The Company’S Revenues Have A Steady Growth (About 20 %)

The company’s revenues have a steady growth (about 20 %) during the last four years ending in 2016 to be up to 7,838.4b. According to the company’s annual report in 2015, UK is Inchcape’s biggest geographical market, accounted for 40% of the total revenues, while the other geographic regions accounted for the remaining part of the revenues, Australasia (17.8%), emerging markets (16.1%), North Asia (10.9%), Europe (7.9%), and South Asia (7.3%). As for the profits after the tax, it is noticeable that the years between 2013 and 2014 there was a slight decrease from 200.8m to 187.2m. However, in 2015, the company’s profits started to grow again due to the acquisition of an Australian luxury automotive group and company’s strong presence in†¦show more content†¦Another ratio that presents a more stringent test of liquidity is the quick ratio which does not include the inventories. Inchcape’s quick ratio decreases about 20% during the peri od 2014-2016. In 2016, the company’s quick ratio is 0.5.The minimum level for this ratio is often stated as 1, so, Inchcape is possible to find difficulty in fully paying back its current liabilities. Working Capital For all the years, the average inventories turnover period for Inchcape represents two and half months’ sales requirements (73 days).Although the company’s nature explains why this ratio is quiet long, it would be helpful for the company to try to reduce this ratio, improving its inventories control. Similarly, its average creditor days are quiet high, too. It represents nearly 75 days (about two months).It seems that the company probably finds it difficult to meet its financial obligation towards to suppliers on time. Thus, it is recommended that Inchcape should negotiate better credit terms from its suppliers. On the contrary, Inchcape’s average settlement period for trade receivables (debtor days) is only 10 days. 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Symptoms And Symptoms Of Cancer Related Fatigue - 972 Words

Cancer-Related Fatigue (CRF) is the most common and debilitating symptoms in cancer patients, with frequency range from 60 to 90% in cancer patients (Yennurajalingam, 2014). CRF is defined as â€Å"distressing, persistent, and subjective sense of physical, emotional, and/or cognitive tiredness or exhaustion related to cancer, or cancer treatment that is not proportional to recent activity and interferes with usual function† (Yennurajalingam, 2014). Fatigue may be an isolated problem or a part of group of symptoms, such as pain, depression, decrease appetite, and sleep disturbance (www.ons.org, 2016). The effects of CRF range from temporary indisposition to inability to cope with everyday life activity (Homeber, 2012). CRF affects the patients’ quality of life through influencing physical, psychological and economic/occupational domains. Physical, patients reported diminished energy levels, the need to slow down from normal pace, sense of tiredness, and increased need to sleep or rest. 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Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia Free Essays

string(111) " Policy matters in education with wider ramifications are referred to Cabinet before final decisions are made\." Malaysia is one of the world’s fastest growing economic regions, a rapidly growing nation in the heart of South East Asia. Within a span of two decades, it has succeeded in bringing about socioeconomic transformation of the society; from its architecture to its lifestyle, the Malaysian character speaks of a comfortable coexistence of its ethnic, cultural as well as religious diversity that continues to be a part of this country’s charm and practical reality. Malaysia’s Vision 2020 steers the nation towards becoming a fully developed and industrialized country, a democratic society that is strong in religious and spiritual values, a society that is liberal and tolerant, scientific and progressive, innovative and forward looking. We will write a custom essay sample on Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia or any similar topic only for you Order Now This goal is reflected in the mission of the Ministry of Education, that is: â€Å"To develop a world class quality education system which will realize the full potential of the individual and fulfill the aspiration of the Malaysian nation.† Education has provided a solid platform for country’s political as well as economic stability with a view to establishing Malaysia as a regional center for academic excellence and turning education into a top quality export commodity. The Malaysian education system has equipped its young people with a level of competence and skills which has put them on par with the top students in some of the world’s best universities, and at 93%, Malaysia’s literacy rate is one of the highest in the world. The paper aims at critically examining the educational policy of the Ministry of Education Malaysia, with description of social, governmental and economic environments in which the policy was developed. Effectiveness of the policy will be evaluated and problems related to it will be further highlighted, with comparison to the one of the models from class lecture, i.e. the incremental model of public policy. The foundation for the development of the national education system rests on the National Philosophy of Education, which states that: Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Malaysia being a multi-relligious country, spiritual, religious and moral characteristics of the individuals are highly emphasized and encouraged, which is clear from the national philosophy as well. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large. One of the most significant reforms initiated in recent years is the formulation of new legislation on education, which will affect the process of educational reforms from pre-school to higher education. The Education Act 1996 replacing the old one of 1961 aims at consolidating the national system of education and widen the scope of education in the country. All categories of schools, with the exception of international ones will be incorporated under the national system of education, which is characterized by the use of a common medium of instruction, a nationally excepted curriculum and common public exams. It will also cover such areas as upgrading and enhancing of pre-school education, teacher education, special education, private and technical education. It gives the education greater prominence, ensuring relevance and quality in the system of education. The Ministry of Education is directly responsible for the organization, management and development of the education in the country and has a centralized system of educational administration headed by the Minister of Education. Hi is assisted by two Deputy Ministers of Education. The secretary-general of Education is responsible for the administrative matters, and the Director-General of Education is concerned with professional matters, and both are directly responsible to the Minister of Education. â€Å"The Ministry was restructured in 1995† and under this new structure there are six principal Departments, such as Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Department, Department of Higher Education which coordinates governance and policy formulation of public universities and higher education institutions in the country; Technical Education Department which is responsible for conducting research, planning and implementing technical and vocational programs; Department of Private Education which monitors and regulates the development of private education in the country; Department of Special Education; and Department of Islamic Education which supervises the Islamic and Moral Education at all public primary and secondary schools. Besides these six Departments, there are several Divisions, agencies and statutory bodies within the Ministry of Education that are responsible for professional and administrative matters that are not handled by the six Departments. They can be classified under two broad categories, namely Professional and Administrative Divisions. Under Professional Divisions are: Educational Planning and Research Division, which undertakes macro educational planning, and monitors the implementation of educational policies and programs; Educational Technology Division, which upgrades the quality of the teaching-learning process by providing educational media and technological services to support educational programs; Examinations Syndicate responsible for organizing, administrating and conducting all public examinations for schools; and Federal Inspectorate of Schools, providing professional supervision on the teaching-learning process of teachers and supervisory management to school principals. Under Administrative Divisions, there are Organizational Development and Services Division, which oversees the implementation of the terms and conditions of the education service; Scholarship Division; Management Services Division responsible for handling general administrative matters for the Ministry of Education; Financial Division; Information Systems Division and International Relations Division. The administrative structure is organized at four hierarchical levels, namely, national, state, district and school. A system of committees is established in the Ministry of Education to facilitate inter-division and intra-division decision-making. The Minister chairs the Education Planning Committee, which is the highest decision-making body at the federal level concerned with educational policy adoption, adjustment and implementation. Policy matters in education with wider ramifications are referred to Cabinet before final decisions are made. You read "Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia" in category "Papers" b) State Education Department (SED) Those educational policies and plans made at the federal level are implemented at the state level through the State Education Department. It supervises the implementation of education policies, monitor national education programs, project and activities, as well as providing feedback to the central agencies for general planning. District Education Offices are set up in almost all states, except Perlis, Malacca and the Federal Territories, in order to support the state level administrative system. It basically provides the linkage between schools and the SED. At the level of school, the Headmasters/Principals, assisted by two or three Senior Assistants are responsible for providing professional as well as administrative leadership in