Openning Trader Joe's in Canada Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Openning Trader Joe's in Canada - Assignment Example The mode of entry the company is focusing on is acquisition. This report discusses the viability of an international expansion into Canada utilizing the acquisition entry strategy. In order to penetrate a foreign market the managerial staff of a company must perform environmental scanning of the marketplace. Canada is the biggest market that is closest to the United States. The population of Canada is 32.32 million people whose gross domestic product per capita in 2005 was $32,645 (Studentsoftheworld). Canada is part of special trade treaty between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This trade treaty is called the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). NAFTA is a trade agreement that began on January 1, 1994 which removes most barriers to trade and investment among the three countries (Usda). The existence of this trade agreement means that Joe’s Trader would not have any problems gaining market entry through the acquisition mechanism. The people of Canada enjoy eating seafood and dairy products. Due to the French influence in its culture cuisine food items such as pea soup, French pastries, breads, crepes, special cheeses, lamb and veal are some of the food items Canadian citizens utilize in their homes on a daily basis (CultureGrams). The eating habits and preference for gourmet items is aligned well with the product offering of Trader Joe’s. The food market in Canada just as in other parts of the world is very competitive and profit margins are very low. Joe Trader has a product selection of upscale organic products, fresh vegetables and dairies, and many other cuisine food items that gives this firm a product differentiation which will enable to attract customer in market saturated with traditional supermarket stores. The chosen strategy for entry into the Canadian marketplace is acquisition. An acquisition is good strategy for Joe Trader because it would enable fast access for the company into Canada. An

Post Enron - Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Post Enron - - Research Proposal Example This general understanding of corporate governance and ethics is not sector specific as companies are very unique from one another in terms of size and internal working culture. Poor corporate governance and enforcement hurdles are widely viewed as the structural weakness that resulted to the economic downturn experienced in the late 2008 (Sun, Stewart & Pollard, 2011). The banks that suffered credit crunch were well aware of impending problems but could not alert shareholders and the government about the impending tough economic times. Early detection necessitates adoption of proactive measures that help companies go through tough times. Introduction Corporate governance is the set of guidelines, legislations and processes that directs business operations in any given country. These laws define the relationships existing between top company management with its board of directors, stockholders, employees, suppliers and clients. There are other external publics which the company direc tly or indirectly interacts with in the course of its operations. These include the government, regulatory authorities and the neighbouring community. Corporate governance laws also determine the lines of congruence that the company has with the external business environment. These rules vary from place to place depending on the economic models countries adopt. For instance, some protectionist countries have laws limiting disclosure of local company information to limit economic spying. Despite existing legislations aimed at reducing corporate malpractices, there have been widespread allegations of bribery scandals pitting American multinationals with foreign governments. A New York Times article by David Barstow dated April 21st, 2012 gave alarming reports of Wal-Mart’s Mexican retail outlet involvement in corrupt practices with Mexican public officials. It is alleged that the company’s internal sleuths found that the executives had authorised payments, adding to arou nd 25million dollars, to these recipients so that they can obtain construction permits without doing an environmental impact assessment (Barstow, 2012). This is a big corporate governance issue because of the ripple effects it has caused to both the Mexican and American governments. According to Barstow (2012), to add to the graft accusations, the management is accused of concealing this internal audit information from the top management; this is against the public information disclosure laws set under the American financial sector management guidelines. Wal-Mart has the obligation to make open its internal audit reports since it is a publicly trading company; this is the reason it’s share trading prices fell by over 5 percentage points the next day after the allegations were made public. The Mexican government is establishing the country’s first anti graft law which is meant to stem economic crimes. This is according to Ivan Castano, in his article dated April 27th, 2 012, in response to these alarming allegations that has the potential of eroding the good gains made by the Mexican authorities in tackling economic crimes. The government has moved zealously to get to the bottom of the claims and punish the culprits to improve business environment that is just recovering from drug wars (Castano, 2012). Pedro Hernandez, a partner at

