The Magus Essay Example For Students

The Magus Essay In this paper I want to show the importance of the distinction between Deontological theories and Teleological theories. First, let me define the basic types of deontological theories: Act-deontology takes the rightness of an act as having to be decided by the individual on the basis of what the particular situation demands of him or her. Rule-deontology takes the rightness of an act as having been already decided by universal rules which are binding on everyone, regardless of the situation. Teleological theories: Act-utilitarianism takes the rightness of an act as having to be decided by the individual on the basis of what will promote the greatest general good in the individuals particular situation and Rule-utilitarianism takes the rightness of an act as being in accord with the general rules, binding on everyone, that have already been decided on as promoting the greatest general good. Second, I will give my opinion on The Magus by John Fowles. In conclusion we will !see if the c onsequences are moral or immoral. The first case to analyze will be the one about Conchis-the mayor of a small Greek village. He was ordered by the Nazi Commandant to beat to death three freedom fighters who had shot four German soldiers. If he refused, the Germans would kill not only the freedom fighters, but also the villagers hostages. Lets look at situation through the eyes of a utilitarian, then through the eyes of a deontologist. Conchis was in a very difficult position that he has to decide what he should do with the ordered with in thirty-seconds, which is a very short period of time. He is probably confused and frustrated and not sure of what is right or wrong thing to do. As the Wimmel approached him with a gun. He aimed at the three freedom fighters. He pulled the trigger of the gun, but the gun was not loaded. His determination is not to increases the possibility for the German to harm the villagers. It seems that happiness for the German would mean trouble for the villa gers. As he aimed at the!three men, his thought was to save the villager hostages. According to the story, Conchis wants to save as many people as possible. I would describe his deportment as Rule Utilitarianism. People own what they would own under the total set of rules, of which would be the greatest good of each and most efficient. 1 His conscience is do what saves the most people. What if he did not follow the order? Will everyone still live even if he doesnt follow? Maybe by following the order he will be preventing the German use of force, or causes extreme human suffering. I did not choose Act-utilitarianism because Conchis-the mayor did not want to promote the greatest good in the individual as himself in this situation. His knowledge was to bring happiness to people.He follow rules that is all obeyed then should bring about in the long term the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. Suppose that sacrificing life or bodily integrity, where making the sac rifice wo!uld be value, is itself in each interest. Among the things that Act-utilitarianism requires is putting up with, indeed getting oneself to positively welcome, that other is also do what act utilitarianism requires lest anger lead to resentment, and resentment to wrongful, action, and wrongful action to a decrease in value. For the Utilitarian: The results are what matter. We will write a custom essay on The Magus specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now I would described Wimmel, the Nazi commandant action is Act-deontology. He is violating his moral convictions against total being. Secondly, his action cannot be justified universally. The Nazi commandant was not foreseeing the idea of human rights is a moral one. Act-deontology was morally wrong, but Wimmel determined that Conchis take the ordered or all of them will die which make it harder for him to choose whether to kill the freedom fighters or the villagers including him self will be killed by the German. However, the Rule-deontology was pointed out that its wrong to kill. Conchis realized that his previous action was immoral. When he heard the prisoner call for freedom and saw the way these men had been tortured, he couldnt kill them. His knowledge repeatedly told him he was wrong, but his total being still tells him he was right. At his point he gave up. Although ultimately these are formally equivalent, the first illustrates the need for moral principles to be uni!versalizab le. The second points to the radical distinction to be made between right or wrong and persons, and emphasizes the necessity of respect for persons. According to Deontologist: The act is what matters, therefore, when people do something quick they dont really have a chance to justify the means of valuesThere are no absolute right and wrongs, everything is relative. I dont know if I should judge morality by examining the nature of actions or rather goal of achieved. As Kant said: We praised or blamed for actions within our control, and that includes our willing, not our achieving. 2 As far as the moral evaluation of our actions was concerned, consequences did not matter. Conchis-the mayor got put into a difficult situation and consequences are irrelevant in determining moral correctness of an action. It is the action itself not the result, that is good or bad. When Conchis takes the ordered and trigger the freedom fighters, his reason has repeatedly told him he was wrong and his tota l being tells him he was right. Individual human rights are acknowledged and inviolable. We need not consider the satisfaction of harmful desires in our moral deliberations. Moral dilemmas are created when duties come in conflict, and there is no mechanism for solving them. Conflicting duties, !however, may require that I perform logically or physically incompatible actions, and failure to do any one is itself a moral wrong. Footnote:1) Judith Jarvis Thomson, The Realm of Rights: Second Property (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. 