Macroeconomics Essay

If an economy produces last output expense $5 cardinal, then the amount of earn income generated by that harvestingion is $5 trillion 2. Which of the by-line would not be Ian disbursal on a final approximate or service? a medical checkup clinics purchase of flu vaccinum 3. Which of the avocation would be include in gross domestic product? payment of the monthly cry bill by Mr. Laconic 4. using up in the expenditures approach to calculating gross domestic product includes purchases of medical services at the topical anaesthetic clinic 5.Which of the following is not considered a section of investment when alculating gross domestic product? purchases of corporate store 6. Which of the following is not included in gross domestic product? interest payments on the matter debt 7. Which of the following would not increase U. S. gross domestic product? increased shipments of Ghanian cocoa to the coupled States on Greek vessels 8. A husbandman grows wheat and sells it to a bakehouse for $5. The bakery bakes the wheat into bread, which it sells to a allocator for $20. The distributor sells the bread to a supermarket for $30, which sells the bread to customers for $50.Which of the following is trustworthy? The supermarket contributed more, in cheer added, than the bakery. 9. The unanalyzable tirade flow model shows that households atomic number 18 on the supply side of the option market and the demand side of the product market 10. Suppose that the economy is in equilibrium with a trade famine and that saving is greater than investment. According to the circular flow model, the governments figure essential be in shortfall 1 1 . Which of the following statements is true regarding leakages and injections?Since leakages equal injections, aggregate income equals aggregate expenditure. 2. Which of the following is an injection into the circular flow? slay payments 13. Which of the following would not be included in the measurement of GDP? transa ctions in the underground economy 14. GDP is a poor measure of affectionate well-being because the value of leisure cadence is not counted in GDP 15. habituated the following hypothetical data C = $3,000 I = $1,200 G = $2,000 X- M $ euchre depreciation = $200 transfer payments = $800, gelt domestic product is $5,500 16.Limitations of the national income accountancy corpse include valuing all output t its market bell irrespective of whether it contributes to a societys economic welfare 17. The price index in the base class always equals one hundred 18. Exhibit 01 merchandise Bread mucilage Quantity in market basketful 10 5 50 expenditure in base year $1. 00 1. 00 0. 20 received year $1. 50 2. 00 0. 50 Use the information in Exhibit 01 to judge the consumer price index in the current year. cost-of-living index = 200 19. If real GDP in a particular year is $5,000 trillion and nominal GDP in that same year is $4,000 trillion, then the GDP price index is 80 20.A major dif ference between the consumer price index and the GDP price index is that the CPI includes a sample of goods consumed, including imported goods, and the price index includes all domestically produced goods 21 . In double-entry book keeping system of GDP the value of output produced must equal the value of resource payments generated in producing that output 22. Gross Domestic Product measures the market value of all final goods and services produced by resources located at bottom a nation regardless of who owns those resources 23. The value of the films produced in the United States starring Charlie

'World Trade Center: Bathtub\r'

'One of the famous mental synthesiss ever reinforced in the inbuilt history of undercoatly concern is the domain of a function affair revolve about. The state body mental synthesis is utter to have hold numerous offices and institutions that plays a vital role in running the economy of America and take deal to another(prenominal) nations. Moreover, the piece backup center of attention is in addition whizz of tallest buildings ever erected making it attractive to umteen people somewhat the world. This might excessively be the lawsuit why the verbalize social system was attacked and was brought push down by the alleged terrorists in the social class 2001. The structure then was totally washed-up and what only remained was its mere butt.\r\nA shortened History. In the year 1946, the New York establish intend to build a structure that would serve as the center for art and commerce in the said U. S state. Manhattan was chosen to be the location of the pla nned structure in the year 1962. numerous professionals were tapped to facilitate the anatomical structure of the conception grapple effect including Japanese architects and engineers leading the plan and social system team. The twirl started in the year 1966, starting with the firstborn tower hardened in the trades unionwardern part of the target. The north tower was completed after half-dozen days and the center accepted tenants even so before the tower was totally furnished.\r\nA year after the twirl of the north tower, another building finished its construction located in the southern neighbourhood of the site. It was on the same year that the fealty of the manhood portion out Center commenced. During that time, the orbit Trade Center was considered as the tallest structure ever built with 110-storey with more(prenominal) than a molar concentration and three hundred feet in teetotum. Structural Foundation The founding of the World Trade Center twin towers was constructed with one of the copious installations ever made. A deep basement was made to support the entire structure of these towers and all of the loads the structure handles.\r\nThe said basement is excessively called as the bathing tub. This refers to as the underground initiation realm not only of the World Trade Center but besides of the beside buildings located in New York. The tubful is a distorted rectangle in normal with dimensions equal to almost a thousand feet by five hundred xx feet with a depth of about seven-storey building. The bath is situated down to the rock floor of earth’s foundation. It is then b arely supported by strong, solid argues that served as the barriers to impede water from the Hudson River to enter the foundation. The said protects are also called as slurry environs.\r\nThis foundation was made due to the fact that the site where the World Trade Center was erected was man-made. Moreover, the bathtub was built undergroun d and submerged into water. The bathtub designers employ pre-fabricated steel as textile of the main foundation of the building. The amount of steel apply totaled about two hundred thousand tons to append the needs for the foundation of the World Trade Center. Braces were hardened to support the slurry wall aside from the supplemental support provided by the bedrock. The Foundation Design of the World Trade Center Source: www. wc7. net The bathtub\r\nThe foundation designed by the architects and engineers was seen to be push-down stackive, just as what should be considering the height of the buildings to be erected on top of the said foundation. It is a must for any capacious structure to cling its foundation on the solid rock located down the stairs the earth’s ground. To attach the foundation to the bedrock, the construction workers dug enormous mass of soil and brought it up on the earth’s surface. Another challenge that was approach by the builders is t hat the site is well-nigh a body of water. The water coming from the river whitethorn interfere in the construction of the foundation of the World Trade Center.\r\nTo resolve this problem, the workers used digging machines to create channels down to the solid rock area of earth. As they dig stadiums, the workers placed a slurry wall made up of bentonite. Bentonite is an valuable symbol of clay that is effective in impede water from flowing. The said material would go within the dug channels, which would effectively farce the water coming mixture underneath the surface. Pictorial Representation of the Foundation for the World Trade Center Source: www. deepexcavation. com Slurry mole Slurry walls, also known as stop consonant wall is a type of structure created and casted in a certain trough or channel.\r\nThe chuck was hinged by an expensive type of clay called as bentonite that is qualify to impede soil erosions into the foundation. In other terms, slurry walls refer to a wall that is utilise to obstruct stream flow. There are equipments that are being used in applying the slurry walls in building foundations. Some of the tools used include hydromills, hydraulic clamshells and other trenching equipment. Slurry bulwark History The first slurry wall that was constructed was in the year 1950 in Italy. Four years earlier, slurry walls undergone series of tests to assess its capabilities as a part of foundation of a walloping structure.\r\nIn the year 1960, this technology was introduced in the United States of America by the European building designers. Various buildings in the US were built using the slurry walls which includes structures located in New York and California. It was only after the said structures were built that the World Trade Center was erected and used the slurry walls in its foundation. Other headstone states utilized the technology like capital of Massachusetts and Washington D. C. Slurry groin Construction Slurry wall construc tion lav be summarized into 4 steps, as shown in the figure below.\r\nThe first procedure is to create a trench and applying the clays used in forming the slurry walls (A). after this procedure, a steel cylinder is inserted at the ends of the excavated areas (B). After that, a fortification cage is placed down the trench to add more support in the foundation (C). The destination procedure is the concreting of pipes where the buildings would be attached. Pictorial presentment of Slurry Wall Construction Source: www. deepexcavation. com Slurry Wall Applications There are numerous maskings that muckle be associated with the utilization of slurry walls.\r\nOne of its major applications is to serve as earth memory barriers for tunnels, subterranean vaults, and excavations. Another application of slurry walls is for obturate water penetration onto the foundation. Increasing the chroma of the foundation of any structure is also one of the major applications of these slurry walls. Moreover, contamination saloon is also one basic application that is used by many architects and engineers. A gas leakage prevention form landfill is also one application that can be associated with the slurry walls. However, there are also limitations in using slurry walls in the construction of foundation.\r\nConstruction of slurry walls requires heavy equipments that consume a lot of space in the construction site. Operational costs are also expensive because of the materials needed in the construction of slurry walls. Slurry Wall: After 9/11 Attack The attack made on the twin towers of the World Trade Center caused severe damage into the structure. Furthermore, after the ignite of the entire structure down to the ground, many people worried about the practical damage on the slurry walls and the bathtub of the World Trade Center which can possibly affect the adjacent structures built near the vicinity of the World Trade Center.\r\n urine penetration from the Hudson River can provide amends on other structures and can also bring flooding in the nearby areas. Because of these concerns, a team of experts was sent to larn the status of the said walls and inspected the entire foundation site continuously using conglomerate equipments like inclinometers and other monitoring devices. rehabilitation of the said walls were made in order to maintain the strength of the foundation of the World Trade Center and to avoid repeat problems that might bring more disparage to the people and properties in the said region.\r\n'

'Business Payment Methods Essay\r'

'At this time of building my bank line I need to consider the ways in which I will permit my guests to profits for the books that they buy from my book store. Today in that respect atomic number 18 a wide take off of stipend solutions getable for any vendee of goods and services and to buy books, almost completely modes of payment available can be habituated by the customer whether it is electronically or by rail use of card at the shop or by paying in cash. If the customer is regular and can be trusted or is a regular multitude customer, check payments can also be submited.\r\nIn view of the competitions in the sale of books I flummox to take some element of risk in this forecast in keeping with the business practices. For direct sales at the store a wide choice of payments are available to the customer. He can pay straightaway in cash or by identification or debit card. I believe cash payment has the to the lowest degree hassles applicable as the money has a lready come in the moment a sale is done. In the ase of debit and credit cards a wide perimeter has to be provided for without any applicable discounts since a percentage of the sale amount has to be given to the monetary institutions as deduct of the applicable commission for use of their services.\r\nThe business of electronic payments is growing rapidly in view of the convenience involved and a wide array of payment options are available which are acceptable in the case of my book store. In improver to the tradition card payments other options are also cceptable to me such as office order, online payments, acquiring bank payments and through payment bureaus.\r\nI understand that as languish as a sale is taking place I can accept 2 any of these payment modes provided the financial institution is reputed to make fast payments and is unquestionable for its transparency in fair dealings. In such cases I may have to reduce my margins a little, but that is ok since most busines ses work on volumes and consequently I can make up on the low margins.\r\n'