Some wonderfull events in my life Essay Example for Free

Some wonderfull events in my life Essay Everybody in the world is pass from different and various events during his/her lives. I also observed and pass through the many events from my childhood up to present now. As I grow up I perceives knowledge form the education, nature, etc. He enjoys events or occasion, makes friends, etc. Friends are very important in ones life because friends are responsible to give shapes of ones life. I got a chance to live in a good life in a big city when my dad transferred to a city. I did my kinder garden in a small village of just 2000 population of people. Mostly villages are not as developed as large cities. I was like a poor village boy at that time, but as my dad got job in city it also proved helpful to me because I got a chance to live like a modern boy. Therefore this event of getting job led me to live in a good life. When I was in Middle school, I had a lot of friends in my school and near by my area too, as I was very successful in making a bad friends rather than good friends. In other words I learned those activities, which parents want to keep away from their kids. I learned to smoke, started drinking alcohol, harassing girls and started all those activities that were illegal at that time of my age. I did not study for my school and was failing in my subjects. However, I got rid of those bad friends as soon as I could, otherwise I do not think that I can be a good educated person in the society with the company of those friends. Actually after entering in to a new community, I made very good contacts with very bad people. Therefore, this event of making friends proved to be unsuccessful or bad for me. My last event is love event, which I encountered when I was in High school that proves to be very important and helpful in my life until now. I liked one girl in my school. She was my girlfriend for two long years. Those two years are considered among the best years of life. She is two years younger than me, but she was an A student and I was a B student. She is intelligent and always helped me in my study matter. She encouraged me to get good grades in exam. She became very happy if I get good grades and we always had a party after each exam in any subjects. Only because of her help I reached up to college otherwise if she did not meet me in High school, IÂ  could not even graduate from my High school. Everybody says that to have a girlfriend during college education is not a good thing, because if we have a girlfriend, we also need to spend time on them that cause an adverse effect on education especially if anybody is in professional school. However, according to me, it is depends on a how a girlfriend is. If she understands the importance of education and life, she helps a boy in achieving success. I am doing BS in Biochemistry and will going to transfer in Spring 2005. I can say that she was behind me to push me up to college, and even in future I need her to get my degree because she is the one who always encouraged me to do well. Therefore, this love event in my life proves to be very successful, and helpful in my life.

CSR Policy At BHP Billiton

CSR Policy At BHP Billiton After thorough deliberation of the research, the analysis indicates that BHP boasts of a good CSR reputation. However the activities that feature in this report are questionable CSR practices and there is a growing gap between BHPs rhetoric and the reality of its operations. The report also evaluates why these controversial activities have not had a significant effect on BHPs corporate image. In particular, outlining BHPs use of its CSR Policy as a Public Relations (PR) tool to manage its reputation. Table of Contents Introduction BHP Billiton was formed in 2001 through the merger of the BHP (a natural resource company) and Billiton (mining company). It now operates in 25 countries, employs approximately 41,000 people and has a market value of over 250 billion (BHP Billiton, Our business n.d.). Milton Friedman describes CSR as a fundamentally subversive doctrine and states that there is one and only one social responsibility of business which is to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so as long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud (Hamilton Fitzgerald 2005). While many leading companies are genuinely moving in this direction, others are simply seeking a relatively short-term improved public perception of their operations. Increasingly CSR has become a major concern in the global mining economy because of the heightened awareness of unethical business behaviour. Most recent examples of this include the devastating oil spill in 2010 by British Petroleum (BP) in the Gulf of Mexico (BP, Gulf of Mexico Restoration n.d.). Price Waterhouse Coopers identify a number of challenges BHP and many other natural resource companies face in todays environment: improving safety and reducing the environmental impact improving performance and operational effectiveness managing risk complying with regulatory reporting requirements and addressing sustainability issues. (Price Waterhouse Coopers, n.d) BHP Billiton BHP responds to community expectations with a combination of policys including a code of conduct, sustainable development policy and many others designed to set the standard of which it conducts its business. At the forefront of this approach stands BHPs CSR Policy. CSR Policy BHP define its CSR Policy as a requirement to address risks, explicitly stating it has zero