KTM Sportmotorcycle free essay sample

KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer. The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop named â€Å"Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen† and in 1954 the company began producing motorcycles. KTM, primarily a producer of premium off-road sports motorcycles, has been the fastest growing major motorcycle manufacturer for the past three years with a cumulative average growth rate from 1998-2001 of 31% in revenues and 50% in profits. Its improved financial performance enabled the company to pay down long-term debt and fund the capital expenditures associated with the company’s aggressive expansion goals. However, the prospect of slowing growth in traditional motorcycle markets, coupled with the desire of the venture fund BC European Capital, which is holding 49% of KTM, to exit soon means that KTM will have to consider how to manage its resources to be able to facilitate this exit. Problem KTM’s top management has to decide on the most profitable direction for the company’s future growth. We will write a custom essay sample on KTM Sportmotorcycle or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There is a possibility for a geographic and/or product line expansion. Company characteristics As mentioned above, KTM is the fastest growing motorcycle company over the past three years. Their main focus is still on the Off-road bikes, as it represented 70% percent of their revenues. Their motto is to be the technological and performance leader, producing premium bikes in low volumes and with the best technology. They are committed to performance and their slogan is â€Å"ready to race†. Tools for Analysis We have used value chain analysis and the VRIO model to assess the overall company situation and the SWOT analysis to get a better overview of the decision that the company is facing. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS KTW – READY TO RACE SWOT Strengths: Has a high reputation for being an adventure- oriented brand Was well prepared to produce state of the as distinctive engine***** and unique design High stylish with a distinction color that was well known Superbly efficient dealen **** simiplifies its inventory o**** also helped in advertising Weakness: Initially exploited by impostors No direct control on the selection of dealers, market investment, product***** etc. ********were more busy supplying to **** guys like ford, GM etc. Opportunities: Gain a resounding presence in Moto Gran Prix through the development of V4 engine-design A possible merger with Ducati the latter being a leader in facing success worldwide Can expand into Alt-Terrain vehicles Threats: Merger with Ducati, Italy might spell trouble because of the difficult business conditions in Italy Losing out on the on-road segment to brands such as Harley Porter’s 5 forces for the industry The only substitutes to racing bikes were racing cars which were much costlier. Hence the presence of substitutes was weak. Not many suppliers were present which could provide the resources to KTM**reliably. Thus suppliers beginning power was strong. The industry involves high investment in technology and RD which is difficult for a new entrant. Hence threat of new entrant is weak. *** were ready to pay *miums for the motorcycles since they *che buyers. Hence ** bargaining power was weak. Rivalry, overall effect was weak. Current strategy Building its brand image based on technological leadership and legacy of championship titles Partnership with companies like Red Bull. To appeal to the growing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Growth Alternative: 1. Product line expansion On-road motorcycles: Joining with another firm In-house developments All-Terrain vehicles 2. Geographic expansion: Europe USA Geographic expansion – Europe Pros: With the introduction of Euro, KTM has been freed up of valuable time spent on research and development and reducing dealer con** Expansion of the EU brings the new markets for KTM Cons: strict regulation and difficult business situations in some ****e Italy Geographic expansion – US Pros: strong off-road market Cons: strengthening Euro made the exporting to US US suppliers were incapable of catering to KTM’s low volume, high techonology needs. Recommendations: KTM should go for product-line expansion for on-road motorcycles considering all alternatives. If it outsources the design and production of its major component, it co** **** **oduce thebike into marketplace*** SWOT Analysis of Bajaj KTM S. W. O. T Analysis Strength – ? Bajaj is one of the most trusted names in two wheeler industries and has a strong goodwill from its legacy of â€Å"Humara Bajaj† and Pulsar bikes ? KTM is a well known brand known for its Style and Performance ? KTM Duke 125 is a complete package in terms of style and fuel economy ? Has a Strong distribution and service channel with its 1,100 service centre and 600 dealers all across India ? Experienced management having years of experience in bike launch ? Increase in purchasing power of youth and young professional ? 125 cc bike market showing a consistent growth as compared to other segment bikes in India ? One of the kind Duke 125 cc bike having 6 speed gear system for optimal performance and speed. ? Only performance bike in 125 cc segment that gives high fuel economy ? Bajaj has won several awards for its reliability, innovation, consumer`s preference and performance segment in past years. Opportunity ? To become a leader in 125 cc bike market by launch of Duke ? To increase market share through increased sales ? To make a trust of KTM in Indian market ,so other KTM bikes can be launched under Bajaj brand ? Opportunity for Bajaj to become a global brand in world through tie up with KTM Motorcycles. ? Create a shift in consumer preferences from higher end bike to small cc bikes which offers more style and fuel economy as compared to traditional bikes available. Weakness – ? Highly competitive market ? Increase in fuel price which restrict middle income group from buying modern bikes. ? Price tag is $ 2,100 and many heavy cc bikes are available in that price Threat – ? Pilot launch of KTM Duke 125 cc under Bajaj brand, it may tamper Bajaj image if the product does not meets consumer expectation. ? New modern design bike may not appeal to Indian consumer, irrespective of high sales at Global platform. ? Rumors that other competitors are also coming up in new and stylish 125 cc bikes in near future.

