Mne Challenges in Emerging Markets free essay sample

International business and global innovation Individual report 1. Please discuss MNEs challenges in emerging markets? How can MNEs solve these? First of all, I would like to mention that It would be hard to describe challenges in emerging markets of the whole world, because question either can be roughly generalized or otherwise requires deep and wide research which is not the case right now. That’s why in my discussion I would like to stop on one country – Russia. The Russian economy is growing by 7. 7 per cent per year, supported by the soaring price of oil.But with stories about government corruption and mobsters, how attractive is the country for the more entrepreneurial-sized business? I would like to discuss some of the challenges most companies face while entering this emerging market. I would like not to talk in details about common problems and stereotypes which are often mentioned about Russia, amongst those I already noticed are high level of corruption, gangsters and seemed political instability. We will write a custom essay sample on Mne Challenges in Emerging Markets or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And one thing I would like to mention first is a labor problem.Management in Russia is faced presently with two major issues in the labor force: the battle for highly qualified specialists and the cost-to-productivity ratio. The battle for top specialists has become extremely rough in the recent time. Recruiting companies are very busy these days with headhunting. Professionals already receiving top salaries at multinational corporations are being stolen away, often by Russian majors, attracted by dramatic salary increases. It used to be that the professional would look at these offers with skepticism, questioning the reputation or stability of most Russian companies.Nowadays, these people do not worry as much and instead look at the cost-of-living, which is also rising dramatically, especially in major cities among which are Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and many others. The situation has gotten so bad that many companies are afraid to let their specialists be quoted in articles or to send them to conferences or other events where headhunters or competitors may be looking around in search for their next pray. It would be impossible for me not to notice the other side of this process which is the fact that labor market has become spoiled. Salaries are steadily increasing but productivity levels are not. At the current salary levels, business owners and management are becoming increasingly sensitive to productivity levels and attempting to demand more work ethic and more productivity from their highly paid employees. At the same time, there is very little choice in the current market. More and more foreign-owned companies in particular seem to be looking more closely at hiring and importing foreigners, now that Russian salaries are roughly on par with those of foreigners in many sectors.Foreigners coming from countries known for higher productivity levels and initiative are especially attractive – minimally in the hopes that they can set an example. Young foreigners eager to gain experience in Russias developing market, are finding work – particularly in sales, client relations, business development, and marketing. So, generally it can be summed up that finding qualified local partners and employees is a difficult process. The pool of managers who understand Western accounting and business practices remains limited, as well as the pool of qualified, experienced Russians proficient in English.Another big challenge and â€Å"nightmare† for most foreign-owned companies operating in Russia is lease rates for commercial real-estate. It’s avoided by most foreign-operated Class A properties, but the situation is quiet bad in most of it’s sector lower. It is the rare landlord who fulfills most of his side of the contract. Moreover, rental contracts in Russia are usually biased toward the landlord. As a result foreign companies often find themselves looking for a new place. However, finding a better situation can be extremely difficult in Russias current real estate market. Centrally located, Class A property can run $USD 2000 and more per square meter per year. Bidding wars are not unusual and most other classes of property are seeing equal pressure. These are two challenges which I would like to point out, apart from that I’d like to briefly mention other challenges: * Government bureaucracy, poorly established rule of law and corruption affect such areas as establishing a business, tax collection, dispute settlement, property rights, product certification and standards, as well as Russian Customs clearance. Adequate financial resources for Russian buyers still remain a problem, but it is not as acute as it was in years past. There are more foreign banks operating in Russia and more cash circulating within the economy due to the Russian oil and gas boom. * The Russian government continues to use its oil and gas resources to increase the states’ ownership in certain strategic industries and companies. So it is not completely clear to foreign companies which sectors are open to them for investment without Russian majority partners. The Russian Government continues its work on defining what are Russia’s strategic sectors.And after I stated challenges I must answer the second part of the question which is how to overcome these challenges. And in my view, a fundamental consideration must be there as a major phase of preparation if someone is going to go into Russia. This preparation involves surrounding company’s branch with reliable people, having an adequate concept of what is to be done and a well-defined strategy plan. You also need the necessary investment capacity and time arranged to follow this way. 2. You are expatriated to work in an emerging market (e. India or Brazil) What capabilities do you need? What and how can firm provide you for the expatriation in emerging markets? (Maybe take one country as example) I think generally company must have an on-going business processes with the country, otherwise the necessity of having employees overseas is indistinct. There can be several cases when headquarters would need their employee to be expatriated to the subsidiary or partner company, for example: * Company knowledge and experience diffusion or sharing; * Leader position in one of the overseas branches; Emerging market opportunities opened etc. Brazil is a great example of an emerging market. And if life will propose the opportunity for me to work there, I think I’d take it with great pleasure. Of course, there’re certain capabilities I must possess to take this kind of job opportunity: * Particularity of doing business in Brazil is that a potential Brazilian partner is essentially looking for two things: someone they like and trust as well as someone who is competent in business.The most important of these is to build a strong relationship first which will then naturally lead to trust. Time must be invested in getting to know people on a personal level in order to allow for open and honest discussions in business. So, naturally, the environment will require from me to be a trustworthy, sophisticated person with a clear understanding of benefits and goals. * Another point Brazilians usually comment on is the tendency of European and American business people to â€Å"get straight down to business†.This can be seen as offensive and even aggressive. It is good practice to indulge in small talk whether it is asking about their children or chatting about the latest news or football (soccer) results. This interesting feature of business ethics will require from me a positive, easygoing attitude at all times. * Despite Brazil poses as an emerging, fast-growing market English proficiency still remains low levels especially in the social sector and in the matter of daily life.So in my understanding extradition to Brazil will be more effective with readiness to learn Portuguese at least until the level which will allow me to be independent on the matter of daily life, e. g. survival level of it. * Apart from all of that, I should have a clear view of business ethics and interpersonal relationship customs in Brazil. One of the important things is that I will have to be ready for a total change of values and concepts in any part of business and social life. In fact, that rule can be applied to all of cultures. In Rome act like a Roman.

