The Management Skills Of A Farm Manager Management Essay

The Management Skills Of A Farm Manager Management Essay My position for this assignment is as a farm manager. Farm management deals with the organization operation of a farm with the objective of maximizing profits from the farm business on a continuing basis. The farm manager needs to adjust his farm organization from year to year to keep abreast of changes in methods, price variability resources available to him.   Topic 1.   Management skills As a farm manager I discussed leadership as management skills. Leadership means knowing when to lead and when to allow others to lead. Farm managers are employed by farm owners or tenants to make sure the farm runs efficiently and profitably. They may run a whole farm or just part of it, such as an arable (crops) unit. As a farm manager, you could work on one of three main types of farm livestock (animals), arable (crops) or mixed (animals and crops). Your work would depend partly on the type of farm, but could include: planning the running of the farm setting budget and production targets buying and selling animals or produce keeping financial records and records of livestock and/or crops Recruiting, training and supervising staff. Farm managers must know what crops will be profitable during a growing season based on factors such as disease, weather projections and market fluctuations in prices of domestic farm products, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. They then must develop planting and harvesting schedules and supervise farm employees. Farm managers also must know how to apply fertilizer and pesticides to crops, or they must care for  animals  and lead breeding activities if they manage livestock farms. Farm management training programs teach students how to perform these many critical responsibilities. A farm leader is persistent in achieving the goal that will benefits others (as well as him- or herself). A farm leader is patient in their persistence; although the leader wants to achieve the goal as quickly as possible, the farm leader will not abandon the effort just because the goal is not achieved immediately. Instead, the leader will explore alternatives if one strategy did not lead to fulfilling the goal, a leader will look for another strategy. A farm leader develops their successor; no one will last forever but a person who is committed to the goal that benefits a group, will take steps to assure the group continues to strive for the goal even after the farm leadership has transferred to other people. Topic 2.   Strategic planning What are some of the basic questions to be addressed in a strategic plan?   Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an organizations future course. All strategic planning deals with at least one of three key questions: What do we do? For whom do we do it? How do we excel? How might a manager facilitate strategic planning?  Ã‚  HINT Review the decision making process addressed earlier in the semester.   The preparatory phase of a strategic business plan of a farm manager relies on planning. The first phase of a strategic business plan include: Analysis of the current situation past year Business trends analysis Market analysis Competitive analysis Market segmentation Marketing-mix SWOT analysis Positioning analyzing perceptions Sources of information Marketing plan strategy objectives next year Marketing strategy Desired market segmentation Desired marketing-mix TOWS-based objectives as a result of the SWOT Position perceptual gaps Yearly sales forecast What are some of the similarities and some of the differences between strategic planning and the decision making process? Strategic planning is the process that clearly defines business objectives and assesses both the internal and external situation to formulate and implement the strategy, evaluate the progress, and make adjustments as necessary to stay on track. On the other hand decision making can be regarded as an outcome of mental processes (cognitive process) leading to the selection of a course of action among several alternatives. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an action or an opinion of choice. Topic 3.   Information  management:   address the following questions.   Many of you are involved or will likely be involved in a business.   In one sentence, identify the type of business, such as an agricultural supply firm, or a grain farm, or a feedlot operation, or a food processing plant. As a farm manager I would like to involve in agricultural supply firm. What type of market and production information is needed to operate that type of business and where will that information be found?   Is the market and production information  likely to be public  or private?  Ã‚  How do you know it will be public or private information?   How does the answer to this question relate to the level of competition the business faces? (HINT:   consider and apply relevant economic theory to the business you are considering (characteristics of competition).)   The type of market and production information which is needed to operate aggrictural suppy farm is An  agricultural cooperative. It also known as a  farmers co-op, is a  cooperative  where  farmers  pool their resources in certain areas of activity. A broad typology of agricultural cooperatives distinguishes between  agricultural service cooperatives, which provide various services to their individually farming members, and  agricultural production cooperatives, where production resources (land, machinery) are pooled and members farm jointly.[1]  Agricultural production cooperatives are relatively rare in the world, and known examples are limited to  collective farms  in  former socialist countries  and thekibbutzim  in Israel.  