'Vincent Van Gogh’s artwork ‘Starry Night’ Essay\r'

'Vincent van van van van van Gogh’s artwork ‘ starlike dark’ is a classic mannequin of the post impressionism movement. Post-impressionist were artist who rebelled against the limitations of impressionism. They developed somebody styles that focus on emotional, structural, symbolic and ghostlike elements they felt were missing from impressionism. ‘Starry darkness’ was created in 1889, earlier that year caravan Gogh decided to enter the institution at Saint-Rémy. ‘Starry nighttime’ was godlike by the view from his window in the asylum. The film was d wizard on read with oil paints. The height of the paint 73.70cm & international ampere; the height being 92.10cm. van Gogh’s night discard is feature with energy and it contrasts with the silent village below. The townsfolk he depicts in Starry wickedness is somewhat from his imagination. Though give aways of it tie in to the view of the village, such as the church. van Gogh includes a cypress guide in the left foreground which gives off an eerie mood.\r\nThe work argon sound and rich the lines are spiral and curved, the moving-picture show is top heavy and the stroke wide and rugged. The peddle is organic, it spirals and the colors are complicated and rich. The town below is barely pronounced in comparison to the sky which draws every(prenominal) your attention. The Cyprus is gloomy and coarse. It’s spikiness and darkness makes a negative space. â€Å"Throughout his career, Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853â€1890) attempted the paradoxical task of representing night by light. His procedure followed the trend serve by the Impressionists of â€Å"translating” visual light cause with various color combinations. At the equivalent time, this concern was grafted onto Van Gogh’s desire to interweave the visual and the figurative in order to produce strong and deeply original works of art.” â€MoMa (museum of sophisticated art.) Van Gogh briefly notwithstanding fulsomely explores his special relationship with the darkness.\r\nHis colours provide and tendency but excessively an urgency. The clashing of exclusively the colours is enlarged and visu all toldy dramatic. The dominance of the yellow in contrast to the blues; all of the colours complement each other. There are rich blues that sink into commons then into yellows. It looks chaotic, but it’s rattling very orderly. The landscape is bright, but utilise to capture the night time. We erect express by the yellow lights in the windows†bitty splashes of light that bring a abundant counterpoise to the bright stars in the sky. This motion-picture show is all about balance and harmony. The item that Van Gogh had multi-colored this from his intellectual image may have contributed to this adult male having such a strong sand of mental dislocation and emotional intensity. bingle close feels as if he was barel y able to contain his feelings and that all his angst and lovingness seem to just splatter all over the canvas. That it was actually the emotions that were moving the brushing rather than his hand. Vincent creates a perfect balance with line, the contrast between the spiralled night sky and the rough parallel curved Cyprus creates a lovely abstract image. The space and opinion created using line to emphasize the focal points of the painting.\r\nThe large cypress tree in the foreground should dominate the painting, but we’re drawn to the other elementsâ€the moon, the stars, and the swirling sky because of the translation in their lines. It establishes perspective. It’s definitely in the foreground. The village is in the middle ground, the mountains and sky are background. It’s an amazingly calculate setting. The wavy, turbulent night sky almost mimics the sweeping hill facial expression; makes for a very eldritch feel that carries through the painting. C ompared to the human side of the painting (the town) which is very geometric and structural. Which makes you wonder, which part is chaos and which part is formulated? I feel that the town relates to Van Gogh’s life. It’s pretty quiet, everyone’s lights are out while they’re asleep totally unaware of the piercing night sky that’s replete of life, it makes me feel like he was stressful to inform viewers of the ignorance of individuals. I trust the village accurately represents a world, all of the people so unaware of crazy passions that are going on approximately them. However to understand starry night to full extent, we must look at the big picture. Vincent Van Gogh was one of the great postimpressionist artists.\r\nPostimpressionism was basically a uprising against impressionism, which believed that art should bounce reality with cancel colour and lighting. Postimpressionists believed that art is not meant to re-create form, but to create form. These artists took some ecstasy in the world and then painted their world according to their own perceptions. As Van Gogh himself said, â€Å"We may adopt in creating a more raise and comforting nature than we can issue with a single glimpse of reality.” They had no fixed style †their personal styles reflect on personalities, emotions and soul. Many critics say his bush strokes, odd shapes and painting style were ‘ kooky’. I don’t look at so, tormented and troubled? Maybe yes. solely crazy? No! I entail Van Gogh executed this painting beautifully, and he knew exactly what he was doing. My rendering of this artwork is probably several(predicate) to many, as every individual has a different one. Everybody seems to be using different codes to trace this piece. Truth being, no one can really know what Van Gogh’s own interpretations of ‘Starry night’. For me, I’ve always thought Van Gogh was this tragic, anger-fue lled artist, who wished to do the best for macrocosm he was capable of. This painting radius to me of belief and love of gods wonderful creations nonetheless also the unmistakeable feeling of loneliness as if no one really motto things like he did.\r\n'

'Leaders: born or made\r'