schools. The Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) foster better cooperation between the school and the community. Malaysia provides 11 years of free schooling. Education is the responsibility of the Federal Government, and 20,4% of the annual National Budget is allocated for education. The national education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to higher education. Primary and secondary education is free but not compulsory. Excellence has been achieved through a carefully designed system that allows flexibility and room for individual approaches. This is really apparent at the pre-school and again at tertiary level. However primary and secondary education is highly structured, with a curriculum which enables the sound acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills. The admission age to the first year of primary education is six. Most schools in the country are government or government-aided schools. The school year starts in January and ends in November. Students sit for common exams at the end off primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and sixth form levels. The primary level covers a period of between five to seven years, the lower secondary three years, followed by two years at the upper secondary and another two years at the post secondary level. Tertiary education in both the academic and professional fields id provided by universities colleges and other public and private institutions of higher education as shown in Chart 1. Pre-school education id part of the national education system under the Education Act, 1996. The aim of pre-school education is to provide a firm foundation for formal education at the later stage. They are run by government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) as well as private institutions. Children generally begin their pre-school level between four and five years of age. Within the broad guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, a high degree of flexibility prevails in terms of teaching approaches and medium of instruction. The curriculum guidelines set by the Ministry of Education enables pre-school children to acquire sufficient basic communication, social and other positive skills in preparation for primary schooling. Primary school begins at six years of age, and may be completed within five to seven years. Education at this level aims to provide the child with a firm foundation in the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as emphasizing thinking skills and values across the curriculum. Eventhough education at this level is not compulsory, more than 99 percent of this age group are enrolled in primary schools nationwide. Taking into consideration the multi-ethnic nature of its population, Malaysia has set up two categories of schools: the National and National-type schools. In the national schools the medium of instruction is the Malay language, whereas the medium of instruction in the national type schools is either Chinese or Tamil languages. In both types of schools the Malay language is compulsory, and English is also taught as second language in addition to Chinese, Tamil and other indigenous languages. The curriculum used at this level id the Integrated Curriculum for Primary Schools (ICPS) which consists of three main areas, namely, Communication, Man and his Environment, and Self Development. Two assessment examinations at year three and six are used to evaluate student performance. Outstanding students at year three can opt to go straight into year five. Secondary school offers a comprehensive education program. It aims to promote the general development of students by helping them to acquire knowledge, insight and skills from wide range of arts and sciences as well as vocational and technical subjects that provide a practical bias and hands-on approach to learning. Basically, the ultimate goal is to develop a strong foundation for life-long education as students are introduced to the beginnings of specialization. The medium of instruction is the Malay language, English, Tamil and Chinese are also widely taught as second language. Following the Lower Secondary Assessment examination (PMR) at year three, students move into more specialized fields of study at the upper secondary level, based on choice and aptitude of the students, and are reevaluated at year five through the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) assessment examination. Some secondary schools offer the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) program which qualifies students for entry into the national universities, colleges and teacher training institutions. Co-curricular programs are regarded as integral part of the school curriculum, and there are basically three types of co-curricular activities, namely, uniformed bodies, clubs and sports. Some co-curricular programs and activities are partly financed by government agencies and the private sector, and implemented at school, district, state and national levels. Various co-curricular programs are organized to develop character, discipline and leadership qualities of the students. Some of these programs are: School Youth Cadet Corp., School Fire Brigade Corp., and other leadership courses. The Youth is highly encouraged to indulge in various Entrepreneurial Programs, writing, speaking and debating competitions as well as cultural activities to create cultural awareness and literary appreciation among the students. Cultural exchange programs are held to promote closer ties and foster better relationship between students of different countries regionally and internationally. Special education provides educational opportunities for pupils with special needs, such as the spastic, handicapped, visually impaired, hearing impaired as well as those with learning disabilities. Currently there are 2883 schools in the country which are equipped with both teaching staff and facilities to help integrate these children within the general school system. However, those needing more intensive care and attention attend 31 special schools. The Education Act 1996 provides for special provision of special education in special schools or in regular primary and secondary schools. As a policy, the duration of schooling for children with special needs in a formal system should not be less than that accorded to pupils in regular primary and secondary schools. To ensure effective implementation of special education programs, the Special Teacher’s Training College conducts courses for teachers of the visually and hearing impaired students. By the way of shedding light on the policies adopted by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, it would be expedient to evaluate their effectiveness, and give some solutions for future improvements. During the Sixth Plan period, i.e. 1991-95, the overall thrust of education was on expanding capacity and increasing access to all levels of education, strengthening the delivery system and improving the quality of education. Consequently, it resulted in increases in enrollment at all levels of education. Recognizing the importance of pre-school education efforts were taken by the Ministry to increase facilities and improve quality of pre-school education. Efforts by both the public and private sectors including non-governmental organizations, resulted in an increase in pre-school centers from about 6,960 in 1990 to 10,350 in 1995. Correspondingly, the number of children in the 5-6 age category enrolled increased from 328,800 in 1990 to 420,600 in 1995, representing an increase of 27,9 per cent.10 Establishment of pre-school centers in the rural areas was very much emphasized, â€Å"of the total pre-school centers established by the Government, 80% were in rural areas, which benefited about 204,100 rural children.11 In primary education the main focus was on expanding capacity, improving existing facilities, and the quality of teaching and learning materials. In order to instill interest in science from an early age, the old existing syllabus were revised and some new ones were introduced. In order to accommodate increases in enrollment, reduce overcrowding, a total of 9,530 additional classrooms were constructed. With hostel facilities provided in rural and remote areas, students were able to gain access to a more conducive learning environment. In order to attract qualified and experienced teachers to serve in the rural and remote areas, an incentives were introduced for those those willing to teach in rural areas. Efforts were also undertaken to provide greater access to education for disabled children and those with learning difficulties. Despite efforts to improve the overall academic performance of primary school students, gaps in student’s achievements between rural and urban schools still remained. Enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government aided schools increased by 23.1 per cent from about 1.3 million in 1990 to about 1.6 million in 199512 as shown in Table 1. With the gradual implementation of the policy in the Sixth Plan, the transition rate from lower to upper secondary level improved from 68 per cent in 1990 to 83 per cent in 1995, while the participation rate at the upper secondary level increased from 50. Per cent in 1990 to 63.7 per cent in 1995.13 Due to increasing enrollment in urban schools and to reduce overcrowding, a total of 5,20 additional classrooms was planned for construction. However, only 75% or 3,960 classrooms were completed. Despite improvement measures bring undertaken, there were still concerns regarding student achievement and the proportion of students who chose science subjects at the upper secondary level. In order to meet the manpower requirements of a rapidly growing economy, tertiary education was directed at increasing enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels, particularly in science, medicine, engineering and other technical related courses.. Efforts were undertaken to increase intake into local public institutions of higher learning by expanding physical facilities of existing campuses and establishing new universities. Opportunities for Bumiputera to pursue studies at the tertiary level were expanded at the Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) where enrollment increased from 27.500 in 1990 to 35.480 in 1995. Enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels increased by 52.7 per cent from 100.590 in 1990 to 153.610 in 1995. In 1995 an estimated 50.600 Malaysian students or 20 per cent of students in tertiary education were enrolled in various institutions overseas.14 How to cite Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia, Papers Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia Free Essays string(111) " Policy matters in education with wider ramifications are referred to Cabinet before final decisions are made\." Malaysia is one of the world’s fastest growing economic regions, a rapidly growing nation in the heart of South East Asia. Within a span of two decades, it has succeeded in bringing about socioeconomic transformation of the society; from its architecture to its lifestyle, the Malaysian character speaks of a comfortable coexistence of its ethnic, cultural as well as religious diversity that continues to be a part of this country’s charm and practical reality. Malaysia’s Vision 2020 steers the nation towards becoming a fully developed and industrialized country, a democratic society that is strong in religious and spiritual values, a society that is liberal and tolerant, scientific and progressive, innovative and forward looking. We will write a custom essay sample on Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia or any similar topic only for you Order Now This goal is reflected in the mission of the Ministry of Education, that is: â€Å"To develop a world class quality education system which will realize the full potential of the individual and fulfill the aspiration of the Malaysian nation.