Worker cooperatives  provide an example of production cooperatives outside agriculture. The default meaning of  agricultural cooperative  in English is usually an agricultural  service  cooperative, which is the numerically dominant form in the world. There are two primary types of agricultural service cooperatives,  supply cooperative  and  marketing cooperative. Supply cooperatives supply their members with inputs for agricultural production, including  seeds,  fertilizers,  fuel, and  machinery services. Marketing cooperatives are established by farmers to undertake transformation, packaging, distribution, and marketing of farm products (both crop and livestock). Farmers also widely rely on  credit cooperatives  as a source of financing for both working capital and investments. Where will you find the information; that is, what type of sources willl you use  (e.g., government agencies, private firms, your own research)?   What type of data banks will you use?   Be sure to cite appropriate examples of data sources, such as government web sites. The information must be private. Topic  4.  Risk Management  Ã‚   Address the following questions in this  part of the  memo.  Ã‚   What risks or  uncertainties does or will your business face?   Why do you consider them risks or  uncertainties?   How did  you identify or recognize them?   How do you assess them or measure the amount of risk or uncertainty?   How do you prepare for them?   What is the rationale for your risk management decision? Consider the ideas on risk management presented in the Kay text. Risk can be described as  the uncertainty  or  the unknown  relating to an action or an activity. For example, the outcome of an action or event could be better than expected or less than expected. As a farm manger the risk or uncertainties the business face/ identify/ recognize and prepare are: Production/technical risk Price/market risk Financial risk Legal risk Personal risk Availability of labor Availability of capital Equipment breakdown Health of the business owner Natural disasters such as rain, drought, storms, floods, etc. Power outage following a storm or other natural disaster Natural event that damages your product, such as e-coli entering the food system Availability of transportation Changing government regulations Business activity or event that violates an environmental regulation Availability of a market in which to sell our product or service Topic 5.   Position description and performance review Farm manager Position description Farm managers raise animals, tend crops, plan strategies for maximum yield, organise farm administration, work machinery, organise associated businesses and manage staff. They need to have technical and practical competence, coupled with the ability to make sound business decisions. Farms are generally arable, dairy or livestock, run by management companies or single-owner farmers. Crops range from cereals, oil seed rape and potatoes to vegetables and salad crops. Livestock are usually pigs, cows or sheep. Farm managers must appreciate the need to satisfy regulations set by the  Department for Environment, Food Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (http://www.defra.gov.uk)  for safe, high-quality produce farmed in an environmentally sustainable manner. Typical work activities Farm managers are responsible for planning, organising and managing the activities of a farm to meet the objectives of the owner. Typical work activities include: planning finances and production to maintain farm progress against budgeted parameters; practical activities, e.g., driving tractors, operating machinery, feeding livestock, spraying fields, etc; marketing the farms products; buying supplies, such as fertiliser and seeds; arranging the maintenance and repair of farm buildings, machinery and equipment; planning activities for trainee staff, mentoring and monitoring them; maintaining and monitoring the quality of yield, whether livestock or arable crops; Work conditions An assistant or trainee farm manager can expect to start on around  £22,000 (salary data collected Sep 09). After two years training, salaries rise to around  £28,000. Experienced farm managers earn in the region of  £60,000. Senior posts, including those in a consultancy or advisory role, can pay in excess of  £70,000 (salary data collected Sep 09). Salaries are usually dependent on experience and the size of the farm. Other benefits usually include farm produce, a pension scheme and private health insurance. Continuing professional development (CPD), e.g., in crop management is now available. Farm managers may also have accommodation included as part of their salary package, and/or the use of a vehicle and phone. Entry requirements Previous hands-on farming experience and technical knowledge are as important as academic qualifications, and some employers may appoint candidates on the basis of their experience alone. However, a degree is greatly valued and most farm managers hold at least a degree or HND/Foundation degree in agriculture, or a related subject. In particular, the following subjects may improve your chances: agriculture; farm business management; crop management; horticulture; land/estate management; agricultural engineering. Training Lantra: The Sector Skills Council for the Environmental and Land-based Sector (http://www.lantra.co.uk)  runs a variety of regional and national courses. These include short courses at all levels, from training on specific kinds of equipment, such as chainsaws, through to assessing and validating NVQs up to level 5   a trainee assistant farm manager would be working towards NVQ Level 4 in the first instance. Career development Most beginners in farm management expect to start as an assistant or by managing an enterprise, such as a pig unit, depending on their interests. After that, experience can progress to more responsibility and management. Most farms now are focused on a single activity so, in order to gain a broad range of experience, a farm manager may move from one farm to another. Different areas of the country specialise in different types of production as the climate and soil Farm manager Performance reviews are often used as a tool for evaluating employee raises, potential layoffs, productivity metrics and  job  security. Therefore, farm manager job performance reviews naturally create stress on the part of the manager reviewing an employee and the employee being assessed. With farm manager review, planning and inclusion of detail, farm managers can create job performance reviews for their employees that foster increased productivity, ensure clarity of goals and simultaneously lower the stress of the review process.

