SIMS Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SIMS Review - Essay Example As these discounts are likely to be provided on several years terms, it is impossible to eliminate the cash shortage problem by changing these discount immediately. This measure would affect the quality of the patient care in the hospital and make it lose even more money. The company must try to cut down the variable costs of the company which are usually subject to economies of scale. Up to certain point the marginal cost of providing extra unit of care is less than the average cost and thus the company should try to achieve the optimal level of servicing clients and try to cut down the variable costs. The second problem was estimated as giving nurses too high wages as the need for acute nurses was not met. If the increased wages were due to the fact that there was need for such services, this choice cannot also be eliminated and the staff should not be downsized. On the other hand, the best strategy would be to downsize the agency staff costs which are not directly associated to providing care services and thus must be at the optimal level. The agency staff hiring that the optimal number needed for successful hospital operation was estimated wrong and must be revalued as agency or contract staff is usually paid twice as much as regular workers for the same amount of utility they bring to the hospital. The third problem was low medical reimbursement levels which amounted to 70% charged to clients. As the hospital derives approximately 40% of its' revenues from Medicare patients this is a big loss for the company and this reveals that the staff hired to work in this direction is not performing efficiently thus resulting in working capital shortage. As the Medicare payments cannot be changed directly by the hospital and are set based on historical costs, the company can eliminate this problem only by providing efficient system of monitoring in time receiving these payments. The company has also experienced dramatic growth in current liabilities which mean that the company was spending a lot even though no major purchases for the company were made. This means that the hospital is not allocating resources efficiently. The next problem was estimated as unused equipment in patients' rooms which means some strategic mistakes which lead to purchasing this equipment but now it is not used. Together with reducing agency staff expenses the second strategy was chosen to reduce the staff benefits which include health insurance, retirement, salary increases above the market salaries, different bonuses and paid leave benefits. This can be a bad strategy in the long term as the best doctors can leave the hospital but the optimal choice would be to reduce these benefits for the newcomers to the hospital and reward those who add the highest value to the hospital services quality. This will on the other hand give incentives to newcomers to work harder to achieve higher rewards. This will generate sufficient cash flows for the hospital in the short term and will not affect the customer services quality hypothetically and slightly. These two measures of cost reduction will save the company $4,717,000 while the hospital has savings goal of $900,000 and is expected to receive over $2,300,000 in three months that is why it has to generate some cash until

Mission of United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mission of United States - Essay Example One of the first terms to observe, would be that of what's known as dollar diplomacy. The act of seeking to ensure the standing of a nation, through the utilization of monetary interests at home, as well as abroad. In recent years, many have sought to make the argument that, in the case of the United States, many jobs have been sold overseas as a means of ensuring stability between the American government and the rest of the international community. Such a practice would essentially be seen as the formation and continued maintenance of foreign policy, or diplomatic relations, through the strength of the monetary system of business. In terms of US President William Howard Taft, his policy would be described by author Emily S. Rosenberg. According to her, "Taft's approach, which he called "dollar diplomacy," was based on the theory that the growth of private economic ties internationally would increase both the strategic position and the economic prosperity of the United States," (Rose nberg, p. 58). In more direct terms, the philosophy of this particular type of diplomatic practice would have been formed based upon the assessment that, in order to achieve both economic, as well as national security means, it would be imperative for the United States to orchestrate their diplomacy in such a manner. Of the many leaders that would come to take command