...Internationalisation of SMEs: Options, Incentives, Problems, And Business Strategy Mohd Khairuddin Hashim & Romle Hassan Faculty of Business Management University Utara Malaysia ABSTRACT Internationalisation presents firms with various opportunities to expand their business activities. The review of the small business literature however, indicates that as a field of study, internationalisation has not attracted much research attention, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Malaysian context. This study initiated an attempt to address this issue. More specifically, the study strived to explore the internationalisation options, incentives, problems, and business strategy among manufacturing SMEs. INTRODUCTION Globalisation offers various internationalisation opportunities to not only large enterprises, but also to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Internationalisation provides firms with opportunities to expand their sales, lower their costs, and improve their profits. Although internationalisation presents firms with tremendous opportunities, the complexities and challenges of international marketplace appear to restrict their interest and frustrate their efforts at internationalising (De Noble et.al, 1989; and Burpitt and Rondinelli, 2000). 1 In the case of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), they seemed to be slacking in the area of internationalisation. In spite of the fact that international markets can provide them...
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...readymade garments (RMG) industry of Bangladesh has witnessed remarkable growth since its inception in the late 1970s. Paradoxically, this flagship industry of Bangladeshi private entrepreneurial talent took roots through the first export consignment of shirts from Bangladesh made by the state-trading agency, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), in the mid-1970s under countertrade arrangements and the destination was some East European countries. Subsequently, however, private entrepreneurs entered the industry and phenomenal growth took place in RMG exports from Bangladesh. Export of RMG increased from US $40 thousand in 1978 –79 to US $6.4 billion in 2004-05. The industry has also provided employment to nearly 2 million workers, most of them women drawn from the rural areas. Explosive growth of RMG exports is of course not unique to Bangladesh. The annual compound growth rate of RMG export industries in Indonesia (31.2%), Mauritius (23.8%), and Dominican Republic (21.1%) compares favourably with that of Bangladesh 1 (81.3%) over the 1980-87 period . However, while initial conditions were favourable for export growth in the countries noted above, this was far from true in the case of Bangladesh. This makes research into the factors responsible for the observed striking growth of RMG exports from Bangladesh a compelling case study in economic 2 development . Academics and researches have generally attributed the remarkable growth of RMG exports from Bangladesh to favourable...
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...the law generally and will move on to look at the role of science generally. Thereon selected global treaties will be discussed in relation to their respective roles both at law and science. Lastly but not the least an elaborate conclusion will be given. Definition of Key Terms Environment: Environment refers to the totality of the surroundings within which humans live and exploit resources for their welfare and development. Main Body In order to effectively challenge problems that pose a threat to the earth, there is need for an effective approach which is backed by robust scientific evidence. This would ultimately usher into place a new and more powerful environmental law. In order to appreciate the relationship between the law and science, there is need for understanding of their respective roles towards the achievement of a more sustainable future. The Role of the Law The law has a fundamental role to play in the movement of protecting the environment towards a more sustainable future. In most jurisdictions in the absence of constitutional provisions and legislative enactments to promote the concept of sustainable development, the burden rests on the courts through judicial activism to rise to the challenge of ensuring that development is pursued in such a way that it meets the needs of the present generation without jeopardizing the needs of future generations. The Rio Declaration affirms the importance of law, which...
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...MONEY & BANKS …. THE HIDDEN TRUTH BEHIND GLOBAL DEBT . 1) What is money... how is it created and who creates it? 2) Why is almost everyone up to their eyeballs in debt... individuals, businesses and whole nations? 3) Why can’t we provide for our daily needs - homes, furnishings cars etc. without borrowing? 4) How much could prices fall and wages increase if businesses did not have to pay huge sums in interest payments which have to be added to the cost of goods and services they supply...? 5) How much could taxes be reduced and spending on public services such as health and education be increased if governments created money themselves instead of borrowing it at interest from private banks…? "If you want to be the slaves of banks and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let the banks create money…" Josiah Stamp, Governor of the Bank of England 1920. WHAT IS MONEY....? It is simply the medium we use to exchange goods and services. * Without it, buying and selling would be impossible except by direct exchange. * Notes and coins are virtually worthless in their own right. They take on value as money because we all accept them when we buy and sell. * To keep trade and economic activity going, there has to be enough of this medium of exchange called money in existence to allow it all to take place. * When there is plenty, the economy booms. When there is a shortage, there is a slump. * In the Great Depression, people wanted to work, they wanted...
