Services and facilities offered by third party logistics provider Research Paper

Services and facilities offered by third party logistics provider - Research Paper Example In order to provide a complete supply chain, answers have to be able to take care of the length and breadth of data from outbound, inbound and reverse the processes (Changsen, Z., 2005). RCS Logistics is one of the providers of transport logistics. It has vehicles that range from articulated Lorries to small vehicles. Each is well maintained. The company has fully trained drivers who operate to the highest standard and ensure that customers get the best possible service. RCS Logistics transport services are: contract distribution, reverse logistics, double deck trailers, tail lifts, on line order entry and POD retrieval, Ad- hoc transport. RGF Logistics Limited has a reputation on giving high quality transport service to companies in the United Kingdom. They can provide modern vehicles, fully trained and informed driver. This is the same case as RCS Company. Unlike RCS, RGF Logistics has additional advantages. It delivers the goods within the same day or next day or within 72 hours depending on the customers need. It also distributes throughout UK and Europe. In the provision of warehousing services, all the four companies provide this service. Amethyst group is recognized as a leading company in offering warehousing and distribution services. It offers a specialist service to automotives and machinery, consumer durables and also in clothing fashion sectors. Store it all is another company that offers warehousing services. It offers a complete storage solution as it deals with storage of food stuffs, archiving and palletized storage. It can also receive orders as data downloads, through website integration, telephone, Email, PDF, excel, and other plat forms, data feed formats and layouts. Other services are: pick and pack, dispatch, returns handling, reporting, laser printed paperwork, packaging and print procurement. RGF Logistics have warehoused distribution services, which can cater for the needs of the customer. It has, designed warehouse

Prokaryotuc and eukarytotic cell & endocrine and exocine glands Essay - 1

Prokaryotuc and eukarytotic cell & endocrine and exocine glands - Essay Example Prokaryotic cells only have a plasma membrane while eukaryotic cells have organelles with membranes such as nuclear membrane (Campbell and Farrell 15). No nucleus is present in prokaryotic cells but there is a nuclear region with the help of which, the cell takes all its controlling directions. In addition, prokaryotes also have a single molecule of DNA that is circular in shape. Nucleus is the most important and unique part of eukaryotic cells and maximum DNA of the cell is present in the nucleus and multiple molecules are present (Campbell and Farrell 16). In prokaryotes, DNA is located in the nuclear region that does not have any membrane while in eukaryotes, DNA is enclosed in Nucleus covered by nuclear envelope (Black 80). Cell division in prokaryotic cells takes place through binary fission while in eukaryotic cells, reproduction is with the processes of mitosis and meiosis. In prokaryotic cells, only asexual reproduction takes place while in eukaryotic cells, asexual as well as sexual reproduction take place (Black 80). Prokaryotes as well as eukaryotes can be autotrophic (generating food themselves) as well as heterotrophic (getting food from other sources). Examples of prokaryotes are bacteria while plants and animals can be taken as examples of eukaryotes. Human body contains a system called endocrine system containing glands responsible for discharging their secretions. Endocrine glands are responsible for discharging their secretions within the body while exocrine glands secrete on the body surface. Endocrine glands secrete internally while exocrine glands secrete externally. The secretions that are secreted by the glands are the hormones (Clark 229). Exocrine glands secrete with the support of ducts while in endocrine glands, no distinct ducts are present for transferring secretions due to which, endocrine glands secrete

Rights and Responsibilities Essay Example for Free

Rights and Responsibilities Essay First of all, I want to tell you one important thing. Everybody has some rights and some responsibilities. Our rights are what every human being deserves, no matter who they are or where they live, so that we can live in a world that is fair and polite. Of course since these rights are for everybody, that means we all have to take a responsibility too. A responsibility is something that is your job to do something about, or to think about. It is something that affects our lives and other peoples lives. As everybody knows, children have rights and if you want to know them, you should read UN convention. There are a lot of types of rights. The most important rights is right to protection, because nowadays there are a lot of stories about exploitation and neglect. Perhaps every day somebody talks about this topic on TV. To be honest, I know my rights, but I don’t forget about my responsibilities. It’s very important to me, because It’s very hard to live only by rights. We should think about every person, because they might lose their rights, if we don’t know about our responsibilities. When we move out into the world, we learn more about the responsibilities which go with our rights. We learn that some things that humans do are not acceptable because we are not considering the rights of others. For example, things like telling lies, cheating, bullying, violence, destroying others belongings and stealing. Children are curious about the world, and it seems no matter how much information that you give them they are continuously seeking more. Political views are typically something that children at least initially pick up from their parents. Regardless of a parent’s political affiliation and viewpoint, it is only fair to teach children about a bigger picture so they can grow up informed and capable of making their own decisions. Teaching children about politics can be either a path you choose for them or a doorway to their own political feelings.