Who governs the schools

Who governs the schools Introduction Education is closely linked to politics because its roots are wide and it affects every facet of the society. Academic freedom has not been defined by the U.S. constitution. However, the federal and the state courts have addressed this issue, and it is strongly protected (Wilson, DiIulio and Bose 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Who governs the schools? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Formal education cannot be compared with any other factor in governance because it experiences minimal changes regardless of whether it is in private or public institutions. It acts as an instrument in the establishing the broader social order for those people who wish to experience change or even safeguard their status quo. In the United States, formal education has been changing over the last decades and the current education system is different from the one that was practiced early in the 20th century. K-12 operates in about fifty states, with five million employees and students exceeding 48 million. This system is very costly and takes close to 2 billion dollars daily. This is not standardized because it is very reliable on the political dynamics. Thus, it is bound to change very often. Schools and colleges are subjects of the increased politicization, glacial pace to change, and these institutions change and the changes are expected even in the future (Guthrie 1-2). Attention has also shifted to the post-secondary educational institutions to use these institutions as significant features in the political landscape. A lot of research has been done to establish how the economy can be preserved while offering quality education. Student financial aid is one of the tools that have been used in this process. There are concerns as to whether the lower schools have received adequate attention (Guthrie 3). This paper discusses about the governance of schools and the politics that accompany this proces s. Dynamics experienced in politics are significant in the quality of education offered in the society. The federal and State governments have overpowered the traditional, local system of school governance. Education efficiency In the U.S., education is an individual states responsibility. States have focused their attention on the outcome that they are likely to gain from the education systems that they establish (Adams and Rick, 2-5). The states embrace the outcomes to provide favorable processes to each district.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The school managers, teachers, as well as students are involved in the process of making the procedures to ensure that the standards are followed. Each state balances its own local judgments with those of the state. This has prompted the authorities into taking this as an opportunity to introduce reforms and transformation s. Challenges are experienced in establishing whether the resources employed are utilized to the maximum. Policy makers have a keen interest in the assessment of educational systems efficiency. In the current systems, the spending levels have been expressed as per each pupils expense. This system is inefficient because it keeps rising as there is no proper, direct measure of what schools accomplish as defined by the outcomes achieved. It does not offer solutions as to how schools can change their mode of operation over time to meet the desired outcomes. Lack of proper planning for the gradual changes has made it difficult to establish policies that would provide for clear gains in the education system. Other key social goals have been undermined in the process. They include fairness and the freedom to choose the best system by institutions. Transformation is influenced by the dynamic political structures, and this should not be the case. The change should be initiated based on the o utcomes achieved and the expected results (Adams and Rick, 7). Each decade holds a unique plan, and this is determined by the leaders in power during a given period. For instance, George W. Bushs election victory was attributed to his education plan. However, any negative changes that may arise as a result of this plan may not be blamed on the president. The public can only complain about the issues arising like the meddling by the federal government and insufficient funding. In such a scenario, feedback and change implementation cannot be effectively assigned to ensure that an improvement is made (Epstein 3). Criticism of schools and blame will continue to persist as long as new governors and presidents develop new varying resolutions every decade. Such proposals can only last for the duration that they are in power. With this arrangement, planning for the education system has become political. It triggers applause and is a tool for winning votes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Who governs the schools? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the end, there is no risk attached to the planned resolutions if they fail because the governors and presidents do not have direct control over the implementation of the policies. The chief state school officers run the state education departments. They report to the state boards of education, and not the governors. This has led to the confusion and poor accountability that has been experienced in the education system. Making the political figures fully in charge of these systems can be a positive move towards an efficient education system. A separate education government is not effective if these figures are not held accountable for the outcome experienced from the resolutions that they establish. The challenges experienced are as a result of dominance by the political figures in the education system. The irony is that they dominate the education policies a nd leave the accountability to everyone else (Epstein 4-5). Direct political control promises greater visibility and accountability that will see the academic results improve. The management of programs that come before and after schools will also be effective. Challenges experienced in the school environment like teenage pregnancies among other social ills can be controlled effectively. Thus, the education system improves with the effective implementation of the policies. However, the main challenge is holding the mayors, governors, and the presidents accountable for the results achieved. Although the policies can be enacted and implemented in one term of office, the probability of evaluating the policies in the same term is nil. Thus, it is impossible to determine the efficiency of the policies given that there is no guarantee for another term in office (Epstein 5). Inadequate knowledge and technical properties do not mean that the education system is unpredictable or unmanageable . It only calls for great care in the implementation and exercise of these efforts to ensure that the current educational systems are efficient. The data and feedback assessed should be assessed and analyzed to determine the changes that can be established despite the accountability challenges that exist (Monk 22). The role of Political leaders in the educational systems The issue of accountability has triggered a new interest in the education systems as education politics have become a new reality (Sunderman 226). For the Mayors, there has been an increasing need to link the schools with other city services such as health and housing.Advertising Looking for essay on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This would make the mayors realize and plan for the future of their cities with education in mind. Since the education system is not an independent concept, other factors can be used to determine the faith of the public in the educational plans. The mayors can play major roles in the back office roles of the education system, support charter schools by proposing for new ones, or convert the public schools that have a record of failure. They can also facilitate the use of schools to reach the community for other services like health and day care among other community activities. This is a way of maximizing resources all year round, and the mayors also get a chance to add value to urban real estate. Such involvement by mayors gives the parents confidence in public schools and may save them the expenses associated with the private institutions (Cooper, James and Lance 24). The education system goals can be narrowed down to reach each student and widen the coverage in the society. The N o Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that was re authorized in 2007 is an example of efforts by the government to promote a