Burger King marketing & Employee Motivation Strategy Essay

INTRODUCTION This research deals that how Burger King (BK) following the procedures to motivate the Employees, how these procedures helps in achieving the objectives of Burger King and influences the objectives. Hamburger is a parent company of Burger King and it is operating worldwide. Headquarter of Burger King is situated in Florida, U.S.A. It was first established as Insta Burger King in 1953. Due to tough external environment of Insta Burger King, it faces financial problems and in 1954 its franchises were sold and its name was changed as Burger King. At the end of 2013 it was reported by Burger King that it has over 13000 franchises operating in 79 countries out of which large amount of franchises operating in United States, almost 66% in United States. Burger King has almost 40 subsidiaries that are operating under the management of different countries, their operations, financial matters and production are controlled by the management of those Countries. (Burger King Corporation, 2013). Franchises of Burger King are mostly privately owned by the businessman and they followed the SOPs given by the Burger King Company (Christina, 2011). A holders of Burger King franchises has to follow the strict obligations and duties given by the Burger King; it includes designs of a company, internal and external appearance, brand standards, quality and serving of food, training programs and employee compensation plans (Jonathan, 2011). Burger King is giving license to the operators and administrators of stores to run the franchises of Burger King in North America (Elizabeth, 2006). Now Burger King is working in many countries. It is using many promotional techniques as well. It has fan page on a social media called Facebook. Moreover it has an account on twitter as well. Burger King has a large variety in its menu  including burgers, fries, pan cakes, shakes etc. Burger King says that their employees are the vital part of their organization. Employees are the main assets of a company because they face the customers, deals with them and provide services and products to the customers. To get good results of this employee and customer relationship, Burger King has set rules to give Professional training to the employees so that employees should use their abilities to get the desired goals of Burger King. Not only trainings but Burger King is also investing on career development of employees by giving them a chance to work in different departments and giving a chance to the employees to polish their skills and competencies by attending different seminars. Feedback from employees is very important in bringing the positive changes in the Company, Burger King also follows this rule and they encourage their employees to do open communication with the top management. In this way satisfaction of employees increases and they are free to use any mode of communication, which includes videos calls, meetings, Emails, voice mails etc. Burger King motivates its employees with different rewards to engage them in the progress of the organization. When staff works hard and continuously makes a positive difference to the company. Employee achievement awards given to the employees working with the Burger King more than five years and these awards are given to the employees after every five years and reached up to fifty years. There are other programs and awards as well that are given to the employees at both management and lower level to motivate the employees. RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY The research purpose is to see how motivation of workers is being maintained by the organization. For this purpose Burger King is selected. This research will help in starting new studies in this field so that the new researchers will investigate that how the motivation of employees results in the success of company, company’s growth and progress in future. Organizations have to made good motivational programs for employees to get good performance from  them. If employees are motivated then they perform better, they feel satisfied with their job, so they are committed to their organization as well. This research will encourage organizations to motivate their employees and understand the things that motivate them. BUSINESS RESEACH QUESTION â€Å"What are the contributing features, plans and programs of the company that motivate employees? To understand the phenomenon of employee motivation of Burger King, given below questions of research should be kept in mind to make a base of this research. The current benefits that employees are getting? How the motivation of employees is maintained by the organization? What are the organizations current and future strategies to motivate their workers? RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Motivation is the challenging issue to manage and work, because of the individual behavior or attitudes. As every individual is different from each other, their behaviors, attitudes and needs are also different. For every individual the motivating factors could be different according to their circumstances as well as their priorities. Another factor could be that an employee is not fit for the job he is doing or he has no interest in that work. So such resources and encouragement should be provided to him so he can develop interest. This research assignment will results in understanding the motivation of  employees given by the Burger King and which leads to overall better and good performance. LITERATURE REVIEW PRELIMINARY Literature review is a process of studying published or unpublished work given in the journals, magazines, newspaper, thesis and online information to get references. These references will help in getting knowledge of the other people’s work and will also help in providing support to our arguments and judgments. In organization’s point of view â€Å"motivation† means the drive force which creates interest in employee to work hard. A motivated employee will have capacity to work hard and give good results. It also determines the employee’s effort and level of persistence (Bernie, 2012). Organizations need motivated employees to work. Motivated employees help organizations in their survival. Motivated employees are more productive as they know when they will be productive they will get reward for it (Bowen & Radhakrishna, 1991). Motivated employees are also quality oriented. They find different good ways to do the job. There are many factors that could help in motivating employees. The first and most important factor is job design. Good job design will surely results in creating the positive motivation of employees. The design of job can have a significance impact on employee motivation. If a job is challenging and different interesting tasks are involved in it then employee could be motivated enough to do it. Job design approaches are four in number: job enlargement, job simplification, job enrichment and job rotation (Bernie, 2012). Standardization and specialization of the work is known as job simplification. Job simplification results in motivating the employees because they have clearly identified tasks. But sometimes Job simplification does not helps in creating motivation for the employees because it may result in boring of employee by doing the same task again and again. A large  variety of different tasks to perform by the employees, so that employee can have interest in the job and may result in motivation of employees, this phenomenon is known as Job Enlargement. Job rotation helps to move workers to different tasks and departments after a specific period of time to maintain their interest and motivation to work. Job enrichment aims to enhance the actual job by introducing different motivational factors (Bernie, 2012). Large numbers of studies are conducted to see the impact of job design techniques to motivate employees. Job design questionnaire was used to study the impact of Job design in motivating the employees by Campion and Thayer (1985) and the result of their study has shown that jobs having proper Job design will lead to motivate the employees and employees will have less problem in performing the work needed for a job and less health complaints. Hackman (1980) conducted a study and results shown that redesigning a job will surely leads in providing good productivity, increase the quantity of work and motivation in employees. Job Enlargement or Job Enrichment is the main tool to do this. This is a human nature that he always motivated when he knows that his work is valuable and worthy. Motivation also comes from the sense of acknowledgement and respect. Rewards are another type of motivation. Intrinsic reward and extrinsic reward are main two types of rewards. Rewards that are internal like feeling good about doing something, sense of accomplishment is known as intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards are external like incentives, bonuses, increments etc. (Fair & Silvestri, 1992). When specific goals are set for employees then they also produce good performance and feel motivated as they feel themselves an important asset of organization. Many researchers have worked to investigate the effectiveness of reward on the motivation of employees. Pierce, Cameron, Banko and So (2003) researchers have arranged a research to get the exact idea that how extrinsic rewards given by the company creates an impact on employee’s motivation. They found that people who got rewards for their performance  were motivated intrinsically and those who do not get rewards were not motivated at all. Another study on the same topic was conducted by Wiersma (1992). He found that extrinsic rewards are important and they increase motivation. Dobre (2013) argued that empowerment and recognition are the factors that increase motivation of employee. Employees are motivated on getting empowerment and appreciation which results in good performance of employees. Organizations should try to give empowerment and appreciation to the employees so that they can perform well. Bartol and Martin (1998) studied that motivation is a powerful tool to get good performance from the employees. Kalimullah (2010) argued that a motivated employee puts his efforts for the progress of organization. Sara et al. (2004) suggested that good salaries are the most important factor in motivating employees. Employees are also motivated through good leadership (Baldoni, 2005). Working environment is also another important factor for employee motivation. If organization provides a good working environment to their employees then the employees feel motivated and happy to work in that organization. Many Psychological theories also talks about motivation. Most important theory is Maslow’s need based theory (1954) that suggests that there are different levels of needs and on each level when need is fulfilled the person is motivated. The levels in the hierarchy of Maslow are physiological needs, safety needs, belongings needs, self-esteem needs and self-actualization needs. Alderfer (1972) suggested that there are three need levels, existence, relatedness and growth. He said that fulfillment of these needs makes a person motivated. Herzberg (2003) further worked on Maslow’s theory and modified it by saying that there are two areas of need that motivates employees. Hygiene and motivators are two need areas. Hygiene’s are considered as motivators of low level which includes policy of a company, compensation plan, working environment and employee-employer relationship. The motivation has a high level in factors. These factors include achievement, responsibility, growth  and advancement. If managers want to be effective and need progress in organization, then the manager should know the basics of motivation and the different ways to motivate the employees. With the help of these they can be able to make different motivational strategies to keep their employees engaged in work and motivate them to work even better. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research methodology is process or way through which a research is being conducted. There are different types of methods for research. The method is being selected by the researcher according to the topic and feasibility to collect data as well. Success of a research is directly proportional to the methodology selected to conduct a research. Types of methodologies are given below: QUANTITATIVE METHOD It mainly deals with the numerical data or empirical investigation by using statistical or mathematical tools of research. Main objective of quantitative method is to use mathematical models to get results. It is a large and random selected process. Collection of data can be done with the help of questionnaires, telephone conversation, mail, interview, experiment, and surveys. QUALITATIVE METHOD Qualitative research is about the strong knowing of a specific company or occasion, rather than surface information of a population having a large sample. It further helps in getting information related to human groups in natural or social environment. Collection of data is totally different in qualitative method, because in qualitative method data is more subjective than quantitative and human behaviors are kept in consideration while collecting the data. Every emotions and behaviors of human should be  recorded so that researcher may get the exact answer of respondent. Techniques mostly used in collecting the data are interviews, focus group, case studies, individual interview, objects and images. MIXED METHOD OR COMBINED METHOD It is a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative methods. It is the best approach in investigating the critical issues because researchers can apply both methods to get better results. Mixed method provides analysis of how the organizations maintain the motivation of their employees. For this purpose Burger King Company is being selected. Implementing or providing motivation to the employees is not an easy work, in the same way to do research on it a large amount of information is required. RESEARCH TECHNIQUES Research technique is known as a guideline to complete the research. Research technique has several steps and they are given below: Research design and method. Sampling. Data collection. Data analysis. Outcome of research. In mixed method researcher uses both qualitative and quantitative method for getting more accurate result. The process of research will go through the given steps. Researcher will require the consent of the concerned authority as well as of participants that they are willing to participate in the research. SAMPLING Sampling is the process in which researcher finalize which will be the sample of the research, or who will be the participants. Sampling is process or technique of suitable sample or information collection for research work. There are a lot of types of sampling like simple random selection, snowball sampling, convenient sampling, systematic sampling, quota sampling etc. In the present study simple random sampling technique is being used as it is the best way of sampling in which every individual has an equal chance of selection. With the help of it we can get data full of reliability but it needs more money to carry out the process. DATA COLLECTION Data collection is the process in which information is being collected from the sample. The Process of data collection starts when you decide your sample. It mainly deals with the preparation and collection of data from different pool of knowledge and sources. It is the major element for research work. Data should be collected from reliable sources and from those people who are willing to give information. Those who are not willing to provide information and forcefully do it then the data could be faked. Mainly there are two types of data: Primary data and Secondary data. PRIMARY DATA: It is a collection of data directly from the people in the field and known as first hand data. This data is always fresh and reliable as well as it provides an accurate information needed to collect from the sample. This type of data collection needs a large amount of investment and time, researcher may use both methods to collect the data including qualitative and quantitative. SECONDARY DATA: It is a collection of data from books, journals, newspaper, annual reports, and internet or through some other sources etc. and it is not first hand data. It can be archival data that is already present and you are using that. This type of data collection is less expensive and less time consuming but mostly it does not gives accurate information needed for the  research. In this research, primary data will be collected which will comprise of both qualitative and quantitative technique. EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT After completing and observing data collection, a request letters for specialist to authenticate the devices are sent to them. Results were cross checked by researcher. In analyzing the test consequences the researcher sought the help of a statistics person to check that data is properly calculated and evaluated or not. DATA ANALYSIS DATA ANALYSIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL PROCESS OF RESEARCH, BECAUSE IT CONSISTS OF WHOLE PROCESS OF CHECKING, CLEANING THE DATA AND ANALYSING THE DATA. DATA SHOULD BE ANALYSED PROPERLY, IF THE DATA LACK OF THIS PROPERLY ANALYSED PROCESS THEN IT WILL AFFECT THE RESULTS OF RESEARCH AND THE OBJECTIVE OF RESEARCH WILL NOT BE OBTAINED. SOME OF THE DATA ANALYSING TECHNIQUES ARE: FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION, DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, COMPARING MEANS, CORRELATIONS AND LINEAR REGRESSIONS. To get the best result of this research both Statistical and qualitative techniques will be used. To test the null theory of the research statistical technique will be used and the standard deviation, mean will be used where needed. BARRIERS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH This research deals with the employee’s motivation and employees should perform for the betterment of an organization. This research is a mixture of many different aspects and subjects which are Psychology, human nature and Sociology. So it is necessary that the correlation between all these aspects and subjects should be aligned to each other and should be according to rightful definition. It may cause some barriers due to tough routine of employees, problems in timings and other external factors. They all should  be remove with the help of experts and thesis should be defended with the help of good and reliable sources. SUGGESTED FURTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITY Further studies can be carried out to find out the Impact of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards on motivation. Furthermore the relationship between performance of job and organizational commitment by conducting interviews of management level as well as official level.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 60-62

