The Sources of Competitive Advantage of Rolls-Royce PLC and Tesco PLC Essay - 1

The Sources of Competitive Advantage of Rolls-Royce PLC and Tesco PLC in Harvard Style - Essay Example Traditionally, the competitive advantage business organizations can be fully identified by conducting a value chain analysis. However, recognizing the numerous changes in the businesses’ market environment, this paper will also complement value chain analysis with a method introduced by Shawn Cartwright, the value web analysis. It should be noted that this tool brings into consideration the analysis of competitive advantage of dotcoms or firms whose operations are conducted online or whose brick and mortar strategies are complemented by the online presence (Cartwright and Oliver 2000). This report will be organized as follows. The first section will take a look at the operations of Rolls-Royce Plc. A brief organizational profile will be presented together with the company’s identified core competencies. The second section will also evaluate Tesco Plc in the same manner.  This paper will conclude with a comparison and contrast of the previously identified competitive a dvantages. Rolls-Royce is currently the world’s second-largest airline engine manufacturer behind the General Electric Aviation. Aside from aero-engine, the company is also involved in other industries like defense, marine, and energy markets. The business organization traces its origin in 1971 and was founded by Henry Royce and CS Rolls. With its humble beginning, it has now ascended in the global business marketplace with its cutting edge technology and diverse product offerings. The company is not just a provider of high-quality products but also offers unmatched after sales service to its clients.

There are limitations, but financial and management accounting perform Essay

There are limitations, but financial and management accounting perform a fundamental role in the measurement of performance wit - Essay Example In this context, the performance measurement has been characterized as an activity of key value for organizations in different industrial sectors. The specific issue is examined in this paper; emphasis is given on the role of the financial and management accounting in performance measurement, as a key part of strategic decision process in modern organizations. It is concluded that both financial and management accounting are quite important for the successful development of performance measurement schemes – even if, in certain cases, the involvement of financial and management accounting in performance measurement causes delays in the completion of the relevant processes – under the terms presented below. Because of the above problem, a series of recommendations has been included in this study aiming to support the improvement of performance measurement systems. 2. Performance measurement in organizations 2.1 Performance measurement – description, role The use of performance measurement in modern organizations has been related to the achievement of specific organizational targets. Most commonly, the performance measurement is used a firm’s managers in order to evaluate whether the organizational activities manage to achieve a particular level of performance – as set by the planners of these activities. In this way, it will be possible to estimate if these activities have paid back the investment made on them or not. In practice, the performance measurement – as one of the firm’s key strategic processes – can be quite complex. This fact is reflected in the theories developed in the particular field – referring to the content, the role and the phases of performance measurement in modern organizations. At a first level, certain differentiations can be identified in the criteria used by theorists when having to define the performance measurement; however, a close examination of their views would lead to the assumption that they all emphasize on the value of performance measurement as a tool for estimating the achievement of organizational goals – including the risks involved. In accordance with Hatry (2006) the performance measurement can be defined as the ‘regular measurement of the results (outcomes) and efficiency of services or programs’ (Hatry 2006, p3). On the other hand, Meyer (2003) notes that the term ‘performance measurement’ can be explained using two different definitions: the dictionary definition, which focuses on the past, i.e. on the performance of the organization up to the time point when its performance is measured and the economic definition, which refers rather to the future, emphasizing on ‘the measurement of the shareholder value into the firm’ (Meyer 2003, p20). It is further explained that in the context of the dictionary definition ‘performance is measured by operational measures or current financial res ults’ (Meyer 2003, p20); on the other hand, the economic definition is based on the measurement of performance ‘using share prices’ (Meyer 2003, p20). Another definition of performance measurement is mentioned in the study of Harbour (1997); in the above study reference is made to the performance measurement as a method for ‘measuring work accomplishments and output’ (Harbour 1997, p7). At the next level, Epstein et al. (2006) emphasize on

