Project Scope Creep Report

Question: Discuss about the Project Scope Creep Report. Answer: Introduction Every Information technology project is executed with a specific set of deliverables, and has an expected closure time for the completion of the project. Before this closure period of the project, there are some predetermined set of activities that needs to be completed to finish the project successfully. These tasks or activities constitute the scope of any project. Therefore, failure in completing those tasks results in scope creep. Assessment on current project status For the given project of computer security department, it is intended to upgrade the computer systems at all its 87 sites under its jurisdiction. For this up gradation process, the CSD (computer security department) hired Good Programs. Till now the project is not completed and need extra budget of $185,000 to complete the project. Both the CEO and the project manager responsible for the initiation of the project are moved out from the organization. In addition to this there is no documentation or report about the project which can inform the new CEO about the progress in the report . Till now, there are some outstanding software issues and features are yet to be added to the client management system. As there is no proper documentation about the expenditure on different aspects of the project, therefore it causes overhead for the new Finance manager and CEO at the Computer security department. Therefore now, the department is asking for help from a consultant so that it can complete the project with minimum amount of time and expenditure. Structure of the report (Based on Scope creep) This report is structured on the basis of the scope creep of a project. After the project is initiated, the responsible project management team from Good Programs, failed to deliver the deliverables of the project on time such as adding extra features to the client management system. Even though, the company is unable to deliver, it promised to the CSD to add extended features to its systems. The company promised so in order to be in the essence of the Research and development site. Comparison with sound project management practices There are some standard practices in handling any kind of project. These are, project organization, WBS, managing project change, measuring performance. The project organization includes the stakeholder analysis for the project and development of core team to which the project team will report the status of the project. In this case both of tasks are not done at the starting of the project. The Work breakdown structure helps in the allocation of resources and assignment of tasks to the individuals so that; the resource usage can be tracked. This standard practice is also not implemented in the project of CSD. Recommended steps to bring the project to a close As there is no project manager for the project of CSD the organization must appoint a professional project manager to efficiently manage the project. For finance manager or any other manager from different departments does not have any prior knowledge and experience of handling a project, thus the whole project gets messed up and due to inefficiency of the project manager the expected results are also remains un-achieved. A professional project manager can crash or fast track the activities in a project whenever there is any financial or deadline related issue. Surveying the scenario to determine what have been completed and which parts are going to be implemented as the part of the project must be clearly specified to the project team. Depending on this a optimum budget and time schedule must be allocated for the completion of the project. Recommended improvement to the future projects In future whenever the department considers a project to implement it must take care of some factors that will help in ensuring the success of the undertaken project [3]. At first the department must develop a change control board since after the completion of every project there is always a change in the way operations are done previously. The department must evaluate the involved risks in developing and implementing the changes. The team will be responsible for categorizing different risks in categories of low, medium, high. The organization have to specify the must have requirements expected at the end of the project. This can be made clear by using a check list for them. These kind of check list helps in the tracking the progress of the project after each phase of the project is completed. It also helps in checking the deliverables from the project team. As the employees in the department plays a key role in the whole scenario, therefore the CSD should involve and engage them in the project from the beginning so that the requirements can be specified from the end users perspective. Again the appointed project team should take care of the operational requirements of the CSD so that they can make them understand that, the change requested by the department considerably different from the approved requirements in the requirement specification phase of the project. In addition to that, the team should explain to the department about the way changes to scope can impact on the budget, schedule and allocated resources of the project. Skill sets to be used to appoint a project manager Team management skill: A project manager must be an individual who can tie up the project team together in order to achieve the predetermined target. The team together changes from a group of strange persons to a solitary cohesive unit; and working together to achieve a common goal or objective. Other than driving a project team from a strategic viewpoint, project managers likewise need to handle the team from an operational perspective. A good project manager is responsible for administration of project, assigning activities or tasks, settling objectives, and assessing execution of the project. Ability to manage the change: Change management is a complex task to perform. It's for the most part about surveying and recording every change request from the clients end, and ensuring that it is endorsed or rejected by somebody who has the authority to do so[5]. The team have to do a full examination of the effect of the change on the project and the affirm/dismiss choices ought to be direct as the change have the capacity to see whether the change will cost the team cash or time. Conclusion As seen in the project of CSD, there is no documented and clearly defined requirement from the clients site. These leads to the scope creep for the project and hence the Good Program was unable to address the specific requirements of CSD. In addition to this, the CEO of the department must keep track of the progress of the project periodically so that the tasks can be crashed or fast tracked in order to complete the project. Since a project schedule is firmly fixing to the conveyance course of events and the degree, a little variance in the extension can influence conveyance and thusly influence the accomplishment of the project. References M. Keutel and D. Basten, "Managing Preliminary Requirements Information in Information Technology Projects",International Journal of Information Technology Project Management, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 63-76, 2014. B. Chaudhry, "Alignment of Project Management with Business Strategy",International Journal of Information Technology Project Management, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 48-64, 2015. O. Avila and K. Garcs, "Change Management Support to Preserve BusinessInformation Technology Alignment",Journal of Computer Information Systems, pp. 1-11, 2016. R. Kozlowski and M. Matejun, "Characteristic features of project management in small and medium-sized enterprises",E+M Ekonomie a Management, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 33-48, 2016. H. Karadag, "Financial Management Challenges In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Strategic Management Approach",EMAJ: Emerging Markets Journal, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 26, 2015. L. Siqueira, S. Crispim and M. Gaspar, "The use of conceptual business model in managing information technology projects",Sistemas Gesto, vol. 10, no. 4, p. 575, 2016.