fair distribution of resources. Funding decisions are associated with a lot of controversy, and there is a need to reconsider some of the policy options. For instance, states that failed to focus on the fiscal side did not succeed in reducing the resource gap between the neediest districts and their affluent counterparts. This raised the issue of whether the federal government can clear the resource gap or not. This is only possible if a systematic examination is adopted within the country to meet its 2014 goal of educating every child. Politics that are based on accountability have been facilitated by the expansion issue in education. In this program, the political leaders such as the governors and the mayors are the key players. The high courts are also part of this plan that works at ensuring that leaders are accountable for the plans and policies that they put in place. Increasing accountability among the political leaders helps in addressing the issue of income and racial disparity. It also solves the tension that exists between social redistribution and the decentralized governance. Accountability discourages the political figures from establishing risky policies. It also builds a commitment towards the inter-governmental system (Cooper, James and Lance 28). Political Dynamics Evident in the Education system Dating back to the mid-1980s, the education policy has experienced many dynamics. With the K-12 education system, there has been changes in curriculum and the standards of performance. There have been new assessment and accountability regimes adopted, as well as new and attractive programs for teachers in terms of performance and pay. These have contributed to the rise and fall of numerous, systematic reform efforts. The same dynamics have also been experienced in higher education in terms of financing. There has been a decline in the public investment, as far as higher education is concerned. This has played a role in the performance and accountability reforms. The focus is not only on the inputs, but also the outcomes achieved. However, concerns have been raised as to why states have embarked on policy changes. The education policy change significance in the US may have been contributed by social, economical, and political differences that exist. However, this is not well linked to the assessment of the input and output assessment that has been done. External factors seem to play a bigger role in the education system. It poses a risk that this trend will continue in the future if a systematic approach is not adopted (Cooper, James and Lance 30). A continuous evaluation program involving political leaders has to be implemented for proper governance. Micro level systems, which are influenced by the existing political powers, should be dropped to adopt a systematic approach that involves all the stakeholders in d ecision makers. This will serve the interests of the general public, as well as the governments interests (Cooper, James and Lance 31). Good governance should involve maximum state, and local discretion to promote investment by educators and systems that offer support in return. Lack of this exercise constrains the government in terms of enforcement or promotion of enhanced educational practice with positive results. Another requirement for meeting the NLCB goal is the need for highly qualified teachers. While the governments argue that there is enough supply of qualified teachers, low income schools have suffered high teacher turnover rates. This puts the low income schools in a disadvantaged position when compared to the affluent schools. If the states could focus on the neediest districts in fund allocation, then there is a probability that the teachers would be attracted to stay in the neediest schools through the provision of incentives and other attractive packages. Such a str ategy would help in closing the resource and the achievement gap that exists between these districts (Epstein 9-10). Finance equalization has not been achieved in most of the states as a result of the poor approach given by the federal policy makers. The neediest students have not gotten the chance to access the much needed access to quality education. Most of the funds end up in the schools where students are already doing well, and this keeps them ahead of the needy students. The federal government should give an approach whereby funds are allocated according to each districts needs. Funds have also been allocated to public schools to cater for students who fail to progress academically for two consecutive years. There is also a prospect that the same should be applied in the private schools. However, this should be used as a strategy to help public schools gain preference. The choice between the private and public schools has been promoted by supporting the public schools. It pro vides competition that is meant to increase the efficiency in schools. This has resulted in conformity rather than choice because rewards and punishments only attract students because of the financial support and not a choice (Espain 11). School boards have lost power over the governance of schools to the federal government. In the past, American education was rooted in the local policy, management and financial control that are traditions, which are closely linked to the political culture. This has changed since 2000, and a majority of the Americans wants Washington to reduce its influence over the education system. It is feared that the NCLB program will change that and expand the federal power. The country is struggling with which way to go. This is about whether the country should be centralized or whether federal control should reign with reduced discretion by the policy makers. The current democratically governed education system is slowly overpowering the traditional, local s ystems. This is evident in the way higher authorities have lost confidence in the local decision makers. There is also a strong rivalry among states as governors want to use education just like tax breaks and other lures in an effort to attract business and employment. They use school funding to enhance equity and minimize property tax spending. The federal government is also focusing on centralizing more authority than it decentralizes (Epstein 15-16). The federal government could concentrate on civil rights and financing while the local political focus on the redistribution of these resources. This way, the educational needs of the society would be met efficiently (Sunderman 226-228). Conclusion The political dynamics experienced in the recent past have contributed to the increased federal power over the traditional, local school governance. The educational resolutions have been used by the political figures as a means to gain political preference. This has moved power from the ed ucational school boards to the federal and state governments who cannot account for policies that they put in place. It has resulted in unequal distribution of resources especially in the needy districts. To ensure that the current trend benefits the American society academically, accountability among the political leaders should be increased. This will ensure that once policies are enacted, they are assessed and evaluated to gain the desired results. This can also be used as a means to establish changes that need to be established to improve the education system. Since politics have a lot of influence on the educational systems, the federal governments should work closely with the school boards in order to have direct control over the policies introduced. This will promote efficiency and a quality education system. Adams, Jacob E. and Ginsberg Rick. Education Reform Overview, Reports of Historical Significance. 2012. Web. Cooper, Bruce S., C.G. James and D.F. Lance. Handbook of E ducation Politics and Policy. New York: Taylor and Francis, 2008. Print. Epstein, Noel. Whos in Charge Here?: The Tangled Web of School Governance and Policy. Washington. Brookings institution press, 2004. Print. Guthrie, James W. United States Educational Policy The Basics of Educational Policy, The Pressure for Reform in American Education, Defining Policy. 2012. Web. Monk, David H. Efficiency in Education The Choice of Outcomes, The Choice of Inputs, The Transformation Process and Implications for Policy. 2012. Web. Sunderman, Gail L. â€Å" Evidence of the Impact of School Reform on Systems Governance and Educational Beureaucrcies in the United States.† Review of Research in Education 34.1 (2006): 226-253. Print. Wilson, James Q, John J. DiIulio, and Meenekshi Bose. American Government: Institutions Policies. Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.

