Question Paper Essays

Question Paper Essays Question Paper Essay Question Paper Essay CASE STUDY : 3 International Case : The Restructuring of Daimler-Benz In a 1996 address to stockholders and friends of Daimler-Benz, CEO Jurgen Schrempp reviewed the position of the diversified company. He started by saying 1995 was a dramatic year in the history of Daimler-Benz. It was also a year that the board of management made a major break with the past. Daimler-Benz, with more than 300,000 employees worldwide, consisted of four major groups: The first, by far the biggest and most successful group, was Mercedes-Benz with about 200,000 employees. It is best known for its passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The second was the AEG Daimler-Benz industries in the business of rail systems, microelectronics, heavy diesel engines, energy systems technology, and automation. The third was the Aerospace Group in the business of aircraft (the company has a more than one-third interest in the Airbus consortium), space systems, defense and civil systems, and propulsion systems. Finally, there was the Inter Services Group consisting of systemshaus, financial services, insurance brokerage, trading, marketing services, mobile communications services, and real estate management. Daimler-Benz went through various development phases. From 1985 to 1990, it diversified into aerospace and electrical engineering. The aim was to become an integrated high-tech group. This diversification was further consolidated in the next phase that extended from 1990 to 1995. Under the leadership of Schrempp, the core business was redefined and the strategy refocused. A 1995-96 portfolio review showed the need for refocusing on what the company could do best. Top management reevaluated its strategies and its core businesses based on economic criteria and the strategic fit of the various activities. It became clear that the companys strengths were in car manufacturing, the truck business, and the railroad sector. Mercedes Benz, for example, had a strong competitive position with its cars and trucks in Europe, North America, and Latin America. Vans were also relatively strong in Europe, and buses had a good competitive position in Latin America. Based on this analysis, the strategies for potential growth were through globalization and the development of new product segments. In 1996, top management reassessed the companys position and its 1995 unsatisfactory results from its operations. It was discovered that the company was exposed to currency fluctuations that affected profitability. The companys image was also blurred because of the ventures into many different kinds of industries. The management board decided to cut its losses and chart a new direction for the company, with greater emphasis on profitability. The organization structure was tightened and certain businesses were divested. In fact, policy decision from an earlier period were reversed. The unprofitable AEG Group and the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker did not receive financial support. Since both the Dutch government and Daimler-Benz withdrew support, Fokker filed for bankruptcy. Although these and other drastic decisions helped reduce the 1995 financial losses, the companys goal was not to emphasize maximizing short-term profitability but to work toward medium- and long-term profitability. A number of other managerial decisions were made to achieve the ambitious goals of reducing costs and improving profitability. Employees close to the operations were empowered to make decisions necessary to carry out their tasks. The organization structure was simplified and decentralized so that organizational units could respond faster to environmental changes. Moreover, the new organization structure was designed to promote an entrepreneurial spirit. Control was exercised through a goal-driven, performance-based reward system. At the same time, the new structure was designed to promote cooperation. In 1997, the board of management restructured and integrated the Mercedes-Benz Group into Daimler-Benz. Consequently, Mercedes-Benzs chief, Helmut Werner, who had been given credit for a successful model policy, resigned from the company. Questions: 1) What is your assessment of Daimler-Benzs operations in many different fields? 2) Should the various groups operate autonomously? What kinds of activities should be centralized? 3) Daimler-Benz is best known for its Mercedes-Benz cars. Why do you think Daimler bought AEG in the first place and why did it venture into the Aerospace and Inter Services businesses? 4) Given the apparent mistakes in acquiring non-automotive businesses, what should Jurgen Schrempp do now?