over the American public, one such individual would have been President Woodrow Wilson. There would remain those who, after viewing the historical record during the period of Wilson's era, would have felt that America would have taken less than a reactive response in regard to events transpiring in the world. According to author Walter A. McDougall, he would sum up the issue of Wilsonianism in the following manner, "Whether or not Wilsonianism was the message the world needed to hear after World War I, Woodrow Wilson was surely the wrong messenger-not because he was too religious, but because his religion was too personal, sanctimonious, gnostic," (McDougall, p. 145). The lasting effect of a chief executive's stance on the issues that come before them can be the underlying ingredients to the overall formation of their legacy. In Wilson's case, "Many historians would say that he was vindicated, since Wilson's Liberal Internationalis t tenets informed the foreign policies of every administration after him," (McDougall, p. 145). In the end, the 14 point plan created by Woodrow Wilson, would serve to shape the mission of the American society, in terms of how it viewed its role in political affairs both nationally, as well as overseas. For both Germany, as well as Japan, the events leading up to World War II and afterward, would be a decisive period for the United States, as it would come to approaching these two nations. As far as their engagement with Japan, "The anomaly of attempting to make Japan "law abiding" in the Western mode by pursuing occupation policies unprecedented in international law was rationalized by the argument that World War II had been a catastrophe

Increase Of Concentration Of Ethyl Acetate

Increase Of Concentration Of Ethyl Acetate Firstly the aim of the experiment is to determine the yield, conversion and reaction rate by employing the principles of material balance with chemical reaction for batch reactions. The purpose of the experiment is to find out the factors affecting the rate of reaction to increases the conversion rate the yield of product produced. The hypothesis of the experiment is that the increase of concentration of Ethyl Acetate would also increase the rate of reaction. From two different concentrations of Ethyl Acetate (0.01M and 0.02M) have shown that the 0.02M of Ethyl Acetate shows a increase in the rate of reaction and conversion rate of Sodium Hydroxide to Sodium Acetate. Secondly the theory part shows the definitions of terms like saponification, batchwise reactions and factors that affect the rate of reaction. The most important definition is the saponification which is the hydrolysis of an ester under basic conditions to form an alcohol and the salt of a carboxylic acid. Thirdly, the procedure section shows how to carry out the 3 major steps which are preparation of the reactant, the experimental setup and the procedures to carry out the experiment. This is followed by the results and calculations which is about the calculation of the conversion percentage and yield of the reactions of different concentrations of Ethyl Acetate carried out in the experiment. After the results and calculations, is the discussion part which discusses the results obtained, states some precautions to be taken while carrying out the experiment and the factors that affect the results. Lastly the conclusion concludes the report by stating if the aim of the experiment had been reached and it also states that the hypothesis that the higher the concentration of the reactant, the faster the rate of reaction and conversion, has been proven. REPORT ON MATERIAL BALANCE WITH CHEMICAL REACTION 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Literature Conversion of sodium hydroxide into sodium acetate is called saponification. It is the process of making soap. It is the reaction between an ester with a metallic base and water. It is also related to the process used to convert natural fats into soap. (Donohue 2009) An alkali is a soluble salt of an alkali metal like sodium. It is used in soap-making whereby it was obtained from the ashes of plants. Now, the term alkali describes a base which neutralizes an acid. (Donohue 2009) Alkalis used in soap making are sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also called caustic soda; and potassium hydroxide (KOH), also called caustic potash. (Donohue 2009) Example: An example of the reaction is: (Therese Lotts Saponification Calculator Standalone spreadsheet for calculating saponification values in handmade soapmaking. ) (http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6751527.html) 1.2 Aim The aim of this experiment is to determine the yield, conversion and reaction rate by employing the principles of material balance with chemical reaction for batch reactions. This will also enable us to find out factors to improve the yield and the rate of conversion and reaction. 