Blendworth Strategic Management Plan

Introduction BLENDWORTH is an international company that deals with the production and sale of fabrics. The company sells high quality fabrics and wall coverings that match the current fashion trends.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Blendworth Strategic Management Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company has been in operation for the last 90 years meeting the demand of the ever changing fashion trends. Over the last years, the company has diversified their products to include silks, velvet and wall papers (BLENDWORTH, 2012). The company is in the process of developing a marketing strategy to increase their sales. Objectives The main objectives to be achieved by the company through this marketing plan are: To increase the company’s sales and profits by at least 10% every year; To venture into other new emerging markets; To ensure that customers regularly visit the company website and social m edia sites and give feedback to the company; Improve the company’s brand image Situational Analysis In order to draft an adequate marketing plan, it is imperative to analyse the company’s internal and external forces. SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis and competitor analysis have been carried out (Aaker 2005). SWOT analysis The results of the SWOT analysis are tabulated below POSITIVE FORCES NEGATIVE FORCES internal Strength The company has a strong reputable brand The company has a wide experience in dealing with fabrics Good capital base Good corporate culture The company workers are highly experienced The company’s location is adequate to conduct both its local and international trade Good communication through internet and other channels The company is the sole distributor of wall covering from Eijffinger Weaknesses Lack of appropriate marketing strategies Few products in the market The communication between the custome r and the company is poor There is no mechanism to analyze feedback information from the customers Lack of innovation in products design and also sales Lack of new products to suit the ever changing fashion industry Limited budget external Opportunities A large domestic and international market There is a high demand in the fashion industry, which will translate to high sales Possibilities of expanding to new markets Ability to negotiate major contracts Threats Increased competition from the main competitors Competition from China and other global fabric and textile companies Entry of new firms with better fabric both at the local and international market Different nations and regions have differing tastes and fashion New emerging products that may rival what the company sells Substitute products from China are cheap and affordable From the SWOT analysis, the company should enhance on their strengths and look for methods of countering their weaknesses and threats (Barne y, 1996). The main strategies include: Development and implementation of a good marketing plan; Customer satisfaction; Developing new products that blend the different cultures and trends in the world; Looking for more funding to enable the diversification of the company; Development of high quality fabrics and textile; Offering fair and affordable prices; Branding; Conducting aggressive marketing campaigns; Competitor analysis The BLENDWORTH Company faces high competition from both local and international companies. Locally, the United Kingdom has many fabric companies, such as Altfield, Beaudesert, Beaumont Fletcher, Bennison, Chelsea textiles, Abbot and Boyd, Borderline, Alton brooke, Brian Yates, and Colefax among others.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The international market has numerous companies that deal with making and supply of fabrics and other textiles. These companies may be multinational or operating within one country. All these companies are expected to be a big threat to this company. Trends in the market After evaluating the internal and external environment of the business, the following trends are expected in the future: There will be increased competition from both the local and international firms as they struggle to gain more customers and market share; New and better fabrics will be developed; The competitors will lower the price of products; The competitors will expand to other emerging markets; Target Market Analysis The Blendworth Company has both local and international customers. The company supplies products to over 40 countries and has about 3000 customers. In the domestic market, the company has about 2500 customers. The main customers can be segmented into three parts: Individual customers Designers Retailers Market size The company’s customer size is enormous and comprises both local and internatio nal companies. Age The products sold by the company are suitable for people aged 25 years and above. Income The company targets middle and high income earners both at the local and international markets Customer wants and need In the fabric industry, the main customer’s wants and needs are:Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Blendworth Strategic Management Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More High quality fabrics, textiles and wall papers; Affordable prices especially for individual customers; Supply of the fabrics on time ; The company must keep up with changes in fashion industry; Availability of products on time; Strategies For the company to increase and maintain their customers the following strategies are going to be instituted (Proctor 2000): Prices The company will strive to become a market leader in terms of pricing; the company will offer quality products at affordable prices. Place The com pany will enhance their distribution channels so that fabrics reach the potential customers on time and in good condition. Promotions Blendworth’s main endeavour is to increase the number of local and international customers. This will be done through a series of sales promotion activities. Products The company will supply quality products and respond to the demands on the customers. The company will keep in touch with changing trends in the fashion industry so as to make quality and fashionable products. Tactics To Achieve The Strategies To ensure that the proposed strategies are implemented, the following tactics will be used: Low and affordable prices In order for the company to achieve low and affordable prices, it will do the fillowing:Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Carefully study the competitors’ pricing and reduce our prices accordingly so as to be the market leader in terms of prices. Price differentiation: prices will be differentiated in such a way that high class customers and designers will be charged a slightly higher price than individual customers. Offer discounts based on quantity, returned customers and different seasons. Make the production and distribution chain more efficient so as reduce the operation cost, and hence the product cost (Hooley 2012). Sales and promotions The following sales and promotions activities will be conducted: Advertisement: the company will advertise at the local newspapers, the internet and broadcasting stations in addition to the current advertisement techniques used. This is expected to cost  £ 100000. The internet marketing will entail the use of social media sites. After sales services: the company will offer free delivery for customers who purchase large quantity of products Branding: t he company will carry out aggressive marketing so as to promote the â€Å"BLENDWORTH† name Direct marketing: this will entail sending brochures to designers, retailers and other people who deal with fabrics. Special prices and conditions will be offered to them. Point of sale display: posters and screens will be fixed up at point of sale areas, such as malls so that potential customers can see our products Gifts: free gifts will be given to everyone who purchases products exceeding  £ 1000. Sponsoring events: the company will sponsor events, such as exhibitions where our products will be displayed (Kotler2003) Enhancing the distribution channels Opening regional centres: regional centres will be opened to ensure that products are distributed on time. Product and service quality To improve the product and service quality, all responses and feedback information from local and international customers will be analyzed and used to improve the products and services. Monitoring A nd Evaluation After implementation of the strategies developed, the progress of the company will be evaluated after every six months to check the success rate of the actions taken. This will be done through Checking the books of accounts, such as the sales records, balance sheet, the profit and loss account to track the sales and profits made by the company; Checking the number of active members and responses from social media. References Aaker, D. A 2005. Strategic Marketing Management, 7th edition, John Wiley Sons, New York. Barney, J 1996. Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, Addison-Wesley: New York. BLENDWORTH. 2012. Blendworth company website, https://www.blendworth.co.uk/about/ Hooley, P. N 2012, Marketing Strategy Competitive Positioning, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Kotler, P 2003, Marketing Management,11th ed, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Proctor, T 2000, Strategic marketing: an introduction, Routledge, New York. This case study on Blendworth Strategic Management Plan was written and submitted by user Duncan Mccall to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Should You Take Online AP Courses 12 Pros and Cons