General Psychology an Example of the Topic Psychology Essays by

General Psychology The experiment conducted on Albert if done in the present day can be in different ways or can be not as harsh as compared to what had been done to the child. The test on the emotions of the child particularly the determination of fear by observing his reaction from making a sharp noise could be traumatic for a child and could have complex effects on him in the future. The determination of fear from Alberts reaction to the stimuli cannot be used to generalize the reactions of babies for some babies have a unique psychological make-up. This, therefore, limits the experiment and is not really designed to provide empirical generalizations to a larger population. Need essay sample on "General Psychology" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed College Students Very Often Tell EssayLab professionals: How much do I have to pay someone to make my essay now? Professional writers suggest: Follow Essaylab Writing Service The thing learned about these subjects cannot be used to describe parameters for any population. The small size of experimental and control groups also limits generalizing from the experimental results. (Methods for Social Researchers in Developing Countries, Chapter 9) The size of the experimental group is so limited and could have done to a larger group in order to arrive in a general conclusion. If the experiment will be conducted in the present day, there are high-tech equipments that can be used. Electronic devices can now be attached to the person to determine his psychological reaction to stimuli and may not be so harsh for the subject to have complex effects in the future. In the case of Albert, psychologists were not able to remove or detach the conditioned emotional responses from Albert since he was taken from the hospital hence, this will be affecting him the rest of his life. This could be done better in the present time with all the state-of-the art and complicated equi pments. However, psychologists should be cognizant that subjecting human beings to an experiment nowadays is a violation of a persons rights to self-determination. In subjecting human beings to an experiment Psychologists respect the dignity and worth of all people, and the rights to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination. (Ethical Principles, 2003) Alberts reaction of fear in experimental stimuli had deprived him of his natural development of feeling this fear in a certain period of his life. And this is a conspicuous violation of his rights and dignity. Furthermore, in subjecting more babies to this similar experimentation is hardly possible and would be a violation of the ethical principles. Another ethical principle to be considered in this case is that Psychologists strive to benefit those with whom they work and take care to do no harm. In their professional actions, psychologists seek to safeguard the welfare and rights of those with whom they interact professionally and other affected persons (Ethical Principles, 2003) In case of Albert, psychologists were not able to condition him back to his normal state because he was taken out from the hospital. This for sure will affect his behavior for the rest of his life. This is again a violation of the ethical Principle on Beneficence and Nonmaleficence. If similar experiment would be conducted in the present time, this can be avoided by getting a proper agreement and consent from the parents stating the period of the consummation of the experiment. In this way, psychologist will be able to have ample time to correct any harm done to the subject of the experiment. In Harlows Nature of love, he attempted to study the behavior of the monkeys particularly their development and love with their mother. This was an attempt to understand how the human beings particularly the children would behave in the same situation. However, there may be a problem in utilizing monkeys in the depiction of human feelings for the question arises if animals like monkeys actually depict human feelings. In the article A Critique on Maternal Deprivation Experiments on Primates it states that One of the difficulties in modeling human behavior through monkey behavior is that the latter varies significantly among different species, as can be seen in "depression-like," social status, aggressive, and child-care behaviors. It is therefore difficult to find subjects to an experimental research that can actually present human tendencies and behavior. In the same article it continued by asserting that given the considerable difficulty in determining which species and which experi mental manipulation most clearly resemble human depression, it is hardly surprising that researchers have had difficulty in choosing a model on a scientific basis and have rather relied on non-scientific factors such as availability, expedience, convenience, and personal experience. (State University of New York Science Health Center) In the present day, a continued search for animals which can really depict human behavior must be conducted but the use of these animals must conform to the standards set by the American Psychological Association or APA. The use of monkeys in continuing the experiment in relation to this must be justified but only if the research should be undertaken with a clear scientific purpose. There should be a reasonable expectation that the research will increase knowledge of the process underlying the evolution, development, maintenance, alteration, control, or biological significance of behavior.(Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the Care and Use of Animals) Harlows objective in studying monkeys was to understand the behavior of the children based on the outcome of the study that would provide additional knowledge particularly in development and behavior. And in order to continue the justification of the research the psychologist should keep an eye on the research and the condition of the animals in the duration of an investigation. In the present day, the use of animals in any endeavor is guided by law on animal rights making sure that they are not subjected to cruelty and harm. Harlow in his experiment deprived monkeys of maternal love which could be emotionally harmful if viewed in animal rights perspective. If monkeys do not totally depict human behavior, then the use of monkeys in an experiment should be minimized if not totally stopped. The study of the human behavior should rely on human personal experiences with the use of confiscated technologies and not harming them at the same time. However, if similar experiment is to be cond ucted in the present day, the use of high-tech observation tools and gadgets will surely minimize emotional harm and trauma to the subjects of an experiment. Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment on humans to determine their obedience to authority. He posted an ad to a newspaper and when these people agreed to be Milgrams subjects they also had to follow what he had to say. In his experiment it was noted that Milgram used only men as subjects. This may not be a representative sample of the population as Gary Sturt in his article said that the sample was self-selecting. We must question whether or not Milgram had a representative sample, by using this study. Milgram chose to study only men, but from a variety of backgrounds and different ages. You might say that by using men this produced a sample that was biased, or did not reflect the general population. Men are thought to be more aggressive than women, so it would make sense to begin a series of experiments with them. (Sturt) However, in later time he conducted another study with women and got the same result. There was also a question on the fact that the men were paid to be the subj ects of the experiment and gives an idea that they are only obeying because they were paid for the experiment and the feeling that they cannot withdraw from the experiment because they did not have a choice could affect the outcome of the study. If a study is to be conducted today, the subjects must be informed properly of the experiment and their rights in undergoing it. An experiment must not violate some ethical guidelines such deceiving the subject, by not telling them about the real objective of the investigation. In this regards, an article on A Level of Psychology states in its analysis of Milgrams experiment that, we would have to balance any criticisms with a consideration as to the necessity of deception. The main problem is one of demand characteristics, whereby if a subject knows the true purpose of an experiment, he might behave differently.(Sturt). In this article, the author also presented the ethical considerations on Milgrams work such as deception, protection of participants, consent, withdrawal from the investigation, and observation. And if another experiment is to be conducted today these ethical issues must be appropriately addressed so as to make the investigation flawless and can be indeed considered as the basis for further studies. The issue on deception can be addressed by informing the subjects on the real purpose of the investigation and their consent must be freely given to the point that they can withdraw anytime from the experiment if they want to. However, the same experiment can be done and reso lved in the present day by utilizing the prisoners in penitentiary, correctional, and others including men and women as subjects of the experiment by using observation method. In this way, psychologist can obtain real life observations and knowledge relative to obedience to authority. Subjecting the prisoners in the study can be a good representative sample of the population considering the fact that they all acted in their own free will in disobeying authority. BIBLIOGRAPHY ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND CODE OF CONDUCT Effective date June 1, 2003.Copyright 2002 American Psychological Association. Harlow, Harry F., Monkey Love Experiments. The Adoption History Project. Harlow, Harry F. The Nature of Love (1958)[1].University of Wisconsin Christopher D. Green York University, Toronto, Ontario.ISSN 1492-3173 http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Harlow/love.htm> Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in the Care and Use of Animals. APA Board of Scientific Affairs Committee on Animal Research and Ethics Medical Research Modernization Committee. A Critique of Maternal Deprivation Experiment on Primateshttp://www.mrmcmed.org/mom2.html>

Sample Thesis Compare and Contrast Literal Essay

Sample Thesis Compare and Contrast Literal EssayA sample thesis compare and contrast literary essay is a standard introductory essay that most college freshmen take. Because most college students are excited about writing their first college-level work, they are eager to begin work on a thesis based upon their sample, which could be either a written essay or a written narrative of facts. Students can also use this sample in grade-school classrooms. However, there are a few things to keep in mind before tackling this homework assignment.This sample is intended to serve as a guideline for writing and thinking about important topics. The student should not necessarily think of the sample as an actual essay but rather a model of a topic to work on in grade-school classrooms.In some cases, the student may be unaware of the content and tone of the thesis, so it is up to the student's academic advisor to help. They should also discuss the topic with the student's parents. The student's pare nt will likely have their own ideas about what the student should be writing about, as well as their own views of the school's guidelines for developing a thesis. Therefore, the student and his or her academic advisor should be informed on the subject matter before they begin work on the sample.The sample also serves as a basis for reading and discussing the essay. One of the most important goals of a sample essay is to get students interested in reading the book that they have chosen. One way to do this is to make sure that the reader is made aware of a wide variety of issues and ideas within the book and their relation to one another.The sample thesis compare and contrast literary essay should be used with caution. It is crucial that the sample be followed to the letter, that the format be followed exactly, and that students are given time to work on the piece at their own pace. It is also imperative that the student is given time to think about each idea in detail.Although many s tudents find the sample easy to follow, other students are likely to find it difficult to understand the section headed 'Viewing Points' because of the long sentence in the introduction. For these students, the introduction may need to be cut down to just a couple sentences. If it is cut too short, the student may find it hard to understand the parts of the introduction. Cut too much at once and the sentence may be considered incomplete and confusing.Using a sample thesis compare and contrast literary essay is often the best way to get a good feel for the subject matter. However, it is a judgment call as to whether the sample is really the best material to use in the beginning of a grade-school education. There are other topics to consider, so use the sample as a guide, not a solid guide. After all, if the sample is a beginner's guide, it is better to have a beginner's guide that is easier than to have one that is difficult.