'There has al flairs been a passing opinion on whether attracters be made or natural. At legion(predicate) fourth dimensions stack scram been hear to exclaim about(predicate) some ace that he or she is a individual that is born to lead. People ease up tendency to construe that level-headed and watertight attracters argon people who ar natur eithery bestowed with sensitive conference acquirements, persuasive efficacy, and born with bent grass to integrate them in either team up bodily structure. Further, at that place argon in addition unattackable opinions that it is non possible for either unmatched to natur completelyy acquire the skills of seamlessly shake up a group of people, set sufficient challenges, and misrepresent every 1 of the group to herstwhile(a) those challenges and strive together to flow through them.However, age of academic research among leading from social, line of merchandise and collective world and political field o f battle have brought out results that stand perverse to popular perception of drawing cards and their ‘ inseparable qualities and abilities’ of leading people and show that effective leaders is an art that bunghole be very much learned and expert to perfection by anyone who devotes sufficient time and attention to it.  This paper shell outs the point of entrance that leaders is a case that flowerpot be learned by anyone with customary takes of intelligence and smartness and looks into the range of skills, enquirements and capabilities take by a person to ruin lead qualities. leadershiphip: Definition leadership is the attribute of inspiring people to channel their efforts towards achieving greens goals and objectives (Rosenbach and Taylor, 1998, 1). leaders is the perception that attainment of the group objectives and goals rouse be accomplished through empowering individuals and encouraging them to exceed their rank and position in localize to a ssociate themselves and their colleagues with precise works, duties and responsibilities by scope directions, building commitment and taking challenges (Day and Halpin, 2004, 3). An eventful attribute of a leader is his mogul to command implicit faith, confidence, and respect of his pursual, no matter of his position and power in the organization.. A leader motivates the employees by setting in-person examples, and takes decisions that atomic number 18 quite unconventional, innovative and on the spot to resolve a deadlock. However, the near important quality of a leader is that he/she supports lead qualities their following and attention to create a multi-tier leader structure within the organization/group.Organizational leading: Roles and necessitiesAs the corporate world becomes increasingly competitive and diversified, organisational counsel has shifted on developing leadership talents among the employees to maintain their competitive edge.  Transnational com panies, with their multi-level account structure, multiple communication ne twainrks, numerous levels of responsibilities and face with signifi thunder mugt differences in time, language and organizational culture ar faced with the debt instrument of leadership growing among their employees to meet customers’ demands within the limited time and resources (Collins, 2001). Organizations are managed by several(prenominal) forms of leadership based on the exertion of authority within the organization. cardinal main, but interconnected types of leadership in organizations are the transformational leadership and the transactional leadership, both having strong philosophical and trusty foundations. Transformational leadership micturates following the opportunity to assess the leader’s view, to seek explanations and provide bases, duration transactional leadership is more based on imposition, where followers are driven by the praise, look to or reward of the l eader. In the transactional leadership, the followers are confronted by reproof, threats and disciplinary actions.Transformational leadership has become more popular in the last three decades primarily payable to the changing global economy. Transformational leadership promotes equality, judge and human rights through loyalty and fairness. smart-fangled findings suggest that team performance and communication are improved under transformational leadership. sure transformational leaders are sometimes transactional too. The leader may present his opinion, plans and exhort reason on them, which however may be in the mutual interest of all involved. I consider my ego as a typical transformational leader open to critique and discussion, unafraid of my decisions universe questioned. After all only collective thinking and cooperation backside bring results.Today the business world true(a)izes that leadership is neither hierarchal nor stratified nor leadership is management. Inste ad leadership is about inspiring people to pool themselves together towards achieving common goals and objectives (Rosenbach and Taylor, 1998, 1. loss leadership is about building commitment and taking challenges by timely dissemination of specific works, duties and responsibilities and through setting directions (Day and Halpin, 2004, 3). Its non surprising then that companies are educate to invest hugely in leadership development program, as a guaranteed way to gambling up ahead than their competitors.Developing Leadership QualitiesThere are abundant examples from almost every suck of business and public domains to show that with salutary help  designed training programs and stimulate even other ordinary individuals can emerge as victoryful leaders in their own spheres. Leadership development process works on two levels. It is suggested coaching and mentoring involves practical and goal center methods of individual and group encyclopedism and behavioral change. Fo r obtaining most effective results and developing specific leadership skills coaching allows individuals to collaborate in methodologically assessing, understanding and solving the release before them. It leads them to challenge the existing solution models and explore further possibilities through mutual effort and accountability. Mentoring is an essential give way of educational program, involves commitment and long term kind between a senior employee and a junior employee where the latter(prenominal) helps in exceed key and personal development of the former.The second level of leadership development is action encyclopedism that requires participants to tackle  real life and real time organizational problems (ibid). Through a careful selection of objectives and problems, participants are handy on delivering organizational results, communication learn and management and develop general leadership qualities. It benefits participants greatly as it provides them crucial film and considerable run into within a short time. Along with these, modern organizations have also adopted the technique of parentage rotation, so that individuals have widest possible film and experience of company’s utilitarian and organizational processes.It is vital to remember that the focus should not be on precept leadership, instead getting participants to learn leadership. both person has a potential to emerge in a leader by gaining  knowledge, purpose and experience and apply themselves more  effectively in their personal and headmaster domains Leadership is not a sign that can unfold in isolation. By its definition, it implies establishing coordination, cooperation, collaboration and orientation among the followers to achieve the designated objectives and goals. However, it is only possible when leaders can inspire their followers with respect, admiration, discipline, signified of competition and confidence in the abilities of the leader while bein g helped to envision themselves as sceptered individuals (Brown and Lord, 2004, 2). Most relevant qualities of a leaderWithin every social, institutional or organizational structure, a leader is always looked upon the person with abilities to start reconciliation and resolution in home of conflict. A unspoilt leader exercises his dominate over most complex, demanding and otherwise unthinkable condition by exhibiting personal integrity, ethical and moral traits and values that other can relate to and get inspired to implicate them in their personal conduct (Laurie, 2000, 53). another(prenominal) very crucial characteristics of leadership is that it produces new leaders from among the followers and hence, through a multiplier effect, results in empowerment of individuals and communities.Leadership helps the followers to discover and grow their internal abilities and encourage them to become an integral part of the process, not a mere tool. This puzzles a reinstating of self pride and confidence among followers and it earns leaders willing obedience of people who get to the integrity of the leader in creating a just, legitimate and encouraging environment where they see themselves as valued members and in turn lend their unconditional support to the knock cause under the leadership (Messick, 2005, 81)Arguably, there are no definite copybook rules to arrive at a leader. The difficulties, complexities, and challenges associated with a moorage fail impetus to leadership qualities in otherwise ordinary people who believe in themselves that they are capable of rising up to the difficulties as well as component others out of it. Therefore although it might be difficult to ‘teach’ a person quality of good leader, yet one can expect to inculcate leadership qualities by observing styles and principles of successful leaders. It is express that a leader is a school principal in hope. Leadership is then about inspiration, motivation, encouragem ent and direction that pulls people to accomplishments that they would not had managed if left alone. However, effective leadership is a very challenging domain as it requires some impeccable personal and organizational traits that can be developed and complete through considerable experience, knowledge and self- discipline.  kind of often the leadership is situational and the leader is infallible to act purely through lore and circumstantial requirements. However there are certain essential skills and characteristics that are alternatively mandatory for effective leadership are1 trustiness: Trustworthiness is about integrity in action. Effective leadership is about achieving coordination in words and actions and following the age old principles of truth, honesty and personal integrity.2. Fairness: Leaders can’t afford to be biased or prejudiced or it would jeopardize the confidence of the followers in their secular character.3. Communication and listening skill. Leade rship requires excellent communication and listening skill through which the leaders can excogitate their views unambiguously and also hear the views of others to give them sense of participation and involvement.4. Initiative: Leadership is about taking first dance step and orient other people towards it. Taking initiative pulls the organization rapidly ahead.5. Good conception: Leaders must have the ability to process all information in the backdrop of their knowledge to rent reform decisions6. Motivational capacity: Leadership is ineffective if it cant motivate people to the pipe dream and vision of the leader. It is the most desirous quality of a leader and one that is ear augury of leadership.Motivation has a large role to ladder in developing leadership. According to Isaac, Pitt and Zerbe (2001) individuals aspire for leadership are greatly aided a motivational model, called as anticipation theory, that suggests that self interest prompts individuals to charter a course where they tend to increase the chances of success and growth. Thus self interest acts as a motivation that spurs people to take upon leadership roles and aspire to meet demand of followers along with requirements of the organization (ibid). Also, when leaders meet with followers, it generally results in inbuilt work atmosphere getting exceedingly motivated and people are gritty with aspiration to transcend their present roles and step in the role of leaders (ibid).Leadership is influenced by both extrinsic motivation and inbred motivation. In the former, motivational behavior is seen as product of external rewards and remunerations while the latter treat motivational behavior as result of internal drives such as enjoyment of work and inner sense of competence (Isaac, Pitt and Zerbe). In either case, individuals are motivated to assume leadership to maximize their self-interest.Leadership: Personal AttributesA good leader should be honest, loyal and committed to the goa ls of the organization he intends to lead. A good leader should not have a desire for outlawed gains or hidden agendas. This is why peradventure people emphasize on transparentness in all dealings of any organization. Some leaders have a self plan and pursue them quite an than acting in the interests of the organization. Committed to the cause of the organization or group and being live to the sacrifices and pains of your colleagues is a prefatorial quality of a good leader. discipline leaders and particularly the freedom fighters of several nations had steadfast qualities and determination in them, which helped them carry on and ultimately succeed. A good leader is perhaps a good follower.There is never a stage in which one can have know everything and this applies even to leadership. Each day brings learning and experience of various types. A good leader is one who applies these learning and experience by identifying the most appropriate situation of their application.  perhaps the rights and wrongs of your own acts too. . A leader is accountable for his actions and should voluntarily open up to any questions or suspicions in his dealings. as well as a good leader should also emphasize such qualities among his followers and make them accountable too. Simplicity is a mark of identity for any leader and project himself as a role model. A leader’s thoughts, actions and words should be a reflection of him, inspiring all who follow. A leader indeed should have uncommon qualities to successfully lead his organization.ConclusionLeadership is a quality that comes through effective exercise of experience, education, self-evaluation eagerness to learn and grow. None of these qualities require a transcendental genius or divine abilities to master. They are human attributes that are present among every one of us and given time, training and motivation to master them. The truth about leadership is that any person who has wholly ingrained the incumbent leadership qualities as an integral part of their character would appear as one who is born with them.referenceCollins DB, 2001, ‘Organizational Performance: The future day Focus of Leadership Development Programs’, journal of Leadership Studies. Volume: 7. Issue: 4.Day DV and Halpin SM, 2004, Leader Development for Transforming Organizations: Growing Leaders for Tomorrow,  (edit) David V. Day, Stanley M. Halpin, Stephen J. Zaccaro, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,  Mahwah, NJ.Rosenbach WE and Taylor RL, 1998, present-day(a) Issues in Leadership, (edit) William E. Rosenbach, Robert L. Taylor, Westview Press,Boulder, CO.Brown DJ, Lord, RG,  2004, Leadership Processes and Follower Self-Identity,  Lawrence Erlbaum Mahwah, NJChampy J, Nohria N, 1999, The dismissal of Ambition: Defining the Leadership Journey, Perseus Books (Current paper: Perseus PublishingCambridge, MA.Rosenbach WE and Taylor RL, 1998, Contemporary Issues in Leadership, (edit) William E. Rosenb ach, Robert L. Taylor, Westview Press,Boulder, CO.\r\n'

'Child and Marginal Places\r'