Should You Take Online AP Courses 12 Pros and Cons SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There are a variety of reasons why you might want to take online AP courses. Maybe your school doesn’t offer all of the courses you want to take, or you’re homeschooled, or you want to do a little extra academic work to show colleges what you’re passionate about. But there’s a lot to consider before you take the plunge (and possibly drop a few hundred dollars on a class).I’ll take you through some basic information on online AP courses, some pros and cons, who should consider them, and how to choose classes if you do decide to take an AP course online. Finally, I’ll offer some brief blurbs on some of the most popular courses out there. What Is an Online AP Class? An online AP class is meant to mimic the material and workload of an in-person AP course from afar, and to prepare you for the AP exam. So you’ll have readings, lectures, quizzes, and exams just like in regular school, but all of your communication with your teacher (and potentially other students, depending on the course) will take place through your computerprobably mostly through e-mail and IM, although maybe some videochatting or virtual lecture sessions depending on the course. The truth is that every AP class you could take online is going to be a little different, which is why if you do decide to take one (or more), doing research on which course to enroll in is very important. Some are accredited by the College Board, some aren’t; some are free, some cost almost a thousand dollars a pop. Some are essentially graded independent study and others have scheduled virtual â€Å"class† meeting times. That said, there are still some general pros and cons to taking AP courses online. 6 Benefits ofTaking AP Courses Online You can take AP classes that are not offered by your school. You can probably get credit toward graduating high school, although it may just be pass/fail credit on your official high school transcript. You’ll have some flexibility in when you get the work done, so if you have an unusual schedule it might be a good choice for you. You might be able to connect with like-minded students with similar interests! This may be an especial benefit if you are homeschooled or live in a rural area. Depending on where you live, you may be able to take the class for free! Many states have at least one program that is free or low-cost to residents. If you are self-motivated, you may enjoy the semi independent-study format of many of the classes. 6 Drawbacks toTaking AP Courses Online It may or may not boost your official high school GPA. Some high schools will put the letter grade on your transcript, some won’t count the class at all, and some will allow you to count the class as credit, but only as pass/fail. Some of these classes are expensive! Depending on the class and your level of motivation, it may make more sense to self-study for the AP test and then take the exam. If you live in a rural area, you will still need to find a brick-and-mortar school where you can take the exam. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something you will need to keep in mindthe online course won’t coordinate your exam arrangements for you. If you have a hard time getting work done without some supervision, an online course may not have enough accountability for you to get the work done and really get something out of the class, let alone be prepared for the exam. Some of the classes are mostly text-based and not very interactive, so if that’s a hard way for you to learn, it may not be the best option for you. Some classes have been criticized for being an easy A that does not actually prepare you for the AP exam. So read reviews and research carefully! With all this in mind, how do you decide if you should take AP classes online? With the magic of the internet, the world is your classroom! That was corny, sorry. Are Online AP Classes a Good Fit For Me? The number one question you need to ask yourself when deciding to undertake online AP coursework is: why am I doing this? See below for some potential answers and my thoughts. #1: My school doesn’t offer this AP class that I find interesting/valuable/important This is a good reason to take an AP class online! If you don’t have another way of taking the class, and you are invested in the material, you are an ideal candidate for taking online AP classes. Particularly if you live in a rural area and go to a small high school, you should check if your school already partners with an online AP course provider.If so, you will probably be able to take the class for free, have time during the school day to do coursework, and have the class on your official high school transcript! Wins all around. #2: I’m home-schooled and I want to take an accredited (i.e. College Board approved) AP course This is another good reason to go online, although it’s worth noting that the person teaching you at home can get their AP curriculum accredited if they so desire. (More information can be found in our guide to passing yourCollege Board Course Audit.) In that case, you can have the class listed as AP on your transcript. Of course, your home-teacher may not feel equipped to teach you the material, in which case it makes total sense to take an online course. Another benefit to this is that an online course may help you connect with other students, depending on the platform. If your only concern is taking the exam, and you don’t care about having a transcript and grade for the course, you could also consider self-study. Home-schoolers can also list their exam prep â€Å"class† as â€Å"Honors† even if their home course is not accredited by the AP. #3: I have an unusual schedule/scheduling conflict If you have some kind of scheduling conflict with your school’s in-class AP course- maybe there are two AP classes you want to take that meet at the same time, or you are on a work-study program- online courses may be a good option. However, keep in mind that you may not be able to get a letter grade for the online class on your high school transcript even if you can get credit. If this is the case and you’re a junior, you might consider taking the class through your school next year. #4: I want to take an AP class over the summer If there’s an AP class you want to take over the summer that doesn’t work for you during the school year, online courses can be a great way to make that happen. However, you will have to spend a decent amount of time reviewing the material during the following school year if you want to remember anything for the AP exam the following May! This cherub is thinking deeply about his class schedule. Either that, or napping. #5: I want to boost my GPA Your school may or may not allow you to count your letter grade in an online AP course on your high school transcript. They may not give credit, or you may only get pass/fail credit on your official transcript. So if you want a GPA boost, definitely discuss whether the class will even factor into your GPA before enrolling! If you are concerned about your GPA, I would advise you to talk to a guidance counselor at your school. You might also read our article on applying to college with a low GPA. #6: I think it will look good to colleges Taking an online AP course may or may not look good to colleges depending on your circumstances. If you are taking it because it’s not offered at your school or you have a conflict and you’re really interested in the material, it will signal that you are self-motivated and invested in learning. Great! If, however, you want to take online AP courses because you are already stacked six AP courses this year and this is the only way you could possibly fit in more, possibly reconsider. Colleges like candidates who have some interests outside of class- your entire waking life shouldn’t be spent doing AP coursework and preparing for exams. Consider an extracurricular. #7: I want college credit Keep in mind: only some colleges will give you credit for high scores on AP tests,and the score cutoff is different at different schools (some will give credit for a 3, while others will only give credit for a 5). Make sure you know the score cutoffs and credit policies for colleges you are interested in. Another thing to remember is that credit is determined by yourscore on the exam, not whether you took the class or not- so you could self-study if you think you could get the necessary credit that way. #8: I don’t know! If you don’t really know exactly why you would be taking an online AP course, don’t do it until you figure it out. If you don’t have a sense of purpose you won’t be motivated to put in the additional workespecially because online classes tend to be more self-directed than in-person ones. You'll notice I've mentioned self-study several times in the above list. So you are probably wondering what the different is between self-study and an online AP course, and why you would choose one or the other. Read on! What’s the Difference Between an Online AP Class and Self-Study? If you take an accredited (College Board-approved) online AP class, you will get a transcript with aletter grade that shows that you took the AP-level course, which you can send to colleges. You may even be able to get credit towards graduation and have the class be listed on your transcript for your regular brick-and-mortar school, depending on your school’s policies. However, the College Board does not require you to take a class before you can take the AP exam in that subject.This means that you are allowed to self-study- that is, use resources like books, lecture videos, and internet sites to prepare for the exam on your own. In this case you won’t have a class listed on any transcript or a letter grade, but if you do well on the test, you can still potentially get college credit for it, and send in the scores to colleges. Self-studying is a good option if you already have a baseline knowledge level in the subject area, if you are very self-directed, and if all you care about is taking the exam and getting a target score. If you aren’t at all familiar with the material, you aren’t very self-directed, or you want to have a record that you took the course, take an online class instead. If you’ve made the decision to take an online AP course and you’re going to take the plunge, how do you pick from the hundreds of courses available? Online means no blackboard erasers! If people even use those anymore. How Should I Choose My Online AP Course? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of options for online AP courses out there. And they are not all created equal. There are a number of factors you should consider when selecting a course: #1: Is the course accredited by the College Board? In other words, is it an official College-Board approved AP course? You can search for a course in the AP course ledger if you aren’t sure. If it’s not accredited, it’s basically providing self-study materials to you,because any transcript you get from the course won’t say â€Å"AP.† This could be fine if your goal is just to prepare for the test, but it's something to be mindful of, particularly with respect to the quality of the material. I would hesitate to lay down five hundred hard-earned dollars on a non-accredited course. #2: Are there admission requirements? Some online AP course providers, like John Hopkins’ Center for Talented Youth and Stanford Online High School, have prerequisites or pre-test requirements. Make sure you qualify! #3: Are you confident it’s a high-quality course? For starters, make sure to check outreviews from other people who have taken the course (you could try College Confidential). Here are a few hallmarks of a well-organized course: Are teachers accessible and consistent? Is tech support available to assist with any difficulties you may have? Are there statistics on how well the students do on the AP after taking the course? #4: What’s your budget? Some more â€Å"elite† online courses will run you almost a thousand dollars for an AP class.However, some of these providers also have some form or another of financial aid, so be sure to research that before writing them off.You can certainly find a high-quality AP course that’s a little less expensive. You may just have to look harder. For more ideas foronline AP classesat a variety of price points,check out our article on the best and worst online AP courses, reviewed. Check if your school already has a contract with a remote AP class provider. In this case you can probably take the class for free!Some states also have low or no-cost online classes for residents. The Florida Virtual School offers classes free to FL residents, and Scout, through the University of California, offers some material free to California public school students. #5: How self-directed are you? Some courses will allow you to set your own schedule and have pace flexibility- you’ll be given materials and access to an instructor if you have questions, but it will be more or less a free-range experience. Other classes have scheduled lecture sections and you will lose points if you turn in assignments and assessments late. Be honest with yourself and choose the style that will allow you to get the most out of the course. #6: Will you interact with other students? Is it important to you to have some way to interact or collaborate with the other students in the class through message boards or projects? In this case, make sure your course offers this. #7: Can you do a trial or get a refund if you drop the course early on? If it’s an expensive class, you probably want to make sure that you can get at least a partial refund if you drop the class two weeks in if you change your mind or something comes up. #8: Do you have access to a computer that meets the technical requirements of the course? Since it’s computer-based, the class may have operating system or browser requirements.You don’t want to sign up for a class only to find that you can’t make it work on your computer! He looks like he'd be a great online AP teacher. Very modern. Popular Online AP Courses There are approximately one gajillion online AP classes out there, butyou may or may not want to sift through them all looking for that perfect Cinderella-shoe fit. Luckily for you, I have done a lot of sifting myself and have a brief list of some well-regarded online AP courses. AP US History from the UC system’s Scout program - This course is well-liked for its engaging multimedia lessons and variety in preparation material. Cheaper for CA students, but one of the less expensive options overall. AP Biology from Apex Learning - AP Biology from Apex is commended for its comprehensive virtual lab component- something lacking from many online AP science providers. AP Chemistry from ChemAdvantage - This husband and wife team teach AP Chemistry online with a robust lab component and lots of instructor attention. While primarily for homeschoolers, their FAQ says that they may be able to accommodate students whose schools simply don’t offer AP Chem. AP Psychology from the Florida Virtual School - Students liked this class for being relatively straightforward, although it is mostly self-paced. AP Human Geography from the Florida Virtual School - Students like this class for teacher accessibility and an appropriate difficulty level- interesting, but not frustrating. AP Art History from the Florida Virtual School - Students enjoy the interactive gallery format and find that they retain the material because it is presented so engagingly. AP CS A from the Florida Virtual School - Students feel that not only is Computer Science a natural fit from an online school, FLVS teaches a strong coding foundation and really prepares you for the exam. Plus, it’s fun! For homeschooled students in any state, PA Homeschoolers AP Courses are very well-reviewed, with outstanding teachers being the number one benefit. AP History and English classes are particularly well-liked. However, you must be a homeschooled student to register. Other generally well-regarded online AP providers includeStanford Online High School, Northwestern Center for Talent Development, and Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.These providers are specifically for gifted students and have admissions requirements. Theyare generally considered quite comprehensive and in-depth. Choose the course with the most dinosaurs. Getting the Most Out of Online AP Classes If you are going to take AP courses online, you want to make sure you get as much out of them that you possibly can. There’s no point in going to the trouble of taking the class if you aren’t going to learn anything! So how can you succeed? Treat it like a real course - Resist the temptation to slack off just because it’s online and you don’t have to face your teacher in real life. Schedule time to work on it - Set aside specific time slots every week when you are going to work on the course. This will help keep you from falling behind, and improve your ability to take the course seriously. Minimize distractions - When you are doing online coursework, make sure you are in a good working environment like a library or a quiet desk. Don’t turn the TV on, and I advise not working in bed. Utilize the teacher - If you have questions, get in touch with your teacher! One of the advantages of an online course over self-study is that you have access to a paid professional to explain confusing concepts to you if you need it. If you are diligent about keeping on track and get help when you need it, you will find the class much more valuable. Online AP Courses: The Bottom Line Online APs are a great choice for students with unusual schedules or at schools with slim AP offerings. With that said, it’s important to do your research before enrolling in an online AP class. Look for reviews online, check the price point, and triple-check your school’s policies on GPA and credit-transferring the online courses before you take the plunge! What's Next? For more in-depth reviews of online AP courses, see my guide to the best and worst online AP classes. If you need more general information about AP tests, check out "What Are AP Exams and Tests?" by one of our experts. Trying to decide on the best way to get college credit in high school? See our guide tocommunity college classes versus AP classes and exams. Considering other new and exciting AP offerings? Check our guide to AP Research and our guide to AP Seminar. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Wal-mart supermarket Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Wal-mart supermarket - Essay Example The final important consideration by the company is that they should prioritize business processes and procedures more than the technology at hand; technology should be incorporated on the basis of business needs rather than joining the race of being equipped with the latest technology. The formulation of this strategy helps the company to maintain the technological development and ensure that it is directed towards the acquisition of the company goals. The founders of Wal-Mart have always treasured their customers and employees by giving them the status of ‘associates’; Koselka (1992) stated that Wal-Mart benefits these stakeholders in the following manner; by giving better prices and quality to their customers and empowering their employees. Information has been an integral part in the growth of the organization. Relevant and latest information has been available to the company with the help of their information systems. 3. Point of Sales System K-mart was initially co nsidered to be the biggest competitor of Wal-Mart. When K-mart started improving their business processes with technology, Wal-Mart also realized the need and deployed point of sales system in their stores. This system identifies each product in the store on the basis of its unique number and gives the respective price of the product from a database that is maintained by the IT department. A receipt is automatically generated with the respective product numbers and prices. This information is added in the sales reports and also used in the process of reordering inventory when more quantity is needed. The hardware technology that is used to identify the products is the barcode scanner. Barcode scanner makes the data available in the database immediately...Wal-Mart adapted the barcode technology while being influenced by its competitor. The incorporation of technology in the company reflects their commitment to providing value to their customers and improving their service. The point of sales system that was equipped with barcode technology proved to benefit the company in many different aspects; from automatic generation of receipts to accurate entries of transactions, from immediate entry of records to providing latest data for analytical purposes. However, barcode technology was adopted by the respective organization when computer technology was not as common as it is today. The lack of skills of several employees in this regard caused a certain level of resistance towards the technological change. Effective measures were taken to get the system accepted by the employees. Wal-Mart also utilized information technology to develop effective networking links with their suppliers. This technique reduced their communication barriers and avoided instances of undersupply. Timely re-orders resulted in a constant supply of products in the store and results in effective service for the consumer. The suppliers networking with the retailers provide them with useful information about the buying behaviour of the consumer so that they can alter their products according to the consumer requirements. RFID is a developing technology that will prove to be even more effective than the barcode technology.