Operation management †London eye case study Essay

â€Å"Quality means consistence conformance to costumer expectations† (Slack, Chambers & Johnston 2010 pg 40) Quality for the London eye could mean designing a structure that provides a bird’s eye view of London. Quality could also mean a high design of their processes, including ensuring that all 32 capsules are cleaned, staff are well trained in health and safety and are always professional at all times. Quality also means the London eye is safe and reliable. Quality also means that the timed admissions booking systems (TABS) is on time. Quality could also mean error free processing for their timed admissions system. Quality means that all parts for the London eye is made to specification and the assembly is made to specifications. Speed objectives: Speed within the operation could mean minimising the time it takes costumers from boarding to disembarking. Speed could also mean minimising the time it takes from designing and planning the London eye to the completion of construction to the London eye. Speed could also mean providing a high throughput rate during the year to cope with passengers demand. Example – The London eye take approximately six million people each year the London eye would have to provide a high throughput rate for the year to manage the demand. â€Å"Speed could mean the immediate stoppage of the London eye if an error is found with the wheel, a good example in March 2008 engineers found a problem, the London eye was immediately stopped and emergency repairs take place†. (Ronca 2002 pg 3) Dependability objectives: â€Å"Dependability means doing things in time for costumers to receive their goods or services†. (Slack, Chambers & Johnston 2010 pg 44) Dependability for the London eye include on time opening hours and closing hours, on time boarding and disembarking , keeping to reasonable queuing times to prevent long queues and increasing the flow of passengers boarding and disembarking and Keeping to TABS time. Flexibility objectives: â€Å"Changing the operation in some way either by changing what the operation does, how the operation is done or when it is being done†. (Slack, Chambers & Johnston 2010 pg 46) Mix flexibility – The London eye main objective is to provide a bird’s eye view of London in the early years, now with mix flexibility the London provides a range of other services including private capsules, wedding partnerships and corporate events. The London eye also provides volume flexibility by providing by changing the opening hours and closing hours during the winter months and summer months. Ensuring more people can avail of their services during the summer months compared to the winter months. Cost objectives: The London eye costs include staff costs construction costs, transportation costs and maintenance costs. The staff costs include staff wages and training, Construction costs include the making of the parts of the London eye, this includes the A-frame legs, hub and spindle, back –stay cables, spoke cables, rim, and insulated capsules. Transportation costs contain transferring each parts of the London eye using barges up the River Thames. Maintenance costs include a safety check on all parts of the eye especially the hydraulic motors, drive systems, safety systems and the backup safety system. Day to day operating costs includes heating, lighting and cleaning of the capsules. (See excel document for breakdown). Overall maintenance costs and construction costs take up most of the London eye. Operating costs especially heating can be reduced by providing a system were the heat in empty capsules can be switched off over a long period of time especially during the winter months because they may expect low passenger demand. E.g – On a cold and wet winter day, the passengers numbers for the London eye will be reduced compared to a summer day. Heating could be turned off at this time. This reduces costs and at the same time increase productivity. Question 2 32 capsules X 25 people = 800 passengers for half can hour. 800 people X 2 = 1600 passengers per hour. Summertime schedule 10am – 9.30pm = 12 hours 1600 passengers X 12 hours = 19,200 passengers for 12 hours/day. 19,200 passengers X 7 days = 134,440 passengers per week. Summer weeks = 24 weeks. Therefore total capacity for the summer is: 134,440 passengers per week X 24 weeks = 3,225,600 passengers Winter Schedule 1600 X 8 hours = 12, 800 passengers for an 8 hours/day 10am – 6pm = 8 hours 12,800 passengers X 7 days = 89,600 passengers per week. Winter weeks = 28 weeks. Therefore total capacity for the winter is: 89,600 passengers per week X 28 weeks = 2,508,800 passengers Total capacity based on the operating schedule of the London eye is: schedule Passengers Winter schedule 