buy custom International Business Environment essay

buy custom International Business Environment essay International business is described as the collectively commercial transactions, carried out in more than one country. Usually, government companies involve in business transaction across the boundaries for political reasons and the private companies for profit reasons. International business involves all the activities, carried out by public and private sectors across the borders. The economic transaction resources include capital, people as well as skills, necessary for production of goods and services. Many companies, involving in international companies, are referred as the multinational corporations. These are the companies that carry out business worldwide and they have their companies, located in more than one region. The international business operation depends on the objectives of the company. The global pattern of foreign direct investment from 2000-2011 have changed because the business operations have been affected by physical, societal and the competitive environmental f actors. The average annual FDI inflows on FDI in Africa doubled and increased significantly from 2000 to 2003. The global FDI flows in African regions increased for about 6 per cent. Among the developing nations, Africas FDI inflows from 2000 to 2003 increased, but it later reduced in 2004 to less than 9 % from 20% (UNCTAD 2008, p.109). From 2000 to 2003, FDI inflows accounted for one fifth per cent of the capital flow to African. In the developing nations, African continent has been lagging behind. However, the FDI is one of the most international dynamic resource flows for developing nations. The FDI is fundamental because of its intangible and tangible assets. This is because the firms deploying them are significant players of FDI flows in the global economy. The considerable evidence is that FDI affects growth and development, thus, complementing investments in the domestic market. Like many other developing countries, Africa requires substantial external resources inflows in order to el iminate the current economic crisis, which contributes to its increased poverty level. The international investment crisis started in 2004 but the year 2008 marked the end of this crisis because of the growth cycle. According to Cantwell, Dunning and Lundan (2010, p. 468), the FDI reached a remarkable record of $ 1.8 trillion during the year 2007. This was because of the ongoing global economic and financial crisis. This crisis affected many multinational companies, especially the International World Banks. Therefore, the FDI flows declined more than twenty the year 2008, making many multinational corporations to experience losses. The table 1 below indicates the FDI inflows by group of economies from 200 to 2008. The FDI flow decrease was experienced in 2009 due to transactional corporation crisis consequences and this affected the investment expenditures. This unfolded in the year 2010, when the private and public companies operating business worldwide started to experience a bigger loss in business transactions (Bergstrand and Egger 2007, p. 290). (Billions of dollars) Regions 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2009 Developed economies Developing economies Transition economies 1400 200 200 1200 200 200 800 300 200 600 400 150 1000 400 150 1200 300 400 1400 300 500 1600 500 600 1800 600 800 Source: UNCTAD, based on EDI database (www. Unctad.org/fdi statistics) Additionally, the global decreases in FDI in 2008 to 2009 were initiated by two major factors, which affected the domestic and international investment. First, the firms were unable to invest due to reduction in financial resources accessibility both internally and externally. This led to corporate profit reductions because of the lower availability as well as higher financial cost of borrowing fund for carrying out transactions effectively. The financial and economic crisis made the International Monetary Funds to regulate financial accessibility in an attempt to curb this crisis (Antoncic, Cardon and Hirsch 2004, p.181). Secondly, the economic prospects affected negatively the propensity to invest, especially in the developed nations. This is because many of the developed nations were hit by severe economic depression. In earlier 2009, many companies were forced to restrict their costs investment programs because of the two factors. This was done in order to enable the companies to be more flexible to any further decline in the business environment. The two factors impacted the FDI types such as the market, efficiency and resource seekers, though with varied magnitudes and locations. The FDI impacted particularly the cross border mergers as well as the acquisitions. The impact was severe, especially in 2008, where there was sharp decline, compared to other years behind. This led to a kind of divestments and restructuring, rising wave in the business environment. Although the international Greenfield investments were less impacted in 2009, most of the projects were cancelled and some of them were postponed. Moreover, the FDI impacts were different because they depended on the regions and each sector. The developed countries were much more affected than the developing countries due to a decline in the 2008 FDI inflows. This was because of the sluggish market visions. Although, the flows into the developing nations in 2008 continued to increase, it was, however, much lower than the years before. In 2009, the FDI inflows declined in multinational sectors. This was because of the pull-back in efficiency as well as in FDI resource seeking, which aimed to export their p roducts to advanced economies (Hajkova, Nicoletti, Vartia, and Yoo 2006, p. 110). The FDI market seeking intended at servicing domestic markers with development prospects but they receded. Among the industries, the most significant FDI flows that have been affected up to the year 2011 were the financial service, intermediate and consumptions goods as well as the automotive industries. Other industries that have been affected by slowdown in the global economy include the aircraft, steel industries and the transport sector. However, the crisis is still expanding to other activities, arraying from the primary to non-financial sectors. The short term current economic recession on worldwide FDI prospects have created the negative impacts on the economy. The present crisis, which is a result of the exceptional magnitude, could lead to structural changes in the global economy. This is because some factors, favorable for FDI growth, are still working and some of them are associated with the crisis itself. Some driving forces will sooner or later trigger the new FDI flows. These include investment opportunities due to cheap prices of assets, large financial amounts. Industrial restructure and availability of financial resources in merging