Education and Gross Domestic Product of the Philippines

Education and Gross Domestic Product of the Philippines Marione Tomas T. Padilla ABSTRACT The research paper is about determining whether certain factors of Education have an effect on the overall Gross Domestic Product of the Philippines. Intuition would tell us that Education has an effect on GDP. In addition, budget allocations for education in the Philippines are high compared to the other sectors in the government. Table of Contents Introduction Background of the Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Statement of the Problem †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Objectives of the Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Significance of the Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Scope and Limitation †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Review of Related Literature Civilian Discretionary Spending †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Human Capital and Education †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Education in the Philippines Millennium Development Goals Similar Studies Theoretical Framework Gross Domestic Product IS-LM Model Operational Framework Variable List A-Priori Expectations Methodology Empirical Testing and Analysis of Results Conclusion and Recommendations References Introduction Background of the Study According to Jeffrey Sachs (2011), civilian discretionary spending is spending on public goods and services that the private economy cannot provide on its own[1]. In addition, one of the sectors he mentioned that are involved in civilian discretionary spending is education. Education is defined as the knowledge and development resulting from an educational process (Merriam Webster, 2014)[2]. In any country, education is one of the things that the government is in charge of and is one of the factors in the government’s expenditures which contributes to a percentage in a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP); the government takes into consideration the budget allocation for education, how they are going to make the educational sector competitive i.e. the quality of the service that the citizens of the country are to get, and many other factors. The Philippines currently has a literacy rate of 95.4% and rank 108th out of 215 countries in terms of literacy rate[3]. In addition, the educational system of the Philippines is currently experiencing a shift, because our educational system is being exposed to different factors such as the implementation of the K to 12 and the ASEAN Integration which are to be imposed soon. In the previous education system of the Philippines, kindergarten was not compulsory for students but now it is. In addition, Primary Education (Elementary) and Secondary Education (Junior and Senior High School) both require 6 years making a total of 12 years. Because of these adjustments and other factors, the budget and the expenditure for education increase every year. The Department of Education is one of the top departments that are given high budget allocations with their proposed 2014 budget being the highest at 293.3 billion pesos; according to an article in Rappler (2013), â€Å"the increase is focused on learning resources, as well as classrooms, chairs and school facilities†[4]. But despite all of this, the overall quality in the education has declined and this was due to certain factors (insert them here). With this given, this proves to be a challenge not just for the government but for the other Filipinos as well that could not cope up with the Philippines’ current system of education. According to World Vision (2011)[5], education has a relationship with growth of an economy i.e. lack of quality education is a threat to economic growth. In addition, World Vision also stated that 92 percent of Filipino children are able to enroll in primary education but 20 percent of these students who enrolled are able to finish. Statement of the Problem The Philippines experienced a decline in the quality of education due to certain factors such as the quality of the education, affordability, budget, and mismatch between training and the jobs[6]. With this, the researcher has prepared the following questions: a) How can the Philippine government fix or alleviate these factors? b) Were there any measures taken in line with the previous question? What specific measures were done and were they effective? c) Are Filipino students (both current and incoming) ready for K to 12 given the decline in the quality prior to the implementation? d) Is K to 12 really a step further for the Philippines? The researcher would also want to know if the budget that has been allocated to them is being used efficiently and in the end if it contributed to the output of the country. In addition, the researcher would also want to clarify if these expenditures in education really did make any changes. Objectives of the Study Given the background of the topic for this research, the researcher would like to accomplish the following objectives: a) Determine the relationship between certain factors of education i.e. number of enrolled students and education expenditure, and the Gross Domestic Product of the Philippines b) Be able to find ways to improve the quality of the educational system of the Philippines so that we can be really ready for future changes. c) Construct an econometric model that can be used in analyzing how GDP and Education go hand in hand. Significance of the Study A lack of quality education can hamper growth in the economy because the citizens are not equipped with the basic knowledge; in addition, a lot of Filipinos do not have access to even the basic education and because of this, the human condition is not improving. In the Human Development Forum held last March 2, 2011, U.S Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated that Education can be the bridge to factors such as eliminating gender inequality, poverty reduction, planet sustainability, preventing deaths and illnesses, and for peace. In addition, he stated that education is inseparable from the development of human capital, and that education is the new currency so that nations maintain economic competitiveness and global prosperity (Duncan, 2011)[7]. In line with the previous statement, this study is aiming to find a way to be able to improve the standard of education that the Philippines has and to make it competitive. In addition, this study aims to make a point that education plays a role in the growth of a country and is a step towards improving lives thus we should not take this lightly. The researcher believes that the government should look into the bigger picture and the root causes as to why our education is not accessible or feasible to the citizens. Scope and Limitation The data used in this study came from sources such as indexmundi, World Bank, NSCB, and UNData. The researcher took into consideration GDP, Education Expenditure (not including capital and equipment), and number of enrolled students per year level except the Tertiary Level due to unavailability of data; the research has 30 observations (from 1982 to 2011) and is focused on a Philippine setting. The researcher is using the multiple regression analysis to determine