CHAPTER 60 Sangreal†¦ Sang Real†¦ San Greal†¦ Royal Blood†¦ Holy Grail. It was all intertwined. The Holy Grail is Mary Magdalene†¦the mother of the royal bloodline of Jesus Christ.Sophie felt a new wave of disorientation as she stood in the silence of the ballroom and stared at Robert Langdon. The more pieces Langdon and Teabing laid on the table tonight, the more unpredictable this puzzle became. â€Å"As you can see, my dear,† Teabing said, hobbling toward a bookshelf,† Leonardo is not the only one who has been trying to tell the world the truth about the Holy Grail. The royal bloodline of Jesus Christ has been chronicled in exhaustive detail by scores of historians.† He ran a finger down a row of several dozen books. Sophie tilted her head and scanned the list of titles: THE TEMPLAR REVELATION:Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER JAR: Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail THE GODDESS IN THE GOSPELS Reclaiming the Sacred Feminine â€Å"Here is perhaps the best-known tome,† Teabing said, pulling a tattered hardcover from the stack and handing it to her. The cover read: HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL The Acclaimed International Bestseller Sophie glanced up. â€Å"An international bestseller? I've never heard of it.† â€Å"You were young. This caused quite a stir back in the nineteen eighties. To my taste, the authors made some dubious leaps of faith in their analysis, but their fundamental premise is sound, and to their credit, they finally brought the idea of Christ's bloodline into the mainstream.† â€Å"What was the Church's reaction to the book?† â€Å"Outrage, of course. But that was to be expected. After all, this was a secret the Vatican had tried to bury in the fourth century. That's part of what the Crusades were about. Gathering and destroying information. The threat Mary Magdalene posed to the men of the early Church was potentially ruinous. Not only was she the woman to whom Jesus had assigned the task of founding the Church, but she also had physical proof that the Church's newly proclaimed deity had spawned a mortal bloodline. The Church, in order to defend itself against the Magdalene's power, perpetuated her image as a whore and buried evidence of Christ's marriage to her, thereby defusing any potential claims that Christ had a surviving bloodline and was a mortal prophet.† Sophie glanced at Langdon, who nodded. â€Å"Sophie, the historical evidence supporting this is substantial.† â€Å"I admit,† Teabing said,† the assertions are dire, but you must understand the Church's powerful motivations to conduct such a cover-up. They could never have survived public knowledge of a bloodline. A child of Jesus would undermine the critical notion of Christ's divinity and therefore the Christian Church, which declared itself the sole vessel through which humanity could access the divine and gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven.† â€Å"The five-petal rose,† Sophie said, pointing suddenly to the spine of one of Teabing's books. The same exact design inlaid on the rosewood box. Teabing glanced at Langdon and grinned. â€Å"She has a good eye.† He turned back to Sophie. â€Å"That is the Priory symbol for the Grail. Mary Magdalene. Because her name was forbidden by the Church, Mary Magdalene became secretly known by many pseudonyms – the Chalice, the Holy Grail, and the Rose.† He paused. â€Å"The Rose has ties to the five-pointed pentacle of Venus and the guiding Compass Rose. By the way, the word rose is identical in English, French, German, and many other languages.† â€Å"Rose,† Langdon added,† is also an anagram of Eros, the Greek god of sexual love.† Sophie gave him a surprised look as Teabing plowed on.† The Rose has always been the premiere symbol of female sexuality. In primitive goddess cults, the five petals represented the five stations of female life – birth, menstruation, motherhood, menopause, and death. And in modern times, the flowering rose's ties to womanhood are considered more visual.† He glanced at Robert. â€Å"Perhaps the symbologist could explain?† Robert hesitated. A moment too long. â€Å"Oh, heavens!† Teabing huffed. â€Å"You Americans are such prudes.† He looked back at Sophie. â€Å"What Robert is fumbling with is the fact that the blossoming flower resembles the female genitalia, the sublime blossom from which all mankind enters the world. And if you've ever seen any paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe, you'll know exactly what I mean.† â€Å"The point here,† Langdon said, motioning back to the bookshelf,† is that all of these books substantiate the same historical claim.† â€Å"That Jesus was a father.† Sophie was still uncertain. â€Å"Yes,† Teabing said. â€Å"And that Mary Magdalene was the womb that carried His royal lineage. The Priory of Sion, to this day, still worships Mary Magdalene as the Goddess, the Holy Grail, the Rose, and the Divine Mother.† Sophie again flashed on the ritual in the basement. â€Å"According to the Priory,† Teabing continued,† Mary Magdalene was pregnant at the time of the crucifixion. For the safety of Christ's unborn child, she had no choice but to flee the Holy Land. With the help of Jesus' trusted uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Magdalene secretly traveled to France, then known as Gaul. There she found safe refuge in the Jewish community. It was here in France that she gave birth to a daughter. Her name was Sarah.† Sophie glanced up. â€Å"They actually know the child's name?† â€Å"Far more than that. Magdalene's and Sarah's lives were scrutinously chronicled by their Jewish protectors. Remember that Magdalene's child belonged to the lineage of Jewish kings – David and Solomon. For this reason, the Jews in France considered Magdalene sacred royalty and revered her as the progenitor of the royal line of kings. Countless scholars of that era chronicled Mary Magdalene's days in France, including the birth of Sarah and the subsequent family tree.† Sophie was startled. â€Å"There exists a family tree of Jesus Christ?† â€Å"Indeed. And it is purportedly one of the cornerstones of the Sangreal documents. A complete genealogy of the early descendants of Christ.† â€Å"But what good is a documented genealogy of Christ's bloodline?† Sophie asked. â€Å"It's not proof. Historians could not possibly confirm its authenticity.† Teabing chuckled. â€Å"No more so than they can confirm the authenticity of the Bible.† â€Å"Meaning?† â€Å"Meaning that history is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books – books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, ‘What is history, but a fable agreed upon?'†He smiled. â€Å"By its very nature, history is always a one-sided account.† Sophie had never thought of it that way.† The Sangreal documents simply tell the other side of the Christ story. In the end, which side of the story you believe becomes a matter of faith and personal exploration, but at least the information has survived. The Sangreal documents include tens of thousands of pages of information. Eyewitness accounts of the Sangreal treasure describe it as being carried in four enormous trunks. In those trunks are reputed to be the Purist Docum ents – thousands of pages of unaltered, pre- Constantine documents, written by the early followers of Jesus, revering Him as a wholly human teacher and prophet. Also rumored to be part of the treasure is the legendary† Q† Document – a manuscript that even the Vatican admits they believe exists. Allegedly, it is a book of Jesus' teachings, possibly written in His own hand.† â€Å"Writings by Christ Himself?† â€Å"Of course,† Teabing said. â€Å"Why wouldn't Jesus have kept a chronicle of His ministry? Most people did in those days. Another explosive document believed to be in the treasure is a manuscript called The Magdalene Diaries – Mary Magdalene's personal account of her relationship with Christ, His crucifixion, and her time in France.† Sophie was silent for a long moment. â€Å"And these four chests of documents were the treasure that the Knights Templar found under Solomon's Temple?† â€Å"Exactly. The documents that made the Knights so powerful. The documents that have been the object of countless Grail quests throughout history.† â€Å"But you said the Holy Grail was Mary Magdalene.If people are searching for documents, why would you call it a search for the Holy Grail?† Teabing eyed her, his expression softening. â€Å"Because the hiding place of the Holy Grail includes a sarcophagus.† Outside, the wind howled in the trees. Teabing spoke more quietly now. â€Å"The quest for the Holy Grail is literally the quest to kneel before the bones of Mary Magdalene. A journey to pray at the feet of the outcast one, the lost sacred feminine.† Sophie felt an unexpected wonder. â€Å"The hiding place of the Holy Grail is actually†¦ a tomb?† Teabing's hazel eyes got misty. â€Å"It is. A tomb containing the body of Mary Magdalene and the documents that tell the true story of her life. At its heart, the quest for the Holy Grail has always been a quest for the Magdalene – the wronged Queen, entombed with proof of her family's rightful claim to power.† Sophie waited a moment as Teabing gathered himself. So much about her grandfather was still not making sense. â€Å"Members of the Priory,† she finally said,† all these years have answered the charge of protecting the Sangreal documents and the tomb of Mary Magdalene?† â€Å"Yes, but the brotherhood had another, more important duty as well – to protect the bloodline itself. Christ's lineage was in perpetual danger. The early Church feared that if the lineage were permitted to grow, the secret of Jesus and Magdalene would eventually surface and challenge the fundamental Catholic doctrine – that of a divine Messiah who did not consort with women or engage in sexual union.† He paused. â€Å"Nonetheless, Christ's line grew quietly under cover in France until making a bold move in the fifth century, when it intermarried with French royal blood and created a lineage known as the Merovingian bloodline.† This news surprised Sophie. Merovingian was a term learned by every student in France. â€Å"The Merovingians founded Paris.† â€Å"Yes. That's one of the reasons the Grail legend is so rich in France. Many of the Vatican's Grail quests here were in fact stealth missions to erase members of the royal bloodline. Have you heard of King Dagobert?† Sophie vaguely recalled the name from a grisly tale in history class. â€Å"Dagobert was a Merovingian king, wasn't he? Stabbed in the eye while sleeping?† â€Å"Exactly. Assassinated by the Vatican in collusion with Pepin d'Heristal. Late seventh century. With Dagobert's murder, the Merovingian bloodline was almost exterminated. Fortunately, Dagobert's son, Sigisbert, secretly escaped the attack and carried on the lineage, which later included Godefroi de Bouillon – founder of the Priory of Sion.† â€Å"The same man,† Langdon said,† who ordered the Knights Templar to recover the Sangreal documents from beneath Solomon's Temple and thus provide the Merovingians proof of their hereditary ties to Jesus Christ.† Teabing nodded, heaving a ponderous sigh. â€Å"The modern Priory of Sion has a momentous duty. Theirs is a threefold charge. The brotherhood must protect the Sangreal documents. They must protect the tomb of Mary Magdalene. And, of course, they must nurture and protect the bloodline of Christ – those few members of the royal Merovingian bloodline who have survived into modern times.