tolerance for the misconduct of: child labour, forced or compulsory labour, treatment of employees, living wages, workplace health and safety, freedom of association, world heritage sites and protected areas, biofuels, corruption, bribery and extortion, compliance with laws, discrimination, indigenous rights and the environment (BHP Billiton, Corporate social responsibility requirements n.d). Communication and Advertisement BHP uses four communication channels on its website to advertise its CSR Policy: reports, which reference CSR information for stakeholders, announcements, available on its home page which are designed to provide updates on their CSR performance and activities, multimedia, the website also offers effective use of multimedia to enhance their CSR information through relevant images, interviews and other media, feedback, BHP invites stakeholders to provide feedback via their website by submitting online questions (BHP Billiton, Our business n.d.). Uniqueness of CSR Policy The level of CSR differs from each company, however after comparing BHP with Shell and British Petroleum, two of its natural resource competitors; it is clear all three competitors are trying to get value from their CSR reporting by focusing on the environmental and social concerns of their stakeholders. This includes such things as political, economic, environmental, social, legal and cultural factors. Drivers of CSR (Benn Dunphy 2007) argue that corporate social responsibility may in fact be the consequence of profitability rather than the cause. So the question stands, is BHPs CSR Policy driven by true concern for society, or is it another way to increase corporate profit? BHP argue that its decision to report on Corporate Social Responsibility is based on: consideration of the key health, safety, environment, community and socio-economic risks of our business consideration of stakeholder feedback and commentary with regards to issues of materiality a desire to continually improve reporting standards Evidence of Commitment to CSR BHP uses a number of methods to ensure it complies with its CSR Policy. This includes but is not limited to: conducting a progress assessment on its performance in relation to the UN Global Compact principle and the Global Reporting Initiative which are designed to align their operations. holding an annual Forum on Corporate Responsibility (FCR) that brings together representatives of senior management and key non-government organisations and community opinion leaders to discuss and debate social and environmental matters relevant to BHP. Investing in community projects and recording its community contributions spend against the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG), this presents a consistent framework for measuring tangible progress. The reporting methods noted above are publically available on BHPs website, this is proof that BHP acknowledges the challenges in the nature of its operations. Assurance BHP commissioned the URS in 2006 to provide an independent review of its Sustainability Report (URS Australia, n.d). The results indicated that BHPs Sustainability Report fairly represents the health and safety, environment, community and socio-economic impacts of its operations. Rhetoric or Reality BHP Billiton has argued in theory that it abides by its strong corporate responsibility; however there is a growing gap between its rhetoric and the reality of its activities. The following cases are examples of challenges faced by BHPs operations when policy does not equate to practice: Natural Resource Industry BHPs core business is to provide natural resources, an industry which has had increased social pressures to act responsibly. It can be argued that BHPs CSR Policy was produced as a public relations tool to mitigate the negative impacts of its core business activities and also to maximise profits for its stakeholders. The real test here is does BHP act ethically when it has the opportunity to make a profit (Pratt Nikolova 2006). This was demonstrated most recently when BHP advised of its intentions to supply the Chinese energy market with an additional 10,500 tonnes of uranium annually. The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) warn that once the uranium enters China it will disappear from the safeguards radar, this could potentially lead to devastating outcomes such as nuclear proliferation. Clearly BHP has a greater CSR here but unfortunately the $80 million in revenue was more important than its public image or the health of the wider community. Economic Influence BHPs CSR Policy specifically prohibits the influence of government officials to support the company practices. Most recently in 2010 the Australian Federal Government proposed a super profit mining tax estimating to have made $100 billion in revenue between 2012-13 and 2020-21. However the government was subsequently influenced by three major mining companies including BHP, who explicitly opposed the tax proposal, threatening Australias investment capital (The mining company that cried poor 16 February 2011). As a result the Prime Minister slashed 30 per cent of the tax which means the Australian taxpayers will take a forecast revenue hit of $60 billion over a decade while BHP reports over $10 billion profit for the second half of 2010. Corruption, Bribery and Extortion Clarke (2007) argues that the debate concerning the true extent of the accountability and responsibility continues to the present day. BHP states that: All contract related transactions and