The Best Jobs For Antisocial People

The Best Jobs For Antisocial People So you hate people, and you’d rather not interact with them all day every day. Like at most jobs, right? Well, you’re in luck. You can still be a functioning member of society, hold down a proper career, be successful- all without having to spend too much time in the company of others. So stop beating yourself up for not being a â€Å"people person.† Here are 10  of the best jobs for introverts, misanthropes, awkward people, and the antisocial among us who would prefer to do our work on our own, thank you very much.1. EconomicsSpend your work time conducting research, analyzing data, and formulating economic plans. Most of this requires you to be hunched over your computer in fierce concentration. No conversation necessary.2. PotteryIf you have any talent for pottery, you can retreat to your studio, wheel, and kiln, and then make money off your wares. You could even get someone else to sell them, or set up a shop online.3. Watch RepairIt’s just you and t he cogs. Hide out in some back workroom fixing and cleaning and adjusting watches for a living.4. Agricultural Equipment OperatorA big farm machine, the open field and sky, and no conversation required- it’s too loud to hear anyone talking anyway, even yourself. Plus, it’s vital work that feeds the world.5. Animal CareLike animals more than people? Spend your workweek taking care of them in a shelter, pet store, or veterinary office. It doesn’t pay terribly well, but it’s bliss.6. ArchivistHole up in a solitary corner of a museum or auction house and catalogue or restore items of immense value to a few scholars. You’ll spend your days in silence and make a decent salary.7. Court ReporterYou’ll be in the middle of the action, but you’re a mere fly on the wall; you won’t have to interact with anyone. Just sit there and let your mind wander and your fingers fly.8. Social Media ManagerIt may seem ironic that you can conduct immense ly social marketing business from a little cubicle somewhere and never have to speak to anyone. But it’s true! You’ll have to spend a lot of time online, just by virtue of the position, and you’ll hardly have much time in your workday to be, you know, actually social.9. Tax Accountant/Actuarial AccountantYour contact with clients will be infrequent. You’ll spend most of your day analyzing numbers, dealing with data, and researching. And there are subspecialties in the field that will carry you even further from daily human interaction.10. Transportation Equipment PaintersYou probably didn’t even know this was a job. But surfaces of transportation equipment like buses, trucks, trains, boats, planes, etc. all require painting. So put on your haz-mat suit and enjoy the sound of your own thoughts.

The Circular Flow Model Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Circular Flow Model - Research Paper Example The role of the household and the private firms differ based on the type of market. The factor market involves buying and selling production factors. The factors of production depend on the market since it decides the disbursement of the income. Each of the components is related to the other component of the circular flow model. The product market mainly deals with the process of buying and selling of the goods and commodities. The households are the major buyers of the product market and this improves the flow of goods and the exchange of money and goods. This, in turn, improves the interaction among the firms, the market, and the households.The interaction between these components is strengthened by the role played by the government and the financial institutions. The government has a direct communication and relationship with the firms and the households. Among the various roles played by the government in the circular flow model, the major operations include tax collection, resource allocation, and supply of goods and services. The first and foremost process is the tax collection. The firms and the households are intended to pay a certain amount to the government. This amount is known as the tax and this is calculated based on their income and the expenditure. The tax forms the major portion of the government’s revenue with which the government manages the payments to the households and firms. The government, in turn, provides the goods and services to the households and firms. This is a two-way process in which the necessary monetary help is rendered by the government. Another important task of the government is to provide the local and state governments with the required resources. The local, state and the federal government depend on the government to accomplish their tasks. The role played by the rest of the world in the market is also equally important. Though the government forms an integral part of the circular flow model, the remaining part relies on other factors. The market situation and condition also decides the flow of money and goods and services.

Discourse on Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discourse on Method - Essay Example In his work, Descartes argues that Science is not the only way of dealing with difficulties in the society. He indicates that Science is full of flaws and that human beings should not confine themselves in the practicality of scientific experiments. In this context, therefore, he indicates that, the human soul is the origin of truth, as it allows human beings go through a process of soul and self searching, in an endeavor to come up with answers to questions of nature. To prove this point, in part four, he gives an example of the incapability of Mathematics to distinguish the truth from fallacy. This is an interpretation of the fact that, Science does not encompass all aspects of problem solving skills and that human soul allows an individual go through a process of soul search; thus, allow an examination of facts from a first hand experience on the organs and they determine the existence of beings. For one to get answers regarding nature, they must have one on one experience with th e attributes and not just by creating formulae and theorems to explain the facts. He gives an example of feeling the heat through the fingers to the blood; thus, ascribe meanings to the same. In part 4, (pp.54) he indicates that, in the case that the human did not have a body, and the physical world did not exist, the existence of the soul is an explanation of existence in the world. The body is distinct from the soul and each exists on their own. This is an evidence of Descartes; part 6 is concurrent with the works of part 4 and 5. Just like in part 6, Descartes’ thoughts concur with those of part 4. He argues for, and proves the subsistence of the soul as well as God. This can be evidenced from his argument that the senses are unreliable from the nature of dreams. From this example, Descartes aims at proving his existence, and that he thinks that he exists. An analysis of facts leads to Descartes thinking and belief that the soul and the body are separate and the senses in the human body are not beneficial in coming up with the exact aspect of issues in the environment. From his thoughts, Descartes goes to an extent of doubting that he exists and that perfection is way beyond unreachable. He insists that perfection is only possible in God, and attests to the fact all things form Him and that He is the only one who has answers to the seemingly extremely difficult concepts to understand. From part 5, the thoughts of part 6 seeds of truth have a great correlation. Descartes explains human anatomy being almost perfect yet their ability to reason has a lot of flaws. Human beings, for instance, are rational beings whose soul, in his argument, must be alienated from the body. The human soul is way beyond death, and must not diminish with the fatality of the body of the human. This is an interpretation of the immortality of the human soul. In search for truth, Descartes argues that, aspects of fame and fortune may not be beneficial. Descartes’ pursuit prone to error Descartes confirms to the fact that all forms of undertakings are prone to errors. In his work, Descartes (pp.51) indicates that, in the quest to search for truth, human beings tend to relay on their senses to have an understanding of the facts that are around them. In this context, therefore, he