A Hole in the Sky essays

A Hole in the Sky essays We live our days on earth carefree and happy, but for some that life is taken away in a single look in the mirror, or a visit to the doctor. In that one instant, they find out that their life could be changed forever; some find out their life is closer to the end then they thought. Skin cancer can be potentially deadly and it is caused by UV rays that come from the sun. How can we keep the number of skin cancer patients down Well, We keep our ozone together of course. The ozone layer is basically a thin layer of gasses, which has naturally occurred, such as oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere that keep UV rays from coming down to the surface. Ozone is O3, which in other words, are three oxygen atoms. The ozone layer can be found in the stratosphere, which is the layer next to the troposphere. Humans, us and other life on the surface live in the troposphere. Lets say for example that normal commercial airplanes all fly in the troposphere except for the Concorde, which flies in the lower portion of the stratosphere. Ozone has been found to be densest at the two poles and to grow thinner as you approach the equator. Its also very interesting to know that the one thing that keeps all life on the surface alive could kill all of what it protects if it was on the same level as us. Although global warming is an issue to very many normal people and scientists, people usually get it mixed up with our ozone problem. Even though an ozone hole can help to cause a greenhouse effect, which in turn causes global warming, they are not the same thing. The two are completely different topics and situations. In the past years ozone levels in different areas of the earth have been depleted but the most depletion of ozone was focused over Antarctica. It so happens that almost all the ozone over the continent was destroyed. What was truly disturbing is the fact that the ozone there is one of the thickest anywhere being several kilometers thic...

My favorite philosopher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My favorite philosopher - Essay Example The paper starts with the Plato's history. Being born in a wealthy and powerful Athenians (Kemerling), Plato purposed to make wise use of such advantages in addition to his wit. For generations, many people have been witnessed who were endowed with money but have grown to squander their gifts. However, it was not so with Plato and that is just one thing I admire about him. Plato had been a student to Socrates, a well-known Athenian philosopher. To his being a student, I could say that he had been among those who did his responsibilities well. The knowledge that was passed on to him was not only recognized in his future life as a teacher himself but was embraced and lived to a full worth emulating. He is to the very sense of the word, a true philosopher worthy of being called such. Thinking could have been one of the very tasks he had been doing to the end of his life for indeed he did not just influence the branches of Science and Mathematics but even the sociological and political a spect of human beings. One of my favorite sayings from the master is this, "until philosophers are kings, or the king and princes of this world have the spirit and the power of philosophy, cities will never have rest from their evils nor the human race and then only will our states behold the light of day†. Of course I strongly agree with him on this thought because leaders should be thinkers. They should not be easily swayed by what are told of them nor what they externally see but they should be able to read the minds of people around them and the reasons why things happen in such and such a manner.

HIE assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HIE assignment - Essay Example The health information exchange for the state of Utah is called the clinical health information exchange (cHIE). Utah has been having a statewide health administrative data exchange ever since 1993. Utah initiated the clinical health information exchange in order to support reform in health care. The major participants of cHIE are specialty physicians, payers, ambulatory centre, laboratory, pharmacy, public health, hospitals and the primary care physicians among others. The clinical health information exchange (cHIE) aims at improving health care quality of Utah’s populace receive by making it very easy for the clinicians to view crucial information about the patient irrespective of where someone receives medical care in Utah (Utah Department of Health, 2012). Some of the crucial information to be accessed by health care providers consists of allergies, current medications, current lab results, and health problems. Most people are now able to receive the best and safest care since their health care provider knows about their chronic conditions and allergies. Increased connectivity rates between electronic health records (EHRs) and cHIE. The future implementations of cHIE is to adopt a formative evaluation format so as to track and inform the development of the HIE. U.S Department of Health and Human Services. (2015). State and Regional Demonstration in Health Information Technology: Utah (Utah), Retrieved January 25, 2015, from