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of the four principles Essay

What are the major advantages and disadvantages of the four principles approach to health care ethics - Essay Example In the 1970s, theologian James Childress and philosopher Tom Beauchamp came up with the ‘four principles’ approach (Beauchamp 1994, p.35). They enrolled the four principles, which they believed could be considered over each other when making an ethical decision on matters pertaining to medicine. There has been a substantial evolution of the Principles of Biomedical Ethics since the first version of its kind of theory and the requirements of particular circumstances. Principlism has specifically changed into a realistic approach for ethical decision-making focusing on ethical principles of justice, autonomy, non-maleficence and beneficence. Principlism is usually attained from, and is consistent with many theological approaches, social and even ethical advances towards ethical decision-making. The advancement, which is pluralist in nature, is quite necessary when one has to make an ethical verdict in a society or institution because clusters of pluralist fields by descrip tion can concur with neither certain ethical theories nor their explanations. The adequate state rather is that majority of people and communities would concur that there exists an extensive concurrence on the common values of justice, non-maleficence, beneficence and autonomy. Justice The principle of justice means allotting the benefits and saddles of a particular verdict fairly. It demands for proper allotment of benefits, risks and expenses evenly. In the present era, communities are enlightened co-operations that are principled by ethical and legal features of justice that give meaning to the support requisites. Individuals in a community get fair treatment if they receive due and just treatment. The phrase ‘distributive justice’ brings out the meaning of impartial,... Center of discussion in this paper is Principlism, also known as the ‘four principles’ approach refers to a set of moral codes and principles that are employed by decision makers to arrive at decisions in any particular profession. The four principles related to the way of conduct in health. The principles include beneficence, justice, Non-maleficence and autonomy, which is the acknowledgement of a person’s right to make judgments and hold views based on personal beliefs and views. Each principle defines different affairs of concern in health. The principles have their basing in morality required in health. The preference over the four kinds of ethical principles as the structure for ethical decisions making in medical ethics originates partly from proficient background and responsibilities. The virtues and requirements of health professionals have constantly been edged by professional pledges to issue medical care and ensure protection of patients from system fai lure, harm or ailment. Although Beauchamp and Childress’s ethics try to set up on this structure, they considerably move away from it as they try to encompass parts of ethics that have been deserted traditionally in principles of health care, mainly via the ethics of respect for justice and independence. The four principles are required to issue a complete structure for biomedical ethics, but the common structure is only theoretical and is on standby until it gets advanced specification.

Our National Debt (USD) Today Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Our National Debt (USD) Today - Article Example One helpful contribution as a citizen is to lobby in Congress asking for the government to cut its spending on military and focus on social concerns such as education or health. The article suggested that we should consume less than what we earn. Everyone must learn how to live within their means so as not to add to the burden of the country. I think it is good if the government encourage people to save money and reduce their spending. Also, the government must create a task force that would create jobs so the unemployed would not give additional problems to an ailing government. Small business must be helped through various incentives. The most sensible and long-term solution is to promote a healthy lifestyle to citizens. When a country has healthy people, they are more productive and this leads to lesser health care given to citizens. Most diseases are caused by obesity which is a reflection of the propensity to spend and consume beyond one’s income. Ironically, it is even the wealthy who get in shape believing that health is wealth. Farmer, Brian. "I.O.U.S.A. How Much?! the New Documentary Film I.O.U.S.A. Sounds the Alarm about Our Worsening Debt Crisis but Is Short on Solutions." The New American 15 Sept. 2008: 26+. Questia. Web. 10 Feb. 2010. "Wake up America! Were on the verge of a financial meltdown," screams the website promoting I.O.U.S.A., a documentary that examines the rapidly growing national debt and the resulting consequences for the U.S. government and its citizens. For example, as the Baby Boomer generation reaches retirement age, will there even be any Social Security and Medicare benefits left to collect?  