† Education has provided a solid platform for country’s political as well as economic stability with a view to establishing Malaysia as a regional center for academic excellence and turning education into a top quality export commodity. The Malaysian education system has equipped its young people with a level of competence and skills which has put them on par with the top students in some of the world’s best universities, and at 93%, Malaysia’s literacy rate is one of the highest in the world. The paper aims at critically examining the educational policy of the Ministry of Education Malaysia, with description of social, governmental and economic environments in which the policy was developed. Effectiveness of the policy will be evaluated and problems related to it will be further highlighted, with comparison to the one of the models from class lecture, i.e. the incremental model of public policy. The foundation for the development of the national education system rests on the National Philosophy of Education, which states that: Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Malaysia being a multi-relligious country, spiritual, religious and moral characteristics of the individuals are highly emphasized and encouraged, which is clear from the national philosophy as well. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large. One of the most significant reforms initiated in recent years is the formulation of new legislation on education, which will affect the process of educational reforms from pre-school to higher education. The Education Act 1996 replacing the old one of 1961 aims at consolidating the national system of education and widen the scope of education in the country. All categories of schools, with the exception of international ones will be incorporated under the national system of education, which is characterized by the use of a common medium of instruction, a nationally excepted curriculum and common public exams. It will also cover such areas as upgrading and enhancing of pre-school education, teacher education, special education, private and technical education. It gives the education greater prominence, ensuring relevance and quality in the system of education. The Ministry of Education is directly responsible for the organization, management and development of the education in the country and has a centralized system of educational administration headed by the Minister of Education. Hi is assisted by two Deputy Ministers of Education. The secretary-general of Education is responsible for the administrative matters, and the Director-General of Education is concerned with professional matters, and both are directly responsible to the Minister of Education. â€Å"The Ministry was restructured in 1995† and under this new structure there are six principal Departments, such as Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Department, Department of Higher Education which coordinates governance and policy formulation of public universities and higher education institutions in the country; Technical Education Department which is responsible for conducting research, planning and implementing technical and vocational programs; Department of Private Education which monitors and regulates the development of private education in the country; Department of Special Education; and Department of Islamic Education which supervises the Islamic and Moral Education at all public primary and secondary schools. Besides these six Departments, there are several Divisions, agencies and statutory bodies within the Ministry of Education that are responsible for professional and administrative matters that are not handled by the six Departments. They can be classified under two broad categories, namely Professional and Administrative Divisions. Under Professional Divisions are: Educational Planning and Research Division, which undertakes macro educational planning, and monitors the implementation of educational policies and programs; Educational Technology Division, which upgrades the quality of the teaching-learning process by providing educational media and technological services to support educational programs; Examinations Syndicate responsible for organizing, administrating and conducting all public examinations for schools; and Federal Inspectorate of Schools, providing professional supervision on the teaching-learning process of teachers and supervisory management to school principals. Under Administrative Divisions, there are Organizational Development and Services Division, which oversees the implementation of the terms and conditions of the education service; Scholarship Division; Management Services Division responsible for handling general administrative matters for the Ministry of Education; Financial Division; Information Systems Division and International Relations Division. The administrative structure is organized at four hierarchical levels, namely, national, state, district and school. A system of committees is established in the Ministry of Education to facilitate inter-division and intra-division decision-making. The Minister chairs the Education Planning Committee, which is the highest decision-making body at the federal level concerned with educational policy adoption, adjustment and implementation. Policy matters in education with wider ramifications are referred to Cabinet before final decisions are made. You read "Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia" in category "Essay examples" b) State Education Department (SED) Those educational policies and plans made at the federal level are implemented at the state level through the State Education Department. It supervises the implementation of education policies, monitor national education programs, project and activities, as well as providing feedback to the central agencies for general planning. District Education Offices are set up in almost all states, except Perlis, Malacca and the Federal Territories, in order to support the state level administrative system. It basically provides the linkage between schools and the SED. At the level of school, the Headmasters/Principals, assisted by two or three Senior Assistants are responsible for providing professional as well as administrative leadership in schools. The Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) foster better cooperation between the school and the community. Malaysia provides 11 years of free schooling. Education is the responsibility of the Federal Government, and 20,4% of the annual National Budget is allocated for education. The national education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to higher education. Primary and secondary education is free but not compulsory. Excellence has been achieved through a carefully designed system that allows flexibility and room for individual approaches. This is really apparent at the pre-school and again at tertiary level. However primary and secondary education is highly structured, with a curriculum which enables the sound acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills. The admission age to the first year of primary education is six. Most schools in the country are government or government-aided schools. The school year starts in January and ends in November. Students sit for common exams at the end off primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and sixth form levels. The primary level covers a period of between five to seven years, the lower secondary three years, followed by two years at the upper secondary and another two years at the post secondary level. Tertiary education in both the academic and professional fields id provided by universities colleges and other public and private institutions of higher education as shown in Chart 1. Pre-school education id part of the national education system under the Education Act, 1996. The aim of pre-school education is to provide a firm foundation for formal education at the later stage. They are run by government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) as well as private institutions. Children generally begin their pre-school level between four and five years of age. Within the broad guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, a high degree of flexibility prevails in terms of teaching approaches and medium of instruction. The curriculum guidelines set by the Ministry of Education enables pre-school children to acquire sufficient basic communication, social and other positive skills in preparation for primary schooling. Primary school begins at six years of age, and may be completed within five to seven years. Education at this level aims to provide the child with a firm foundation in the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as emphasizing thinking skills and values across the curriculum. Eventhough education at this level is not compulsory, more than 99 percent of this age group are enrolled in primary schools nationwide. Taking into consideration the multi-ethnic nature of its population, Malaysia has set up two categories of schools: the National and National-type schools. In the national schools the medium of instruction is the Malay language, whereas the medium of instruction in the national type schools is either Chinese or Tamil languages. In both types of schools the Malay language is compulsory, and English is also taught as