2,508,800 Summer schedule 3,225,600 Total operating Capacity 5,734,400 Question 3 There could be a loss of utilisation on the London eye due to variety of issues. Weather conditions The weather conditions can affect the London eye in a number of ways examples – utilisation can be affected in a number of ways. Heavy winds can affect the utilisation of the eye forcing it to stop also heavy snowfall can delay and reduce the amount of rotations the eye can perform or worse snowfall could mean that the London eye will not be operational. Blackouts Blackouts will have a major impact on the London eye. The London eye is powered electrically it needs electricity to rotate and in the event of a blackout, the London eye will be defective meaning it won’t be available to the public. Maintenance Maintenance in the case of the London eye mean checking for problems with the machines and servicing and replacing parts of the machines, maintenance could also mean cleaning the thirty two capsules. This can affect the utilisation of the service. Maintenance would not affect the utilisation if it is carried out after the opening hours of the London eye. Industrial actions Industrial actions in the form of strike can result to a loss in utilisation because without employees operating the London eye it means tourist cannot make use of the service it offers leading to a loss in utilisation. Security threats Although this is very unlikely, security threats especially terrorism threats or bomb blasts can also lead to a loss in utilisation. A bomb blast around the London eye could totally destroy it or cause massive damage making the London eye unrepairable while a terror threats would force the staff to evacuate tourists on the London eye. Health issues Health issues could pose a threat to the utilisation of the eye, If a tourist is being sick or injured or a pregnant woman is in one of the capsules during the rotation and goes into labour. The passengers would need to be rushed to the hospital, passengers won’t be allowed in any capsules until the passengers have been taken of the capsules. Future development. Future development could lead to a loss of utilisation in the future for the London eye if larger buildings are built around the area of the London eye and thus hindering the view of famous buildings around the eye, People won’t find the London eye, causing passengers numbers to fall leading to loss in utilisation. Competition based tourist destinations. This could also lead to a loss in utilisation indirectly. If people find other tourist destinations in London more attractive than the London eye, like the Big Ben or Chessington world of adventures or the globe. This could lead to a loss in passenger’s numbers to a low level for the London eye which creates loss in utilisation. The London eye process. This is relates more on the employees if employees are handling the operations of getting passengers on and off the capsules badly this could lead to sometimes not all capsules being filled, longer queues and a major loss in the utilisation of the London eye. Bibliography 1. Debra Ronca,(2008) ‘How the London eye work’ Available from http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/london-eye2.htm. [Accessed 28 November 2012] 2. Slack, Chambers & Johnston,(2010), Operations Management London Prentice Pearson

Hamlet – Hero or Villain

Hamlet comes across as both a hero and a villain throughout ‘Hamlet’ at different intervals. His loyalty, morality, honesty and popularity are certainly heroic traits however one can’t deny his villainous ways in his dealings with Ophelia, his killing of Polonius and most importantly his delaying of killing Claudius. Hamlet is full of faults yet full of honourable intentions. His negative qualities are slim compared to his heroic qualities therefore I believe Hamlet to be a hero, a â€Å"prince among men†. When we first meet Hamlet, he is dressed all in black and conveys all the â€Å"moods, forms and shapes of grief†.This depression is caused by his father’s recent death. Gertrude, his mother and Claudius, his uncle have noticed however Hamlet’s melancholy is much more intense than he is letting on â€Å"too too sullied flesh would melt†. He’s unable to forget his father even when all those around him have resumed their m erry lives. â€Å"I shall not look upon his like again†. This demonstrates the loyal side of the prince. His grief is further intensified by the cold-hearted actions of his mother. Gertrude married her brother in law, Claudius â€Å"within a month† of her husband’s death.Hamlet is unable to understand her disloyalty â€Å"a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer†. He believes he is living in a society with no standards and so becomes disillusioned with life â€Å"how