The Blame Game Essay Example for Free

The Blame Game Essay When I think about law enforcement, the thoughts that come to mind are to protect and serve its citizens, its people, and the innocent. The Waco Siege is an example of what happens when Law Enforcement Agencies fail to do their most basic job, protect the innocent. The Waco tragedy could have been avoided if the Law Enforcement Agencies involved had done their job of protecting the innocent and did not make such catastrophic tactical errors. The Waco Siege began on February 28, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19, 1993. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel. After the ATFs failed to execute the search warrant, a siege was begun by the Federal Bureau of Investigation which lasted 50 days, and ended when a second assault on the compound was made, and then fire engulfed the compound. Seventy-six people died in the fire, including more than 20 children and two pregnant women. As Peter Meyer points out, the mistakes began with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The 51-day FBI siege of the Branch Davidian compound followed the killing of four ATF agents who were attempting to serve warrants on the occupants. According to Kate O’Beirne in her article â€Å"Waco II the Awful†, the committees found that the ATF could have avoided the killings: The agents in charge recklessly proceeded with the raid even though they knew they would encounter armed resistance. She further concluded that the ATFs entire investigation of Koresh and his followers for possible violations of federal gun laws was grossly incompetent. It is clear that the ATF wanted to mount a large- scale military raid (dubbed Showtime), with Koresh as the target (O’Beirne). The ATF sought special training in close-combat fighting from Army Special Forces two months before the bureau had probable cause for a warrant and before its undercover investigation had even begun. The agency rejected an offer by Koresh to permit an inspection of his compound (O’Beirne). The arrest warrant could have been served on Koresh when he left the compound, but ATF agents mistakenly believed that he rarely ventured out: The agents maintaining 24-hour surveillance from a house across the street didnt know what he looked like. The affidavits filed in support of the arrest and search warrants were riddled with false statements, outdated facts, and inflammatory, unsubstantiated charges of child abuse, which were outside the jurisdiction of the ATF anyway. When over 70 ATF agents, in commando gear complete with ski masks, arrived at the compound to execute their dynamic entry, the Davidians fired on them. The ATF had been expected. The agency had notified the media that something was to happen that weekend, and a TV cameraman in need of directions sought the assistance of a local who happened to be a Koresh in-law. He headed straight to the compound. The agents in charge dismissed an ATF undercover agents warning that Koresh knew of the raid (Abrams). Nobody at the ATF has been held accountable for these gross errors in judgment and subsequent lies during a criminal investigation. Two senior raid commanders were fired following an internal investigation, but they were rehired two months later, with back pay and attorneys fees, after complaining through the civil-service system. Suspicions linger that they were rehired, in nonsupervisory roles, to prevent them from making embarrassing disclosures about the agency. In his article The Waco Disaster, David Kopel states that Congress investigated the FBIs actions, too. The committees found that the FBI had failed to appreciate that the pressure on the Davidians bonded them all the more closely and reinforced Koreshs apocalyptic vision of their fate. While FBI negotiators held out hope that a peaceful resolution was possible, the agents became increasingly frustrated with the delays. One FBI behavioral-science expert counseled patience in a series of memos to headquarters, until he learned that his superiors werent pleased with the tone of his advice: They felt it was tying their hands. According to the article â€Å"Waco Revisited,† the author notes, that the FBI agent in charge at Waco testified that the reason the feds eventually turned off the electricity in the compound was that â€Å"cold and wet FBI personnel† resented the presumed comforts of the Davidians. The agents testimony indicated that the decision to mount the tear-gas assault was the result of their weariness and frustration; they were â€Å"tired and ticked off. † Every reason the FBI gave as necessitating the siege dissolved on close inspection. There was no evidence that Koresh was planning a violent breakout; the hostage-rescue team didnt have to stand down for training for another two weeks; other law-enforcement personnel could have relieved them and guarded the perimeter; and there was no evidence that children in the compound were in immediate jeopardy. The initial assault (Plan A), involving the slow and incremental injection of tear gas by tanks into the compound, was undertaken at 6:02 in the morning. When this non-assault was met with gunfire, Plan B went into effect at 6:07. Over the next six hours, tear gas was inserted into every portion of the compound, while the buildings were dismantled. There was no Plan C (Meyer). Elliott Abrams argues, that the FBI failed to acknowledge the fact that CS gas was banned for battlefield use by 100 nations or that it could make victims incapable of evacuating the area, according to an army field manual. Clearly, FBI officials had miscalculated the Davidians reactions to the gas-and-tank assault, and failed to provide fire protection at the scene. The Waco Tragedy has become the most controversial law enforcement operation in modern American history. Although the official investigation of the incident now places all of the blame for the carnage on the Branch Davidian leader, David Koresh, numerous crimes by government agents were never seriously investigated or prosecuted. If those crimes go unpunished, the Waco incident will leave an odious precedent that Law Enforcement Agents can use the color of their office to commit crimes against citizens.