The Atlantic Slave Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Atlantic Slave Trade - Essay Example Such factors acted as drive towards exploitation of profitable commercial opportunities outside Europe and the desire of creating alternative trade network to the one under control of Muslim Empire in Middle East, and appeared as a threat to European Christendom. The traders from Europe wanted gold for trade in exchange for luxury goods like spices without the compulsion of obtaining such items from Middle East (Carson et. al 1-9). Initially, though the Europeans took part in Atlantic trade, other nationalities took part. These include the Italian kingdoms, Iberian kingdoms, Netherland, France and England. Such diversity enhances the initial exploration of Atlantic trade as an international exercise. The African countries that took part in transatlantic trade include Gambia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Ghana, Angola and Benin. The Caribbean and Latin America countries include Brazil, Cuba, Barbados, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Tobago and Jamaica. The North America and European coun tries include Netherland, France, Portugal, United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark, United States of America and Norway (Carson et. al 1-9). The significance of 1492 in relation to the slave trade entailed various events. First, period of Portuguese capture of slave started in 1941 in Morocco and ended in 1492 after discovery of America. The beginning of 1492 witnessed over ten million slaves introduced to New World. This was after famous voyage of Columbus in 1492 that led to adoption of slavery by Spaniards (Carson et. al 1-9). The choice of Africans resulted since Native Americans proved unsuitable for hard labor. They sought slaves to supply labor, and they believed Africans were strong and could withstand harsh conditions. The period after 1660 had the slaves considered inferior to the whites, and the slavery institution appeared first in statute books of the Jamestown. This made historians perceive slave or Negro similar to white indentured servant, making them live together in same c onditions. Black African laborers appeared more efficient and valuable for working in the fields than their white indentured counterparts. Africans were resistant to the hot and arid climate and were thus well adapted to those conditions. African slaves remained slaves for life, but the indentured servants were only slaves for a certain period (Carson et. al 1-9). Slaves were not Christians, hence separated from indentured servants who believed in God. Furthermore, people perceived slaves as dumb, ignorant and lazy as they never understood the dialect of the white man. The Englishmen felt superior, and they considered Africans as Negroes and property of the Englishman. Justification for Enslavement of Africans The governments from the countries that took part in the slave trade used ethical reasons to authorize slave trade. They adopted an ideology to justify their forceful enslavement of Africans. Such justification ensured consistency and unity. They believed that slaves were inca pable of ruling themselves and needed governance by others, especially the Europeans. This made Europeans appalled after realizing that Africans could be independent. They justified this disgust by claims of African being uncivilized and barbaric. The Europeans exploited this savage stereotype in their justification of enslaving Africans on a religious pretext using the name of God. Basis of such a justification was unsound owing to the complexity of civilization and government system in Africa,

