Sun Microsystems Strategic Positioning

SUN MICROSYSTEMS: STRATEGIC POSITIONING Susan L. Elvins National American University History, Strategy, International Abstract This thesis will discuss the corporate strategy of Sun Microsystems and the multiple issues they have faced both domestic and internationally. Sun Microsystems provides open source software applications and different types of hardware for business consumers. A benefit Sun Microsystems provides with new technology to customers is offering them the ability to trade computer parts when upgrading. ii CONTENTS Abstract †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ii CHAPTER 1 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTRODUCTION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 CHAPTER 2 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: HISTORY †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 History †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 Continued Growth †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 CHAPTER 3 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: MARKETING †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 SWOT Issues †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Microsoft vs. Sun Microsystems †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 CHAPTER 4 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Software †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Servers †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. History Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 CHAPTER 5 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: CODE OF ETHICS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Employee Code of Ethics †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Employee Relationships †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 Anti-Discrimination Policy †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 CHAPTER 6 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: LEGAL ISSUES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 0 Hardware Patents †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 CHAPTER 7 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL COUNTRY ANALYSIS (ITALY) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 CHAPTER 8 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 International Economy Results †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 Domestic Economy Results †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 CHAPTER 9 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 iii CHAPTER 10 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL POLITICS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 CHAPTER 11 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL SWOT †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 SWOT Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 CHAPTER 12 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATEGIES †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 16 Five Business Level Strategies †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 16 CHAPTER 13 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: CHANGE MANAGEMENT †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 Server Management †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. 17 CHAPTER 14 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: STRATEGIC CHANGE †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Product Upgrade †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 Storage Management †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19 Open Source Management †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 19 CHA PTER 14 IMPLEMENT PLAN OF CHANGE †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 20 Implement Change †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 20 CHAPTER 16 IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 22 CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY . 25 APPENDIX A PORTER’S FIVE FORCES †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 26 APPENDIX B GOVERNMENTAL PARTIES †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 27 iv History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 1 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTRODUCTION Over the last 26 years, Sun has built a strong business strategy to satisfy commercial and consumer buyers with multiple products. When it all comes down to it, Sun Microsystems is one of the most defined and trusted computer manufactures in the globe. This thesis paper discusses the achievements of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Chapter 2 looks into the history of Sun Microsystems. Chapter 3 reviews the choice marketing strategy of Sun and how they have improved their current business position. Chapter 4 examines what products Sun provides consumers in software, storage, desktops, workstations, and microelectronics. Chapter 5 discusses the business code of ethics policy. Chapter 6 explores the legality of Sun Microsystems. Chapters 7 through 11 discuss the international facility of Sun Microsystems in Milan, Italy and chapter 12 explores their global business strategies. 1 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 2 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: HISTORY In 1982, four people got together and built Sun Microsystems, Inc. in Santa Clara, California. The latest date of 2007 annual reports confirms this company now has 34,000 employees worldwide. According to Hoovers, the top three executives are Jonathan I. Schwartz, President, CEO and Director, then Scott G. McNealy, Chairman, and then Gregory M. Papadopoulos, EVP Research and Development and CTO. (Hoovers, 2008) Since 1982, Sun Microsystems has believed, â€Å"The Network is the Computer† to achieve their company success. History In 1983, Sun made enough revenue to open operations overseas in Europe. (Sun, 2008) This new overseas office gave many capabilities to what Sun could accomplish. For example, Sun opened their doors in multiple international countries to build revenue. The first international operations for Sun opened in Canada in 1985 (Sun, 2008). The following year, operations started in Asia then in Australia. Sun, 2008) In 1988, Sun reached their first $1 million dollars in sales revenue, which is a major milestone. (Sun, 2008) In 1990, Sun introduced the first workstation which was a new plateau reached. (Sun, 2008) This workstation brought new strategy into Sun’s marketing strategy because of opportunity it added. Continued Growth In the late 1990’s, Sun expanded their business horizons int o hardware then built a T1 server which handled the backbone of the Internet. (Sun, 2008) That same year, Sun completed the Micro, Standard, and Enterprise editions of the Java 2 platform 2 Comment [US1]: Period follows citation not before History, Strategy, International 3 application. (Sun, 2008) Java software gives opportunity to developers they previously did not have. This software allows programmers to develop and build ideas more easily. Java is used in web browsers to this day, so it is important to ensure that application stays updated as required. History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 3 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: MARKETING The marketing strategy of Sun Microsystems did change as the company increased the product line because with additions they needed to build a correct strategy. The reason for changing the marketing strategy is to compete with businesses just like them. Sun Microsystems has always ensured that their consumers receive the best products and the best in customer service. In 1992, a great marketing strategy used by Sun was to join with Hewlett Packard and announce new workstations built specifically for technical businesses. As the author of Computerworld magazine stated, â€Å"The companies are pitching their workstations to different customers–Sun wants to displace PCs from commercial desktops and HP is focusing on the midrange and high-end workstation user. (Johnson, 1992, 4) SWOT Issues Just like any other business, Sun has strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Keeping those four key points in mind will provide Sun the assistance they need to further their possibilities in the world of technology. Sun was able to acquire the program application MySQL. In many technical circles such as networking, the word â€Å"lampâ₠¬  will be used during a discussion between administrators. An IT article explains how these letters are also read. The letters of lamp each stand for an application used to build a network server; Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Anonymous, 2008) Microsoft vs. Sun Microsystems Microsoft is a company that many consumers know for the popular operating software they provide, Windows. Some may not be aware of legal issues that had taken 4 Comment [US2]: Magazines and newspapers are in italics History, Strategy, International 5 place between Microsoft and Sun regarding the Java application. A 2004 article put many business owners at ease when the authors stated, â€Å"Just before last Christmas, secret talks aimed at ending one of the bitterest wars in business foundered. (Guth & Clark, 2004, A1) The disagreement began on October 1997 when Microsoft was sued for using Java incorrectly. In January 2001, Microsoft and Sun did reach an agreement finally to settle the 1997 case in which Mic rosoft paid Sun $20 million dollars. (Guth & Clark, 2004) The settlement of this case actually allowed both companies to move forward without regrets. On March 10, 2008, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems met once again and this time it was on better terms. Both companies created an alliance including the grand opening of the Sun/Microsoft Interoperability Center. The center is located in Redmond, Washington, the same location of the headquarters for Microsoft. One benefit this center received was the type of Sun server and storage system. The other benefit was the type of Microsoft server software. (Johnson, 2008) History, Strategy, International 6 CHAPTER 4 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY Software Sun provides many options to consumers when choosing from software. It is not just operating systems. Sun provides Java and Java Enterprise Systems to the consumers. Consumers have the ability to use Mobile Solutions when they are away from their away from their main computer. Business management software is available on levels of security for identity management or systems management. Software tools to assist database maintenance, application management, and development production are also available. The latest version of Solaris is Solaris 10 and it was released in 2004. (Sun, 2008) Servers Sun Microsystems has been busy improving since the original SPARC came onto the market. Now consumers have multiple options within this category to chose. For example, a consumer could choose a â€Å"Blade† server, the â€Å"x64† server, a Netra server, a SPARC erver, an Entry Rack Mount server, a Mid-range server, or a High-End server. Each product has advantages and disadvantages that will match up to a consumer’s needs. If a business still needs to consider options, the Sun web site performs a comparison of the servers. If a business needs something more customized, Sun will provide rack cabinets so the business can build a specialized rack sys tem to meet their own needs. History Conclusion Sun Microsystems provides more than software, main frames, and rack systems to the consumer. Over the last 26 years, Sun has built a strong business strategy to satisfy History, Strategy, International 7 commercial and consumer buyers with multiple products. Sun is a business that believes the best way to earn revenue is to stay focused on important issues. Keeping focus on business strategy and consumer needs will turn growth and revenue into prosperity. History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 5 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: CODE OF ETHICS In 2001, Sun Microsystems built a Business Conduct Office (BCO) to assist employees and board members as necessary. (Corporate, 2008) To ensure employees are assisted in the best possible way, Sun keeps this document consistently updated. An employee can contact the human resources department should they have any questions or concerns. Employee Code of Ethics After employees are hired, they are provided with documentation listing a helpfully written ethics policy each person is required to follow. As an employee, a person is expected to use common sense in the decision-making process. More importantly, Sun requires each employee and board member to follow these company ethical guidelines: â€Å"Be familiar with these Standards of Business Conduct and follow them at all times. Comply with all applicable governmental laws, rules, and regulations in the performance of their duties on Sun’s behalf. Be sensitive to situations which could lead to inappropriate business conduct and avoid engaging in such inappropriate business conduct. Comply fully with the letter and spirit of Sun’s Conflict of Interest policy and always conduct Sun business in a manner that avoids conflicts between personal interests and Sun’s best interests. Promptly bring to the attention of appropriate Sun management or Sun’s Business Conduct Office any known or perceived unacceptable business conduct or illegal behavior. Seek appropriate guidance when it is suspected that business conduct issues. 8 History, Strategy, International 9 Always conduct Sun’s business with honesty and integrity and refrain from conduct that would negatively impact Sun’s reputation. † (Sun Microsystems, 2007) Employee Relationships Businesses must build a working relationship between their employees just as they do with their consumers. It is also important for employees to know they will always have the respect of their employer at all times. Employees are expected to return the same professional conduct as a courtesy to their employer. In addition to professional standards, Sun has a global anti-discrimination policy that protects employee rights. This anti-discrimination policy serves dual purpose because it protects an employee’s rights and it prevents discrimination within the company. Anti-Discrimination Policy In the anti-discrimination policy, there are four types of harassment examples. They are verbal harassment, visual harassment, physical harassment, and sexual demands. (Sun Microsystems, 2007) An example of verbal harassment is co-worker insults another with explicit jokes or makes sexual remarks towards another person. Visual harassment is considered graphic material whether it is written, printed, or sent through email. Physical harassment is considered more sexual driven as a person intentionally brushes up against another in a way that is unwelcome. Sexual demands are defined as unwanted sexual advances. History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 6 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: LEGAL ISSUES Sun Microsystems has a legal department that has the capability to work through multiple situations. For example, Sun took legal action against Microsoft after discovering their Java code was used to advance Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. After Sun and Microsoft ironed legal differences in front of a judge in 2004, both companies emerged with new ideas. According to a 2007 article in the Wall Street Journal, â€Å"Sun has agreed to sell servers that come with Windows installed at the factory. Some customers already run Windows on Sun's x86 systems — those that use chips from Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. — but had to buy and install the software themselves. † (Lawton & Clark, 2007) The executive vice president of Sun’s systems group stated, â€Å"This is quite a different situation. (Lawton & Clark, 2007) It is obvious seeing Sun and Microsoft business activities they can become allies and begin build something new to benefit the consumer. Hardware Patents Another legal issue was resolved between Sun and a company named Custom Hardware Engineering over a patent dispute. Financial Wire briefly explained this suit in an article because of the delicate legal information involved . This independent service stated, â€Å"Custom Hardware had filed an antitrust counterclaim against the charges and was seeking $140 million in damages. † (FinancialWire, 2007) Sun settled the counterclaim with an amount that has not been disclosed. Because Sun purchased this hardware company, Sun in turn legally owned all rights however; one could possibly see why Custom Hardware attempted to sue for counter damages. 10 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 7 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL COUNTRY ANALYSIS (ITALY) This section of the Sun Microsystems research paper discusses the international facility. The global center is located in Milan, Italy. The international center provides consumers the exact services that American customers receive. This section provides economic details of Italy such as employment and unemployment. Other information discussed is things pertaining to demographics and the future of how Sun can progressively build its facility in the country. Over the last 26 years, Sun Microsystems has built a strong business strategy to satisfy commercial and consumer buyers with multiple products. When it all comes down to it, Sun Microsystems is one of the most defined and trusted computer corporations across the globe. 