† The words hung in the huge space, and Sophie felt an odd vibration, as if her bones were reverberating with some new kind of truth. Descendants of Jesus who survived into modern times. Her grandfather's voice again was whispering in her ear. Princess, I must tell you the truth about your family. A chill raked her flesh. Royal blood. She could not imagine. Princess Sophie. â€Å"Sir Leigh?† The manservant's words crackled through the intercom on the wall, and Sophie jumped. â€Å"If you could join me in the kitchen a moment?† Teabing scowled at the ill-timed intrusion. He went over to the intercom and pressed the button. â€Å"Remy, as you know, I am busy with my guests. If we need anything else from the kitchen tonight, we will help ourselves. Thank you and good night.† â€Å"A word with you before I retire, sir. If you would.† Teabing grunted and pressed the button. â€Å"Make it quick, Remy.† â€Å"It is a household matter, sir, hardly fare for guests to endure.† Teabing looked incredulous. â€Å"And it cannot wait until morning?† â€Å"No, sir. My question won't take a minute.† Teabing rolled his eyes and looked at Langdon and Sophie. â€Å"Sometimes I wonder who is serving whom?† He pressed the button again. â€Å"I'll be right there, Remy. Can I bring you anything when I come?† â€Å"Only freedom from oppression, sir.† â€Å"Remy, you realize your steak au poivre is the only reason you still work for me.† â€Å"So you tell me, sir. So you tell me.† CHAPTER 61 Princess Sophie. Sophie felt hollow as she listened to the clicking of Teabing's crutches fade down the hallway. Numb, she turned and faced Langdon in the deserted ballroom. He was already shaking his head as if reading her mind. â€Å"No, Sophie,† he whispered, his eyes reassuring. â€Å"The same thought crossed my mind when I realized your grandfather was in the Priory, and you said he wanted to tell you a secret about your family. But it's impossible.† Langdon paused. â€Å"Sauniere is not a Merovingian name.† Sophie wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Earlier, Langdon had asked an unusual passing question about Sophie's mother's maiden name. Chauvel. The question now made sense.† And Chauvel?† she asked, anxious. Again he shook his head. â€Å"I'm sorry. I know that would have answered some questions for you. Only two direct lines of Merovingians remain. Their family names are Plantard and Saint-Clair. Both families live in hiding, probably protected by the Priory.† Sophie repeated the names silently in her mind and then shook her head. There was no one in her family named Plantard or Saint-Clair. A weary undertow was pulling at her now. She realized she was no closer than she had been at the Louvre to understanding what truth her grandfather had wanted to reveal to her. Sophie wished her grandfather had never mentioned her family this afternoon. He had torn open old wounds that felt as painful now as ever. They are dead, Sophie.They are not coming back.She thought of her mother singing her to sleep at night, of her father giving her rides on his shoulders, and of her grandmother and younger brother smiling at her with their fervent green eyes. All that was stolen. And all she had left was her grandfather. And now he is gone too. I am alone. Sophie turned quietly back to The Last Supper and gazed at Mary Magdalene's long red hair and quiet eyes. There was something in the woman's expression that echoed the loss of a loved one. Sophie could feel it too. â€Å"Robert?† she said softly. He stepped closer.† I know Leigh said the Grail story is all around us, but tonight is the first time I've ever heard any of this.† Langdon looked as if he wanted to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but he refrained.† You've heard her story before, Sophie. Everyone has. We just don't realize it when we hear it.† â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"The Grail story is everywhere, but it is hidden. When the Church outlawed speaking of the shunned Mary Magdalene, her story and importance had to be passed on through more discreet channels†¦ channels that supported metaphor and symbolism.† â€Å"Of course. The arts.† Langdon motioned to The Last Supper. â€Å"A perfect example. Some of today's most enduring art, literature, and music secretly tell the history of Mary Magdalene and Jesus.† Langdon quickly told her about works by Da Vinci, Botticelli, Poussin, Bernini, Mozart, and Victor Hugo that all whispered of the quest to restore the banished sacred feminine. Enduring legends like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, King Arthur, and Sleeping Beauty were Grail allegories. Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mozart's Magic Flute were filled with Masonic symbolism and Grail secrets. â€Å"Once you open your eyes to the Holy Grail,† Langdon said,† you see her everywhere. Paintings. Music. Books. Even in cartoons, theme parks, and popular movies.† Langdon held up his Mickey Mouse watch and told her that Walt Disney had made it his quiet life's work to pass on the Grail story to future generations. Throughout his entire life, Disney had been hailed as† the Modern-Day Leonardo Da Vinci.† Both men were generations ahead of their times, uniquely gifted artists, members of secret societies, and, most notably, avid pranksters. Like Leonardo, Walt Disney loved infusing hidden messages and symbolism in his art. For the trained symbologist, watching an early Disney movie was like being barraged by an avalanche of allusion and metaphor. Most of Disney's hidden messages dealt with religion, pagan myth, and stories of the subjugated goddess. It was no mistake that Disney retold tales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White – all of which dealt with the incarceration of the sacred feminine. Nor did one need a background in symbolism to understand that Snow White – a princess who fell from grace after partaking of a poisoned apple – was a clear allusion to the downfall of Eve in the Garden of Eden. Or that Sleeping Beauty's Princess Aurora – code-named† Rose† and hidden deep in the forest to protect her from the clutches of the evil witch – was the Grail story for children. Despite its corporate image, Disney still had a savvy, playful element among its employees, and their artists still amused themselves by inserting hidden symbolism in Disney products. Langdon would never forget one of his students bringing in a DVD of The Lion King and pausing the film to reveal a freeze-frame in which the word SEX was clearly visible, spelled out by floating dust particles over Simba's head. Although Langdon suspected this was more of a cartoonist's sophomoric prank than any kind of enlightened allusion to pagan human sexuality, he had learned not to underestimate Disney's grasp of symbolism. The Little Mermaid was a spellbinding tapestry of spiritual symbols so specifically goddess-related that they could not be coincidence. When Langdon had first seen The Little Mermaid, he had actually gasped aloud when he noticed that the painting in Ariel's underwater home was none other than seventeenth-century artist Georges de la Tour's The Penitent Magdalene – a famous homage to the banished Mary Magdalene – fitting decor considering the movie turned out to be a ninety-minute collage of blatant symbolic references to the lost sanctity of Isis, Eve, Pisces the fish goddess, and, repeatedly, Mary Magdalene. The Little Mermaid's name, Ariel, possessed powerful ties to the sacred feminine and, in the Book of Isaiah, was synonymous with† the Holy City besieged.† Of course, the Little Mermaid's flowing red hair was certainly no coincidence either. The clicking of Teabing's crutches approached in the hallway, his pace unusually brisk. When their host entered the study, his expression was stern. â€Å"You'd better explain yourself, Robert,† he said coldly. â€Å"You have not been honest with me.† CHAPTER 62 â€Å"I'm being framed, Leigh,† Langdon said, trying to stay calm. You know me.I wouldn't kill anyone. Teabing's tone did not soften. â€Å"Robert, you're on television, for Christ's sake. Did you know you were wanted by the authorities?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Then you abused my trust. I'm astonished you would put me at risk by coming here and asking me to ramble on about the Grail so you could hide out in my home.† â€Å"I didn't kill anyone.† â€Å"Jacques Sauniere is dead, and the police say you did it.† Teabing looked saddened. â€Å"Such a contributor to the arts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sir?† The manservant had appeared now, standing behind Teabing in the study doorway, his arms crossed. â€Å"Shall I show them out?† â€Å"Allow me.† Teabing hobbled across the study, unlocked a set of wide glass doors, and swung them open onto a side lawn. â€Å"Please find your car, and leave.† Sophie did not move. â€Å"We have information about the clef de voute.The Priory keystone.† Teabing stared at her for several seconds and scoffed derisively. â€Å"A desperate ploy. Robert knows how I've sought it.† â€Å"She's telling the truth,† Langdon said. â€Å"That's why we came to you tonight. To talk to you about the keystone.† The manservant intervened now. â€Å"Leave, or I shall call the authorities.† â€Å"Leigh,† Langdon whispered,† we know where it is.† Teabing's balance seemed to falter a bit. Remy now marched stiffly across the room. â€Å"Leave at once! Or I will forcibly – â€Å"Remy!† Teabing spun, snapping at his servant. â€Å"Excuse us for a moment.† The servant's jaw dropped. â€Å"Sir? I must protest. These people are – â€Å"I'll handle this.† Teabing pointed to the hallway. After a moment of stunned silence, Remy skulked out like a banished dog. In the cool night breeze coming through the open doors, Teabing turned back to Sophie and Langdon, his expression still wary. â€Å"This better be good. What do you know of the keystone?† In the thick brush outside Teabing's study, Silas clutched his pistol and gazed through the glass doors. Only moments ago, he had circled the house and seen Langdon and the woman talking in the large study. Before he could move in, a man on crutches entered, yelled at Langdon, threw open the doors, and demanded his guests leave. Then the woman mentioned the keystone, and everything changed.Shouts turned to whispers. Moods softened. And the glass doors were quickly closed. Now, as he huddled in the shadows, Silas peered through the glass. The keystone is somewhere inside the house.Silas could feel it. Staying in the shadows, he inched closer to the glass, eager to hear what was being said. He would give them five minutes. If they did not reveal where they had placed the keystone, Silas would have to enter and persuade them with force. Inside the study, Langdon could sense their host's bewilderment. â€Å"Grand Master?† Teabing choked, eyeing Sophie. â€Å"Jacques Sauniere?† Sophie nodded, seeing the shock in his eyes.† But you could not possibly know that!† â€Å"Jacques Sauniere was my grandfather.† Teabing staggered back on his crutches, shooting a glance at Langdon, who nodded. Teabing turned back to Sophie. â€Å"Miss Neveu, I am speechless. If this is true, then I am truly sorry for your loss. I should admit, for my research, I have kept lists of men in Paris whom I thought might be good candidates for involvement in the Priory. Jacques Sauniere was on that list along with many others. But Grand Master, you say? It's hard to fathom.† Teabing was silent a moment and then shook his head. â€Å"But it still makes no sense. Even if your grandfather were the Priory Grand Master and created the keystone himself, he would never tell you how to find it. The keystone reveals the pathway to the brotherhood's ultimate treasure. Granddaughter o r not, you are not eligible to receive such knowledge.