SUNDAY communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

SUNDAY communication - Essay Example Before going to the main discussion the study will define the background and business context of the problems faced by to SUNDAY Communications Ltd in recent times in order to provide logical background of this consultancy proposal. Background Information & Literature Review Choi, Lee and Wong (2001) presented the case study named as â€Å"Sunday communications ltd: A marketing strategy for the wireless future† in order to highlight existing challenges faced by the telecommunication company and challenges regarding future plan of the company. In such context, consideration of the research works of Langlois (2003) reveals the fact that it is very difficult to establish identifiable position in a small market place which is pretty much saturated due to presence of competitors. Same is the condition for Sunday communications ltd which was founded in the year 1994 when the Hong Kong telecom market was already dominated by large telecom players like PCCW-HKT, SmarTone Telecommunica tion Holdings Ltd, Hutchison Telecom (HK) Ltd, New World Telephone and Peoples Phone. There is no doubt that Sunday communications ltd was new entrant and none of existing competitors was ready to give free space to the new entrant. . Garbarino and Strahilevitz (2004) and Harris, Jenkins and Glaser (2006) stated that new entrants need to adopt product differentiation strategy in order to establish distinctive brand image in the mind of customers of a small saturated market. Kotler (2000) pointed out that marketers should increase engagement level of customers while offering low engagement products because customers do no spend much time in making purchase decision for low involvement products like telecom network connections, FMCG goods. Therefore, Sunday communications ltd had two challenges, 1- to establish distinctive brand positioning in the mind of customers of Hong Kong and 2- to compete with existing telecom players in the market with the help of product diversification. Comp etitive pressure on Sunday communications ltd has further increased after Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) launched Mobile Number Portability (MNP) during 1999. After launching MNP, existing six telecom operators in Hong Kong started competing on price because in newly launched system, subscribers can switch to other network provider without altering the mobile number. Competitors like PCCW-HKT, SmarTone Telecommunication Holdings Ltd, Hutchison Telecom (HK) Ltd, New World Telephone and Peoples Phone not only stopped in reducing the subscription price to attract customers but they even started offering handsets at minimal price to customers. There is story behind the brand name â€Å"Sunday† which was created by the company in order to portray relaxed and easygoing attitude. Another thing is that the company had the plan to launch the brand internationally therefore they thought that using a universal name would help global customers to connect easily (Choi, Lee and Wong, 2001). Sunday communications ltd used product diversification strategy in order to establish distinctive market positioning. Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) service (through mobile Intelligent Network) was speciality of the company while Sunday communications ltd also started offering services like Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), IDD, ISP & portal etc to customers. The company also used aggressive pricing strategy like 24-hour flat subscription rate in order to win the completion. Even, Sunday communications ltd launched SO WAP and ISP (narrow-band dial-up service) which gave users opportunity to access

CEO OF ABC FIRM Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CEO OF ABC FIRM - Coursework Example Value exploration, creation and delivery shall be the most powerful tools of transformation that I am going to employ in the company. Value exploration shall majors its concern on the customer’s cognitive space about the products of the company. This investigative effort aims at discovering the trend of customers demand in the market in order to avoid delivering a product in the market that does not exist in the shopping list of the customers. Knowing the customers’ needs is vital for designing a product that shall be the only option in the market. This shall the company in producing items that are vibrant in the market. Value addition entails identifying new customers and getting their views concerning the products of the company. This will ensure that, the company invests in producing items that the customers think about, want, does and require in order to capitalize over them as a way of winning their trust in the company (Ulrich 2013, p. 62). Value delivery is the most important step among the transformative efforts that shall be part of my plan. The mode of delivering the product to the market should ensure that, there is no hoarding in the market concerning the company’s’ products. The company shall invest in the infrastructure as a way ensuring proficiency of the company in the market arena. In so doing, the harmonious relationship that will crop up between the management and the customers will initiate a lasting relationship. Among the changes that my office will effect are the old managerial methods being used in the company (Ulrich 2013, p. 91). The company heavily relying on traditional management methods will see a paradigm shift that will see the modern management and leadership methods put in place. Starting with the CEO of the company to the supervisors, I will ensure that changes on methods of running the company with modern scientific methods take place. The

Research Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Analysis - Assignment Example st establish those patients who lack self-care confidence and then direct more effort towards building self-care confidence in them using specific education interventions. The introduction/background section provided by Britz and Dunn (2010) does not formally introduce the research question. However, after carefully exploring the introduction, this paper was able to establish the research question, which is: In this article, Britz and Dunn (2010) formally presented the hypothesis. The author asserts that those patients with heart failure and who demonstrates self-care ability are expected to improve their healthcare outcomes. This hypothesis emanates from both previous studies as well as the model used in this study. Since it is a qualitative research, the researcher developed the hypothesis using grounded theory. The use of qualitative approaches provided a platform that researchers in various disciplines borrowed to complete work effectively. Qualitative approaches identify research issues without subjectivity. For instance, using such techniques, a case is looked at individually and therefore, it is possible to make accurate conclusions. Understanding of complex human systems such as the family and communities has grown due to the benefits accrued from qualitative methods. Certain patterns of behavior have been described and based upon these patterns of behavior, action could be take n. Grounded theory refers to a theory routed in data. The researcher interprets the raw data and then, through systematic analysis creates a theory. Grounded theory is derived from four central criteria: fit, understanding, generality and control. Fit occurs when the theory fits the substantive data. In other words, the theory must be based upon the presence of valid data. Understanding occurs when the theory is comprehensible by all researchers involved in the study. Generality occurs when the presented theory is applicable within a variety of contexts. Control entails the