11 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 8 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT Sun has built a center in Milan and it is called the Solution Center. They believe it will â€Å"expand business opportunities, lower development costs, and get products to market quickly†. (Sun, 2008) Customers can choose from products such as Solaris and Linux servers, desktop computers, and other types of storage peripherals. Four services available in the Milan Solution Center are proofs-of concept, benchmarks, product and solution demos, and porting. (Sun, 2008) International Economy Results In Italy, the first economic quarterly period was reported as $387,952 million Euros. It was showing a 0. 7% change from the previous quarterly period with a 1. 9% change from the previous year. Italy, 2008) As of May 2008, the employment rate status was 23,229 and the unemployment rate was 6. 5%. The total imports of goods and services in May 2008 amounted to $40,150 million Euro. Total exports of goods and services in May 2008 amounted to $39,688 million Euro. SDDS data reported the revenue of 2007 being $724,246 million Euro. (Italy, 2008) The Sun fa cility is located in Milan, Italy. Domestic Economy Results As of August 2008, Sun Microsystems reported its fiscal results. The revenue for the fiscal year was $13,888 billion. Revenue results for Q4 of fiscal 2008 are $3. 780 billion. Net-income for the fiscal 2008 earnings is $88 million. Cash earnings from operations of fiscal year are $1. 3 billion. (â€Å"Sun Microsystems,† 2008) 12 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 9 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL DEMOGRAPHICS On July 2007, a census reported the population of Italy to be 58,147,733 residents approximately. (Intute-World Guide, 2006/2008) The total residents in the labor force as of 2007 were 24. 86 million. The exports of Italy are engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals, food, beverages and tobacco, minerals and nonferrous metals. The country of Italy has boundaries to Austria, France, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland and the Vatican City including a coastline that spans 7,600 kilometers. (Intute-World Guide, 2006/2008) There are eight seaports, Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Ravenna, Sarroch, Taranto, Trieste, and Venice. Italy has one gas pipeline and one oil pipeline. Two types of railways and 612 merchant ships are available to carry commercial or industrial cargo. (CIA-The World, 2008) Population According to The World Fact Book, the population of Italy was 58,145,321 as of July 2008. The median age of the male was 41. 4 years. The median age for the female was 44. years. The census of 2001 showed literacy rate for the male population as 98. 8% and the literacy of the female population as 98%. In a census as of 2006, school age expectancy for males was 16 years and school age expectancy was 17 years for females. (CIA-The World, 2008) 13 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 10 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONA L POLITICS According to the Maps of the World, there are three government components in Italian politics executive, legislature, and judiciary. (Government and, 2008) The executive area is in essence the Prime Minister while judiciary has control over legal power of the country. Italian citizens are permitted to vote at the age of 18. They can choose from a multiple list of governmental parties listed in Appendix B. (Government and, 2008) 14 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 11 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL SWOT Even though Sun has a facility in Italy, a SWOT analysis must be followed to ensure business operations move smoothly. SWOT analysis is defined by Bnet. com as, â€Å"an assessment of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. SWOT analysis is used within organizations in the early stages of strategic and marketing planning. It is also used in problem solving, decision making, or for making staff aware of the need for change. It can be used at a personal level when examining your career path or determining possible career development. † (Cnet Networks Inc, 2008) In essence, the SWOT analysis is used to guide a business with structure and conformity. SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis shows how strengths and weaknesses are internal whereas opportunities and threats are external. Using that philosophy, Sun must keep track of strengths or business advantages at their Milan facility. Sun should consider how to improve the current business status by increasing revenue in the technical market. When a business keeps aware of opportunities, it can improve their status. A few examples provided by QuickMBA. com are, â€Å"an unfulfilled customer need, arrival of new technologies, loosening of regulations, and removal of international trade barriers. † (Swot Analysis, 1999/2007) For example, currently Sun has a few facilities with trade barriers so should they be lifted that will allow easier delivery of product and building of revenue. Furthermore, Sun has 10 General Prohibition restrictions with specific countries and customers. (Sun Microsystems, 1994/2008) These restrictions protect Sun as well as their employees. 15 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 12 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATEGIES The three strategies business owners can choose from when determining what will work best for their business strategy on a global scale are multi-domestic, global, and transnational. The multi-domestic business strategy focuses on all overseas countries the firm has operations. The global strategy focuses on how products are delivered to the countries. According to Cangemi, â€Å"a transnational strategy seeks to combine aspects of both multidomestic and global strategies in order to emphasize both local responsiveness and global integration and coordination. † (Cangemi, 2008) Five Business Level Strategies Sun builds benefit from the five business level strategies that are cost leadership, differentiation, focused low cost, focused differentiation, and integrated strategy. Sun recognizes five items their business could face while attempting to improve. These items known as Porters Five Forces are competitive rivalry, power of suppliers, power of buyers, threats of substitutes, and threats of new entrants. A visual of Porters five forces is displayed in Appendix A. (Recklies, 2007) Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value. † (Success Quotes, 1994/2007) Sun delivers value to their consumers both domestic and international. Sun has grown to a successful business because of their continuous years of hard work from the CEO and all employees. Sun has proven to succeed in business it takes dedication, communication, and the willingness to work outside of the box. 16 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 13 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: CHANGE MANAGEMENT Since 1982, Sun Microsystems has followed a structured business plan of goals for company products, services and higher revenue earnings. The 1980’s was a time for many companies to begin automating their systems. While some companies were just beginning to automate, Sun introduced its first workstation for businesses. In 1983, Sun opened the first facility overseas in Europe to expand products and increase revenue. Server Management In 2000, Sun customers who purchased high-end servers experienced a memory glitch error. Because of the error’s location, a statement was released on anonymity. The CIO stated, â€Å"Sun has taken an aggressive approach to addressing these issues with our customers. We have identified the source of the problem and taken steps to ensure that it does not happen again. † (Wagner, 2000, 10) Executives have said even though consumers were requested to sign a nondisclosure agreement to protect proprietary information, Sun plans to releasing a system board before the New Year that should resolve this error. Just as a gardener pull weeds for vegetables growth, Sun executives train personnel so they can grow within the business and excel. 17 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 14 SUN MICROSYSTEMS: STRATEGIC CHANGE In December 2002, Sun Microsystems accomplished one more business goal after automation of their data center. Gordon Haff, analyst at Illuminata explains, Making effective use of data-center assets always has been an issue, but it's been exacerbated by the technology build-out of a few years ago. People would be very happy with a magic solution that allowed 1,000 servers to be managed as easy as one server, but that doesn't exist today, software developments such as IBM's Project eLiza, Hewlett-Packard's Adaptive Management Platform, and Sun Microsystems' N1 are steps in the right direction. (Greenemeier, 2002) Product Upgrade In April 2004, Sun Microsystems performed a product upgrades to Linux that provided business consumers desktop ease. This Linux version provides a newer version of Enterprise Java desktop. Not only that, system administrators can now control the entire desktop from a central platform. Chris Maresca, senior partner from Olliance Consulting states, â€Å"The desktop is one of the largest cost components of any modern corporation. When you layer on top of that the cost of server-based productivity apps tied to desktops, like Exchange, and you factor in the support costs for the desktops, servers and updates/security patches, plus mandatory hardware upgrades every few years, [the migration case] becomes even more compelling. † (Rooney, 2004) 18 History, Strategy, International 19 Storage Management In 2004, an upgrade that brought positive results to Sun was in the data management department. Sun announced the products StorEdge 6920 and Sun StorEdge 9990 storage devices. Marc Canepa, executive vice president of Sun Microsystems storage products says, â€Å"We don't think of storage as a separate company that just happens to be owned by Sun Microsystems, just like we don't believe that the strategy to reduce cost and complexity is one of going to a customer and taking over the whole operation. † (Fonseca, 2004) Open Source Management The strategy for this project has increased as time progressed because it is a very important product. An example of this is Sun classifying commercial open-source business strategies into four categories. Driver, Feinberg, and Weiss listed them in a Sun Microsystems Open Source 2008 report as: Sponsor open-source projects and solutions as an active member of a community, leverage open-source software embedded in other products and services, support and integrate selected products and services with open-source solutions, and provide direct, commercialized products and services of open-source solutions. (Driver & Feinberg, 2008) History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 14 IMPLEMENT PLAN OF CHANGE Sun Microsystems provides a vast amount of products, which support multiple needs of customers. To ensure the best strategy, Sun Microsystems must implement a plan to improve their current strategic position. When a business uses one strategy continuous, employees tend to become complacent then fall into a comfort zone. When Sun implements a new strategy, they could experience some resistance from employees because they did fall into that comfort zone. Implement Change When a business is ready to improve, management needs to be aware of three things, people, communication, and training. As John Kline explains in his article, â€Å"Implementing organizational change is a difficult and critical task. It has always been that way and is getting more so with the accelerated rate of change in most organizations. † (Kline, 2007) Employees must be aware of the changes made and how it will affect them. It is important for managers to stay communicated with their staff and keep them informed of any changes as they take place. During the process, managers should be training employees so they are prepared for the new conversion. 20 History, Strategy, International CHAPTER 16 IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Sun has a scheduled budget for research and development. The current strategy has allowed this company the ability to build a strong position in technology. Sun purchased a software company to complete a software collection for service-oriented architecture (SOA). Unfortunately, since this purchase Sun has not regained any lost ground. Sun must research what is currently available for storage management software and reconsider improving the plan for usage in mainframe systems. Sun should make a plan of time to review servers being sold. For example, newer technology will allow the company to provide things which older technology could not. A question Sun Microsystems must consider is how to manage replacements of damaged servers from customers when those particular servers have been replaced with newer models. Perhaps it is an opportunity for Sun to offer their customers a discount in such cases. In conclusion, Sun has built a strong business strategy to satisfy commercial and consumer buyers with multiple products. Because marketing is their responsibility, they must track sales and competition then readjust as necessary. Sun Microsystems is a defined and trusted computer corporation that international and domestic markets will work with. 1 History, Strategy, International 22 References Cangemi, R. R. (2008). The Formulation of an International Strategy. Pace University. p26-4. CIA-The World Factbook Italy. (2008). Retrieved August 11, 2008, from CIA Web site: https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/it. html Cnet Networks Inc. (2008). SWOT Analysis Definition. In BNet. com. San Francisco: C net Networks, Inc. Driver, M. , Feinberg, D. & Weiss. (2008). Open Source at Sun Microsystems, 2008 (Research Note G00156448). Denver, CO: Gartner. Fonseca, B. (2004, September 20). Sun, HP Focus on Storage; Goal is to simplify SAN management. Eweek, p. 31. Government and Politics in Italy. (2008). San Jose, CA: MAP XL Inc. Greenemeier, L. (2002, December 2). Automating the Data Center. InformationWeek (917), 65. Guth, R. A. , & Clark, D. (2004, April 5). Peace Program-Behind Secret Settlement Talks: New Power of Tech Customers; Microsoft, Sun Bury Hatchet, As Big Clients Demand Products Work Together; Gates Spotted in Enemy Camp. Wall Street Journal, p. A1. Hoovers. (2008). Sun Microsystems Executives [Data]. Available from Hoovers, http:// www. hoovers. com/free/co/people. html? ID=14833 Intute-World Guide. (2008). (Original work published 2006) Retrieved August 7, 2008, from Intute Web site: http://www. intute. ac. uk/sciences/worldguide/html/ 920_people. html History, Strategy, International 23 Italy: Economic and financial data. (2008) Retrieved on August 9, 2008 from http://www. istat. it/fmi/ITALY-NSDP. html#Real_Sector Johnson, M. (1992, November 16). Su n, HP Rev Workstations. Computerworld, p. 4. Johnson, R. (2008, March 10). Sun and Microsoft Expand Investment In Interoperability With New Center in Redmond, WA. Sun News. Kline, John A. (2007, January 1). How to implement change in your organization: the key: communicate, communicate, communicate. The Free Library. Recklies, D. (2007, December 30). Porters Five Forces. The Manager. org. Rooney, P. (2004, April 19). Migrating To LINUX. CRN, pp. 28. Success Quotes [Albert Einstein Quote]. (2007). (Original work published 1994) Retrieved August 17, 2008, from Quotations Page Web site: http:// www. quotationspage. com/subjects/success/ Sun Microsystems Export Prohibitions Disclaimer [International Trade Services]. (2008). (Original work published 1994) Retrieved August 17, 2008, from Sun Microsystems Web site: http://www. un. com/sales/its/prohibitions. html Sun Microsystems Reports Final Results for Full Fiscal Year and Fourth Quarter 2008. (2008, August). Sun Newsletter. Sun Microsystems, Inc. (2008). History. Retrieved from Sun Microsystems, Inc. , http://www. sun. com/aboutsun/company/history. jsp Sun Solutions Center: Milan, Italy. (2008) Retrieved on August 9, 2008 from: Sun Microsy stems: http://www. sun. com/solutioncenters/locations/milan/ Sun's Open Source Experiment. (2008, January). IT Week, 13. History, Strategy, International 24 SWOT Analysis. (2007). Original work published 1999) Retrieved August 17, 2008, from Quick MBA Web site: http://www. quickmba. com/strategy/swot/ Wagner, M. (2000, Nov 13). Sun under Fire for Crashes – IT Execs Say Server Vendor was Unresponsive; Hardware Fix for Memory Glitch is coming. Internetweek, PG10. History, Strategy, International CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDIES Submitted to: Dr. Richard H Gayer Submitted by: Susan L. Elvins Course: Strategy and Policy Date of Submission: September 11, 2008 Certificate of Authorship I hereby certify that I am the author of this document and any assistance I received in

