Communication and Professional Relationships Essay Example for Free

Communication and Professional Relationships Essay Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Effective communication is important. This means building and contributing to positive relationships. I need to demonstrate effective communication skills when dealing with everyone – children, colleagues and parents. I must consider how I deal with people and what response I will get from them. Positive relationships will aid communication. Parents and adults that come into school are more likely to respond positively and give support if communication is good. Pupils look to adults for how to communicate properly. We must model effective communication skills. If we ask pupils to behave in a certain way i.e. – remembering our manners – and we don’t then they will find it harder to understand the boundaries of what is acceptable. Positive and effective communication doesn’t happen by chance. It is important to think about how I relate to others and how I am viewed by others as a result. Where communication breaks down there will be misunderstandings and as a result bad feelings. Positive relationships cannot be left to chance they must be developed and it is the role of the TA to help this happen within the class. Relationships within the school are developed on a daily basis. Most of the time I do this without even knowing I am doing it. There are six things to remember: Showing respect – be courteous, listen to different points of view. Acknowledge and respect differing opinions/ideas. Take time to remember names. Being considerate – Take time to consider others opinions/ideas. Try to understand why someone may have acted in a certain way – i.e. pressure/stress. Remembering issues which are personal to them – personal issues at home, a birthday etc. Taking time to listen – listen if someone is looking for advice or help. Always show that you are interested – respond appropriately. Being clear – particularly on the m ain points of a conversation, which can sometimes get lost in a lengthy discussion. Sense of humour – take time to see the funny side – when appropriate. Can be a good icebreaker, helps to relieve stress. It is important to adapt communication to meet the situation. For example using formal language in a meeting. However there are other ways to communicate –through the way we respond to others. For example how quickly we respond to an e-mail or a telephone message, how attentive we are when speaking and even how we dress. Non spoken communication can be an issue as it is easily misread by others. Different cultures also have their own behaviour â€Å"codes† which will include gestures, body language and eye contact. When I first started at The Manor I often dealt with a pupil from Nigeria and I thought he was being rude as he never looked at me when I spoke to him but a colleague told me that in his culture it was rude to make eye-contact. It is important to build good relationships with the children and young people I come into contact with. To do this I will need to adapt my behaviour and communication to suit the chil d and situation. Every child needs to feel secure and valued and I need to ensure that I help this to happen. From the beginning of any relationship with a child it is important to establish the ground rules and mutual respect. Talking to the child at the beginning about what they can expect from me and what I expect from them will help to establish a rapport. At the same time I need to be aware of the issues that are important to them and talk to them about them. Pupils need to feel a part of the school and talking to them positively and being involved with them will help this. However it is important that being attentive doesn’t mean giving pupils attention whenever they demand it. If I was to be given a new group of pupils to work with I would make sure that before starting any work I established a relationship with them. This could involve just spending a few moments with them asking their name and a bit about themselves and telling them something about myself. Children develop at different rates and when dealing with children it is important to remember what stage they are at. It is important to remember that all children will have different needs and will need changing levels of attention and support. Their ability to concentrate will also affect how to communicate with them. If working with children with special needs I will need to seek advice from the teacher or the SENCO on how to behave/communicate with them. It may also be necessary to have additional equipment or training to help me communicate with a pupil with special needs. This could include training in sign language. It is important to act sensitively when dealing with a child with communication difficulties. They must not feel pressured when they are speaking. They may feel nervous. It is important to adapt how I communicate with them to reflect this. A child with a speech disorder i.e. a stammer will need extra time when it comes to communicating. It is important not to fill in words or second guess what they are going to say – this will only cause them distress. At the same time however it is important to ensure that they are still given the opportunity to speak. More self conscious, may become embarrassed when speaking to others. There may be instances when I have to communicate with a child whose first language is not English. It is important to remember this when helping them. It may be necessary to change how to communicate with them. I should seek support and guidance from the school as necessary. Since I began working with children one of the most frequent things I have had to deal with is disagreements between pupils and peers. Disagreements will often take place during break time but will also happen in the classroom too. It is important to establish the facts as quickly as possible, go back to the beginning of the incident. Let all sides speak and give their interpretation of the event. It is important that all pupils feel that they have been listened to. If one or more of the children involved is one who is regularly involved in disagreements do not assume that it is them that has caused the problem. I will need to establish if anyone was in the wrong and decide whether further action is needed (i.e. referral to the head teacher) Also it is important for children to apologies when appropriate. Helping a child to understand how their actions might affect others is very important. Also they need to understand how their feelings affect their behaviour. For example I might need to tell a child â€Å"I know you are upset because R doesn’t want to play your game but that doesn’t mean that you can say horrible things to them and upset them†. It is important to encourage children to understand and respect the feelings of others. Circle time is one effective way of doing this. If there has been a spate of â€Å"bad Play† at lunchtime the teacher or myself may get the children to sit in a circle and all talk about the difference between â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† play and how it might affect others. This may not be practical with younger children as they are unable to sit still for long periods of time. When working in a school it is not just children that I will need to establish a relationship with there are also adults. It is important to remain professional but at the same time be practical and sensitive. I will have to establish a relationship with other members of the school team, parents and others who come into the school. As with children, when dealing with adults it is important to be aware of who you are speaking to and how they may be affected by what I am saying. Support that I give will be on several levels Practical – Help visitors who are unfamiliar with school Informative – Write reports on pupils. Give information about particular situations. Professional – Support others with planning. Discussing work with manager/class teacher. Emotional – Support others day-to-day. Sense of humour. Establishing and building positive relationships will help to ensure that people we come into contact with will feel able, and willing to communicate effectively. Disagreements are not conducive for a happy and effective learning environment. Positive relationships within the classroom are very important to learning and must not be left to chance. Children will look to adults as a role model. It is important to be as positive and effective a role model as possible. They will learn from observing my dealings with adults and pupils. If I treat others and them with respect they will hopefully do the same. Relationships are built on a daily basis. Children and young people will respond to positive relationships with adults. If they feel supported by adults in the school