...The conflict between commercialization and socio-cultural deterioration : “Gamperaliya”, “Kaliyugaya” and “Yuganthaya” by Martin Wickramasinghe The noble trilogy of the Sinhalese literature “Gamperaliya”, “Kaliyugaya” and “Yuganthaya” by Martin Wickramasinghe, is an eminent manifestation of a real time conflict, which divulges socio-economic transformations from 18th to 19th century, during contemporary Sri Lanka. Therefore it’s needless to say that these three legendary fictions, prima facie, visualize the sequential impacts of alienation of commercialization in to the conservative social system of Sri Lanka. I would say the trilogy is, much more of commercial substance rather than for its literal importance. Nevertheless for ages, there has been a question whether the writer in his books is, merely insisting commercialisation as a big disaster, which utterly destructed the spectacular socio cultural system inherited to Sri Lankans. Through, reading between the lines one could clearly say that, he was not at all assaulting commercialization, but the snobbish affectation of the society, sculptured through westernization, who took wrong the purpose of commercialization. (Sarathchandra,E. 1997) Therefore my discussion intend to stress, commercialization is not the key of destruction but the key of success for a nation’s development. My theory is built upon two facts that question the validity of the arguments of ancient critics like Piyadasa Sirisena, who plainly renege economic...
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...Faculty of Business Studies Module: Presentation and Communication Skills Examiner: Dipl. Ök. Marina Alvares-Wegner The BRIC countries Leslie Authier Matr. No.: 7007017 E-Mail: leslieauthier@orange.fr Diana Carolina Ramirez R. Matr. No.: 7004479 E-Mail: dianacarolina_puebla@yahoo.de Maya Höpfner Matr. No.: 7003768 E-Mail: maya.hoepfner@googlemail.com Table of content 1 Introduction...................................................................................................... 2 2 The Federative Republic of Brazil .................................................................... 3 2.1 General information on the Federative Republic of Brazil....................... 3 2.2 Brazil’s connection with the European Union.......................................... 4 2.3 Brazil’s financial situation........................................................................ 5 2.4 Brazil’s imports and exports.................................................................... 6 2.5 Brazil’s leading companies ..................................................................... 9 3 The Russian Federation................................................................................. 10 3.1 General information on the Russian Federation ................................... 10 3.2 Russia’s connection with the European Union...................................... 11 3.3 Russia’s financial situation.................................................................... 12 3.4 Russia’s imports...
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...Evolution of Modern State in Europe Introduction A break was marked in 1989 in the history of Europe. That year stands for the revolutions, breaking up of empires along with the re-ordering of the influence spheres. However, these changes happened in the established framework of the balance between the sovereign independent state and the power. However, 1989 has been unique, along with brining dramatic changes such as the re-ordering of alliances and the revolutions; it resulted in the change in the State system of Europe (Cooper, n.d.). Historically, the proper point of comparison is the year 1648 when after thirty years of war a system of modern European state was emerged in Westphalia. The same type of break point was marked in Europe in 1989. Moreover, it has resulted in not just the re-arrangement of the previous system but the formation of a new system. It is based on new forms of statehood in which the states are behaving differently as compared to the past. Furthermore, alliances, interference with the domestic affairs of one another along with the acceptance of the international court’s jurisdiction has highlighted that the present states are less absolute in terms of their independence and sovereignty (Cooper, n.d.). Furthermore, the first and second world war along with the Cold War resulted in devastation in Europe without any form of historical precedent. Moreover, it also froze Europe for almost forty years which allowed new systems and new ideas to emerge...