Effects of Air Pollution and Proposed Solutions

Effects of Air Pollution and Proposed Solutions With the rapid development and urbanization in Hong Kong, the air quality deteriorated due to a great amount of air pollutants released into the atmosphere, and contributing to the greenhouse effect as well as worsening global warming. This essay is divided into two parts, the first part is briefly talk about the negative effects caused by serious air pollution in terms of sustainable development, and the second part is a detailed discussion of the suggested solutions. The effects caused by air pollution can be discussed in terms of sustainable development with three aspects which are inter-related, inter-dependence and equally balanced, and these aspects are environmental, social and economic aspects. In terms of the environmental aspect, the worsening air quality will fasten the greenhouse effect with a rise in temperature and contributing to global warming. In terms of the social aspect, â€Å"the World Health Organization estimates that every year, 2.4 million people die from causes associated with air pollution† (Sierra-Vargas Teran,2012, p.1031). It shows how air pollution causing health impacts on human. The worsening air quality increases the risk of having â€Å"respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, or cancers† (Deguen et al. 2012), and according to Sierra-Vargas and Teran (2012), people who are active outdoors, people with diseases and elderly are at higher health risk. These pollution-related illnesses are affecting the quality of life because these illnesses not only shortened the life expectancy and caused the psychological stress, but also increased the expenditure on health care. Therefore, serious air pollution causing pollution-related health impacts in the social aspect and increasing the expenditure on health care in the economic aspect. Apart from the social aspect, the poor air quality with low visibility and high concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere also produce negative impacts in the economic aspect. Deteriorating air quality affects local tourism industry and the foreign investment. According to Law and Cheung (2007), the tourism industry in Hong Kong has recently threatened by the deteriorating air quality, regarding to the huge economic contribution from the tourism industry, poor air quality may reduce the willingness of tourists to travel in Hong Kong. Besides, some foreign investments are retreated and some professionals refuse to work in Hong Kong because of the poor working environment with worsening air quality. All these economic impacts will weaken the competitiveness of Hong Kong and resulting in unexpected economic losses which in turns suffered by the whole society. From the examples mentioned above on the impacts in three specific categories, we can notice that air pollution caused adverse impacts at both individual and social levels. Therefore, â€Å"[i]n order to protect the air quality from deteriorating further, more efforts should be made by the government, as well as by society to make Hong Kong a clean and safe place to travel and to live† (Law and Cheung, 2007, p.398). Both the HKSAR government and the public should be responsible for the improvement works on air pollution, such as a strong pertinence policy together with active public participation. The most important and effective long-term air improvement policy should be the adoption of sustainable development approach with an equal balance between the environmental conservation and the economic development. Hong Kong is a well-known financial-based metropolis around the world. Therefore, the government mainly puts emphasis on the economic development, but neglected the importance of environmental conservation, in other words, the government weighted the economic development over the environmental conservation, and thus resulting in environmental destructions during the process of economic development in Hong Kong. However, it is hard to make equal balance between the economic development and the environmental conservation, and the co-existence of both aspects may be in a low possibility, because one aspect has to make scarification when the other one exists. For examples, lands for economic development propose generate a great amount of dust particulates during construction and resulting in poor air quality with low visibility. Simultaneously, the air quality improvement policies for environmental conservation purpose spend a huge amount of government expenditure. But, regarding to the serious problem of air pollution in Hong Kong and the related distinct negative outcomes caused, environmental conservation should be given the first priority and economic development should come the second. The second possible solution is urban greening. Vegetation plays an important role in air purification because plants can absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis. In order to improve the air quality, the government should carry out urban greening to increase the green areas through proper city planning in the urban areas, especially in the inner cities and heavy traffic areas, such as MongKok, Wan chai, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui. However, limited spaces with densely distributed pattern of skyscrapers in the urban areas create hurdles on urban greening and the use of the valuable lands for growing vegetation in urban areas may trigger voices of disapproval. But, there are two possible ways of urban greening, the first solution, according to Sierra-Vargas Teran (2012), is making good use of rooftops for growing plants, the government can give economic incentives to the property owners for the encouragement of planting vegetation on rooftops. The second one is re-planning the existing parks with an enlarged percentage on the area of vegetation. These two solutions can make the best use of the available space resources that do not require extra space on the ground floor. Sources of pollutants in Hong Kong are mainly from power plants and vehicles, so strong pertinence policies on these two sources are needed. The first solution, according to Sierra-Vargas and Teran (2012), promoting the use of the landfill gases as one of the energy sources is a possible way to improve air quality with a fall in the amount of pollutants. Mexico is one of the successful places that converts â€Å"landfill gas into electricity and powers the light rail transit system and city street lighting at night† (Sierra-Vargas and Teran, 2012, p.1036). The Hong Kong government should study from the cases of Mexico and conduct a suitable plan based on the ideas observed. The alteration of landfill gases into useable energy can reduce the greenhouse gases being released into the air. Another solution is promoting the extensive use of renewable power instead of non-renewable power so as to change to a cleaner way for power generation, such solar power and wind power. However, there are two difficulties in using landfill gases and adoption of renewable power resources. The first hurdle is a great amount of government expenditure is required for the construction or installation of the specific power plants, like the regular maintenance of the power plants. Besides, the opposition from environmental protection groups may also rise because this power generation method is not classified as renewable power. If the opposition raise, it is better to take the second solution instead of both solutions in order to avoid social conflicts based on the problem mentioned. In terms of the vehicles, the government should work together with two bus companies to carry out the discussion about the expansion of the service area and increase the service provided to the public. The HKSAR government can use economic incentives or make investments to increase the operating capital of two bus companies. With better bus services provided, the willingness of people to take public transportation to school or to work will be increased and thus less energy is used and less pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere. Apart from the policies mentioned above, the active public participation on the reduction of air pollutants is very important and it should be made by every citizen, such as the using of public transportation instead of private cars and reduce the use of energy means less air pollutants are released by burning non-renewable power resources, such as coal. Also, citizen should actively participate in the consultation of the government policies launched for improving the air quality. Air pollution is a serious problem which created many negative impacts, and an effective comprehensive solution with a lengthy period for thorough and careful planning is needed for improving air quality. It is beneficial when better air quality can be found in Hong Kong. Although the problems of air pollution cannot be totally eliminated, the more efforts we pay resulting in a higher chance for us to make changes and improve the air quality. References Sierra-Vargas, M. P. Teran, L. M. (2012). Air pollution: Impact and prevention. Respirology, 17 1031-1038. Law, R. Cheung, C. (2007). Air quality in Hong Kong: A study of the perception of international visitors. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 15 (4), 390-401. Deguen, S., Sà ©gala, C., Pà ©drono, G. Mesbah, M. (2012). A new air quality perception scale for global assessment of air pollution health effects. Risk Analysis, 32 (12), 2043-2054.