International Management Essay

In the first article titled â€Å"Developing an effective repatriation strategy for MNC: A model and tools for international human resource management†, the authors explore the rather forgotten aspect of repatriates. This is a specific targeting the area of international human resource management. According to the authors, repatriated employees have not received the focus they should especially about their full inclusion into the companies. As such, expatriates have suffered on various fronts, ranging from the emotional disharmony to the general loss of contact to the company. The authors fault the fact that multinational companies have not been able to come up with policies and procedures to support these expatriates. They point out that these companies fail to accommodate the expatriates just as they fail to recognize the existence of this category of employees. They also point out the fact that companies have the responsibility to provide support services for their expatriate employees (Chew, 2008). The second article titled â€Å"Analyzing International Trade Patterns: Comparative Advantage for the worlds major Economies† focuses on the relationship between comparative advantage and other comparative factors in relation to the overall benefit obtained from having such an advantage by a country. The authors go ahead to analyze the comparative advantage of the major economies in the world. They bring out the single most important contributor to these countries’ high development as having its roots in the fact that they have succeeded in achieving high exports. The author brings out the fact that these countries put together, comprise over 80% of the global exports in terms of manufacturing products. According to the author, the achievement of high production of goods by these countries has in the end meant the cost of production has reduced. The high exports and resultant cost reductions on goods, makes such countries stronger economically and puts them above other countries. The first article brings into focus some forgotten but very relevant issues on expatriates. Indeed it is estimated that over 20% of the people working in most industries in developed countries are expatriates. The lack of strategies towards the full integration of such people has meant a great deal of discomfort to them. Mead (2005) agrees that there are issues applying to expatriates that need to be specifically addressed by policy makers. It is the mandate of the human resource department in companies to come up with strategies to absorb them. There are many benefits that accrue to a company that is able to employ expatriates. Apart from the special technical interests that they may bring to the company, they can also help the company in setting its global focus (Goderham, 2003). This can come in the areas of new markets or new global marketing fronts. As such it is of value that companies really think in terms of integrating such employees. The adoption process of such people however ought to be guided by policy and a development of strategies fully targeting them. The setting in motion of this process is informed by four major steps that the companies have to take. Indeed if companies were able to follow the four steps, they would benefit a lot from this category of employees. The first thing that companies have to do is to develop a policy. This should be a duty to be aggressively undertaken by the human resource departments of the companies. Companies have the mandate to come up with the policies that are aimed at integrating, supporting and hence adopting their expatriate employees. The second thing that should be done is the setting up of an agreement. This is in view to the fact that the difficulties and poor conditions of working encountered by the expatriate workers may not be similar to those experienced by the other category of workers. As such there should be a collaborative effort between the expatriates and the companies to ensure the terms are supportive to the expatriates present conditions and restrictions. The third thing is that companies should aggressively undertake efforts towards the development of an internal program aimed at monitoring issues on expatriate employees. Such a program should have the capacity to monitor the implementation of the strategies targeting expatriates. There should be a continuous process program (Goderham, 2003). The establishment of such a program should be finalized by the setting up of the necessary tools to evaluate its achievement of the objectives in helping the expatriates become fully integrated. The second article brings into focus another issue different from the first. The focus of this second article is on the idea of competitive advantage of countries. Indeed it is the main focus in many countries today as they strategize towards becoming great economic powers. The real concept communicated is that with an increased focus on exports much can be achieved. The focus on exports as a tool towards economic boost of a country is an old strategy. It is the main strategy behind the idea of mercantilism as used by the British. They knew that when they exported more and imported less, it would go a long way in making their economy grow. As such they sought to acquire more colonies as exclusive markets for their product. This dimension towards export, in the end ensures more benefits and a strong economy. The principle behind the idea of mercantilism is used by many developed economies in the world. They seek to export more and import less. This has in the end made them stronger economies. To understand the real impact from the exports towards boosting a country’s economy, there is need to understand three fundamental concepts and how these concepts interact to achieve what is called a country’s competitive advantage. These concepts are the relative costs, cost ratios and the absolute advantage. There is need to focus on these factors individually. Relative costs are those obtained in the comparison of the cost of an item against other items in the same country. This comparison in ratio terms is what gives us the cost ratio. The cost ratio is what can then be compared to the other countries to get a country’s absolute advantage. Absolute advantage itself is a factor indicative of a fall in production costs. The benefits of less production costs, usually trickle down to the economy and is what is felt as the boosts in a country’s economy (Ram, 2008). The idea of production costs going down is itself indicative that a country was producing and selling more. This directly points to exports. But to achieve large export sells, a country and its products must be able to fair considerably well compared against its competitors. This brings into focus the issue of competitive advantage and the underlying issues. The focus now is on how to be more competitive than the other, in this global economy. The answer here is this, that, the most innovative country will achieve more exports and hence better lives for its citizens.