second language in addition to Chinese, Tamil and other indigenous languages. The curriculum used at this level id the Integrated Curriculum for Primary Schools (ICPS) which consists of three main areas, namely, Communication, Man and his Environment, and Self Development. Two assessment examinations at year three and six are used to evaluate student performance. Outstanding students at year three can opt to go straight into year five. Secondary school offers a comprehensive education program. It aims to promote the general development of students by helping them to acquire knowledge, insight and skills from wide range of arts and sciences as well as vocational and technical subjects that provide a practical bias and hands-on approach to learning. Basically, the ultimate goal is to develop a strong foundation for life-long education as students are introduced to the beginnings of specialization. The medium of instruction is the Malay language, English, Tamil and Chinese are also widely taught as second language. Following the Lower Secondary Assessment examination (PMR) at year three, students move into more specialized fields of study at the upper secondary level, based on choice and aptitude of the students, and are reevaluated at year five through the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) assessment examination. Some secondary schools offer the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) program which qualifies students for entry into the national universities, colleges and teacher training institutions. Co-curricular programs are regarded as integral part of the school curriculum, and there are basically three types of co-curricular activities, namely, uniformed bodies, clubs and sports. Some co-curricular programs and activities are partly financed by government agencies and the private sector, and implemented at school, district, state and national levels. Various co-curricular programs are organized to develop character, discipline and leadership qualities of the students. Some of these programs are: School Youth Cadet Corp., School Fire Brigade Corp., and other leadership courses. The Youth is highly encouraged to indulge in various Entrepreneurial Programs, writing, speaking and debating competitions as well as cultural activities to create cultural awareness and literary appreciation among the students. Cultural exchange programs are held to promote closer ties and foster better relationship between students of different countries regionally and internationally. Special education provides educational opportunities for pupils with special needs, such as the spastic, handicapped, visually impaired, hearing impaired as well as those with learning disabilities. Currently there are 2883 schools in the country which are equipped with both teaching staff and facilities to help integrate these children within the general school system. However, those needing more intensive care and attention attend 31 special schools. The Education Act 1996 provides for special provision of special education in special schools or in regular primary and secondary schools. As a policy, the duration of schooling for children with special needs in a formal system should not be less than that accorded to pupils in regular primary and secondary schools. To ensure effective implementation of special education programs, the Special Teacher’s Training College conducts courses for teachers of the visually and hearing impaired students. By the way of shedding light on the policies adopted by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, it would be expedient to evaluate their effectiveness, and give some solutions for future improvements. During the Sixth Plan period, i.e. 1991-95, the overall thrust of education was on expanding capacity and increasing access to all levels of education, strengthening the delivery system and improving the quality of education. Consequently, it resulted in increases in enrollment at all levels of education. Recognizing the importance of pre-school education efforts were taken by the Ministry to increase facilities and improve quality of pre-school education. Efforts by both the public and private sectors including non-governmental organizations, resulted in an increase in pre-school centers from about 6,960 in 1990 to 10,350 in 1995. Correspondingly, the number of children in the 5-6 age category enrolled increased from 328,800 in 1990 to 420,600 in 1995, representing an increase of 27,9 per cent.10 Establishment of pre-school centers in the rural areas was very much emphasized, â€Å"of the total pre-school centers established by the Government, 80% were in rural areas, which benefited about 204,100 rural children.11 In primary education the main focus was on expanding capacity, improving existing facilities, and the quality of teaching and learning materials. In order to instill interest in science from an early age, the old existing syllabus were revised and some new ones were introduced. In order to accommodate increases in enrollment, reduce overcrowding, a total of 9,530 additional classrooms were constructed. With hostel facilities provided in rural and remote areas, students were able to gain access to a more conducive learning environment. In order to attract qualified and experienced teachers to serve in the rural and remote areas, an incentives were introduced for those those willing to teach in rural areas. Efforts were also undertaken to provide greater access to education for disabled children and those with learning difficulties. Despite efforts to improve the overall academic performance of primary school students, gaps in student’s achievements between rural and urban schools still remained. Enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government aided schools increased by 23.1 per cent from about 1.3 million in 1990 to about 1.6 million in 199512 as shown in Table 1. With the gradual implementation of the policy in the Sixth Plan, the transition rate from lower to upper secondary level improved from 68 per cent in 1990 to 83 per cent in 1995, while the participation rate at the upper secondary level increased from 50. Per cent in 1990 to 63.7 per cent in 1995.13 Due to increasing enrollment in urban schools and to reduce overcrowding, a total of 5,20 additional classrooms was planned for construction. However, only 75% or 3,960 classrooms were completed. Despite improvement measures bring undertaken, there were still concerns regarding student achievement and the proportion of students who chose science subjects at the upper secondary level. In order to meet the manpower requirements of a rapidly growing economy, tertiary education was directed at increasing enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels, particularly in science, medicine, engineering and other technical related courses.. Efforts were undertaken to increase intake into local public institutions of higher learning by expanding physical facilities of existing campuses and establishing new universities. Opportunities for Bumiputera to pursue studies at the tertiary level were expanded at the Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) where enrollment increased from 27.500 in 1990 to 35.480 in 1995. Enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels increased by 52.7 per cent from 100.590 in 1990 to 153.610 in 1995. In 1995 an estimated 50.600 Malaysian students or 20 per cent of students in tertiary education were enrolled in various institutions overseas.14 In order to meet the objective of education and skill training programs, which is to produce an adequate number of skilled and quality workforce to meet the manpower requirements of the country as well as produce citizens who are disciplined and possess high moral values and good work ethics, the following measures were suggested:  · to increase the capacity of existing institutions and establishing new ones, particularly in science, engineering and other technical fields;  · strengthen the delivery system through the provision of qualified and experienced teachers and instructors, as well as greater utilization of up to date technologies and computers so as to improve the overall quality;  · improve the management and implementation of education and training programs through enhancing managerial capability as well as strengthening the monitoring and evaluating system;  · strengthen research and development (RD) within the existing institutions of higher learning as well s collaborating with local and foreign RD institutions;  · increase science and technical manpower, particularly in RD;  · provide appropriate incentives to increase enrollment in the science stream.  · improve educational facilities in rural areas so as to reduce dropouts from the schools, while at the same time helping the children to perform better;  · inculcate positive values and right attitudes as well as innovativeness, communication and analytical skills among students and trainees;  · encourage reemployment of retired teachers to overcome the problems with shortages in critical subjects;  · encourage more private sector investment in education and training to complement public sector efforts.15 As far as the future development of pre-school education is concerned, the Government targets at participation of at least 65 per cent of children in the age of 5-6. A comprehensive policy will be formulated for the development of pre-school education, covering major aspects such as curriculum, physical facilities and teacher training, in addition to further improvements of coordination and quality of pre-school education in the public and private sectors. In this respect the latter will be encouraged to provide more pre-school facilities. Furthermore, greater parental involvement in their children’s education will be encouraged to increase awareness of parents on the importance of pre-school education in their children’s development. New syllabus and teaching methods with emphasis to practical experience will be further developed. As far as secondary education is concerned, the enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government-aided schools is expected to increase by 25 per cent from about 1.6 million in 1995 to 2.0 million in the year 2000. The increase will be more significant at the upper secondary level with the extension of basic education from nine to 11 years. A total of 9,770 new classrooms will be built in order to accommodate the increase in enrollment and reduce overcrowding.16 Teaching method which are simple, practical and interesting will continue to be used in order to increase student’s interest as well as improve their performance. Appropriate incentives will be provided to science students so as to increase enrollment in the science stream. Taking into account the latest technological development, the use of computers in secondary schools will be extensively promoted to build a strong foundation for a computer literate society. Extensive monitoring and evaluation of student’s performance at all levels will be undertaken, in addition to development of new teaching and learning approaches so as to enhance student’s academic performance. 