Chapter Account Manager :: essays research papers

Ankit Fadia, 19 years old, is an independent computer security and digital intelligence consultant with definitive experience in the field of Internet security. He has authored seven internationally best-selling books on numerous topics related to Computer Security that have been widely appreciated by both professionals and industry leaders the world over. His books have sold a record 120,000 copies across the globe, have been translated into Korean, Portuguese and Polish and are also being used as reference textbooks in some of the most prestigious academic institutions in Asia and North America. Fadia is also a widely recognized computer security guru and Cyber terrorism expert. Fadia is however, more well known for his significant work in the field of digital intelligence, security consultancy and training. In November 2001, Fadia was consulted by a classified intelligence agency for breaking an encrypted message sent by one of Osama Bin Laden’s men. Since then Fadia has been involved in numerous classified projects pertaining to International Security and Computer Networks. He handles the Asia Operations of the classified intelligence agency.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Widely traveled, Fadia provides customized cyber security training and consulting solutions to clients all across Asia, Australia, North America and the Middle East. He has also conducted more than a 120 different training sessions on various topics related to cyber security to an audience comprising of CEOs, CIOs, top level management, entrepreneurs, technical specialists, defense personnel and students. With a strong belief in the integration of security and education, Fadia closely works with the School of Information Systems at Singapore Management University and the Management Institute of Malaysia and advises them on the design and structure of the course material of their computer security courses. Widely celebrated in international media publications, Fadia is also regularly invited by BBC Radio World News, London to share the latest updates on virus outbreaks, loopholes and cyber crime trends. For his outstanding contributions in the field of computer security globally, Fadia has been honoured with numerous awards namely: Person of The Year 2002, Limca Book of Records, Hall of Fame Award, Outstanding Young Achiever’s Award, Silicon India Person of the Week, Embassy State Award, Best Speaker Award (4 occasions), Student of the Year 2002-03 and many more. Many industry leaders like Mr. Ganesh Ayyar (Vice President, Hewlett Packard SE Asia, Singapore), Mr. Kiran Karnik (President, NASSCOM), Mr. Azim Premji (Chairman, Wipro Corporation), Mr. Phiroze Vandrewala (Chairman, Tata Consultancy Services) and research pioneers like Dr.