nations will trigger the FDI flows. Additionally, high expansion rate of new activities such as internalization of industries and environmental allied industries will too trigger the FDI flows (Buckley and Ghauri 2004, p. 87). In 2008, the FDI inflows declined to more than 20 per cent in ajor economies, thus, contributing to economic slowdown, rigid credit conditions and economic profit reductions in multinational corporations. Many companies decided to lay off their workers, curtailed production and reduced their capital expenditures. However, all of these had implications on the FDI inflows. According to Sethi, Guisinger, Phelan and Berg (2003, p. 320), the UNCTAD and world FDI flows preliminarily estimated that by 2008, the FDI would decline by 21 per cent. This is because of the sharp step-back of other things that were anticipated during the quarter of the year. The table 2 below indicates the FDI growth prospects of 2009 t0 2011 compared with that of 2008. The recent IMF forecast on world economic outlook anticipated that the economic output in 2009 expanded by 2.2 per cent from November 2008 as compared to October projection of the same year, whereby the output was 1.5 per cent (Vygodina 2006, p. 22 0). The United Nations are more pessimistic on the global economic prospects. This is because they predicted that the FDI inflows would increase with a skimpy one per cent growth in the global economy. Table 2: Global FDI prospects (per cent of responses) FDI growth prospects (compared with 2008) Increase Remain the same Decrease 2009 2010 2011 22 33 50 20 26 31 58 41 19 The present FDI economic crisis is different from that of the previous. For instance, when comparing the economic crisis of 2000 to 2004, it is different from that of 2007 to the present, which originated from the developing nations. This led to a negative impact on the FDI inflows as indicated in table 3 below. In contrast, the present economic crisis originated from the developed nations, thus, spreading to developing nations (Publishing, 2005). The crisis that hit the developed nations varies in severity degree among the nations. Thus, the crisis has varied consequences on the FDI inflows in geographical locations. The preliminary data revealed that the protracted and the deepening crisis of 2008 affected many financial institutions. Nevertheless, the liquidity crisis in the monetary banks and debt markets affected the FDI flows (UNCTAD 2008, p. 112). This led to a decline in the inward flow, especially in countries such as Finland, Italy and Germany, compared to FDI inflows in 20 06, which was somehow higher than in 2008. The FDI decline in the United States and United Kingdom led to severe crisis that contributed to limited financial investments. Table 3: World FDI inflow prospects Regions 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 IMF: World Advanced economies Emerging economies World Bank Developing countries United Nations Developed economies Transition economies Developing economies 5 2.6 8.0 3.7 7.9 3.8 2.5 8.3 7.2 3.7 1.4 6.6 2.5 6.3 2.5 1.2 6.9 5.9 2.2 -0.3 5.1 0.9 4.5 1.0(baseline) -0.5(baseline) 4.8(baseline) 4.6 (baseline) - - 3.0 0.3 6.1 - - - - - - 2.0 0.2 5.5 - - - - Source: IMF, World Bank and United Nations However, there are signs of change but this depends on the sequence of uncertain factors. These factors can lead to change of FDI flows including the economic and financial speed up to a recovery state, effective public policies. These policies will address the causes of the current crisis, thus, looking for solutions to overcome them. Moreover, many companies made plans to scale back the high perceived risk levels and uncertainties in order to reduce economic crisis. Companies in advanced economies are restraining in launching new projects, which aim at increasing the capacity for market oriented production. Other companies are committed to increase production capacity in developing nations. However, this will weaken the external demand in developed nations, thus, contributing to a decrease in commodities and prices for energy. Heckscher-Ohlin Model Moreover, due to decreased commodities, many companies have tried to employ models that are labor saving and capital using products that provides high income. Many products manufactured undergo product life-cycle because of its comparative advantage. The economic theory of product life-cycle was developed by Raymond Vernon due to failure of Heckscher-Ohlin model. The later model failed to explain the observed international trade pattern. According to Buckley and Ghauri (2004, p. 89), Heckscher-Ohlin model suggests that in product life cycle, products evolve from the place, in which they were invented. For instance, personal computers are some of the products in the United States that undergo product life cycle. These products are produced and consumed within the production area, thus, no export trade occurs. This model is seen as a comparative advantage because product production changes from innovation in developed nations to developing countries. The OLI-Framework Another model being employed is electric paradigm, which is an economic theory, which is also well-known as the OLI-framework. This model was invented by John Dunning and became an internalized model, which was commonly used in the international trade. The OLI model is based on the transaction cost theory. According to Sedoglavich, Hill and Field (2008, p. 56), the transaction cost requires that the transactions should be made within the organizations in case the internal costs are lower than the free market. John Dunning added that three factors such as ownership, location and internalization advantages are significant in this theory, thus, the theory was shortened as the OLI paradigm (Sedoglavich, Hill and Field (2008, p. 89). However, Locational advantage is considered as the fundamental factor for multinational corporations, carrying out their transactions across the globe. The area, whereby an industry is located for transacting activities, is taken into consideration for market seekers. Industries that need to use their own competitive advantage prefer areas that favor presence of foreign location. Thus, firms may choose to expand or exploit their ownership advantage though engaging in FDI business. Therefore, the Locational advantage is considered essential in the FDI because industries located or constructed abroad can benefit from the capital intensiveness. In addition, under the location advantage, companies are required to use foreign factors in connection with their native firm location advantage to enable them perform business successfully. Thus, the location advantage is the key for determining the location for a successful multinational corporation. The location advantage can be separated into three areas. One of them is the economic advantage, which calls for quantity and quality factors of production. The