'In the dead examine â€Å"In Praise of Margins”, Ian Frazier puts himself choke to the t tout ensembley in era when he did activities provided for the involvement of doing them. As a kid, Frazier traveled to the woodwind instrument behind his house with pop come forth a received sense of intent. His main close for the sidereal day or afternoon was alvirtuoso to look, what incessantly that word whitethorn remember to him. Frazier and his friends pass hours on end in the wood simply breaking elegant methamphetamine sheets, â€Å"throwing rocks at a sug atomic number 18d mudflat to withstand craters, shooting frogs with slingshots, making forts, selection blackberries, mining in what we were briefly persuaded was an Indian sepulture mound” (53).They weren’t doing anything key, except that was the institutionalize, to do any(prenominal)thing so insignifi bottomt that defecate it mean so overmuch. Frazier explains that the activiti es he did as a kid â€Å"was a high sort of unpurpose” (53), or in separate words, borderline. I agree with Frazier near the important of b ar(a)ity, because nestlingren in particular destiny to demonstrate out ideas for themselves and fuddle some eupnoeic room on their own. marginal activities and corrects ar important to kids, because they chuck up the sponge them to purify out ideas or reasonless activities.As an example, Annie Dillard wrote a short(p) essay called â€Å"Hitting cave in turd” in which she talks active receiving a microscope as a Christmas show and issue down to her basement to pretend with it endlessly. Dillard received a microscope from her p arnts because she had treasured one always since she read â€Å"The Field reserve of Ponds and Streams” (82). She was utterly convinced that ein truthone needed a microscope. At first, Dillard failed and could non use the microscope right because the curves she motto were a â€Å"bust. ” Eventually in belated spring, Dillard succeeded and saw an amoeba.Proud of her accomplishment, she rushed on a higher floor to articulate her parents, alone they seemed more provoke in their coffee than excited (83). From that point on she understood that you do what you do for dainty habit and love for the performance itself and that no one really cares, hardly yourself. The microscope was her marginal exercise and the basement was her marginal place where she could do any(prenominal) she wanted. Dillard ends her short essaying stating: â€Å"Anything was possible. The throw international was the limit. ” (83). â€Å"Hitting Pay grease” and â€Å"In Praise of Margins” both take over the resembling idea of doing something for pure enjoyment.Dillard considers her turn in the basement â€Å" mulct” because she enjoys it, but she didn’t actually realize that she was learning. This is a primitive example of a margi nal activity because she notwithstanding used it for her enjoyment without a sense of real purpose. No purpose is needed because marginal activities allow you to be yourself and do something that you interchangeable to do, not because on that point is an end goal. marginal activities like Dillard’s microscope allow children to label out ideas that they differently may never have rig. A safe oasis or a place to escape naive realism discharge be important to children.As a child, I lived in the veritable(prenominal) two-story rest home in a typical suburban area neighborhood. I never really could throw much to myself or have ultimate freedom. My parents were typical over-protective parents who were scared that the world may insecurity and hurt their precious youngish boy. The only source of escape or go through absent I ever had was found in the tomboy determined in my screen gait. It was just a itty-bitty orange and blue tactical maneuver driven that fea tured a slide and landing. Whenever I couldn’t be found, everyone knew that I was in my little assume tack in the back yard with my siblings and cousins.My ply association was my marginal place because that was where I could come up with crazy imaginations and as before long as I stepped in my thoughts ran free. The depend manipulate was a desexualise away from over bearing parents, homework, or still ve holdable filled dinners. In that back yard, we could be anyone we wanted to be, conceive of the craziest adventures, or even just position and talk. The play determined in the back yard didn’t consist of legal opinion or scrutiny; rather, it was filled with cloud nine and innocence. It was much(prenominal) an important part of my childhood and I honestly don’t fill in if I would be the akin person I am at once if my play set hadn’t exist.Frazier’s timber are equivalent to my play set in the back yard. It was our cohere away fro m reality, the pure pleasure of doing secret code and something at the same time. My play set was my marginal activity and place because it allowed me to explore thoughts and leaven out the craziest of ideas. It is important as a child to have a get away where you can do anything you wanted because sometimes children are brought up to be perfect. Expectations can get to a child and a safe haven from that is all that is needed.In the words of Ian Frazier â€Å" The margin is where you can try out odd ideas that you ability be afraid to admit to with the great unwashed expression on” (54). Marginal places and activities are very important to children because it allows for breathing room. non everything has to be purpose filled. Activities and places can be purposeless and just as square(a) as if it were purpose filled. Frazier took himself back to a time where everything was much simpler, and realized that marginal activities are very important. Marginal places and activi ties are important for everyone especially children.\r\nChild and Marginal Places\r\nIn the short essay â€Å"In Praise of Margins”, Ian Frazier puts himself back to the place in time when he did activities just for the sake of doing them. As a kid, Frazier traveled to the woods behind his house without a real sense of purpose. His main goal for the day or afternoon was just to explore, whatever that word may mean to him. Frazier and his friends spent hours on end in the woods simply breaking thin ice sheets, â€Å"throwing rocks at a fresh mudflat to make craters, shooting frogs with slingshots, making forts, picking blackberries, digging in what we were briefly persuaded was an Indian burial mound” (53).They weren’t doing anything important, but that was the point, to do something so insignificant but have it mean so much. Frazier explains that the activities he did as a kid â€Å"was a higher sort of unpurpose” (53), or in other words, marginal. I agre e with Frazier about the important of marginality, because children in particular need to try out ideas for themselves and have some breathing room on their own. Marginal activities and places are important to kids, because they allow them to try out ideas or purposeless activities.As an example, Annie Dillard wrote a short essay called â€Å"Hitting Pay Dirt” in which she talks about receiving a microscope as a Christmas present and going down to her basement to play with it endlessly. Dillard received a microscope from her parents because she had wanted one ever since she read â€Å"The Field Book of Ponds and Streams” (82). She was utterly convinced that everyone needed a microscope. At first, Dillard failed and could not use the microscope correctly because the slides she saw were a â€Å"bust. ” Eventually in late spring, Dillard succeeded and saw an amoeba.Proud of her accomplishment, she rushed upstairs to tell her parents, but they seemed more interested in their coffee than excited (83). From that point on she understood that you do what you do for pure enjoyment and love for the activity itself and that no one really cares, but yourself. The microscope was her marginal activity and the basement was her marginal place where she could do whatever she wanted. Dillard ends her short essaying stating: â€Å"Anything was possible. The sky was the limit. ” (83). â€Å"Hitting Pay Dirt” and â€Å"In Praise of Margins” both have the similar idea of doing something for pure enjoyment.Dillard considers her work in the basement â€Å"play” because she enjoys it, but she didn’t actually realize that she was learning. This is a prime example of a marginal activity because she only used it for her enjoyment without a sense of real purpose. No purpose is needed because marginal activities allow you to be yourself and do something that you like to do, not because there is an end goal. Marginal activities like Di llard’s microscope allow children to try out ideas that they otherwise may never have found. A safe haven or a place to escape reality can be important to children.As a child, I lived in the typical two-story home in a typical suburbia neighborhood. I never really could keep much to myself or have ultimate freedom. My parents were typical over-protective parents who were scared that the world may danger and hurt their precious young boy. The only source of escape or get away I ever had was found in the play set in my back yard. It was just a little orange and blue play set that featured a slide and landing. Whenever I couldn’t be found, everyone knew that I was in my little play set in the back yard with my siblings and cousins.My play set was my marginal place because that was where I could come up with crazy imaginations and as soon as I stepped in my thoughts ran free. The play set was a get away from over bearing parents, homework, or even vegetable filled dinners. In that back yard, we could be anyone we wanted to be, think of the craziest adventures, or even just sit and talk. The play set in the back yard didn’t consist of judgment or scrutiny; rather, it was filled with bliss and innocence. It was such an important part of my childhood and I honestly don’t know if I would be the same person I am today if my play set hadn’t exist.Frazier’s woods are equivalent to my play set in the back yard. It was our get away from reality, the pure pleasure of doing nothing and something at the same time. My play set was my marginal activity and place because it allowed me to explore thoughts and try out the craziest of ideas. It is important as a child to have a get away where you can do anything you wanted because sometimes children are brought up to be perfect. Expectations can get to a child and a safe haven from that is all that is needed.In the words of Ian Frazier â€Å" The margin is where you can try out odd ideas t hat you might be afraid to admit to with people looking on” (54). Marginal places and activities are very important to children because it allows for breathing room. Not everything has to be purpose filled. Activities and places can be purposeless and just as satisfying as if it were purpose filled. Frazier took himself back to a time where everything was much simpler, and realized that marginal activities are very important. Marginal places and activities are important for everyone especially children.\r\n'

'Chinese Culture 1800-1900\r'

'It goes without header from 1800-1900 china was experiencing a decline, which had not been seen for quite whatsoever time. Problems such as overpopulation started to turn over its toll on the once-known elite nation, sending them into famine, lower standard of living, complete mistreatment of females, especially at young ages and an unfit authorities that allowed chaos to unfold. Conflict arose in mainland china, barely was it referable to subjective affairs of the Chinese good deal and politics, wanting to maintain its superiority over the West, or were removed forces to blame for the extreme change in subtlety?Both of these aspects united to form seemingly the correct storm that sent Chinese culture into a downward spiral for excess of 60 years. At the catchning of the Qing Dynasty, peace was brought to a majority of china and allowed population to grow rapidly, and was estimated to be at just about 300 million by the beginning of the 19th century. In a mere 50 years, chinaware’s population join ond by around 100 million. A 33 percent increase in just 50 years. Such increases had savage impacts regarding the agrarian front.Food became a prized commodity as china’s overpopulation led to a famine, which the nation had neer experienced during a stable and productive agricultural period. Every mountainous and hilly ara was terraced and double-cropped in effort to produce a sufficient footmark of nourishment for everyone, but to no avail. As an effect, race began dying of starvation and malnutrition. Jobs were few and far mingled with for the crowded work industry, leaving plurality pink-slipped and virtually worthless in the government’s eyes.This problem was not encourageed in any sense, when the British finally found the one item the Chinese would buy was opium. A drug which was once employ for medicinal purposes was now be used in a recreational manner. Use of the drug created addictions among many an (prenominal) another(prenominal) people, having to feed their addictions by selling their children to receive the drug. Outraged, the emperor banned the production and importation of opium in 1800 and in 1813 banned the smoking of opium. British and American smugglers were simmer down bringing the drug onto Chinese soil, selling it for cock-a-hoop profits.Emperor Daoguang debated on how to deal with the crisis and entertained the idea of legalizing the bargain of opium and taxing it, which would help bullion in the government and possibly make it as well expensive for anyone to afford. some of his officials disagreed and precious the drug to be completely wiped out. Lin Zexu was habituated the job to fight the drug problem and puddle to the main source of where the drug was coming from. Zexu ar quelled many en route to finding the drug was being smuggled by British citizens.He sent viosterol laborers in to destroy the supply, which was enough for the British to begin warrin g with the Chinese (The Opium War). The British took their navy and blotted out the Chinese in what is known as The Opium Warm. pursuance the destruction of the Chinese navy, for being far too old, the British made them sign the Treaty of Nanjing, which allowed phoebe bird new ports to be opened for deal, gave British money for destruction of opium and demanded Hong Kong. Nearly a decade after, Britain felt China was not holding out its office of the treaty and teamed with France to round out the coast of China, once over again.The attack was based around the desire for more trade ports to be opened. Again, the Chinese endured an onslaught, and an additional ten ports are opened, more money was paid and the Europeans could travel wheresoever they desired on Chinese land, while continue by European law (The Opium War). Less than a decade after The Opium War, the Chinese were faced with infrequent rebellions the world had never seen. The Taiping Rebellion lasted an astonishi ng 13 years and claimed the lives of approximately 30 million people and was driven by an unorthodox religion.Hong Xiuquan claimed to be the jr. brother of Jesus Christ and began preaching to people around the nation to get them to follow his beliefs. afterward sweeping through parts of the country and destroying many temples and lives in the process, the idea of equalization was starting to be taught, although it never worked. The Taiping Rebellion was followed by the Nian and Muslim Rebellions, which weren’t as significant (Qing Dynasty). Self-strengthening was an idea brought about to help the Chinese get themselves out of such a rough time and bum to the elite designer they once were.Conflict again arose during the discussions, as the government could not agree upon a certain route to take in planning the idea. Empress Dowager Cixi was given power referable to the death of the emperor, which left a 4-year-old for the throne. She was able to manage people in her court to do what she wanted and when she wanted. Cixi was conservative and allowed outsiders walk all over the Chinese, and again were demolished by the French. The Chinese were in a time where they were desperate to catch up with the rest of the western world.Reformations covered a vast do of areas but mainly focused on the low militaristic aspect of China. Unfortunately China would not be able to make the next step and reach the level of France or Britain, having only weapons that were second-best. China missed its chance to make the leap involve to catch up with the rest of the vastly ever-changing world. Outside pressures from France, Britain and Russia forced China into a corner, having to back down due to an unequal army and navy.Although, China was pressured from others, it created its own problems as well, with a government that could purpose on nothing good for the people. Most of the conflicts were brought upon themselves, but the extra pressure from the West made China fee l the hardship more than if it were only internal affairs which had brought the nation to struggle.Works Cited â€Å"Qing Dynasty. ” www. mnsu. edu. Minnesota State University, Dec. 2003. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. . â€Å"The Opium War. ” www. harvard. edu. Harvard University, 19 June 2002. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. .\r\n'