† â€Å"Mr. Sauniere was dying when he passed on the information,† Langdon said. â€Å"He had limited options.† â€Å"He didn't need options,† Teabing argued. â€Å"There exist three senechaux who also know the secret. That is the beauty of their system. One will rise to Grand Master and they will induct a new senechal and share the secret of the keystone.† â€Å"I guess you didn't see the entire news broadcast,† Sophie said. â€Å"In addition to my grandfather, three other prominent Parisians were murdered today. All in similar ways. All looked like they had been interrogated.† Teabing's jaw fell. â€Å"And you think they were†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The senechaux,†Langdon said.† But how? A murderer could not possibly learn the identities of all four top members of the Priory of Sion! Look at me, I have been researching them for decades, and I can't even name one Priory member. It seems inconceivable that all three senechaux and the Grand Master could be discovered and killed in one day.† â€Å"I doubt the information was gathered in a single day,† Sophie said. â€Å"It sounds like a well-planned decapiter.It's a technique we use to fight organized crime syndicates. If DCPJ wants to move on a certain group, they will silently listen and watch for months, identify all the main players, and then move in and take them all at the same moment. Decapitation. With no leadership, the group falls into chaos and divulges other information. It's possible someone patiently watched the Priory and then attacked, hoping the top people would reveal the location of the keystone.† Teabing looked unconvinced. â€Å"But the brothers would never talk. They are sworn to secrecy. Even in the face of death.† â€Å"Exactly,† Langdon said. â€Å"Meaning, if they never divulged the secret, and they were killed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Teabing gasped. â€Å"Then the location of the keystone would be lost forever!† â€Å"And with it,† Langdon said,† the location of the Holy Grail.† Teabing's body seemed to sway with the weight of Langdon's words. Then, as if too tired to stand another moment, he flopped in a chair and stared out the window. Sophie walked over, her voice soft. â€Å"Considering my grandfather's predicament, it seems possible that in total desperation he tried to pass the secret on to someone outside the brotherhood. Someone he thought he could trust. Someone in his family.† Teabing was pale. â€Å"But someone capable of such an attack†¦ of discovering so much about the brotherhood†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, radiating a new fear. â€Å"It could only be one force. This kind of infiltration could only have come from the Priory's oldest enemy.† Langdon glanced up. â€Å"The Church.† â€Å"Who else? Rome has been seeking the Grail for centuries.† Sophie was skeptical. â€Å"You think the Church killed my grandfather?† Teabing replied,† It would not be the first time in history the Church has killed to protect itself. The documents that accompany the Holy Grail are explosive, and the Church has wanted to destroy them for years.† Langdon was having trouble buying Teabing's premise that the Church would blatantly murder people to obtain these documents. Having met the new Pope and many of the cardinals, Langdon knew they were deeply spiritual men who would never condone assassination. Regardless of the stakes. Sophie seemed to be having similar thoughts. â€Å"Isn't it possible that these Priory members were murdered by someone outside the Church? Someone who didn't understand what the Grail really is? The Cup of Christ, after all, would be quite an enticing treasure. Certainly treasure hunters have killed for less.† â€Å"In my experience,† Teabing said,† men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire. I sense a desperation in this assault on the Priory.† â€Å"Leigh,† Langdon said,† the argument is paradoxical. Why would members of the Catholic clergy murder Priory members in an effort to find and destroy documents they believe are false testimony anyway?† Teabing chuckled. â€Å"The ivory towers of Harvard have made you soft, Robert. Yes, the clergy in Rome are blessed with potent faith, and because of this, their beliefs can weather any storm, including documents that contradict everything they hold dear. But what about the rest of the world? What about those who are not blessed with absolute certainty? What about those who look at the cruelty in the world and say, where is God today? Those who look at Church scandals and ask, who are these men who claim to speak the truth about Christ and yet lie to cover up the sexual abuse of children by their own priests?† Teabing paused. â€Å"What happens to those people, Robert, if persuasive scientific evidence comes out that the Church's version of the Christ story is inaccurate, and that the greatest story ever told is, in fact, the greatest story ever sold† Langdon did not respond. â€Å"I'll tell you what happens if the documents get out,† Teabing said. â€Å"The Vatican faces a crisis of faith unprecedented in its two-millennia history.† After a long silence, Sophie said,† But if it is the Church who is responsible for this attack, why would they act now? After all these years? The Priory keeps the Sangreal documents hidden. They pose no immediate threat to the Church.† Teabing heaved an ominous sigh and glanced at Langdon. â€Å"Robert, I assume you are familiar with the Priory's final charge?† Langdon felt his breath catch at the thought. â€Å"I am.† â€Å"Miss Neveu,† Teabing said,† the Church and the Priory have had a tacit understanding for years. That is, the Church does not attack the Priory, and the Priory keeps the Sangreal documents hidden.† He paused. â€Å"However, part of the Priory history has always included a plan to unveil the secret. With the arrival of a specific date in history, the brotherhood plans to break the silence and carry out its ultimate triumph by unveiling the Sangreal documents to the world and shouting the true story of Jesus Christ from the mountaintops.† Sophie stared at Teabing in silence. Finally, she too sat down. â€Å"And you think that date is approaching? And the Church knows it?† â€Å"A speculation,† Teabing said,† but it would certainly provide the Church motivation for an all-out attack to find the documents before it was too late.† Langdon had the uneasy feeling that Teabing was making good sense. â€Å"Do you think the Church would actually be capable of uncovering hard evidence of the Priory's date?† â€Å"Why not – if we're assuming the Church was able to uncover the identities of the Priory members, then certainly they could have learned of their plans. And even if they don't have the exact date, their superstitions may be getting the best of them.† â€Å"Superstitions?† Sophie asked.† In terms of prophecy,† Teabing said,† we are currently in an epoch of enormous change. The millennium has recently passed, and with it has ended the two-thousand-year-long astrological Age of Pisces – the fish, which is also the sign of Jesus. As any astrological symbologist will tell you, the Piscean ideal believes that man must be told what to do by higher powers because man is incapable of thinking for himself. Hence it has been a time of fervent religion. Now, however, we are entering the Age of Aquarius – the water bearer – whose ideals claim that man will learn the truth and be able to think for himself. The ideological shift is en ormous, and it is occurring right now.† Langdon felt a shiver. Astrological prophecy never held much interest or credibility for him, but he knew there were those in the Church who followed it very closely. â€Å"The Church calls this transitional period the End of Days.† Sophie looked skeptical. â€Å"As in the end of the world? The Apocalypse?† â€Å"No.† Langdon replied. â€Å"That's a common misconception. Many religions speak of the End of Days. It refers not to the end of the world, but rather the end of our current age – Pisces, which began at the time of Christ's birth, spanned two thousand years, and waned with the passing of the millennium. Now that we've passed into the Age of Aquarius, the End of Days has arrived.† â€Å"Many Grail historians,† Teabing added,† believe that if the Priory is indeed planning to release this truth, this point in history would be a symbolically apt time. Most Priory academics, myself included, anticipated the brotherhood's release would coincide precisely with the millennium. Obviously, it did not. Admittedly, the Roman calendar does not mesh perfectly with astrological markers, so there is some gray area in the prediction. Whether the Church now has inside information that an exact date is looming, or whether they are just getting nervous on account of astrological prophecy, I don't know. Anyway, it's immaterial. Either scenario explains how the Church might be motivated to launch a preemptive attack against the Priory.† Teabing frowned. â€Å"And believe me, if the Church finds the Holy Grail, they will destroy it. The documents and the relics of the blessed Mary Magdalene as well.† His eyes grew heavy. â€Å"Then, my dear, with the Sang real documents gone, all evidence will be lost. The Church will have won their age-old war to rewrite history. The past will be erased forever.† Slowly, Sophie pulled the cruciform key from her sweater pocket and held it out to Teabing. Teabing took the key and studied it. â€Å"My goodness. The Priory seal. Where did you get this?† â€Å"My grandfather gave it to me tonight before he died.† Teabing ran his fingers across the cruciform. â€Å"A key to a church?† She drew a deep breath. â€Å"This key provides access to the keystone.† Teabing's head snapped up, his face wild with disbelief. â€Å"Impossible! What church did I miss? I've searched every church in France!† â€Å"It's not in a church,† Sophie said. â€Å"It's in a Swiss depository bank.† Teabing's look of excitement waned. â€Å"The keystone is in a bank?† â€Å"A vault,† Langdon offered. â€Å"A bank vault?† Teabing shook his head violently. â€Å"That's impossible. The keystone is supposed to be hidden beneath the sign of the Rose.† â€Å"It is,† Langdon said. â€Å"It was stored in a rosewood box inlaid with a five-petal Rose.† Teabing looked thunderstruck. â€Å"You've seen the keystone?† Sophie nodded. â€Å"We visited the bank.† Teabing came over to them, his eyes wild with fear. â€Å"My friends, we must do something. The keystone is in danger! We have a duty to protect it. What if there are other keys? Perhaps stolen from the murdered senechaux? If the Church can gain access to the bank as you have – â€Å" â€Å"Then they will be too late,† Sophie said. â€Å"We removed the keystone.† â€Å"What! You removed the keystone from its hiding place?† â€Å"Don't worry,† Langdon said. â€Å"The keystone is well hidden.† â€Å"Extremely well hidden, I hope!† â€Å"Actually,† Langdon said, unable to hide his grin,† that depends on how often you dust under your couch.† The wind outside Chateau Villette had picked up, and Silas's robe danced in the breeze as he crouched near the window. Although he had been unable to hear much of the conversation, the word keystone had sifted through the glass on numerous occasions. It is inside. The Teacher's words were fresh in his mind. Enter Chateau Villette. Take the keystone. Hun no one. Now, Langdon and the others had adjourned suddenly to another room, extinguishing the study lights as they went. Feeling like a panther stalking prey, Silas crept to the glass doors. Finding them unlocked, he slipped inside and closed the doors silently behind him. He could hear muffled voices from another room. Silas pulled the pistol from his pocket, turned off the safety, and inched down the hallway.