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Equity Sensitivity Versus Egoism †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Equity Sensitivity Versus Egoism. Answer: Introduction: The main issues that can be seen in the case study are mainly related to the ethics of individuals Shin, (Jeong et al. 2015). This case study talks about the unethical breaking or hacking of some of the applicants, into the system of many well known Business Schools. Just in order to see whether they have been selected or rejected for their desired course. However, on being detected and questioned, all those accused, defended themselves telling that they were not IT people, so they couldn't make out what was happening, while others said that they knew they were doing something unethical but lost their sense of justice within the lapse of a moment. Speaking in general term, it was really unethical on the part of the applicants but it was also not wise on the part of the universities to design their confidential pages in such a way that it could be so easily hacked by anyone and everyone just by following some very simple steps. The stakeholders here are all those persons involved in the entire process of the admission procedure in the best business schools namely Harvard business school, MIT, Dartmouth, Duke, Stanford, Camegie Mellon. It basically includes the top management team of all these business schools starting right from the Dean, to the head of the department of business studies or the MBA programme courses of all the respective colleges (Whiteman 2017) It also includes all the teachers and the other staff members who are involved in all these important decisions regarding the admission procedure. Different stakeholders make different decisions like the criteria to be followed for applying in all the different courses, the cut-off marks that is the minimum marks at which the applicants are eligible to apply. It also includes several; other people like the IT officials and the other system management people like the internet experts, cyber cell security experts, ethical hackers etc who are responsib le for designing the pages that would contain t5he confidential information regarding the verdict or decisions made on the admission or rejection of all the respective applicants. By definition, the term egoism means the habit or the interest which is deeply rooted within the individuals for doing things always in their self-interest that is they consider self-interest to be the very root or the foundation of morality (Jeon and Newman 2016). As is seen from the case study, that all those 119 applicants tried and also succeeded in hacking into the Harvard and several other universities systems only to satisfy their own temptation of seeing whether or not their application for the course has been accepted or rejected. It can be said that all these applicants lost their sense of judgment or lost their ability to count upon their ethics only to commit such a shameful deed. Moreover, some of them also tried to defend their deeds by saying that it was not really a very big issue and that it was not right on part of the university authority to question them on their ethics (Zlatanovska 2016). This is the concept by which individuals feel it right to commit such actions that they feel will be useful for themselves or for a majority. It is very much well reflected in this case study as it can be seen that some anonymous hacker really did survey and listed the ways of hacking into the admission procedure system of Harvard and several other business schools, perhaps because he felt that it would be beneficial for all those applicants applying for the business courses in those universities. This is a duty or an attitude of care and responsibility to ensure the safety and well being of others (Hartley 2015). This is well reflected on the part of the University authorities as they have taken all the necessary steps in order to make up the loss that had been created due to this unethical hacking by the applicants in their system. According to the University authorities, it is their responsibility to build up leaders for the bright future of the nation and it is indeed a shameful and unexpected act on the part of those whom the university is supposed to educate. It was said by the Robert Joss, the dean of Stanford business school that perhaps these applicants will now learn a lesson from their mistake (Piacquadio 2017). It mainly talks about the different ways on which a company will be controlled and directed. It can be seen from the case study that the business schools are usually responsible for training their students into successful leaders by imbibing within them the ability to take good decisions and make a change in the world. Nowadays, there are a lot of scandals and public abuses on the corporate governance, as a result of which it is important to inculcate within the individuals the qualities of honesty, integrity, strong moral and ethical values etc (Deo and Farik 2015). Diffusion of responsibilities This is a socio psychological concept by which people often refuse to take any responsibility in presence of others as was seen in case of the accused applicants who tried to escape the blame saying that they did nothing apart from following the steps given by an anonymous hacker who had already tried this unethical hacking. From the corporate governance point of view, it is because of these unethical activities are done by several individuals that ruin the reputation of the different corporate houses. It also says that the corporate houses are responsible for governing the affairs of the company in such a way that the company can be directed properly towards achieving its goals. Risk mitigating measures like increased safety, password and ID authentication, cyber cell and cyber crime detection experts etc must be adopted to increase the security of all the confidential information of the company or university in this case. Risk minimizing measures like Increased safety, Password and ID authentication, Cyber cell Cyber crime detection experts These measures can be adopted for mitigating the risk of unethical; hacking practices and apart from t5his, the values of ethics, morality, honesty etc must also be incorporated among all individuals who will prevent them from adopting such dishonest means. Reference list Deo, S. and Farik, M., 2015. Information Security-Recent Attacks In Fiji.International Journal of Scientific Technology Research,4(8), pp.218-220. Hannes, K., 2015. The fifth principle: renegotiable ethical frameworks! A commentary to Goodyear-Smith and colleagues article on Co-design and implementation research: challenges and solutions for ethics committees published in BMC Medical Ethics (request for waiver of publication fee denied). Hartley, R.D., 2015. Ethical Hacking Pedagogy: An Analysis and Overview of Teaching Students to Hack.Journal of International Technology and Information Management,24(4), p.6. Jeon, G. and Newman, D.A., 2016. Equity sensitivity versus egoism: A reconceptualization and new measure of individual differences in justice perceptions.Journal of Vocational Behavior,95, pp.138-155. Piacquadio, P.G., 2017. A Fairness Justification of Utilitarianism.Econometrica,85(4), pp.1261-1276. Shin, J.H., Jeong, S.H., Lee, M.H. and Yang, Y., 2015. Experiences of ethical issues and needs for ethics education in clinical nurses.Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration,21(3), pp.327-339. Whicher, D., Kass, N., Saghai, Y., Faden, R., Tunis, S. and Pronovost, P., 2015. The views of quality improvement professionals and comparative effectiveness researchers on ethics, IRBs, and oversight.Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics,10(2), pp.132-144. Whiteman, N., 2017. Accounting for ethics: towards a de-humanised comparative approach.Qualitative Research, p.1468794117724499. Zlatanovska, K., 2016. Hacking and hacktivism as an information communication system threat. InHandbook of research on civil society and national security in the era of cyber warfare(pp. 68-101). IGI Global.

Internationalization and Global Expansion of Westfarmers limited

Introduction The company overview Westfarmers Ltd is amongst the biggest retail chains in Australia. The company was established in 1945 with the objective of providing consumers with high quality and reliable products that met their aspirations of getting value for their money. Because of the firm’s concerted efforts, it achieved exceptional growth and is now amongst the largest listed retail firms and employers in the country.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Internationalization and Global Expansion of Westfarmers limited specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, the firm is highly diversified offering varying products and services to its consumers (Westfarmers, Limited, 2012). Presently, the company’s main objective is to increase its brand awareness within the Australian market and establish itself in the international market. In addition, the company aims to establish and increase its brand loyalty in major Asian emerging markets such as India and China. The main reason why Westfarmers limited is planning to expand and establish into the Indian and Chinese markets is to increase its global market share. Currently many retail chains are expanding globally, particularly in the emerging economies because of the massive potential they provide in terms of constantly increasing demand for consumer goods (Westfarmers, Limited 2012). The reason why India and China continue to remain the major targets for international expansion is the immense potential for rapid economic growth and rise in consumer spending. Currently, the two countries hold the world’s largest and fastest growing middle-class with constantly increasing spending patterns on consumer products. Rapid economic growth and easy availability of natural and human resources at lower costs will enable the firm to operate at low-cost, thereby increasing its competitive advantage. This paper will analyze the inter nationalization policy of Westfarmers Ltd with the basic objective of answering the crucial issue of what strategies it will have to adopt and what actions it will have to take in becoming a major player in the global market. This question will be best answered by deciding and justifying the paths that the company will take while working towards achieving success in relation to its positioning, use of resources and effectively functioning within the institutional frameworks of its chosen businesses in the new markets.