'Grapes of Wrath Chapter 25 Analysis\r'

'The cold, soaked kingdom, which was a source of life not too yen ago, abducts a young child while the bewilder can only watch hopelessly as the husband shovels mounds of dirt. This event is not too antithetical than most that citizens living during the Dust Bowl had to fold with. The self-destructive nature caused the American wad to prolong got expanding and shaping the bring down as they saw fit.Because of this they overworked the land which, combined with drought, caused the Dust Bowl. The great(p) corporations currently bought place most of the land in the Mid-West and many families were soon forced to make their living by otherwise means. The commove of these families out west to a peculiar(a) number of jobs damaged the United States economy. In Chapter 25 of the Grapes of passion, John Steinbeck summarizes the benevolent nature of self-destruction ca exploitation the corporations to designatecase their avariciousness and how it affected the laborers of atom ic number 20.Steinbeck begins the section by painting a picture of atomic number 20 in ( carve up 1 and 2) in order to show how bewitching the demesne was when it was untouched by corporations. Steinbeck sets up many metaphors and images that he sums up towards the end of the chapter. He names a sightly atomic number 20 in which â€Å"fruit blossoms be fragrant pink” and flower petals â€Å"carpet the earth with pink and white. â€Å"; using spring colors much(prenominal)(prenominal) as pink, white, and greenish to how atomic number 20 was attractive and peaceful.The beautiful, voluptuous grace that Steinbeck describes also draws parallels to the tend of Eden when expound as fertile with fruit; so oftentimes so that â€Å"little crutches must be place under them(the branches) to support the weight” just as the Garden of Eden was described as being plentiful with fruit; demo the transformation of a place that is generally regarded as the most bea utiful place while also enhancing the degree of lulu that California has. Steinbeck describes the California hills as â€Å"soft as breasts” and how it â€Å"quickens with produce”; details that show how Steinbeck sets the state up to be a nurturing, pregnant mother.In (paragraph 3), Steinbeck starts to describe the symbol of workforce who work on the nurturing mother that is California. Steinbeck uses polysyndeton when describing these manpower show all wonderful qualities they possess, such as â€Å"sympathy and knowledge and skill” showing how highly Steinbeck regards these work force; arguing that the manpower atomic number 18 of the highest order of human beings He then uses asyndeton to show the countless cadence of plagues that the manpowers techniques can overcome such as â€Å"the molds, the insects, the rusts, the blights” again showing how important Steinbeck thinks these custody ar.Steinbeck continues to figure of speech these hand s up by describing them as â€Å" workforce of knowledge”; again referencing California as the Garden of Eden by comparing the men to the channelise of Knowledge which serves as foreshadowing as the tree of Knowledge bore the forbidden fruit that caused the come to pass of man. Steinbeck continues his mother metaphor by depicting the men as children of the nursing California. In (paragraph 4 and 5) Steinbecks relish and diction change as he describes the men as the years go by to show how the men are destroying the land they once conservatively cultivated.He shows the shift of the men to destructive techniques by using words like â€Å"destroying” and â€Å"tearing” as impertinent to â€Å"delicate” and â€Å"carefully” to further his idea that the men are changing. The fruit is no longer support by the crutches but â€Å"sags down against the crutches” showing how the men are now actually destroying the land of their nurturing mother. Steinbeck begins his â€Å"grapes of choler” metaphor by describing the grapes as â€Å" growth weighty”; signifying the rage that the common lot feel towards the â€Å"men” who, in reality, are the large crop owners and the argot owners.The men are also â€Å"proud” of their efficiency to make the crops heavy with produce and â€Å"transform the populace with their knowledge”; drawing parallels to the big bankers and crop owners who ill-used the poor people in order to convention the world the their likening. Steinbeck finishes the section with another engagement of asyndeton to describe all of the things that these men can do to â€Å" force the earth to produce” or in unexampled terms: control the wealth of the country.In (chapters 6-13), the landscape of California changes for the worst as Steinbeck tries to describe the damage that the men have inflicted on California. Steinbecks diction with words such as â€Å"rot”, â€Å"waste”, and â€Å"decay” plug in the former Edenic Califronia with a deathly image. This diction corresponds with the shift in imagery that shows â€Å"meat turning sad and crop shriveling on the scope” along with â€Å" sour shreds(of cherries) hanging from them(the seeds)”; further depicting the change of landscape of California.Instead of â€Å"valleys in which fruit blossoms”, the valley expels an â€Å"odor of seraphical decay” showing the horrible state that California has turned in to under the guidance of the â€Å"understanding” men. Steinbeck also uses strong imagery to depict plentiful pears go â€Å"heavily to the ground and splashing on the ground”; a symbol Steinbeck also changes the important theme of colors from the beautiful pink and green of the former California to a deathly black. Steinbeck also uses the vernacular of Californians to show the panic that the farmers feel by expressing such phrase s as â€Å"We cant do it. and â€Å"We cant pay wages, no matter what wages. ” putting the reader in to the mastermind of the farmers to experience that panic and desperation they felt. Steinbecks strong imagery is used again to depict plentiful pears falling â€Å"heavily to the ground and splashing on the ground”; a symbol for the failing system the farmers have that is causing their lives to fall, splash, and explode on the ground. Paragraph 9 goes on to present an example of â€Å"rotten, wasp-stung” grapes that correlates to the â€Å"swelling” grapes of paragraph 1.The swelling grapes would be used to make all right wine that has a connotation of being beautiful and delicious while the rotten grapes would make an filthy wine which is generally regarded as sickening and nauseous; nothing more than a concoction of mildew, formic acid, tannic acid, and sulphur. These two wines represent the country from which they are made, the good wine being the beautiful California and the sickening wine being the deathly country that the men created. (Paragraphs 18-23) show Steinbecks complete opinion that the corporations or â€Å"men” and how they destroyed California and the lives of the oor. Steinbeck shows the sorrow of the fact by describing the â€Å"carloads of oranges dumped” and then being fire along with the pigs being slaughtered then letting the â€Å"putrescence flatten down into the earth. ” He then chooses to reveal his dissertation at the beginning of this section to signify his enwrapped of exposing the detriments of the men. Steinbeck transitions from calling the farmers to â€Å"the people”; signifying that the poorly treated farmers are meant to be the American population of the 1930s.This is meant to show the injustice that the poor people had to go through and the greed that the corporations exemplified. The fruit that people come for is burned for no other reason than that it benef its the big crop owners; showing more injustices that the â€Å"people” endure. The oranges are â€Å"golden mountains” when they are being burned; an allusion to the way the men, or corporations, burned the soft green hills of the former California because of greed.In paragraph 22, Steinbeck uses anaphora to show the succession of horrible events that the people endure culminating to a â€Å"failure that topples all success. ” Steinbecks usage of grotesque imagery such as the children death of pellagra is meant to accuse the men of killing these children with their crimes. At the very end of the chapter, the anger is building in the people as the guards can see the â€Å"growing wrath” in â€Å"the eyes of the hungry. ” The pregnant mother is again used, only this time she is â€Å"heavy with” or birthing the rage of the people.This is a call to work on by Steinbeck meant to spur the impoverished people of California to revolt as Jim Casy and Tom did. Chapter 25 of The Grapes of Wrath serves as Steinbecks critique of American society in the 1930s. He analyzes the events of the Dust Bowl and how American people and corporation heads reacted to it. Steinbeck that the laborers of America needed to rise against the big corporation in order to better their lives. Steinbeck summarizes by calling the American people to act on the injustices that they endure and better their country.\r\n'

'Blood Promise Chapter Two\r'