American Intelligence In The Cuban Missile Crisis History Essay

American Intelligence In The Cuban Missile Crisis History Essay The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 brought the world close to a nuclear confrontation between the United States, Cuba, and the Soviet Union. The Cuban missile crisis was triggered by the Soviet deployment to Cuba of medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. It was the result of a variety of things: the Cuban Revolution, the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, US anti-communism, the insecurity of the Soviet Union, and Cubas fear of invasion. From the start of the crisis, American intelligence monitored the islands development and was able to collect and analyze information, but it miscalculated the Soviet Unions intentions and motivation for placing nuclear missiles in Cuba. American intelligence, through human intelligence gathering methods, aerial photoreconnaissance, and signal interceptions, was able to discover Soviet missiles in Cuba, and thwart the possibility of a nuclear war. This intelligence provided the U.S with a great deal of in formation about its enemies military units, missiles, weapons and strength. The events of the Cuban Missile Crisis revealed the sophistication of the U.S. intelligence community, especially in its ability to collect and analyze information. Human Intelligence (HUMIT) obtained inside information concerning Cuba from Refugees, and important secrets transferred to U.S. Government by Soviet Colonel Oleg Penkovsky. Photographic intelligence (PHOTINT) played an exceedingly important part (the U-2 reconnaissance spy-plane) in taking internal terrestrial images of the Island. Signals intelligence (SIGINT) was used to block communication between Soviet Union and Cubans during the crisis to the advantage of the Americans. Cuban Missile Crisis Background Fidel Castro came to power after the Cuban Revolution. At first the U.S. supported Castro, but when he embraced communism, the U.S. attempted to overthrow Castros rule in Cuba. In April 1961, Americans used CIA-trained and armed Cuban exiles (La Brigada) in the Bay of Pigs invasion but failed. After the failed invasion of the Bay of Pigs, it was evident to the Castro that the U.S. would attack again, causing him to make concessions with the Soviet Union in order to defend Cuba. Consequently, Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev eagerly extended an offer of assistance to the desperate Castro and saw an opportunity to gain a strategic foothold in Americas backyard. Castro allowed the Soviet Union to place military bases on the island of Cuba, in exchange for protection against any U.S. invasion attempts. After Castros approval, Khrushchev quickly and secretly built ballistic missile installations in Cuba in the summer of 1962. When the U.S discovered ballistic missiles presence in Cuba, it elevated tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. When the missiles installation were discovered by intelligence, President John F. Kennedy ordered a naval quarantine (blockade) of Cuba and threatened to invade Cuba; as a result, the Soviet Union pledged to withdraw from Cuba if the U.S. did not invade and finally the Cuban Missile Crisis was resolved. The American Intelligence Role in the Pre-Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban missile crisis started in a series of American intelligence blunders that started under the Dwight Eisenhower administration and continued into the John F. Kennedy administration. The American intelligence agency devised Operation Mongoose, which was aimed to expel the powerful Castro and his regime. The Operation Mongoose plot included economic and political destabilization, propaganda, manipulation, sabotage, assignation plots and direct assistance to anti-Castro Cubans in military training. During the Cold war, Cuban refugees provided inaccurate inside information about Cuba and Castro, and such information was able to convince the Americas Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to initiate the covert Bay of Pigs operation on April 17th, 1961 to overthrow the Castro communist regime. Cuban exiles, trained by the CIA, staged a botched invasion at Cubas Bay of Pigs, but the CIAs planned invasion ended in complete failure due to miscalculations by the CIA and a lack of resources and support from the American military. U.S. intelligence misunderstood the nature of Fidel Castros insurgency and miscalculated the likelihood of his victory. Operation Mongoose (Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba is a part of this operation) is also partially responsible for initiating the Cuban Missile Crisis as Cuban intelligence was able to discover that America planned to assassinate Castro through Operation Mongoose. Castro was worried about Cubas safety; on the other side, the Soviet Union was also worried about losing a valuable ally in Cuba. Moreover, the Soviets had the intention to compensate for Soviet inferiority in ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missile) and liked to reply to the Americans with a nuclear version of tit-for-tat as noted by Khrushchevs advisor Fyodor Burlatsky: Khrushchev and Soviet Defence Minister R. Malinovsky à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ were strolling along the Black Sea coast. Malinovsky pointed out to sea and said that on the other shore in Turkey there was an American nuclear missile base. In a matter of six or seven minutes missiles launched from that base could devastate major centres in the Ukraine and southern Russ ia. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Khrushchev asked Malinovsky why the Soviet Union should not have the right to do the same as America. Why, for example, should it not deploy missiles in Cuba? However, from the American perspective, installing nuclear-armed Jupiter intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) in Turkey helped secure NATOs southern flank, which also helped cement relations with Turkey, and enhanced their nuclear deterrent with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union viewed these missiles and their threat very differently. Nevertheless, U.S. covert attempts to depose the Cuban regime seemed to provoke Cuban and Soviet defences and directly led to the deployment of the Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba. It is true that American intelligence played a role in causing the Cuban Missile Crisis, and to a certain extent failed to estimate that Soviet leadership would deploy strategic missiles in Cuba. Furthermore, CIA agents in Cuba or the Soviet Union were incapable to provide solid indication of the Soviet missiles deployment. Some information was received from other Western intelligence organizations, CIA agents on the island and refugees, but little attention was given to the discovery of the missiles. The US military intelligence agencies with some support from Western allies tracked the Soviet arms shipping to Cuba. In July 1962, SlGlNT collectors listened to the radio messages to and from the Soviet vessels on their way to Cuba. These messages are interpreted and provided some indication about how Soviet vessels calling on Cuban ports were making false port declarations and declaring less than the known cargo-carrying capacity (Carrying heavy military weapons) , but no real conside ration is given due to insufficient evident. Satellite photographic reconnaissance was not directed against Cuba in 1962. On August 29th a U-2 spy-plane on reconnaissance over Cuba, brought back evidence that SA-2 surface-to-air (SAM) missiles has been installed around San Cristobal, but Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin advised President Kennedys closest advisor, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, that the installations were entirely defensive in nature. American intelligence (COMOR-The interagency Committee on Overhead Reconnaissance) decided to send another U-2 spy-plane to take a closer look, but bad weather delayed the fight until October 14th. On September 19th, 1962 American estimators issued Special National Intelligence Estimate (SNIE 85-3-62) on The Military Build-up in Cuba but failed to estimate what the Soviet Union would do, based on insufficient evidence, Soviet intentions, and the past Soviet behaviour. In fact, Soviet intelligence performed better in the pre-crisi s period, and they were able to transport nearly 50,000 Soviet troops, 100 