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main objective of this report lies in making the right recommendations that will ensure successful implementation of short and long term strategies in order to increase its market share and thus to achieve financial success in a highly competitive globalized business environment. Situation analysis Company analysis Westfarme rs limited is a publicly listed Australian company specializing in retail chains including super markets and chain stores. In meeting up with its international expansion plans, the company intends to increase its brand awareness and to establish and increase its brand loyalty in major Asian markets such as India and China. Given that the global retail industry is slated to grow exponentially in the next five years, it is beneficial for Westfarmers to expand into China and India, which are currently the fastest growing economies providing massive potential for firms to tap the growing markets in these countries. In Australia, Westfarmers’ market share is robust with expected growth of 1.67% annually and this growth in its market share is driven by the popularity of its brands particularly among the middle-income earners. Westfaarmers has demonstrated exceptional financial results, which is evident from the financial numbers in its balance sheet and financial statements provide d in the Appendix to this paper. It is pertinent to note in this regard that the economies of China and India are also growing very fast because of the increasing size of the middle class that are now having greater disposable incomes to spend on consumer goods. Westfarmers limited is in a strong position to tap this huge potential and grab a larger share of these markets. Westfarmers will use its brands in meeting the demands of the growing middle class in these countries, particularly for consumer goods and once it becomes popular it can hope to become a leader in the retail market. However, the retail industry is highly competitive and volatile because of the presence of major global brands as well as well established local brands, which means that Westfarmers will have to operate in a highly competitive environment (Rawski, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Internationalization and Global Expansion of Westfarmers limited specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although retail markets in China and India are growing, they are being tapped by many other international retail chains (Aulakh Kotabe, 2007). Nevertheless, if Westfarmers is able to make a strong presence in these markets, it will generate over ten billion dollars of revenues in the next five years. Competitor and industry analysis Porters Five Forces The Porters Five Forces model is highly useful in understanding the competitive environment in which Westfarmers will operate in the new markets (Porter, 2000). Customers will have greater bargaining power because Westfarmers products can easily be substituted by products offered by other retailers, meaning that the company’s position is weakened because of these circumstances. The bargaining power of suppliers is not very high because of the large numbers of companies that strive to supply consumer goods at the lowest possible prices. It is very easy for Westfarmers to swit ch and change its suppliers if their products or services are not in keeping with its expectations. At the same time, it has to be provided that despite the presence of large numbers of suppliers it is not practical to change them frequently (Dunning, 2003). The threat of new entrants is very high in the retail industry, which is why Westfarmers will have to go into additional cost to maintain its brand loyalty and promote new products. Competitive rivalry in the retail sector is very high in view of the large size of the operators and their ability to enter new markets (Wernerfelt, 2009). SWOT analysis The SWOT analysis allows for determining the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses, thus providing a basis to work towards removing the weaknesses and making the strengths stronger. In addition threats and opportunities are identified, which allows for the framing of appropriate proactive policies to achieve organizational goals (Davies Ellis 2000, p.1190). The biggest strength of Westfarmers is its market leadership, which allows it to have unparalleled competitive advantage and a strong basis to go ahead with its globalization strategy. It’s already diversified structure allows it to alter its product mix in meeting customer expectations, which results in enhanced sales. The company’s differentiation policy clearly demarcates its products from its competitors.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Staff members are highly skilled and enjoy shared values, which lead to common goals. In addition, Westfarmers enjoys an excellent reputation in Australia because it has consistently provided value to customers (Belin Pham, 2007). A major weakness of the company is that its differentiated strategy is not effectively communicated to consumers. The company distribution channels have not yet fully developed to allow speedy delivery of the products to the consumers. Sometimes, the company’s business model is not adaptable to the changes that might take place in the market particularly in hard economic times when smaller formats may be preferable to the consumers (Porter, 2000). Westfarmers has several opportunities because of the fact that its target market is the largest segment demographically and the growth in the disposable income among the middle class appears to be high. In addition, Westfarmers’ expansionist strategy ensures its absorption and mergers with companie s that offer direct competition (Porter, 2000). Westfarmers has already established strong and long-term relationship with the suppliers thereby reducing most of the supply costs. Therefore, clients’ dependency hitherto established and developed is another opportunity for the Westfarmers management to thrive. Threats for Westfarmers have surfaced by way of the ability of smaller competitors to enter the market with lesser investments, while being able to erode its customer base. In addition to the threats of new entrants, small and medium sized firms and larger corporations offer substitute products. The declining revenue because of such developments may affect the company expansion strategy. China and India, where Westfarmers plans to expand do not have a stable regulatory In addition, the firm is planning to invest in countries with structure, which means there is risk in making such huge investments. The expansionist strategies Westfarmers is a highly diversified company a nd therefore requires strong corporate strategy to expand into the international market. The diversification is in both product and in operations. The company started with a single product line and operation. However, by 2010, the company has diversified into various business operations offering numerous product and service lines. The Westfarmers expansion strategy will enable the firm diversify into more product line as well as the market as the international markets will offer more opportunities for growth and development. The corporate strategy applied by the company Westfarmers is using related corporate strategy where the company is using its operations to expand and remain competitive into the market. Since the company was already in the retail and related industry, the major issue in the corporate strategy is how to put together its operations to boost its combined performance, leverage its value chain fits and establish its investment priorities. The company will use its lon g-term trends in its expansionist strategies including takeovers mergers and acquisitions. Besides its organized franchise strategy, the company is efficient in its value chain management. The company products are distributed to the franchisees stores within the shortest time possible before its competitors. The way the company manages its distribution channels add value and make the corporation be more competitive. The business level strategy applied by the company Even though the company is selling similar merchandise, the products are highly differentiated making the Westfarmers’ products unique and attractive in the market. In essence, the Westfarmers’ products are differentiated from the competitions in terms of price and appearance. Westfarmers ensures that all the products needed by the customers are present in their stores and offer value to the customers. With technological advantage in operations, the company offers products at low cost. In other words, the c ompany products are affordable and are of high quality compared to the competing products. In addition, the company first position in the industry has enabled its products to be sold globally particularly on new markets. The innovativeness in the product line has also increased the company competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. The company functional and entrepreneurial strategy Westfarmers is taking any opportunity to market its products or introduce its products into the market. The company is taking advantage of its efficient supply chain management and distribution to ensure that its products reach the market. In fact, the company well developed supply chain and distribution increases its competitive advantage. The firm uses its supply chain and distribution functions to expand quickly into the new market. The international expansion strategies Westfarmers is dedicated to provide international clients with the best products that would give them the best usab ility experience. The peripherals and services have driven the company to open up its operations in the major emerging markets particularly in China. Westfarmers expansion approach is to create a balance between its exceptional capability to devise and build up its own products that would provide its clients the best qualities that they are looking for and offering solutions to their needs. Together with other expansion policies, Westfarmers keeps on developing and advancing the stage for retailing innovative products as well as offering the best