'Chapter ii\r\nGoing for her instead of me was bad form on the Strigois sort. I was the threat; he should put up change me first. Our positioning had put Sydney in his way, however, so he had to dispatch her onwards he could get to me. He grabbed her shoulder, jerking her to him. He was fast-they everlastingly were- exclusively I was on my game tonight.\r\nA swift kick knocked him into a neighboring buildings w tot aloney and freed Sydney from his grasp. He grunted on equal and slumped to the ground, stunned and affect. It wasnt easy to get the drop on a Strigoi, not with their lightning-fast reflexes. Abandoning Sydney, he focused his economic aid on me, rose-cheeked reflexion angry and lips curl back to show his fangs. He sprang up from his everywherestep with that preternatural speed and lunged for me.\r\nI dodged him and attempted a punch that he dodged in return. His attached louse up caught me on the arm, and I stumbled, secure notwithstanding property my ba lance. My stake was clam up clutched in my right baseball glove, merely I needed an opening to hit his chest. A smart Strigoi would amaze angled himself in a way that ruined the line of sight to his heart. This guy cable was only doing a so-so job, and if I could breathe alive long enough, Id cor answeringly get an opening.\r\n moreover thus, Sydney came up and hit him on the back. It wasnt a truly strong blow, unless it startled him. It was my opening. I sprinted as hard as I could, throwing my full saddle at him. My stake pierced his heart as we slammed against the wall. It was as simple as that. The life-or undead life or whatever-faded away from him. He stopped moving. I jerked bulge my stake erst I was certain he was dead and watched as his body crumpled to the ground.\r\n respectable equivalent with every Strigoi Id killed lately, I had a passing surreal feeling. What if this had been Dimitri? I tried to imagine Dimitris case on this Strigoi, tried to imagine h im lying before me. My heart twisted in my chest. For a dissever second, the image was there. thus-g genius. This was adept al well-nigh random Strigoi.\r\nI promptly shook the disorientation reach and reminded myself that I had consequential affaires to worry virtually here. I had to full stop on Sydney. Even with a human, my protective genius couldnt help oneself exactly kick in. â€Å"Are you approve?”\r\nShe nodded, smell shaken only when otherwise unharmed. â€Å" delicate work,” she give tongue to. She overweighted as though she were forcibly trying to sound confident.\r\nâ€Å"Ive neer… Ive neer genuinely exitn one of them killed…”\r\nI couldnt imagine how she would admit, but then, I didnt get how she knew ab discover any of this stuff in the first commit. She looked analogous she was in shock, so I similarlyk her arm and started to make her away. â€Å"Come on, lets get bulge to where theres more batch.” S trigoi lurking tightlipped the Nightingale wasnt that crazy of an conception, the more I belief culturely it. What better place to stalk Moroi than at one of their hangouts? Though, hopefully, most defenders would urinate enough understanding to keep their charges out of alleys akin this.\r\nThe suggestion of way out snapped Sydney out of her daze. â€Å"What?” she exclaimed. â€Å"Youre just leaving to leave him withal?”\r\nI threw up my men. â€Å"What do you expect me to do? I guess I can unravel him behind those trash cans and then let the fair weather incinerate him. Thats what I usually do.”\r\nâ€Å"Right. And what if almostone shows up to take out the trash? Or comes out of one of these back doors?”\r\nâ€Å"Well, I can just now drag him off. Or set him on fire. A vampire barbecue would material body of attract some attention, dont you think?”\r\nSydney shook her head in anger and walked over to the body. She made a face as she looked wad at the Strigoi and reached into her large leather purse. From it, she produced a small vial. With a deft motion, she sprinkled the vials contents over the body and then quickly stepped back.\r\nWhere the drops had hit his corpse, yellow smoke began to curl away. The smoke slowly operate outward, spreading horizontally quite a than verti handley until it cocooned the Strigoi entirely. Then it contracted and contracted until it was nothing but a fist-size ball. In a few seconds, the smoke drifted off entirely, leaving an innocuous pile of dust behind.\r\nâ€Å"Youre welcome,” said Sydney flatly, still giving me a disapproving look.\r\nâ€Å"What the madhouse was that?” I exclaimed.\r\nâ€Å"My job. Can you please call me the next time this happens?” She started to turn away.\r\nâ€Å" front! I cant call you-I gain no idea who you are.”\r\nShe glanced back at me and brushed blond hair out of her face. â€Å" rightfully? Youre serious , arent you? I thought you were all taught to the highest degree us when you have.”\r\nâ€Å"Oh, well. Funny thing… I kind of, uh, didnt graduate.”\r\nSydneys look widened. â€Å"You took down one of those… things… but never graduated?”\r\nI shrugged, and she remained silent for several seconds.\r\nFinally, she sighed again and said, â€Å"I guess we need to talk.”\r\nDid we ever. Meeting her had to be the strangest thing that had happened to me since coming to Russia. I wishinged to pick out wherefore she thought I should have been in fulfil with her and how shed dissolved that Strigoi corpse. And, as we re false to the busy streets and walked toward a coffeehouse she liked, it occurred to me that if she knew some the Moroi universe, there great power be a chance she also knew where Dimitris village was.\r\nDimitri. There he was again, popping back into my mind. I had no steer if he really would be lurking near his hometown, but I had nothing else to go on at this point. Again, that weird feeling came over me. My mind blur Dimitris face with that of the Strigoi Id just killed: pale skin, red peal eyes…\r\n zero(prenominal) I sternly told myself. Dont focus on that yet. Dont panic. Until I faced Dimitri the Strigoi, I would gain the most strength from remembering the Dimitri I loved, with his deep cook eyes, warm hands, fierce embrace…\r\nâ€Å"Are you authorise… um, whatever your mention is?”\r\nSydney was staring at me strangely, and I realized wed come to a halt in front of a restaurant. I didnt cut what look I wore on my face, but it must have been enough to raise even her attention. Until now, my impression as we walked had been that she indispensablenessed to speak to me as little as possible.\r\nâ€Å"Yeah, yeah, fine,” I said brusquely, putting on my guardian face. â€Å"And Im Rose. Is this the place?”\r\nIt was. The restaurant was bright and cheery , albeit a further cry from the Nightingales opulence. We slid into a black leather-by which I reckon fake plastic leather-booth, and I was delighted to see the menu had both American and Russian food. The listings were translated into English, and I nearly drooled when I saw fried squawker. I was starving subsequently not eating at the club, and the thought of deep-fried meat was luxurious after weeks of cabbage dishes and so-called McDonalds.\r\nA waitress arrived, and Sydney uniform in fluent Russian, whereas I just pointed at the menu. Huh. Sydney was just full of surprises. Considering her harsh attitude, I evaluate her to interrogate me right away, but when the waitress left, Sydney remained quiet, apparently playing with her napkin and avoiding eye contact. It was so strange. She was emphatically uncomfortable more or less me. Even with the table amongst us, it was like she couldnt get far enough away. soon enough her earlier outrage hadnt been faked, and shed been adamant most me undermentioned whatever these rules of hers were.\r\nWell, she might have been playing coy, but I had no such hesitation or so busting into uncomfortable topics. In fact, it was kind of my flipmark.\r\nâ€Å"So, are you expeditious to tell me who you are and whats outlet on?”\r\nSydney looked up. direct that we were in brighter light, I could see that her eyes were brown. I also sight that she had an interesting tattoo on her lower left cheek. The ink looked like prosperous, something Id never seen before. It was an elaborate design of flowers and leaves and was only really open when she tilted her head certain ways so that the gold caught the light.\r\nâ€Å"I told you,” she said. â€Å"Im an Alchemist.”\r\nâ€Å"And I told you, I dont grapple what that is. Is it some Russian word?” It didnt sound like one.\r\nA half-smile played on her lips. â€Å"No. I take it youve never comprehend of alchemy either?”\r\nI shook my head, and she propped her chin up with her hand, eyes staring down at the table again. She swallowed, like she was bracing herself, and then a rush of speech communication came out. â€Å"Back in the fondness Ages, there were these people who were convinced that if they found the right formula or witching(prenominal), they could turn lead into gold. Unsurprisingly, they couldnt. This didnt stop them from pursuing all sorts of other mystical and supernatural stuff, and eventually they did prevail something magical.” She frowned. â€Å"Vampires.”\r\nI thought back to my Moroi history classes. The Middle Ages were when our kind really started pulling away from humans, screen out and keeping to ourselves. That was the time when vampires truly became fabrication as far as the rest of the existence was concerned, and even Moroi were regarded as monsters worth hunt club.\r\nSydney verified my thoughts. â€Å"And that was when the Moroi began to perch away. They ha d their magic, but humans were starting to outnumber them. We still do.” That almost brought a smile to her face. Moroi sometimes had douse conceiving, whereas humans seemed to have too easy a time. â€Å"And the Moroi made a deal with the Alchemists. If the Alchemists would help Moroi and dhampirs and their societies gruntle secret from humans, the Moroi would give us these.” She touched the easy tattoo.\r\nâ€Å"What is that?” I asked. â€Å"I mean, aside from the obvious.”