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...* CONTENTS I. Internal analysis 4 A. Key facts 4 B. PSA in brief 4 C. Company overview 5 D. The electric vehicle 6 E. Focus on Peugeot Ion, the tangible product 6 F. Services 7 II. Macro 7 A. Ecological and Economical factor 7 B. Political factor 8 1. Legislations and government interventions 8 III. Micro 8 A. PURCHASE behavior: environmental vs. economical concern 8 B. Competitors offer 9 1. Specialist carmakers 9 2. Renault – Nissan 9 C. Substitutes products 10 1. Other concepts of “green cars” 10 IV. SWOT 11 A. Strengths 11 1. Strong research and development capabilities 12 2. Increasing operational performance 12 3. Partnership with Mitsubishi 13 B. Weaknesses 13 1. High indebtedness 13 2. Autonomy/performances and Charging battery time 14 C. Opportunities 14 1. Strategic alliances 14 2. Poised to benefit from growing automotive markets in China, Latin America and Russia 15 3. Growing worldwide demand for more environmentally friendly vehicles 15 4. Stringent environmental regulations 16 D. Threats 16 1. Intense competition 16 2. Foreign currency risk 17 V. Segmentation 17 A. Criteria of segmentation 17 urrent target of the Peugeot iOn 18 VI. Current strategy 19 A. Objectives of the Group 19 B. Competitive advantage 20 C. Competitive environmental strategies 20 D. First Mover Advantage 20 E. BCG Matrix analysis 21 VII. Questionnaire results 22 VIII....
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...National Defence University, Islamabad Faculty of Contemporary Studies International Relations Department Research Paper SIGNIFICANCE OF PAK-RUSSIA RELATIONS: FOREIGN POLICY OPTIONS FOR PAKISTAN By: Arshad Mahmood, M.Phil (IR), NDU, Islamabad 20 November 2012 Submitted to: Dr Shaheen Akhtar Associate Professor Department of International Relations NDU, Islamabad SIGNIFICANCE OF PAK-RUSSIA RELATIONS: FOREIGN POLICY OPTIONS FOR PAKISTAN ABSTRACT Pak-Russia relations, viewing from a realist perspective, have not been built upon strong pillars of understanding each other’s interests and concerns which are most essential for establishing enduring bilateral ties. The history of their bilateral relations is simply a tale of misperception and misunderstandings. Both the nations despite having convergence of interests on various bilateral, regional and international issues and immense potentials in cooperation have never availed opportunities. In fact both, Pakistan and Russia had viewed each other through the prism of other states and with wrong perceptions. The changing international environment and internal and regional political dynamics of both the states have now provided another chance their elites to revisit their bilateral relations and lay down a foundation for a prosperous future. SECTION-1 INTRODUCTION Background 1. On 26 December 1991 the world witnessed the collapse of the first and the largest communist country - the Union of Soviet...
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...leading performance, however, times are changing and Harley must adapt. II. S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS Strengths Harley-Davidson is a strong company with several core strengths. First, Harley has unprecedented brand recognition and customer loyalty. For example, in 2004 42% of new Harley-Davidson purchasers owned a Harley previously. Richard Teerlink, retired Harley CEO stated, “There are very few products that are so exciting that people are willing to tattoo your logo on their body.”[1] Moreover, Harley-Davidson’s guiding concept is that its brand is more than a brand; it is an iconic image with an accompanying lifestyle and culture. Second, Harley differentiates itself from the Japanese by offering support to various enthusiasts and social groups. For example, the Harley-Davidson Owners Group (HOG), which has worldwide membership in excess of 900,000, helps cultivate a hard-core loyal customer base. Essentially, by owning a Harley you become a member of a special community of people who all share an interest in one product. Third, Harley derives strength from its strong market position, in 2004, Harley controlled 48.9% of the U.S. and Canada market. Further, Harley has produced 37% average annual gains since its 1989 IPO. Fourth, Harley has demonstrated a consistent skill to innovate, allowing the company to be in business for over one hundred years. For example, in 2005 Harley launched a small inexpensive bike called the “Street-Rod,” which was a radically new bike...
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...Table of Content Table of Content ............................................................................................ I Table of Figures............................................................................................ II 1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 2. Automotive industry in the 21st century ........................................... 1 3. PESTEL Analysis for BMW ................................................................ 2 3.1 Political ................................................................................................. 3 3.2 Economical........................................................................................... 3 3.3 Social ................................................................................................... 4 3.4 Technological ....................................................................................... 5 3.5 Environmental ...................................................................................... 6 3.6 Legal .................................................................................................... 7 4. Conclusion .......................................................................................... 9 4.1 Critical discussion and overview of results ........................................... 9 4.2 Overall...
