Information and computer technology on banking Essay Example for Free

Information and computer technology on banking Essay For over a decade, the rapid advancement in information and communication technology has significantly affected the banking industry. The banking sector has embraced the use of technology to serve its client’s faster and also to do more with less. Emerging technologies have changed the banking industry from paper and branch based banks to â€Å"digitized and networked banking services†. Unlike before, broadband internet is cheap and it makes the transfer of data easy and first. Technology has changed the accounting and management system of all banks. And it is now changing the way how banks are delivering services to their customers. However this technology comes at a cost, implementing all this technology has been expensive but the rewards are limitless. The banking sector was one of the first to embrace rapid globalization and benefit significantly from IT development. The technological revolution in banking started in the 1950s, with the installation of the first automated bookkeeping machines at banks. This was well before the other industries became IT savvy. However, in Bangladesh the revolution started in 1990s. Present Status: A good number of technology driven services are provided to the customers by the Private Commercial Banks (PCBs), Foreign Commercial Banks (FCBs)and Nationalized Commercial Banks (NCBs). The FCBs operating in Bangladesh like Standard Chartered Bank and HSBCare the pioneers to introduce technology driven banking facilities. Thesebanks provide services like ATM, debit card, credit card, Point of Sale (POS)services, internet banking, phone banking, any branch banking, ElectronicFund Transfer (EFT). Along with these services Standard Chartered Bank isproviding KIOSK service to its customers. Among the local banks, the PCBs are ahead of the NCBs in providingtechnology driven banking services. A limited number of technology drivenservices are being provided by the private Islamic banks in Bangladesh. For sending foreign remittance NCBs and some PCBs are working collaboratively with mobile phone service operators. Application of computer based services in Bangladesh: Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT), SWIFT and MICR cheque are being provided by all the banks. All the banks except Uttara Bank are providing any branch banking to the customers. All banks have debit card facilities for their clients except Citi Bank NA. First Security Islami Bank Limited, Uttara Bank Limited and Citi Bank NA have no own ATM booth. First Security Islami BankLimited is going to establish their own ATM booth. They have already selected the palce for 100 ATM booth and expect to launch within very short possible time.

Nokia competencies

Nokia competencies Every firm comprises of competencies, not all possess core competencies, these are crucial for a competitiveness. This report examines the core competencies that contribute most significantly to Nokias competitive advantage. These consist of organisational culture and research and development. Nokias competitive advantage will be analysed based on corporate brand and products and services base, then personal analysis reported. 2.0 Theoretical idea of core competencies Firms possess competencies through efficient use of resources and are required for firms to compete. Core competencies are attributes that an organisation possesses which in turn allows it to achieve competitive advantage (Prahalad Hamel, 1990 cited Henry. A, 2008). There is differential performance between companies in the same industry, due to individual core competencies since the environment is constant. In 2008, Dell had the largest market share in UK PC market (Datamonitor, 2009), with core competencies in its value chain giving competitive advantage (Henry. A, 2008). Core competencies should be appropriable so those who provide the attributes for the competitive advantage should reap benefits (Kay. J, 1993 cited Open University, 2009). The key is not to focus on all competencies just ones that add most value and competitive advantage. Collis and Montgomery (1997) identified some attributes within the organisation are more useful for gaining sustainable competitive advantage (Henry, 2008). The features of useful attributes are that they help provide value to customers, are unique and difficult to imitate (Collis Montgomery, 1997, cited Hooley. G et al, 2008) as seen in figure 1. Other theorists support this identification, Prahalad and Hamel (1990) identified three tests for core competencies: 1. A core competence should provide access to a wide variety of markets. 2. A core competence should make a significant contribution to perceived customer benefits of end products. 3. A core competence should be difficult for competitors to imitate. (Prahalad cited The Free Library, 2002). Hamel and Prahalad (The Free Library, 2002) identified core competencies should not remain static whilst the environment changes. Core competencies enable production of new products and services and increase customer relationship management, they should be envied by competitors but difficult to replicate (Hooley. G et al, 2008). Shangri La Hotels have a stronger customer relationship than their competitors (Datamonitor, 2009) their mission Delighting customers each and every time (Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, 2009). 2.1 Nokias core competencies Nokia has many competencies but due to recent success appears to focus on the right core competencies to gain competitive advantage. The two significant ones are organisational culture (Blau. J, 2003) and investment in research and development (Nokia, 2009). Organisational culture is a core competence and source of sustainable competitive advantage (Barney, 1986b, cited Hamel. G Heene. A,1994). 2.1.1 Nokias organisational culture Nokia, unlike competitors, is innovative and entrepreneurial by adopting the correct culture (Blau. J, 2003). Within the organisation entrepreneurship is encouraged by managers open to employee suggestions for new products and services, this allows continuous learning, there is also a feedback process for employees engaging in new ideas (Blau. J, 2003). VP Niitamo, Chair of European Living Labs Portfolio, Some of Nokias success, is from continuously bringing in young, talented people, without pushing them down one particular career path (Blau. J, 2003). For this to take place they must have shared vision to ensure full commitment from employees (Kanter, 1983 cited Henry. A, 2008). 2.1.2 Nokias research and development Another core competency is Nokias research and development. Nokia employs 51,750 people, over one third is made up of people in research and development. The company employs approximately 1,000 new people in research and development each year, aiming for those who have new skills (Blau. J, 2003). Nokias extensive research and development enables it to create trusted consumer relationships, the best mobile devices everywhere and context enriched services (Nokia, 2009). 