economic advantage takes into consideration the markket size, transport costs and the scope, thus, advantageous in FDI. Another factor it considers is political advantage. This is whereby the firms, carrying out business in the international market, take into consideration the favorable climate for carrying out transactions efficiently. The companies, carrying out business internationally, consider the favorable government policies that will influence the inward FDI investment flows. Lastly, the social-cultural advantages, whic h include the language, cultural diversities and attitude towards foreigners, are taken into considerations, when choosing industrial location for transacting activities. Porters Diamond Model The last model, which is comparative advantage, is the Porters Diamond model, which is a framework pattern, used in industrialized nations. The model was developed by Michael Porter and it focuses on the competitive sources from the national context. The model is used in analyzing the ability of the industries if they can function in the international market. Moreover, it analyses the ability of the national market to compete favorably in the international market. The model recognizes the demand and factor conditions, it also recognizes strategies, used in the firm, its structure and rivalry that a company should use in analyzing the viability of the countrys competitiveness in the international market. The model determines if the demand as well as the factors of production is required in a business environment. Some of the pillars of his model takes into considerations the strategies and tries to highlight the competitive advantage areas and weaknesses. Thus, it tries to access the suitability for particular condition necessary for successive foreign business performance (Brooks and Weatherston 2010, p. 89). Factors Affecting the FDI There are ranges of factors that can affect the FDI. One of the factors is cost and this affects the profits, especially when the production cost is high. It is quite clear that the FDI brings out costs as well as benefits. However, this must be evaluated well, especially when making decisions on the best policy approach to be used in transacting activities. For instance, in case the production cost of manufacturing commodities in an industry is high, an industry may encounter losses, when carrying out business activities across the borders. This is especially the transportation costs and other costs, required in machinery maintenance or high cost of hiring expatriate to operate technical machine in the companies. Most companies in Africa experience high cost of production because of increased cost for machinery maintenance and hiring external expatriates for operating technical machineries. Another factor, affecting the FDI inflows, is the political risks. Poor political climate and unfavorable government policies affect the FDI inflows negatively. For instance, many developing nations are lagging behind in terms of economic activities. This is because of the unfavorable political conditions that scare the potential investors away. Many International Monetary Funds that provide financial aid to countries, carrying out business across the globe, are situated in developed nation. The few are in developing nations because of the poor political environment, especially the political instabilities, thus, affecting the FDI flows. This is because the foreign direct investors appreciate protectionism and providing adequate security to their investments. Moreover, the ever political crisis, associated with clashes for political powers, has affected the FDI inflows (Davies and Kristjaansdoottir 2010, p. 51). This is because the ever increasing clashes within the developing nations , especially Africa, have hindered the potential investors from locating many multinational corporations within the nation. Cultural factors may affect the FDI inflows. The cultural factors may hinder better performance of foreign industries. An industry, participating in foreign market, should ensure that they understand the cultural beliefs of people in the foreign market. This is essential because it helps a company to carry out transactions effectively. However, lack of cultural understanding may hinder the performance of business, thus, contributing to poor output. Moreover, it is vital to understand the language of a particular culture, in which the business is located (McDonald, Tsagdis and Huang, 2006, 526). This is because language barrier is one of the greatest hindrances in better performance of the business across the globe. Competitive factors are the major problem of better performance in the foreign market. Due to technological expansion, especially in communication and transportation sector, many companies are now competing favorably. Therefore, poor technological development may impact the FDI inflow. This is because innovative commodities of high quality will thrive in the market. Thus, the domestic market is working hard to produce innovative products, thus, creating competition with foreign market. This forces the foreign industries to reduce cost in order to earn more customers. Thus, the competition scares away the potential investor or makes them to withdraw from the market. This is because of the fear of making lower profits, thus, a hindrance to FDI inflows (Bora 2001, p. 220) Lastly, governmental regulations affect the FDI policies. The government policies in developing countries as well as heavy taxes, imposed on foreign activities, transacted within the developing nations, put away the potential investors. Moreover, the government does not provide adequate incentives to the foreign investors, thus, hindering them in transacting business within the developing regions. Sanderson and Kentor (2008, p. 521) points out favorable government policies that attract more investors to a country, hence, contributing to increased FDI inflows. However, if these policies are not conducive, the investors would be forced to look for a better location, which is conducive. Moreover, imposing heavy duties on the foreign commodities and lack of incentive provision to the potential investors affects FDI negatively. The federal government in the United States recently announced that some policies will be changed in order to enable the multinational firms to compete favorably in the foreign market. The social policies for host governments and their ability to attract foreign investment would be applied in the new institutional economies. The new set of data would be used to explore the direct as well as the indirect non-governmental organizations roles in the business sector. Non-governmental organizations are non profit oriented and non voluntary organized groups that work within the local, national and the international levels. The US government declared to work with the non-governmental organizations in serving the interests