Human freedom and the ten commandments Essay

When Jesus was asked, â€Å"What must I do to inherit eternal life? â€Å", he replied: â€Å"You know the Commandments, keep these and you will live. † It has been said, that the Ten Commandments are not simple rules mandated by God, but rather, this set of rules is considered as a gift given to men in order for them to live the life that God has promised. Although the word â€Å"commandment†, by itself, imports something mandatory and obligatory, it must be understood that God has granted each one of his people freedom and independence to choose how he or she will act, and hence, human freedom is an important topic to be discussed alongside the Ten Commandments. It will be seen, that the kind of life that men live is simply a reflection of how he uses the freedom that he has been gifted with. A person can either live a life full of one spent as a good follower of God. Although some would say that it is a question of fate, destiny, or maybe even luck, the truth is that, a person lives a life based on his own choices and decisions. As have been stated, men have been gifted with freedom, and it is up to him how he will utilize this gift. Every person has different forms of needs and wants that have to be dealt with in everyday life. This is where freedom sets in. In allowing absence of restriction, God permits every individual the opportunity to shape his life. It has been stated that this is one risk that God chose to take. â€Å"God risked much in creating us humans with the freedom, now, to unleash horrendous nuclear disaster or to love our fellows across all boundaries. † (Grider, 1994). It is the freedom that each one has been blessed with that enables him to understand and appreciate the life that he has and all the beauty that comes with it. On the other hand, if this freedom is abused, then the consequences that go with it, would also have to be dealt with by the individual concerned. Being free entails a lot of responsibility. It is believed that God granted every individual the gift of freedom, not for the sole reason that he be boundless or limitless. Man is given freedom for him to be responsible for all the things that he says, does or even thinks of. True enough, some philosophers believe that the things that happen to each individual can be traced to the actions and decisions that he chooses to take. Most of the times, it is not up to the heavens if a good or bad thing happens to one person. More of than not, everything that happens to a person can be traced to the course of action that he chose to take. The scriptures that God instructed to be drafted, in essence, are mere forms of guidance for men; but in the end, it is human freedom which will eventually dictate whether or not an individual will live his life by these guidelines. The concept of human freedom is more often discussed by mentioning the story of what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. As has been aptly stated, â€Å"these questions as to the nature of human freedom arise especially when we turn our attention to the question of the origin of sin. Only consider how many times the origin of sin has been ascribed to this human freedom of choice, implying this twofold power of man’s nature and of his creaturely existence: to sin or not to sin; a good part and an evil part of his nature. † (Berkouwer, 1962). True enough, God could have stopped the serpent from interacting with Adam and Eve, but due to the freedom that he bestowed the two, they had the choice as to whether or not to take the apple that the serpent offered them. Ultimately then, it is this choice that they made which is the root cause of why they were banished from the garden of Eden. It would appear then that despite the Ten Commandments being set down by God to be sent to his people, the same is not precisely a set of obligatory rules imposed upon men. Rather, the Ten Commandments are considered as a guide as to how each person should live if he wants to experience the kind of life that God promised. This is a kind of life full of happiness, peace, beauty and love. A person’s freedom can lead to this if a person, in choosing paths to take, keeps in mind what the Ten Commandments speak of. Ultimately, it would depend upon the person if he will live the kind of life promised by God ever since the olden times, or if he will use his freedom to lead him to a kind of unspeakable and despicable kind of living. REFERENCE â€Å"The Ten Commandments†, J. Kenneth Grider , â€Å"Human Freedom†, 1994, G. C. Berkouwer, â€Å"Human Freedom†, 1962,

The Use of Virtual Engagement by the British Council Research Proposal

The Use of Virtual Engagement by the British Council - Research Proposal Example It is, therefore, necessary to have a center that offers a platform by which individuals and organizations can come together and discuss matters affecting climate change in the world. Virtual technology, in this case, can be very useful as it will ease the process through which communication is to be done. The British Council on climate change and sustainability initiated an idea of using virtual technology in addressing the issue of discussion on climate change and sustainability (Virtual Engagement: British Council’s Zero Carbon Centre, 2013). This center is to help the individuals and organization to share information on carbon emission and host events with topics on climate change and sustainability and create synergies (O’Neill 2008, 81). The use of virtual technology in the fight against climate change is a very noble idea. The use of virtual technology in zero carbon centers will include a number of topics including; I. Dr. Rebecca initiated the idea behind the use of virtual technology in the creation of the zero carbon centers. The research paper should address Dr. Rebecca Nadin, the director of the program in China. Her ideas led to the creation of the Zero Carbon Centre. Dr. Rebecca is considered as the pioneer of the program as she usually challenged her team to broaden the reach and thoughts of climate change. In addition, it should address the creation and the launch of the Zero Carbon Centre. The research should address the ideas that were brought together and the eventual creation of the center. It should address the procedure through which the center was created and the funding of the finances that were used to create the center. II. The use of virtual technology in the carbon center is the other topic that will be discussed. Communication is the key factor in virtual technology. It is used to bring organizations and people together.  

Criminal law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminal law - Research Paper Example The field of criminal law has to be lean and presentable for the sake of shortening the road to justice. One of what now constitutes a criminal offence and ought to be repealed is public drunkenness and nuisance. The law is not quite defined and it is not strange to see most of the criminals in one way or the other to incriminated with crimes related to drunkenness. Two factors are always considered before one is construed to have committed a criminal offence. This is guilty act and guilty mind, while a guilty act is the nature and form of behaviors that individuals poses a guilty mind on the other is the situation in which an individual is self professed as facing guilt (Peter, 189). A combination of the two constitutes a criminal offence and clearly, this is lacking in the case of public drunkenness. A public drunkard has no guilty mind or guilty act. Criminalizing such kind of cases as criminal is not only overburdening the public with bureaucratic system of law enforcement but al so results into giving false impression on the accused (Peter 194). The act of criminology should be clearly defined such that other activities that may be construed as negligence, indecent public exposure or act are separated from the acts of criminals. Other acts that are equally considered criminal offence and should be reconsidered are vagrancy and contravention of the traffic rules. This is a resolution realized after the courts are found to find it so hard to attend to cases due to lack of clarity resulting from them. Spreading criminal offence to include all these has also made the dispensation of justice to be a problem. This is because of the time taken to pass judgments as well as adducing evidence for and against by the prosecutor and the defendant respectively. There are also tendency that the prosecutor do threaten the accused to compound the charges for not pleading guilty and entering into a trial with such parties in the critical conditions (Peter, 201). There will b e a perception that if such activities are not considered as criminal, there will result a situation where several of such cases arising and even overcrowding further the corridors of justice. This is not the case, the only proposal in this case is not to criminalize the situation but the charges against those who will be found guilty of the contraventions will face the equal measure of the law. The aim of the move is to help reduce the burden of the public in response to what is considered mushrooming of criminal offences that are being enacted on a daily basis in a routine manner. This has proved to be over criminalization for the public making the lives of the public difficult in complying with all the regulations that are being enacted as criminal. The public will be enabled to observe the regulation more so those that are considered criminal offences with ease instead of creating several criminal laws at every stage in life are overburdening and irritating to the people involve d. Before a law is enacted to be a criminal offence, the legislation team should be mindful about the public and should ensure that the law meets all the facets of criminology such that it becomes enforceable in the event that the same publics contravene them. Criminalizing everything anytime is not the solution to the problems, in fact

Economics Policy Public Goods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economics Policy Public Goods - Essay Example If education is provided by the private market alone, it would result in imbalance, and hence, the market mechanism would not be able to match demand and supply. The reason for this is the fact that private forces are not concerned with the public interest; they are concerned about their own returns and nominal benefit. Therefore, the private market forces will only produce those goods which would lead to maximum profits. The private market forces ignore social costs and benefits, and therefore, will not produce the optimal quantity of merit or price-excludable public goods. Education would be under-produced by the private sector. All merit goods are considered good for the people, and the government desires to provide them in abundance. Merit goods have more social benefit than private benefit. Therefore, the private sector would not provide them optimally. Education has large external benefits relative to private benefits, that is, social benefits are greater than private benefits. Under the price mechanism, there would be few firms willing to provide education, and they would charge high prices. High prices would reduce consumption because some or many people might not be able to afford education.

Final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Final - Assignment Example At the moment there is only one international instrument which applies generally to all forests: The Non-Legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests 2007. This instrument does not meet the specific needs of tropical rain forests and therefore does not address the specific causes of tropical rain forest deforestation. As a member of Protection of Tropical Rainforests, I would like to suggest the implementation of the International Convention for the Conservation of Tropical Rain Forests and recommend including the following 12 articles: Article 1: State parties will implement measures to promote and improve farming methods and techniques that replenish soil nutrients. (This article was selected because a number of countries in which tropical rain forest exists have poor farmers who depend on farming to survive. The farming methods used by both poor and economically successful farmers can be exploitive and contribute to soil degradation in the tropical rain forest).4 Article 2: State parties undertake to implement a system in which poor farmers are able to own title to a parcel of land in tropical rain forest for the purpose of farming. (This article is necessary as it is believed that once a farmer owns his or her farmland, they will have an incentive to safeguard against soil degradation to ensure that the soil is good for continued farming).5 Article 3: State parties shall introduce policies and laws that prohibits farmers that have been issued title to land for farming using other areas of the tropical rain forest for farming. (This should increase the incentive of farmers to keep the nutrient value of the soil to which they have title. This would also prevent farmers moving on to other areas of the tropical rain forest).6 Article 4: State parties should implement policies for infrastructure planning that minimises the impact on tropical rain forests. (This article is

Humanties 3 Discussion 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Humanties 3 Discussion 1 - Essay Example Moreover, focus on the scientific discovery that resulted to industrial revolution made steady alteration on the prevailing economic structure in the western world. The main ideas and inspiration behind the Neoclassicism were music and theater, which were either principally or impassive form. Qualities that are emphasized by corresponding Romantic style were strong emotion, admiration of nature and break from corresponding subsequent inflexible structure (Janson & Anthony, 234-367). Artists within the Realist duration mainly conveyed a ingenuous and objective vision in regard to the contemporary life. Work of art from Neoclassicism is Painting that mainly corresponded with the underlying 18th century enlightenment epoch and extended in the early 19th century (Janson & Anthony, 234-367). Neoclassical painting is mainly characterized by utilization of straight lines, smooth paint surface, and minimal utilization of color, illustration of underlying light and corresponding distinct, crunchy description of the forms. Moreover, Neoclassicism was mainly procreated from corresponding methods within the Paris in regard to the underlying history