3.0 Theoretical idea of competitive advantage Competitive advantage results from matching core competencies to opportunities (Business Dictionary, 2009). Many 2000 dot.com failures were companies identifying the opportunity but not having competencies to achieve competitive advantage (Hooley. G et al, 2008). Companies can achieve competitive advantage by charging higher prices for increased value products and services or offering the same products and services as competitors at lower prices (Porter. M. E, 1985). Differences between rival products and services have become narrow, so companies need to find new ways of distinguishing themselves in customers minds. Companies can use brands to be distinctive compared with competitors, and create a relationship with customers for competitive advantage (Chailan. C, 2008). In 2008, the airline industry saw JetBlues new experience based differentiation after they created T5 terminal at JFK. T5 added brand value by augmenting the service with additional and complementary features (DDB, 2009). Companies should look for sustainability; competitive advantage that competitors are unable to imitate (Barney, 1991 cited Henry. A, 2008). Tesco uses vendor managed inventory and builds relationships with suppliers such as Nestle and Coca Cola to improve availability, providing competitive advantage for those involved, however unsustainable (William Reed Business Media Ltd, 2009). Figure 2 identifies the relationship between core competencies and competitive advantage. Although core competencies lead to competitive advantages this may be indirect by developing core products or services. 3.1 Nokias competitive advantage Nokia is currently worldwide largest mobile phone maker, therefore they must have significant core competencies to gain competitive advantage (Yahoo Finance, 2009). Nokias competitive advantage is based on scale, brand and services (Nokia, 2008). 3.1.1 Nokias brand value After wavering in 2004, Nokia came back to build an outstanding reputation through a 12% increase in brand value and became fifth top brand (Kiley. D, 2007). Nokia currently has number one brand in many markets worldwide (Temporal. P Davies. R, 2009). Nokias organisational culture contributed to its corporate brand since employees and processes are reflected in the brand (Temporal. P, 2009). Nokias research and development assisted in creating brand value by keeping up to date with evolving consumer demands and is recognised as a company that provides consumers with the desired products and services. NRC, Nokias innovations hub invests at least 5% of the annual research and development budget. Innovations are created for commercial purposes after three to five years development (Samuels. M, 2006). 3.1.2 Nokias products and services Ideas need to align with organisational culture, therefore this must be correct to generate desired products and services (Henry. A, 2008). Organisational culture is reflected in products and services through processes and procedures, this led to sustainable competitive advantage. The knowledge possessed by employees cannot be easily transferred, groups of employees would be required for a fraction of the knowledge (Argote. L Ingram. P, 2000). Nokias research and development continuously improves and generates new products, this is essential as Nokias markets became highly competitive over the last decade with entrants such as Apple iPhone (Ward. A, 2009). In 2002 Nokia received the Frost and Sullivan market engineering award for its secure access system innovation which was an exceptionally evolved product (BNET,2003 Calif. S. J, 2002). 4.0 Critical analysis I conclude that Nokia has effectively developed competencies into core competencies to develop sustainable competitive advantage. I consider Nokia to have core competencies in particular organisational culture and research and development, contributing most to Nokias competitive advantage. The organisational culture is quite unique among competitors, yet as industry leader so they must be doing the right things internally in relation to the external industry. Other companies should steer away from the negative image that innovative organisations are only effective in small organisations and implement some of Nokias techniques to reduce differential performance between them. However, I realise this will only be effective if there are shared values and commitment from the entire organisation as with Nokia. Organisational culture cannot be easily learned so this must create sustainable competitive advantage until competitors have developed their culture more effectively. Nokia invests heavily in research and development which is reflected in its product and service offering which is outstanding, therefore I see it as a worthwhile investment. I have identified that Nokia doesnt just employ people for research and development, it supports them and develops their knowledge base to benefit the company. I identified Nokias main competitive advantage being brand value and product and service offering. I recognise that Nokia successfully achieved competitive advantage of its brand organisational culture and the beliefs and practices adopted by the company. Nokia must continue to do the right things such as ethical behaviour in the work place or the brand will be tarnished and will be difficult to rebuild unless its loyal customer base sticks by regardless which I find doubtful. Nokias other competitive advantage consists developing latest product designs and outperforming rivals through services. I do not consider this sustainable, despite Nokias investments in research and development. Product innovation in the mobile phone industry is the main contributor to growth, through replacement sales (Cassell. J, 2004). This is likely to remain the case as the market is already saturated, therefore I feel Nokia wont maintain this level of competition as rival companies would invest more into research and development to compete. Overall, I find Nokia making best use of its core competencies to gain competitive advantage but dont believe it will continue to be industry leader without enhancing its core competencies to meet evolving demands. 5.0 Conclusion In conclusion it has been analysed that Nokia has several core competencies, the most significant being organisational culture and investment in research and development. These core competencies led to competitive advantage in the form of strong brand image and exceptional product and service offerings. Although this is currently the case for Nokia within the mobile phone industry, they may not be sustainable as will be identified over time.