the influence of our independent variables to the dependent variable. Review of Related Literature Civilian Discretionary Spending The Huffington Post (2011), posted an article entitled â€Å"De-Mystifying the Budget Debate†; this article was written by Jeffrey Sachs. One of the things that Jeffrey Sachs pointed out was the issue on civilian discretionary spending. Civilian discretionary spending is spending on public goods and services that cannot be provided efficiently by the private economy alone (Sachs, 2011). In addition, the programs are called â€Å"discretionary† because the budget allocation is voted upon every year and contributes to about 4% of the GDP in the United States. He also mentioned the factors that make up civilian discretionary spending in the following quote[8]: â€Å"Discretionary spending includes national security (homeland security, diplomacy, development assistance); education and job training; science and technology; the justice system; public administration; environmental protection; community development and housing assistance; major infrastructure (highways, dams, levees, flood control, water and sanitation).† From the given definitions and statements, the aim of civilian discretionary spending is to make a country competitive and so that there would be more opportunities for economic growth. Human Capital and Education According to Investopedia, Human Capital is defined as â€Å"a measure of the economic value of an employees skill set† wherein it measures the labor input and is thought to be equal[9]. The term was coined by economist Theodore Schultz; this term mirrored human capacities and believed that human capital was like any other capital in general. Capital is defined as those long term assets used in the production of output by a firm. In the case of human capital, education, training and enhanced benefits are the factors to be considered when investing in human capital; in effect this will lead to an improvement in the quality and level of production. In addition, the education and the experience an employee has obtained merits economic value in the perspective of both employers and the aggregate economy. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) published a study in 2001 entitled Development Planning in a Market Economy; One segment of this study, The Role of Human Capital in Economic Development: Some Myths and Realities, explains how important Human Capital is in Economic Development[10]. The author stated that for human capital to create an impact on economic development, a nation needed to have at least a 70% literate population. In addition, it was also stated that if a large number of people in the population are literate, even if they are equipped with the basic education, the minds of the masses can be opened up (UNESCAP, 2001). It was also mentioned that the government has a role in this i.e. one of the factors as to why there are differences in human capital was because of the direction of the priorities and commitments of a nation towards the educations sector[11] (UNESCAP, 2001). An entry in the Encyclopedia of Educational Philosophy and Theory (EEPAT), entitled Human Capital Theory and Education, one concept introduced is the Human Capital theory wherein it states that the framework for nation state policy framework is by enhancing the flexibility of labor in the labor market, and also enhancing skills through investment in education, training and employment schemes, and immigration focused on attracting high-quality human capital (Fitzimons , 1999)[12]. In that same entry, Fitzimons (1999) referenced Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations (1776) wherein Adam smith was able to formulate a basis for the science of human capital. In addition, two schools of thought were formed; the first school of thought distinguished acquired capacities that were classified as either capital or the human being themselves, who were not counted as capital. The second school of thought, on the other hand, claimed that human beings are considered capital. Operational Framework Variable List The table below presents the variables that have been used in the study. The model has four independent variables and one dependent variable. The regression to be performed will take into account the significance of the variables, both individual and overall References education. 2014. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/education Sachs, J. (2011, April 18). De-Mystifying the Budget Debate. The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-sachs/de-mystifying-the-budget_b_850332.html Geronimo, J. (2013, July 30). DepEds proposed 2014 budget biggest in history. Rappler. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.rappler.com/nation/35186-deped-proposed-budget-biggest-in-history Philippines. (n.d.). World Vision. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.worldvision.org/our-impact/country-profiles/philippines Philippines. (n.d.). Find the Data. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://country-facts.findthedata.org/l/111/Philippines Mankiw, G. (2013). The Data of Macroeconomics. Macroeconomics (8th Edition ed., p. 18). New York: Charles Linsmeier. Human Capital. (n.d.). Investopedia. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/humancapital.asp Gary S. Becker. Human Capital.The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics.2008. Library of Economics and Liberty. Retrieved April 5, 2014 from the World Wide Web: http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/HumanCapital.html Patrick Fitzsimons. (1999). Human capital theory and education. InThe Encyclopaedia of Educational Philosophy and Theory, M. Peters, T. Besley, A. Gibbons, B. Ã…Â ½arniĆ¡, P. Ghiraldelli (eds.). Retrieved 5 April, 2014 fromhttp://eepat.net/doku.php?id=human_capital_theory_and_education An Analysis on the Education and Gross Domestic Product of the Philippines 1 [1] Civilian Discretionary Spending will be elaborated in the Review of Related Literature. [2] Definition of education taken from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/education [3] Statistics taken from http://country-facts.findthedata.org/l/111/Philippines [4] The full article can be seen at http://www.rappler.com/nation/35186-deped-proposed-budget-biggest-in-history [5] Taken from http://www.worldvision.org/our-impact/country-profiles/philippines [6] Retrieved from http://www.ph.net/htdocs/education/issue.htm [7] The Full transcript can be viewed at http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTEDUCATION/0,,contentMDK:22848251~menuPK:282425~pagePK:64020865~piPK:149114~theSitePK:282386,00.html [8] This section explains the factors that make up civilian discretionary spending; note that this is an excerpt from the article mentioned. The article can be found at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-sachs/de-mystifying-the-budget_b_850332.html [9] Definition taken from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/humancapital.asp [10] The file for the said part can be found at http://www.worldwewant2015.org/node/296253 [11] This quotation can be seen on the same file mentioned. Refer to footnote number 10. [12] Retrieved from http://eepat.net/doku.php?id=human_capital_theory_and_education