quality and standardized consumer products all over the globe. As a result, the company is planning to open up its operations in China due to the fast growth in GDP and the larger market (Alfaro et al., 2004). Currently China economic growth is surpassing that of US and Japan making the country attractive for consumer product investments. The growing global consumer products market is an opportunity for the company particularly in countries like China, which is experiencing economic boom. Moreover, the huge population and increasing application of Westfarmers’ products by the middle-class generation offer a potential market. Moreover, the innovative capabilities of the company are another opportunity to introduce new products into this large market (Blomstermo et al., 2006). Besides economic growth and market opportunities, the international operations offer an opportunity for the company to produce commodities at low cost (Alfaro et al., 2004). The company’s Chinese subsidiary will operates at low wages compared to that in Australia. In addition, the operations in China will reduce the distribution cost thus enabling the company to offer its products at competitive prices (Chen Mujtaba, 2007). The Chinese subsidiary is strategically located to serve and meet the demands of the locals. In essence, the company is taking advantage of the benefits the foreign country offers towards its operations while ret aining its technological aspects (Anders, 2008). The country operation advantages include the cost of factors of production such as labor cost, factor endowment such as availability of supplies as well as the reduced distribution costs. The technological aspects that the company has to retained include research and development along with the defining managerial procedures (Chen Mujtaba, 2007). Therefore, the company has to come up with an expansion strategy that will ensure the realization of the goals. Various expansion strategies are available to the firm to establish and position within the international market. Entering into the international market comes with increased costs and risks. Therefore, firms must be critical while deciding on the international market entry modes. Firms, while expanding into the international markets can apply several strategies. However, for retail companies such as Westfarmers, franchising, joint ventures and utterly held auxiliaries will be the mo st appropriate. Franchising Westfarmers can utilize the business knowledge of other retail chains acting as a franchisee in host countries to expand the company’s business activities. In this strategy, Westfarmers is supposed to provide capital, technical skills, and business expertise. The firm can use this mode in countries where there is uncertainty in political and economic conditions as in the case of China (Arregle et al., 2006). The uncertainty in the foreign markets makes this mode of entry more suitable for retail chains. The major advantage of this mode is that the company does not need to bear the costs and risks related to development and entry into the new market (Aulakh Kotabe, 2007). The cutback in overheads and threats allied to charters enlarges the corporation’s efficacy in searching for the fresh marketplace. However, the corporation will hardly have any power over the trade dealings mostly where the by-laws call for the businesses to observe the em inence ideals. Moreover, in the circumstances that the franchisee does not strictly obey the agreed rules and regulations, the firm can easily fail in this strategy. Joint ventures This is the most commonly used entry mode by firms including retail chains all over the world (Arregle et al., 2006). The entry mode requires that the Westfarmers form an alliance with similar firm in the foreign country in order to attain the greater position in the market. In most cases, the joint venture involves equal share of costs and benefits (Blomstermo et al., 2006). Nevertheless, the businesses functions as well as operations are regularly detached from the company control. Moreover, the supervisory tasks are analogous and mutual by each corporation. In order to achieve stringent direction and have superior allocation entitlements, Westfarmers will have to devote additional finance to the mutual schemes. The advantage with this entry mode is that risks and costs are shared (Arregle et al., 2006) . In addition, Westfarmers would gain market knowledge from the joint venture firm as well as explore the foreign market with the help of the other firm with political and economic issues put into consideration. With little regard to the conflicts that might arise from the joint venture, Westfarmers take advantage of the local firm’s capability of influencing the local government to allow the company to enter, establish, and dominate the markets. Utterly held auxiliaries This is the best entry mode for the Westfarmers. Utterly held subsidiary mean that the company will have total control of all its operations. In other words, Westfarmers will have to cuddle a hundred percent allotment of the far-off units. For the firm to own a subsidiary, Westfarmers must establish a new entity with full operations into this market or fully acquire an existing firm (Davies Ellis 2000, p.1190). The acquired firm must be well built within the industry. Westfarmers stand to gain a lot from thi s mode as the company can easily promote the products and services. However, there are increased costs associated with this mode of entry (Arregle et al., 2006). Recommendations Foreign investments in India and China are required to be made through the FDI (Foreign Direct Investments) route by making applications to the respective governments. Because the governments of these emerging economies are too eager to attract foreign investments, they have introduced speedy processes with negligible bureaucratic formalities. Mostly all approvals are given from a single window whereby the investing company can get all licenses and approvals from a single office. Once Westfarmers makes the financial resources available, the approvals to invest in India will be given within two months, after which the company is free to enter and purchase land and buildings and other infrastructure to initiate its expansion plans. It is important to note that entry routes into these countries for the purpose of doing business are very easy and convenient because both economies stand to gain because of the inflow of capital, which will lead to economic development and increase in employment opportunities. The entire process of getting the necessary approvals of establishing and setting up facilities in the two countries will not take more than three months. Entering into the international market comes with increased costs and risks. Therefore, firms must be critical while deciding on the internationalization. Critical analysis of the international expansion strategies will enable the firm establish and benefit from the international markets. The key areas to focus on while setting up business in China and India are land, buildings, infrastructure and availability of resources. Westfarmers will have to do a lot of sourcing of local merchandise, products and food items from within the given countries in complying with the tastes of local consumers. Setting up an effective framework for thi s will take four months because there will be a large number of products and items for which prior sourcing arrangements will have to be made by partnering with local producers and suppliers. Performing cost benefit analysis will go a long way in determining the extent of profitability Westfarmers will be able to achieve with its investments in China and India. The objective is to gain in a new market for which costs will have to be provided for research, cost of production, cost of marketing, wages to workers, costs of investments and other miscellaneous expenses. It is essential to conduct a thorough market research in order to get correct facts about the market and about consumer preferences so that appropriate marketing strategies can be framed for different consumer segments. Conducting market research and getting and applying its outcomes will take another three months, but this is essential for Westfarmers to get a correct picture of the environment in which it will operate. In essence, the company’s corporate strategy will have to be aligned with the market needs of the two countries, which will obviously be different for each region. The next step will be to leverage the value chains that fit well with the investment priorities of the company. This process will take another six months. For any retail company it is very important to frame a well organized franchise strategy because it plays a major role in making value chain management more effective. The next stage for Westfarmers will be to establish an efficient distribution system because international chain stores require implementation of specific techniques to remain competitive. The ways in which the company manages its distribution system will have an important bearing on its market position. Efficiency in value chain management will entail a great deal of competitive advantages for Westfarmers. This process will take four months after which Westfarmers can confidently commence its busi ness operations in the respective markets. The next stage in the business cycle will be the design and implementation of appropriate marketing strategies in order to attract customers. An appropriate positioning strategy will have to be devised by including the most efficient elements of product, price, promotion and place (markets). The objective will be to use the research outcomes in the best ways in order to survive in the competition, win a steady flow of customers in each segment and to retain loyal customers by constantly offering them value propositions for the purchases they make in Westfarmers stores across the country. Designing and implementing the marketing strategy for different market segments can be quite tricky, particularly for retail companies because of the intense competition in the sector whereby customers can switch stores with the slightest provocation by way of being attracted by the propositions of other operators or by being put off with even minor deficie ncies in service. Overall, the implementation of marketing programs will take two months after which their outcomes will begin emerging in terms of customer visits to the stores. Therefore, in these 24 months, Westfarmers will be in a strong position to determine its future course of action in terms of future investments in the two countries. References Aiginger, K 2006, â€Å"Competitiveness: from a dangerous obsession to a welfare creating ability with positive externalities,† Journal of Industrial Trade and Competition, vol.6 no.3, pp.63–66. Alfaro, L, Chanda, A, Kalemli-Ozcan, S Sayek, S 2004, â€Å"FDI and economic growth, the role of local financial markets,† Journal of International Economics, vol.64 no.2, pp.113-134. Anders, P 2008, â€Å"Strategy antecedents of modes of entry into foreign markets,† Journal of Business Research, vol.61 no.2, pp.132-137. Arregle J, Hebert, L Beamish, P 2006, â€Å"Mode of international entry: the advantages of m ultilevel methods,† Management International Review, vol.46 no.5, pp.597-611. Aulakh, P Kotabe, M 2007, â€Å"Antecedents and performance implications of channel integration in foreign markets,† Journal of International Business Studies, vol.8 no.1, pp.145-175. Belin, J Pham, C 2007, â€Å"Global expansion: balancing a uniform performance culture with local conditions,† Strategy leadership, vol.35 no.6, pp.44-73. Blomstermo, A, Sharma, D Sallis, J 2006, â€Å"Choice of foreign market entry mode in service firms,† International Marketing Review, vol.23 no.2, pp.211-213. Chen, L Mujtaba, B 2007, â€Å"The choice of entry mode strategies and decisions for international market expansion,† Journal of American Academy of Business, vol.10 no.2, pp.322-344. Davies, H Ellis, P 2000, â€Å"Porter’s competitive advantage of nations: time for the final judgment?