Wooden Furniture Industry In Malaysia

Wooden Furniture Industry In Malaysia Being one of the worlds top tropical timber producers, Malaysia has been the choices of the world demand on wood products. Seals with different types of wooden products, the consumers market have been eyeing this country for its establishment in such field. From office furniture to home furniture, this sector plays a vital role in building up the countrys economy. The value of the product produced and the number of employment held within this industry is significant that the government of Malaysia has come out with various incentives to assist this industry where it is part of the small-medium industries (SMIs). Although this industry deals with low technology involvement and high intensive labour skills, its yet to be recognized as the leading raw woods producers which driven by the demand all over the world. Taking advantage of the Malaysia Industrial Master Plan (1986-1995), foreign investors investing in furniture industry have shown a good performance where these investors spurred the money flow into the industry as the rise in demand was accelerating despite having to transfer the technologies to local entrepreneurs. Malaysia is not only the main tropical timber production especially for wooden products like furniture. The country is even competing with 5 worlds leading exporters like China, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. Year 1990s was a glory for Malaysia as the country managed to catered demands from Singapore, Japan and USA which then contributed to the total export value of RM3, 776.8 million by the year 2000. This significant achievement was due to the fact that Malaysia is rich with the resources and unskilled labour which led to lower cost of production and production can be increased to meet the demand. Malaysia furniture industry however, facing numerous internal and external factors that eventually affect its development including such threats from competitors, technologies, quality, branding and more. Thus theres a need for a better improvement in strategy adopted by all the furniture producers despite to implement better and improved marketing strategy to capture more clienteles. T he high value of their comparative advantage also is needed to bring Malaysia one step ahead as the world leading furniture exporter. Background of Study As the saying once a new technology rolls over you, if youre not part of the steamroller, youre part of the road by Steward Brand, this show how improvement in technology is essential in recognizing the prospect of being efficient in production. Efficient production lead to better quality product thus can cater more demand either current or new demand. Thus, this paper will prove why substantial technology improvement is needed in order to bring the furniture industry in Malaysia to a higher level and then beat the other worlds leading exporters. Apart from technological advancement, comprehensive marketing strategy also considers as the crucial part in determining the level of acceptance of Malaysias furniture products locally and abroad. This marketing strategy will cover all aspect from the internal and external factor on the basis of marketing principles which are price, product, place and promotion. Moreover, the comprehensive marketing strategy develop should also be taken into consideration the Malaysia Industrial Master Plan introduced by the government since 1986. The continuous improvement made the government have given the industry a huge opportunity for growth in the mentioned industry. Moreover, the success rate of the Malaysia furniture industry was also driven by rigorous moves introduced by the government of Malaysia. The implementation of Industry Master Plan started from year 1986 was a total success. In the Industry Master Plan has outlined several ideas on how to improve the whole Malaysia industries especially furniture industry. This master plan is also being implemented until now to safeguard and path for continuation if the furniture industry. Apart from the Industrial Master Plan, the new economic policy or DEB is also was created to channel the growth flow of the furniture industry to a higher level above the major competitors like Indonesia. However, the discussion on furniture industry is much more comprehensive in Industry Master Plan Malaysia thus this paper will discuss how this Industry Master Plan can assist the sustainability of the industry. 1.3 Problem Statement The furniture industry in Malaysia plays a vital role in stabilizing the economy. The growth rate of this industry was significant that Malaysia has recorded a high growth ever since the industry was introduced commercially in Malaysia. Malaysia even became one of the major competitors after Indonesia and Thailand and furniture products produced by Malaysia were exported around the world. Thus from this situation, we would like to analyzed the growth probability involving furniture industry in Malaysia for the past edges. This wills include the process of examining the technology involved in the industry that caused the acceleration of the industry growth. In technology, the flow of capital is crucial in determining the technology know-how used to develop the furniture industry in Malaysia from traditional production onto advance tech machines. Either than that, this paper will also show why Malaysia furniture industry is well accepted around the world as for its quality or for its low cost. The market share will be also examined as to proof the industry is in a good shape. Apart from these views, few suitable marketing strategies for the industry will also be outlined to improve the awareness of consumers around the world on Malaysia furniture. A good and comprehensive marketing strategies are crucial to drive the performance of the industry especially when it comes to capturing new market share or increasing the market share. Meanwhile, the current strategies are included as for discussion purposes and to outweigh the effectiveness of the strategies implemented currently. 