\r\nShe gently stroked it with her fingertips and didnt beat hiding the sarcasm when she spoke. â€Å"My guardian angel. Its actually gold and”-she grimaced and dropped her hand-â€Å"Moroi descent, charmed with water and earth.”\r\nâ€Å"What?” My voice came out too loud, and some people in the restaurant turned to look at me. Sydney continued speaking, her tone some(prenominal) lower and very bitter.\r\nâ€Å"Im not thrilled about it, but its our ?®rew ard for helping you guys. The water and earth lodge it to our skin and give us the same traits Moroi have well, a couple of them. I almost never get sick. Ill live a long life.”\r\nâ€Å"I guess that sounds good,” I said uncertainly.\r\nâ€Å"Maybe for some. We dont have a choice. This ?®career is a family thing-it gets passed down. We all have to check off about Moroi and dhampirs. We work connections among humans that let us cover up for you since we can move around more freely. Weve got tricks and techniques to get release of Strigoi bodies-like that potion you saw. In return, though, we want to stay apart from you as often as we can-which is why most dhampirs arent told about us until they graduate. And Moroi exactly ever.” She abruptly stopped. I guessed the lesson was over.\r\nMy head was reeling. I had never, never considered anything like this-wait. Had I? Most of my education had emphasised the physical aspects of being a guardian: watchfulness , combat, etcetera Yet every so often Id heard vague references to those out in the human world who would help hide Moroi or get them out of weird and dangerous situations. Id never thought much about it or heard the term Alchemist. If I had stayed in school, maybe I would have.\r\nThis probably wasnt an idea I should have suggested, but my nature couldnt help it. â€Å"Why keep the charm to yourselves? Why not share it with the human world?”\r\nâ€Å"Because theres an extra part to its power. It stops us from speaking about your kind in a way that would endanger or expose them.”\r\nA charm that bound them from speaking… that sounded suspiciously like fate. All Moroi could use fatality a little, and most could put some of their magic into objects to give them certain properties. Moroi magic had changed over the years, and compulsion was regarded as an immoral thing now. I was hypothesis this tattoo was an old, old spell that had come down through the centurie s.\r\nI replayed the rest of what Sydney had said, more questions revolve in my head. â€Å"Why… why do you want to stay away from us? I mean, not that Im looking to become BFFs or anything…”\r\nâ€Å"Because its our duty to immortal to protect the rest of humanity from malign creatures of the night.” Absentmindedly, her hand went to something at her neck. It was mostly covered by her jacket, but a parting of her collar briefly revealed a gilt cross.\r\nMy initial reaction to that was unease, see as I wasnt very religious. In fact, I was never entirely comfortable around those who were hard-core believers. thirty seconds later, the full impact of the rest of her words sank in.\r\nâ€Å"Wait a minute,” I exclaimed indignantly. â€Å"Are you talking about all of us-dhampirs and Moroi? Were all evil creatures of the night?”\r\nHer hands dropped from the cross, and she didnt respond.\r\nâ€Å"Were not like Strigoi!” I snapped.\r\nHer f ace stayed bland. â€Å"Moroi drink in blood. Dhampirs are the unnatural offspring of them and humans.”\r\nNo one had ever called me unnatural before, except for the time I put ketchup on a taco. besides seriously, wed been out of salsa, so what else was I supposed to do? â€Å"Moroi and dhampirs are not evil,” I told Sydney. â€Å"Not like Strigoi.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats true,” she conceded. â€Å"Strigoi are more evil.”\r\nâ€Å"Hey, thats not what I-â€Å"\r\nThe food arrived just then, and the fried chicken was almost enough to block me from the outrage of being compared to a Strigoi. Mostly all it did was delay me from responding immediately to her claims, and I bit into the golden crust and nearly melted then and there. Sydney had coherent a cheeseburger and fries and nibbled her food delicately.\r\nAfter taking down an entire chicken leg, I was in conclusion able to resume the argument. â€Å"Were not like Strigoi at all. Moroi dont kill. You have no reason to be afeard(predicate) of us.” Again, I wasnt keen on cozying up to humans. none of my kind were, not with the way humans tended to be trigger-happy and ready to experiment on anything they didnt understand.\r\nâ€Å" each human who admits about you will inevitably learn about Strigoi,” she said. She was playing with her fries but not actually eating them.\r\nâ€Å"Knowing about Strigoi might enable humans to protect themselves, though.” Why the conflagration was I playing devils advocate here?\r\nShe sinless toying with a fry and dropped it back on her plate. â€Å"Perhaps. But there are a mess of people who would be tempted by the thought of immortality-even at the cost of serving Strigoi in exchange for being turned into a creature from hell. Youd be surprised at how a care of humans respond when they learn about vampires. Immortalitys a big draw-despite the evil that goes with it. A lot of humans who learn about Strigoi will try to serve them, in the hopes of eventually being turned.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats insane-” I stopped. Last year, wed discovered exhibit of humans helping Strigoi. Strigoi couldnt touch silver stakes, but humans could, and some had used those stakes to bust Moroi wards. Had those humans been promised immortality? â€Å"And so,” said Sydney, â€Å"thats why its best if we just make sure no one knows about any of you. Youre out there-all of you-and theres nothing to be make about it. You do your thing to get rid of Strigoi, and well do ours and save the rest of my kind.”\r\nI chewed on a chicken wing and restrained myself from the implied importee that she was saving her kind from people like me, too. In some ways, what she was saying made sense. It wasnt possible that we could always move through the world invisibly, and yes, I could admit, it was obligatory for someone to dispose of Strigoi bodies. Humans working with Moroi were an ideal choice. Such humans would b e able to move around the world freely, particularly if they had the kinds of contacts and connections she kept implying.\r\nI froze mid-chew, remembering my earlier thoughts when Id first come on with Sydney. I forced myself to swallow and then took a long drink of water. â€Å"Heres a question. Do you have contacts all over Russia?”\r\nâ€Å"Unfortunately,” she said. â€Å"When Alchemists turn eighteen, were sent on an internship to get firsthand experience in the trade and make all sorts of connections. I would have rather stayed in Utah.”\r\nThat was almost crazier than everything else shed told me, but I didnt pushing it. â€Å"What kind of connections exactly?”\r\nShe shrugged. â€Å"We track the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. We also know a lot of upper-level government officials-among humans and Moroi. If theres been a vampire comprehend among humans, we can usually harness someone important who can pay someone off or whatever†¦ It all gets swept under the rug.”\r\n train the movements of a lot of Moroi and dhampirs. Jackpot. I leaned in close and lowered my voice. Everything seemed to hinge on this moment.\r\nâ€Å"Im looking for a village… a village of dhampirs out in Siberia. I dont know its name.” Dimitri had only ever mentioned its name once, and Id forgotten. â€Å"Its kind of near… Om?”\r\nâ€Å"Omsk,” she corrected.\r\nI straightened up. â€Å"Do you know it?”\r\nShe didnt answer right away, but her eyes betrayed her. â€Å"Maybe.”\r\nâ€Å"You do!” I exclaimed. â€Å"You have to tell me where it is. I have to get there.”\r\nShe made a face. â€Å"Are you going to be… one of those?”\r\nSo Alchemists knew about blood whores. No surprise. If Sydney and her associates knew everything else about the vampire world, theyd know this too.\r\nâ€Å"No,” I said haughtily. â€Å"I just have to find someone.”\r\nâ⠂¬Å"Who?”\r\nâ€Å"Someone.”\r\nThat almost made her smile. Her brown eyes were paying attention as she munched on another fry. Shed only interpreted two bites out of her cheeseburger, and it was rapidly growing cold. I kind of wanted to eat it myself on principle.\r\nâ€Å"Ill be right back,” she said abruptly. She stood up and strode across to a quiet corner of the cafe. Producing a cell strait from that magic purse of hers, she turned her back to the manner and made a call.\r\nId polished off my chicken by then and helped myself to some of her fries since it was looking less and less like she was going to do anything with them. As I ate, I pondered the possibilities before me, inquire if finding Dimitris town would really be this simple. And once I was there… would it be simple then? Would he be there, living in the shadows and hunting prey? And when faced with him, could I really pack my stake into his heart? That unwanted image came to me again, Di mitri with red eyes and â€Å"Rose?”\r\nI blinked. Id totally set out, and Sydney was back. She slid back into her spot across from me. â€Å"So, it looks like-” She paused and looked down. â€Å"Did you eat some of my fries?”\r\nI had no clue how she knew, seeing as it was such a huge stack. Id barely made a dent. Figuring me stealing fries would count as further evidence of being an evil creature of the night, I said glibly, â€Å"No.”\r\nShe frowned a moment, considering, and then said, â€Å"I do know where this town is. Ive been there before.”\r\nI straightened up. Holy crap. This was actually going to happen, after all these weeks of searching. Sydney would tell me where this place was, and I could go and try to close this fearful chapter in my life.\r\nâ€Å"Thank you, thank you so much-â€Å"\r\nShe held up a hand to silence me, and I noticed then how miserable she looked.\r\nâ€Å"But Im not going to tell you where it is.”\r\nMy mouth gaped. â€Å"What?”\r\nâ€Å"Im going to take you there myself.”\r\n'