Impact Of The Collapse Of Pan Electric Industries Finance Essay

Impact Of The Collapse Of Pan Electric Industries Finance Essay Pan-Electric Industries was a Singapore-based company that specialized in marine salvage work and had 71 subsidiary companies, it including hotel and property interests with a market capitalization of S$230 million (Wikipedia). The main business of Pan-Electric Industries was the manufacture of refrigerators. In March 1985, Pan-Electric Industries Ltd had joined Tan Koon Swans business kingdom. Pan-Electric defaulted on S$7.5 million installment for S$75 million syndicated loan by Standard Chartered Bank. It also voluntarily requested Stock Exchange Singapore and Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange to suspend its shares on 18 November 1985. The reason given is need to revise right issue and restructure financing. Besides, two other Tan Koon Swan related companies, Sigma and Growth Industries Holdings also request and are granted suspension. Consequently, when it announced a rights issue for S$80 million meant to generate more liquidity, it causes the underwriters to look more closely at Pan-Electric Industries financials and fiscal fundamentals. It also discovered that the company was S$453 million in debt from 35 banks, which there is S$283 million is unsecured. The rights issue was then cancelled and a rescue plan to improve Pan-Electrics position proposed. On the other hand, the loan package for Pan-Electric Industries is unveiled; gain the financial assistance from the banks. There are two ways that the company get loan: (1) to be raised S$200 million through the equity and right issues from other investors of the company. (2) Get the interest-free loan of S$40 million from Tan Koon Swan. When the rescue plan falls through, Tan Koon Swan refuses to pump in the S$40 million unless the repayment priority is raised. However, the creditors are refused to do that. Besides, the legal impediment arises. That money from Tan Koon Swan comes from Sigma, which owns more than 20 percent of Pan-Electric and is therefore not allowed to lend it money under the Companies Act. Due to these reasons, Pan-Electric Industries was officially insolvent and was consequently placed in receivership. This was the trigger that started the domino effect of defaults on forward contracts. In the end, the company collapsed due to unsettled forward contracts, and forcing the stock exchanges of both Singapore and Malaysia to shut down for three days during the year of 1985. The collapse of Pan-Electric following its huge debts and incapability to make good on forward contracts precipitated a systemic crisis that threatened the entire then-nascent stock broking industry. At its demise, the company had a total debt of S$480 million, and all its shares held by 5,500 shareholders were found to be worthless overnight. After that, all the receivers were appointed, and the significant decision was to suspend all trading on Stock Exchange Singapore to forestall panic dumping which threatened to wipe hundreds of millions off the exchange. Tan Koon Swans case was the first ever case of stock manipulation in Singapore which went to the extent of shutting down the Stock Exchange Singapore for three days. Because of that, it is representative of the trend of the white-collar crimes becoming gradually more sophisticated and impressive. In the end only one count was proceeded upon against Tan Koon Swan is that abetting Pan-Electrics finance director, Tan Kok Liang, to commit that the criminal breach of trust of about S$145,000 (which belonged to Pan-El) for which Tan Koon Swan was jailed two years and fined S$500,000. The amount embezzled was applied to pay the interest on three million of Grand United Holding (GUH) shares bought by a Pan-Electric subsidiary, Orchard Hotel. The Orchard Hotel purchase the sh ares were in turn a part of the scheme by Tan Koon Swan to artificially boost the GUH share price. However, Tan Koon Swan was spared any market manipulation charges. As a result of the collapse for Pan-Electric Industries Ltd in December 1985, the key people in the company such as Peter Tham, Tan Kok Liang, and Tan Koon Swan were prosecuted and given varying jail sentences. The collapse of the company shook public confidence in the Stock Exchange Singapore, causing prices of stocks to plunge. -Stock Exchange Singapore had closed trading for three days. The collapse of Pan-Electric Industries Ltd, though incorporated in Singapore, led to the unprecedented closure of both the Singapore Stock Exchanges in December 1985 for three days from 2 December until 4 December. This is due to the failure of a large public company, Pan-Electric Industries Ltd. Since that, the prices of property fell by over 30 percent. The combination of tight liquidity, low inflation and a sharp decline in share and property prices exposed to the financial over-commitments of many entrepreneurs. Moreover, the court issues an order that Pan-Electric Industries has been put into liquidation and accounting firm believed that it had also been dismissed as the conglomerates provisional liquidators. The Pan-Electric along with its 71 subsidiaries had owes about US$168 million to more than 30 banks. Besides, Pan-Electric subsidiaries that cannot be sold as going concerns will be liquidated later but the larger properties, such as the Orchard Hotel in Singapore, and Selco Marine, a salvage operation, had attracted some potential buyers. Creditor banks suspended talks to rescue Pan-Electric soon after Tan Koon Swan, a major Pan-Electric shareholder, also a Malaysian businessman and political leader was arrested as a result of Government investigations into the financial dealings of Pan-Electric. In December 1985, when Pan-Electric went into receivership after failing to meet US$187 million in debt payments, the Singapore and Kuala Lumpur stock exchanges were forced to close for three days. It was a series of inter-linkages which dragged six brokerages to the demise together with Pan-Electric and caused a crisis of confidence that caused the stocks markets to plunge when the Singapore Stocks Exchange re-opened in December 1985 after 3 days of closure. In the local context, it is a day that known as Black Thursday. In addition, it created a movement for stricter regulation of the Singapore Stocks Exchange by Monetary Authority of Singapore. After that, the market had transformed from a self-regulated entity to a tightly-regulated one, in particular with regard to brokerage capital requirements, gearing and margin limits, as well as reserve fund requirements. Because of that, this has since loosened to a disclosure-based regime, where the obligation is on the individual investor to exercise caveat emptor. During the closure of the stock exchange, the Association of Banks and the Stock Exchange of Singapore held some emergency meetings as the affair cast further gloom on the economy, they already forecast to shrink by 2 percent during that year. Besides, there are many comments about the effect of the market to the public and the actions will take by the government. The Singapore Stock Exchange Chairman Ong Tjin An declared that the decision was taken to cool off the market and the public to digest the news of the receivers being appointed at Pan-Electric Industries. There are no details were immediately available, however, some stockbrokers thought that the stock exchange was running out a new plan to strengthen the deficiently shaken local securities industries while banks sought to minimize losses and tighten the credit lines. Furthermore, the financial daily Business Times said that no matter what is the next incident in the Pan-Electric crisis brings, Singapores reputation as a fi nancial capital had suffered as a consequence of this debacle, the gravest in the republics financial history. However, the Stock Exchange of Singapore and the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange did not indicate when they would allow trading to resume, but stockbrokers expected the suspension just will last up to a week. Yet, a senior bank official said: Once you close, there is never a good time to open. Share prices are definitely going to slide. A prolonged closure will worsen market sentiment. In other way, those stockbrokers generally welcomed the suspension in both exchanges, which they believed prevented panic selling and a possible collapse of the stock market. The Stock Exchange of Singapore and the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange work closely because most of the shares are quoted on both exchanges. When the trading was resumed on 5 December 1985, all the share deals had to be conducted on an immediate delivery basis. This means that all the payment had to be made within 24 hours of a trade. Trading on a settlement basis (payment within a month) was suspended indefinitely, while forward trading (payment more than a month later) was completely banned. This settlement period was subsequently changed to T+5 on 6 January 1986, after some overseas clients complained about difficulties in fulfilling the 24-hour delivery rule. At the moment, the settlement cycle is on a T+3 days basis, where all share deals have to be settled three days after the transaction has been entered into. As a result of the shorter settlement timeframe, there is less uncertainty. -Economy of Singapore. The stock market prices of Singapore to plunge. Furthermore, the economy of Singapore seriously gets influence by the Pan-Electric collapse during the year 1985. This is because Singapore was the third most important financial centre in the Asia after Tokyo and Hong Kong by the mid-1980s. In the financial sector, Singapore have sustained double digit growth over the past few decades, accounted for some 23 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employed about 9 percent of the labor force. However, the growth in the financial sector slowed to just 2.6 percent and Singapore Stock Exchange had suffered a Pan-Electric crisis which forced to close for three days in the December. Due to the major crisis in the year 1985, this had troubled domestic economy and there are some people worried that Singapores