1.4 Objective of the Study To study the advancement of technologies used that driven the industry performance in export and import To investigate the current marketing strategies used and new comprehensive strategies that can be used to accelerate the performance to a better level as at the par with other competitors. To review the importance of the Industry Master Plan (IMP) introduced by the government of Malaysia in playing a vital role to validate the current growth rate of the furniture industry. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW There are four major sectors in Malaysian wood-based industry which are sawn timber, veneer and panel products that include plywood and other reconstituted panel products such as fireboard, moldings and builders joinery and carpentry (BJC). The wood-based industry is fully owned by Malaysian and it is calculated that 80 to 90 % of the businesses comprise small and medium size establishments. The manufacturers of Malaysian furniture produce an extensive range of furniture for households as well as for office use. Before 1995, the activities of Malaysian industry are were mostly in logging, sawmilling and plywood manufacturing. During the period of the 2nd Industrial Master Plan (IMP) (1996 2005), the industry more emphasized value-added processing such as furniture, MDF, panel products and veneer. During this period, the wood based industry has achieved a 5% growth rate. The highest export value is furniture, followed by plywood, sawn timber, logs and fiberboard. The star performer was the burgeoning furniture sub-sector which brought in an impressive double digit return of 11% growth or in real earnings RM 5.8 billion. The 3rd IMP (2006 2020) has earmarked a growth rate of 6.4 per annum for the wood-based industry to achieve RM 53 billion of export value by 2020. The main contributors of this planned growth and export value is to come from furniture and panel products mainly from MDF and plywood. This chapter consists of literature review regard to the wooden furniture export from Malaysia to existing world market. It covers the various aspects of the wood based industry in Malaysia and export of wood based products including wooden furniture to the world countries. The method used in this study to analyze the data was also included to provide a better understanding about the process of analyzing data. According to (MTIB 1994) Malaysia is one of the largest exporters of tropical hardwoods tropical sawn timber, plywood and hardwood moulding. The rapid development as well as the establishment of other primary wood processing industry were supported by large amount of log supply coming from forestland. Once in a while, the wood based sector is dominated by primary processing activities such as sawmilling, veneer and plywood production. However, in recent years, downstream processing activities such as the manufacture of mouldings, furniture and joinery have increased significant ly (Anon, 1 996). According to Lew (1977), the timber industry in Malaysia is an export oriented industry. Malaysias export of major wood based products has increased gradually over the last decade. Even though there is a considerable increase in wood based export, Malaysia is still a small producer in the global market for wood based downstream products. This means that there is a considerable room for expansion in the value added products category. To ensure the continued development of the industry in future, Malaysia is actively pursuing a program of promoting the wood based downstream industry. Many plans and activities have been organized to help the industries in all kind of sectors. These activities including globalization strategy, the knowledge-driven strategy, strengthen cluster development and others. Comparative advantage involves the concept of opportunity cost either in producing or exporting a particular good (Mohd Arif, 2008). According to Mohd Arif (2008), the comparative advantage of one country against others may reflect from the difference of the domestic cost and the world price. The higher the cost differential, the higher is the advantage for the country in producing that good. Some other factors such as abundant resources, technology, telecommunication, subsidized fuel and road development (including low transportation cost) could play their role in the comparative advantage. Additionally, Hunt and Morgan (1995) believed that the efficient use of existing resources and innovation in the production may lead to the comparative advantage of the products. Reduction in trade cost and facilitation of goods and services between places can be done by improving the road infrastructure (Bhattacharyay, 2009). In 1998, Malaysia ranked fifth and seventh in the world ranking of wooden furniture export leaders for office and other wooden furniture, respectively. The United States (US), Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK) were among the largest destination for Malaysian wooden furniture. Export value of wooden furniture in 1996 was RM 1.6 billion, which placed Malaysia as the second largest exporter in this region, after Taiwan, whilst the 15th in the world (Anon., 2000c). The export value has been increasing every year and it reached RM 3.8 billion in year 2000. However, since early 80s export of Malaysia wooden furniture was mainly to the US and Japan where it accounted more that 50% of the total exports (Anon., 2001) As timber industry in Malaysia traditionally is an export oriented industry, hence the export market is vital in enabling the timber industry in Malaysia to reach its desired growth, despite the continuation from domestic market. During the 70s, major output of the industry which was logs, sawn timber and plywood were largely exported. The export of processed products such as molding has experienced a sudden increase during 80s due to growing demand from overseas market and also governments drive for export which charted out in the Industrial Master Plans (IMP), 1986-1995. The export of molding, furniture and joinery there on continued to increase. The international marketing research, found that there was several dimensions used by the researcher indicate marketing strategy. Previous researchers acknowledged firm strategy (Aaby and Slater, 1989), export marketing strategy (Julian, 2003 ; Akyol and Akehurst, 2003; Zou and Stan, 1998; Cavusgil and Zou, 1994; Koh, 1991), export strategy ( Aulakh et al.,2000;Chetty and Hamilton,1993), business strategy (Baldauf et. Al,2000) or strategy (Cicic et al.,2002; Thirkell and Dau,1998). The International Tropical Timber Organization (2008), Have ranked Malaysia as the biggest exporter of tropical logs amounting to 35% market share. There is an overall of RM22.5 billion worth of Malayasia Timber and related products being exported in 2008. Europe is one of the biggest markets of Malaysia wood products since many decades ago. From ( Boon-Kwee, Ng* and Thiruchelvam, K., 2001) in his statement, Malaysias furniture industry is largely wooden and cane based. The industry is highly fragmented, and the large number of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the industry is very prevalent. As one of the manufacturing sectors, the industry has adopted the standard definitions of SME that have been approved by the Central Bank of Malaysia in year 2005, that is, firms with total number of fulltime employees less than 150 people, or total annual sales turnover less than MYR 25 million. According to the Department of Statistics (2009), the total establishments in the furniture industry were mostly constitute by SME. However, However, SME and large enterprise have equal share in terms of value of gross output, value added, employment salary and value of asset. Ratnasingam (2004) views the value of furniture is based on perception, as it is sold based on a perceived value, rather than on an actual value. This shows that the creation of value-added furniture is not about producing it using high quality equipment neither state-of-the-art technologies, but rather it is about expressing a way of life creatively and innovatively. The uniqueness of thus furniture determines its value, while the scientific aspects ease the production method. Similar view of the value of furniture has been advanced by Ettema (1981), who argued that furniture is an important tool of self-presentation, and thus sensitive to the way it is displayed. He states that technology had caused degradation of style furniture industry. In general, machines have allowed furniture production to increase, but they have also failed to crate variation in style, because machines are incapable of producing inexpensive copies of an expensive-looking pattern As stated by (Z. Noor Aini, 2009), Malaysia is one of the developing countries in Southeast Asia which experienced extraordinary economic growth especially in industrialization in the past few decades. Exports of the natural resources and related products as well as manufactured goods have contributed to the development of Malaysian economy. Besides that, with the fact that 60 percent of Malaysia is covered with natural forest, it is difficult to ignore that forest product industry plays an important role in further developing the economy. Malaysia is currently one of the worlds top tropical timber producers. This work supports the idea of Uusivuori and Tervo (2002) that a country which has richer forest assets will have larger net exports of forest products. Furthermore, the country with a larger forest endowment exhibits the comparative advantages in their exports as in comparison to countries with lesser forest endowments. According to (Shabboo,2011), challenges of maintaining sustainability could be various depending on different factors such as the type of product, knowledge of established principles, consumers expectations, manufacturers policies and facilities, legislation, local resources, etc. In Malaysian furniture industry, a survey that is conducted in 2009 revealed that the adoption of green manufacturing practices is limited among wooden furniture producers. Another study in 2008 discovered that the readiness to adopt chain of custody certification among wooden furniture manufacturers was low. This certification has the objective to ensure the wood products really come from an environmentally certified source. Although the number of studies on the environmental aspect of furniture industry is still small in the country, all results demonstrate the poor implementation of sustainability. In addition, integrating sustainability into furniture industry has not been studied from design perspectiv e yet. Ratnasingam and Thomas (2008) argue that the level of technology employed by the Malaysian furniture industry is on same level with other countries which manufacture furniture, if not higher. The MTC (1998) has stated that most of the countrys furniture manufacturers have invested very much in machinery and equipment. Ratnasingam (2000) states that the machine-operated process is the most important value-addition operation in furniture production, as it convert the raw materials into the sophisticated finished product. The quality of the machine had contributed to smooth and effective production process. However, most of the machinery purchased is special function machinery which is aimed at reducing used of man labor in the manufacturing outfit, with the aim of reducing the manufacturing cost or unit cost. This is to be expected, as the industry is labor intensive in nature, and there is an increasing reliance on foreign-contract workers within the industry (Ratnasingam, 2005). Procedures adopted are also in place in order to meet the increasingly high business standards in terms of price-cutting, quality and material properties. A periodic review of the existing polices is necessary to ensure that the industries will remain competitive. However, the critical problem faces by industries is mismanagement of land utilization, provided the insufficiency of readily available land for the cultivation of plantation forests. Research and development (RD) is hence important for introducing not only new products and new processes that will increase the industrys competitiveness, but also new technology that will reduce the land intensity of rubber tree growing, i.e. clones with shorter gestation and richer wood.