and get along with their peers a child is more likely to want to come to school. One possible conflict is when the school and the parent do not agree on things. This matter should be dealt with as quickly as possible to ensure that it does not affect the child. Communication can be verbal and non-verbal, formal or informal. When dealing with adults or children the same principles apply: Maintain eye contact and interest Respond to what is being said Treat them with courtesy and respect. Whilst it is important to build a good rapport with the children I work with they must still respect me. They need to see that whilst I may get on with them I am still their TA and must be treated with respect. My relationship with them must remain formal whilst in school. It is important to be clear when speaking with children. It is important to use age appropriate language. Do not use long lists of instructions as it makes it more difficult to understand what is required. Get children to repeat back what has been said and what they are being asked to do. Children and young people will learn by example. By showing them how to communicate effectively and get along with one another. If we are respectful and show that we respect others they are more likely to do the same. Children will copy behaviour from an early age – this will include positive and negative behaviour. Respect is important to everyone – including children. If a child expresses an opinion or answers a question they must not be dismissed or ridiculed. I will always acknowledged and thank them – even if I don’t agree with their ideas or opinions. If I was speaking to a parent or a child who had a hearing impediment I would make sure that I spoke clearly and I would also face them so that they could lip-read. Even with the best will in the world communication problems will still arise. There may be times when problems arise between pupils. These could be caused by a number of reasons. Poor communication – information not passed on or a misunderstanding. It is important to establish the cause and find a way forward. Opposing expectations – differing ideas about the purpose of an activity or meeting. Always clarify exactly what is expected. Cultural differences Some cultures communicate differently – i.e. in some cultures eye contact is not encouraged. Values and ideas – School may request pupils do something in a particular way but parents may have different views. External factors – Home pressures may affect the way someone communicates. Often when working closely with someone we can see that they are behaving out of character and ask them if there is a problem. Not always able to see when dealing with someone that we do not know or see on a regular basis. Special needs – Must show care and sensitivity to anyone who has communication difficulties. May need extra time when speaking or signing. May be anxious or nervous. May be necessary to adapt way in which I communicate with them. Lack of confidence – May result in a person acting aggressively. Will affect how they communicate with others. Important to be sensitive to this and offer support and encouragement. Disagreements often occur because of poor communication. It is important to deal with any conflicts carefully so that problems do not persist. Even as an adult I might misread information. A child or young person is much more likely to do so. If there are disagreements between children I will need to manage it carefully and seek advice/help if needed. If a pupil becomes argumentative I will calmly explain that I am not entering into an argument with them. I will explain what they need to do – e.g. calm down, stop shouting and listen. However there will be times when the best thing to do is to leave them be and to come back to them when things have calmed down. Whilst doing this it is important to ensure that the pupil is safe and cannot harm them self or anyone else. Disputes with adults must be dealt with sensitively and it is important to resolve the problem quickly. If it is not possible for me to do this myself I will seek help and guidance from my line-manager or a mediator. It is impossible to work effectively in a tense atmosphere and is unlikely to be resolved without some action. In general life and whilst at work I will come across many different peopl e and I will have to adapt my method of communication in order to meet the needs of the individual. This will depend on the age of the person I am speaking to, the background to the conversation, the communication needs of the person. Often we do this without even realising that we are doing it. It is impossible expect never to have a disagreement at work. Often these disagreements will be because of bad or lack of communication. It is important to deal with these problems when they arise to ensure they do not continue. Sometimes we can misread or perceive information incorrectly and may have the wrong idea on something. It is important to show sensitivity and try to resolve conflicts as soon as possible. The longer a problem goes on the harder it will be to sort out. Poor communication will often lead to problems. This could be because information has not been passed on to the appropriate person – i.e. parent or teacher. Establishing a cause for the bad communication and finding a way forward is important. Problems must not just be ignored in the hope it will go away – it will more than likely get worse. It is important to clarify aims and expectations to ensure that there are no opposing expectations as to the purpose of an activity or discussion. Often parents and the school will have different ideas and methods on how to deal with situations. In this instance it will be important to work with others within the school (family Support) to help explain and clarify school policy. It is often important to remember that external factors will have an effect on how people communicate – stress, lack of time. As we work and come into contact with the same people it is possible to identify when they are acting out of character – it is then important to ask if there is anything wrong or if we can help. A lack of confidence often manifests itself in aggression. It is important to be sensitive to this and offer encouragement and support. Schools gather information on pupils so that they can be cared for effectively. However it will only ask for information that is directly relevant e.g. health and medical, records from other schools. This is confidential information and must only be used for the purpose for which it was gathered. If the information is to be passed on to others then parental consent must be given. The Data Protection Act 1998 requires an organisation that holds information on individuals to register with the Information Commissioners Office. Parents supply information so that we can care for their child. This can include health or medical information, records from previous schools and special need records, this is confidential information and must be used only for the purpose it is gathered. Parental consent will be needed if information is to be passed onto others. There are eight principles of practice which governs the use of personal information. Information must be: * Processed fairly and lawfully * Used only for the purpose for which it was gathered * Adequate, relevant and not excessive * Accurate and kept up to date where necessary * Kept for no longer than necessary * Processed in line with the individual’s rights * Kept secure * Not transferred outside the EU without adequate protection. When sending information home it is important to be aware that the recipient may not be able to deal with it as you might expect. For example they may not have access to a computer or the internet or they may have reading difficulties. It is important to be sensitive to this when asking a parent or carer why they have not responded. In addition it may be that the person does not speak English as a first language. I will often be aware of information regarding the school and children I come into contact with. It is important to know when and how to share this information. If I am unsure as to what to do with any information I will seek guidance from my line-manager or SENCO (when appropriate). There are times when I will know the children and their parents I deal with personally. It is very important that I do not reveal any information regarding pupils or the school. By passing on information to them I could be abusing my position of trust. When gathering information it may be necessary to reassure pupils or parents that the information will be treated confidentially. However at the same time it is important to explain my obligations. For example if a child or parent tells me something in confidence that I feel indicates that a child is at risk I will explain that I have to pass this information on.