1.3 Hypothesis The hypothesis of the experiment is that if the concentration is high, the yield together with the rate of conversion and reaction would also increase. Thus, from a 0.02M concentration of Ethyl Acetate and 0.01M concentration of Ethyl Acetate, the 0.02M concentration would have a higher yield, rate of conversion and reaction. This is because at the start of the experiment the conductivity value was high but as the reaction precedes the conductivity value decreases showing the concentration and number of moles. 2. Theory 2.1 Saponification Saponification is the hydrolysis of an ester under basic conditions to form an alcohol and the salt of a carboxylic acid. Saponification is commonly used to refer to the reaction of a metallic alkali with a fat or oil to form soap. Saponifiable substances are those that can be converted into soap. In the experiment the desired product is sodium acetate. (Donohue 2009) 2.2 Batchwise Reaction A batchwise reaction is a reaction where by reactants are put in and the reaction is started. After the reaction has ended, the products are taken out and the equipment and all are washed to be prepared for the next experiment. Unlike steady state reaction it does not have a continuous input and output. (Singapore Polytechnic 2009) 2.3 Percentage Conversion Xa = moles of A reacted Moles of A fed into the reactor x100% It is defined as a fraction of reactants or feed that successfully reacted to form the desired product. The above formula calculates the amount of reacts converted into products. (Singapore Polytechnic 2009) 2.4 Yield of A Product YP = Moles of desired product formed Moles of reactant fed into the reactor Yield has 3 definitions. Firstly it is amount of desired product formed based on the amount of limiting reactants feed into the reaction. Secondly it is the amount of desired product obtained divided by the amount of reactant consumed. Lastly, it is also defined as the amount of product obtained divided by the theoretically amount of limiting reactant consumed. The above reaction calculates the amount yield based on just the limiting reactant. (Singapore Polytechnic 2009) 2.5 Rate of Reaction The rate of reaction is the amount of time taken for the chemicals to react totally. (Singapore Polytechnic 2009) 2.6 Surface Area To Volume Ratio The surface area to the volume ration affects the rate of reaction. The smaller the particle, the larger its exposed surface area. With a larger exposed surface area more particles can collide with one another causing more reactions to take place within a shorter amount of time. (Purchon 2006) 2.7 Presence of a Catalyst If a catalyst is involved in a reaction, the amount of energy needed to start the reaction (activation energy) decreases. Thus, the molecules in the reactions will gain more energy that is equal to or more than the activation energy. The higher amount of energy a molecules has, the more active it will become and more collisions will occur increasing the rate of reaction. However a catalyst is not involved in this experiment. (Purchon 2006) 2.8 Pressure Pressure is another factor that affects the rate of reaction. Pressure mainly affects gases. Gases can be compressed. Thus, as pressure increases, gaseous molecules are closely packed together which allows them to collide more frequently with one another. This is almost the same as changing the concentration as the number of molecules is increased within a specific area. However the reaction is a liquid-liquid reaction so pressure does not affect the reaction in this experiment. (Purchon 2006) 2.9 Concentration Concentration affects the rate of reaction. The higher the concentration, the number of particles within a specific area increases. Thus, molecules are closely packed together and this increases the number of collisions between molecules so the rate of reaction increases. Concentration is similar to pressure where by the number of molecules in a specific area increases. (Purchon 2006) 2.10 Temperature Temperature also affects the rate of reaction. If the temperature is higher, the energy levels of the molecules increases and they would tend to more faster. Thus, this results in more effective collisions in a shorter amount of time. (Purchon 2006) 2.11 Conductivity Unlike Sodium Hydroxide, Ethyl acetate, Ethanol and Sodium acetate have negligible conductivity. Thus the conductivity value of the reaction is measured by the conductivity of Sodium Hydroxide. The conductivity is used to find the concentration of Sodium Hydroxide as the reaction proceeds. (Singapore Polytechnic 2009) Fig.1) Graph of conductivity values of Sodium Hydroxide against the concentration of Sodium Hydroxide.) 