Risk Management Essay Example for Free

Risk Management Essay This is a report from a member of the finance, audit and risk management (FARM) Committee. I am currently the assistant manager of the flagship store in Queen Street, Brisbane, and have been given the opportunity to manage the new store in Toowoomba. There are some information about the risk manage of the new store. a. Scope: MacVille recognizes that risk management is an essential component of good management practice and is committed to ensuring the implementation of risk management processes that focus on the proactive management of risks across the organization. MacVille is committed to achieving its vision, business objectives and quality objectives by the proactive management of risk at all levels of the organization. b. Goals: MacVille aims to deliver our valued customers the very best cafe-going experience. In three years, the business will have established a presence across the Queensland and NSW, with the opening of additional cafes. c. Analysis: to thoroughly identify risks, we must examine the external environment surrounding an organization. This includes the political, economic, social, legal, and technological factors affecting the business. d. Research: As part of their overall strategy in the Australian beverage market, MacVille Pty Ltd have developed a chain of cafes in the Central Business District (CBD) of Brisbane, Queensland and the CBD of Sydney, NSW. The board of directors has made the decision to expand their operations in Queensland with the purchase and re-branding of the existing Hurley’s cafe in Toowoomba, 130km west of Brisbane. e. Describe: By way of background, MacVille has agreed to employ all existing staff on three months probation. The current supervisor James Mansfield, has been offered the position of 2nd in charge and he has accepted. While settlement on the purchase of the business is not for another few weeks, the seller has agreed to grant us full access to the store’s operational processes and store information. I will liaise weekly with the Finance, Audit and Risk Management (FARM) Committee here at head office concerning the marketing, finance and store management functions that you are investigating. I will set up a regular meeting for you. Head office has a report on a similar expansion conducted by the NSW team and I hope you may help me in my research. You may need to review other statistical information and engage specialists to help you with your investigation. The legal firm Goldsmith  Partners are advising MacVille on the Hurley cafe acquisition and would be available to help you with legal or any compliance issues. The landlord of the shop in Toowoomba, Ron Langford, is also a local councillor and has offered his assistance in getting established in Toowoomba. He has offered his email address for correspondence.

Eulogy for Mother :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Mother There is an old Yiddish proverb, when the heart is full, the eyes overflow. And so it is the case when we try to sum up and honor my mother’s life. My mother was a difficult, unusual and complex woman. She loved her daughters, Barbara, Wendy and myself, her sons-in law, Marty, John and David, her grandchildren Kenny, Cory and her stepgrandchildren, Mandy and Taryn, But if she loved her children, she absolutely adored her husband, my father. My Father was the truly abiding center and great passion of my mother’s life, as she was his, and knowing that they were coming up on their sixtieth anniversary only just barely gives you a glimpse at the strength of their love. My mother was not big on verbal or physical expressions of her love, but rather she showed us with her actions. And she often used food as a way of showing her love. She was a very good cook at many foods but she was an extraordinary cook when it came to particular dishes. Like her spaghetti sauce. Most of you here might have met my mother after she retired from spaghetti sauce making, but she used to cook sauce for three days in a 20 quart army pot. Then she would freeze it into quart containers for her children and her own use. Whenever we came to visit her, we would go home on the plane with a shopping bag filled with frozen containers. We felt sorry for those who were not so fortunate as to have the spaghetti sauce queen for a mother. Her Jello pie was famous in our household- whenever we came down we could always count on one there. God have mercy on us when all three of us were there with only one jello pie. And my Aunt Harriet, my mother’s sister, who loved my mother very much, was never jealous in spite of the fact that my mother could so deftly make this pie, while my Aunt’s could never stay put. My Aunt understood my mother’s talents. Years ago, when I was 16 I got mono. It was a whole thing. My sister came over, I was taken by ambulance to the hospital and when they brought me home, I didn’t seem to have an appetite. During the nights of fever she would come in to my bedroom, change the sweat soaked sheets, and put me back to bed.