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Business law - Essay Example The statutes are significant because they provide flexibility to the written constitution of a country and empower the government to introduce legislations to effectively meet the challenges of the evolving time. There are two types of statute: General Public acts which are applicable to people across the board; and Private acts which are confined to particular place, organization or group of individuals. In the contemporary times, decentralization of power has become necessary for effective administration. Therefore, the parliament often empowers local government and agencies to introduce rules appropriate or suited to particular set of local conditions. This is generally made possible through ‘enabling’ Acts of the Parliament. These Acts of Parliament create a broad framework of reforms for the local bodies to enact their own rules, best suited for the local conditions. The rules enacted through such delegation of powers to the local bodies are known as ‘Statutory Instruments’. The Statutory instruments can be challenged by the Parliament or even repealed if not found reasonable. The parliament has the overall control over the Statutory Instruments. The legal rules, which are made by judges on the basis of doctrines that have been in existence for more than 700 years, come under the precincts of ‘Common Laws’ (LLS1). These laws are neither enacted in the parliament nor were made by the delegated legislation of the local authorities but primarily developed over a period of time and adopted by the judges as such from the statements of principles from the earlier court cases. These common laws have justified their existence by successfully facilitating resolution of disputes in the areas that have seen maximum conflicts of interests in the life of the general public. Though common laws can be seen in almost all areas of

Research paper on stem cell research legislation and the related legal

On stem cell legislation and the related legal issues - Research Paper Example It helps in studying of degenerative diseases such as leukemia as well the development of drugs that can treat many complicated diseases currently without cure (Liras, 2010). This paper will explore stem cell research legislation in regards to its history, ethics, future and related legal issues. History of Stem Cell Research legislation in the United States The history of ESC research in US is closely associated with the abortion debate that has been around for over three decades. As early as 1973, the US Supreme Court legalized abortion in the case Roe v. Wade in its decision through the argument that abortion is a private matter between a doctor and a woman. However, the legalization of abortion also led to banning of federal funding on research touching on embryos or tissues. This ban did not affect the private sector which continued in the research and saw the rise of infertility research and other related technologies. Conducting research is quite an expensive affair and much o f the fruits of research being enjoyed currently in the world have taken the concerted efforts of both the private and public sectors. Therefore, much of the debate on ESC revolves around federal funding which can be very instrumental in achieving technological breakthroughs that seem untenable (Wertz, 2002). After the Roe v. Wade case ruling by the US Supreme Court that legalized abortion, the Congress imposed temporal moratorium on the funding of ESC research and allied technologies. This action by the Congress was taken so that regulatory bodies could be formed which in turn would come up with guidelines on the way forward. Prior to this ruling in 1974, there were no guidelines on which research to be supported with taxpayers’ money from the federal government. Shortly after this case (1974), a commission was formed (National Commission NC) which would be involved in the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research (PHSBBR). The first order of busines s for the NC was development of ethical guidelines on ESC research which extended the same for fetuses and abortion. In order to make lighten its work, the NC later recommended the formation of Ethics Advisory Board (EAB). The work of EAB in turn was to continually review protocols enacted by the NC with regards to ESC related research. When the guidelines were put in place, a de facto moratorium was arrived at which allowed simple non-therapeutic research on embryos to continue (Hall, 2008; Wertz, 2002). Research continued in non-therapeutic ESC research with federal funding although the private sector was doing its own research in ESC. Outlawing of federal funding for ESC research really hampered its progress while other developed countries were slowly getting ahead of US. The de facto moratorium developed by the Congress ensured that basic research was carried out which could not present a major breakthrough without attracting public outcry. Most of the findings and outcomes of t hese basic researches could not by any chance lead to the treatment of diseases which is one of the promising prospects of ESC research (Skene, 2010). Proceedings of the private ESC research came into limelight around 2001 when it was announced that human embryos had been cloned from adult cells. These embryos would then be used to derive stem cells matching

Town and Milton Fl. Essay Example for Free

Town and Milton Fl. Essay Physical system Human system Convince someone to move to a U. S. city of your choice, by describing the location using terms from the lesson. Be sure to include the name of the city and state you are writing about and make your response at least one paragraph in length. Part-1 1. Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts-3,349 miles 2. St. Louis to Ft. Clatsop near the Pacific Ocean-1,400 miles 3. Omaha to San Francisco-1,430 miles Part-2 If I had to describe the town I live in I would describe it as a little ole farm town that neighbors with a more city oriented town to the West, then two more farm towns to the North of them, and one to the East, and finally some more city oriented/beach style areas to the South. The relative location for Milton Fl. would have to be Baker Fl. they share the same type of features and style of people. Milton Fl. s a place of farm land, rivers, stream, creeks, and little restaurants in the city limits. Milton and its surrounding towns and cities share a common region of the language, characteristics, climate, and culture. Our human system is filled with all sorts of people with different characteristics and they all work in a unity to supply, fix, and protect our area. They would be trades workers like roofers, mechanics, drivers, farmers. People like our firemen and women, police, and emergency services. Part-3 I think if you are a city person then Milton is not the area for you but if you like the country with rivers in your back yard and a gator on the other bank than this is the area for you. Milton is a fun filled city but it is also filled with hard working families and animals as well. Overall Milton will be my resting place for new comers just spend some time on our river banks and farm fields and you will not want to leave.

Importance in the novel Essay Example for Free

Importance in the novel Essay Explore the portrayal of Serena Joy and the Commander in the early part of the novel. Also estimate their characters importance in the novel. Serena Joy is portrayed as a frustrated, hostile and rude woman who is full of hate; which in some respects you could say she is, but her character runs much more deeply than is first apparent to the reader. This is portrayed through her characters words, actions and pursuits in many different ways. An example of this is her frustration at the little amount of freedom she is allowed. Although when compared to a character like, Offred she has a lot of freedom, she feels she doesnt, It is a little thing, but in this household little things mean a lot. , Many of the wives have such gardens, its something for them to order and maintain and care for. By having a garden like this, and being allowed to take charge of it, and look after it, she feels this gives her some importance in the community. It is a distraction, a place of escape for her from the life that she leads, which is boring and she is not happy with. This is the only freedom she is allowed in the life she leads now, which although it doesnt mean a lot to her, it should be treasured because in Gilead to have freedom like that is unthinkable to most; this portrays Serena Joy to be a women who takes things and her status in the elite, for granted. The tulips are red, a darker crimson towards the stem; as if they had been cut and are beginning to heal there. The garden to Serena Joy is also something she can take her frustration out on, as she is not supposed to harm Offred. An aspect portrayed to us immensely about her character is her great longing for children; this is shown in many of the domestic pursuits she carries out, i. e. gardening and knitting, They arent scarves for grown men but for children. Although these are scarves supposed to be made for the Angels who are grown men, she makes the scarves in children sizes. This shows the reader how she is always thinking about children, and how she longs to have children of her own. Her garden also portrays these feelings she has about children of her own, Many of the wives have such gardens, it is something for them to order and maintain and care for. She treats her garden, like you would expect her to treat a child, by caring for it lovingly with great affection. She is rude and hostile towards Offred, because she hates the fact that she is there because she cant have children of her own, also it must be a humiliating experience for her, the thought of her husband making love to another woman, So, youre the new one, she said. She didnt step aside to let me in, she just stood there in the door way, blocking the entrance. She wanted me to feel that I could not come into the house unless she said so. This is where the reader, feels a little compassion for Serena Joy, as she is portrayed as an awful women, who really has bought this predicament on herself; but it must be humiliating for her. Her husband is sleeping with another women, and as far as she is concerned it is because she cannot have children. She also knows that this life that she has helped to promote, is awful and she hates the way in which she has to live now. Her name is also trying to portray an image of serenity and joy, which once she as a young woman had portrayed, but now with a new way of living, her nature has come to contradict her name, The woman sitting in front of me was Serena Joy. Or had once been. So it was worse than I thought. The Commander is portrayed as a man who will use his power and authority to get what he wants. He rebels against his own way of life that he has fought to promote, which portrays to us that he too is unhappy with the way he has to live his life, he isnt supposed to be here, He is violating custom. I feel that as we read further into the novel, the way he uses his power to get what he wants will be even more strongly portrayed as part of his character to the reader. We dont get vivid descriptions of the Commander at first. He is a character which you know is there but we dont get to meet or see at the beginning of the novel. This portrays him as a slightly mysterious, and you never quite know when to expect him to turn up, The commander stops, gets into the car, disappears, and Nick shuts the door. His clothes also gives an awe of uncertainty and mystery as he has to dress all in black, which is the colour closely associated to death. Hes a character of great importance in the society of Gilead, and we see this at the Ceremony. We see at the ceremony that he is a highly influential character too, We watch him: every inch, every flicker. Everyone watches him and wants to be him, which shows he is influential, this though is just because of the power, importance and freedom he has, which all the other characters can only dream about. The first description we get of the Commander portrays him as a very ordinary looking man, When you get down as far as the chin he looks like a vodka ad, in a glossy magazine, of times gone by. He looks like a friendly approachable man, which slightly contradicts the mysterious feel he has portrayed at the very beginning of the novel. As they are both characters of great power within the society, I feel they are very important in the novel as a whole, and as the book goes on their importance will increase. They are both very strong characters, and both feel that they are hard done by compared to how they used to live but they arent when compared to characters like Offred. This is also true of many people in the world today. They are two characters in the novel who care only for themselves and nobody else, even though they are very lucky with what they have.