future as a financial centre looked a bit problematic. Besides, the market underwent a major, prolonged reorganization following the collapse of a Singaporean company, Pan Electric Industries which revealed a massive web of forward share dealings based on borrowed money. The collapse resulted in a tighter regulation of the financial futures market and the securities industry. In addition, the Singapore Stock Exchange Chairman Ong Tjin An said to cool off the market and for the public to digest the news that Pan-Electric Industries had fallen into receivership. The S$230 million Singapore-based conglomerate had collapsed because a complex web of forward contracts involving its shares could not be unwound. The Pan-Electric debacle hurt Singapores reputation as a financial centre. When the Pan-El crisis hit, the Straits Times Index (STI) was already deep in a downward spiral of a bear market that dated back more than two years to May 1983. Because of that, there are a few companies have collapsed and the arrests have started in the wake of the Singapores Black Thursday stock market crash. The economic fallout and political repercussions are expected to last for months as authorities try to untangle a complex maze of transactions that involving banks, stock exchanges, brokerages and speculators in the shares of listed companies in this island state, one of As ias leading financial centers and in neighboring Malaysia. Everyone was hopes for an orderly solution to the financial crisis ended in the late January with the arrest in Singapore of Malaysian financier-politician Tan Koon Swan and the abandonment of efforts to rescue the Pan-Electric Industries Ltd conglomerate. On the other hand, it was replaced by two new committees of the banker-creditors. The purpose to replace the two new panels is that one of the banker-creditor is try to keep the Selco salvage unit afloat as a going concern until a buyer can be found, the other to sell off other divisions. Selco describes itself as the worlds second-largest marine salvage operation and the profits are erratic. However, since they depend on unpredictable events like ships being wrecked by accident, or fighting between Iran and Iraq. The Netherlands-based Smit Tak International BV, the marine salvage industry leader, and the Singapore government-controlled Sembawang Shipyard Ltd have been mentioned in published reports as possible buyers of Selco. One foreign banker who served on the steering committee, and who spoke on condition that he remain unidentified, said any hope of reviving Pan-Electric ended when the Singapore government declined to guarantee new financing. Some brokers say the uninhibited us e of forward contracts led to Pan-Electrics downfall. These now-outlawed agreements to buy or sell shares at predetermined prices three to six months in the future often were used as collateral to raise cash. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of forward contracts that contributed to the financial squeeze still threaten the markets stability, brokers say. Extensive financing on margin of stock purchases by brokers buying both for their own and the accounts of their clients helped maintain share prices at inflated levels until October. The market became nervous and began drifting lower after Pan-Electric shares were suspended from trading on November 19. It was ordered into receivership by a court on November 30 after the collapse of negotiations aimed at restructuring nearly US$199.7 million in bank debt. The steering committee blamed the breakdown of talks partly on Tan Koon Swan, widely recognized as the most politically powerful and economically influential Chinese in Malaysia. It is quite important to highlight the impact that the Pan-Electric collapse had on the financial system which caused the Singapore Stock Exchange to take such a drastic step as to suspend all stock trading for three days. The forward contracts that Pan-Electric Industries entered into implicated a whole food-chain of banks and brokers. On the other way, an Monetary Authorities of Singapore paper summarised that With forward trading, a whole chain of parties is linked via promises of sale and purchase to the same lot of stock, the line only ending with a purchaser which either wants to keep the stock, or that cannot find someone else to sell it to. If this last purchaser is unable to meet its obligations to pay for the stock when they fall due, a domino effect is created and defaults could occur down the chain. -Investors and stock broking firms. Many investors could not get back their principal money. On the same time, the stock broking firms had make losses. The Pan-Electric crisis can be broken down into two parts. First, there was a systemic threat to the survival of the whole stockbroking industry as the forward contracts the stockbroking firms were involved in came due without buyers, they were forced to settle these purchases, which in some cases amounted to the entire capitalisation of the company many times over. Second, there was a widespread loss of public confidence that followed the collapse of Pan-Electric and the financial troubles of many of the stockbroking firms; this evinced itself in plummeting prices on the Stock Exchange of Singapore. This was what happened during the Pan-Electric, given that the massive amount of forward contracts it had entered into, when Pan-Electric was unable to find a seller for these stocks, its liquidity position, already unstable, was plunged into insolvency. This in turn affected the numerous companies who had contracted to sell shares to Pan-Electric and who now had no buyer for these shares. In addition, stockbroking firms, which had acted as financiers in putting up the margins for forward contracts while the latter were in the process of being re-sold, found that their financial commitments far outweighed their net worth when the pool of buyers dried up. Brokers and bankers in both countries said a number of smaller companies caught in Pan-Electrics stock swap deals, might be forced to close if the banks do not bail them out. Pan-Electrics problems included forward purchases of stocks for US$64 million by some of its subsidiaries. The Singapore Stock Exchange is suspended trading in Pan-Electric and two of its related companies on November 19, and the stock index has since fallen by nearly 70 points to 691.81. The temporary closure does not mean the end of buying and selling. Traders can still come together in the gray market, which will be unsupervised. Besides, concern over Pan-Electrics problems spilled into Hong Kong, where stock prices fell sharply during that time, with the market index dropping 22 points to 1,694.57. Some stockbrokers said the prices were forced lower as Singapore interests sold shares in Hong Kong to raise cash. There is one European broker in Hong Kong said that the retreat was widespread as local and foreig n (investment) institutions joined the Singaporeans in selling today. In addition, a Singapore broker said that the whole affair has left us numb and almost every investor just wants to get out of the market. Other than that, these investors in the stock would have their individual hard-luck stories, all 5,500 of them who ended up with nothing, but the biggest loser in the fiasco was the man at the centre of the storm: Tan Koon Swan, a substantial shareholder of the company holding an indirect 30 percent stake, and the most well-known Chinese politician in Malaysia, as newly-elected President of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). Exercising tremendous influence over Pan-Electrics directors in the entering into of forward contracts that were to bring the company to dire straits in 1985, he was later found guilty off and jailed for attempting illegal funds transfers from various sources, including from Multi-Purpose Holdings, the commercial arm of the MCA, during the Pan-Electric crisis period in 1985 in his vain attempt to raise capital to rescue the company from insolvency. A witch-hunt always follows a debacle, that much is certain; and in this case it brought an end to both Tan Ko on Swans business and political careers. Most analysts agree that the system of forward contracts, in which shares are re-sold before their purchase has been settled, was the crux of the Pan-Electric crisis. With forward trading, a whole chain of parties is linked via promises of sale and purchase to the same lot of stock, the line only ending with a purchaser which either wants to keep the stock, or that cannot find someone else to sell it to. If this last purchaser is unable to meet its obligations to pay for the stock when they fall due, a domino effect is created and defaults could occur down the chain. Impact in Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange had stopped trading for three days. Due to the Pan-Electric crisis, the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange actually closed for a few days in the December 1985. The main reason is the failure of the large public company Pan-Electric Industries Limited. This crisis had brought a big crash on the economy of Malaysia. The property prices fell by over 30 percent. The combination of tight liquidity, low inflation, and a sharp decline in share and property prices exposed the financial over-commitments of many entrepreneurs. In addition, with the three-day suspension of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, and the subsequent collapse of the share prices where $10.8 billion shares value was wiped out on the resumption of trading because of Tan Koon Swans Pan Electric crisis scandal. Malaysian attention had been distracted from a radical departure from NACSE Endorsed Provider (NEP) guidelines. This is the government decision recently too arbitrarily, without nation or consultation, to raise the bumiputra quota for new shares issue from 30% to as high as over 70%. On the other way, there is a latest report from Singapore that four more Pan Electric Industries subsidiaries have been placed in the hands of receivers and managers highlight the gravity and complexity of the Pan Electric crisis, which had cause the three-day suspension of the Kuala Lumpur and Singapore stock