Analysis of the Global Tire Business

Analysis of the Global Tire Business I. Company Analysis 1. Basic Overview The January 2010 issue of Modern Tire Dealer magazine published the 2009 sales data for the global tire industry, and Hankook Tire placed seventh on the list for the fourth consecutive year since 2006. Sales have grown an average of 13.9 percent annually for the past decade, bringing the cumulative rate to 133 percent for the period. More than 70 percent of the revenue is earned outside Korea. 2. Financial Overview Hankook Tire Co. posted improved 2010 earnings year-on-year with its net profit reaching 424.8 billion won ($381 million) last year, up 21.1% from 350.8 billion won a year earlier. The overall global increase has come on the back of â€Å"brisk sales in both domestic and overseas markets.† Sales jumped 19.3% to 3.35 trillion won, and operating profit rose 5.5% to 367.5 billion won. In a separate statement, the company said its consolidated sales, including figures from its overseas operations, reached 5.36 trillion won last year with operating profit coming to 585.8 billion won. According to the annual report the company is targeting 6.06 trillion won in global sales in 2011. 3. Organization Structure Hankook tires organizational structure is matrix structure. Under Global CEO, there are Global Staff (Head quarter by functional Division) and Regional Headquarters (Head quarter by Geographical Division). Both Functional division and Geographical division have the same level of Structure in Global CEO [ Table 1-1 ] Under Global CEO Sourced by Hankook Tires annual report, 2010 Global distribution network consists of four regional headquarters and 80 subsidiaries sales offices and its products are sold worldwide in about 180 countries. 4. SWOT Analysis Strengths Overall, a good financial statement A positive brand recognition on the world market (high quality + low price) A healthy labor-management relations The worlds major tire factory and the proper distribution channels to market demand, building Weaknesses Low investment than expected in the industry (Total asset increase, non-current ratio lower than industry average) RE market is relatively weak compared to the OE market Opportunities Domestic auto demand increases due to tax credited for old vehicles and hybrid vehicles. After the global financial crisis, global tire price competitiveness is getting higher. Chinas tire market increases due to chinas auto market growth Threats From 2009, the prices of natural rubber and synthetic rubber (raw material prices due to the high price elasticity) is rapidly rising II.Industry Business Analysis 1. Industry Environment analysis The global tire market accounted for approximately US $140 billion and 1.25 billion volumes in 2008, according to Research in Tire. While the worldwide tire industry is still largely driven by the well-known multinational companies (in size order); Sales amount of Bridgestone, Michelin and Goodyear are 46% of total sales for top 75 ranked companies (2008 years). Sales portion (of world top 11th to 7th Tire companies) increased to 31% in 2008 compared to 20% in 1998. Its because the subsequent tire companies based on the high growing market such as China, Taiwan, India, and Russia are getting larger. On the other hand, the sales portion of 3 Korean companies in the world market steadily increase in 2010s and have taken 5~6% from 2006 year. Tire Industry has the entry barrier such as huge a capital injection, technology competition, brand establishment, and distribution channel, so it is formed as oligopoly in each nation. But top raking companies has the competitive in major market of North-America and Europe. This market is divided into following basic categories: OE (Original Equipment) which providing to Car manufacturing companies, and RE (Replacement Equipment) which providing to tire distribution. RE market size is 3~4 times bigger than OE market. Compared to OE sales which are affected by the volume of car production, RE has stable consumption market in proportion to the registered number of car and average operating mileage of car. [ Table 2-1 ] World Major Tire Companies 2. Competitor analysis 1) Michelin Strengths 100 years of tradition with the highest international brand awareness and increase reliability, high technology based on more than 10% of homeopathic products are highly priced. Michelin recently after driving it to the driver of a flat tire platform developed by us after a run on the world market has raised more than 2%. By successful overseas, and currently has 57 global offices with two thirds of the total production is done overseas. Weaknesses Michelins new products are released once every two years. This once in six months compared to other companies to launch new products launched at longer intervals tends to slow the market responsive. 2) Kumho Tires Strengths Color tires, aircraft tires, racing tires, passenger tires, truck and bus tires, industrial tires, and a variety of excellent products and sell to the general consumer confidence and job-oriented consumers are demanding. In addition, through the diversification of high-performance products to market is increasing grip. In addition, the current four car race competition among the three has been supplied by Kumho Tire. Weaknesses Car racing is not an active participant in the company as an official support is simple, has done. Also entered the Chinese market early in the shift is not performed correctly, but not localization, market share is very low. 3) Nexen Strengths Based on stable labor-management relations for 3 consecutive years of financial tire manufacturer has the best financial structure. In addition, the price is so competitive. Weaknesses Both low technologies value-added market shares due to the low productivity focused mainly the domestic market. But overseas sales by focusing on profitability are difficult to expect. III. International Business Strategy Analysis 1. Ideal International Business Strategy Analysis Pressure for global integration Globalization of markets: Basic needs of customers are not quite different globally. The convergence of customers for an automobile tire makes tires makers go global. Tire industry has similarities in products, customers, and even operating structures. The objectives of tire makers are mainly how to focus on minimal costs and maximum value. Globalization of production: Standardization of tire drives the globalization of market. Since tire industry is typical the manufacturing industry, it can benefit from economies of scale and cluster effects at specific locations such as Hungary aiming European market. Pressure for local responsiveness Customer divergence: Customer and country divergence are middle due to following reasons. Since a tire is complementary goods of an automobile, a tire market is strongly affected by an automobile market. In developed countries, there is no big pressure for local responsiveness because economic conditions and infra structures for a tire market are quite similar. However, in developing countries such as BRICs the gap between rich and poor are wide and road conditions are very different. It means that Hankook tire has to figure out what the customers want. Host government policies: A tire industry is perfectly related to an automobile industry and many local companies try to enter its home and expand their business. Therefore, host government such as China might be sensitive and hostile to foreign company. Therefore, it might be a good way for Hankook tire to choose Global Strategy or Transnational Strategy. 