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...Human Resource Management Strategy Executive summary Developing and implementing a soundly based strategy for human resource management is a specific area for improvement in the Federation of the Future’s section outlining the Framework for Action. The Federation Human Resources (HR) Strategy was approved in April 2005 and actions to deliver it commenced in June of that year. The support of Department for International Development (DfID) during the years 2007 and 2008 has been fundamental in facilitating the achievement of major elements of the strategy. For the years 2009 and 2010, whilst the key themes of the human resources strategy remain in place, the focus of action shifts to building on achievements to date to cement them into the regular operating practices of the Federation. This is particularly the case in the seven zone offices that sit at the heart of the new operating model. In the context of the 2008 to 2010 strategy, and like the years 2007 and 2008, additional financial resources will be required to support key strategic interventions that will enable the HR department to implement and then operationalise major changes that can be absorbed into the regular operating budget of the department. The Federation can only move forward on HR initiatives by building consensus amongst leaders and the HR community on priorities and approaches. Through a target audience of HR professionals in the Secretariat and National Societies, the programme above will facilitate better...
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...particularly improved techniques in hydraulic fracturing, has kept prices for natural gas extremely low while crude oil prices have fluctuated and changed over time. One reason for this is the different nature of exportation in the two hydrocarbons. As will be discussed below, the transportation and exporting of natural gas is much different than for crude oil. Natural gas must undergo a liquefaction process in order to travel by specialized cargo ship, the alternative to a pipeline, which adds substantial costs to the activity. There are currently no operational natural gas export terminals in the lower 48 states, but a few are under construction. The large sunk costs will be a large part of our consideration of the exportation of natural gas. The U.S. has traditionally been a net importer of gas, and considering the high upfront costs of building export terminals, the sale of American gas has been isolated almost exclusively to the domestic market. The only exception to this has been to export natural gas only where existing pipelines can carry it, which has limited foreign export to North America. Despite this historical trend, calls for the US to begin exporting natural gas have been growing louder as the potential to seek higher priced natural gas markets become more attractive. This paper will explore liquid natural gas (LNG) export terminals and their prospects in the United States, analyze current legislation and regulation surrounding exportation, identify potential...
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...Hannah Hewes February 27, 2014 Professor Helmke Business Public Policy Endangered Species Act Extinctions have occurred throughout our planet's natural history. Some species develop as others die out, making space in the ecosystem for those best suited to any given habitat's natural conditions. Long before human beings arrived, fossil records show that populations of animals evolved, thrived, declined, and became extinct. However, the rate of extinctions in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries drastically increased to an estimated 100 to 1,000 times the normal expected rate of extinction. The majority of these accelerated extinctions can be directly traced to mankind's impact upon the natural environment in the form of hunting, fishing, agriculture, development, pollution, habitat encroachment, disease, and global climate change. Due to the increasing number of endangered species, as well as, species becoming extinct, the United States Congress decided to take action. Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1966, providing a means for listing native animal species as endangered and giving them limited protection. The Departments of Interior, Agriculture, and Defense were to seek to protect listed species, and, insofar as consistent with their primary purposes, preserve the habitats of such species. The Act also authorized the Service to acquire land as habitat for endangered species. In 1969, Congress amended the Act to provide additional...
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...Hashim-Ali Research Paper The Effect of Gun Control in the United States With gun violence being so difficult to understand, what can be the overall solution? The issue with gun violence in America is one of the most highly debated topics of all time. A variety of government regulations such as background checks, and firearm restrictions left many wondering whether or not the laws of the government are in the best interest of the people. Although this topic is very controversial, there is a high supply of guns flowing in and out of America and a solution to the increase of gun violence is very much needed. These new laws not only affect people who oppose firearms, but it can especially hurt the people who rely on it for protection. Gun violence isn’t an issue that can be easily eradicated however, by informing people of new ideas and options pertaining to guns, America will realize that it can prevent many of these violent events from actually happening. With that being said many people are thinking more radical and some even blame certain mass shootings on mental illness, which in some cases may be true however, its often a cop out to receive a reduced sentence. Although many countries have implemented strict gun control laws, they have proven to not be as effective as lawmakers thought they would be in reducing crime. According to an article, “there is some common ground in the gun-control debate; many on both sides agree that there is a clear distinction between those...