of the societies. They focus on the advocacy, operational efforts on social, economic and political goals. This is done in order to ensure that the environment is protected, thus, making it conducive for attracting the potential foreign investors. Conclusion In conclusion, the global pattern of foreign direct investment from 2000-2011 have changed. This is because the business operations have been affected by physical, societal and the competitive environmental factors, thus, making the environment unfavorable for potential investors. This is because of the increased economic crisis that hit the developed nations and then spread to the developing nations, especially that of 2007. The FDI impacted particularly the cross border mergers as well as the acquisitions. There are ranges of factors that can affect the FDI such as cost factors, political risks, cultural and competitive factors. However, many international companies employed competitive models such as the Porters Diamond model, Heckscher-Ohlin model and OLI model. Lastly, the federal government of US changed some policies in order to enable foreign markets to compete favorably in the international market. Buy custom International Business Environment essay

Law of contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Law of contract - Essay Example A contract ensures that each party sticks to his responsibilities, and delivers them as, and per the agreed terms, for the success of that business. In case of a breach of contract, one will have to be compensated through the various remedies that will be stated. This paper will cover various aspects of the law of contract. It will start by offering an appropriate advice to Anila, who owns a fleet of freight aircraft, and Yogesh, an aircraft customer, before proceeding to discuss the issue of frustration in contract law. Issue 1: Case Description, in line with Contract Law Anila is a business person, who owns a small freight of aircraft. Anila enters into a contract with Yogesh, but fails to deliver, which results into a breach of contract. Anila was supposed to provide Yogesh with aircrafts for 3 years. However, for the first few months, the aircrafts get grounded by several mechanical problems. The contract is breached, and Yogesh responds by terminating it. Yogesh gets into a cont ract with another company, which provides them with the services that they wanted. The market expands rapidly, and their customers increase over time. However, towards the end of the year, some aircrafts also get grounded, and Yogesh has no alternative but to go back to Anila. Anila gives Yogesh an offer of $ 40000, but Yogesh declines to the offer. Advice According in Line with the Law of Contract In advising Anila and Yogesh, I would first of all ensure that they understand what they had entered into. I would help them to understand they had entered into a contract, and that a contract has some elements that must be upheld for it to remain valid. In a contract, each party must ensure that they stick to their responsibilities as stated in the contract. Each of them should be concerned about the needs of the other party, since it is a mutual thing. They should ensure that all the elements of their contract are upheld, since a breach of contract may lead to a problem on both sides. I would start by defining to them a contract before taking them into the elements of a contract, so that next time they enter into such an agreement, they will be fully aware of whatever they are doing, and will avoid a repeat of such problems again. Contract Definition in relation to the Case of Anila and Yogesh A contract is a formal type of agreement that involves two or more people, who have an interest or relationship to the subject at hand3. Contracts cover many matters, in various fields, like sale of goods, lease of goods, real property, or employment terms4. The agreement between Anila and Yogesh was a lease agreement, since Anila was leasing freight aircrafts to Yogesh. All valid contracts have terms and conditions which make them valid5. These are the elements of a valid contract. They are as follows: Mutual Consent This is where the parties to a contract come up with an agreement of what the contract involves, and both of them agree to one thing6. For example, in a contra ct of sale, if the buyer thinks that he will sell a house, while the buyer expects to get a donkey, then the contract is unenforceable. Anila knew that she would lease her aircrafts to Yogesh, and Yogesh expected good aircrafts to be delivered that was a mutual consent between them. In that case, all of them

Business case studies Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business studies - Case Study Example Specific performance may therefore be granted in the event that the court can identify the elements and that no vitiating factor exists in a case. Further, in case of existence of a vitiating factor, the party with an advantage over the factors must have not rescinded the contract of must not have such intentions. An agreement between the two parties, consideration, contractual capacity, and legality of the subject matter must be met and the process of creating the contract must be free from duress, undue influence, misrepresentation, and fraud (Goldman and Sigismond 129). In addition to establishing existence of a contract for determination of breach, the required performance must meet rules of specific performance. A party qualifies for a specific performance remedy if other equitable remedies are not sufficient to cover the damage of breach of contract. Examples are in cases of specific property of in contract of service that include execution of talent. Artwork such as paintings is an example of performances that warrant specific performance. A court is also likely to award specific performance if it is able super to supervise performance. Ability to identify the performance and nature of supervision determines this. In the case of Co-operative v Argyll Stores (Holdings) Ltd (1997), for example, the courts acknowledged need for specific performance but declined to award it because the performance would require constant supervision from the courts. Another significant factor in specific performance is that it is awarded at the court’s discretion (Kelly, Hayward, Hammer and Hendy 310). The case of General against Honi identifies existence of a contract that agreement between the two parties, contractual capacity, implied consideration, and legality of the subject matter support. The scope of the contract identifies specific commodity

HIV Pandemic Essay Example for Free