Modern British Cinema: Themes and Perspectives

Modern British Cinema: Themes and Perspectives INTRODUCTION The history and rich heritage of the modern British cinema can be rooted from its rich history and films which were produced in the past and served as an unwavering inspiration to the themes and perspectives which were evident in the British films which were shown today. One of the most common themes existent among the British films of today would most probably be the concept of social realism. This theme, as being present and influential in the production of modern British films, represents the actual happenings in the real lives of the people, together with all the difficulties and predicaments which were present in the peoples daily struggle to survival. The stories and the people which were portrayed in the films were reflective of everyday characters and usually are have an economic background belonging to the middle class group in the society. The theme of social realism started to be portrayed in British films in as early as the 1960s with also the emergence of the so-called B ritish New Wave. Some of the films in the past which showed themes of social realism include Look Back in Anger, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. Because of the presence of social realism in various literatures in the past, most of these movies were based on written novels and produced plays which showed the same theme. Furthermore, it has been noted that social realism is more than just a genre in modern British cinema, it is considered to be a dominant form of cinema. This theme of social realism is often coupled with political awareness as such has been also noted to be permissive in British cinema. Modern films with the themes of social realism include Trainspotting, My Name is Joe, This is England, and Human Traffic (Strozykowski, 2008) Moreover, new perspectives in the British cinema is also said to have been focused in masculinity, showing themes which were centered and aptly inspired by the British men in the society, or at least, the crisis in British masculinity. Furthermore, more than the crisis, it is said that what the British cinema actually articulates would be the dilemmas of identification and ideology for modern British men. (Claydon, n.d.) LOOKING FOR ERIC One of the British films in the modern society would have been Looking for Eric which was show in theaters last year. The central theme which was depicted in the movie Looking for Eric could be aptly described as how a football player was able to run away from the trials and problems which life has confronted him and it also shows how the heroes of footballs can bring for fans. The movie was directed by an English director in the name of Ken Loach while the story was written by Paul Laverty. The main casts of the movie included real-life football fantasy and superstar, Eric Cantona together with Steve Evets. According to the director of the film, the movie was actually intended to show the life of major celebrities as being only as simple and as complicated as everyone life and the notion that we are stringer as a tem rather than as separate individuals with differing goals and perspectives. The film was also used as an entry in a competition, the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. The movie was considered to be an exceptional addition to the glitz and glamour of the film festival as it showcased the presence of the Manchester United and France footballing legend. The film was shot in the United Kingdom, distributed by Icon Film Distribution and produced by the company owned by Loach which was Sixteen Films. It was said to have an estimated budget of 4 million pounds. THE SYNOPSIS AND PLOT The movie depicts a bitter sweet comedy illustrating the life of a loser postman who was able to receive words of wisdom from Eric Cantona, who is also Eric Cantona in real life, a philosophical football legend who is considered to be the hero of another character in the said movie. The movie is also said to be a significant addition to the list of movies which were football related in terms of the story or the central plot. The movie was all about a middle-aged postman who was able to find employment at the Manchester sorting office through the character of Eric Bishop. Bishop in the movie was going through a dreadful crisis in life which sprouts other themes which were evident through the course of the film. Bishop was alo looking through and guiding the growth of his grand daughter which makes him make contact with his ex-wife, Lily. The grand daughter is a main reason why he needed to still establish close relationship and contact with Lily despite the fact that the two were already separated after Bishop abandoned her when their first child was born. His son, Ryan, was then hiding a gun in their house which is used by the gangsters which are present in the place. In one of Bishops weakest and most depressing time, he considers the possibility of committing suicide in order to end the adversaries which have been confronting his life. Furthermore, in order to discount the possibility of such occurrenc e, a meditation session was held inside his room and after which, he had a clearer perspective of things and let go of the possibility of ending his only life and instead went to see the philosophical football legend which happens to be another Eric, in the person of Eric Cantona. His visits to the football star were able to give him enlightenment after Cantona gave him several words of wisdom and inspiration which gave him ideas on why he should go on with his life. Such visits led to an improvement in his relationship with his ex-wife. Bishop also discovered about the hidden gun and he immediately confronted his son after finding it out. When his son was confronted, Ryan did not deny of his involvement with the gangsters in the place. Bishop returned to the gun the rightful group. His sons were said to be making his life more problematic and they are deemed to bring Bishop into an early death with all the problems that the two have caused in Bishops life. When he returned the gun, he was forced to keep it himself and a series of unfortunate events followed which even included a posting of a humiliating video of him in a video uploading site. The entire family was then arrested and the house was searched in order to find the gun but it was nowhere to be found all over the place. Bishop was given different words of wisdom and advice by Cantona. With a number of fanatics of the Manchester United football team, in an operation which they dubbed as Operation Cantona, Bishop sneaked through the gangsters house to be able to find the gun and threatened that they will also release a humiliating video of the gang just like what they have earlier did to Bishop. Cantona was considered by Bishop to be like a genie who suddenly pops out of the bottle, acted his life coach, and gave him more inspiration and reasons to be able to enjoy and live life despite the predicaments especially with all the trouble that confronted him as being brought about by his children. The movi e ended with the scene of a graduation of one of Bishops children, depicting a happy family and finally enjoying a peaceful life. CLOSER LOOK AT THE MOVIE With the central characters which assumed the major roles in the movie, it can be said that the film revolved around the lives of two Erics Bishop and Cantona who each had their fair share in the flow of the story. The first Eric is the depressed one who has been confronted with numerous challenges in his life, from his children, to his ex-wife, and even to the environment in which he has been living. However, the second Eric was legendary and ghost-like. He was like a genie who provided words of wisom and encouragement to be able to inspire the former Eric in his life amidst all the struggles which confronted him. Like in any other works of Ken Loach, the movie included a spectacular cast which has been deemed to be perfect in the portrayal of their respective roles in the movie. The meticulous casting process for Looking for Eric is said to be an additional in the bones of the character and also serves as an embellishment in the whole process of completing the movie. In the movie, the most important and central character is not the legendary football player, but the little Eric who found inspiration in the middle of his struggle to survival. Moreover, the humor in the story can be especially seen and illustrated in the scenes where Cantona has been giving the other Eric a series of advises to help him go on with living his life instead of trying to end it because he was confronted with too many troubles. Form this advises, there were presence of self-deprecating humor which included his metaphors. The enigmatic philosophical ramblings of Cantona were depicted in the film without losing the to uch of humor to provide more interest in the storyline (Strozykowski, 2009). The presence of social realism in the central theme of the film cannot be also discounted as the main characters and setting of the film revolves around the middle class society and reflects their struggle for survival in the middle of the illustrated political and economic situation. THE DIRECTOR As what has been mentioned earlier, the movie was directed by Kenneth â€Å"Ken† Loach, a native of Warkwirshire. His earliest experiences in the fields of movie and television can be attributed to his membership at his schools experimental theater club. His first experiences in directing were harnessed as he joined ABC television in the year 1961and he then switched to BBC after several years. One of his most notable works in the field of television entertainment would have been The Wednesday Play which he did in collaboration with the skills of Tony Garnett. The said work of the two directors is said to have been a significant evolution and revolution in the field of British drama as such show has spurred political debates. The drama is said to be a socialist as it has been geared towards providing an inspiration to the middle class members of the society to become agents who could be able to potentially revolutionize and inspire the existence of economic change in the Briti sh society. Ken Loach has always been a name surfacing in the Cannes Film Festival as his works have made him one of the favorites in the said award-giving body. During the eyar 2006, the director won the most prestigious award at Cannes, the Palm dOr for his movie entitled The Wind That Shakes the Barley which is about the troubles in Ireland. The most successful works of Loach in the field of British entertainment were said to be exploratory of the varying dimensions of the life of human wherein the personal dimensions intersect with the political aspects. His works show the fusion of politics with the lives of ordinary human beings and how such can greatly affect the mode of living. Much of the directors works were aimed towards the criticism of capital targets which included gangsters, exploitative employers, conservative employers, and loan sharks, which have been a common theme in his works. The artistic visual style of Loach as a director is said to be unassuming, illustrating careful narrative construction, and showing performances which are sympathetic making the target audience relate into the situations which were depicted by the motion picture. The political points which Loach tries to emphasize in his works could be seen arising from natural emotions and situations which are shown to be very realistic. The exis tence of humor in his works cannot be also discounted as such themes make the claims of the film stronger, and at times, can also add sarcasm to the political satires which the film expects to deliver. Loach has already an experience of almost 40 years in the industry with an estimated works of almost 60 films which included theatrical figures and works which were intended not to be show in cinemas but only in the televisions yet still depictive of the same themes and concepts which were common in the directors works. It has been said that most of his finest works were explicitly political with a tough of humor and powerful emotion inspired by the directors intellectual ideas and major concepts. His works were said to be one way of depicting the nations unconscious as it illustrates what has been actually happening in the modern society in terms of the political and economic dimension. Despite hindrances in the industry such as financial constraints, fickle artistic trends, and the ebb and flow in politics, Loach remains in his commitment of providing the society with films which are committed to progressive ideals. The most powerful scene sin the movies which were created by Loach were said to be established in a setting were a large group of film characters were gathered as they discuss and debate over various issues, mostly were political and economical. For instance, in his movie The Big Flame the characters were shown to be having a conversation as they try to organize a strike, in the movie Land Of Freedom there was also a scene which depicts an extended debate in which the characters were fighting about land reform, and the movie Bread and Roses depicted a scene where the janitors were having an argument on whether or not they will be joining an established union. Other works of Ken Loach include the following movies: Poor Cow, Kes, family Life, Black Jack, Looks and Smiles, Fatherland, Hidden Agenda, RiffRaff, Raining Stones, Ladybird Ladybird, Land and Freedom, Carlas Song, My name is Joe, Bread and Roses, The Navigators, Sweet Sixteen, Ae Fond Kiss, Tickets, McLibel,.The Wind That Shak es the Barley, Its a Free World, and Looking For Eric (Robins, n.d.). REFERENCES: Strozykowski, M; Social Realism in British Film; 2008 Claydon, A. E.; New Perspectives on British Cinema: Going Beyond the Crisis in Masculinity Robins, M; Senses of Cinema: Ken Loach The Internet Movie Database; Looking for Eric; 2009 The Official Website of Looking for Eric The Movie; 2009

odyssey Essay -- essays research papers

In Homer’s The Odyssey, many happenings interfere with Odysseus’ journey to return home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. Self-determination is a strong characteristic that Odysseus portrays in The Odyssey. The three traits that Odysseus portrays as evidence of his self-determination are: endurance, perseverance, and courage. Odysseus, like most humans, has his doubts of confidence, but seems to overcome them. Out of this great tragedy, he has become a greater man to regain his kingdom and live a long life. He learns that without his determination he would have never returned to his home. Nature played a key role in how the story played out. Nature can interfere and impede human progress but that nature cannot conquer mankind so long as men are willing to face hardship and accept the consequences of their struggle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Trojan War, Odysseus, the handsome, brave hero of The Odyssey makes the god of the sea, Poseidon, angry by claiming that he alone won the Trojan War. Poseidon vows he will make Odysseus' journey home tough. While on the island of the Cyclopes, they find an abandoned cave that is owned by the one-eyed Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. There they become trapped, Odysseus tells him his name is Nohbody, and offers Polyphemus some wine so that he can become intoxicated. Polyphemus becomes drunk, passes out, and Odysseus and his men devise a plan and attack him in his eye with a sharp, hot wooden pole. Polyphemus...