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...Industry Jianhan Zhao Shanghai University of Finance&Economics, Finance Engineering Shanghai, 200433, China E-mail: dorazhaojh@hotmail.com Lei Gao Liaoning Shihua University, School of Mechanical Engineering Abstract Chinese market has a great demand for foreign cars, and a great many foreign automobile companies are competing for their market shares here. The most representative ones are Volkswagen and Honda, they adoped different market strategies and they both suffered some success and failures With so many competitions, the future of Chinese automobile industry is hard to predict. Keywords: Market structure, Industry structure, External challenges, Three joys, Source and supply chain 1. History background After the reform and open policy, China’s economy has been increased rapidly, and there was a great demand for cars. But the domestic automobile industry was not that developed at that time and could not meet with such a great demand. So in the 1980s, Chinese automobile industry started to join hands with the foreign companies and improve the technology. Among all the foreign companies, the most typical and successful ones are Volkswagen and Honda. The Volkswagen Company started to enter the Chinese market in 1984 with production base in Shanghai. It is one of the earliest manufactures set up business in China. And it set up another joint venture in Changchun in 1990. Until today , the company owns 14 enterprises in the whole mainland of China. The Honda...
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...Google SketchUp THE MISSING MANUAL The book that should have been in the box® Google SketchUp THE MISSING MANUAL ® Chris Grover Beijing • Cambridge • Farnham • Köln • Sebastopol • Taipei • Tokyo Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual by Chris Grover Copyright © 2009 O’Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Published by O’Reilly Media, Inc., 1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472. O’Reilly books may be purchased for educational, business, or sales promotional use. Online editions are also available for most titles (safari.oreilly.com). For more information, contact our corporate/institutional sales department: (800) 998-9938 or corporate@oreilly.com. Printing History: May 2009: First Edition. Nutshell Handbook, the Nutshell Handbook logo, the O’Reilly logo, and “The book that should have been in the box” are registered trademarks of O’Reilly Media, Inc. Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual, The Missing Manual logo, Pogue Press, and the Pogue Press logo are trademarks of O’Reilly Media, Inc. Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and O’Reilly Media, Inc. was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions...
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...aaa, A. Socio-Cultural Geography- Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates. Apart from being a city, it also forms one of the seven emirates of the country. It is roughly at sea level (16 m or 52 ft above). The emirate of Dubai shares borders with Abu Dhabi in the south, Sharjah in the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman in the southeast. Hatta, a minor exclave of the emirate, is surrounded on three sides by Oman and by the emirates of Ajman (in the west) and Ras Al Khaimah (in the north). The Persian Gulf borders the western coast of the emirate. Dubai is positioned at 25.2697°N 55.3095°E and covers an area of 4,114 km² (1,588 mi²), which represents a significant expansion beyond its initial 1,500 mi² designation due to land reclamation from the sea. Dubai lies directly within the Arabian Desert. However, the topography of Dubai is significantly different from that of the southern portion of the UAE in that much of Dubai's landscape is highlighted by sandy desert patterns, while gravel deserts dominate much of the southern region of the country.[1] The sand consists mostly of crushed shell and coral and is fine, clean and white. East of the city, the salt-crusted coastal plains, known as sabkha, give way to a north-south running line of dunes. Farther east, the dunes grow larger and are tinged red with iron oxide. The flat sandy desert gives way to the Western Hajar Mountains, which run alongside Dubai's border with Oman at Hatta. Dubai has no...
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...Economic Study on Textile Industry A REPORT on Indian Textile Industry Indian Textile Industry The textile industry is the largest industry of modern India. It accounts for over 20 percent of industrial production and is closely linked with the agricultural and rural economy. It is the single largest employer in the industrial sector employing about 38 million people. If employment in allied sectors likes ginning, agriculture, pressing, cotton trade, jute, etc. are added then the total employment is estimated at 93 million. The net foreign exchange earnings in this sector are one of the highest and, together with carpet and handicrafts, account for over 37 percent of total export earnings at over US $ 10 billion. Textiles, alone, account for about 25 percent of India’s total forex earnings. India’s textile industry since its beginning continues to be predominantly cotton based with about 65 percent of fabric consumption in the country being accounted for by cotton. The industry is highly localized in Ahmedabad and Bombay in the western part of the country though other centers exist including Kanpur, Calcutta, Indore, Coimbatore, and Sholapur. The structure of the textile industry is extremely complex with the modern, sophisticated and highly mechanized mill sector on the one hand and the hand spinning and hand weaving (handloom) sector on the other. Between the two falls the small-scale...