exchanges, and wiping out $10.8 billion of the total shares value in Malaysia on the day Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange resumed trading. Political of Malaysia had been affected because chairman of Malaysia Chinese Association (MCA) involved in the crisis. During the year of 1985, Malaysia government plan to hold a general elections in end February or early March at that year, but it was sabotaged by the following scandal of the arrest in Singapore of Malaysia Chinese Association (MCA) President, Tan Koon Swan, on 15 charges on criminal breach of trust, cheating and fraud in connection with the Pan-Electric crisis, which closed down the stock market of two countries for three days and wiping out S$10.8 billion from the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. However, after a month of the Tan Koon Swan MCA leadership, it is clear that the MCA had never had such weak and unsuccessful new leadership in the MCA party history. MCA can never hope to have any effective voice in the government as long as the MCA leadership and in particular Tan Koon Swan is bogged down by the Pan Electric crisis. The Pan Electric scandal also has weakened the hand of MCA leadership that it dare not put pressure on the UMNO leadership on any issue, for it had to depend in the final analysis on the government to help bail out Tan Koon Swan, whether directly or indirectly by giving government blessings and encouragement to UNICO to salvage Tan Koon Swan. Furthermore, the Pan-Electric crisis not only weakens the MCA leadership but also the politic of Malaysia. The new MCA President, Tan Koon Swan has failed the Malaysian Chinese community for up till now, they have refused to let the people know the full story of the Pan Electric crisis. No wonder, the MCA leaders are unable to press for the publication of the Ahmad Nordin Inquiry Committee final report into the $2.5 billion BMF loans scandal in Hong Kong. The new MCA leadership should hold an emergency meeting to discuss the Pan Electric crisis, and how the MCA has been made more ineffective and impotent by Tan Koon Swans personal involvement in the Pan Electric crisis. Instead, the new MCA leaders seem to be more interested with building up their new political empires. Besides, the new MCA leaders are spending a lot of time and money renovating the MCA Headquarters, where every floor that is occupied by the MCA is being renovated, and the express could be as high as a million dollars. Other than that, if the MCA leaders, branches and members could not differentiate between charges involving corporate crimes, leading to a crisis which resulted in the three-day suspension of the Kuala Lumpur and Singapore stock exchanges and billions of dollars of shares losses by the invertors and politics, then it is a sad indication on the level, quality and standard of the new MCA. The MCA leaders, branches and members had been organising demonstrations throughout the country, stop the Singapore cars at the Johor causeway, threatening the economic boycott of Singapore goods and services and even threatening to out the water supply from Johor to Singapore. However, by making all these empty threats, those people are doing more harm than good. As they follow the MCA leaders, branches and members in such wild threats. It has also not escaped the attention of the Malaysian Chinese that on vital issues affecting the fundamental political, economic, educational, cultural, and religiou s rights of the people and future generations, the MCA leaders, branches and members are incapable of any demonstrations. At the same time, Tan Koon Swan had explain that the conflict with his explanation last December on his rescue of Pan Electric Industries. The $23 million controversial sum of Multi-Purpose is becoming more and more out of the ordinary. The explanation by Tan Koon Swan about the circumstances of the loss of the $23 million by MPH last November, conflict with his explanation last December on his attempts to save Pan Electric. Tan Koon Swan said yesterday that on 21st of November 1985, the MPH Board passed a resolution authorizing to the company to make a $23 million investment in Pan Electric. This is to relieve the MPH of its shipping company which was facing grave losses and authorized the sun to be disbursed on Tan Koon Swans instructions. But on 3rd December 1985, after the collapse of Pan Electric and the three-day closure of the stock exchanges of Malaysia and Singapore, Tan Koon Swan mid that he had been having sleepless nights for the past two weeks trying to come out with a financial package to help save Pan Electrics problems. This means that when the MPH Board met on 21st November 1985, Tan Koon Swan was already unable to sleep over Pan Electrics problems. Clearly, he could still sleep over MPHs problems. But how, we are to believe that even at that date, Tan Koon Swan was trying to save MPH from its shipping losses, rather than save Pan Electric. Pan Electric shareholders have expressed out their great shock at the latest revelations, for this was in total conflict with the picture that Tan Koon Swan had presented later, but Tan Koon Swan went to the rescue of Pan Electric without any personal interest. What is involved here is not just what exactly transpired in last November, as to whether Tan Koon Swan was trying to save Pan Electric or Multi-Purpose or merely himself, but the question of the credibility of the President, of MCA, which claims to represent five million Malaysian Chinese. The MCA central Executive Committee to publicly declare their agreement that a public inquiry be recognized into this matter, to determine the exact circumstances leading to the pay-out of $23 million of MPH funds into Pan Electirc, it resulting in a total loss. Tan Koon Swan should bear the full $23 million although he had explained that this decision was taken by the MPH with full knowledge of the circumstances of Pan Electric, then it is most unreasonable whether legally or morally. This should be the moral responsibility of every MPH to share in its losses, including the MPH chairman, Datuk Lee San Choon, and the MCA youth Leader and Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Kee Yong Wee, who was also a MPH Board Member for the full year in 1985. If the MPH Board are so heartless as to make Tan Koon Swan to bear responsibility for the $23 million, when it is public knowledge that Tan Koon Swan is hard-pressed for money and the MPH Board Members owe the people an explanation for thei r merciless conduct. After that, the press have reported that the balance of $5 million had not been paid, as the cheque was not presented for payment. At the end, Tan Koon Swan was responsible for tens of thousands of people using their hard-earned savings to buy MPH shares and were also prevailed not to sell by Tan Koon Swan who phoned up from London- or they would not have to face so great a lost where MPH shares is struggling between 35 to 40 cents a share. Not only that, there could be no heated discussion that Tan Koon Swans voice in the highest Barisan Nasional council is so weak that he had to try to rally Gerakan support, although it was none other than Gerakan President, Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, who predicted early of the month that the MCA would disintegrate into another major party feud within 30 days-showing utter lack of confidence and contempt in Tan Koon Swans leadership. After Keng Yaiks contemptuous statement, Lee San Chooh or even Neo Yee Pan would have pleaded for Gerakan support like Tan Koon Swan. UMNO leaders will never allow Tan Koon Swan to forget that if not for their intervention in the 22-month MCA crisis, Tan Koon Swan would have no chance in being elected as MCA President on November of 24.There is now circulating in the country the talk that over the Pan Electric affair, a top government and UMNO leader had intervened with the Singapore authorities on behalf of Tan Koon Swan. If this is true, then Tan Koon Swans voi ce and influence in the highest Barisan Nasional councils is even less than before. Malaysia Chinese Association (MCA). The Chairman of MCA Mr. Tan Koon Swan had been jailed due to this crisis. During the Pan-Electric crisis, Tan Koon Swan was charged in the district court with six counts of abetting criminal breach of trust that designed to dishonestly dispose of the equivalent of S$2.6 million worth of assets in the Pan-Electric group. Pan-Electric is involved in marine salvage, real estate, hotels and manufacturing. It has more or less 5,500 stockholders and 1,500 employees in 68 subsidiaries and affiliates in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brunei and the United States. A steering committee representing Pan-Electrics 38 creditor banks disbanded in the late January of 1986 after agreeing to orderly disposal of the companys assets. Later on, Tan Koon Swan has been arraigned with another nine new charges, bringing to a total fifteen charges which he had to stand trial in Singapore in connection with the Pan Electric crisis, covering the breach of trust offences, fraud and cheating. Tan Koon Swan was required to hand over another S$20 million for the additional charges, breaking his own world record when he had to post S$20 million for the first six charges-bringing a total of S$40 million bail. On 23rd of January 1986, As mention that Tan Koon Swan was charged with six counts of criminal breach of trust offences amounting to S$5.6 million, there was surprise and shock that such a sum of S$20 million bail was required. Similarly, a total of fifteen charges involving more than S$29 million were read out against Tan Koon Swan, there was also surprise and shock a total bail of S$40 million was required. But what is even more surprising and shocking is why Tan Koon Swans lawyers had not raised any objection to the gi gantic bail in both instances, whether the initial S$20 million bail was imposed, or yesterday, when a total of S$40 million bail was called for. At the end, Tan Koon Swan is being jailed for two years and fined S$500,000 due to the Pan-Electric crisis that had a huge impact to the stock exchange of the two countries which are Singapore and Malaysia.