tactical nuclear weapons, possibly four to six nuclear naval mines and 60 nuclear warheads for the surface-to-surface missile sites in Cuba via covert action. The American Intelligence Role during the Cuban Missile Crisis For the United States, the crisis began on October 15, 1962, when photographs from a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft revealed several SS-4 nuclear missiles at San Cristobal, Cuba. The early morning of October 16th, President John Kennedy was informed of the missile installations. Kennedy immediately convened his Executive Committee (EX-COMM), a group of his twelve most important advisors (Such as CIA Director John McCone, Secretary of Defence Robert S. McNamara, National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy) to handle the unfolding crisis. During the crisis, US intelligence was able to accurately identify the location, operational status of the missile deployment, provision of MiG-21 fighters, SA-2 antiaircraft missile systems, 11-28 light bombers, missile torpedo boats, and coastal defence cruise missiles, and the numbers of these systems. Furthermore, low level reconnaissance allowed discovering the additional military forces, in particular four Soviet augmented ground force regiments, each with 31 tanks, and with six to eight Luna rocket artillery launchers It can be seen that PHOTOINT (currently called Imint- Imaging Intelligence) or aerial reconnaissance really played a vital role in Cuban Missile Crisis. Photoreconnaissance Intelligence had done an incredible job by providing credible evidence of offensive missiles in Cuba (see pictures 1 to 3 on last page of this document, taken from U-2 spy-plane during Cuban Missile Crisis) and helped policy makers and their advisors to make decisions based on solid photograph ic evidence. As McCone indicated, aerial photography was our best means of establishing hard [firm] intelligence HUMIT was also used by interviewing refugees, collecting reports from CIA agents on island, and Soviet secret from Soviet Officer Oleg Penkovsky. American military personnel interrogated unverified refugees from Cuba on American soil, who revealed that they had personally seen a convoy of SS-4 missiles near Havana. But this was not itself sufficient due to the mass of other invalid reports during or before the crisis period. Many reports are provided from agents on the Island about suspicious military movement, possible missiles and other defensive activities in Cuba. Colonel Oleg Penkovsky, a Soviet Military Intelligence officer, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and British intelligence (MI-6), all suggested that the Soviets were attempting to put missiles into Cuba but this information was not given credibility until it was subsequently confirmed through aerial reconnaissance. Oleg Penkovsky supplied 111 exposed rolls of film, 99 percent of which were legible. An estimated 10, 000 pages of intelligence reports were produced from his information, which included the top secret operating manuals for the SS-4 and SS-5 missiles. Information from Penkovsky-provided documents was compared with the U-2 photography, and analysts were able to identify positively the specific missiles being placed in Cuba and determine on a daily basis the stage of construction of each missile site. This information was critical in enabling the President to know how much time he had to determine and apply a policy of diplomatic and military pressure against Khrushchev before having to take direct military action. Colonel Oleg Penkovskys role in the Cuban missile crisis has been portrayed as of pre-eminent importance to the outcome, and described as Humints best source of information during the crisis. It is true that SIGINT provided no warning of the presence of Soviet nuclear-armed intermediate and medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba prior to their discovery by U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. The Oxford, officially known as a Technical Research Ship (TRS), proved to be the largest producer of SIGINT during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The collected communications from SIGINT provided a great quantity of information which, when combined with the photographs from the U2 over-flights, provided a very good picture of what was happening in Cuba. SIGINT also helped during the midst of the crisis, to intercept and triangulate messages and sent to the Command Centre for interpretation, then used by the US government to make further decision and predict future actions of the Soviet Union and Cuba. Another type of intelligence that was used for the first time was the SOSUS (underwater sound surveillance system). SOSUS plus patrol aircraft was extensively and successfully used during the Cuban Missile Crisis and proved to be an important aspect of U.S intelligence in detecting any possible Soviet submarine movement (especially Soviet Foxtrot class submarines). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ªAfter analyzing all the evidence from different sources of the intelligence and having an intense policy debate with the Executive Committee group members, Kennedy imposed a naval quarantine around Cuba. On October 22, Kennedy publicly announced the discovery of the ballistic missile installations and his decision to quarantine (blockade) the island to prevent Soviet ships from carrying further missile equipment to the island. He also proclaimed that any nuclear missile launched from Cuba would be regarded as an attack on the United States by the Soviet Union and demanded that the Soviets remove all of their offensive weapons from Cuba. Later, on the 26th EX-COMM heard from Khrushchev that the Soviets agreed to remove the ballistic missiles from Cuba, if the U.S. would guarantee not to invade Cuba. On October 27th, tension increased when a U-2 was shot down over Cuba and Khrushchev demanded the removal of U.S. missiles in Turkey in exchange for Soviet missiles in Cuba. But Attorney General Robert Kennedy suggested ignoring the second letter and contacted Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin to tell him of the U.S. agreement with the first (not to invade Cuba). Finally, on October 28th, Khrushchev announced that he would dismantle the installations and return the missiles to the Soviet Union. Further negotiations were held to implement the October 28 agreement and it continued in November. Again American intelligence helped to provide evidence to the American government that the Soviets turned their ships back, a fact first learned from SIGINT from radio messages, and soon the Soviets dismantled and withdrew the missil es. The U.S. Navy also played a pivotal role in this crisis, demonstrating the critical importance of naval forces to national defence. Surface and submarine units moved into place to attack any ship crossing the declared line in the quarantine operation. A week of intensive face-off and direct communications between President Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev finally made it possible to alleviate the crisis. The American government and the Communist Bloc both considered the crisis over. Conclusion In summary, Espionage has been, and always be a central source of information to support national defense. The performance of US intelligence in the Cuban Missile Crisis was generally good, in some respects outstanding, albeit with a few shortcomings. From the beginning, American Intelligence made all possible efforts to collect, analyze and monitor the Soviet activities and arms build-up in Cuba, but erroneously underestimated the Soviet leaders intention to station nuclear weapons in Cuba. Moreover, the use of U-2 aircraft for aerial photoreconnaissance over the interior of Cuba, Cuban refugee interrogations, and Soviet secrets (manuals for the SS-4 and SS-5 missiles) provided by Penkovskys espionage, gave the U.S. excellent intelligence coverage of the status of missile site construction and readiness. American intelligence community worked well during the crisis, and helped policy makers, senior intelligence estimators and analyst to make better decisions and evaluate Soviet reac tions based on intelligence-provided evidence. The CIA played a leading role in backing up the EXComm. Intelligence organizations of the army, navy, and air force provided backup to the military planners. Overall, American Intelligence role in Cuban Missile Crisis was good and helped government to resolve crisis.