The Triumph Of The Great Wall Of China Essay -- essays research papers

The Great Wall of China has been called a wonder by many who have seen it. It brings pride to the Chinese nation, and is known for being the only man made structure visible from space. The magnitude of The Great Wall is an architectural achievement as well as an example of the will power of man. Many find it hard to believe that such an amazing sight could have a history so filled with death, slavery and sadness as The Great Wall does. The Great Wall of China is one of the world's most famous architectural triumphs and has helped China throughout its history, even though its creation is marked by tragedy. There is a large dispute over how long The Great Wall of China really is. Estimates are given anywhere between 1,500 miles and 13,250 miles1. This is because many people disagree to what The Great Wall is. Many historians argue that The Great Wall is only the wall built by Qin Shin Huangdi. Others believe that The Great Wall includes all of the walls built in China including the wall started by Qin Shin Huangdi. If The Great Wall of China is all of the defensive walls built since 214 BC2, then it is impossible to talk about it as one entity. There are hundreds of separate pieces of the wall, because there was never one full encompassing Great Wall built. When Qin Shin Huangdi began to build The Great Wall for China, he had no idea the amount of manpower and supplies he would need to even come close to completing his dream. Many sources disagree as to when The Great Wall of China first began. The dates of the original construction vary from 656 BC3 to 214 BC4. This discrepancy is caused by the arguments whether the bordering walls built by the early feudal states are actually part of The Great Wall of China we know today. Th... ...this work?20 was written about the wall. Its magnitude alone inspires many people. ?Nothing stops it, nothing gets in its way, seeing it at this point, one might believe it to be eternal.?21 Despite all the tragedy that surrounds The Great Wall of China, it continues to be considered a triumph for China. The Great Wall supplied protection for the developing empire. It also allowed for the development of Chinese trade with other countries. It has helped China?s economy from the days of the Silk Road through the present as it supplies tourism for China. It revolutionized not only military communication of the time but also wall building techniques. It stands as a symbol of strength and endurance for China. The Great Wall is a tribute to all of the Chinese who worked on it. The Great Wall of China shows the magnitude of what mankind can achieve in the face of tragedy.