How Much Land Does a Man Need Essay

The main character of â€Å"How Much Land Does A man Need?† is a clear example of an insatiable desire for possessions and wealth which at the end destroys the person. Pahom was living a life â€Å"free from anxiety† as his wife said and â€Å"without time to let any nonsense settle in his head† according to Pahom’s words. As the story develops it reveals Pahom’s real problem was inside him because he was never content or please with the land and the possessions he had. At the beginning of the story, Pahom was a peasant without land of his own, working daily to support his family and thinking â€Å"Our only trouble is that we haven’t land enough. If I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the devil himself†; when in reality the avarice within Pahom lied dormant and he was not aware that his desire to obtain â€Å"plenty of land† will inevitably awaken the monster inside him that could never be satisfied. The first time Pahom had a land of his own was a farm of forty acres. â€Å"So he became a landowner, plowing and sowing his own land, making hay on his own land, cutting his own trees, and feeding the cattle of his own pasture. When he went out to plough the fields, or to look at his growing corn, or at his grass meadows, his heart would fill with joy†. This farm seemed to him unlike any other land, fulfilling his dreams until he heard the story of a better place where he will be able to have more land of his own. At this moment the greed in him began to blind Pahom to the simplicity of his life and to be grateful and fulfilled for what he had. The second farm he acquired had 125 acres and Pahom, â€Å"had three times as much as at his former home, and the land was good corn land. He was ten times better off than he had been. He had plenty of arable land and pasturage, and could keep as many head of cattle as he liked.† Obviously greed does not have limits and it is a part of our human nature some posses a greater level of greed than others but nevertheless greed holds no boundaries and the word plenty has no meaning at all. I wonder what Pahom’s wife was thinking now because in the conversation she has with her sisters, she was more concerned with the temptations of the surrounding towns but did not consider the avarice lying inside her husband that once, fed leads to ruin. Pahom had it all but Pahom was not happy, he was not content, he was not satisfied with the land he had. His greed lead him in to a path of destruction that is best described by the dream he had the night before his death. â€Å"He thought he was lying in that same tent, and heard somebody chuckling outside. He wondered who it could be, and rose and went out, and he saw the the Bashkir Chief sitting in front of the tent holding his side and rolling about with laughter. Going nearer to the Chief, Pahom asked: â€Å"What are you laughing at?† But he saw that it was no longer the Chief, but the dealer who had recently stopped at his house and had told him about the land. Just as Pahom was going to ask, â€Å"Have you been here long?† he saw that it was not the dealer, but the peasant who had come up from the Volga, long ago, to Pahom’s old home. Then he saw that it was not the peasant either, but the Devil himself with hoofs and horns, sitting there and chuckling, and before him lay a man barefoot, prostrate on the ground, with only trousers and a shirt on. And Pahom dreamed that he looked more attentively to see what sort of a man it was lying there, and he saw that the man was dead, and that it was himself! He awoke horror struck.† Pahom never had enough land, he always needed more to feed the insatiable greed that controlled his life. The following excerpt from the poem Who Am I? written by Dietrich Bonheoffer describes better the condition of Pahom’s struggle: â€Å"Who Am I? This or the other? Am I one person today and tomorrow another? Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others, And before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling? Or is something within me still like a beaten army? Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved? Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am Thine.† Time after time Pahom was not able to enjoy the fruit of his hard work as a result of the avarice consuming him. As the proverb says: † A greedy man hasten after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him† Proverbs 28:22 Pahom died seeking more and more land of his own and at the end â€Å"his servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Pahom to lie in, and buried him in it. Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed†.