3. Procedure 3.1 Preparation of chemicals The MSDS of sodium hydroxide and ethyl acetate was read and the handling and disposal of the chemicals must be familiarized before the start of the experiment. Disposable gloves and chemical goggles were put on when preparing and handling the chemicals.500 ml of 0.01 M sodium hydroxide solution and 500 ml of ethyl acetate solution to the required concentration as discussed in Questions 1 and 2 of Pre-experiment Assessment was prepared. (CP4047 Lab Manual) 3.1.1 Preparing 500 ml of 0.01 M sodium hydroxide solution: The required volume of 0.1 M NaOH stock solution was measured using a measuring cylinder and pour into the 500 ml volumetric flask. The solution in the volumetric flask was topped up with de-ionized water to the 500 ml-mark. A Stopper was placed on the flask, and it was shaken and inverted to mix the solution. (CP4047 Lab Manual) 3.1.2 To prepare 500 ml of ethyl acetate solution: About 250 ml de-ionized water was poured into a 500 ml volumetric flask first. The required volume was measured using the micropipettor. The stock solution was dispensed into the 500 ml volumetric flask.The solution in the volumetric flask was topped up to the 500 ml-mark. A stopper was placed on the flask, and was shaken and inverted to mix the solution. (CP4047 Lab Manual) 3.2 Experimental setup (CP4047 Lab Manual) 3.3 Carrying out the Experiment The prepared sodium hydroxide solution was poured into the reactor. The reaction conditions were adjusted to the predetermined levels (based on experimental methodology discussed with Lecturer). The reaction conditions were recorded, Eg. temperature, stirring speed, concentrations and volumes of reactants. Conductivity meter probe was positioned into the reacting mixture. The ethyl acetate solution was poured in and the timer was started immediately. The conductivity values (mS/cm) at a regular interval of 1 minute for 30 minutes of reaction time was recorded. After 30 minutes of reaction, the stirring device was stopped and the magnetic stir bar was removed from the mixture using the magnetic rod. The conductivity probe was also removed and rinsed thoroughly with de-ionised water. The reaction product mixture was poured into the plastic waste container. The glassware was rinsed and the experiment was repeated based on experimental methodology discussed with the Lecturer. At the end of the experiment, the conductivity probe was removed from the reacting mixture and rinsed thoroughly with de-ionised water. All chemicals were disposed in the plastic waste container and were brought to the waste together with any unused reactants to W314 for proper treatment and disposal. All the used glass-wares was rinsed and tidied up the work space. (CP4047 Lab Manual) 4. Results and Calculations 4.1 Determining the Yield of Sodium Acetate at 15 Minutes The yield of Sodium Acetate at 15minutes is determined with the concentration of Sodium Hydroxide as with the concentration, the number of mole of sodium hydroxide can be found out. Also, with the molar ratio of Sodium Hydroxide and Ethyl Acetate, the number of moles of Ethyl Acetate can be determined. With the use of the yield formula, the yield of Ethyl Acetate can be calculated. 4.2 Yield When 0.01M of Ethyl Acetate Used 5. Discussion 5.1 Factors Affecting Rate of Reaction Firstly the concentrations of Ethyl Acetate used were 0.01M and 0.02M which means that for 0.01M of Ethyl Acetate was obtained by diluting 0.49cm3 of pure Ethyl Acetate and 0.02M was obtained by diluting 0.92cm3 of pure Ethyl Acetate. By comparing the graphs (Fig 3 and 4) above, the reaction (0.02M) was the fastest. This was due to the concentration factor. The higher the concentration, the faster the rate of reaction as the increase in concentration means that there are more molecules in a specific area. Other factor like temperature and pressure were keep at a constant (standard room conditions). There was no catalyst involved the experiment. Thus, these other factors did not affect the rate of reaction. 5.2 Factors Affecting Conversion and Yield The conversion of Sodium Hydroxide and the yield of Sodium Acetate will never be a 100% due to the technical equipment and unforced human errors. It is also due to constrains in the lab like equipment or the duration of the experiment. The longer the reaction, more conversion and yield could have been produced. 5.3 Factors Affecting the Conductivity Values The concentration of Sodium Hydroxide affects the conductivity value of the reaction. If the concentration of Sodium Hydroxide is high, the conductivity value will also be high. Thus, as the reaction proceeds, the conductivity drops as the concentration of the Sodium Hydroxide decreases as it is being reacted away. For the 0.01M reaction, Fig 4.2.2 show that the concentration decreases significantly. However, for the 0.02M reaction, Fig 4.3.2 shows some fluctuations in the drop of the concentration of Sodium Hydroxide. This could be because of the equipment. The equipment, the conductivity probe and the machine has been known to turn off randomly during the reaction. Thus there was some irregularities in the drop of concentration for the 0.02M reaction. 