2. What Hankook Tire did? 5 RD Centers: Korea, U.S.A, Germany, China, Japan 5 Factories: Korea (2 factories), China (2 factories), Hungary 4 Regional headquarters and 80 subsidiaries Sales office Sold its products to 164 countries Hankook Tire is steadily improving its image as a premium brand through  aggressive global marketing and continuous research and development efforts. 3. Hankook Tires entry to other countries Internationalization Phase and Entering Countries 1) Beginning phase (1981-1998) Established Hankook Tire America Corporation (1981) Established its Beijing branch in China (1994) Established Europe Technical Center (ETC) (1996) Established China Technical Center (CTC) (1998) 2) Expansion phase (1999-present) Completed Jiangsu and Jiaxing Plant in China (1999) Opened Europe Distribution Center (EDC) in the Netherlands(2001) Hungary Plant begins production (2007) 100 millionth tire produced in China (2007) Detailed information by main countries 1) China A. Objectives of Internalization To create demand in the fast growing market with high infinite potential Expand its tire business in China with increasing automobile industry B. Consideration for Site Selection Economic: Continuous double digit growth. Explosion of middle-high income consumers Social/Political: Communist country geared toward open policy. Easy to enter due to its similarity to Korea in terms of social, cultural and geographical aspect Tire Industry: World largest tire manufacturing company (over 337 million yearly, *source -Tire Business), World highest growth rate on domestic market sales C. Entry Mode Founded Beijing branch in 1994 and exported Establishment of Joint-Venture with Chinese Company which is located in Jiangsu and had a good relationship with them Established China Technical Center in 1998 and completed Jiangsu and Jiaxing plant in 1999 Expansion of distribution channel in 10 major cities Roll-out of TStation one-stop auto service concept in Shanghai in 2007 Operating 40 TStations and 400 Tire Towns in China D. Outcome Recorded 20% of market share which is 1st in China and 1.4 trillion won of sales revenue in 2010 Supplied its products to more than 30 automobile companies in Chinese market such as Volkswagen, PEUGEOT, Ford and NISSAN [ Table 3-1 ] Hook Tires ability of production and plan for expansion Home Abroad Total Plan for expansion 4,300 China: 2,800 7,600 Build additional factories in Hungary (+500) Hungary: 500 Establish 3th factory in China and 1st one in Indonesia Making a plan to produce 110 million a year until 2014 Sourced by Hankook tires IR 2) Hungary A. Objectives of Internalization Cost Reduction for Distribution and Manufacturing Hungary is a good place for first foray before expanding its entry into Western Europe countries B. Consideration for Site Selection Economic: Risk minimization of current exchange rate among EU countries Social/Political: Reduction of possible trading disputes and not imposing antidumping tariffs among EU countries Tire Industry: Europe is taking 30% of world tire market C. Entry mode Established of Europe Technical Center in 1996 and began Hungary Plant in 2007 Decided to build additional two more factories in 2010 to be able to manufacture 12 million per year 4. Evaluation and key learning from previous case The tire industry is multinational in nature; therefore, production plants are situated in virtually every geographic region, particularly in North America, Europe, Japan, other Asian countries. Strategic supplies of natural rubber integral to the production of certain OTR tires are situated near the equator in many of the Asian countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and China. Large global tire plants in many regions of the world have the capability to produce a variety of tires including passenger car, truck and bus, and certain OTR tires, variably dependent upon logistics, demand, and affiliation. In this competitive industry, Most of Hankook tires international business turned out to be sustainable. Especially, the success in Chinese market is meaningful in respect of Hankook tire has been leading other competitors with high quality strategy operating Tire Town and differentiation strategy managing premium store TStation. The next step was to expand its market to Europe, America, and other countries. To be successful in these new markets as they did in China, Hankook tire should analyze the target market thoroughly and implement appropriate strategies optimized to each market. IV. Companys TO-BE Analysis 1. Should Hankook Tire really go to global market? As shown above, Hankook Tire has been tried to expand their business to global for a long time and seems to place good position in China market. With the effort, the company shows possibility to be a global big player with competitiveness. Thus, they need to keep their global strategy and to expand global business further. Before the expansion, however, Hankook Tire should scrutinize below questions. What are the core competitive points of Hankook Tire? What were the key success factors of Hankook Tire for China market? Is the success factors are applicable to other markets such as Europe and America? 