Education: Banking or Problem Posing? Essay -- essays research papers

Education: Banking or Problem Posing? Richard Rodriguez and Paolo Freire write of education as the core factor in one’s life. They feel that education itself lends people to either â€Å"achieve† greatness or fall into the majority of â€Å"bankers.† â€Å"The Achievement of Desire† by Rodriguez and â€Å"The Banking Concept of Education† by Freire greatly resemble each other; however, they also differ on some points. Despite their differences, both texts come to the same conclusion – education makes a person who he/she can become. Rodriguez and Freire both state that education is vital for success. Rodriguez writes that he is the way he is because of his education. Rodriguez came from a working class Mexican family. When he was introduced to education, he became ashamed of this and chose to change his path from falling into the same social status. Rodriguez is known as he is today because of his ability to step back; out of the present situation or environment and reflect on it almost immediately. Rodriguez agrees that banking does nothing to better education or society itself. If no new ideas are ever surfaced, then progress will never occur. He was the same as everyone else until he started to analyze texts and paraphrase more than just summarize. This made him the â€Å"scholarship boy† that he was. By learning to use his education wisely and make connections between different texts, he heightened his intelligence. A key element that Rodriguez and Freire both speak of is banking education. Fre...

Poetry †Alliteration Essay

The first poem ‘Sonnet 130’ by William Shakespeare has a humorous view on the traditional ideas of beauty. The poem is a five duplet metre with the stressed sounds starting on the second word of each line. Each line has the same amount of stressed and unstressed patterns which is very common for sonnets to make it quick and easy to read. The five duplet pattern never mimics human speech in the way a four duplet pattern does. The end of each alternating line has a distinct rhyming pattern which goes on throughout the poem. There is also an assonance pattern with each of these words. The first line ‘My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun’ shows use of a simile the same as most of the last line ‘I think my love as rare as†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ More use of similes could have been made in the following lines. There is an example of weak alliteration in line eleven ‘I grant I never saw a goddess go’ There is a metaphor in line four when he talks about his mistress’ hair, saying they are ‘black wires’, this view today would be a completely different view from when the poem was written. In our modern time we think of electrical wires coming out of her head. Most of the poem gives negative connotations, the words ‘sun’, ‘red coral’, ‘perfume’ and ‘music’ provides beautiful images. The denotations are her eyes do not shine like the bright sun, her breath ‘reeks’ unlike the smell of perfume and her voice is not pleasant to hear unlike music. The second poem Philip Larkin’s ‘The Trees’ is a twelve line poem that seems to compare the life of a tree to human life. In each stanza the first and fourth line, the end word rhymes with one another along with the second and third last word also rhyming. There is a four duplet pattern with the stressed pattern on the second syllable of each line. Each of these words show a clear assonance pattern with the words ‘thresh’ and ‘afresh’ repeated three times, when spoken aloud almost sound like the wind rustling through the leaves of the tree.