1990) 3322) Immanuel Kant, Notes on Deontology (unpublish document) Bibliography:1) Gewirth, Alan. Human Rights: Essays on Justification and Applications. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1982. .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc , .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc .postImageUrl , .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc , .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc:hover , .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc:visited , .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc:active { border:0!important; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc:active , .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3ea277711fdd8d1361860e495bf9a8cc:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Nightmares Essay2) Wilson, James Q. The Moral Sense. New York: New York, 1993. 3) Wilson, James Q., and Richard J. Hernstein. Crime and Human Nature. New York: Simon ; Schuster. 1985.

Death Of A Salesman - Willy Essays - John Keats, Free Essays

Death Of A Salesman - Willy Essays - John Keats, Free Essays Death of a Salesman - Willy The differences between eighteenth-century literature and romantic poems, with respect to history is constituted here. This is seen through the influential works of John Keats and Alexander Pope. These works are acknowledged as, "The Rape of Lock" and "The Eve of St. Agnes." Alexander Pope takes his readers on a hatred filled epic. A robust piece of literature and love induced psychoses in, "The Rape of Lock." On the other hand, "The Eve of St. Agnes" told a tale of life, love, death, and eternal fate in heaven. These two brilliant writers have given two magnificent poems. Pope exhibits many characteristics of a narcissistic human being. His independence in life shows through his writings in fiction. Which inevitably portray his deeper feelings of life. Popes' efforts here are of outezding quality. However, his poem did fail to convince Arabella to r?sum? her engagement to Lord Petre. Most of Pope's efforts here were written with time. Now, Keats has romantically serenaded his reader with descriptive lust and desire, which can be compared with popes' efforts by the difference in eighteenth century literature and romantic poems, their descriptive natures and ideas they portray to the reader through their writing. Pope has written an eighteenth-century poem which he calls, "An Hero-Comical Poem." This poem has exalted an over all sense of worthlessness for common rules. The mentioning of Achilles and the ever-popular Aeneas, are symbols of Pope's Gothic style. Pope speaks (almost) G-D like throughout, "The Rape of Lock." Contrary to Keats, who is more down-to-earth with his sense of realism in his writings. In the beginning of Keats romantic premise to life in St. Agnes, all is cold. The opening sequence brings a sense of realism to this bitter cold scene. Cold owls, rabbit's, and numb fingers on a holy, "Beads man." The Beads man symbolizes the sense of age and spirit. Much of this poem is a test of Keats inner soul or spirit. He has lead himself to St. Agnes for his own personal account of life in a time long gone. Keats' romantic style has brought visionary raw emotion to the aching hearts of all his readers. Then, both poems go separate ways in their tales of body and spirit. Taking account of all differences in these two works, has brought out a sense of unknown extasy. Pope displays morality with his own twists on fate and man kind's inability to rationalize right decision making in life. He complicates this with, "Moral superiority" and his visions of old styles blended with his attitude for recognition. Pope has indulged the reader in consistent religious order, and awkward justice for mankind. However, when viewing Keats poem ezza by ezza, much is revealed. Keats' tale starts as a direct eagerness for future considerations. His image of love and old age creates a stifled knot in the stomach of the reader. Enthusiastic resiezce is overcome by Keats smooth flow, and harmonizing beauty in heaven. Angels and death are brought together like osmosis. His ability to start off in a cold bitter atmosphere of regret, and then sway the reader's emotion to a peaceful loving atmosphere is in itself astonishing. Desire brings Keats to the heightened point of emotional gratification within, "The Eve of St. Agnes." St. Agnes is such a peaceful age-old memory for Keats. He presents strength when pain is being inflicted. His early images of purgatory, show Keats in a bind of human emotion and regret for past sins. However, Pope does this as well throughout, "The Rape of Lock." Although, Pope is less likely to find a happy medium in his tale of tolerance. He does manage to relinquish all his desires for the sake of his own inner strength. This strength is portrayed more intensely through his soul. Memories are key to the anguish of the poem. In all of Keats mediocre issues come love and honor. The entire tenth ezza is caused by the emotions involved with love. However, this must leave some readers at a loss. Keats doesn't seem to really care whether anybody underezds him. Keats only concern is to repent and achieve harmony in life with his body and soul.