Human Gene Therapy :: Biology Genetics Essays

Human Gene Therapy Everybody carries about half a dozen defective genes. Many don't know this, unless someone they know is affected by a genetic disorder.(1) The genetics of many diseases are passed from one generation to the next by inheriting a single gene, such as Huntington's disease. Many other diseases and traits are influenced by a collection of genes.(4) About one in ten people has, or will develop, an inherited genetic disorder. Approximately 2,800 specific conditions are known to be caused by defects, or mutations, in just one gene. Most of us don't suffer any harmful effects from our defective genes because we carry two copies of nearly all genes. In most cases one normal gene is enough to avoid all the symptoms of disease. If the affected gene is recessive, and we inherit two copies of the gene, the disease will develop. If the affected gene is dominant, only one copy is enough produce the disease. There are also X-chromsome linked genetic diseases.(1) A potential approach to the treatment of genetic disorders in humans is gene therapy. Gene therapy is the delivery of a correct version of a mutated gene to a cell, where its expression will produce the normal protein and restore normal cellular function. The mutated gene must be delivered to the nucleus of the cell.(2) There are essentially two forms of gene therapy, somatic gene therapy and germline gene therapy. Somatic gene therapy involves the manipulation of gene expression in cells that will be corrective to the patient but not inherited by the next generation.(4) Germline gene therapy involves the replacement of defective genes in the germline cells, which contribute to the genetic heritage of the offspring. It has the potential to affect not only the individual being treated, but also his or her children. Germline therapy would change the genetic pool of the entire human species, and future generations would have to live with that change. It is not likely germline therapy will be tried on humans in the near future due to ethical problems and technical difficulties.(1) In vivo gene transfer is the introduction of genes to cells at the site at which they are found in the body. Ex vivo gene transfer is the transfer of genes into viable cells that have been temporarily removed from the patient and are then returned following treatment.(6) Foreign DNA can be injected into the cell, or its entry can be facilitated by various chemical or electronic ways, but these methods aren't very efficient.

Farenheit 451 Essay

There is a novel published in the 1950s with a title of Fahrenheit 451. The book was published by Ray Bradbury and involves a futuristic plot where most of the things in the society are in chaotic state. This novel was a success in the contemporary times of the 50Ð ²Ãâ€šÃ¢â€ž ¢s and now, you could write a Fahrenheit 451 essay as a school paper requirement. Before you begin writing such an essay, it is important that you first read the novel. This is the case for all types of essays that need to tackle a certain material. Much like writing a Macbeth essay or a Romeo and Juliet essay, a Fahrenheit 451 essay is written only after the writer has completed reading the book. So what are the possible types of essays that we can write for Fahrenheit 451 essay? One can talk about a novel by using different approaches in writing an essay. One good example is a narrative essay. You can re-tell the story in the novel and summarize the whole thing for your readers to have an idea about it. A narrative essay is not all about fictional story from the writer. It may also involve any types of stories that may even come from an actual source. Be careful when you summarize the story in Fahrenheit 451 because you only need to compress the details of the book into your paper. You can write an argumentative essay that will talk about a specific notion or idea in Fahrenheit 451. For example, you may argue that the book projects an idea of chaos and disturbing scenarios to the readers. These factors may contribute to the feeling of doubt among the readers that could make them uncomfortable in a psychological perspective. Of course, there is another side of an argument where the story could be a well-done preparation for the readers on what they should expect of the future. A Fahrenheit 451 essay can also be in the form of a character analysis essay. You can talk about the major persona in the novel and discuss how each one contributed to the success of the story. You may also write about the central character and analyze who that character is in our present society. Start with the central character by the name of Guy Montag who happens to be a firefighter. Analyze his character and discuss his main role in the plot of the novel. One more essay type for a Fahrenheit 451 essay can be in the form of a critical analysis essay. Write about the story in a way that you tend to dig much deeper into the realms of the authorÐ ²Ãâ€šÃ¢â€ž ¢s imagination. Discover new things about the central message of the whole story and what lessons we can learn from it.

Endagerment of the grizzlies

Endagerment of the grizzlies With all the new and advanced technology that is accessible today, who has time to enjoy or care about the great outdoors? Unfortunately, much of the wilderness and the animals within it are gradually fading away. There are many animals that have already been extinct and many more will soon be put on the list of extinction. In the second issue of Target Earth, Tim Stevens found in 1975, the grizzly bear was listed as a threatened species, under the Endangered Species Act. Stevens also stated, Today, the grizzly bear hangs on in the last remnants of wild places left in the U.S.places like the Greater Yellowstone, Glacier Park, and Shelkirk Mountains of Northern Idaho. The survival of the grizzly bear depends on several factors such as: amount of food they need and amount of space they need to live.Grizzly bears have tremendous food requirements in order to surviveadult females average 300 pounds, and males around 450 pounds, stated Stevens.The two Grizzly bears in the Bear Country sec tion ...Furthermore, grizzly bears are opportunistic feeders thriving on roots, berries, pine nuts, insects, herbaceous vegetation, fish, small mammals, and occasionally wild ungulates and their young. With grizzly bears wide variety of provisions, they need a large area to sustain themselves. Stevens stated, a male grizzly bear will use up to a 500 square mile "home range" throughout its life. Glover and Johnson stated, a female grizzly bear will use up 11-490 square miles throughout its life. Being that the grizzly bear is a wide-ranging, slow breeding species, and as such, are very good indicators of the overall health of the ecosystems they depend upon. If the habitat is in good shape, one could assume the bear is doing rather well(Stevens, Target Earth).However, conservation biologist states, none of the current grizzly populations is large enough to sustain itself over...