Preparations Prior to Surgery

Preparations Prior to Surgery Table 6. Common adverse reactions during administration of local anaesthetics and their management 34 Box 2: Useful guidelines while administering local anesthesia 33 Box 3: Local anaesthesia in special situations: 30,31,32 Intradermal test dose is done to check for hypersensitivity to local anaesthesia. 0.5 to 1.0mL of test solution undiluted and containing no epinephrine is injected subcutaneously. The test is negative if no reaction occurs during the 30 minutes following the injection. However, regular use of test dose remains controversial as allergy to LA has been found to be exceptionally low (0.7%). (43) Many cases of reported allergy to LA have been attributed to sensitivity to preservatives used in the solution, such as sodium metabisulfite, rather than an allergy to the anaesthetic agent itself. (33) In some dermatologic procedures, often patients are averse to use of local injections for anaesthesia while use of topical anaesthesia may not be sufficient to alleviate their discomfort.. In these patients, vibration can be used to reduce the pain of injections. It may even be used as a substitute for anaesthesia by pharmacological agents in certain dermatological procedures like botulinum toxin injection, laser therapy, cautery of facial warts, incision and drainage of abcesses, etc. Their action is defined by the gate control theory of pain. The A -ÃŽ ² nerve fibers which transmit mechanoreceptor signals like touch, vibration, stimulate the inhibitory interneurons in the spinal cord which in turn reduce the amount of pain signal l transmitted by A-ÃŽ ´ and C fibers from thes kin. Thus, counter stimulation, akin to stroking or pinching the skin, can alleviate pain sensation. (44) Cold temperature in the form of ice packs or ethyl chloride sprays has also been used for these purposes (cryo analgesia) The accountability of a dermatosurgeon towards his patient who requires surgery, not only lies in performing the procedure well but, actually begins from collecting all the medical information about him, counselling him and chalking out a plan that has his best interest in mind.(45) It is prerogative to work up the patient completely before he is taken up for surgery to avoid any adverse events. The workup should include a complete history and clinical examination, relevant investigations, counseling, and documentation. 46 A detailed history of co-morbidities and concomitant medication is taken. Concurrent conditions like diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases should be inquired upon. History regarding bleeding tendencies should also be taken. Wound healing is delayed in diabetes due to associated vasculopathy, decrease in the peripheral blood supply and increased risk of infections, hence the blood sugar levels should be monitored and brought under control before surgery. Also, these patient should be given a broad spectrum antibiotic prophylactically. 47,48 For patients with cardiovascular disease, a sublingual nitroglycerin is kept handy in case of a possible precipitation of angina. Adrenaline maybe avoided in cases of hypertension or peripheral vascular disease.49, 50 Electrosurgical procedures are avoided in patients with pacemakers.51 In pregnancy, local anaesthesia is used without adrenaline to avoid chances of uterine artery spasm. Safer antibiotics are prescribed and salicylates and NASIDS are avoided as they can interfere with the growth of the foetus. 39 A detailed drug history is imperative as certain drugs meddle with the haemostatic, inflammatory and wound healing processes. Hence, these drugs need to be stopped for a certain period, after the advice of the physician. 52History of allergy to any drugs, ingested or applied, allergy to adhesive tapes, history of keloid formation, scarring tendencies should be asked in detail. Box 4 gives the important drugs to be taken into consideration while planning a surgery Box 4: Important drug history that need to be asked for prior to a dermatosurgery Local examination of the site to be operated should be done to check the condition of the overlying skin, and to rule out any infection. The dermatosurgeon should have a thorough knowledge of the underlying vital structures so as to avoid any trauma while performing the procedure. Thorough examination also provides signs of keloidal tendency, for e.g in pre existing scars. If the lesion to be operated upon is suspected to be premalignant or malignant, then it is prudent to perform a biopsy first to confirm the findings on histopathology and then decide the next line of treatment. To prevent post –operative infections check for damaged ,infected skin, diabetes, debilitation, hypogammaglobulinaemia, severe malnutrition, long –term antibiotic therapy, corticosteroids, immunocompromised states, emotional stress, poor hygiene, etc. Counselling is an important constituent of the management of any dermatosurgical procedure. The problems and needs of the patient are assessed, and all the options are put forward for him to decide. Patients need to have a thorough knowledge of the procedure, the complications, the follow-up, post-operative care, outcome of the surgery, must be given to the patient. All queries about the procedures duly addressed. Expected results should be explained. Any unrealistic expectations need to be put to rest then and there. Patients with unrealistic expectations should be counselled against the procedure Baseline investigations that should be done before a dermatosurgical procedure are listed in box 5. It is, however, not necessary to do the whole list of investigation prior to a minor dermatosurgical procedure. The investigations that need to be carried out should be based on the results of the clinical examination. Box 5: Investigations to be carried out prior to a dermatosurgical procedure. Complete documentation of the case is a very important part of preoperative preparation. All the relevant clinical notes, photographs should be kept as record for medicolegal reasons. A written informed consent is of paramount importance. Drugs that are prescribed before a major dermatosurgery are mentioned in box 6. However, this is again not mandatory and is based on the patient profile, nature of the surgery and surgeon’s experience Box 6: Preoperative drugs prior to a dermatosurgery Dermatosurgeon must undertake strict safety measures in order to prevent hazardous infections. As mentioned earlier hand hygiene plays a major role in preventing iatrogenic infections. Right technique of hand washing reduces contamination and prevents the transfer of infection from one man to another. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a protective gear that comprises of mask, gloves, gowns, goggles and shoes. A high quality PPE is the only barricade between the surgeon and the infectious material. 23. All the instruments required for the surgery should be kept ready in the instruments trolley before the surgery. The surgical trolley should also have surgical drapes, adequate amount of gauze pads, cotton swabs and surgical disinfectants in place. The order of keeping the instruments on the trolley should be predetermined and kept uniform for a particular surgery so as to maintain a smooth flow of operation. Also, the emergency tray should always be ready in order to deal with any critical situation. The area to be operated upon has to be cleaned and shaved if required. Disinfection of the surgical area is done by using disinfectants like povidone iodine and methylated spirit. The cleaning of the area should always be started from the centre extending into the periphery in order to ensure minimum possible risk of contamination of the site of operation. Sterile drapes must then be used to isolate the surgical area. Excision means cutting out a tissue, an organ or a tumour. The ellipse (fusiform excision) is the mainstay and workhorse of cutaneous excisional surgery and reconstructive surgery. Proper planning of the incision should be done before the surgery is started. This results in a least noticeable and well healed scar. A well planned incision line should run parallel to the favourable lines of closure i.e. the relaxed skin tension lines (RSTL) or the lines of minimal skin tension (natural skin creases or wrinkles). [Illustration 31.4] These lines can be made obvious by pinching the skin in all direction. They can also be judged by asking the patient to smile or grimace.57,58 The incision line so planned not only makes the scar inconspicuous but it heals faster and has a higher tensile strength. Lines of maximal extensibility are typically at right angles to the RSTL. These lines are important when performing a flap grafting from an adjacent area. Incisions can also be taken along the wrinkle lines, skin folds. Another option is to make a circular incision and wait for some time to allow it to turn into an oval shape after undermining the edges. Before final closure the oval shape can be converted into an ellipse. Always respect the cosmetic units of the face. The cosmetic units of the face are chin , perioral region, cheek, periorbital region, nose, forehead, glabella, and temple. Scars restricted to single cosmetic unit hide well, than the scar crossing multiple units.58 [Illustration 31.5] Nature of the lesion removed is also an important factor. For benign lesions the surrounding normal skin excised is minimal, on the other hand for malignant lesion two factors are very important, complete excision of the tumour and to include sufficient surrounding normal looking tissue in the excision to prevent recurrences. ( 59,60) The shape of the lesion also plays important role in deciding the excision line. For oval shaped lesion the long axis of the incision line must run parallel the long axis of the lesion. This will shorten the length of the scar.[61]. When taking incisions near lips or eyes, functional considerations are very important to prevent lip retraction and ectropion respectively.