Beer in France Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Beer in France - Essay Example Denmark leads the continent with the highest number of alcohol users at 93% followed by Sweden and Netherlands at 90 and 88% respectively. On the other hand, the alcohol consumers were in Portugal at 58% with Italy and Hungary at 60% and 64% respectively, a trend that has remained intact since 2006 (Conibear, 32). Therefore, as the statistics above indicate, France is a moderate alcohol consumer, making it necessary for any marketers to understand beer or alcohol consumption trends in the country before implementing any marketing strategy. France portrays interesting dynamics with regard to beer and alcohol consumption at large. According to Conibear (34), there has been a drastic culture change in France, Italy and Spain about beer and alcohol consumption since the 1980s. Reports on beer consumption in France indicate an interesting trend with the average number of beer consumers decreasing significantly since the 1990s. For instance, Conibear (35) reports of a decline in the number of alcohol consumers above 15 years since the 1980s. The French beer consumption per capita in 1980 was 20, declining to 15.4 in 1990 and 14 by the year 2000 (Conibear 34). Age too is an influential factor with regard to beer intake across France. While 68% of persons above 50 years preferred wine, 29% of consumers between 14 and 29 years preferred beer, while port had more preference among women consumers (Conibear, 35). France is an average beer producer in Europe compared to other European countries. According to a beer statistics report, France produced 14,731,000 hectoliters of beer in 2009, 16,290,000 hectoliters and 15,910,000 hectoliters of beer in 2010 and 2011 respectively (Brewers of Europe, 4). The above figures indicate an average level production compared to Germany, which had over 95,000,000 hectoliters of beer in the three consecutive years. These data affirm that

How Do Consumer Characteristics Influence Buying Behavior Research Paper

How Do Consumer Characteristics Influence Buying Behavior - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the quantity of purchase and the types of products in purchasing have come across the shifting in the consumer buying habits. On the contrary, previously marketers and organizations were able to comprehend the consumers buying behaviors and patterns through their experiences of selling the products to the consumers. However, firms and marketing decision makers lost direct contact with the customers with the augmentation of the market and organizations. Therefore, the consumer-buying behavior is one of the most significant aspects for the organizations in today’s time to be acquainted with the buying patterns and habits of the consumers so that they can focus on their products or services to the market. Since the consumer market profoundly depends upon the buying behaviors of the customers, therefore organizations should understand the market before developing or designing any marketing strategies. As a result, to the constantly ch anging buying patterns of the consumers, consumer research has become one of the imperative methods for the marketers and enterprises where they are spending millions of dollars for the study of consumer habits. Moreover, consumer research allows the marketers to gain more knowledge about the consumer behavior and their habits of buying a particular product or service. Furthermore, this research also makes the enterprise identify and recognize the responsibility of the customer towards the overall product that includes its features, price, advertising and several others over its competitors. The research will also lead to the surveillance that consumer enormously varies in age, income, education, taste and quite a lot of other factors. In addition, the consumer characteristics that influence their purchasing habits also include elements such as cultural, social, personal, and psychological characteristics. Therefore, the consumer research findings provide a great deal of assistance to the firms, as they are then able to determine the strong association between the marketing stimulus and the customer reaction.