Free Essays on Odessey Women

Many people regard Homer’s epics as war stories- stories about men; those people often overlook the important roles that women play in the Odyssey. While there are not many female characters in the Odyssey, the few that there are, play critical roles in the story and one can gain a lot of insight by studying how those women are portrayed. Homer portrays the females in conflicting ways: the character of Athena is given a strong, admirable role, while the Sirens are depicted in a much more negative way. Penelope- the central female character- is given both negative and positive attributes. Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle, has a soft spot for Odysseus, the main male character, and Telemachus, Odysseus' son. The action begins with a meeting of the gods, where Athena makes a plea on behalf of Odysseus, asking her father, â€Å"O Zeus, what do you hold against him now?† (I, 81). This action, paired with another intervention into a meeting of the gods, shows Athena’s initiative and nerve. Athena shows cleverness and ingenuity when she disguises herself and others on several occasions: The goddess first appears as Mentes, and then later as Mentor, Telemachus himself, Penelope’s sister, a friend of Nausikaa’s, and various servants. Not only is Athena a master of disguises, but she also has an incredible sense of when it is necessary to appear as someone else in order to achieve her goals. While possibly just a product of Athena’s goddess status, her ability to view the â€Å"big picture† is quite a highly regarded trait. Athe na also has the virtue of restraint, which she demonstrates when she does not take part in the final battle between Odysseus and Telemachus, and the suitors. Another portrayal of women in The Odyssey is the Sirens. This is a group of women whose seductive song lures sailors to their death (XII, 173-4). While Odysseus is able to avoid the Sirens, they symbolize temptation, another non-virtue, which is th... Free Essays on Odessey Women Free Essays on Odessey Women Many people regard Homer’s epics as war stories- stories about men; those people often overlook the important roles that women play in the Odyssey. While there are not many female characters in the Odyssey, the few that there are, play critical roles in the story and one can gain a lot of insight by studying how those women are portrayed. Homer portrays the females in conflicting ways: the character of Athena is given a strong, admirable role, while the Sirens are depicted in a much more negative way. Penelope- the central female character- is given both negative and positive attributes. Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle, has a soft spot for Odysseus, the main male character, and Telemachus, Odysseus' son. The action begins with a meeting of the gods, where Athena makes a plea on behalf of Odysseus, asking her father, â€Å"O Zeus, what do you hold against him now?† (I, 81). This action, paired with another intervention into a meeting of the gods, shows Athena’s initiative and nerve. Athena shows cleverness and ingenuity when she disguises herself and others on several occasions: The goddess first appears as Mentes, and then later as Mentor, Telemachus himself, Penelope’s sister, a friend of Nausikaa’s, and various servants. Not only is Athena a master of disguises, but she also has an incredible sense of when it is necessary to appear as someone else in order to achieve her goals. While possibly just a product of Athena’s goddess status, her ability to view the â€Å"big picture† is quite a highly regarded trait. Athe na also has the virtue of restraint, which she demonstrates when she does not take part in the final battle between Odysseus and Telemachus, and the suitors. Another portrayal of women in The Odyssey is the Sirens. This is a group of women whose seductive song lures sailors to their death (XII, 173-4). While Odysseus is able to avoid the Sirens, they symbolize temptation, another non-virtue, which is th...

Attention Deficit Disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Attention Deficit Disorder - Research Paper Example It is a disorder of hyperactivity and lack of attention as the name indicates. This inattentiveness leads to a cascade of symptoms which makes life very difficult for the patients and they find it difficult to cope with the surroundings (National Institutes of Mental Health 2008; Klass 2010). Attention Deficit Disorder tends to show varying signs and symptoms which may be scaled according to the severity. It tends to affect both boys and girls but the symptoms of increased activity and impulsiveness are seen in boys whereas lack of attention is seen more in girls. Inattentiveness leads to lack of concentration in particular situations as well as inability of focusing capabilities. This also results in lack of the ability to fulfill activities that require attention and focus. The symptoms of increased activeness are restlessness and increased habits of moving around. Impulsiveness is presented in the form of lack of patience and the expression of emotions irrespective of what the oth ers might feel about it (National Institutes of Mental Health 2008; Klass 2010). Radiological studies have highlighted the fact that the frontal lobe of the brain is affected by this disorder and it does not function at an optimal level in the patients suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder.

Culture and Careers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Culture and Careers - Essay Example Thailand is one of the most popular countries to visit. In cultural terms, there are several practices and beliefs that are rather distinct and different from Western societies. The traditional Thai greeting ‘wai’ is expressed with the two palms pressed together in a prayer like way. Acknowledging a ‘wai’ and returning is expected of everyone. Thai culture lays a significant amount of spiritual importance to certain parts of the human body. It is said that one should avoid pointing his or her feet at people, or even touching people with the feet, propping up the feet on tables, or stepping on people seated on the ground. In comparison, the head has much more importance and it is well-thought-out to be very rude to touch other people on the head. As well, it is said that people should not sit pillows since they are meant resting the head (Jones, 2003). The major religion which is followed in Thailand is Buddhism which is majorly influenced by the traditional beliefs which are associated with the ancestral and natural spirits. The belief of having spirits is incorporated in their Buddhist cosmology. On the basis of this belief Thai people own spirit and miniature houses which they believe contain live spirits. They provide food and drinks to such spirits which they believe keep them happy. According to the Thai people beliefs and their culture if these spirits are not happy they will impede the major portion of the household and will create chaos. Such spirit houses are found in public places and also on some of the streets of Thailand. In certain rural areas of Thailand, food is served while people are seated on the ground. Stepping over food is considered yet another very rude gesture and a source of immense embarrassment for a Thai host. At practically any place in Thailand, if one sees a pile of shoes at or close to the entrance of a home, shop, or a guest house, one should remove their own