are about to read. Look through the table of contents, titles and sub-titles of an article, read the preface of a book, and identify highlighted content such as words in italics or bold. At the end of the reading, look for a summary, bibliography and index. This will give you an idea of the reading’s content. Questioning is to ask yourself what you expect from the reading and what you wish to learn from it. Break it down into questions by chapter or section and look for your answers as you read. As you read, remember the titles and highlights from surveying. Look out for the key points and answers to your questions. Identify the main idea in each paragraph by highlighting, circling or taking notes. After each section, recite the answers to your questions and other key points you found by reading them over to yourself or out loud or re-writing them. This will help to review that all your questions were answered and help you retain the information. Review shortly after reading as well as every so often in the days to follow. Try summarizing the information by recalling the key points. Refer back to your notes or marked pages. Talking to someone about what you have learned or asking someone to quiz you is also an effective way to review. Applying Personality and Learning Styles It is important to continuously identify your learning style, strengths and weaknesses throughout your education as these may change circumstantially. This will help you make the most of your strengths and rise above your weaknesses. The Personality Spectrum based on Myer-Briggs Type Inventory by Katharine and Isabel Briggs names four personality types; Thinker, Organizer, Giver and Adventurer. Each personality type exhibits different characteristics such as the ability to solve problems, neatness, honesty and flexibility. Based on your personality type, certain study techniques will be more useful than others in your distance learning success. According to the Multiple Intelligences Theory by Professor Howard Gardner there are eight intelligences people have. Some are more developed than others in each individual. These are; verbal-linguistic, musical-rhythmic, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic. Depending on which intelligence you have developed more than others, you possess certain skills and abilities. Based on those, you can identify which study techniques work best for you. Once you recognize your less-developed intelligences, you can partake in activities to develop in that area. For example, if your naturalistic intelligence is under-developed, you could find out-door activities you might enjoy or learn more about nature. Understanding personality types and intelligences will help you to relate to people who have different degrees of development in intelligences and different personality types than yours. While working in groups, it may help to delegate who would do best in each area of the assignment. It may also help to understand others on a personal level realizing that we all have different thought processes and characteristics.

African American Literatury Essay

African-American literature can be defined as writings by people of African descent living in the United States of America. The African-American literary tradition began with the oral culture long before any of the materials in it were written on. Throughout their American history, African-Americans have used the oral culture as a natural part of black expressive culture. They are very powerful voices that give fuller meanings to words on a page. The America South is an important landscape in African-American literature. The South was a primary port of entry for slaving vessels. Most black slaves remained in the Southern states. The South was an important place for the African-American literature because the South was served as the site of hope and change for the black slaves but there were also horrors. The majority of African captives entered the New World from the Southern ports and remained in the Southern states. They relied heavily on the African cultural heritage and belief systems familiar to them. During their 300 years of slavery and servitude, black slaves and their descendants developed a complex relationship with the South. Amiri Baraka concluded that the South is a part of the scene of the crime, a land that is about the site of hope and the scene of the crime. For many African Americans, the South serves as the site of hope and change. The South has given birth to many African-American cultural practices, such as literature. This is the spiritual and ancestral home for African Americans and plays a dominant role in African-American literature. Before the American Civil War, African-American literature primarily focused on the issue of slavery, as indicated by the subgenre of slave narratives The most noted authors were all incited and inspired by the goings on in the south. Frederick Douglass was one of the most important African-American authors from the literary landscape in the South. He chronicled his life from bondage to freedom in his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself (1845), which helped the American public to know the truth about the institution of slavery and dismiss the myth that slaves were happy and treated well. He said, the South was not only a notorious site of slavery, it was also a landscape of racial terror and widespread violence. The biggest crime the South ever committed is the institution and perpetuation of slavery. But the Southern landscape is more than just the â€Å"scene of the crime† in African-American literature. It has multiple personalities that demand multiple treatments. Many 20th-century African-American writers, whether born and raised in the South or not, have used the southern landscape in their works to explore the complex relationships African-American communities have with the South. In her poem â€Å"Southern Song,† Margaret Walker (1915 – 1998) sings a praise song to the southern suns and southern land despite the â€Å"mobs† and â€Å"a nightmare full of oil and flame. † Southern Song I want my body bathed again by southern suns, my soul reclaimed again from southern land. I want to rest again in southern fields, in grass and hay and clover bloom; to lay my hand again upon the clay baked by a southern sun, to touch the rain-soaked earth and smell the smell of soil. I want my rest unbroken in the fields of southern earth; freedom to watch the corn wave silver in the sun and mark the splashing of a brook, a pond with ducks and frogs and count the clouds. I want no mobs to wrench me from my southern rest; no forms to take me in the night and burn my shack and make for me a nightmare full of oil and flame. I want my careless song to strike no minor key; no fiend to stand between my body’s soutnern song–the fusion of the South, my body’s song and me. Margaret Walker’s poem characterizes the complex literary representations of the South in a great deal of African-American literature, for the speaker at once basks in the beauty of her homeland (â€Å"I want my body bathed again by southern suns†). Yet at the same time experiences a homecoming complicated by the threat of Southern violence (â€Å"I want no mobs to wrench me from my southern rest†). The theme of the southern home and its layered history is a prevalent one throughout the tradition of African-American literature. In conclusion, 90 percent of African-Americans lived in the South, it is no wonder that this landscape has taken on a great deal of cultural and historical significance. Literature from the South is complex and often absurd, as the region emerges repeatedly as a site of home.