Mission, Vision and Stakeholders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mission, Vision and Stakeholders - Essay Example 6). In order to assess the operations of Better Place from the perspective of its stakeholders, it is important to assess the foundation on which the organization has been established. Being a part of the automobile industry, the business plan of Better Place is based on a revolutionary and visionary ideology which aims to challenge the conventional dynamics of automobile development by intending to establish a countrywide network of electric cars. The company’s program rests on the teachings of social entrepreneurship, which in this particular case aspires to lessen and gradually eliminate the automotive industry’s reliance on oil through the incorporation of research and development efforts (Etzion and Struben 2011, p. 2). Stakeholders Indeed, Better Place exists in the business because it believes that change is the most fundamental need of the automotive industry and it is possible to inspire this change by cooperating with the stakeholders of the organization. By a ssessing the environment in which the company operates, its stakeholders can be identified as follows: 1) Israeli government 2) National electric utility 3) Car manufacturers 4) Battery companies 5) Venture capitalists and Investors 6) Potential customers of electric cars 7) Local authorities 8) International firms 9) International Governments – United States, Japan, Canada, Denmark and Australia Stakeholder Mapping In order to conduct an effective analysis of Better Place’s stakeholders, the tool of stakeholder mapping can be implemented to 1) highlight the level of stakeholders’ interest in favoring or contesting a strategy that is forwarded by the firm and 2) identify the extent to which the organizations stakeholders have the power to do so (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2008, p. 156). The key benefit of categorizing the firm’s stakeholders on the basis of the variables of power and interest is that such knowledge is critical to the formulation of strategy as it reveals the firm’s true dependency on its stakeholders. The diagram presented below demonstrates the stakeholder mapping for Better Place. A: Minimal Effort B: Keep Informed Local authorities C: Keep Satisfied Venture capital firms Potential customers of electric cars D: Key Players Israeli government National electric utility International governments and firms Car manufacturers Battery companies Referring to the diagram, venture capitalists firms and potential investors must be kept satisfied with the progress of the project in order to ensure that continued funding is provided by the firms in the third and subsequent rounds of funding. The key players in the venture are external actors namely the Israeli government, international governments and firms. The feasibility and viability of the project is greatly dependent upon the establishment of partnerships with organizations such as the Big Three auto manufacturers in Detroit as well as Toyota which have acce ss to a customer base that would be otherwise inaccessible to Better Place. A concluding assessment of the diagram demonstrates that Better Place exhibits dependency upon external partners who must be convinced regarding the viability of the venture to sustain long-term associations. Topic 2 – Industry and Scenario Analyses Porter Five Forces The assessment of the in which Better Place operates draws from the forces which exist in the automobile industry, the personal transportation industry and the EV market in specific. Discussing the current scenario with regards to the development of electric and fuel-efficient vehicles, Etzion and Struben

Declining Trade And Investment Barriers Economics Essay

Declining Trade And Investment Barriers Economics Essay The environment in which international business operates has become subject to the forces of globalisation and increasing world integration. One might even say that globalisation is the buzzword of economics today. There are many varying definitions of globalisation, some including cultural and political aspects but for the purpose of this manual, it is best to focus on the economic aspects of it. Globalisation, it is argued, is a shift towards a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Furthermore, at a very simple level, one may distinguish between two broad aspects of globalisation. 