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...Fact Finding and Risk Assessment Sustainability Aspects in the Vietnamese Cashew Sector Prepared for Kraft Foods Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG Langemarckstr. 4-20, 28199 Bremen, Germany Prepared by [pic] Representative Office Asia Pacific 5 Ong Ich Khiem. Hanoi, Ba Dinh, SR Viet Nam June 2005 Table of Content 1. Introduction 1 2. Cashew in General and in Vietnam 1 2.1 General Agronomy 1 2.2 Sector organisation 2 2.3 Production 3 2.4 Products and processing 5 2.5 The Supply Chain 8 2.6 Trade and export 11 2.7 Internal consumption 11 3. Vietnams integration into the International Cashew Market 12 3.1 International Cashew trade 12 3.2 Supply 13 3.3 Demand 14 3.4 Pricing 15 4. Sustainability issues in the Vietnamese Cashew sector 17 4.1 Environmental sustainability 17 4.1.1 Forest Resources 17 4.1.2 Soil and Water 17 4.1.3 Fertiliser and Pesticides 17 4.1.4 Solid Waste, Waste Water and Air Emissions 18 4.1.5 Energy Efficiency 18 4.2 Social sustainability 18 4.2.1 Labour and wages 18 4.2.2 Children 19 4.2.3 Gender 19 4.2.4 Working conditions and wages 19 4.3 Economic sustainability 20 4.3.1 Supply Chain Equitability 20 4.3.2 Value adding 20 5. Towards a cashew and sustainability PPP project 20 5.1 Possibilities for an export orientated project intervention 20 5.2 Possibilities for a local market orientated project...
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...ECONOMICS WORLD TRADE AND ENVIORNMENT ISSUES AND POLICIES SEPTEMBER 2015 BY VIDUR KANODIA HR COLLEGE OF COMMERCE AND ECONOMICS MCOM – I DIVISION – M ROLL NUMBER – 28 Objective This paper provides an overview of trade, environmental, and related public issues and policies. It discusses the pollution problem, the recent global warming trend, the attempts of world’s various levels of institutions such as the UN, the WTO, regional, national, and other organizations to solve the global trade and environmental issues. It also discusses a number of basic theoretical issues and empirical findings such as the free-rider problem, tragedy of the commons, theory of second best, relative efficacy of price and quantity control, carbon leakage, border carbon adjustments, cap-and-trade system, pollution haven hypothesis, optimal social discount rate and the environmental Kuznets curve. Some computable general equilibrium models are reviewed and several notable WTO environmental and health-related trade dispute cases are analyzed, including the tuna-dolphin, shrimp-turtle, eco-labeling, beef- hormone, and GMOs cases. Introduction Trade liberalization can have substantial ramifications for the global environmental policy regime. Lowering trade barriers and opening new markets can boost economic growth and development, which may help or harm the environment. On the one hand, growth and development tend to increase resource and energy demands, degrade natural resources, and bring forth...
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...Creating Multiprocessor Nios II Systems Tutorial Creating Multiprocessor Nios II Systems Tutorial 101 Innovation Drive San Jose, CA 95134 www.altera.com TU-N2033005-2.0 Document last updated for Altera Complete Design Suite version: Document publication date: 11.0 June 2011 Subscribe © 2011 Altera Corporation. All rights reserved. ALTERA, ARRIA, CYCLONE, HARDCOPY, MAX, MEGACORE, NIOS, QUARTUS and STRATIX are Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. and/or trademarks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective holders as described at www.altera.com/common/legal.html. Altera warrants performance of its semiconductor products to current specifications in accordance with Altera’s standard warranty, but reserves the right to make changes to any products and services at any time without notice. Altera assumes no responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any information, product, or service described herein except as expressly agreed to in writing by Altera. Altera customers are advised to obtain the latest version of device specifications before relying on any published information and before placing orders for products or services. Creating Multiprocessor Nios II Systems Tutorial June 2011 Altera Corporation Contents Chapter 1. Creating Multiprocessor Nios II Systems Introduction to Nios II Multiprocessor Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
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