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...Amanda Pritchett Dr. Kenneth Currie ISS- 1200 3 September 2012 Clash of Civilizations “The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion, but rather by its superiority in utilizing organized violence. Westerners often dismiss this fact, non-Westerners never do.” Samuel P. Huntington, Eaton professor of the science of government and director of the John M. Olin Institute for strategic studies at Harvard, wrote a thought-provoking article; “The Clash of Civilizations” was published by Foreign Affairs in the summer of 1993. (Foreign Affairs). Huntington’s article given in nine topics, gives the reader a big-picture look at the world which nerved to imagine that a bi-polar rivalry between communism and capitalism was about to be reinstated by a multi-polar world of contradicting civilizations. He argues that the short-term warfare between ideologies is being replaced by the ancient warfare between civilizations. People’s cultural and religious identities will result in future conflicts. Huntington cautions that all this proposes that there will be cultural clangorings in the future. He says the troubling ones "are likely to arise from the interplay of Western arrogance, Islamic intolerance, and assertiveness." This is indeed a debated statement. Such clangoring’s are by no means an evident necessity, after all. Neither is it at all apparent that in the lack of such exterior issues, Western society would not have very uncompromising internal complications...
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...Austria, and University of Vienna, Department of Industry and Energy, Brünner Strasse, 72, A-1210, Vienna, Austria. E-mail: yegorov@ihs.ac.at Abstract The present article marks some potentially fruitful dimensions of economic research based on principles of economic theory but using more analogies with physics. Molecular structure of society with its different states, principles generating spontaneous order different from “invisible hand”, social analogies of the concepts of temperature and pressure in physics are investigated. Some analogies between phase transitions in physics and transition between different social regimes can reveal the areas of stability of liberal regimes as well as possibility of spontaneous emergence of different social orders. A possibility to expand neoclassical economics to capture Marxism and nationalism in a formal mathematical framework is also discussed. Keywords: economic structures, origin of order, econo-physics, socio-physics. 1. Introduction This article is methodological. It focuses on economic and social questions that are rarely touched by economic theorists despite their obvious importance for our understanding of economic processes in the world. No fully formalized model will be proposed here. Instead, the focus will be on interaction between economic elements and emergence of structures. These ideas have been successfully elaborated in natural science by physicists. That is why it makes sense to look for some analogies between physical...
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...impossible to deny that the emerging economies have a big future. In the last two decades, many developing countries have experienced economic growth and have come over many challenges such as social, political and technological. The economic growth is changing the outlook of those emerging markets. The future of developing countries is very promising and likely to bring large-scale developments and improvements for those emerging economies. Emerging economies are growing at a high rate, which is giving them an economic importance as their share of the world total GDP is still growing (IMF, 2014). However, many factors are challenging the rapid growth of emerging markets. In fact, in some countries such as Turkey and Brazil, it’s proving difficult to achieve a sustainable growth due to political risks. In terms of opportunities, emerging markets are the most promising because they are very rich in human resources (China and India) and natural resources (oil in Middle east and energy in Russia). The financial crisis in 2008-2009 has given the emerging markets more confidence to take the lead on the international level. In my opinion, the opportunities for emerging economies are big because they are experiencing a lot of social and political developments and on the long-term nations like China, India, Russia and Brazil will be centers for economic growth and prosperity. In fact, in the last 50 years emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil grew more than 600% compared with 300%...
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...Fig 1. The Modern Coffee Shop Marketplace A relatively mature market with fierce competition. The focus is on increasing Marketshare, mainly through outlet expansion, Premiumisation of products to Differentiate and increase prices to influence the average spend per visit; along with NPD and creating new channels to new markets, i.e. PRC. Specialists add value through their expertise and dramatic show of Barista skills. Brand Loyalty is low, with consumers under pressure due to static wages/rising prices. To offset, retailers offer miniatures/vending, improved convenience and create new occasions to visit stores. Fig 2. Porter’s Generic Strategies (1980) – Strategies to increase marketshare (outlet expansion) & loyalty Differentiation * | Premiumisation of products/services to differentiate & charge higher prices - Increasing spend per visit by consumer-driven N.P.D | Focus | A niche market strategy is not suitable; focus is on mass market & intense penetration with diversification of products/services | Cost Leadership | Low prices is not congruent to the Brand Values of Starbuck’s - Premium price for high quality products & customer service/experience | Fig 3. Porter’s 5 Forces - Market Attractiveness – 60% of consumers have not altered coffee habits in recession Competitive Rivalry Mature & Fierce * Branded coffee shops focus on premiumisation & quality of services - Barista expertise to emphasise their ‘added value’ * Independents...