2. Does Hankook Tire still have the chance globally? Most of all, the critical success factor of globalization of Hankook Tire is successful penetration into China market based on competitive price with better quality, preoccupancy, and well-established brand value. Tire industry has been threatened sharp rising of the price of raw materials and it results short-term shortfall of profitability. Global top-tier players are suffering from the situation of increasing price of natural rubber under lower demand of tires and do not show sufficient capacity to prepare for business recovery. Whereas, Hankook Tire maintains relatively higher profitability than other global top-tier competitors and it may give good opportunity for the company to be grown by ‘survivor effect. Moreover, the good profit structure makes Hankook Tire offer good suggestion to dealers. There is no doubt that it is the right time for Hankook 3. Our suggestions Hankook Tire ranked 1st place of PCR (passenger car radials) with 30% market share in China, which is one of the biggest potentials, and marked 7th in worldwide tire market. However, strong global competitors are continuously expanding their investments in China market and thus the competition is getting much fiercer. Furthermore, the price of raw materials is going up and it does deteriorate the operation profit. Therefore, we would like to suggest three strategic pillars for Hankook tire to acquire competitive edge of global competition and to explore new chance for the growth as below. 1) Reinforcement of the leadership in Emerging market focusing on China Aggressive penetration and expansion strategy of Hankook Tire for emerging markets is most appropriate to broaden the gap with following competitors at this point. Enhance competitiveness in Original Equipment (OE) tire market through strategic alliance with one of the big automobile companies such as Hyundai-Kia motors which is the 2nd player of China automobile industry. Preoccupy upcoming explosive market of Replacement Equipment (RE) tire through technology driven, value added products such as UHP(Ultra High Performance) Expand T station business, a new distribution channel which makes high profitability through direct sales to consumer, provides highly qualified service and image, and enables CRM. Develop localized tire products considering Chinese specific culture, weather, and economics. For example, customized tires for reckless driving and overloading vehicles. Diversify product portfolio from tires for PCR to bus, truck, and light trucks. 2) Expansion of growth opportunity in Developed market such as America US market registered cars are 250 million and among this newly producing car only shares 13 millions. It is the biggest RE tire market preferring premium brands. Hankook Tire started to export 1986 and 2010 sales revenue reached US$ 1billion. Market share of Korean tire companies in US market gradually increased from 2.5% in 2000 to 8.9% in 2009. It is primarily driven by increased preference to Korean brands of US dealers. Korean brands demonstrate significant higher market shares than wholesalers distribution rate and it provides the dealers higher profit. Moreover, top-tier players still maintain oligopoly but decrepit facilities and inefficient cost structure let disappear advantages of local production. Closing of the factories decreases capability of production in US and thus the amount of export tends to increase continuously. Lastly, as US government adopted a protectionist stance as evidenced by the imposition of an additional 35% safeguard tariff on Chinese-made tires, Hank ook Tire should handle the rapidly changing business environment with appropriate countermeasures at the right time. To leverage the above opportunities, we would suggest expanding the business with premium tires based on local production and efficient supply chain management (SCM), getting competitive edge in North and South American area. Build a new factory in Mexico and produce two separate line products; Mexico has several advantages as supplying headquarter for North and South America: Free trade with US, lowest labor cost among North America countries, and geographic advantage for effective supply between North and South America. Two separate line products may satisfy different needs of the customers: technology-driven, premium tires for North America and cost effective, low price tire for South America. Accelerate market penetration taking advantage of relatively high profitability. Hankook Tire should expand Original Equipment (OE) tire sales and distribution channels because OE lasts averagely five years before replacement and around half have a tendency to keep their original brand in the timing of replacement. If Hankook Tire has an advantage on production of functional OE tires or distribution with aggressive investment under depressed tire market, allied with major automobile companies such as Ford which already established cooperation, it would be good chance to make a new leap forward as one of the big global players in tire industry. 3) International business management for long-term competitiveness For the long-term success of global business for Hankook Tire, our team suggests that high global efficiency and high local responsiveness be needed as strategic alternatives for international strategy Achieve economies of scale on the long term point of view. Due to the nature of the tire industry, the economies of scale with high foreign investment with extensive coordination would be effective way to strengthen the long-term competitiveness. Secure global scale efficiency through the localization Since 2009, Hungarian plant has achieved to save the short-term logistic costs and shorten the delivery period from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 days. And also enhanced market recognition in Europe. This is good example to have raised the market share through the localization. To build the next-planed Indonesia and China plant may helpful to strengthen long term competitiveness. Decentralization Strategy by ongoing training program for local people. Trained local people could take the initiative to enhance not only the production efficiency and quality but also the sales. Thus, training program for local makes to strengthen the long term competitiveness

Nikola Tesla Essay -- biographies bio

Born in 1856 the son of an Orthodox priest in Smiljan, Croatia, Nikola Tesla had an early exposure to inventing. His mother, although unschooled, was a very intelligent woman who often created appliances that helped with home and farm responsibilities, such as a mechanical eggbeater. Young Nikola was schooled at home during his early years and later attended a school in Carlstadt, Croatia. He soon developed advanced skills such as doing calculus integrals in his head. He very deeply wanted to attend college and become an engineer, but his father wanted him to join the priesthood. When Nikola was seventeen, he caught cholera and made his father to promise that if he survived the illness that he would be allowed to go to college. Obviously, Nikola lived. At the Austrian Polytechnic School at Graz Tesla studied mechanical and electrical engineering. One day, one of his professors showed him a Gramme Dynamo that could be used as a motor and generator. Tesla looked at it and asked if the Dynamo could do away with its sparking communicators. The professor replied that it would be similar to building a perpetual