The influence of sleep on the accuracy of memory Essay -- Health, Fals

The influence of sleep on the accuracy of memory The purpose of this study is to do a memory-for-words that will explore the influence of sleep on the accuracy of memory. The study examines the influence of sleep on false memory. This study is looking at two things: (1) how does sleep improve recognition of words? And if so, it would support the claim that sleep facilitates encoding into LTM. (2) How does sleep enhance a false memory of a word? According to Elizabeth F. Loftus (1996) false memories are often created by combining actual memories with suggestions received from others, it can include words that we learn and having them associated with semantic information. False memories are cause when we fail to recall the correct information. When we store information rarely we retrieve it exactly the way it happened, the fail to recall the information correctly may lead to false memories. Sleep in false memory are measured by recalling words that categorized as studied before, critical words which are the unstudied words, and the critical words which are the one that were nit studied before, but because of the semantic association it may appear during recall process. Stadler, Roediger, & McDermott (1999). A DMR paradigm is the tendency to falsely recall a target word from a list of words concentrated around that word. It lures people to falsely recall items that were never presented Roediger & McDermott (1995). In DRM paradigm, lists of words are constructed so that each word given is associated with a single non- presented word, referring to it as a critical lure. For instance, in this experiment to test participants’ words such as letters, school, study, reading, pen, pencil, paper, and pages, were presented, but its relat... ...he items in the evening and in the following morning 12 hours later after their normal sleeping time, their memory for the items were tested. The non-sleep group studied and practiced the items in the morning 12 hours later after their day of activity their memory was tested. From the results was found that there was no significance difference between the two groups in recalling the words. Limitations in this study that it uses a recognition technic instead of a free recall, low sample size, did not look at gender, as well as ethnicity (language in this case mater, especially when it comes to words that are not so familiar it is hard to recall them). In future studies a bigger sample size would be relevant for a better outcome of the result, do the test in a native language would help participant for a better recall, look at the difference in gender, ethnicity.