weary, stale flat and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world†. His loyalty is certainly a heroic trait. The anger he felt towards his mother had a very a negative effect on a Hamlet. He began to feel anger at women as a whole which leads me to his villainous dealings with Ophelia. Hamlet feels neglected when Ophelia as ordered by her father, Polonius repels his letters.He condemns all women with the criticism of moral fickleness â€Å"fraility thy n ame is woman†. He hates Ophelia one moment and longs to engage in sexual intimacy with her the next. â€Å"Lie between maids’ legs†. He mistreats her with heartless and demeaning behaviour. In the nunnery scene he denies he ever loved her and tells her â€Å"get thee to a nunnery†. His inconsistent treating of Ophelia eventually drives her to insanity. The actual recognition of his love for Ophelia can only come when Hamlet realizes that she is dead, and free from her tainted womanly trappings â€Å"I lov’d Ophelia†.This is without doubt one of the most villainous qualities of Hamlet. His cruel treating of Ophelia however can also be seen as a heroic trait. He is honest about his feelings towards her. He is honest throughout the whole play, which is rare in ‘Hamlet’ as most of the characters live their lives through deception. He doesn’t once hide his hatred of Claudius â€Å"a little more than kin and less than kind†, he is also honest of his disliking of Polonius when he says his words have no substance â€Å"words words word†.He eventually tells his mother how disgusted he is with her marriage â€Å"O shame, where is thy blush? † and admits he treated her with cruelty â€Å"I must be cruel only to be kind†. He is even honest about his own inaction as he â€Å"lets all sleep†. His honesty throughout the play is admirable and only further proves him to be a hero. He is without doubt a man of high morals which is an important feature of a hero. He agrees to avenge his father even though he almost crushed with the burden. â€Å"oh cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right†.It is clear that he does not want to murder but accepts the task nonetheless â€Å"I have sworn’t†. He also apologises to Laertes for killing Polonius and asks for forgiveness. â€Å"give me your pardon, sir I have done you wrong†. His moral character is what I m ost admire about Hamlet. However Hamlet’s bravery for accepting the burden of revenge only heightens our awareness of his most negative quality, inaction. Faced with evidence that his uncle murdered his father, Hamlet becomes obsessed with proving his uncle’s guilt.He delays the moment of revenge for as long as he possibly can. He even passes up the perfect chance to kill Claudius in the courtyard when he is praying claiming if he kills him now he is only sending him to heaven. â€Å"this is hire and salary, not revenge†. Hamlet is aware of his inaction and is very self-critical of it. He admires the player’s passion in the play and become annoyed at himself for being â€Å"unpregnant of my cause†. He is made further aware of his inaction when the young Fortinbras fights for land â€Å"that had nothing in but the name† while he â€Å"lets all sleep†.His procrastination is his biggest fault and is his ultimate downfall in the play. Ina ction is certainly not a heroic characteristic. After Hamlet returns from England he is a changed man. He tells how Horatio how â€Å"there’s a divinity that shapes our ends†. It is becoming clear that Hamlet now sees the role of avenger in a different light than he did earlier in the play. As a true hero he is conscious of the fact that he is acting as an agent of justice. This new attitude remains with Hamlet right through to the play’s conclusion.Claudius invites him to engage in a duel with Laertes and Hamlet freely embraces the challenge. Hamlet seems to be more self-confident about his own ability to take clear, effective action. We are given the picture of a noble and fine young man in the concluding scenes. He finally gets revenge on Claudius however is stabbed by Laertes by doing so. A true hero who sacrifices himself to bring justice and honesty back to the state of Denmark, even his enemy Fortinbras admits he would have â€Å"proved most royal† for the throne.Hamlet is a truly much loved prince who possesses a vast degree of human virtue and ability and whose death is not only tragic but extremely noble. His villainous qualities, however strong in the beginning, truly evaporate as the play concludes. An honest, loyal, brave and moral man, there is no doubt that Hamlet is a hero. I’d trust him to rule my country any time! A hero is defined in the oxford English dictionary as â€Å"a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits. † You can’t deny it’s the perfect description of Hamlet!

Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper Essays

Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper Essays Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper Essay Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper Essay Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper HCS/405 November 23, 2011 Reporting Practices and Ethics Paper This paper discusses the elements of financial management that is important to the healthcare organizations, generally accepted accounting principles, and a summary of the articles related to healthcare financial management. Elements of Financial Management There are four different elements used in financial management. These elements include: planning, controlling, organizing and directing, and decision making. Planning Planning is used by the financial manager to recognize steps which must be taken to achieve objectives that are sought by the organization. Controlling The financial manager uses the controlling element to make sure the organization is following the plans that have been customary. This includes studying reports and comparing them with earlier reports. The purpose for the controlling element is to guarantee that plans are being followed as intended for. Organizing and Directed The organizing and directed element is used to ensure that the resources of the organization are being used successfully to accomplish plans that have been established. Decision Making The decision making element is used to make appropriate choices with the alternatives that have been given. GAAP The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, also known as GAAP, are the rules that must be followed by accountants, in the United States, to ensure that their work is legal and ethically correct. This includes their accounting methods, financial statements, and techniques. The GAAP is governed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). General Financial Ethical Standards

The History Iran Sanctions - 1979 Through 2017

The History Iran Sanctions - 1979 Through 2017 Although the United States imposed sanctions against Iran for decades, none levered the country into compliance with international rules regarding terrorism or nuclear energy. By early 2012, however, evidence appeared to be mounting that sanctions by both the U.S. and its global allies were hurting Iran. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action went into effect in 2015, easing tensions and sanctions considerably. Most of the sanctions cut into Irans oil exports, which account for 85 percent of the countrys export revenue. Irans repeated threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil conduit, to international use indicated at one point that Iran was kicking at global oil usage to relieve pressure on its own oil industry. The Carter Years Islamic radicals captured 52 Americans at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held them hostage for 444 days beginning in November 1979. U.S. President Jimmy Carter tried unsuccessfully to free them, including authorizing a military rescue attempt. Iranians did not free the hostages until just after Ronald Reagan replaced Carter as president on January 20, 1981. The United States broke diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 in the midst of that crisis. The U.S. also levied its first round of sanctions against Iran during this time. Carter banned imports of Iranian oil, froze some $12 billion in Iranian assets in the U.S. and later banned all U.S. trade with and travel to Iran in 1980. The U.S. lifted the embargoes after Iran released the hostages. Sanctions Under Reagan The Reagan Administration declared Iran a state sponsor of terrorism in 1983. As such, the U.S. opposed international loans to Iran. When Iran began threatening traffic through the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz in 1987, Reagan authorized naval escorts for civilian ships and signed a new embargo against Iranian imports. The United States also banned the sale of dual-use items to Iran – civilian goods with the possibility of military adaptation. The Clinton Years President Bill Clinton expanded U.S. sanctions against Iran in 1995. Iran was still labeled a state sponsor of terrorism and President Clinton took this action amid widespread fear it was pursuing weapons of mass destruction. He prohibited all American involvement with the Iranian petroleum industry. He banned all American investment in Iran in 1997, as well as what little U.S. trade remained with the country. Clinton also encouraged other countries to do the same. Sanctions Under George W. Bush The United States repeatedly froze the assets of people, groups or businesses identified as helping Iran sponsor terrorism under President George W. Bush, as well as those perceived as supporting Irans efforts to destabilize Iraq. The U.S. also froze the assets of foreign entities believed to be helping Iran in those areas. The United States  also banned so-called U-turn financial transfers involving Iran. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, a U-turn transfer involves Iran but originates and ends with non-Iranian foreign banks. Obamas Sanctions of Iran President Barack Obama has been strident with Iranian sanctions. He banned some imports of Iranian foodstuffs and carpets in 2010, and Congress also allowed him to tighten Iranian sanctions with the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (CISADA). Obama could encourage non-U.S. petroleum firms to halt the sale of gasoline to Iran, which has poor refineries. It imports nearly one-third of its gasoline. The CISADA also prohibited foreign entities from using American banks if they do business with Iran. The Obama Administration sanctioned Venezuelas nationalized oil company for trading with Iran in May 2011. Venezuela and Iran are close allies. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled to Venezuela in early January 2012 to meet with President Hugo Chavez, in part  about the sanctions. In June 2011, the Treasury Department announced new sanctions against Irans Revolutionary Guard (already named in other sanctions), the Basij Resistance Force, and Iranian law enforcement entities. Obama ended 2011 by signing a defense funding bill that would allow the U.S. to cease dealing with financial institutions that do business with Irans central bank. The bills sanctions took effect between February and June 2012. Obama was given the power to waive aspects of the bill if implementation would hurt the U.S. economy. It was feared that limiting access to Iranian oil would drive up gasoline prices. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Six world powers joined together in 2013 to negotiate with Iran, offering relief from some sanctions if Iran would cease its nuclear efforts. Russia, Britain, Germany, France, and China joined the U.S. in this effort, which finally resulted in an agreement in 2015. Then came the prisoner swap in 2016, with the U.S. exchanging seven imprisoned Iranians in exchange for Iran releasing five Americans it was holding. The U.S. lifted its sanctions against Iran under President Obama in 2016.   President Donald J. Trump President Trump announced in April 2017 that his administration intends to review the countrys history of sanctions against Iran. Although many feared this would potentially eradicate the terms of the 2015 deal due to Irans continued support of terrorism, the review was, in fact, provided for and mandatory under the terms of the 2015 pact.