† Journal of Management Studies, vol.37 no.2, pp.1189–1213. Dunning, J 200 3, â€Å"Internationalizing porter’s diamond,† management International Review, vol.30 no.6, pp.5-13. Porter, M 2000, â€Å"Location, competition, and economic development: Local clusters in a global economy,† Economic Development Quarterly, vol.14 no.1, pp.15–35. Rawski, T 2011, â€Å"The rise of china’s economy.† Journal of Foreign Policy, vol.16 no.6, pp.732-746. Wernerfelt, B 2009, â€Å"A resource-based view of the firm,† Strategic Management Journal, vol.15 no.26, pp.2171–2180. Westfarmers Limited 2012, 2012 annual report, Westfarmers Limited In-house publishing, Portsmouth, Australia. https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/ Appendix Wesfarmers Ltd (WES) Balance Sheet Period Ending: 2012 30/06 2011 30/06 2010 30/06 2009 30/06 Total Current Assets 10911 10218 9674 9944 Cash and Short Term Investments 2279 1885 2705 3127 Cash 417 264 237 311 Cash Equivalents 112 97 85 79 Short Term Investments 1750 1524 2383 2737 Total Receivables, Net 2922 2704 2086 1893 Accounts Receivables – Trade, Net 1733 1506 1322 1279 Total Inventory 5006 4987 4658 4665 Prepaid Expenses 133 92 25 68 Other Current Assets, Total 571 550 200 191 Total Assets 42312 40814 39236 39062 Property/Plant/Equipment, Total – Net 9463 8302 7542 6912 Property/Plant/Equipment, Total – Gross 14248 12403 11158 9835 Accumulated Depreciation, Total -4785 -4101 -3616 -2923 Goodwill, Net 16097 16227 16206 16273 Intangibles, Net 4393 4353 4328 4365 Long Term Investments 677 1001 679 410 Note Receivable – Long Term 33 9 28 211 Other Long Term Assets, Total 738 704 779 947 Other Assets, Total – – – – Total Current Liabilities 10747 8722 7852 7561 Accounts Payable 5420 5059 4603 4054 Payable/Accrued – – – – Accrued Expenses 1035 954 – – Notes Payable/Short Term Debt 570 266 205 197 Current Port. of LT Debt/Capital Leases 1051 – 99 437 Other Current liabilities, Total 2671 2443 2945 2873 Total Liabilities 16685 15485 14542 14814 Total Long Term Debt 3881 4613 5049 5535 Long Term Debt 3881 4613 5049 5535 Capital Lease Obligations – – – – Total Debt 5502 4879 5353 6169 Deferred Income Tax – – – – Minority Interest – – – – Other Liabilities, Total 2057 2150 1641 1718 Total Equity 25627 25329 24694 24248 Redeemable Preferred Stock, Total – – – – Preferred Stock – Non Redeemable, Net – – – – Common Stock, Total 23286 23286 23286 23286 Additional Paid-In Capital 24 24 24 24 Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) 2414 2119 1491 1024 Treasury Stock – Common – – – – ESOP Debt Guarantee – – – – Unrealized Gain (L oss) – – – – Other Equity, Total -97 -100 -107 -86 Total Liabilities Shareholders’ Equity 42312 40814 39236 39062 Total Common Shares Outstanding 1157.07 1157.07 1157.07 1157.07 Source: https://www.investing.com/equities/wesfarmers-limited-balance-sheet Wesfarmers Ltd (WES) Revenue Growth Year over year, Wesfarmers Limited has been able to grow revenues from A$54.5B AUD to A$57.7B AUD. Most impressively, the company has been able to reduce the percentage of sales devoted to cost of goods sold from 67.75% to 67.26%. This was a driver that led to a bottom line growth from A$1.9B AUD to A$2.1BAUD. This report on Internationalization and Global Expansion of Westfarmers limited was written and submitted by user Ellen Sharpe to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Sexuality

Sex and relationship are not only the easiest topic to talk about but, in my opinion, is also the hardest topic to understand. With the overemphasis on sexuality in today’s society not only in a social setting but in a personal setting as well it is difficult to escape the pressure. Every where you go you hear people saying, you see things that say sex is bad, sex is good, don’t have sex. How is one supposed to make their mind up? With sex and relationships come both positive and negative factors. Factors like experiencing sexual attraction to one another, conceiving children, and marriage, to STD’s, rape, and sexual abuse. When people go through the process of choosing a mate they cannot say that â€Å"chemistry or fate† brought them together these factors that are mentioned above play a big role in their choice. In this paper I will address both the good and the bad things that sexuality has played and what I would change. Even before we know what sex was we are confronted with it in the way of gender expectations. We can see them portrayed in many aspects of life. In early childhood we are distinguished by what we play with such as boy’s plays with trucks girls with dolls, boys get muddy girls put on makeup. If children are exposed to these expectations so early how can we get rid of these expectations? These will be passed from generation to generation as they have been in the past, and all they can say is this is how we were raised. Another example where these expectations are portrayed is in the entertainment industry. They know that sex sales and it portray actors and models that are considered buff and rock hard abs and perfect curves. These actors are portrayed as â€Å"perfect† therefore these are the people we look up to and people we would want to be with. But it seems like their telling us if we ever want to be with these people we have to look like this. Everyone one wants a â€Å"perfect† mate and... Free Essays on Sexuality Free Essays on Sexuality Sexuality: The condition of being characterized and distinguished by sex. But how is ones sexuality developed? Does anyone know? In today’s society we have our â€Å"normal† sex they call, heterosexuals and the people some don’t understand, â€Å"homosexuals†. So now I ask myself are people born as heterosexuals and homosexuals or is it something that we just choose as we grow up. Many psychologists have put humans to the study to figure out how and why our sexuality is developed. Sigmund Freud, best known for his contributions in the field of therapy have developed his theory for human personality and sexuality. He was one of the first Westerners to recognize and work with unconscious processes and he also brought about the id, ego, and superego. Freud didn’t exactly invent the idea of the conscious versus the unconscious mind, but he certainly was responsible for making it popular. The conscious mind is what you are aware of at any particular moment, your present perceptions, memories, thoughts, fantasies, and feelings. Working closely with the conscious mind is what Freud called the preconscious, what we might today call â€Å"available memory:† anything that can easily be made conscious, the memories you are not at the moment thinking about but can readily bring to mind. Now no-one has a problem with these two layers of mind. But Freud suggested that these are the smallest parts. The largest part by far is the unconscious. It includes all the things that are not easily available to awareness, including many things that have their origins there, such as our drive or instincts, and things that are put there because we cant bear to look at them, such as memories and emotions associated with trauma. Accor ding to Freud, the unconscious is the source of our motivations, whether they are simple desires for food or sex, or the motives of an artist or scientist. And yet, we are often driven to deny or resist becoming cons... Free Essays on Sexuality Sex and relationship are not only the easiest topic to talk about but, in my opinion, is also the hardest topic to understand. With the overemphasis on sexuality in today’s society not only in a social setting but in a personal setting as well it is difficult to escape the pressure. Every where you go you hear people saying, you see things that say sex is bad, sex is good, don’t have sex. How is one supposed to make their mind up? With sex and relationships come both positive and negative factors. Factors like experiencing sexual attraction to one another, conceiving children, and marriage, to STD’s, rape, and sexual abuse. When people go through the process of choosing a mate they cannot say that â€Å"chemistry or fate† brought them together these factors that are mentioned above play a big role in their choice. In this paper I will address both the good and the bad things that sexuality has played and what I would change. Even before we know what sex was we are confronted with it in the way of gender expectations. We can see them portrayed in many aspects of life. In early childhood we are distinguished by what we play with such as boy’s plays with trucks girls with dolls, boys get muddy girls put on makeup. If children are exposed to these expectations so early how can we get rid of these expectations? These will be passed from generation to generation as they have been in the past, and all they can say is this is how we were raised. Another example where these expectations are portrayed is in the entertainment industry. They know that sex sales and it portray actors and models that are considered buff and rock hard abs and perfect curves. These actors are portrayed as â€Å"perfect† therefore these are the people we look up to and people we would want to be with. But it seems like their telling us if we ever want to be with these people we have to look like this. Everyone one wants a â€Å"perfect† mate and...