1.2.1 Globalisation of Markets It could have been argued that in the past, one could distinguish between many different national markets. However, globalisation of markets has caused moves towards a single homogeneous global market whereby consumer preferences are converging towards a global norm. One of the strong proponents of such an argument was Levitt (1983) who argued that companies needed to view the world as a single homogeneous, global market for products and services. A global firm should therefore view the world as a single unit and must strive to produce and market standardized product worldwide. Nevertheless, the firm is also expected to adjust its product offerings for local differentiation. The benefits from global standardization have enormous potential since firms are able to achieve economies of scale in many value-chain activities including production, distribution and management  [1]  . However, whilst there are indeed many common market needs, demands and acceptance of certain global products, there are also many deep divisions, cultural and other national differences between countries and markets. At the simplest level, these differences relate to differences in product use. For example, in some countries like for instance in Continental Europe, people drive on the right hand side whilst in South Africa or Mauritius for example, people drive on the left hand side. Hence, vehicle specifications to that end will be different  [2]  . 1.2.2 Globalisation of Production This refers to the sources of goods and services from locations around the world to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production. Globalisation of production is characterized by increased dispersion of value chain activities to different world locations. Instead of all business activities being singly concentrated, firms may choose to disperse some of their business activities to other locations. For example, production may be undertaken in certain developing countries where labour is cheap; research and development in another location where high-level specialized skills are in abundance; and assembly may be performed at yet another location for ease of transport to world markets. As such, firms may exploit national differences in factor conditions such as land, labour, capital and skills, as well as demand conditions, infrastructure and government regulations. 1.3 DRIVERS OF GLOBALISATION Hill (2005) identifies the following factors that underlie the trend towards greater globalisation: 1. Declining Trade and Investment Barriers After the Great Depression and the Second World War, developed countries have opted to remove barriers to international trade and foreign direct investment. This resulted in the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). There were a number of rounds of negotiations between countries which ensued and these led to further reductions and also extended GATT to cover services, intellectual property rights and eventually to the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) following the Uruguay Round in 1994. The WTO is a permanent body that is responsible for establishing and further entrenching rule based trade and for managing the rule based world-trading system (Hill, 2003). These developments have contributed to the reduction of trade and investment barriers and lower restrictions on capital flow. These have in turn facilitated the globalisation of markets and production. In addition to reducing trade barriers, many countries have also been progressively removing restrictions to foreign direct investment that has further boosted world trade growth. However, whether the removal of those barriers to trade is a good thing is a debatable issue. Many developing countries would argue that given their intrinsically different economic underpinnings, it will be almost impossible for them to compete on a level playing field as is propounded by globalisation. They have further advanced that these barriers or protectionist measures are extremely important in that they provide in most cases a market for the developing countries exports. 2. Technology Over the last decades there has been significant technological advancement. The microprocessor revolution is perhaps the one that has had the most significant impact. Microprocessors are the underlying components that have fuelled the advancement in global communications. These include satellite, optic fibre and wireless communications as well as the computing revolution that has borne the Internet, the worldwide web and provided the possibilities of e-commerce. These technological developments have contributed to the globalisation of markets and production, through better communication, and integration of worldwide activities. It has also facilitated the speedy global transfer of funds and capital, which further fuels globalisation. Other technological advancements that have contributed to globalisation include that of jet travel and containerization. Jet travel has enabled the rapid and widespread movement of people and goods across national borders (Hill, 2003). This has facilitated the setting up of new businesses, partnerships and negotiations across borders and has also helped in the co-ordination and integration of worldwide business activities. 3. Changing World Order The fall of communism in the late 1980s has led to moves away towards democratization of countries in Eastern Europe and the former Central Asian Republics. Many of the former Iron Curtain Countries are more amenable to free market policies which are in turn conducive to globalisation. Thus, it can be argued that a shift in political ideology towards capitalism has been an important determinant of globalisation. 