5.4 Precautions to Be Taken During the experiment the Ethyl Acetate should always be handled in the fume hood as it would decompose in the open, thus affecting the concentration of the Ethyl Acetate and to prevent it from spilling anywhere else in the laboratory. Gloves should also be worn to prevent bacteria from contaminating the reaction or chemicals and to also protect our hands from the chemicals. Goggles should also be worn to protect our eyes from chemicals splashing into our eyes. 5.5 Comparison of conversion and yields of different concentration of Ethyl Acetate The yield of the reaction of 0.01M Ethyl Acetate is 0.62 while the yield of the reaction of 0.02M Ethyl Acetate is 0.76. The second reaction of 0.02M has a higher yield due to the higher concentration of Ethyl Acetate. This is because the concentration of the reactants is more due to the increase in concentration of Sodium Hydroxide thus, producing more products whereby the yield of Sodium Acetate increases. However both the experiments did not produce a 100% yield because of human error and constrains of technical equipment. Even if a catalyst was added, the yield will be the same as the catalyst will only increase the rate of reaction and affect the yield. 6. Conclusion In conclusion, the higher the concentration of Ethyl Acetate used, the faster the rate of reaction together with a higher conversion percentage of Sodium Hydroxide. The concentration of Sodium Hydroxide affects the conductivity values of the reaction because the results show that the conductivity decreases as the reaction proceeds because the concentration of Sodium Hydroxide also decreases as the Sodium Hydroxide was being reacted away. Therefore, the hypothesis is proven to be true. The aim of the experiment was met as results state that with a higher concentration of Ethyl Acetate, the rate of reaction together with the rate of conversion increases. The concentration of the Ethyl Acetate reacting with Sodium Hydroxide in a reactor as time passes by was studied. However the experiment could be improved by adding in a catalyst or increasing the temperature to increase the rate of reaction and conversion rate.

Advertising Today :: Free Essay Writer

For Class Meeting Four Advertising Effects Paper For: SOC 105 Introduction to Popular American Culture Advertising Effects Our learning team got together and went through the advertisements in the Sunday paper. We ended up choosing three incredibly different products and advertisements to write on. The first one is advertising Relpax, which is a migraine medicine. The second one is Colgate whitening gel. The third one is Johnson’s Bedtime cream wash and bedtime cream. After closely reviewing our ads, it is evident all three company’s hoped-for effects are to create a need of some sort. Just by taking a quick glance at the Relpax advertisement it is clear everyone is happy on vacation except for the person with a boulder on their body. Many people that have had or do experience migraines know that exact feeling. Possibly this person has tried every migraine medicine on the market, and this particular one is new and may have to potential to control their migraine. Clinical studies prove people got relief with just one dose compared to another medicine on the market. This will create a need to an individual who has migraines which says what do you have to lose, you will not know until you try it. Our advertisement on Colgate Simply White Night Clear Whitening Gel is another advertisement that creates a need of beauty. A hoped-for effect from this advertisement is a consumer will see â€Å"Whiter Teeth Guaranteed. Use Once At Night For 14 Days† and purchase this product. The actual effect from this advertisement is a nice-looking lady with a pretty smile lying down with very little clothes on. The Johnson’s bedtime cream wash and bedtime cream advertisement also creates a need, except for this need is of a relaxed baby sleeping peacefully. The hoped-for effects are to create a need or want to have a calmed baby at bedtime; however, in order to attain that a consumer needs to purchase this product. The actual effect from this advertisement is a really cute baby sleeping that probably just had a nice relaxing bath before bed. One of the subliminal messages that come across in these three ads is the use of color. In all three of them, the colors are soft and inviting. In the migraine ad, the colors are more vibrant than the other ads but the net effect is the same. It also gives a message of truth.