Bio Lab Essay Example for Free

Bio Lab Essay Choose cite format: APA MLA Harvard Chicago ASA IEEE AMA company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints What is the basic structural feature that distinguishes plants and animal cells from bacteria? Unlike bacteria cells, plants and animal cells contain a nucleus. 2. In what way do blood cells resemble unicellular organisms? Blood cells resemble unicellular organisms in their function. 3. Why are blood cells considered a tissue? Blood cells are considered a tissue because they contain red and white blood cells. All tissues are made up of cells. 4. Can mature erythrocytes be classified as cells? Why or why not? Mature erythrocytes cannot be classified as cells because they lack a nucleus a few organelles. 5. What is the general shape of a typical plant cell? A typical plant cell is shaped like a rectangle. 6. In what ways are the cells of onion epidermis and Elodea similar? The cells of onion epidermis and Elodea are similar because they all have a cell membrane and a cytoplasm. Also, their cells are single-layered. 7. In what ways are the cells of onion epidermis and Elodea different? Unlike the cells of onion epidermis, the cells of Elodea contain chloroplasts that are used for photosynthesis. . What characteristics can be used as evidence for classifying a specimen as a plant? The observable characteristics that can be used as evidence for classifying a specimen as a plant: rectangular shaped cell wall, central vacuole, and chloroplasts. 9. Inside the mouth, the epithelial cells are joined together in a sheet. Why are they scattered on the microscope slide? Do not over think this question! Epithelial cells are scattered on the microscope slide because they are exposed to oxygen. 1 0. How many different cell types can be seen in the human blood slide? Three different cell types can be seen in the human blood slide: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. 11. How are the blood cells similar to the epithelial cells? Blood cells are similar to the epithelial cells because they all contain a nucleus, cytoplasm and a cell membrane. Only red blood cells do not contain a nucleus. 12. How are the blood cells different from the epithelial cells? Blood cells are different from the epithelial cells because they not all blood cells contain a nucleus. For example, red blood cells do not contain a nucleus. 3. In what ways are animal and plant cells structurally similar? The observable ways animal and plant cells are structurally similar: plasma membranes and cytoplasm. 14. In what   ways are animal and plant cells structurally different? Plant cells are structurally different then animal cells because they contain a cell wall, chloroplast, and a central vacuole. 15. Onions are classified as green plants. Where in the onion plant are the green cells located? Green cells are located at the root of onion plants. Bio Lab. (2018, Oct 23).

Epidemiology and research methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Epidemiology and research methodology - Essay Example ctice of premarital and multiple-partners sex is undoubtedly more common in developed countries than in the developing ones due to the society’s visibly permissive attitude towards it (National Research Council, 2005). Consequently, the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases has also increased. In an annual report of a screening programme by the Department of Health, it has been noted that Chlamydia trachomatis infection has become â€Å"the most commonly diagnosed bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in the United Kingdom† (Department of Health [DH], 2004). As a result, the government has formulated several policies through publicly-funded researches with the aim to prevent further spread of the communicable chlamydial infection due to its social and economic negative impacts. In connection, this paper will attempt to determine specific proposed policies and their effectiveness in countering the negative social, health, and economic impact of chlamydial infections with regard to the epidemiologic trends by employing a qualitative research methodology which will specifically discussed later. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has accounted that people with chlamydial infections have recorded the most frequent case reporting for a sexually transmitted disease (CDC, 2010). The first annual report of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) pointed the same trend about chlamydial infections in the United Kingdom which led to its formulation in 2003 (DH, 2004). The NCSP was founded by the Department of Health in England due to the threatening health patterns caused not only by chlamydia but all the sexually transmitted diseases observed in both publicly and privately-funded surveys including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), the national government, as well as some organizations like AVERT (WHO, 2001; â€Å"STD Statistics,† 2010). In the last decade,

The Failures and Contributions of Herod the Great and the Herodians to Assignment

The Failures and Contributions of Herod the Great and the Herodians to the history of Judaism - Assignment Example Judas Maccabeus was the son of Mattathias. Maccabeus’ popularity lies not only because of his participation in biblical history but also because of his martial achievements. He proved his talents by leading the Maccabean Revolt. Judas displayed extraordinary skills as a leader, military tactician, and diplomat (Julius 2000). After attaining religious freedom, Judas and his friends turned their attention to politics. After the death of Judas Maccabeus, there came the leader Jonathon Maccabeus, the brother of Judas. Jonathan was a man of prudence and great skills (Julius 2000). As a diplomat, he could effectively utilize the internal strife of Seleucid and succeeded in expanding Jewish held territory and acquiring virtual independence. Jonathan was immediately followed after his death by his brother Simon, and he followed exactly what his brothers did. It was the strength of his military forces that forced the Seleucid king, Demetrius II to depend on Simon for help and support. The rulers followed after Simon, except the Antipater, were not much popular. Most of the leaders in the Intertestamental Period had kept secret plans with them. ...Therefore, one can identify the modern counterparts of the Judaism and the series of wars aimed at a particular sect of people or creed. Trace the history of Herod the Great and the Herodians. What were their major contributions to the history of Judaism and the Jews? What were their main failures? King Herod the Great (47-4 B.C.), first ruled as the Governor of Galilee (47-37 B.C.). He has often been regarded as a king who played a momentous role in the Herodian dynasty. Through his leadership and governing skills, he gained a proud reputation both with the Galilean Jews as well as with the Roman officials of Syria (Timothy, Gary 1998, 270). When Herod the Great became the King of the Jews, his rule created vivid reactions among the people and as such one can divide his rule into three definite periods: (1) The period o f consolidation (37-25 B.C.).  