Internet Plagiarism Essay -- Plagiarizing Cheating Copyright Essays

Internet Plagiarism Plagiarism used to be easy to catch. It always took real work for a student to try to pass off someone else’s work as his or her own. Different sources of plagiarizing included copying texts from the library and buying old papers off of other students. There were not many resources to choose from where a student’s topic was contained. That has now changed. There is a little thing called the Internet. It has revolutionized the plagiarism world and made it a little more difficult for educators to catch plagiarism culprits. There are some tools out now, however, that are aiding this new battle. Since the Internet came along plagiarism has become a lot easier to accomplish; at least for the time being. What exactly is considered plagiarizing and how is it punished? â€Å"To plagiarize is to steal and use the ideas or writings of another as one’s own. Legally, plagiarism has been defined as the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his/her writings, or languages of the same, and passing them off as the products of one’s own mind.† [1] Basically what this is saying is that plagiarism is when someone takes another’s idea and calls it his or her own by either not citing properly or merely just trying to take full credit. There are three different ways a paper or a section of a paper can be plagiarized. The first way is quotations. Quotations must always be worded exactly and then cited exactly. The citation needs to be precisely from where it was found and do not forget to put quotations marks around the quoted section. The second form of plagiarizing is through paraphrasing. Paraphrasing involves taking other sources ideas and putting them into your own words. When... ...html). These programs also cost varying sums. [10] Until the Internet came along, plagiarism was difficult. There were not enough sources on a specific topic at a student’s fingertips to effectively pull it off. Plagiarism is a major offense and needs to be taken seriously. Students just cannot seem to resist cheating and trying to make their life a little easier by letting someone else do the work that they are getting credit for. Now that there is the Internet, new doors have opened for plagiarists and it is keeping educators on their toes. Teachers now need to make little modifications on their assignments and they need to keep a careful watch on students as they work on papers. New technology such as search engines, detection services and detection software are helping aid teachers keep plagiarism to a minimum. Soon it will be hard to plagiarize once again.

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ Essay -- New Testament, Matthew 1:2-17

The New Testament includes four Gospels that encompass a variety of narrative accounts relating to Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Matthew; is sequentially placed as the first book within the New Testament. Furthermore, it is a canonical account of the life of Jesus, and is recognized as one of the synoptic Gospels. These accounts are divided into twenty eight chapters that appear in the form of a parable, proverb, law, or miracle story found within modern day poetry, letters, or literary tracts. Moreover, each narrative account possesses influential and intellectual material that attracts readers to examine it further. However, out of the four Gospels, Matthew’s is the one that encompasses the most amount of text that bestows an array of narrative accounts of Jesus to observe. In Matthew’s scriptures he takes Jesus’ fulfillments of the Jewish prophecies into consideration and uses it to refute the Jewish belief that Jesus of Nazareth is not the Messiah. This paper will explore the pericope found in Matthew 1:2-17 that illustrates the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The purpose of the passage is to demonstrate that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, which is a dominant theme throughout this particular Gospel. The above passage was chosen to obtain a greater perspective on the genealogy of Jesus Christ, through further examining Matthew’s tactic of incorporating Jesus into various Jewish traditions and prophecies. This passage is particularly interesting because Matthew functions as a bridge between the two Testaments, by showing how prophetic â€Å"fulfillment citations† from the Hebrew Bible were fulfilled, in the person of Jesus therefore proving he is the Messiah .The book of Matthew is a complicated Gospel; as a result, it is vital for its ... ...s view Jesus as the Messiah and continue to worship him as the foundation of Christianity. As a result, it is evident that Christianity and Judaism possess different beliefs. Perhaps over time the two faiths will fuse together and allow the people to become unified and share the same beliefs towards the true Messiah. Bibliography Batten Alicia, Introduction to the New Testament. Sudbury: University of Sudbury, 2011. David S.Ariel â€Å"The Messiah† from What Do Jews Believe. New York: Schocken Books, 1996. Coogan, Michael D. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford, 2007. Filson ,V. Floyd The Gospel According to St. Matthew. London: A. and C. Black Limited, 1960. Keener, Craig S. A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1999. Print. Saldarini, Anthony Commentary On The Bible. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans: 2003. The Genealogy of Jesus Christ Essay -- New Testament, Matthew 1:2-17 The New Testament includes four Gospels that encompass a variety of narrative accounts relating to Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Matthew; is sequentially placed as the first book within the New Testament. Furthermore, it is a canonical account of the life of Jesus, and is recognized as one of the synoptic Gospels. These accounts are divided into twenty eight chapters that appear in the form of a parable, proverb, law, or miracle story found within modern day poetry, letters, or literary tracts. Moreover, each narrative account possesses influential and intellectual material that attracts readers to examine it further. However, out of the four Gospels, Matthew’s is the one that encompasses the most amount of text that bestows an array of narrative accounts of Jesus to observe. In Matthew’s scriptures he takes Jesus’ fulfillments of the Jewish prophecies into consideration and uses it to refute the Jewish belief that Jesus of Nazareth is not the Messiah. This paper will explore the pericope found in Matthew 1:2-17 that illustrates the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The purpose of the passage is to demonstrate that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, which is a dominant theme throughout this particular Gospel. The above passage was chosen to obtain a greater perspective on the genealogy of Jesus Christ, through further examining Matthew’s tactic of incorporating Jesus into various Jewish traditions and prophecies. This passage is particularly interesting because Matthew functions as a bridge between the two Testaments, by showing how prophetic â€Å"fulfillment citations† from the Hebrew Bible were fulfilled, in the person of Jesus therefore proving he is the Messiah .The book of Matthew is a complicated Gospel; as a result, it is vital for its ... ...s view Jesus as the Messiah and continue to worship him as the foundation of Christianity. As a result, it is evident that Christianity and Judaism possess different beliefs. Perhaps over time the two faiths will fuse together and allow the people to become unified and share the same beliefs towards the true Messiah. Bibliography Batten Alicia, Introduction to the New Testament. Sudbury: University of Sudbury, 2011. David S.Ariel â€Å"The Messiah† from What Do Jews Believe. New York: Schocken Books, 1996. Coogan, Michael D. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford, 2007. Filson ,V. Floyd The Gospel According to St. Matthew. London: A. and C. Black Limited, 1960. Keener, Craig S. A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1999. Print. Saldarini, Anthony Commentary On The Bible. Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans: 2003.