motion machine. The idea of such a machine tantalized Tesla for years until one day at the age of 24 when he was living in Budapest working for the Central Telephone Exchange he had an epiphany and began making sketches that would soon develop into the world's first induction motor. After several unsuccessful jobs with German and French electrical power companies where he tried to improve their DC generators, 29-year-old Tesla came to New York City with four cents in his pocket. Nikola went to Thomas Edison with a letter of recommendation from a business associate of Edison's that read, "My Dear Edison: I k... ...aimed that he had perfected his "death beam". He died shortly after in the Hotel New Yorker, where he had been living. The next morning after Tesla died, when his nephew came to his uncle's room at the hotel, the body was gone and many of his papers were missing. Naturally, if Tesla indeed had invented anything that had to do with weaponry, the FBI would be interested. Thus, all the way up until 1952, Tesla's papers which were held on to by the government eventually made it back to his family. However, the papers having to do with the beams are still missing. Some people today believe that Tesla took that knowledge to the grave with him. Bibliography Text Sources all accessed April 2003: http://www.mall-usa.com/BPCS/grant_tesla.html http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ http://www.neuronet.pitt.edu/~bogdan/tesla/bio.htm http://www.apc.net/bturner/tesla.htm

The Downfall and Destruction of a King in the Play, Oedipus the King :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

The Downfall of a King in the Play, Oedipus the King I found the tragedy of "Oedipus the King" to be quite interesting. It was not as hard to read as an epic. "The purpose of tragedy is to arouse the emotions of pity and fear and thus to produce in the audience a catharsis of these emotions." (p488, A Handbook of Literature) A tragedy has more drama and builds to the climax. Oedipus' fate was set into motion by the circumstances he created himself because of his own rashness and arrogance. This is called an inciting incident. "He is headstrong and foolish (in not questioning Polybus and Merope in more detail or pursuing his original question with the Delphic oracle)." (Duke) For instance, Oedipus could have asked these questions: (1) How was King Laius killed and where? (2) Who are my real parents? He would not have married his mother and had children with her. He would have become King of Corinth. Jocasta would not have hung herself. Oedipus would not have blinded himself. The city would not have been plagued because Laius killer had not been punished. In today's society Oedipus would not have gotten away with murder. That was very different in the Greek society; murder was viewed as making someone a hero and more powerful. Although, if one had too much pride that was a sin. How can someone get away with murder and not be affected by it? He killed Laius in cold blood and that is all there is to it. However, this is how the overall plot of the play evolved. "When the play opens, the city of Thebes is wasting away under a plague that leaves its fields and women barren. Oedipus, the king of Thebes, has sent his brother-in-law, Creon, to ask the house of Apollo to ask the oracle how to put an end to the plague. Creon returns, bearing good news: once the killer of the previous king, Laius, is found, Thebes will be cured of the plague (Laius was Jocasta's husband before she married Oedipus). Hearing this, Oedipus swears he will find the murderer and banish him. He asks Creon some questions: where was Laius murdered? did anyone see the crime? how many men killed him? Creon answers: Laius was killed outside the city by a group of robbers, and the only witness was a shepherd who still lives nearby.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 2

The skinhead's face was contorted, his eyes huge. He stared at her, breathing hard like a hurt animal. â€Å"I know,† Jez said. â€Å"You ran fast. You can't figure out how I ran faster.† â€Å"You're-not-human,† the skinhead panted. Except that he threw in a lot of other words, the kind humans liked to use when they were upset. â€Å"You guessed,† Jez said cheerfully, ignoring the obscenities. â€Å"You're not as dumb as you look.† â€Å"What-the hell-are you?† â€Å"Death.† Jez smiled at him. â€Å"Are you going to fight? I hope so.† He fumbled the gun up again. His hands were shaking so hard he could scarcely aim it. â€Å"I think you're out of ammo,† Jez said. â€Å"But anyway a branch would be better. You want me to break one off for you?† He pulled the trigger. The gun just clicked. He looked at it. Jez smiled at him, showing her teeth. She could feel them grow as she went into feeding mode. Her canines lengthening and curving until they were as sharp and delicate and translucent as a cat's. She liked the feel of them lightly indenting her lower lip as she half-opened her mouth. That wasn't the only change. She knew that her eyes were turning to liquid silver and her lips were getting redder and fuller as blood flowed into them in anticipation of feeding. Her whole body was taking on an indefinable charge of energy. The skinhead watched as she became more and more beautiful, more and more inhuman. And then he seemed to fold in on himself. With his back against a tree, he slid down until he was sitting on the ground in the middle of some pale brown oyster fungus. He was staring straight ahead. Jez's gaze was drawn to the double lightning bolt tattooed on his neck. Right. . . there, she thought. The skin seemed reasonably clean, and the smell of blood was enticing. It was running there, rich with adrenaline, in blue veins just under the surface. She was almost intoxicated just thinking about tapping it. Fear was good; it added that extra spice to the taste. Like Sweetarts. This was going to be good†¦. Then she heard a soft broken sound. The skinhead was crying. Not loud bawling. Not blubbering and begging. Just crying like a kid, slow tears trickling down his cheeks as he shook. â€Å"I thought better of you,† Jez said. She shook her hair out, tossed it in contempt. But something inside her seemed to tighten. He didn't say anything. He just stared at her- no, through her-and cried. Jez knew what he was seeing. His own death. â€Å"Oh, come on,† Jez said. â€Å"So you don't want to die. Who does? But you've killed people before. Your gang killed that guy Juan last week. You can dish it out, but you can't take it.