Lincoln Electric Case Essay

Lincoln Electric Company in the year 1895. The first products that the company produced and sold were electric motors that he had designed himself. A Few years later, in 1907 his brother James, a recently graduate from the Ohio State University, joined as a senior manager; He was also the one who would introduce different and very innovative human resource policies over the next few decades. These policies included things like employee stock ownership, the creation of an Employee advisory board, as well as piecework pay. Most of these ideas were later adapted as standard US wide practices. The Welding business, which not really was one of the main focuses of the Lincoln Electric Company, became the main source of income by 1922. Welding which a special technique of -under heat – bringing together different sources of metals. It is used for basically most of the industrial areas, from pipeline manufacturing to petrochemical complexes. From 1986 onwards, the company pursued a course of extensive internationally expansion. This was started already way earlier in 1933 first, with the establishment of the Lincoln Electric Company in Australia and in 1953 with its expansion to France. However, from the mid 1980s onwards, Lincoln Electric expanded its manufacturing operations into 16 countries. This expansion peaked in 1995, when the company reached the $1 billion in sales the first time. It was also the year Lincoln began to trade its shares on the American stock market the NASDAQ. By 2005 it became the worlds leading manufacturer in the welding industry. Nowadays, (Dec. 31 2010) Lincoln Electric has net sales of $ 2,070 million. Why go abroad? As the Lincoln Electric Company’s idea and concept proved to be successful in the US from the 1930s onwards, it also operated outside of the country. Due to its success in its home market, the companies’ management was able to first gain enough market knowledge in order to enter new markets were a certain proficiency is required. Nevertheless, as markets and industries around the world differ in to each other (e. g.consumer tastes) the best idea was for Lincoln Electronic to first enter a market were the so-called â€Å"Psychic Distance† is not so high and less uncertainty. Therefore Australian was chosen, as this is psychological wise not so far from the Home / US American market. This phenomenon can be seen in the Uppsala Model. It includes four different steps, from first acquiring experience in the home market to wholly owned international operations. This will be explained in more detail later. However, as we can see in the Lincoln Electric case, the company first gain sufficient knowledge in their home market and later expanded internationally. But step by step further away (political, language and culture wise) from its home market. Uppsala Model Looking at the process of internationalization of Lincoln Electric, most of the facets of the Uppsala Model can be identified. So, this entry mode theory is most applicable in our opinion. In this section, we will elaborate upon the internationalization of Lincoln Electric while applying the stages of the Uppsala model. During the first stage companies tend to solely gain experience of their domestic markets. In the case of Lincoln Electric, it can be stated that it mainly focused on becoming the leading manufacturer in the United States. Core competencies are most important for the success of an MNE and for all companies those core competencies are their higher-order firm specific advantages (FSA’s). In this first stage of the Uppsala Model we will try to recognize all the FSA’s of Lincoln Electric. The first FSA is the company’s human resource policy, in which many facets can be recognized that provide productivity advances and which results in a variability of 60 percent of the personnel costs. Those facets are performance-based rewards, employee stock ownership, a piecework payment system, and bonuses based on company profits. Another FSA is that the company cuts costs in acquiring personnel, and simultaneously keeps holding a very well experienced and integrated workforce by building trust among the employees with policies like an employee advisory boards, employee suggestion systems, annuities for retired employees, group life insurances, and a no-layoff policy. The third recognized FSA is the company’s R&D program; this program is the most aggressive, comprehensive and successful in the welding industry. This FSA led the company in new market introductions and quality performance. Fourthly, an important FSA for consumer relations is the ability to provide full welding solutions. The company is able to provide this due to the fact that it manufactures both arc welding equipment and consumable products. Summarized, the core competencies which provide the company with competitive advantages are the ability to cut personnel costs, the highly trained technical sales force, and the ability to provide excellent service for customers. The second stage in the Uppsala model states that the firm begins to operate abroad in a nearby market, and then slowly penetrates far away markets. When applying this to Lincoln Electric, it can be seen that the company encountered its first international experience in countries such as Canada, Australia and France in the 1940’s. These countries have a small psychic distance from the United States, therefore, the market uncertainty is perceived as low. Canada, Australia and France are psychically nearby, because issues with regard to trade unions, labour practices and laws are treated similarly in those countries. Furthermore, Canada and Australia are linguistically similar to the United States, and all the previous countries are western countries, so the cultures are not significantly different. Lincoln Electric started its first major international expansion between 1986 and 1992. It then increased its presence into 15 other countries, which were acquisitions in Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, Scotland, Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany. However, this expansion was a real failure, the company faced difficulties due to executives’ inexperience with trade unions and their lack of knowledge of labour practices and laws in other countries. The company’s aim was namely to operate the new acquisition in Lincoln USA’s image, however they learned from this experience and as can be seen in stage four, their renewed global expansion is much more improved. The third stage of the Uppsala model states that companies tend to enter markets through export, instead of using sales or manufacturing subsidiaries of their own. However, this does not suit Lincoln Electric due to the fact that it is too costly to ship welding products because of their weight. It was for Lincoln Electric and other companies in the welding industry essential to set up a local or regional production facility. Therefore, Lincoln Electric had to instantly set up sales or manufacturing subsidiaries of their own