payments, including those in connection with gifts and hospitality and other expenditures, must be accurately recorded in reasonable detail in the books and records of any supplier who works on behalf of BHP Billiton (BHP Bilton, Corporate social responsibility requirements). However in April 2010 BHP was investigated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission after Cambodias Minister for Water Resources told the countrys National Assembly that BHP Billiton had paid US$2.5 million in unofficial payments, to the government, to secure a mining concession (An Alternative Annual Report 2010). BHP has not revealed what over payment was for but controversially the countries BHP operates in have poor records on corruptions and are desperately in need of foreign investment. Protection of the Environment BHP states that: Protection of the Environment: The supplier must operate in a manner that is protective of the environment and comply with all applicable environmental laws, regulations and standards, environmental permitting and re porting (BHP Bilton, Corporate social responsibility requirements). However in 1996 it was sued by Slater and Gordon for one of worlds most devastating environmental disasters when it discharged over one billion tonnes of tailings and waste material into the source of the Ok Tedi River in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This caused more than 3,000 square kilometres of deforestation, turned the tropical rain forests into savannahs, caused 95% decline in fish population (An Alternative Annual Report 2010). Workplace Health and Safety BHP states that it must ensure: the provision of safe and healthy working facilities and appropriate precautionary measures to protect employees from work-related hazards and anticipated dangers in the workplace (BHP Billiton, Corporate social responsibility requirements). However five of its workers in the Western Australia operations died in fatal injuries due to unsafe working practices from 2008-2010 (An Alternative Annual Report 2010). BHP also states that it must ensure: workers receive regular and recorded health and safety training (BHP Billiton, Corporate social responsibility requirements). However in its South African operations employees were not informed about the health and safety risks of handling a chemical element called manganese which causes illnesses such as Parkinsons Disease (An Alternative Annual Report 2010). Effectiveness of BHPs CSR Policy Despite its bad history BHP has usually maintained a good CSR reputation. In fact the Australian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility went so far as to list BHP in the 2010/11 Top 20 Australian Listed Companies based on its advanced CSR capabilities (State of CSR in Australia Annual Review 2010/11). The real question here is has BHP earned its right to good CSR reputation? History of Public Relations It is a well-known fact that many companies spend a lot of money on Public Relations (PR) to manage their reputation. In the late 1990s BHP employed the Ecos Corp, an environmental PR company founded by former Greenpeace International Executive Director Paul Gilding to help repair its reputation after the OK Tedi Mine disaster in PNG (Ecos 2007). The public relations was aimed at countering the bad publicity through campaigns including advertisements in business publications such as the Financial Review and Australian TV. BHP also offered legal support to the PNG Government for the development of new environmental laws. Unfortunately for BHP, this resulted in an even bigger public outcry, as the company was accused of interfering with its legislation in an effort to protect its own interests (Quester et al 2001). Evaluation The evaluation of BHPs CSR Policy resides in the adequacy of its reporting standards. Clarke (2007) argues that in order for a company to receive creditability they must disclose their processes, procedures and assumptions in reporting. It can be argued that BHP has intentionally chosen not to transparently report on the cases as mentioned in this report, for the simple fact that it leaves it open to more risk and public scrutiny. However this lack of acknowledgement effectively contradicts its stewardship and attests its reliability. Increased public awareness demands that CSR reporting will no longer be used as a public relations tool. This can be seen, as mentioned previously, through the introduction of the Australian Federal Government Mining Tax and other legislation such as the UK Bribery Act, both will inevitably have a significant impact on the way BHP conducts its business. Additionally important are organisations such as BHP Billiton Watch, which was formed to deal with the prominent concerns of communities and organisations across the world regarding BHPs activities (BHP Billiton Watch n.d). Conclusion It is inevitable that organisations such as BHP, in controversial industries such as mining, are never going to be holistically accepted. However, todays forward thinking generation recognise the impacts and challenges of CSR including safety, environmental, community and socio-economic issues. Stakeholders including shareholders demand greater accountability than simply financial returns. Therefore verification and transparency are key to BHPs success and the credibility of its CSR. BHP boasts of a strong reputation and has an opportunity and increased responsibility to enhance and contribute to a safe renewable environment and set an example for other companies alike.