Importance of Negotiation: Planning

Negotiation Strategy: Planning is Critical University of Phoenix Krystal Torrez Week 2 In negotiation the underlying interest of the party is equally as important as the outcome of acheivment. To meet the desired goals negotiators must be aware of the uniquely different needs and accomodations each desired goal requires. By accepting the differences between each desired goal the team will be better prepared in finding appropriate strategies and solutions. Negotiation should always be approached in a serious, well thought out manner to result proactively. Lack of planning often appears at the negotiating table as too much reliance on demands and ineffective attempts to persuade the opponent (Cronin-Harris, 2004). Author Cathy Cronin-Harris discusses good planning based on five strategies below, which may be the difference between effective negotiation and failed negotiation. In effective negotiation, establishing and ranking priority interests, assessing opposing parties’ priorites, understanding the representation of money, careful planning of factual inquiries and principle based money moves are the five strategies of planning in negotiation. Prior to negotiation each party should thouroghly study possible outcomes, priority interests, and the ranks of importance all the different interest of the desired outcome may have. The reason for ranking items by importance is to have less important items to offer as trade during the process of the actual negotiation. Understanding the opposing parties’ desired outcome and priorities is also significantly inportant in planning for a smooth negotiation process. By understanding the desired outcomes of both parties involved a possible solution may be achieved benefiting both parties. Prior to the process of a negotiation the negotiator must undertsand what money is representing if money is a possible outcome for either party. Most times money is only considered a substitute of satisfaction. However, by being aware of what the money is being used as a substitute for may allow the negotiator to creatively offer other ooptions more closely related to the real underlying issue. Allowing problem solving to be more beneficial to both negotiators. The careful planning of factual inquiries may result in the surfacing of new data. By allowing time to be curious and asking questions the negotiator may find a different plan of action. Although, all negotiators fear being taken advatnage of, information may result in outcomes positively affecting both parties. Lastly, prior to the launch of the negotiation appropriate money moves must be established. By establishing reasonable offers a negotiator may be more successful in receiving the amount set out for. In closing, proper nplanning in regard to negotiation may not only lead to professional confidence but acheivment of the desired outcome. By appropriately planning a strategy for a negotiable scenario, both parties may receive desired results, rather than, repeatitive bargaining. Works Cited Cronin-Harris, C. (2004, December). Negotiation Strategy: Planning Is Critical. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from www. phoenix. edu: http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=bth&AN=15290421&site=bsi-live

Decline of Indus Valley Civilization Essays

Decline of Indus Valley Civilization Essays Decline of Indus Valley Civilization Paper Decline of Indus Valley Civilization Paper Essay Topic: The Long Valley The decline of the Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harpoon Civilization, was caused by both environmental and cultural factors. Spanning across the Indian subcontinent, the Indus River Valley Civilization was a strong society. There was a good agricultural system that allowed the cultivation of wheat, rye, and vegetables. There was also a prominent cultural and religious presence. The civilization also had a strong government that was ruled by priests from each city. Unfortunately, like many other ancient civilizations, the traits that made the Indus Valley Civilization strong were also the reasons for its decline. The civilization relied on the river to sustain them. Monsoon rains would replenish the river and ground every year allowing them to have an efficient agricultural system. However, the monsoon rains declined and this adversely affected the culture. Due to the lack of replenishment the river system was weakened and there was no longer any flooding to irrigate the land. This event was a major contributor to the collapse of the civilization because they could no longer sustain themselves. Another factor of the civilizations decline, which was also caused by the drought, was the decrease in trade between Mesopotamia and Egypt. As the river system weakened they were not able to trade as easily with the other civilizations. Additional reasons that lead to the decline were temperature and climate changes, geographical changes caused by movement in the tectonic plates, and other natural disasters. Although some people dated, it is also evident that many people began migrating out of this area? probably with the intention of seeking out fertile land. As the Indus Valley Civilization slowly declined, a group of warlike nomadic people from central Asia, called the Aryans, began Invading and settling Into the land. This led to the creation of the Indo-Aryan culture. The Indo-Aryans had a warrior culture that sustained Itself on livestock rather than the agriculture system of other groups. Their culture survived through oral tradition and was eventually recorded In the Veda.