without starting with solely exporting. In the fourth stage it is said that a company establishes wholly owned or majority-owned operations only after several years of experience. This can also be recognized as being the case with Lincoln’s internationalization. In 1996 their renewed globalization strategy started. This is characterized by many joint-ventures, acquisitions and start-ups over the world. Between 1996 and 2004, many expansions have been completed. At the end of this expansion period, the company tried to gain majority or wholly ownership in many of their acquisitions and joint-ventures, because they experienced that they could not fully control their operations in the way they wanted it. Attractiveness of India One of the most significant questions in the global strategy field is how multinational firms should navigate their way through multiple and often conflicting host-country institutional environments (Ghoshal and Westney 1992, Morgan et al. 2001). This is no different for Lincoln Electric who faced some problems while expanding overseas. When crossing borders, opportunity is mostly the driving force behind the expansion. Between 1986 and 1991, Lincoln took on unprecedented debt in order to finance foreign acquisitions, mostly in Europe. They initially had a lack of international management skill, and did not take into consideration local environment in each country when expanding globally. This was caused because not all of their firm specific advantages (FSA’s) where as transferable as they had hoped. For instance the incentive system that works very well in the U. S. did not work in European countries with different working environment and ethics. Lincoln had already tried to penetrate the Asian market before landing its eye on the India. Theoretically, a country will be attractive to a foreign investor if, in investing in that country, the investor gets a return that is equal to or higher than their risk-adjusted weighed cost of capital. (Urkude and Seshanna 2008) So how attractive is India for Lincoln Electric. With assessing a countries attractiveness two main categories can be distinguished: Country Risks, Market Opportunities and Industry Opportunities. For Lincoln there is only one country risk which is corruption, for the rest India is a stable, fast growing country with a solid political system. World Map Index of perception of corruption 2009i However there are a number of market opportunities. India’s infrastructure is still underdeveloped, and therefore demand for welding products is increasing with the upcoming construction and infrastructure activity in the next couple of years. Import sales to India were up by double digits in 2006, driven mostly by orders from the pipe mill and pipeline sector, and more recently from the automotive sector. (Lincoln Electric annual report 2008) The growth of the welding industry is similar to the growth of the entire economy of the particular country, and for this reason India makes an attractive opportunity. As seen in the graph below India’s GDP has grown dramatically over the last couple of years, and it is expected the welding industry will grow among these lines as well. India’s market is quickly growing as shown in the graph on the right. Not only the population but also GDP and exports. And the one below shows that the industry sector is coming on as well. For this reason the welding industry will benefit from the economic growth and be in the lift as a lot of these new construction projects require welding consumables. Industry opportunities lie in India as well, as demand for steel declined all over the world, it grew in India by as much as ten percent. (Frost and Sullivan 2010) But India is also a highly competitive market as 56 percent of welding consumables were being produced by large firms that had developed their own technology and 44 percent was being produced by a number of small firms that immediately tried to copy the large firms, as soon as their product became available on the market. So for Lincoln to be successful, they would have to keep innovating their products and make it hard for others to copy their products. Another point of interest is that with the welding market booming, a high price would have to be paid if Lincoln would want to enter the market by acquisition. This making it difficult for new entries in the market, but the two other options which are a joint venture and building an own factory are as much appealing as an acquisition. Lincoln already had some experience with joint ventures in China, but had trouble with the joint decision making that came with it. And with building their own factory they would have to weigh off the benefit off total control towards the starting up costs of the factory. The Indian government had also granted some fiscal and financial incentives by setting up tax-free zones and increasing the foreign direct investment (FDI) percentage in the aviation and real estate sector, which could generate a high demand for welding equipment. Overall it can be said that India is a very attractive market for Lincoln Electronic if they can get into the market either via acquisition, a joint venture or by building their own factory. Advice for Management The advice we would give the managers from Lincoln Electric, to help them to continue enhancing their market share and improve their geographical dominance in the welding industry is to acquire a smaller welding company. An option, which Lincoln Electric should consider is the case of ESAB, as, mentioned in the case â€Å"In 2000, ESAB had agreed to be purchased by Lincoln Electric for 750 million plus the assumption of $300 million in ESAB’s debt. Yet Lincoln Electric decided that same year not to go forward with the acquisition after antitrust and other issues arose in the due diligence process. † Even though these plans fell through, Lincoln Electric should reconsider purchasing ESAB, since it represents 75% of revenues of its parent company Charter, which is European- based company with a large global presence. ESAB India, which is part of ESAB, is also one of the main competitors of Lincoln Electric in India. Therefore, if Lincoln Electric could dissolve the antitrust problems and other problems that arose in the due diligence process, they will be able to acquire ESAB and to double their market share. To enforce the market share dominance of Lincoln Electric globally, an acquisition with a company like ESAB would be economically profitable. Analyzing the graph below, an acquisition with Lincoln Electric and a smaller company would create a welding market dominance. This will result in other competitors being left with a smaller market share due to a much larger dominating competitor. In this case, Lincoln Electric has the opportunity to purchase ESAB or another smaller welding company due to the high profits from the profitable US market. Because of that opportunity we would advice them to purchase and expand by means of increasing their market share by purchasing a competing company.