stem cells :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After a typical delivery the umbilical cord and the blood within it is discarded. Now researchers have discovered that this blood contains valuable stem cells which can be used in the treatment of several blood disorders. Stem cells are simply undeveloped cells that develop into platelets or red and white blood cells. Stem cells will continue to produce blood cells for an indefinite period of time after transplantation. Until the discovery of stem cells in umbilical cord blood and placentas, bone marrow stem cells were the primary means available to those in need of a transplant. The harvesting process for bone marrow stem cells involves anesthesia, and major surgery with a collection time of up to four hours. Cord blood stem cells can be harvested directly from the already detached umbilical cord and placenta in about five minutes, with no pain, anesthesia, or patient risk. There are two types of cells used in stem cell transplantation. Haemopoietic stem cells co me from umbilical cord blood. Bone marrow stem cells are known as autologous. Stem cell transplants are necessary after a patient has undergone a radical treatment such as chemotherapy. While these treatments destroy unhealthy cancerous cells, they also destroy otherwise healthy cells that are needed to maintain a strong immune system. Stem cells from cord blood transplants typically fail for one of two reasons. The first occurs if chemotherapy fails to kill the pre-existing tumor, and the second if the newly introduced graft becomes infiltrated with tumor cells. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood do have a few downsides. First, the available collectable volume is not typically enough to reestablish an adult immune system. Most adults and older children are not suitable for cord blood transplantation. Also, there is not enough blood to create a reserve in case of unsuccessful engraftment. Only small amounts of blood can be obtained from umbilical cords, so recipients are tradition ally children who require fewer stem cells than adults. One advantage of cord blood is that it does contain significant numbers of stem cells that can be stored indefinitely. It also poses no medical risks to the donor, and has a low graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) threat even when combined with a non-matched donor. Minority children stand to gain the most benefits from umbilical cord blood (UCB) because there is such a small reserve of donated minority blood and exact matches aren’t always necessary with cord blood.

Vitamin C in Treatment of the Common Cold :: Health Medicine Papers

Vitamin C in Treatment of the Common Cold Is Vitamin C the cure for the common cold? Will it reduce the severity and duration of a cold? Will it prevent you from ever having another cold? Of course, we would all like to think that would be true, but what’s the real effect of Vitamin C supplements? What is Vitamin C and Where Can I Find It? Vitamin C is water soluble and functions as an antioxidant and as a coenzyme. Furthermore, it can perform different functions in various situations, such as aiding in collagen formation for teeth, cartilage, and connective tissue and aiding in the formation of new tissue in wound healing. Vitamin C can be found in foods such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, peppers, and strawberries. Presently the RDA is 60 mg. What are the Dangers? Vitamin C Deficiency Vitamin C deficiency is rather rare in Western countries, however, it still occurs in alcoholics, drug addicts, and the elderly--groups whose dietary intakes are often very poor. Marginal deficiency symptoms are gingivitis, loose teeth, aching limbs and joints, poor wound healing, and weakening of tissues which increases the risk of infection. (Grodner, Anderson, & DeYoung; 1996) Vitamin C Toxicity Despite the fact that Vitamin C is essential to good health, you can have too much of a good thing. Although toxicity from foods high in Vitamin C does not occur, taking supplements in large doses (1 gm to 15 gm) may result in symptoms such as cramps, nausea, diarrhea, kidney stones, and gout. After receiving excessive amounts of Vitamin C, the body begins to destroy much of the excess Vitamin C that is in circulation. Furthermore, there is a potential rebound effect upon abruptly stopping supplementation for the body is still in the process of destroying the vitamin. (Grodner, Anderson, & DeYoung; 1996) Brown (1973) also warned that chronic massive doses of Vitamin C resulted in increased mobilization of calcium and phosphate from the skeletons of chicks, weakening the bone structure. Although unsure if massive doses would produce the same effect in humans, the author warned against chronic massive supplementation. Vitamin C and Colds: How Does it Work? Vitamin C is often used for both prophylactic and therapeutic purposes. Wilson, Loh, and Foster (1972) state that the prophylactic effect refers to the ability of vitamin C to prevent a cold Furthermore, commencement of administration of vitamin C when cold symptoms first appear constitutes the therapeutic use.