† He still didn't say anything. He wasn't pointing the gun at her anymore; he was clutching it with both hands to his chest as if it were a teddy bear or something. Or maybe as if he were going to kill himself to get away from her. The muzzle of the gun was under his chin. The thing inside Jez tightened more. Tightened and twisted until she couldn't breathe. What was wrong with her? He was just a human, and a human of the worst kind. He deserved to die, and not just because she was hungry. But the sound of that crying †¦ It seemed to pull at her. She had a feeling almost of deja vu, as if this had all happened before-but it hadn't. She knew it hadn't. The skinhead spoke at last. â€Å"Do it quick,† he whispered. And Jez's mind was thrown into chaos. With just those words she was suddenly not in the forest anymore. She was falling into nothingness, whirling and spinning, with nothing to grab hold of. She saw pictures in bright, disjointed flashes. Nothing made sense; she was plunging in darkness with scenes unreeling before her helpless eyes. â€Å"Do it quickly,† somebody whispered. A flash and Jez saw who: a woman with dark red hair and delicate, bony shoulders. She had a face like a medieval princess. â€Å"I won't fight you,† the woman said. â€Å"Kill me. But let my daughter live.† Mother†¦ These were her memories. She wanted to see more of her mother-she didn't have any conscious memory of the woman who'd given birth to her. But instead there was another flash. A little girl was huddled in a corner, shaking. The child had flame-bright hair and eyes that were neither silver nor blue. And she was so frightened †¦ Another flash. A tall man running to the child. Turning around, standing in front of her. â€Å"Leave her alone! It's not her fault. She doesn't have to die!† Daddy. Her parents, who'd been killed when she was four. Executed by vampire hunters†¦. Another flash and she saw fighting. Blood. Dark figures struggling with her mother and father. And screaming that wouldn't quite resolve into words. And then one of the dark figures picked up the little girl in the corner and held her up high†¦ and Jez saw that he had fangs. He wasn't a vampire hunter; he was a vampire. And the little girl, whose mouth was open in a wail, had none. All at once, Jez could understand the screaming. â€Å"Kill her! Kill the human! Kill the freak!† They were screaming it about her. Jez came back to herself. She was in Muir Woods, kneeling in the ferns and moss, with the skinhead cowering in front of her. Everything was the same†¦ but everything was different. She felt dazed and terrified. What did it mean? It was just some bizarre hallucination. It had to be. She knew how her parents had died. Her mother had been murdered outright by the vampire hunters. Her father had been mortally wounded, but he'd managed to carry the four-year-old Jez to his brother's house before he died. Uncle Bracken had raised her, and he'd told her the story over and over. But that screaming†¦ It didn't mean anything. It couldn't. She was Jez Redfern, more of a vampire than anyone, even Morgead. Of all the lamia, the vampires who could have children, her family was the most important. Her uncle Bracken was a vampire, and so was his father, and his father's father, all the way back to Hunter Redfern. But her mother†¦ What did she know about her mother's family? Nothing. Uncle Bracken always just said that they'd come from the East Coast. Something inside Jez was trembling. She didn't want to frame the next question, but the words came into her mind anyway, blunt and inescapable. What if her mother had been human? That would make Jez†¦ No. It wasn't possible. It wasn't just that Night World law forbade vampires to fall in love with humans. It was that there was no such thing as a vampire-human hybrid. It couldn't be done; it had never been done in twenty thousand years. Anybody like that would be a freak†¦. The trembling inside her was getting worse. She stood up slowly and only vaguely noticed when the skinhead made a sound of fear. She couldn't focus on him. She was staring between the redwood trees. If it were true †¦ it couldn't be true, but if it were true†¦ she would have to leave everything. Uncle Bracken. The gang. And Morgead. She'd have to leave Morgead. For some reason that made her throat close convulsively. And she would go †¦ where? What kind of a place was there for a half-human half-vampire freak? Nowhere in the Night World. That was certain. The Night People would have to kill any creature like that. The skinhead made another sound, a little whimper. Jez bunked and looked at him. It couldn't be true, but all of a sudden she didn't care about killing him anymore. In fact, she had a feeling like slow horror creeping over her, as if something in her brain was tallying up all the humans she'd hurt and killed over the years. Something was taking over her legs, making her knees rubbery. Something was crushing her chest, making her feel as if she were going to be sick. â€Å"Get out of here,† she whispered to the skinhead. He shut his eyes. When he spoke it was in a kind of moan. â€Å"You'll just chase me.† â€Å"No.† But she understood his fear. She was a huntress. She'd chased so many people. So many humans †¦ Jez shuddered violently and shut her eyes. It was as if she had suddenly seen herself in a mirror and the image was unbearable. It wasn't Jez the proud and fierce and beautiful. It was Jez the murderer. I have to stop the others. The telepathic call she sent out was almost a scream. Everybody! This is Jez. Come to me, right now! Drop what you're doing and come! She knew they'd obey-they were her gang, after all. But none of them except Morgead had enough telepathic power to answer across the distance. What's wrong? he said. Jez stood very still. She couldn't tell him the truth. Morgead hated humans. If he even knew what she suspected†¦ the way he would look at her†¦ He would be sickened. Not to mention that he'd undoubtedly have to kill her. I'll explain later, she told him, feeling numb. I just found out-that it's not safe to feed here. Then she cut the telepathic link short. She was afraid he'd sense too much of what was going on inside her. She stood with her arms wrapped around herself, staring between the trees. Then she glanced at the skinhead, who was still huddled in the sword fern. There was one last thing she had to do with him. Ignoring his wild flinching, she stretched out her hand. Touched him, once, on the forehead with an extended finger. A gentle, precise contact. â€Å"Remember†¦ nothing,† she said. â€Å"Now go.† She felt the power flow out of her, wrapping itself around the skinhead's brain, changing its chemistry, rearranging his thoughts. It was something she was very good at. The skinhead's eyes went blank. Jez didn't watch him as he began to crawl away. All she could think of now was getting to Uncle Bracken. He would answer her questions; he would explain. He would prove to her that none of it was true. He'd make everything all right.