Managing Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Project - Assignment Example EFT = EST + Duration Time duration in the project has been calculated in a in a forward pass model and backward pass movement cannot be used in this because there is no deadline mentioned in the project. In a forward pass model, the project manager has calculated earliest time at which each work node could be reached. Burke (2003) defined Float time quantitative measure of work activity‘s flexibility or the measure of the slack period at which a particular work activity can be delayed without extending the completion date of the project. The project manager has used the following formulae to calculate the float time; Float Time= LFT  Ã¢â‚¬â€œEST - Duration........Equation-1 (Field and Keller, 2007) Equation-1 has been used to calculate the float time. Total float time has been calculated as 29 days and due to sufficient amount of float time, the completion date of the project will not be delayed if any particular activity gets delayed. Calculation of the float time has been s hown in the appendix 1. 3. Critical Path Field and Keller (2007) defined critical path as being the longest route joining the earliest activity in the project and last activity. Critical path of the project has been calculated assuming zero float time in order to measure minimum possible time required to complete the project. Critical path for the project= A, B, C, F, G, K, L, M, N, O, Q and R and the path has been showed through bold line in the network diagram. Activities in the critical path cannot delayed due to presence of zero float time hence delaying of any of the above mentioned activity will delay the overall completion time of the project. Project duration can be calculated by summing up the time duration of all the critical activities. Therefore, minimum possible time for completing the project would be 50 days. 4. Earliest Days for Project Completion The project starts on the Monday 15th July 2013 and the project team will work for 5days a week and there will not be any other holidays. From the result above, the minimum time to complete this project is 50 days. We can apply project management software to calculate completing day. If the project starts on the Calculation of the project completion time can be done in the following manner; Month Date Day Project Status Duration July 15/7/2013 Monday Start 1days July 31/7/2013 Wednesday Task A and Task B completed 13days August 1/8/2013 Thursday Task A, Task B and Task C completed 14 days August 15/8/2013 Thursday Task A, Task B, Task C and Task F completed 24 days August 31/8/2013 Saturday Task A, Task B, Task C, Task F, Task G, Task K and Task L completed 35 days September 1/9/2013 Sunday Same N/A September 15/9/2013 Sunday Task A, Task B, Task C, Task F, Task G, Task K, Task L, Task M, Task N and Task O completed 45 days September 20/9/2013 Wednesday Completion of the project 50 days The project will be completed on 20/9/2013 (Friday) and the project will take exactly 50 days to complete. The time duration for the project has been calculated by following the calendar of 2013 (appendix 3). 5. A- Activity E is delayed 1 day Total float time for activity E is 2 days and activity E doesn’t lie in the critical path hence delaying activity E will not affect the completion time of the project (check appendix 1). However, due to delay in activity E, the company has to bear more cost (fixed cost + variable cost) to complete the

Managing projects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing projects - Essay Example It mainly depends upon three factors namely project goal, project milestone and project order and timeline. Now the basic principles of project management are stated below: - Be Clear: - The most essential aspect of a project is the clarity. It is the duty of the project manager, to ensure clarity in the project. The two basic elements of clarity are direction and focus. Direction is about making everyone to work towards the same objective and Focus is about ensuring every team member gets a clear idea about the scope of the project. Maintain a Positive Attitude: - It is important to maintain a positive attitude at the work place. In addition, there are several benefits for maintaining a positive attitude. For example, it improves the relationship with the stakeholders and also helps to deal with the project challenges. Communication: - Superior communication is probably the most important criteria towards the success of a project. It enhances the coordination among team members and also helps to inform the stakeholders about the happenings (project-management-skills, n.d.). Success Failure Criteria According to Standish CHAOS Report of 2004, there are some factors which are commonly found in a successful project. The factors are mainly user involvement, proper planning, clear statement of requirements, clear objectives and vision, smaller project milestones, and realistic expectations among others. Similarly there are some factors which force projects to fail. For example, errors pertaining to estimation and planning, implementation factor, and also human factor may lead to project failure. Hence, to let the team members know about the reasons behind the success and failure of a project, it is important to define success and failure criteria. In addition, it also helps to monitor a project. Benefits of Managing Projects There are several techniques by which a project can be managed (Lasa Information Systems Team, 2003). The benefits of some of the systems are presented below: - Project Management Technique Benefits PERT 1. This method is useful in controlling the cost (Mittal, 2006). 2. It uses graphical displays, which allow the team members to understand the project better. CPM 1. This method highlights the critical path and also emphasizes on the slack time. 2. It is mathematically simple (University of Illinois Springfield, n.d.). PRINCE 2 1. Greater control over the resources. 2. It helps to manage the risks associated with a project more effectively (Maserang, 2002). SECTION II Project Initiation Document A project initiation document is considered as the top level project planning document. Through the project initiation document, a company can gather all the information needed for a project to begin (Mindtools, n.d.). In order to portray the importance of project initiation document, a draft will be presented. To illustrate it with an example a health care project is considered. Project Goals – To examine Hepatitis  œ B of the entire population in a village. Scope – The project has the scope to reduce the number of

St. Patrick's Day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

St. Patrick's Day - Essay Example The first concerning the origins of the â€Å"potato famine† and, the second, the actions of scholarly textbook publishers that have no ethical issues with neglecting large chunks of relevant and important history. The Irish â€Å"Potato Famine† is usually described in textbooks and History classes as a terrible disaster, like an earthquake or a plague; something completely outside of human control. However, that is entirely not the case. The famine had far more to do with the harsh and negligent treatment of English landlords upon Irish farmers. The occurrence was not great â€Å"blight† or â€Å"an act of a God;† it was a physical act of human beings that caused the starvation among the poorer class at the time, which was sadly, the Irish (Bigelow 1). This is new information that is interesting to discover. The second issue, the fact that history books are printing edited or omitted historical events and it is so very common. If textbooks cannot be trusted to teach true and accurate history on any given subject, then how can we trust that information at all? What other topics and subjects might they be presenting a revisionist interpretation of? Ultimately, this discover y and its commonality are rather shocking. In the end, history is history; what happened, happened. There are both shameful and inspiring events in any country or cultures history. However the only way for people, as individuals and societies, can learn from their mistakes and move into a more enlightened future is to have access to our true history, our actions, for better or worse. By presenting a limited or vague interpretation of historical events, specifically such a significant and often misunderstood event, it diminishes the plight of these people and prevents us from looking at our history as a complete whole. The Irish have a rich history both in Europe and here in the United States and it is sad to know that large chunks

Canadian Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Canadian Economy - Essay Example   The main   economic indicators of the   health of any economy comprise in either the absolute figure of the Gross National Product(GNP) or the Gross National Expenditure(GNE) of the economy ,preferably on deflated basis with a base year or the period to period growth rate in such a rate ;unemployment rate is another critical indicators of the economic development and growth as it indicates the percentage of the able bodies that are not gainfully employed; the third and last   most important indicator of the economic health of the economy is the inflation rate which indicates the rate at which a chosen set of prices are rising and thereby determines the real purchasing power of the national currency. A high degree of inflation often leads to widespread erosion of economic value and if the inflation is caused by monetary factors then the economic results can give misleading results if measured at market prices. Canadian economy has come out of period of recession and is on an expansionary phase. It has experienced this growth despite several shocks like the hit to beef exports caused by the Mad Cow disease SAARS afflictions etc. As of the 3rd quarter 2007 the total population of Canada was placed at 32,976,026 .As of October 2007 Canada had an unemployment rate of 5.8 % .As of September 2007 the overall Canadian inflation rate was measured at 2.5 % .Real GDP rose by   0.2 % as of August 2007. Gross domestic product (GDP) is the most often used economic indicator to arrive at a good measure of the value of economic activity.... tal population of Canada was placed at 32,976,026 .As of October 2007 Canada had an unemployment rate of 5.8 % .As of September 2007 the overall Canadian inflation rate was measured at 2.5 % .Real GDP rose by 0.2 % as of August 2007. Gross domestic product (GDP) is the most often used economic indicator to arrive at a good measure of the value of economic activity. In fact, the GDP is a double edged sword in the sense that it helps measure two major economic data over the reference period: the total income of the population in the economy and the total expenditure incurred on the economy's domestic output of goods and services. A major factor that makes the GDP measure these two things is the fact that whatever one person in the economy spends becomes the income of another person; because in the ultimate sense each person in the economy assumes one of the two roles i.e. either that of the buyer or that of the seller. If one is not a seller himself, more general position then he is a member of a seller organization which is an economic agent and pays the member for selling his services. Speaking from the accounting point of view, for the economy as a whole, income and expenditure must always equal one another. In the 2nd quarter of 2007 Canadian exports rose by 0.7 % ;whereas the imports rose by 1.6 % in the same period. The exchange rate of the Canadian dollar with its major trading currency the US dollar stood at 1.0254 as of October 2007.The most sensitive and indicative of all interest rates i.e. The Prime interest rate was placed at 6.25 % as of October 2007. The stock markets also witnessed a good turnover and activity and the S&P/TSX Composite Index, with base of 1975 stood at 14,625.00 as of October 2007.The most important economic indicators of the Federal