The Internet’s Impact on Stock Trading Essay -- Cause Effect Essays

"The Internet’s Impact on Stock Trading" Before the internet, stock trading was done exclusively through brokers. Now that computers and technology have apparent strongholds in the realm of stock trading, more people have access to the market. This essay shares some experiences that online stock trading services and day traders have had due to the radical movement of online trading. The essay commences with a fictional anecdote that describes one man’s unfortunate experience through online trading. It then moves to some non-fictional examples. One company was forced to leave the prospect of trading behind and had to close its services. Another has found refuge in expanding its holdings by moving its primary focus away from online trading services after gaining its initial capital exclusively through this form of business. Individual investors have also gained and lost through internet stock trading. In one example, a retired nurse moves her retirement fund into the stock market in order to make money. And in another, a man invests in technological stock but realizes that they are not as strong as he once thought two years prior. Each of these entities has been affected by the decline in the stock market, and not all were winners. Using research gathered from other publications, this essay’s goal is to focus on the importance of online stock trading and to demonstrate, through analysis, the claim that the industry is vulnerable to an extended decline in the stock market. It was going to be a sure fire way to make some quick money. In the late 1990’s, high technology and internet stocks were experiencing tremendous gains and a new way of trading stock was being developed. Online trading was in its ... ...sh. â€Å"Gains Allure; Fed up with Advice to Stay Put, Some Investors are Looking to Make a Quicker Buck.† 13 Aug 2002. LexisNexis Database. 29 Oct 2002. <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document/>. Glassman, James K. â€Å"Tech-Bashers Miss the Point.† 24 Feb. 2002. LexisNexis Database. 29 Oct. 2002. < http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document/>. Kanaley, Reid. â€Å"Herd has Veered Away from Online Investing.† 15 Oct. 2002. LexisNexis Database. 29 Oct. 2002. <http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document/>. Tunick, Britt. â€Å"The Financial Supermarket.† 17 June 2002. LexisNexis Database. 29 Oct. 2002. < http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document/>. Wong, A.Y.L. â€Å"Ceasing of the Company’s Online Share Trading.† 12 July 2002. LexisNexis Database. 29 Oct. 2002. < http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document/>.