( Professor Mohamed Ariff, 2011). According to (Professor Mohamed Ariff, 2011), to counterbalance the decline in rubber wood supply and the lack of possible alternative wood sources, in order to support the ongoing development of the WBI, one solution can be taken include the importation of logs from abroad and increase of plantation forests at home. However, logs importation face problems like log bans from neighboring countries as well as its high transportation cost. Thus, forests plantation within the country are thought to be a better option. Several countries have successfully adopted this approach, which has encouraged the development of substantial downstream industries in forest products. This, in turn, has led to the growth of clusters of supplementary industries. While the Malaysian WBI is predominantly rubberwood-based now, other species including Acacia, Sesendok, Albizia, may well prove equally suitable in future. A study by Bojei et al., (2002) on global marketing strategies in the Malaysian wooden furniture industry, the marketing strategies used by the wooden furniture companies, either original equipment manufacturing (OEM), own design manufacturing (ODM) or own brand name (OBM), the most important factors influencing the success of those strategies were firms primary characteristics, decision makers expectation of exporting and global marketing strategy. Lastly, since export marketing strategy has been considered as one of the key determinants on export performance (Cavusgil and Zou, 1994), though not all of the marketing strategy elements will affect the export performance simultaneously. Study by Koh (1991) found that the relationships among organizational characteristics, marketing strategy and export performance has found that only export pricing, direct buyer, and channel strategies of marketing strategy variations have effects on export performance. However, adapting marketing mix variables cater the specific needs of developed country markets would enhance export marketing performance (Aulakh et al., 2000). In contrast, a study by Julian (2003) to identify the key factors influencing export marketing performance found that export marketing strategy has no effect on the Thai firms export marketing performance. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0 Research Methodology The research methodology requires collecting data from the secondary sources, which is overview of Malaysian Furniture Industry: Malaysian furniture export, import and destination that are located in the Annual Report from 2007 to 2011 of the Malaysian Furniture Promotion Council (MFPC) that is being published at its website. There are 10 countries being selected based on the complete data and information of the chosen countries. The data is being analyzed using the Shift Share Analysis. Table 3.1 shows the values of Malaysian Furniture Export from the 2006 to 2011 in (RM million). The initial period consists of year 2006 to 2008, while the terminal period consists of year 2009 to 2011. The data is being analyzed using Microsoft Excel. FINDING,ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION Actual Change Let Vj,t represents the values of Malaysia furniture export for country j at the terminal time period t, Vj,t-1 represents the values of Malaysia furniture export for country j at the initial time period t-1, and  Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Vj be the actual change in market j over the specified period of time. Therefore, The formula of Actual change, = 0 , the Malaysian Furniture Export to the particular country remain unchanged > 0 , the Malaysian Furniture Export to the particular country is increasing According to table 4.0, it shows that the value of Malaysia furniture export to 8 out of 10 countries are declining, excluding Singapore which has an increase of RM 442.2 million, and Japan by RM 150.72. B. Total Growth Rate K = Total Value of Malaysia furniture export for terminal period Total Value of Malaysia furniture export for initial period = RM16600.9 million RM17950.45 million = 0.924818041 (92.4818041%) According to Table 4.0 , the total value of Malaysia furniture export for terminal period was RM16600.9 million, and total value of Malaysia furniture export for initial period RM17950.45 million. Therefore, on average, the Malaysia furniture export is declining by 7.5181959% (1-0.924818041). C. Expected Value E(Vj.t )= K(Vj,t-1) The expected export value of Malaysian furniture in each countries at the terminal period, E(Vj.t ), is the actual export value of initial period(Vj,t-1) multiply with the total growth rate (K). D. Expected Change Expected Change is the difference between the expected value at terminal period E ( Vj,t) and actual value for the market at the end of the initial time period, Vj,t-1. Let E( Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Vj) represents the expected change. Thus, E ( Vj) = E ( Vj,t) Vj,t-1 = Vj,t-1 (K-1) E. Net Shift The difference between the actual change and the expected change of a given market is the net shift. This difference is denoted as Nj. Thus, The sum of the net shift values for all markets should be zero: Each country is experiencing 0 growth in Malaysia furniture export. Therefore, there is no relative gain or loss in the value of Malaysia furniture export to these countries in the given time period. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Based on the results, it showed that the sum of the percentage net shift of Malaysian furniture industry to these 10 countries is equal to 0. Therefore, there is no relative gain or loss in furniture export. Therefore, the producers of furniture in Malaysia, particularly wood based furniture segment, have to be alert and adapt to changes in preferences of the importers on these aspects: price, product, place(distribution), and promotion, so that it will be favourable to them. Despite the strong competition from lower priced Chinese and Vietnamese furniture, Malaysian furniture quality is far more superior. The initiative of the government to expand the export market of Malaysian furniture can be seen by penetrating into the Algeria and Greece in the near future. The government also has set an annual growth rate target of 6.5 % for wood based furniture, which estimates to reach up to RM53 billion by year 2020.