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...Demographic changes are being monitored on traditional and on the existing outbound markets respectively, since these are two markets having various influence factors on the individual exogenous changes which influence development of international tourism. Recent developments in Tourism on the 21st Century Introduction Tourism is a significant economic factor of nations worldwide. Not only does this help contribute to overall economic gain, but this also enable countries to share their natural resources, gain international recognition and attract prospects for further business transactions. Despite the rise of previous tourism obstacles such as epidemic and terrorism attacks, countries from all over the world attempt to revive their tourism industry through extensive marketing and development. Indeed, the start of the 21st century witnessed various growing tourism trends that other nations followed and applied. Among these are the developments observed in global tourism’s latest visitor attractions. Thus, in this brief essay, the different tourism trends worldwide will be described. How these trends had affected the latest visitor attractions will also be discussed. Latest Trends Sports Tourism Sports in general have been an important aspect of global culture; it is in the conduction of sports where language and cultural barriers are replaced by the universal eagerness for such activities. Recently, several sports activities are being held in different countries...
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...Burberry to evaluate strategic capabilities: The PEST analysis looks into the Burberry’s exposure to Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors, which may affect its strategy formulation capabilities. The following factors may be considered in this regard (Wetfeet, 2008): Political: (Kluyver, 2010) The Group operates in many countries including the emerging markets. These countries subject to changes in laws and regulations, including accounting standards, taxation, (tax rates, new and tax laws) and environmental laws in domestic or foreign jurisdictions particularly in times when public sector debt is high and tax revenues are falling. Burberry faces intense competition from developing countries due to cheap copies of his brand where no copyright law exist. Political conditions like civil unrest, unstable governments historically and have been subject to political instability and restrictions on the ability to transfer capital across borders.Ability to penetrate developing and emerging countries, which also depends on economic and political conditions, and how well they are able to acquire or form strategic business alliances with local fashion trends and make necessary changes which also affects the luxury brand of Burberry The Burberry has strong luxury brand, which is only feasible in some geographic environments and demographics. Economical: (Griffin, 2006) The global economic downturn affected the level of consumer spending on discretionary luxury items...
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...In July 1963 Gallop Poll asked the following question, “Would it be better for the United States to keep independent in world affairs-or would it be better for the United States to work closely with other nations?” Eighty two percent of the population responded that they wanted to work with other nations, while only a meager ten percent stated that it would be better to stay independent. Using this same question this poll was done in late 1953 and the results were slightly different. In 1953 only seventy-eight percent of people supported working with other countries, while fifteen percent wanted to stay independent. The evolution of the executive and legislative branches was catalyzed by the shift in public opinion because diplomacy in foreign affairs became more popular as the decade moved...
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...| BA 101 Assignment 2/2 | An analysis on the external environment and its impact on Starbucks | | 5/25/2014 | While planning for the future direction of the business, Starbucks has to consider many factors. One of these is the external environment in which it does so, something which Starbucks has a limited extent of control over. The impact of the external environment is divided into three major categories: Economical, Socio-cultural and Technological. Through the study of their impacts, opportunities and threats are then identified and recommendations presented which best prepare Starbucks to meet them. | Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Starbucks 1 1.2 Core operations 1 2 Impact of external environments 2 2.1 Economical and Globalization Impact 2 2.2 Socio-cultural Impact 2 2.3 Technological Impact 3 3 Opportunities and Threats 4 3.1 Economic and Globalisation 4 3.2 Socio-cultural 6 3.3 Technological 8 4 Recommendations 10 4.1 Increased Range of Product Offering 10 4.2 Latte Art 10 4.3 Business Diversification 10 Bibliography 12 1 2 Introduction In order to determine their future plans, companies must first be able to understand not only their internal position, but also their external environment and how it affects their potential growth. This paper seeks to discuss the impacts that the external environment has on Starbucks, a world renowned coffeehouse chain, and provide holistic recommendations...
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