Pursuit of Happiness Essay Example for Free

Pursuit of Happiness Essay â€Å"Keeping up with the Jones’s†, (Baumgardner Crothers, 2009) is a popular saying in America today, and not far from the truth, concerning the mentality and opinions concerning happiness and well-being. The Declaration of Independence also states the pursuit of happiness is an alienable right (Baumgardner Crothers, 2009). Society today lends opportunities to fulfill anyone’s desires, or dreams, yet as individual’s we are concerned about what other’s think around us. This thought process is evident throughout the American culture today and in history (Baumgardner Crothers, 2009). The concepts of culture and happiness are being compared as individualistic and collectivist (I-C) which provides the basis for over all well-being and what it means to be happy. Research compared two cultures Americans to East Asians and found subjective wellbeing (SWB) to be low in Japan where income trends are high, when compared to Americans. This concept was considered void because the Asian cultures did not measure happiness to self or individuality. Therefore the studies had to be modified. Later reviews revealed that Americans are encouraged to identify and express their unique sense of self as a way to influence and distinguish themselves from others, whereas or in contrast Asians are encouraged to identify and express attributes that behoove the community as a whole to develop self-critical and self-discipline which enables fitting in with others. This concept allows for improvement or enhances decision making that improves the social norm (Baumgardner Crothers, 2009). Because happiness and feeling good about oneself is a part of the American culture, American Parents rear their children to think for themselves and pursue things that make a child happy or feel good about them; this perspective is consistent with subjective well being (SWB), and that happiness is both subjective and individualized; it relates to the development of planning to pursue the things that both express who we are (traits and characteristics), with what separates us from others; uniqueness, and staying true yourself (Baumgardner Crothers, 009). A good example of this would be, a middle income family allowing their children to explore different activities, such as sports, art, or music to find what brings the individual joy, or discover new skills that will eventually lead them to influence others and themselves. It is a hard contrast in the Asian cultural for happiness carries less importance in their culture. Children are encouraged to restrain their emotions, and to fit in with others and take pride in team work (sympathetic relationships, or understanding others perspective and accepting it) â€Å"Children are expected to learn how to adjust themselves to others so as to enhance and maintain harmonious social relationships† (Baumgardner Crothers, 2009). This thinking also can lead to a critical mind set of one self and possibly others. East Asians do not put an emphasis on happiness, life satisfaction or the understanding and pursuit of positive emotions, but believe happiness is fleeting, and one should live a composed life from moment to moment in appreciation. Americans or individualistic cultures place emphasis on positive feelings that are directly related to achievement or accomplishments. It is believed good feelings promote self-esteem, independence, and happiness. A good example would be receiving a scholarship for earning a high GPA. Interestingly enough goal achievement is also important to collective culture or the Asian culture, when asked; research perspective was placed on SWB due to western influences (Baumgardner Crothers, 2009). However both cultures admitted to personal satisfaction, than to please others concerning the pursuit of goals.