Financial Literacy Essay

India is among the world’s most efficient financial markets in terms of technology, regulation and systems. It also has one of the highest savings rate in the world – our gross household savings rate, which averaged 19% of gross domestic product (GDP) between 1996-97 and 1999-2000, increased to about 23% in 2003-04 and has been growing ever since. While savings are more in India, where the savings are invested is a cause for concern. Investments by households have been more into either bank fixed deposits, risk-free government-backed securities and low-yielding instruments, or in non-financial assets. A majority of our households do not use modern financial markets. As per an RBI report, only 1. 4% of household savings was invested in equity, mutual funds and debentures in 2003-04. Though this went up to about 4% in 2005-06, it is still very small. Unless the common person becomes a wiser investor and is protected from wrong doings, wealth creation for the investor and the economy will remain a distant dream. We need to convert a country of savers into a nation of investors. Which one should you use? Such questions and choices appear tough to even urban population not to talk of those in rural areas, where most of India’s population is. When it comes to financial solutions, investors tend to use thumb rules or seek advice from friends and relatives, which are often poor approximations compared to those that follow from a systematic process. If they get bad advice, their outcomes will be poor, and they will start to lose faith in the financial sector. A big improvement of financial knowledge of households is necessary so that they participate continuously in financial markets. Financial literacy plays a significant role in the efficient allocation of household savings and the ability of individuals to meet their financial goals. It also means the ability to seek sound financial advice. Financial literacy has assumed greater importance in recent years as financial markets have become increasingly complex and the common man finds it very difficult to make informed decisions. Financial literacy is considered an important adjunct for promoting financial inclusion and ultimately financial stability. Both developed and developing countries, therefore, are focusing on programmes for financial literacy/education. In India, the need for financial literacy is even greater considering the low levels of literacy and the large section of the population, which still remains out of the formal financial set-up. To understand financial planning, a person should be financially literate to understand the importance of preparing household budgets, cash-flow management and asset allocation to meet financial goals. Everyone saves money for future needs but the approach is to save surplus money without preparing household budgets, without prioritizing personal financial goals, without properly allocating investments in different asset classes and without understanding the real rate of return (after adjusting for inflation). Financial literacy has become an immensely popular component of financial reform across the world. As a response to the recent financial crisis, the United States government set up the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy in January 2008, charged with promoting programs that improve financial education at all levels of the economy and helping increase access to financial services. In the developing world, the Indonesian government declared 2008 â€Å"the year of financial education,† with a stated goal of improving access to and use of financial services by increasing financial literacy. Similarly, in India, the Reserve Bank of India launched an initiative in 2007 to establish Financial Literacy and Credit Counseling Centers throughout the country which would offer free financial education and counseling to urban and rural populations. The World Bank also hasn’t been missing out on the trend – it recently approved a $15 million Trust Fund on Financial Literacy. But what do we know about financial literacy? Does it work, and if so, through what mechanisms? Despite the money being ploughed into financial literacy programs, we know very little to address these important questions. While it is true that there is a large and growing body of survey evidence from both developed and developing countries that demonstrate a strong association between financial literacy and household well-being, we are still in the process of learning whether this relationship is causal. While survey analysis can control for all observable variables in the survey questionnaires such as income, gender, age, education, etc. , there may be some unobserved variables, such as ability, that may be driving the positive correlation between financial literacy and use of financial services. In addition, people who choose to participate in surveys or literacy seminars may be quite different in terms of their interests in financial matters, for instance, than those who do not participate. The positive correlations may therefore be driven by endogenous selection. Further, survey evidence cannot distinguish the direction of causality: greater financial literacy may lead to greater use of financial services, or just as likely, individuals who use more financial services may score better on financial literacy assessments based on their experience in financial markets. Experimental studies on financial literacy, similar to medical drug trials, allow for overcoming the problems of selection and endogeneity that are associated with survey analysis. There are only a handful of completed studies on financial literacy, though more are in the pipeline. In the developed world, research evidence that financial education can affect decision-making comes from a randomized evaluation conducted at a major university in the United States. Duflo and Saez (2003) implemented an â€Å"encouragement design,† in which they randomly offered some administrative employees a small financial incentive ($20) to attend a session which provided information on retirement products. Those receiving the incentive were significantly more likely to attend the training session, and this had a small, but significant impact on their savings decisions, as more individuals in the treatment group enrolled in tax-deferred retirement accounts. In a paper I coauthored with Shawn Cole and Thomas Sampson, we provide the first study in this direction in the developing world, through a randomized evaluation of a financial literacy training program in Indonesia. Participants in this study consisted of unbanked households, half of whom received an invitation for a free financial literacy seminar 2-3 hours in length. Although take up of the training is high, we find no effect of the program on the likelihood of opening a bank account in the general population. We do, however, find that the training has a significant impact on unschooled and financially illiterate households, increasing the likelihood of opening a bank account by 12% and 5%, respectively. These results suggest that financial literacy training programs should be carefully targeted at these subgroups of individuals. Additionally, a more comprehensive financial literacy program that is delivered over several weekly sessions, rather than a single session of a few hours, may be required to change financial behavior among households in the general population. The need for a more detailed and extensive financial education program is also reflected in research by Cole, Gine et. al (2009) on rainfall insurance for low-income farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India. Specifically, they randomize the provision of an education module about converting the measurement of rainfall in millimeters to soil moisture. Since farmers typically decide when to sow using soil moisture whereas insurance payouts are calculated using millimeters, the education module should improve farmers’ understanding of the insurance policy. However, results indicate that the education module had no significant effect on insurance participation, possibly because the intervention was quite minimal. The education component only involved using a ruler to demonstrate a length of 10mm and 100mm, and subsequently showing a chart of how 100mm of rain translates into average soil moisture for a particular soil type. Moreover, the information was presented quite briefly, taking no more than 2 to 3 minutes. Thus, a modest amount of financial education appears to be insufficient in inducing households to participate in financial markets, and a more thorough financial literacy program may be necessary to do so. There are even fewer ongoing studies attempting to look at other aspects of financial literacy behavior. Exceptions include Cole, Shapiro and Zia, who are conducting a randomized evaluation of a video-based financial literacy training program in India, which includes modules on loans, savings, budgeting and insurance. Elsewhere, Hastings and Mitchell are conducting an experiment among Chilean households, to determine whether or not financial literacy has an effect on an individual’s ability to make optimal financial decisions; and Karlan, McMillan and Kutsoati are carrying out a randomized control trial in Ghana where rural bank customers receive six 15-minute financial literacy lessons. The jury is still out on whether financial literacy is a useful and cost-effective tool for promoting financial access. The studies mentioned here and many more that are in development should enhance our understanding of what works, how it works, and for whom it works. Indians have better financial literacy levels than most others globally and rank second out of 10 leading nations in having a basic financial literacy level, a survey said. â€Å"Indians turn out to be the second out of 10 leading nations in the world to have a basic financial literacy level (55 per cent), just behind the Japanese, an ING Consumer Resourcefulness Survey, said. A majority of Indian consumers have not only shown better skills in managing their household financial budget but are also confident of facing any financial impediments in future as compared to citizens of nine other countries, the survey said. The survey was carried out amongst 5,000 consumers across ten major nations, including India, the USA, Mexico, The Netherlands, Romania, Poland, Belgium, Spain, Korea and Japan. The survey shows that a whopping 84 per cent of Indians prefer buying life insurance products as compared to 54 per cent globally. A similar percentage of Indians believe in maintaining a household budget with a focus on savings. School for Investor Education & Financial Literacy (SIEFL) Financial Literacy Programmes through schools: NISM intends to introduce financial education in schools through the Pocket Money program. Currently the program covers more than 4300 children from 32 schools across North, South and East India. The program is in the process of being introduced in the schools in the Western region. The Spread of Financial Literacy It is better to start early with the process of financial education as discipline in money matters is an important characteristic of an individual. Children should be taught the benefits of saving and introducing the age old concepts of having a piggy bank can be a welcome start. Schools need to inculcate these habits in students and gradually introduce them to the basics of personal finance. A beginning has already been made by introducing subjects on basic finance in the school curriculum at certain centers. Reserve Bank of India is promoting this early education of children by adopting a friendly and entertaining way through the medium of comics. They are also encouraging the young to participate in contests, the winners of which are awarded scholarships. It is the vulnerable sections of society like women, senior citizens, the rural and urban poor who need to be adequately educated and equipped. The Financial Literacy programme of RBI is tackling all these issues through different means. Their website is a store house of knowledge provided there is an urge to learn. The individual has to be proactive and be eager to grasp the necessary knowledge to safeguard himself and thereby his money. RBI is making extra efforts to be as transparent as possible in the larger interest of the common citizen by reaching out to them through their out reach programmes. These pro-grammes which were held during the 75th year of RBI in 2010 in far corners of the country were primarily to educate the masses about the activi-ties of RBI and how to utilize the available banking services for their betterment. Most banks also have their financial literacy departments and credit counseling centers where personal problems are addressed. How much of these centers are successes is deba-table because a very small percentage of people know about these facilities and even if they know there is an inherent hesitation to seek their help. The websites of banks and financial institutions also have all the details about their products and services. In case of doubts it is advisable to refer to these portals to avoid making any wrong or improper decision. The concern is that incomplete or half baked knowledge is not used to take decisions which are repented later. BCSBI or Banking Codes and Standards Board of India have been set up by RBI as an apex body to improve the working of banks and introduce systemic changes wherever necessary for better treatment of customers. While their primary focus remains on customer service they are also participating in disseminating information on different aspects of banking. For an effective literacy campaign it is important that information asymmetry between service provider and customer is reduced. In this connection banks have unilaterally undertaken to comply with a Code of Commitment to Customers detailing the nature of services provided by banks, the normal time taken for rendering these services and the various obligations of banks who have signed these codes. Only when there is awareness can the customers use the code to their benefit. It is for the individual to take advantage of the provisions provided there is willingness to learn. BCSBI also publishes a quarterly newsletter which is both informative and educative. The importance of promoting financial literacy and the enormity of the task is being gradually understood. This has made many organizations enter this field to make their presence felt. Innovative ways have been adopted to keep the literacy efforts simple and user friendly for maximum benefit. Websites, print media and audio visual communications relating to financial education are easily accessible for the average individual to improve his under-standing of the financial market, its products and services. National dailies, banks, financial institutions,  private organizations are individually contributing through easy to understand pamphlets, comic strips, newsletters etc. to reach the consumer covering fundamental issues. Seminars, conferences, interactive sessions are often arranged to address issues of common concern and dissemination of information. Spreading of information and awareness is critical for an emerging economy like India. If the vast population of deprived people is brought into the mainstream it would be of immense benefit both as a social necessity as well as an economic push. The call for financial inclusion in the country has therefore become an immediate priority and is engaging the attention of policy makers for effective execution. It would reap dividends only when the targeted people are financial literate. Only then would they be able to make the most appropriate choice of the products and services which would improve their position. The vast majority of our people are extremely vulnerable as they depend upon informal sources of finance for meet-in their needs. Only by empowering them with the adequate knowledge can we hope to improve their lot and that of the economy as a whole. The penetration of banking and insurance services is extremely poor in India and if the coverage is extended by simultaneous spreading of financial literacy it would be a huge progress for overall growth. The formal channels of money transmission has to be introduced for all round benefit as for far too long the poor, gullible people have suffered at the hands of the money lender and his brethren. The international body Organization for Economic Development OECD is putting its weight behind RBI in promoting financial literacy in India. There is no running away from this hard fact for which the financial service providers are also being trained to encourage the dissemi-nation of information in as comprehensive a way as possible. However it is the individual as the consumer who needs to grasp and absorb the knowledge for his betterment and safety. Money creation through the legitimate way is hard and painstaking but can be lost in no time if there is improper financial planning. Financial awareness is a critical component in the process of protecting and enlarging the corpus of funds that an individual may have. | | | | | | | The survey shows 84 per cent Indians prefer buying life insurance products compared to 54 per cent globally and a similar percentage of Indians believe in maintaining a household budget with focus on savings. Indians are averse to borrowing money. They borrow money only in case they have to buy a house (50 per cent) or a car (43 per cent). Compared to 33 per cent globally, 87 per cent of Indian households have an emergency fund. The survey was conducted by New York Stock Exchange-listed, ING Groep, and research consultancy firm, Epiphany, amongst 5000 consumers across ten nations, including India, United States, Mexico, Netherlands, Romania, Poland, Belgium, Spain, Korea and Japan. It was to gain a better understanding of how consumers’ financial literacy level influences their attitudes and behaviours and identify the potential similarities and differences across countries, age and gender.