Heavens Delight - Vanilla :: Botany

Heaven's Delight - Vanilla Commercial vanilla is the fruit (capsule) obtained from several different species of Orchidaceae, namely, Vanilla pompona Schiede (West Indian vanilla), Vanilla tahitiensis J. M. Moore (Tahiti vanilla) and Vanilla planifolia Jackson (Mexican vanilla). The most important is Vanilla planifolia Jackson, from which almost all vanilla fruits come from (Ferrà £o, 1993). The genus Vanilla has about 100 species, and the Orchidaceae family is one of the largest in the Plant Kingdom, with more or less 20,000 species. Etymologically, the word vanilla came from the Spanish vainilla, which means a small pod, due to the great similarity between this fruit and a true pod (Ferrà £o, 1992; Mabberley, 1993). Floriculture is the field that we immediately recall when we think of orchid plants. However, the genus Vanilla is the only one of the family that is of direct economic interest. Some rural societies in Turkey and Greece still use salep, a staple flour made from the tubers of certain orchids, especially those included in the genus Orchis. Although the use of orchids for this purpose is rather localised, it is bringing some species of this genus to the edge of extinction (Baumann, 1996). The vanilla plant is a vine, native from the tropical forests of Central America and some areas of South America. In its natural habitat, it may reach a length of 25 meters, climbing with the help of adventitious roots. The stems are thick and fleshy green; the leaves are alternate, long elliptical, sessile and bright green. The flowers, in clusters, appear in the leaf axils. They live only 8 hours and die if fertilization fails to occur. The plant blooms three years after the cuttings are planted and the yellow greenish fruits many have up to 90,000 seeds, taking five to seven months to mature. The fruit is scentless when harvested, it has a length between 10 to 25 cm and a weight of 5 to 30g (Ferrà £o, 1993). Vanilla was brought to Europe by the Spanish conquerors of the New World. They found it in Mexico, when Montezuma, the last Aztec Emperor, offered them a drink made of chocolate, vanilla, red pepper and honey. Local aristocracy used it to flavor chocolate, a custom still practised today (Brosse et al. 1989). The Dutch introduced vanilla in Java (Indonesia), a former European colony in East Indies, at the beginning of the nineteenth century and the French did the same in the Reunion Island, Mauritius and Madagascar, all located in the Southwest Indian Ocean.

Legt1710

LEGT1710: Business and the Law Assignment 1 Semester 1, 2013 Word Limit: 1000 words Due Week 4 – to be handed in to your tutor in your Week 4 tutorial class (ie: the week commencing Monday 25 March 2013) Part One (10 marks) Reflecting on the lectures about the doctrine of precedent and how judges can make laws in the Australian legal system, and using Latimer’s Australian Business Law (CCH, 2013), explain how judicial decisions can change the law and what is meant by â€Å"the common law†.Use case examples to illustrate your answer. (Suggest 700-800 words) Part Two (5 marks) Australia was originally governed from England. Imagine that the British Government passed an Act which stated that: â€Å"All land in New South Wales shall be held on leasehold title from the Crown. † Would this be a valid Act if passed in: (1) 1795? (2) 1895? (3) 1995? (Suggest 200-300 words) Guidelines for Assignment 1: Your starting point will be to read the: †¢ †¢ week 1 and 2 lecture notes and tutorial materials. elevant chapters of Paul Latimer's Australian Business Law32nd edn, 2013. Students may also want to consider referring to: †¢ other business law textbooks available through the UNSW Law Library; †¢ online materials available on the UNSW Library database (such as journal articles, cases, commentaries etc). Students are asked NOT TO BOTHER THE LAW LIBRARIANS unnecessarily. Students should reference their answers appropriately – see Course Outline at Appendix A, pp 6-9. (NOTE: a bibliography is NOT required for this Assignment. )