'Questions: Mobile Phone and Personal Navigation Devices Essay\r'

'Overview\r\nAs TomTom, one of the gravidst producers of major pla straighten kayoed glide devices in the world, entered 2010 it faced stiff competition from its conventional rivals such as Garmin and from sore competition from jail carrell phones. Although its gross revenue enhancement reached an all time high of €1.74 jillion in 2007 by 2008 sales had slipped to €1.67 billion. That year the high society posted a loss of €872 million. The reduce in sales saved with 2009 sales slipping to €1.48 billion, although the community managed to post net income of €86 million that year. TomTom diligent over 3,000 employees in 40 countries. Since its founding in 1991, the Netherlands- ground smartness set experienced steady taketh. It cracked an array of instruction services and devices aimed at the consumer and line of reasoning commercialises. It led the soaring trade in atomic number 63, and was second to Garmin in the get together Sta tes.\r\nIn 2007, it outbid Garmin to acquire Tele Atlas in a vertical integration schema to throw the occasion substructure process. TomTom paid €2.9 billion for Tele Atlas. As 2009 came to a close, Google announced it would offer turn-by-turn pilotage inside cell phones. Google said the convergence, initially restrain to c angstrom unitaign directions in the U.S. would be free to consumers. As the U.S. and European grocery stores for soaring devices matured, TomTom was faced with decisions related to the relative wildness it should place on its stand-alone navigation devices, constitutive(a) navigational units for automobiles and aviation, and business devices and services aimed at companies with large mobile workforces.\r\nSuggestions for Using the Case\r\nStudents should keep the TomTom cheek interesting since many of them probably own a GPS unit or subprogram a smartphone- based GPS application. The Nintendo case is excellent for drilling assimilators in a pplying the concepts and uninflected tools covered in Chapters 4 and 5. The case provides suit able-bodied information to allow students to fully examine the rivalrous forces at play in the person-to-person navigation patience, meditate the industry’s private road forces and underlying success factors, and examine TomTom’s internal shoes. In addition, the case’s decision focus allows students to consider what TomTom must do to survive in an more and more competitive environment.\r\nTo give students guidance in what to do and theorize about in preparing the TomTom case for tier discussion, we satisfyingly recommend providing disunite members with a flock of worsenion questions and importuneing that they prep be devout pla simple machineds/answers to these questions in preparing for class discussion of the case. You may alike find it beneficial to pee your class read the communicate to Case Analysis that is posted in the student section of the Online Learning Center for the 18th fluctuation at www.mhhe.com/thompson. Students leave behind find the content of this legislate particularly helpful if this is their foremost experience with cases and they ar unsure about the mechanics of how to prep ar a case for class discussion, literal examination presentation, or pen abstract. TomTom: New Competition\r\nEverywhere!\r\n*This teaching note was prepared by Professor Woody Richardson, multiple sclerosis State University. We are most grateful for his insight, analysis and contri preciselyions to how the case can be taught successfully. *\r\nIn our experience, it is quite a difficult to have an insightful and constructive class discussion of an assigned case unless students have religiously have made use of pertinent result concepts and analytical tools in preparing substantive answers to a decide of well-conceived study questions before they come to class. In our classes, we bet students to bring their notes to the study questions to use/refer to in responding to the questions that we pose. Moreover, students often find having a set of study questions is useful in helping them prepare oral team presentations and written case assignmentsâ€in addition to whatever directive questions you supply for these assignments.\r\nHence, we urge that you insist students spend quality time preparing answers to study questions†both those we have provided or a set of your own questions. The case can be used efficaciously for a written assignment or oral presentation. Our recommended questions for written assignments are as follows: You have tardily been hired by TomTom as a late securities industry analyst and have been asked to assess the drawing card of the face-to-face navigation industry and determine TomTom’s competitive strength. Please prepare a 5-6 pageboy report that evaluates competition in the industry, assesses industry driving forces, and lists industry key success facto rs. Your report should also include an assessment of TomTom’s internal situation and fills specific dodge recommendations that ordain allow TomTom to advance its grocery place and monetary performance.\r\nAssignment Questions\r\n1. What strategy is TomTom act? 2. How well is the strategy working? 3. Does the satellite navigation industry offer attractive opportunities for growth? What cordial of competitive forces are industry members facing and how do the forces influence the scout for industry advantageousness? 4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of TomTom? What are the threats and opportunities facing the corporation? 5. Do you think TomTom’s shift to value-added services and making own(prenominal) glide Devices a smaller helping of original revenue will be enough to bring forth it in the near future? Is this strategy legitimate with the needs of markets outside North America and Europe? 6. What recommendations would you pass water to TomTo m forethought to improve its competitive institutionalize in the satellite navigation industry, take improvement of market opportunities, and defend against external threats?\r\nTeaching enlist and Analysis\r\n1. What strategy is TomTom pursuing?\r\nFor the most part, TomTom has followed harvest-home evolution and market development strategies with clear focus on differentiating its increase. Its 2007 encyclopedism of Tele Atlas was clearly informatory of vertical integration. Through the years its acquisitions and patent development display elements of an offensive basis of competitive lash out based on pursuing continuous product innovation to draw sales and market serving away from less innovative rivals. A good use of the history section of the case is to have students classify or label TomTom’s diachronic actions related to products and markets into product development or market development. The results ability look like the following table.\r\n duration A ction Described in Case strategy\r\nEarly 1990s\r\nSoftware development for hold computers to commercial applications.\r\nProduct reading & securities industry Development\r\n1996 Announced first navigation bundle Market Development\r\n2001 Entered Mobile car satellite navigation market Market Development 2006-2008\r\nAcquired Datafactory AG to power TomTom Work\r\nAcquired Applied Generics for Mobility Solutions.\r\nAcquired Tele Atlas for map creation\r\nProduct Development\r\nProduct Development\r\nVertical Integration\r\n2009 TomTom for the iPhone released Market Development\r\nThe TomTom gathering consisted of TomTom (Business to Consumer), Tele Atlas (Business to Business), WORK (Commercial Fleets), and self-propelled (Auto Manufacturers & Suppliers). In response to the economic downturn that began in 2007, form magnitude competitive threats, and growth declines in the U.S. and Europe, the company shifted its business mix toward value-added services. The poten tial results of this attempt to make personal navigation devices (PNDs) a smaller proportion of gist revenue were at best uncertain.\r\n2. How well is the strategy working?\r\nThe short answer is that up until the world-wide economic downturn beginning in 2007 and continuing in 2008, TomTom’s strategy had produced outstanding results. However, as the losses in 2008 indicate, the strategy bears scrutiny. The downward closet on expenses due to competition and the slowing of discretionary expenditures due to the global recession produced a financial strain on TomTom. An examination of Case Exhibits 3 and 4 reveals the following trends from the first Quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009: ν European Revenue Down 22%\r\nν North America Revenue Down 52%\r\nν Global PNDs sold Down 29%.\r\nAt the same time, the selling price and overall operational margins had been decreasing since 2007.\r\nThe gross profit margins from 2006-2009 were as follows: 2009 2008 2007 2006\r\n50.6% 53.3% 56.0% 57.6%\r\nThis caused net income to declivity overmuch more precipitously than the decline in sales. Couple this information with a debt clog over €1 billion due to the acquisition of Tele Atlas and the company appeared to be in a financial bind. For all of 2008, the company posted a loss of €872 million.\r\n3. Does the satellite navigation industry offer attractive opportunities for growth? What mannikin of competitive forces are industry members facing and how do the forces influence the outlook for industry profitability?\r\nThe outlook for industry profitability is not what it was 5 years ago. Students should be able to develop an outlook by using ostiary’s Model of Industry Attractiveness as discussed in Chapter 3 of the text.\r\nRivalry among Competing Sellers\r\nRivalry will intensify as industry growth in US &\r\nEurope slows. Margins will continue to decline. Firms will fight to utilize capacity through and through furth er price cuts. Growth in mainland China & India would mitigate the rivalry intensity.\r\nBuyers\r\nBig loge stores exert strong pressure on price, terms & delivery. Car makers also exert strong influence owing to their purchasing power.\r\nSuppliers\r\nVery limited influence as all key components are controlled through vertical integration.\r\nThreat from Substitute Products\r\n major\r\nThreat †Cell phones for PNDs predicted to dominate by 2013. slight Threat †Fleet management & Automotive markets.\r\n electric potential New Entrants\r\nNokia’s acquisition of Navteq signals their mantled to integrate phone and navigation services. Google’s announcement also signals its entry into the market. Up until recently the industry was much more attractive. Physical maps were not much of a threat as a substitute, but by 2009 the industry was undergoing a sea change regarding cell phones as substitutes. For the younger consumers who have neer not know n cell phones, the expectation that navigation be a common feature will be a strong force in the market just as many in this generation only wear watches as air ornaments because they are never without their cell phone. These tech-saavy consumers may ostracise separate devices for navigation.\r\n4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of TomTom? What are the threats and opportunities facing the company?\r\nStrengths Weaknesses\r\n• Brand Name Recognition\r\n• Map creation capabilities\r\n• Innovative features\r\n†Map mete out\r\n†Points of Interest\r\n†Traffic updates\r\n• Automotive partnerships\r\n• European market share\r\n• Sales declines\r\n• Shrinking margins\r\n• Debt laden since Tele Atlas acquisition\r\n• Relative weak sales outside Europe & the\r\nUnited States\r\n• refuse alone (separate) products\r\nThreats Opportunities\r\n• PND unit sales decline\r\n• Multifunctional devices (cell phones/smart phones) popularity is growing • Strong Competition from Traditional competitors †Garmin & Magellan • Strong Competition from new competitors †Nokia & Google • Potential legislation to restrict/ban navigational devices from autos • maturement satellites that support GPS\r\n• Growth of India & China\r\n• 65% of U.S. adults don’t own any kind of navigation device of any kind • exalted fuel prices boost better drop dead management & fuel efficiency for consumers • Environmental concerns encourage better breathe management & consumer style to be â€Å"green”\r\n5. Do you think TomTom’s shift to value-added services and making Personal Navigation Devices a smaller portion of total revenue will be enough to sustain it in the near future? Is this strategy consistent with the needs of markets outside North America and Europe?\r\nThis is a difficult question. Certainly the move to reduce the company’s reliance on PNDs, a product category with declining sales, prices, and margins seemed a prudent measure. The efficacy of this strategy will depend on at least two key questions.\r\nν How fast will the PND market continue to shift to cell phones? If the analysts are correct and the cell phones will dominate the delivery for personal navigation devices then TomTom may need to race its plans to reduce its dependency on this category. Students should recognize that as the demand for stand-alone PNDs declines the price will drop even more precipitously.\r\nν How fast can TomTom grow its non-PND business lines?\r\nOne burnished potential bright spot for TomTom could be the demand for more partnerships with car makers. Car makers will likely offer navigational devices as standard features rather than luxury options. TomTom could be well positioned (if it chooses to do so) to garner a share of this market similar to its deal announced at the e nd of 2008 with Renault. Of course, the car makers would continue the downward price pressure, but would represent a sizable market opportunity.\r\nOf course, should legislation be introduced to ban navigational devices in automobiles this would have a profound effect on TomTom and its competitors. Some students will be quick to point out that the markets in China and India would be follow the U.S. and Europe and would therefore be ripe for market penetration without any significant outlay for new product development. However, better students will point out that China and India both have significant cell phone penetration and they may actually be more desirous of product integration and multi-bfunctionality.\r\n6. What recommendations would you make to TomTom management to improve its competitive position in the satellite navigation industry, take advantage of market opportunities, and defend against external threats?\r\nFirst, there appears to be no â€Å"magic bullet” capa ble of taking a strong #2 player such as TomTom to number one in the industry unless Garmin were to make a major misstep. The diffi culty of making a recommendation is further exacerbated by the move to cell phones for PNDs. However, TomTom might consider some of the following actions.\r\nν Focus on information solutions, specifically the â€Å" come apart Routing” & â€Å"Better Traffic” information goals mentioned in the case. Provide these solutions careless(predicate) of type of device. ν Defend and Develop markets not pendent on cell phone devices (e.g. coast guard, maritime, aviation, and fleet management markets.) ν Seek more automotive partnerships †use the Renault and Avis experiences to ramp up sales in this area. ν pass away product life †attempt to recoup R&D efforts by seeking markets in developing countries where the disposable income may be arrival the threshold to adopt PNDs. ν Aggressively market fleet management so lutions.\r\nν Develop more applications/partnerships similar to the iPhone experience. line up a way to â€Å"ride the dragon.” Find a way to participate in the growth in multifunctional cell phones. Even a small portion of this huge market would be extremely lucrative.\r\n epilog\r\nImmediately following Google’s October 28, 2009 announcement mentioned at the end of the case, TomTom and Garmin offered Black Friday discounts of 25% up to 40% on some units. In 2010, the company generated sales of €1.521 billion with a net income of €108 million. TomTom announced in a February 25, 2011 Reuters report by Roberta B. Cowan that it faces â€Å"such a rapid decline in its key market for personal navigation devices (PNDs) that its shift into new businesses may not be fast enough to compensate.” The company forecasted that the overall PND market would decline by 10 to 15 percent in 2011 and that its earnings would not grow.\r\n'