Siddhartha Essay: The Symbols of the Smile and the River in Siddhartha

The Symbols of the Smile and the River in Siddhartha      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An important symbol in Siddhartha is the smile. Each of the three characters in the story who attain a final state of complete serenity is characterized by a beautiful smile which reflects their peaceful, harmonious state. In each case this smile is a completely natural phenomenon; it cannot be created at will by people who have not attained the prerequisite state of harmony with life.    The first character who is described as possessing this smile is Gotama, the Buddha. When Siddhartha first sees him, he recognizes him immediately, largely on account of this mysterious smile. Gotama is imperturbable and he retains his smile - and his equanimity - even when Siddhartha engages in debate with him. As Gotama turns to leave, it is his smile which most deeply impresses Siddhartha, for in it the peace and saintliness of the Buddha is epitomized. The narrator comments that Siddhartha was to remember this smile for the rest of his life.    Vesudeva also possesses the mystical smile of peace and harmony. A man of very few words, the ferryman often allows his smile to speak for him, and it is a more effective agent of expression than any words could possibly have been. Like the Buddha, Vasudeva is satisfied that he is at peace with the world, and with existence.    Siddhartha does not possess this radiant smile at first. He sees it in Gotama and Vasudeva and recognizes its significance, but is too engrossed in physical things to be able to smile serenely himself. First, with the Samanas, he concentrates on mastering his bodily needs. Then, through Kamala and Kamaswami, he learns to enjoy sensual pleasures and soon masters this aspect of life. Finally his ... ...e lingering sorrow and pain he feels because of his son's departure. One day when Siddhartha sets out to search for his son, the river speaks to him - but not in its usual soothing tone. This time the river laughs at him. Siddhartha looks into the water and sees his own reflection, which reminds him, however, of his father. He is reminded of the pain he caused his own father years earlier when he departed, never to return, and gradually perceives that the river is pointing out to him the repetitious nature of events. Nothing is new, everything is an integral part of a unified whole, including such things as the inevitable separation of fathers and sons. The various voices of the river, the laughter and the sorrow, seem to merge, and finally Siddhartha hears only the sum: the word "Om."    Works Cited Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Dover Publications, 1998.

If There Were a Draft :: essays research papers

If There Were a Draft   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is complicated not to intelligently discuss the future of our military involvement with Iraq without the notion of a draft to arise. Although our presidential candidates and other government officials shun the issue of a draft and avidly display their negativity towards the idea, it is a feasible inquiry to ponder. What if there is indeed a draft? I, being a 16 year old student, know that if there ever is such a military draft, my particular age range would be in target for a good thirteen or fourteen years. I have contemplated the hypothetical scenario of myself, many years from now, being a mere 19-year old boy, opening a letter that summons me to take part in duty for my country; what would I do?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can imagine myself opening that letter, and the feel of my young heart sinking into my chest. I am not made for war. I am not even made for football. I am not political and I certainly am not pro-war. I would see this call to arms as a call for the worst. Our country has finally had to fall upon scooping those who did not enlist out of there homes and into the arms of the great American machine of violence and destruction. Ultimately, I believe, there would be nothing for me to do. I would go. What are my other options? I would never leave or hide away. Whether it was legal or not, I would not run from a draft. Although I would never enlist, if my country asked me to go overseas, I believe that I would. I would go because there is a great deal of respect earned in becoming part of the military. In the long run, it would be much more beneficial to take part in it rather to run from it. To run, I feel, would be cowardly. Although I would be terrified, I would still go.