Greenhouse Gases

We know electricity is a form of energy and energy is the ability to perform work or make things happen, we also know there are several sources of energy and â€Å"wind† happens to be one of those sources. Since â€Å"wind† is simply air in motion, what then is â€Å"wind energy† and how can we generate electricity from it? Well, based on my research, wind energy is the result of the sun’s energy interacting with the earth’s surfaces. It is also an ideal renewable energy source that is infinitely sustainable; pollution free; doesn’t use fuel; and doesn’t produce greenhouse gases, toxic or radioactive waste.This type of energy is considered a green power technology because it has minor impacts on the environment. When using wind to generate electricity we use machines known as turbines and this turbines use blades that are connected to a drive shaft to collect the winds’ kinetic energy which creates a lift that causes them to tur n and then produces electricity using an electric generator. Okay now we know basics, how does this energy source reduce greenhouse gases? First of all, what are these â€Å"greenhouse gases†?Greenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range . The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide (the principal greenhouse gas), methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. From definition, we know that generating electricity for wind does not produce any of these GHG. Before analyzing how efficient wind energy is in reducing GHG, let us consider some other sources of energy. These other sources include: hydropower (water), solar (sun), geothermal (heat) and nuclear.

Richard Cory and God’s Work

People can suffer in silence and suddenly they either shock us by doing something drastic or they emerge as heroes who win our admiration. † a) Briefly outline what happens in â€Å"Richard Cory† and â€Å"God’s Work†. Richard Cory, the subject of the poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, is a man who is highly favored in his community. The working class citizens, one of which is the narrator of the poem, are always admiring his sophistication and his regal attitude. They also have high regards for his humanity, wealth as well as his status in education.The people think that Richard Cory is everything; they begin to cut back on the things they do in hope to achieve a similar lifestyle to the one that Richard Cory lives. However, without any identified reason, Richard kills himself, bringing surprise to the ones who admire him together with the reader. In the poem â€Å"God’s Work† by Ian McDonald, death also occurs, however, being of a different s tate to that of â€Å"Richard Cory†. The poet respects the main character, Mister Edwards, who is his gardener, handyman and a good friend.Mister Edwards is a strong man, both physically and mentally, and a handsome man too. However, he is ill and is experiencing the factors of death. Although Mister Edwards suffers a slow and excruciating death, he shows his great appreciation for the things he experiences. He believes that whatever happens, whether it may be pleasing or dissatisfying, it is God’s work and it happens for a reason. Coming on to the end of the poem, the poet describes the pain that Mister Edwards endures, and how many people believe that he has a strong heart.Finally, he dies, and the persona cynically cries out â€Å"God’s Work†. b) How does the statement above apply to each poem? After reading the poems â€Å"Richard Cory† and â€Å"God’s Work,† it is clearly recognized that the statement is applied in both poems. In the poems, the two main characters suffer silently, however, in â€Å"Richard Cory,† his death shocks the reader and in â€Å"God’s Work†, Mister Edwards’ strength allowed him to become admirable to the reader. The first half of the poem that states, â€Å"People suffer in silence and suddenly they either hock us by doing something drastic,† is in relation to the poem â€Å"Richard Cory†. The way in which Richard lives his life and carries himself is admired by the narrators, who continually describe his characteristics throughout most of the poem. This may be evident where they describe him as being, â€Å"Clean favored, and imperially slim. † The working class also tries their utmost best to become an individual such as Richard, evident in the lines, â€Å"In fine, we thought he was everything to make us wish that we were in his place.So on we worked, and waited for the light, and went without the meat, and cursed the bread. † Through this way of thinking, Richard Cory creates an extreme shock to the reader, by killing himself on â€Å"one calm summer night†. â€Å"God’s Work† relates to the second half of the statement which says that the people who suffer in silence, â€Å"they emerge as heroes who win our admiration. † It is evident throughout the poem that Mister Edwards is suffering from a painful illness. The poet describes Mister Edwards’ suffering; the â€Å"spasms† he experiences â€Å"crumpling up his face. However, he tries to maintain his dignity even during death through â€Å"the effort to hold back the gut contracting cry†. Obviously, Mister Edwards is a man of good faith in God. He accepts that even the worst that can happen is a part of â€Å"God’s Work† as well as the death that he is experiencing. Mister Edwards’ struggle reveals his strength of character and his heroism allowing him to become such an admiration t o the reader. c) In each case, what poetic device does the poet use to make us feel shock or admiration?The poetic device that the poets use in both poems is that of situational irony, so as to make us feel shock or admiration. In â€Å"Richard Cory†, by the way in which the citizens speak about Richard Cory’s wealth, education and his general way of living, the reader is made to believe that he is contented with his life. This may be evident in his royality; him being â€Å"a gentleman from sole to crown, clean favored, and imperially slim. † Further, it is also obvious in the way Richard Cory â€Å"glittered when he walked,† and how rich and â€Å"admirably schooled† he is.The citizens long to become as successful as Richard Cory is and â€Å"waited for the light†. However, at the end of the poem, the situational irony shocks the reader, as the narrators reveal that Richard Cory kills himself. This occurs since the reader did not expect su ch a humble and pleasant man, who seems to have everything, to do something that drastic. For the poem â€Å"God’s Work† many situations of irony occur. However, the ironic situation that allows the reader to evoke feelings of admiration is the situation where Mister Edwards accepts death as the actions of God despite the nature of the event.Although many would think that â€Å"God’s Work† is just about the blooming flowers and the rising sun, Mister Edwards believes that harsh storms and floods are also â€Å"God’s Work†, evident where the persona says, â€Å"’God’s work’, he would say when the rain pelted down and floods rushed in rivers and storms lashed the tree-tops†. The reader may wonder why such an agonizing death is experienced by someone who is said to be of good character, as he is described by the persona in the second stanza, but Mister Edwards has faith in God, believing that he allows suffering for there is a reason behind it.