Foundation for marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Foundation for marketing - Assignment Example To the contrary, marketing is a financial investment with the customers being the Return on investment and is also a time investment where you only spend on it after learning well about your market (Grewal & Levy, 2010). In launching of a new product there a number of things that is vital to start with. You need to learn about the products or services chain and who the competitors are. This means you need to take a good market research in the industry which will help you determine whether the idea is viable. It will also help you identify your target market, analyse it and your capabilities. While researching, you could ask direct questions from the consumers or you could take your own research from existing information. Communication is a vital part of marketing as without it customers will just be aware but will actually not buy. You should have a unique selling proposition, unique features and benefits and a marketing message with a great image. You should be daring to be different. When you stand out and do things differently to attract attention and dare to go beyond any other business in your product or service line, you will definitely launch and sell your product or service with an agility y ou never imagined. In Claudio Vignali’s article, ‘McDonald’s: â€Å"think global, act local†-the marketing mix’, the author takes us on a journey of how the McDonald’s restaurants were established and how they came to grow through market mixing. After founding the restaurant in1937, the brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald were later joined by Ray Kroc, a milk-shake salesman giving him exclusive rights in 1954. The success made it rise in worth to become one of the greatest companies in the world’s history. The key to its international success according to the author was the use of franchising. They franchised to

Jacksonian era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jacksonian era - Essay Example Worldwide, this time was a fairly peaceful one, taking into account various national movements and smaller wars; however, in 1848 there were mass revolutions of the lower classes in Europe. This key event had global implications which were played out over the next few decades, and vastly changed the nature of history after the Jacksonian era. What historical evidence was used by the author, Robert Remini, to write this book, and was the historical evidence accurate? The historical evidence on which this book is based is a large collection of secondary source material. Remini used a large number of texts in researching for this book – forty-three, to be precise – but it is difficult to ignore the fact that none of these appear to be primary sources. History is a field where interpretation of sources is key, and it is slightly worrying that the author would have only focused his interpretation on other interpretations rather than on any original source material. Any perso nal flaws and biases have been magnified in Remini's analysis of purely secondary sources. That said, the wide range of sources is somewhat reassuring, and without reading all forty-three books, it can only be hoped that his biases allowed him to take an accurate and fairly un-prejudiced view. How did slavery and Indian removal affect the United States during the Jacksonian era? Before Jackson's ascent to the presidency, slavery in the United States had started to come to its end. In 1822 a small group of black slaves revolted, causing the deaths and banishment of at least 72 slaves. Throughout the Jacksonian era, slave-owners â€Å"dreaded† (Remini, 59) the eventual uprising of their slaves, and an 1831 rebellion fuelled these flames. The Nat Turner Rebellion involved the murder of roughly sixty white people, but, Remini argues, had less of an influence on abolition than the example of other countries and states at the same time. The slow emancipation of the slaves caused mu ch cultural discourse, some of it constructive, some of it less so – â€Å"race riots became a regular occurrence in Jacksonian America† (61), even reaching Washington D.C. in 1835. It was feared that the abolition of slavery would shatter the Union, and indeed there was almost civil war over a slavery-related issue in the early 1830s, with threats of secession coming from several states. Ultimately the slavery issue did cause civil war, creating a stronger and more equal United States. Although the book calls it 'Indian removal', a less racist and euphemistic term would be Native American banishment or deportation. Like slavery, the banishment of Native Americans from their homes was a way in which the white leaders of society prioritized their own desires above the needs of others, to the detriment of North American society. Jackson â€Å"demanded† (46) that Native Americans concede their land to him. In 1830, a Removal Act was passed, in which Native American s were guaranteed land in the west, and transportation thereto, if they would give up their land in the east; the Cherokee tribe refused and took the matter to the Supreme Court, arguing that they were not subject to state laws. The ruling, that they were neither subject to state laws nor independent, set a dangerous precedent as Native Americans as â€Å"domestic dependents† (47). Again, like slavery, states and races were divided along fault-lines, with radicals on each side respectively supporting Native American protection or