India as a Land of Infinite Variety Essay

â€Å"So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked. India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition.† Mark Twain, the writer of this quotation, was obviously impressed by the subcontinent. Travel agents say it’s nearly impossible not to be impressed, astonished and amazed by India—all within the first hour off the plane—for this nation is blessed with sacred sites and ancient ruins, each with a mesmerizing story to tell, creating a treasure-filled world of travel opportunities. Towering Mountains, Vast Deserts and Lush Rainforests Nestled between Pakistan, China and Nepal, India is bordered in the north by the world’s highest mountain chain, while further south, tropical rain forests mingle with windswept deserts. To complete the geographic smorgasbord, palm-fringed beaches trim the peninsula like ribbon on a huge Christmas gift. The only thing missing is a glacier, but no one seems to mind. Visitors and locals alike do not complain about India’s astonishing cultural diversity either, for the nation boasts an inspired, imaginative burst of religions and cultures, races and tongues, resulting from 5,000 years of history. India’s long, historical significance and great natural wealth have lured a long succession of foreign influences, traders and craftsmen, each having left their distinctive imprint on the country. Whether you come to rejuvenate spiritually, relax on the countless beaches or live like a queen in the land of princes, India’s amazing diversity offers everything you could ever want in a holiday. With so much to choose from, it’s wise to enlist the aid of a trusted travel agent. Paragons of advice, travel agents suggest that, because of India’s size and diversity, it’s best to focus your journey around a particular tour or theme. This allows you to experience in depth one tantalizing aspect of the country while still enjoying the variety that makes India a top travel destination. The Golden Triangle: New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur Of India’s many tours, the Golden Triangle is one of the most popular, for the three cities that form the triangle—New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur—feature the images that epitomize India. Inside this triangle you’ll see a panorama of majestic architectural creations that feed the area’s rich traditions, like the symphony of marble that is the Taj Mahal (arguably the world’s most perfect structure), the imperial elegance of New Delhi and the desert city of Jaipur. | Taj Mahal| Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan, one of the largest of India’s 28 states and host to the exotic Desert Adventure tour. Rajasthan is known as the Land of Kings, where sumptuous palaces dot the desert landscape and battle-scarred fortresses stand tall atop hills like sentinels. You’ll begin your adventure at Jodhpur, an ancient stronghold on the edge of the Thar Desert, before traveling along trade routes to the unforgettable golden fortress at Jaisalmer and beyond. Beyond India’s present-day heritage is a past steeped in spiritual lore, enlightening travelers who tour the Buddhist Circuit. Walk in the footsteps of Siddhartha Gautama—the gentle sage who became the Buddha—and sit beneath the Holy Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, under which he gained enlightenment in 528 BC. Visit Sarnath, where the Buddha gave the world his first sermon, and Kushinagar, the site of his death. This tour is a spiritual journey that will stay with you for a lifetime. ‘Th e Land of Coconuts’ Another Indian journey that will surely stick with you for a lifetime is a cruise through the Backwaters of Kerala. Kerala, on the southwestern tip of the peninsula, is called the land of coconuts, where palm trees shade nearly the entire state from the tropical sun. All along its coast, exotic backwaters, canals, lagoons and inlets create an intricate maze stretching nearly 1,200 miles throughout the land. Traveling by boat along the emerald-tinted backwaters is a magical experience. Any trip you make to incredible India will be a magical experience, especially if you book your journey through your friendly, neighborhood travel agent. Travel agents can combine any of the above tours or extend them to include exciting nights in bustling cities like Calcutta, New Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay). They can send you along other fabulous tours of India, to the Temple Trail of the south, across the Seven Sisters of the northeast or through the jungles that inspired Kipling in the Heart of Heritage. Always warm and inviting, India is a land of timeless beauty with 5,000 years of life under its ornate belt.Contact a trusted travel agent today and start exploring the infinite variety of this magical land.

Do Black People Have Equality with Whit People in the Us in Teh 21st Century?

It was just fifty years ago that racial segregation was one of the defining features of American society. Blacks were forced to exist separately from the rest of America – physically, economically, and socially – so reducing them to a second- or even third-class status which denied them their basic rights. The famous court case: â€Å"brown v the board of education†, raised awareness of segregation was the first major step towards change. Education is a basic necessity for every young person whatever their background is. Due to the influences that slavery has had, public education was only designed for white people. Even though black children attended schools, these were often deprived, due to the lack of facilities available. Segregation is a form of racial discrimination, keeping black and white people apart. Thousands of people suffered from segregation, whether they were made to give up their seat on the bus or if they were simply forced to live in certain areas. The lack of education has meant that black people have no chance for moving up in the world. With poor qualifications, they would have poor jobs prospects, working long hours and being paid next to nothing. Their children have no chance of moving up in the world. They have no chance of attending college let alone university or if they do they are unable to pay the tuition fees. The low percent that do manage to go there, have to work part-time or join the army in order to pay the fees. Poor jobs mean poor housing, which in turn means living in poor neighborhoods resulting in violence due to guns, alcohol, drugs. All this means that there is a higher chance of dying younger. Poor jobs also lead to poverty and a poor diet and bad health. In the 1960’s the civil rights movement lead by Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. fought for the rights of Black people. Both men believed in the same idea that equality was enshrined the constitution ‘that all men are created equal’. However, this was not being implemented. Both men went about achieving this in two different ways. Martin Luther King believed in a peaceful protest, whereas Malcolm X believed that violence was the key. There still isn’t enough black representation in the political system. Lack of political representation means that it has been difficult to enforce their rights. To conclude, the legacy of slavery has been the cause of the inequality between black and white people. Despite attempts to improve the lives of black people there has been only limited success . I think that the inequality of which black people suffer, has been caused by slavery. Without slavery having existed, would all men be equal?