Free Essays on Nixon

Richard Nixon’s Influence Upon Foreign Policy Foreign policy is the principle and activities that constitute the role of the United States in relation to the rest of the world. Foreign policy includes international matters, like participation in NATO, trade agreements, and maintaining peaceful relations with other countries. The primary goal of Foreign policy is National security because it holds the security of the United States, its citizens and their property. With Foreign policy the United States is able to keep international security and give economic aid to other countries. The head of Foreign policy is the President of the United States. The President has the power, granted by the Constitution, to be the commander in chief of all United States forces. He can enact treaties and meet with foreign leaders. Of our many presidents, Richard Milhous Nixon was considered to be an expert on Foreign policy. ( ) Nixon, our 37th president, was born in 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. He attended Duke University where he received a degree in Law. He served as a Congressman and Senator for his California district. Two years later in 1952, General Eisenhower chose Nixon, to be his running mate. As Vice President, Nixon took on major duties in the Eisenhower Administration. Much of his term was spent on trips abroad as a goodwill ambassador meeting with foreign leaders to discuss world problems, representing the President to Congress, and to help mend ties between opposing countries. He was also a target for anti-American protestors. One of Nixon’s most memorable trips was to the USSR, to help open a United States exhibition in Moscow. Escorted by Nixon, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was taken through a model of an American kitchen. While walking through the kitchen both men began to discuss the relative merits of the United States and systems of Communism. This discussion would later o n be noted as the â€Å"Kitchen Debate.† ( ) In t... Free Essays on Nixon Free Essays on Nixon Richard Nixon’s Influence Upon Foreign Policy Foreign policy is the principle and activities that constitute the role of the United States in relation to the rest of the world. Foreign policy includes international matters, like participation in NATO, trade agreements, and maintaining peaceful relations with other countries. The primary goal of Foreign policy is National security because it holds the security of the United States, its citizens and their property. With Foreign policy the United States is able to keep international security and give economic aid to other countries. The head of Foreign policy is the President of the United States. The President has the power, granted by the Constitution, to be the commander in chief of all United States forces. He can enact treaties and meet with foreign leaders. Of our many presidents, Richard Milhous Nixon was considered to be an expert on Foreign policy. ( ) Nixon, our 37th president, was born in 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. He attended Duke University where he received a degree in Law. He served as a Congressman and Senator for his California district. Two years later in 1952, General Eisenhower chose Nixon, to be his running mate. As Vice President, Nixon took on major duties in the Eisenhower Administration. Much of his term was spent on trips abroad as a goodwill ambassador meeting with foreign leaders to discuss world problems, representing the President to Congress, and to help mend ties between opposing countries. He was also a target for anti-American protestors. One of Nixon’s most memorable trips was to the USSR, to help open a United States exhibition in Moscow. Escorted by Nixon, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was taken through a model of an American kitchen. While walking through the kitchen both men began to discuss the relative merits of the United States and systems of Communism. This discussion would later o n be noted as the â€Å"Kitchen Debate.† ( ) In t...

Religion in schools essays

Religion in schools essays Religion in schools is generally supported by the public, yet declined by the government. Documents 1, 2, 4, and 5 support religion in schools. Document 1 displays the first amendement, which supports the freedom of speech and religion. Document 2 contradicts the government's support for religion, as shown in document 1. From the point of view of a representative, the document points out that the government banned religion from our schools, yet he argues that we are still taught all of the bad things. Document 4 represents the public's opinion. The poll results showed that more than three fourths of the public was in favor of religion in our schools. Document 5 comes from the point of view of a regular teenage part of the public. She thinks religion should be permitted any and everywhere. Document 3 does not support religion in schools. This document is a controversy. Two sides had opposing views. The view against religion in schools won. A transcript of the trial would be helpful in determining the exact views of the opposing parties. Document 6 is neither supportive, nor against religion in schools. It merely explains the misunderstandings of the controversy (of religion). Its not that you cant pray in school, you just cant do it publicly. Documents 1 and 3 actually prove the effects of the government. In document 1, the First Amendment allows the freedom of religion and speech. That should allow religion to be practiced anywhere and anytime. In document 3, though, the Supreme Court rules against the First Amendment, basically. That is the ruling that doesnt allow religion to be practiced in schools. Religion in schools is generally supported by the public, but declined by our government. The government should allow it to be practiced due to the First Amendment, but does not allow it due to the Santa Fe vs. Doe ruling in 2000. ...

Humanities ,,Judaism the Rise of Christianity,Roman Imperial Essay

Humanities ,,Judaism the Rise of Christianity,Roman Imperial Civilization and the Triumph of Christianity - Essay Example estant Reformation, the Jews were blamed by Christians for having killed Jesus and thus used that as a scapegoat when they failed to solve their issues (Lassner, 2000). Young Christians would often use the Hebrews’ exceptionality as an excuse to chase them from the streets accusing them of Christ’s death. The differences between the achievements of the Golden Age poets are as vital as the similarities. Vergil, a Roman poet perfected Latin verse like never before and became the model for both medieval and the contemporary European writers. On the other hand, Horace wrote several satires concerning modern Roman society, as an archetypical Latin classist popularly known for balanced and witty verses. The liveliest of the Roman writers was Ovid, who came up with poems that showed both revisionist mentality and satiric bent. In general, the three poets produced the most widely read, powerful, and lasting of Rome’s poets. Of these poets, Horace wrote more on the values of Roman civilization as he was keen on social and ethical values of the Romans. The orthodox religion had a big role to play in the Byzantine culture and religion. This religion operated closely with the worldly government to direct all aspects of life of Byzantines. It also meant independence of the Byzantines from the Rome and Roman Catholic Church, which was required as the Roman Empire, was divided leaving Byzantine Empire with new rulers (Badone, 1990). The Orthodox Church has anthropology different from the Catholic’s. This is for the reason that the Orthodox Church has no forensic view of the Original sin. What the Catholic Church would regard as â€Å"healthy Augustinianism† may not be right to the Orthodox authorities. However, the end of man and life after death is similar in the two

What is strategic-asset-seeking and does it help explain why Chinese Essay - 1

What is strategic-asset-seeking and does it help explain why Chinese business groups internationalise their operations - Essay Example Inward FDI also resulted in massive foreign exchange reserves, which was also a reason for Chinese companies to move overseas (Andersson and Wang, 2011). However, these push factors do not explain the true motives for the Chinese firms to internationalize. Earlier the theories of internationalization focused on the eclectic paradigm developed by Dunning and the Uppsala Model of internationalization. Firms then believed in new theories of trade such as market-seeking or resources-seeking motive (Liu and Buck, 2009) to internationalize. Today â€Å"going out† is the name that China calls its strategy of ODI (The Economist, 2012). The motivation to go out could range from market-seeking strategy to avoidance of country-of-origin effect (Salidjanova, 2011) and is not restricted to strategic-asset seeking motives. In short, China invests in any business where it serves China’s interest, according to Salidjanova (2011). Based on the theories of internationalization, this paper seeks to evaluate the motives for Chinese firms to move overseas. Chinese outward FDI (ODI) gained impetus in 2004 and by 2010 it ranked 5th among all economies in terms of outward FDI flows (UNCTAD, 2011). From 2004 to 2011 it grew from $5.5 billion a year to $65 billion a year and is expected to reach $150 billion by 2015 (The Economist, 2012). This significant jump in ODI is shown in the chart below. Initially the ODI from China was in neighbouring developing nations requiring limited resources (Liu and Buck, 2009). The pull factors that induced ODI from China were natural resource endowments and market potential (Biggeri and Sanfilippo, 2009). The largest ODIs came from Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) such as China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (SINOPEC) and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) (Andersson and Wang, 2011). An empirical study of