4. Convergence of Industrialisation Strategy Towards An Export Oriented Platform To the classical economists, trade was seen as an engine of growth as it facilitated the exploitation of comparative advantage. But, by the 1950s, it was obvious trade was not having the expected propulsive effects because of imperfections in international trading systems, such as oligopolistic competition, discriminatory pricing, product differentiation and high tariff barriers. As a result, many nations adopted an import-substitution  [3]  strategy in a bid to reduce their import dependency. Import-substitution strategy entailed a high level of protection, via tariffs, import restriction measures and quotas, which discriminated against exports via explicit and implicit tax of export activities and an overvalued foreign exchange rate. Also, the government used investment license, differential taxes, tax holidays, exemptions and remissions to influence resource allocation between industries and sectors. The proponents of IS strategy firmly believed that they would be able to meet the domestic demand for manufacturing products; provide employment opportunities for skilled labour; ease pressure on the balance of payment and strengthen the long term productive capacity of the economy by importing the production technology via foreign firms  [4]  and by using the infant industry argument. However, the overwhelming consensus is that IS was a failure  [5]  . IS strategy has turned out to be self-defeating since it has resulted in huge increases in imports of equipment and inputs while transfer pricing constituted a severe drain on foreign exchange. Also, IS granted excessive protection to industries producing inefficiently non-essential goods for high-income elite. Furthermore, fiscal credit and exchange rate policies, coupled with subsidies on imports of capital goods, made it possible and advantageous to entrepreneurs to rely on high capital intensive equipment produced abroad and technology unsuited to the factor proportions prevailing in less developed countries. As a result, a new orthodoxy emerged in the late 60s and early 70s which stressed the role of exports of labour intensive manufactures as an engine of growth. This represented a return to the static theory of comparative advantage with trade based upon different factor proportions prevailing in various countries which meant that the pendulum turned full swing for development policy in LDCs from import substitution to manufactured exports. Export oriented strategy not only encourages free trade  [6]  , but also the free movement of capital, labour, enterprises and an open system of communication. It also entailed more efficient allocation of resources with firms competing internationally  [7]  based on their relative comparative advantages. These considerations, coupled with the emergence of trade blocks, were factors motivating changes in the strategic orientation of MNEs. MNEs underwent a complete restructuring of their global and regional supply profiles. This entailed locating  [8]  manufacturing operations in only a few countries but exporting for a wider market. Each subsidiary were opened to a fully competitive market situation which permitted the realisation of economies of scale and the attainment of optimal efficiency in production (Pearce, 1999). The where to produce clearly gained in prominence during such an era which led to MNEs redistributing their unchanged ownership advantages in order to create an international network of subsidiaries  [9]  which optimised their supply of established range of products. Thus, investments undertaken by MNEs were mainly of an efficiency-seeking nature. 5. Emergence of Regional Trade Blocks Members to a regional initiative have to work towards a reduction or complete harmonization of their tariffs. Such a step taken by these members (most of which are signatories to the WTO) is seen as a partial liberalization initiative and is the first step towards complete liberalization which is propounded by the WTO. 1.4 ADVANTAGES OF GLOBALISATION Faster Growth Economies that have in the past been open to foreign direct investment have developed at a much quicker pace than those economies closed to such investment. E.g. China as opposed to Russia. Cheaper Imports This is simply because the reduction of barriers to entry such as tariffs on imports will lead to a fall in price. New Technologies Developing countries, more receptive to FDI, have a greater chance of acquiring new and better technologies through diffusion and spillover effects. Spur of Foreign Competition Foreign competition will encourage domestic producers to increase efficiency. Increased Investment Opportunities Companies can move capital to countries that offer the most attractive investment opportunities. This prevents capital being trapped in domestic economies and earning poor returns. 