Fiat Chrysler Essay

1. According to a major economics consulting firms, Fiat`s  ¨South American operations are the jewel in the Italian company`s global operations ¨. Fiat has plants in Brazil and Argentina, and Brazil is the biggest market, well ahead of its home-country market. In 2011, with the Chrysler venture taking up more and more of the firm`s attention – and as European sales suffered a steep decline – rumors began to circulate that Marchionne might move Fiat headquarters from Italy to the United States. Discuss Fiat ´s takeover of Chrysler as part of strategy to transform itself from international business into a multinational or global business 2. What benefit does fiat hope to gain from its arrangement with Chrysler what potential drawback does it face? Judging from your analysis of benefits and drawbacks, explain why the Fiat-Chrysler arrangement might be characterized as strategic alliance? In what sense is it best characterized as a direct investment? 3. What challenges in the US cultural environment do you expect Fiat to face as it uses its Chrysler connection to compete in the American car market? What management challenges will Marchionne face in the areas of planning and decision making, organizing and leading? Before their merger, Fiat and Chrysler were two comparatively small regional companies overly reliant on just three auto markets—the U.S., Italy and Brazil. Through the first nine months of 2013, nearly 85% of the Fiat’s automotive revenue came from North America, Latin America and Europe. About two-third of its profit before interest and taxes came from North America, according to data on the company’s website. In the U.S., Chrysler, though profitable, still suffers from the drought of research and development spending in recent years—a gap acutely visible in midsize sedans. Chrysler faces significant investments to keep pace with rising U.S. government fuel efficiency standards. Chrysler-Fiat ranked last among 11 auto makers in a U.S. government scorecard of average fuel efficiency published in October. In Europe, Fiat faces some of the biggest challenges of any mass-market manufacturer. â€Å"Fiat’s European business is the most structurally challenged in the region,† said George Galliers, an  analyst at London-based broker International Strategy & Investment Group Fiat’s European market share has dwindled to 6.2% in the first 11 months of 2013 from 8.8% in 2009, according to the latest data. In November, Fiat sold fewer cars in Europe than it did in Brazil, and that South America market is now vulnerable amid worries over the sustainability of its economic growth. Fiat and Chrysler also are working on new vehicle architectures, aiming to produce more models from fewer underlying sets of platforms. Analysts say it will be important for the vehicles to suit different markets without substantial and costly revisions. Another part of the Fiat-Chrysler strategy is to use Chrysler’s U.S. factories to build Fiat models and vice versa, helping to better distribute production and help fill Fiat’s half empty Italian factories. The first fruits of the integration are on display here, and promise to help Mr. Marchionne achieve his long-term goal of increasing global sales of the two companies to six million vehicles by 2014. Together, Fiat and Chrysler sold about 4.2 million cars and trucks last year. The marriage of an all-American Jeep with the Italian luxury heritage of a Maserati is the best evidence yet that Chrysler and Fiat can create products together that they could not afford to make independently, Ever since Fiat took control of Chrysler, Mr. Marchionne has said he planned to leverage the strengths of both companies and operate them as co-equals. â€Å"Daimler could never figure out what to do with Chrysler because they had no interest in integrating it into their business,† Mr. Hall said. â€Å"But Fiat actually believes it needs Chrysler for mass purchasing of parts.† The strategies used by the multinational enterprises are extremely diverse. Our purpose in this paper is not to explore their multitude, but to have a better picture of the most successful strategies employed by large multinationals, analyze their strengths and weaknesses and derive the main factors that create a difference. We found innovation, cost reduction and market conditions as key elements supporting a successful internal strategy and strategic alliance and diversification to be among the most widely applied strategies for a foreign market penetration and development, while fusions and licenses were the least preferred. Conclusion: Lots and lots of question marks. It all depends on how it goes. If Fiat can pacify Chrysler, if the integration of Fiat-Chrysler works, if Americans really buy smaller-engine cars, if the new platforms prove successful, if they keep their position in Brazil and manage to break into Russia and China, if Europe recovers. However, there are good, solid reasons for hope of a better future. Dark clouds abound, but here and there, there are rays of sunshine. They are well-positioned in some key markets. They’ve established a foothold in North America. They have a big presence and are a player in markets all over the world (except Asia). The cars are more reliable than ever before, yet still manage to be engaging and more fun than some of the competition and most owners are satisfied. Their new engines are renowned and studied and copied by other makers as they really do point a way into an ever more frugal future. However, do they have the capacity to overcome the difficulties? You can be an optimist or a pessimist, but the reality is†¦ Only time will tell. What Does Chrysler Get? Fiat will share with Chrysler its platforms and powertrain technology, including engines, transmissions, and fuel-saving tech. Today’s announcement specifically mentions city and compact vehicles, products Chrysler will need should American consumers actually decide to buy the small, fuel-efficient cars U.S. lawmakers claim they want. Chrysler will also get better distribution of its products, certainly in Europe, but also in places such as India—Fiat has a partnership with Tata Motors—and Brazil. Fiat also has a deal with Chery, the Chinese automaker with which Chrysler had been