Persuasive Speech Green Burials Essay

With the effects global warming and other natural disasters becoming more frequent, it is safe to say pollution has created a major crisis on our planet. Theses effect can be seen in the United State with the major cold front that has just pushed in from Canada over this past week. Scientist say weather patterns such as this will become more likely because of global warming. As an ecofriendly individual, I have taken the time to research many ecological ideas. Today I hope to persuade individuals to select green burials as an alternative burial option. A green burial or natural burial is the proper disposal of the deceased with as little carbon impact as possible to the natural environment. Green burials help conserve natural resources, produces little to no carbon emissions, aids in protecting the health of grave diggers, and restores and preserves the natural habitat. For the end-of-life ritual to be considered to be a â€Å"green burial,† there can be no usage of non-biodeg radable or toxic materials. People who select to engage in green burials are laid to rest in materials such as: shrouds or biodegradable caskets and urns. Why would a person select to be buried in such a manner, you ask? A green burial offers many positive affect upon the environment when compared to traditional burial methods. I would like to begin by saying that I do not consider any end-of-life method to be considered â€Å"wrong.† I only wish to advocate an alternative option to decrease to carbon footprint of our last act in the world. The act of embalming a loved on often includes the usage a chemical called formaldehyde. Formaldehyde poses a major threat to funeral directors and their funeral homes. In accordance to the National Cancer Institution, â€Å"funeral directors have a much higher incidence of myeloid leukemia.† Although embalming fluid does preserve the physical characteristic of a loved one, but after months in the grave the embalming fluid drastically decrease the decomposition rate of the body. Again I don’t wish to discredit any other form of burial. Green burials offer many positive aspects t hat aid the earth. Why should someone choose to have a green burial? Earth has  always intend to humans to return to the soil from which they came. In nature, nothing is wasted. Everything is recycled by billion upon trillions of tiny microorganisms that break down all waste matter. Natural burials also aid in the growth of native trees, wildflowers, and shrubs. These wild plants will bring about a whole new eco-system to the burial area that both plants and animals will benefit from. There is no water wasted on these grounds or harmful pesticides and herbicides because the area is left to grow naturally. Imagine the joy of being able to remember a loved one as a new tree that provides life to millions of organisms. Green burials are an ecofriendly way to leave a positive lasting impact upon the earth. In 2007 AARP conducted a study that showed, â€Å"1 in 5 American over the age of 50 have considered having a green burial ceremony.† Green burials is just one of many end-of-life rituals practi ced all around the world. Work Cited Markoe, Lauren. â€Å"Green Burials Reflect Care for Earth, Family Finances.† Christian Century 131.4 (2014): 18-19. Academic Search Premier. Wed. 11 November 2014. Unknown. â€Å"Green Burials,†¦Return Naturally.† Green Burials,†¦Return Naturally. N.p., 17 Sept. 2008. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. Unknown. â€Å"Green Burial Council.† Green Burial Council. N.p., 18 May 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.