Boeing:how low can they fly? Essay

Prepare problems 3, 5 and 7 on pp.521 and the additional problem, Principles of Economics, Case, Fair and Oster. Problem 3 p.521 For each of the following statements, decide wether you agree or disagree and explain your answer : 1. During period of budget surplus (when ? < ? ), the government debt grows. 2. A tax cut will increase the equilibrium level of GDP if the budget is in deï ¬ cit but will decrease the equilibriumm level of GDP if the budget is in surplus. 3. If the ? ? ? = 0.90, the tax multiplier is actually larger than the expenditure multiplier. Problem 5 p.521 Expert economists in the economy of Yuk estimate the following : Real output/income 1000 billion Yuks Government purchases 200 billion Yuks Total net taxes 200 billion Yuks Investment spending (planned) 100 billion Yuks Assume that Yukers consume 75 percent of their disposable incomes and save 25 percent. 1. You are asked by the business editor of the ? to predict the events of the next few months. By using the data given, make a forecast. (Assume that investment is constant.) 2. If no changes were made, at what level of GDP (? ) would the economy of Yuk settle ? 3. Some local conservatives blame Yuk’s problems on the size of the government sector. They suggest cutting government purchases by 25 billion Yuks. What effect would such cuts have on the economy ? (Be speciï ¬ c) 1 Problem 7 p.521 Assume that in 2008, the following prevails in the Republic of Nurd : Y=200$ C=160$ S=40$ I(planned)=30$ G=0$ T=0$ Assume that households consume 80% of their income, they save 2% of their income, ? ? ? = 0.8 and ? ? ? = 0.2. That is, ? = 0.8 and ? = 0.2 . 1. Is the economy of Nurd in equilibrium ? What is Nurd’s equilibrium level of income ? What is likely to happen in the coming months if the government takes no action ? 2. If 200$ is the  « full-employment  » level of ? , what ï ¬ scal policy might the government follow if its goal is full employment ? 3. If the full-employment level of ? is 250$, what ï ¬ scal policy might the government follow ? 4. Suppose ? = 200$, ? = 160$, ? = 40$ and ? = 40$. Is Nurd’s economy in equilibrium ? 5. Starting with the situation in part (4), suppose the government starts spending 30$ each year with no taxation and continues to spend 30$ every period. If ? remains constant, what will happen to the equilibrium level of Nurd’s domestic product (? ) ? What will the new level of ? and ? be ? 6. Starting with the situation in part (4), suppose the government starts taxing the population 30$ each year without spending anything and continues to tax at that rate every period. If ? remains constant, what will happen to the equilibrium level of Nurd’s domestic product (? ) ? What will the new level of ? and ? be ?. How does your answer to this question differ from your answer to question (5) ? Why ? 2 Additional problem INCOME 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 TABLE 1 – Add caption TAX C G I 200 1400 1600 1000 200 1900 1600 1000 200 2400 1600 1000 200 2900 1600 1000 200 3400 1600 1000 200 3900 1600 1000 200 4400 1600 1000 200 4900 1600 1000 200 5400 1600 1000 ? 1. Fill in the disposable income ( ) and the saving (?) columns. 2. Deï ¬ ne  « equilibrium income/output  » and then ï ¬ nd the equilibrium income / output by two different methods. 3. Deï ¬ ne ? ? ? and ? ? ?, and ï ¬ nd their numerical value. 4. How much is the : – Government expenditure multiplier ? What is the formula ? – Consumption multiplier ? What is the formula ? – Investment multiplier ? What is the formula ? – Tax multiplier ? What is the formula ? 5. From the above data : – Derive the consumption equation – Derive the saving equation – Derive the investment equation – Derive the government expenditure equation 6. What will be the new equilibrium income when the government increases its expenditure from 1600 to 3100 ? 7. What will be the new equilibrium income when the government increases the taxes from 200 to 1200 ? 8. Assume that the equilibrium level on income/output is the one found in question (2) above. If the potential income/output is 9000 and the government intends to bring the economy to the potential level : – By how much government expenditures should increase/decrease ? Explain. – By how much taxes should increase/decrease ? Explain. 3