trying to partner. Both Chrysler and Fiat will also be able to better leverage their global supplier ties and therefore see cost savings in larger volume. What’s in it for Fiat? For Fiat, the reward is simple: distribution channels. Currently, Fiat only sells Maserati and Ferrari in the U.S., although Alfa’s gorgeous 8C has been sold here in extremely limited numbers, as well. If Fiat wants to become a truly global entity, a foothold in North America would be most helpful. Alfa Romeo has been promising a proper return to the U.S. market for some time, and Chrysler’s distribution network could ease that brand’s return to our shores—perhaps even saving some Chrysler dealers from closing altogether—and could also serve as a point of sale for potential Fiat and Lancia imports, too. Fiat will also likely be able to use excess global production capacity to assemble Chrysler-badged variants of its products. With worldwide auto sales slowing, that would help Fiat to continue manufacturing at pre-slowdown levels; Chrysler could potentially build Fiats in its plants, as well. A wrench in the works: Chrysler is still in a partnership with Nissan. One product of that hook-up is expected to be a Versa-based small car, possibly based on the Dodge Hornet concept. (That car was also rumored to have sprung from the potential Chrysler/Chery partnership.) We wonder how this new Italian-American deal might affect those already in place with Nissan, which include rebadging the new-for-2009 Dodge Ram as the replacement for the Titan. It’s All About Synergies—and Other Buzzwords Despite Fiat being on the financial ropes itself only a few years ago, Italy’s last remaining large car company has come fighting back like Rocky Balboa thanks in part to a $2-billion alimony payment from its annulled marriage with General Motors. Chrysler could do a lot worse when it comes to picking a dance partner for 21st century survival. Speculating further, here’s how a few Fiat products could make an impact. A caveat: most of Fiat’s vehicles weren’t designed with U.S. crash and emissions standards in mind (the 500 being an exception), so it’s possible that we’ll have to wait at least until the next generation of each of these cars arrives before they could be sold here. Fiat Grande Punto: It wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration to say that the Grande Punto is the car that saved Fiat. At the time of its introduction back in 2005, the Italian auto giant was staggering after years of neglecting the small-car market, a segment which had made it such a powerhouse from the 1950s through the ‘70s. Handsome, well-built, and economical, the Grande Punto surprised the automotive world by being, well, so unlike the rust-prone wheezeboxes Fiat had peddled to European consumers for the previous two decades. Maybe it didn’t single-handedly save Fiat, but had the Grande Punto flopped, it could have destroyed the company. Sized to compete with cars like the new Ford Focus and Honda Civic, this small Fiat would look nice rebadged as a Chrysler. Its range of economical  gasoline-fired engines (from a feeble but fuel-sipping 64-hp, 1.2-liter four-banger to the tire-smoking, 178-hp four found in the sporty Abarth SS model) could earn Chrysler green-car cred, props from the sport-compact crowd, and a valuable slice of the small-car market. So far, Fiat’s efforts to sell its European models in the U.S. and Chrysler’s American-designed sedans and Jeeps in Europe have produced lackluster results. Before their merger, Fiat and Chrysler were two comparatively small regional companies overly reliant on just three auto markets—the U.S., Italy and Brazil. Multinational, Global, International, and Transnational Companies Because international business is a relatively new discipline and is extremely dynamic, you will find that the definitions of a number of terms vary among users. For example, some people use the words world and global interchangeably with multinational to describe a business with widespread international operations, but others define a global firm as one that attempts to standardize operations in all functional areas but that responds to national market differences when necessary. According to this definition, a global firm’s management 1. Searches the world for (a) market opportunities, (b) threats from competitors, (c) sources of products, raw materials, and financing, and (d) personnel. In other words, it has global vision. 2. Seeks to maintain a presence in key markets. 3. Looks for similarities, not differences, among markets. Those who use global in this manner are defining a multinational company as a kind of holding company with a number of overseas operations, each of which is left to adapt its products and marketing strategy to what local managers perceive to be unique aspects of their individual markets. Some academic writers suggest using terms such as multidomestic and multilocal as synonyms for this definition of multinational. You will also find those who consider multinational corporation to be synonymous with multinational enterprise and transnational corporation Marchionne made it clear that if FIAT was to survive the global crisis, it had to become a global player, and more particularly one of the six world-class manufacturers capable of producing and selling six million vehicles per year. For this reason, a profound reorganization of internal governance and productive processes was needed, along with a strategic alliance with other car manufacturers around the world. The implication of this strategy was that FIAT could no longer tie its own interests with those of its home country, unless all the players involved (employees, trade unions, the Government and the employers’ association itself) were prepared to comply with the company’s requirements. Thus, in the public discourse of the CEO, the exit option, i.e. the scenario of FIAT moving its plants to sites with lower labour costs in Eastern Europe or elsewhere, became feasible.3 The joint venture with the US manufacturer Chrysler in 2009, which, after the acquisition of a majority share by FIAT, should be considered to be a merger, marks the achievement of the status of global player by the company (hereinafter, FIAT-Chrysler, or the Group).