HIV Pandemic Essay We are entering the third decade of what may be the most devastating epidemic in human history: HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS Pandemic is a large-scale epidemic affecting more than one country. AIDS was first clinically diagnosed in the early 1980s but retrospective diagnosis suggests it existed well before this date. AIDS is a syndrome, which develops from an impaired ability to fight diseases. It undermines the body’s defenses against viruses, infections and malignancies. Here, we describe the origins and evolution of these viruses, and the circumstances that led to the AIDS pandemic. Pandemic Assignment Since scientists identified the HIV as the cause of AIDS in 1983, it has spread insistently, causing one of the most harmful pandemics ever recorded in human history. However, concerted global efforts to fight the pandemic are making a significant difference. More than nine million people living with HIV in low and middle-income countries now have access to life-saving antiretroviral treatments. Overview Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) invades the body through the exchange of certain body fluids. The virus invades cells such as T helper cells and begins to replicate itself in the human body. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) of humans is caused by two lentiviruses, â€Å"HIV-1 and HIV-2; HIV-1 accounts for the majority of infections in the world, and has at least 10 genetic subtypes† (Lamptey, Wigley, Carr, Collymore, 2002). Both HIVs are the result of multiple cross-species transmissions of simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) naturally infecting African primates. However, as according to Sharp Hahn (2011), one transmission event, involving SIVcpz from chimpanzees in southeastern Cameroon, gave rise to HIV-1 group M—the principal cause of the AIDS pandemic† and noted that by â€Å"tracing the genetic changes that occurred as SIVs crossed from monkeys to apes and from apes to humans†. AIDS Pandemic and the Efforts to Stop HIV/AIDS According to Merson â€Å"on June 5, 1981, few suspected a pandemic of AIDS when the Centers for Disease Control reported five cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in young homosexual men in Los Angeles† (2006). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) reported that all the men had other unusual infections as well, indicating that their immune systems were not working; two had already died by the time the report was published. In a timeline created by AIDS. com, â€Å"this edition of the MMWR marks the first official reporting of what will become known as the AIDS epidemic† (2014). Although â€Å"after pandemic HIV-1 first emerged in colonial west central Africa, it spread for some 50 to 70 years before it was recognized† (Sharp Hahn, 2011) because phylogenetic and statistical analyses have dated the last common ancestor of HIV-1 to around 1910 to 1930. For a while the American government completely ignored the emerging AIDS pandemic. The first attempt to treat HIV was in â€Å"September 1986, when early results from clinical trials involving AZT (zidovudine) – a drug that was first investigated as a cancer treatment – showed that it might slow the attack of HIV† (AVERT, 2013). Although AZT could slow progression to AIDS in HIV positive individuals with no symptoms, a year’s supply for each person would cost around seven-thousand dollars and many did not have adequate health insurance to cover the cost. In 1995, â€Å"FDA announced that the drug 3TC (lamivudine) had been approved for use in combination with AZT in treating AIDS and HIV† (AVERT, 2013) after a number of studies had shown that HIV could quickly become resistant to AZT and that the drug had no benefit for those in the early stages of the disease. On April 5th 1990 Ryan White, schoolboy who had become infected with HIV via a blood transfusion for his haemophilia, died. He was known for his fight to return to public school after he was banned due to fears of spreading of AIDS to other children. â€Å"Following Ryan’s death, the American government implemented a new programme named after him – the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act† (AVERT, 2013). Its aim was to improve the quality and availability of care for low-income, uninsured and underinsured individuals and families affected by HIV. In 2000, the government funded programs such as needle exchange services and abstinence-only education and in 2001 the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) set a goal to halve the number of people infected with HIV each year in the USA to 20,000 by the end of 2005 but by 2003 it was already clear that the CDC’s goal would be missed, the number of new infections had shown no sign of declining. In 2006, President Bush signed the reauthorisation of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, â€Å"since its creation in 1990 the program had provided federal funding for thousands of Americans living with HIV/AIDS unable to pay for their treatment themselves† (AVERT, 2013). In 2007, raltegravir – was approved by the FDA which according to AVERT â€Å"Raltegravir was the first of a new class called integrase inhibitors† and â€Å"the significant progress in treatment proved to be particularly important to thousands of HIV positive Americans whose treatment had been failing due to drug resistance (2013). It was believed to provide extended years of meaningful survival to patients. In July 2010, â€Å"the USAs first HIV/AIDS Strategy was released† (The White House Office of National AIDS Policy, 2010) and reducing new HIV infections was included as one of the Strategys three core aims. According to AVERT (2013), â€Å"in order to reduce new infections without an increase in funding, the Strategy recommended that HIV prevention efforts be intensified in the communities where HIV is the most heavily concentrated†. MedlinePlus concluded that â€Å"there is no cure or vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS, but early detection through HIV testing and treatment can frequently turn this fatal disease into a manageable chronic disease† (2009). The HIV-1 pandemic is a complex mix of diverse epidemics within and between countries and regions of the world. â€Å"AIDS remains the fourth leading cause of death in low-income countries† (International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, 2014). While there will never be a solution to HIV and AIDS, a preventive vaccine would do a great deal to curb the pandemic. But unfortunately, the problem with developing a vaccine is that the HIV genome mutates very quickly. Stowell (2006) explains that all organisms vary a little throughout the centuries. The HIV genome mutates around 1000 times more quickly than the human genome around 1000 times more mutations accumulate in a single year, relative to the length of the genome. Antiretroviral treatment has transformed AIDS from an inevitably fatal condition to a chronic, manageable disease in some settings.  Johannesburg (2010) cited The Lancet medical journal, which published a study that predicts that by 2031 – about 50 years into the HIV epidemic – annual new HIV infections will be roughly halved to about 1. 2 million.