Suez Canal History and Overview

Suez Canal History and Overview The Suez Canal, located in Egypt, is a canal that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, a northern branch of the Red Sea. It officially opened in November 1869. Suez Canal Construction History Although the Suez Canal wasnt officially completed until 1869, there is a long history of interest in connecting both the Nile River in Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It is believed that the first canal in the area was constructed between the Nile River delta and the Red Sea in the 13th Century B.C.E. During the 1,000 years following its construction, the original canal was neglected and its use finally stopped in the 8th Century.​ Napoleons Canal Plan The first modern attempts to build a canal came in the late 1700s when Napoleon Bonaparte conducted an expedition to Egypt. He believed that building a French-controlled canal on the Isthmus of Suez would cause trade problems for the British as they would either have to pay dues to France or continue sending goods over land or around the southern part of Africa. Studies for Napoleons canal plan began in 1799 but a miscalculation in measurement showed the sea levels between the Mediterranean and the Red Seas as being too different for a canal to be feasible and construction immediately stopped. Universal Suez Ship Canal Company The next attempt to build a canal in the area occurred in the mid-1800s when a French diplomat and engineer, Ferdinand de Lesseps, convinced the Egyptian viceroy Said Pasha to support the building of a canal. In 1858, the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company was formed and given the right to begin construction of the canal and operate it for 99 years, after which time, the Egyptian government would take over control of the canal. At its founding, the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company was owned by French and Egyptian interests. Construction of the Suez Canal officially began on April 25, 1859. It opened ten years later on November 17, 1869, at a cost of $100 million. Significant Impact on World Trade Almost immediately after its opening, the Suez Canal had a significant impact on world trade as goods were moved around the world in record time. In 1875, debt forced Egypt to sell its shares in ownership of the Suez Canal to the United Kingdom. However, an international convention in 1888 made the canal available for all ships from any nation to use. Conflicts Over Use and Control Shortly thereafter, conflicts began to arise over use and control of the Suez Canal. In 1936 for example, the U.K. was given the right to maintain military forces in the Suez Canal Zone and control entry points. In 1954, Egypt and the U.K. signed a seven-year contract that resulted in the withdrawal of British forces from the canal area and allowed Egypt to take control of the former British installations. In addition, with the creation of Israel in 1948, the Egyptian government prohibited the use of the canal by ships coming and going from the country. The Suez Crisis Also in the 1950s, the Egyptian government was working on a way to finance the Aswan High Dam. Initially, it had support from the United States and the U.K. but in July 1956, both nations withdrew their support and the Egyptian government seized and nationalized the canal so passage fees could be used to pay for the dam. On October 29 of that same year, Israel invaded Egypt and two days later Britain and France followed on grounds that passage through the canal was to be free. In retaliation, Egypt blocked the canal by intentionally sinking 40 ships. These events were known as the Suez Crisis. A Truce and Later Egypt Takes Control In November 1956, the Suez Crisis ended when the United Nations arranged a truce between the four nations. The Suez Canal then reopened in March 1957 when the sunken ships were removed. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Suez Canal was closed several more times because of conflicts between Egypt and Israel. In 1962, Egypt made its final payments for the canal to its original owners (the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company) and the nation took full control of the Suez Canal. 101 Miles Long and 984 Feet Wide Today, the Suez Canal is operated by the Suez Canal Authority. The canal itself is 101 miles (163 km) long and 984 feet (300 m) wide. It begins at the Mediterranean Sea at Point Said flows through Ismailia in Egypt, and ends at Suez on the Gulf of Suez. It also has a railroad running its entire length parallel to its west bank. The Suez Canal can accommodate ships with a vertical height (draft) of 62 feet (19 m) or 210,000 deadweight tons. Most of the Suez Canal is not wide enough for two ships to pass side by side. To accommodate this, there is one shipping lane and several passing bays where ships can wait for others to pass. No Locks The Suez Canal has no locks because the  Mediterranean Sea and the Red Seas Gulf of Suez have approximately the same water level. It takes around 11 to 16 hours to pass through the canal and ships must travel at low speed to prevent erosion of the canals banks by the ships waves. The Significance of the Suez Canal In addition to dramatically reducing transit time for trade worldwide, the Suez Canal is one of the worlds most significant waterways as it supports 8% of the worlds shipping traffic and almost 50 ships pass through the canal daily. Because of its narrow width, the canal is also considered a significant geographic chokepoint as it could easily be blocked and disrupt this flow of trade. Future plans for the Suez Canal include a project to widen and deepen the canal to accommodate the passage of larger and more ships at one time.