1.5 DISADVANTAGES OF GLOBALISATION Culture The protection of its own culture through subsidies and grants may be a major hold back of globalisation. Local focus or Localisation Douthwaite (1996) believes that globalisation can and should be reversed. He argues that localization is the way to do this. He calls for a balance between local, regional, national and international markets since this would curb the control given to multinationals. He also argues that governments should work together to reduce the power of multinationals by negotiating new trade and treaties that would remove the subsidies powering globalisation and give local production a chance. Loss of jobs in developed economies Because of increased competition as a result of globalisation, firms are increasingly shifting their production plants to cheaper locations to reduce costs. This has led to an increase in the level of unskilled unemployment. Loss of Sovereignty Many anti-globalisation campaigners argue that countries are increasingly losing their sovereignty and powers to implement local decisions because of the powers provided to the WTO. Technology Although it is one of the most important drivers of globalisation, technology has nevertheless widened the poverty gap. Developing and less developing countries inability to adopt new technologies entails that they are unable to compete against their developed countries counterparts. EXERCISE Please insert case study entitled Globalisation: Boon or Bane 1.7 SUMMARY Globalisation of markets has caused moves towards a single homogeneous global market whereby consumer preferences are converging towards a global norm. One of the strong proponents of such an argument was Levitt (1983) who argued that companies needed to view the world as a single homogeneous, global market for products and services. It could be argued that the following factors could be considered as the main drivers of globalisation: technology, changing world order and the dismantling of barriers to trade, convergence of industrialization strategy and the emergence of RTAs. Some of the main advantages of globalisation are namely faster growth, cheaper imports, new technologies, spur of foreign competition and increased investment opportunities. Some of the negative consequences of globalisation are loss of sovereignty, loss of jobs in developed countries and a widening poverty gap. SUGGESTED READINGS Hill, C.W.L. (2005) International Business. Competing in the Global Marketplace, 5th Edition, New York, NY: Irwin-McGraw-Hill Inc. Hill, C.W.L. (2003) International Business. Competing in the Global Marketplace, 4th Edition, New York, NY: Irwin-McGraw-Hill Inc.

Easy Access For Children on Pornography Sites Essay -- Argumentative P

Easy Access For Children on Pornography Sites You just finished a day's work, have arrived home, unlocked the door, step inside, and just as you are about to yell, "anyone home," you hear hooting and hollering coming from the family room. As you enter the room you see your children and their friends glued to the computer screen, which is covered with explicit images not intended for the eyes of children. According to an article written by P.J.Huffstutter, "Yahoo, MSN Criticized for Offering Easy Access to Pornography," (C1) these two large Internet companies, have made it possible for everyone of all ages to access these adult communities. They require no proof of age, making it far too easy for under-age children to freely view the pornographic pictures and videos of their choice While adults may find leaving a site easy if they are uncomfortable, trying to restrict children from accessing these sites is a different issue. To watch your kids every moment is unrealistic and would not please anyone. According to Net Nanny, "Kids need to learn Internet safety practices and differentiate between right and wrong, because their parents won't always be there." There must be some sort of compromise. We, being responsible adults, need to take charge of what our children are doing when online, since little effort is required to gain entry to pornography sites. I used Microsoft's MSN search facility to look for "porn," and the only warning I received was that I had entered a search term that was likely to return adult content. While that may be more warning than in the past, it still isn't enough to keep children away. Then I was directed to a related link entitled NightSurf, and within two minutes I was presented with images of nudity... ...pornography with such ease, parents are going to have to figure out a way to keep their children off these sites. The only other option is coming home and finding them looking at something they shouldn't. Because some children, given the opportunity, are going to seek out these sites, even if you ask them not to. After all, children will be children. Works Cited Huffstutter, P.J.. "Yahoo, MSN Criticized for Offering Easy Access to Pornography." Los Angeles Times 23 Sept. 2001, sec. C: 1-2. Bruckman, Amy. "Finding One's Own in Cyberspace." Composing Cyberspace. Richard Holeton. United States: McGraw-Hill, 1998. 171-178. SafeSurf. Press Release. "Netscape and SafeSurf Team Up to Protect Children Online." Westlake Village, CA. 17 June. 1998. "Net Nanny 4: Product Description." http://www.netnanny.com/home/net_nanny_4/product_description.asp. 4 Oct. 2001.