Leading - Understand Groups and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leading - Understand Groups and Teams - Essay Example This implies that organization leaders need to be concerned with people working within the organization as much as they are concerned with results and expectations. Crises are usual occurrences in an organization. A crisis can have disastrous results on an organization that lacks concrete management or leadership. Leading an organization in the first few months after a disaster is of particular interest since it requires balancing the needs and expectations of the organizations as well as those of other stakeholders (Kalb, 1993). This essay will discuss the expectations of an organizational leader in the few months after a disaster. The essay will discuss the group model of leadership as opposed to team model. Leading an organization for the first few months after a disaster has occurred is challenging to both the leader and the employees. This is because there is need to find a solution to the immediate problems as well as ensure employee satisfaction. Being successful in organizati onal leadership requires organizational leaders to organize their employees in order to achieve the objectives of the organization as well as employee satisfaction. In this case, an organizational leader will employ either a team model or a group model. A group leadership model will be the most appropriate in steering the organization through the crisis. The group leadership model has groups as its basic structure. In this case, a group is composed of people with similar work objectives. As opposed to team models, group models are easy to develop since they are based on visible qualities of employees, it will also be easy for an organization leaders to steer an organization from a crisis through group leadership. Unlike teams, groups are made of people who are united by a common goal or problem. In this case, the common problem will be the disaster that has occurred within the organization. A group will also be based on the availability of a common solution for the immediate problem . This factor makes group leadership models to be more preferable than team models. Unlike groups, team are concerned with success in a particular area of strategic management. Leading an organization through a crisis requires facing or accepting reality. This will involve establishing the root cause of the problem before coming up with possible solution. If the cause of a crisis is a natural disaster, then the organization leader will be concerned with finding both short term and long-term measures to fix the problem. A crisis resulting from natural disasters may make things worse for the organization and therefore, organizational leaders should be prepared to tackle any aftermath or occurrence. Before trying to fix the problem, a leader needs to address the available groups of employees. This will involve creation of positive behaviours that will enable the employees to survive through the resultant problems that were caused by the natural disaster. Understanding group behaviours will be the basis of group development. The organization leader will be concerned with developing positive behaviour for each member of the group and each group. In this case, positive behaviours are behaviours that will enable the organization to achieve both short-term and long-term interventions for the immediate problems (Lawrence, Weber, Post, 2005). In the group behaviour model, knowledge, skills, and ability are significant element of organizational le

Discuss the evolution of CSR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Discuss the evolution of CSR - Essay Example 14). Businesses have traditionally been known to exist for the key purpose of making profits. However, from as early as the start of the 20th century, entrepreneurs, mostly in the Unites States, recognised the importance of using resources in ways that would benefit both their businesses as well as the societies they worked with (Brewerton & Millward 2001, p. 76). As the idea gradually took root over two decades later, more organizations saw the significance of the entire business behaving in ways that were considered responsible socially, just like it applies to individual citizens. Although not evenly developed globally, the concept of CSR is becoming a key feature of organizations in regions that embrace it as it penetrates corporate consciousness and culture (Visser, Dirk & Manfred 2007, p. 69). That aspect has called for studies that examine its history, societal roles especially in times of crises and where is heading to. This paper will outline and discuss the evolution of CSR . It will include its history, role in the financial crisis and its prospects for the future, supported by examples. One rationale behind the genesis of SCR was the assumption that some theorists have termed wrong; that which perceived businesses as solely money-making organisations for the owners (Dincer & Dincer 2007, p 44). This assumption supported the idea that those who engaged in business only had personal and selfish interests. The implication was that it was up to consumers to assume the role of caring for the society’s welfare and take actions that support their interests (Dincer & Dincer 2007, p 46). However, most entrepreneurs recognise that while that still remains a real reason for the presence of their business in the society, they are also aware that they came together to collectively achieve what they could not as individuals. This perspective added a new objective to their reasons of existence; that of contributing to a society without which they could not s urvive. This awareness is embedded in the fact that the businesses only exist when there are societies to produce goods and services for; to produce raw materials for the businesses; and to offer a labour force in the businesses (Bhattacharya, Sankar & Korschun 2011, p. 83). However, the concept of giving back to society as initiated by the American businessmen at the start of the 20th century had to be abandoned in the advent of the early 1930s’ Great Depression. At that time, the only goal for businesses became to survive, while citizens only needed an employment that generated income. Then in 1939, a co-founder of the largely successful Hewlett Packard rekindled the need for companies to value to their existence and that of the societies, which took a slow start due to WWII and was later revived in the 1950s (Morrison, R 2008, p. 9). His opinion was that consumers will only be condescending to products that in turn support noble causes, charity and the environment. The rev ival is believed by some theorist to have resulted from a global corporation by regions that backed each other during the course of WWII and the recovery period that followed. By the 1980s, CSR was already a vital aspect of modern business and supporting