What western companies face when entering China

What western companies face when entering China This thesis will focus on the business environment for MNCs planning to invest their businesses in China. Today, China has a huge market for foreign investment and low labour work force.it has its own unique culture differs from the western countries. The culture shock and the different market characteristics are the key difficulties for foreign businesses, also not an easy business environment to penetrate. China business environment has helped so many MNCs in the past and present to achieve their profit. It also analyse the barrier of entering mode and how difficult it is to get the right Chinese partner to negotiate with. Having the money its not the problem getting fully connected and a good relationship with the government is significant. Another dynamic code for western companies its guanxi, well connected Chinese person although what happens in China now is that the highest guanxi merits the business. China is amazing, the beauty of Shanghai has made several multinational companies to flock into the Chinese market through beverages, furnitures, pharmaceuticals, logistics also contributing in their economy growth through wholly foreign owned enterprise WFOEs and EJVs equity joint venture. However, formal rules need to be backed by informal rules to be inefficient in terms of overcoming any informal limitations of human interaction. Informal rules need to be such that the costs of enforcement, measurement, supervision and monitoring can decrease. The difference between the marketplace China and the west is that both, formal and informal rules are well developed in the west, while they are severely underdeveloped in China. IKEA is a successful case to open the China market recent years. The main goal is to acquire the information in order to provide the overseas retailers with a good entering and starting point for creating an effective business plan and operating successfully in the Chinese furniture market. Another successful case in the Chinese market is Coca-Cola who entered the business market as a joint venture but now have five major bottling plants in five different cities in China, two of them are owned by joint ventures why the others are WFOEs wholly foreign owned enterprise Introduction In an era where consumers are more demanding, critical and possess higher purchasing power, firms increasingly discover that where service was previously a mere factor employed in support of the main organizational functions, the quality of, and efficiency in delivering, service, have now joined the fundamental business pillars of technological advancement and product novelty as principal determinants of success. Nowadays, many businesses in service-oriented industries in China, including MNCs furniture, beverage chains, rely on Chinese culture as a distinctive cutting edge in gaining and maintaining business. Hampden-Turner, (1990) suggests that culture is fast becoming a vital business tool in the encouragement of high performance in China. Where multinational organizations attempt to replicate these values in another national setting, problems may arise. Mead (1994) suggests that such organizations may have to modify these home country systems, structures and values to comply with local norms. China was an emerging market where the main challenge for MNCs was simply getting started, choosing the right joint venture Chinese partner and securing government permission to enter the market, the right city to sell in, and even the right target customer segments in those cities. However, few companies had large, complex operations in this market. Today, over more than 450 of the fortune 500 foreign companies are in China, and they are all facing home-grown competition from Chinese companies is rapidly growing. The Chinese market more profitable, more complex, and also potentially riskier than ever. As Chinas economy grows and open further, the opportunity it presents to MNCs is changing. Now, western companies can actually go after the Chinese domestic market, and its worth going after, the improvements in Chinas infrastructure, workforce, and regulatory environment are making it possible for companies to lower their cost to reap new competitive advantages. Lieberthal.K,and Liebe rthal,G. During the decline in demand brought on by the Asia financial crisis in 1997,then China made massive infrastructure investments, including a huge expansion of the highway, telecom, rail, and water management systems. All these investments have improved connections among what used to be largely separate domestic markets. However, the regulatory environment is also moving in the right direction, also getting more transparent. As China implements its WTO commitments, many opportunities are opening up to foreign firms, which are increasingly in the same position on an equal footing with home-grown companies. Also, with the structural changes established by the National Peoples Congress in March 2003, indicate additional progress in shifting the role of government from the planning and administration of a socialist economy to the regulation of market economy. In 1990, China led the world in the production of only televisions and cotton textiles, by 2002 they added refrigerators, motorbikes, cameras, DVD players, desktop PCs, bicycles, cigarette lighters and cellular phones. China, in sum is rapidly becoming the manufacturing center of Asia. In this thesis I will examine what multinationals need to know before entering China for business, in the next ten years, multinationals should be the biggest winners in China. For, western companies to reap the benefits, a multinational must properly nest its effort into its overall business, show one face to China at the national level and tailor local strategies, be wary of EJV and mitigate risk, and in particular the theft of intellectual property. One important reason for this trend, in FDIs and foreign companies is no doubt globalisation. The phenomenon has given individuals the awareness of opportunities outside their region or territory. In that case it can be seen as an incentive for foreign investors looking to gain global market share. Which off cause globalisation has made the world not only globalised but very competitive. Also, as these foreign investors are expanding they have to be cautious on issues such as culture, negotiation, risk and most importantly the politica l environment. All these issues we be examined in the rest of the dissertation. The research method used is based on case studies. Which are real life examples, showing the success of one firm to the failure of another. At the end one discovers that culture has its own trait into the Chinese working society, based on established theories. Means of Entering China: When entering China, western companies have 3 investment vehicles that can be used, Equity Joint Venture (EJV), Wholly Foreign Own Enterprise WFOE, and foreign-invested companies limited by shares (FICLS). Traditionally and in the past foreigner and western companies enter through EJV using a well connect Chinese partner or middle man, this trend is still stand although in some sectors. Today china is changing, more and more opportunities are created and more challenges face western companies. More western companies are entering and have begun to explore the chines market through WFOE as the best alternative. Although EJV and WFOE are similar in terms of corporate liability and taxation and operate within the same foreign exchange rules. One of the reasons for changing tend would be the time. It takes more time to establish an EJV than a WFEO. WFOE are faster to set up and easier to manage. They allow managers to expand operations more rapidly and meet only minimal resistance from au thorities. Harvard Business Review 2004. Another reason would be the limitation and underperformance of EJVs. Western companies investors are finding greater managerial control and flexibility which makes an excellent start for the competitive market in China. Some analyst describes the new emergency of WFOE as dramatic in china. Access to Chinese markets through a Joint venture is more limited than many foreign investors have hoped, and much more limited than most Chinese partners can deliver.   By 2002, WFOEs comprised nearly 65% of the approved projects and by value 69% of the deals.  Ã‚  Its expected that WFOEs will grow even more in number and value once more of  Chinas industrial sectors become open wholly-owned ventures that are currently restricted to JVs. Some advantages of WFOE is that it gives greater protection of intellectual property rights, know-how and technology since no partner required and therefore more control of IP. It also helps with greater efficiency in its operations like mentioned above, including management and future development. In addition the ability of converting RMB profits to US dollars or other foreign currency for remittance to their parent company outside China. U.s household products company had entered china through an EJV in 1990 with Shanghai Jahwas corporation. Jahwa was Chinas largest cosmetic manufacture. The two companies had conflicting interest and the result was devastating. First the US Company intended to capitalise on the Chinese base company for distribution, brand equity, guanxi in other to push its own production line. On the other hand Jahwa Home Base Company was looking to the foreign company to upgrade the companys technology and increase its competitive capabilities both locally and abroad. Having direct direction, aims and objects except for sales, the joint venture went into halt for 3 years. Following that was a we drawer from Jahwas selling all it shares. This action left the American base company seeking a new local partner to save its investments and to save face. Such actions and the Chinese culture make it extremely stressful and risk taking for western companies to undertake in an EJV. In contrast to Jahwas and the U S base company, the experience of Johnson and Johnson a western pharmaceutical company that entered china as part of an EJV is slightly different and optimistic .The company entered China as an EJV, Although this had been successful, but a change in strategy came in 1992. The company decided to launch new products in oral care, baby and feminine hygiene but as WFOE, looking for more control over sourcing and marketing. This result was achieved, ever since the introduction of the new venture, revenues have increased 40 % to 50 %. Following, that was the decision from the company to continue its business operations as WFOE unless they were given a great and major offer from a Chinese partner. In respect of the different cases, it is important that western companies enter china through the right way, either EJV or WFOE demanding on the offer and the possibility of gaining market share. Although this is exaggerating for western companies to enter and gain market share due to the level of local competition, but having the right partner and long term sight might bring the puzzle together. Despite the criticism of EJV and the thought of been left to hang out dry there are also Chinese in the market looking for westerners to join or buy part of an EJV. This on its own is increasly happening. Short Term and Long term Results This is important for new investor or foreign companies planning to enter china. One would have to look at the long future not the short term. There are uncertainties about political stability and the market economy. What could go wrong? Could it affect the companies aims or objectives. In the case of china, the future some is bright, a rising star, with a demanding population there might always be a market and most especially consumers. Most western companies might not want to enter the Chinese market on the short term basis because of uncertainties, however in most cases it is impossible to do. They end up finding themselves in the market for the long term. Several multinationals are approaching China as a long- term strategic market, and they are investing large sums of money to help build sustainable long-term positions. In the short term, the result might not be as expected, and it is unlikely to make profit gain market share. Companies would have stages to under go, from introd ucing the brand, acquiring consumers to keep sales stable. Many western companies look to the case of Coca Cola as an early entrant in the Chinese markets and back the arguments that one must be around a long time in other to achieve best results. The case of coca cola When Coca Cola entered china in the early 1980s, it wasnt well received by the consumers. The market was saturate with different soft drinks, most being lightly colour or orange flavour. In that case Coca Cola changed strategy and began to invest in sprite and Fanta. While doing this Coca Cola never lost sight of pushing its brand forward. It continued to invest in branding the product coke. By the early 1990s consumers began to accept the soft drink that the sales of other began to decline. Sales of Coke to Sprit volume ratio was four to three. In contrast, Pepsi- Cola has been less successful with 7-Up, the Pepsi to 7-Up ratio is four to one. Coca-Colas long- term success has been also involved taking as much control as possible of its joint ventures. When the company first entered china it was force to merger as a joint venture. It formed an EJV with China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Import-Export Corporation (COFCO). However in 1988 when regulations changed and where more relaxed, the company moved quickly to buy shares from its partners, having full managerial control of firm. It was complete, coke decided to invite 2 new partners when establish a new joint venture. The partners were Citic China International Trust and Investment Corporation, Swire Pacific, and Kerry Group. Citi is a state owned companied founded by Deng xipong, this relationship between the two partners could if not used as a basis for developing guanxi or influence , related to the process of doing business in China. Though the case of Coca Cola was succefully and showed how the long run paid off the company today the company has gained enormous share in the Asian region with China being the third just after Philippines (see chart below) so did other early entrant like Volkswagen report to be successful over the long peiod of time, growing at double digits per year. However, some other western firms have found it different. But Peugeot entered the Chinese market at the same time as Volkswagen, and it has lost tens of millions of dollars each year since 1995. This brings us to the argument of why are short-term results so important? Turbulent market such as Chinas, sustainable long-term positions are necessarily built on a series of successful short-term moves. Short-term results can help build brand recognition, attract local talent, and secure support from the parent company, which can create a virtuous cycle. Source: http://fliiby.com/file/328720/m6qct0zqis.html. By contrast, a vicious cycle is established when a multinational company sees no positive short-term results. Rather than revise the companys strategy, managers typically justify underperformance with the argument that China is a long term market. However, the hard truth is this, when no positive short-term results are seen, critical mass is not achieved, so the overhead cannot be spread over a reasonable volume. Therefore, the operations lose credibility back at the home office. As a rule, the China business is then scaled back in order to reduce short-term losses. What MNCs have to put in mind is that, in general, market share falls and the Chinese operations are second guessed; How far should we go, How hard should we push, When will we see results and How attainable are the long-term targets .Drawing upon these dynamics, players that want to be around over the long run had better be making the right moves today or they we be sitting on the side-lines before tomorrows game even be gins. It doesnt mean that MNCs have to get every thing right? No. Everyone makes mistakes. Moreover, multinationals must learn from their mistakes and learn fast. Long term success is best achieved through measurable short-term results. Guanxi Guanxi can be roughly described as a type of social capital that is developed between two persons via a process of reciprocal exchange (Gregory Osland 993). Has become a familiar term among those involved with Chinese society its creating personal connection, networking and a valuable asset for any one thinking of investing or doing business in China. Access to Chinese markets can be hindered by what is thought to be the great door-opener guanxi. Therefore, guanxi has long been touted as an invaluable asset to western investors. This concept is different to that of the west. Westerners put a premium on the networking, information, and institutions, the Chinese place a premium on individuals social capital within their grow up friends, relatives, and close associates. Although today some argue that the role of guanxi is fading, as some Chinese business practice the western style of business. According to Hexter and Woetzel 2007, more and more western companies are finding out that the scope of their Chinese partners guanxi is limited, which may take them in directions that are difficult to control or may not be strategically suitable. In addition, some companies are finding that guanxi may not be cost effective. This doesnt underestimate the force of having guanxi, it remains an important social force. More often than not, the person with the best guanxi wins. Although the key to using guanxi as a way of establishing reputation is to focus on developing and maintaining a network of high-quality contacts while maintaining the focus on the discrete relationships that constitute the network. Organizations can establish themselves as reputable in China by having a multitude of organizational participants engage in guanxi -based business practices. However, guanxi remains a product of individuals and becomes an organizational asset only to the extent that individuals are willing to use their guanxi in order to achieve organizational objectives. Maintaining guanxi Maintaining guanxi in china is essential and important. It is also important even critical to note that the entire process is embedded in discrete relationships. One must continually invest in their guanxi networks In order to maintain the network and relationship. A survey conducted by the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (Anonymous, 1993) found that Hong Kong business persons spent 3 5 per cent of their total operating budgets to cultivate guanxi in China. Yan (1996) found that in the north China village of Xjajia, households spent between 10 and 20 per cent of their disposable incomes on nurturing guanxi relationships. Indeed, the cost of maintaining a guanxi network can be quite expensive (Park and Luo, 2001; Yu, 2002 ; Fan, 2002b). However, the penalties for not continuing to invest in the relationships can be rather substantial. According to Tung and Worm (2001), Most European firms appear to have a basic grasp of guanxi. However, these same firms do not appear to recognize the importance of continued investment in the guanxi relationship. Most of the firms surveyed by Tung and Worm showed a reluctance to engage in substantial social activities outside the normal work environment. Consequently, the depth of relationships developed was substantially hampered (a limitation on the quality of relationships established). At the extreme, a failure to focus on the long-term relationship can be perceived as an expectation of immediate pay-out, which can be interpreted as an attempt at bribery. Such a perception can have a devastating impact on reputation. Succeed with Guanxi Having guanxi is only for starts, succeeding with it will yield the owner the benefits Davies  et al. (1995) highlighted a number of benefits to be derived from guan xi: It can serve as an information gathering mechanism; It can act as a means of securing access to important resources; It smooths the process of gaining privileges such as government licences etc.; It is often used to enhance company reputation; It can contribute to the building and enhancement of competitive advantage; and It can serve to open doors where once they were firmly shut. While trying to succeed with guanxi. It is important to note that guanxi remains the product of the individual. It would not only be inappropriate to describe an organization as having good guanxi but difficult in the true sense to achieve .the only way organizations can have the concept as an assets is through its employees. In most cases these who are amongst senior/ high ranked employees, especially in western companies. But the dilemma is that guanxi becomes an organizational asset if the individuals one have it, two maintain it (and that would require at an escalating manner) and thirdly are knowledgeable on how to succeed on it in order to achieve organizational objectives. An organization with the greater number of individuals possessing guanxi has greater possibilities of getting deals done if not faster. It also gives the company greater reputation causing a multiplier effect. In that case organizations should endeavour to promote and support the development of this concept within its employees. Incentives like rewards or bonuses can be given to individuals using guanxi to promote the companies core objective. In that way employees would be enthusiastic about the approach especially westerns who come with a different way of doing business. Negotiation They have different basic cultural values and ways of thinking when it comes to negotiation. The westerners are known to prefer quick meeting and getting deals done fast. The chines on the other hand are known for their long courting process and as some would say Friendship first then business. When it comes to doing business any way, the art of negotiation is important, if ignored could lead to the end of the deal before even getting to start. Westerns approach negotiations with an informal attitude while the chines are formal. What ever the case maybe, communicating in the same direction is needed. However some argue that there are a lot of communication break down that exist between western and Chinese businesses. One of the causes is the failure of westerners to understand the broader context of the culture and values in China. However problem that too often leaves western negotiators confused and whirling. (Harvard Business review pg.32) Western and Chinese approaches often appear incompatibility. Westerner see Chinese negotiators as inefficient, indirect, and even dishonest, while the Chinese see western negotiators as aggressive, impersonal, and excitable. Such perception has deep cultural origins. Yet those who know how to navigate these differences can develop thriving, mutually profitable, and satisfying business relationships. The Chinese cultural threads are shown through the way of negotiation. Cultural threads are like agrarianism, morality, and wariness of strangers. Most western business people often find these elements mysterious and confusing but ignoring them at any time during the negotiation process and the deal can easily fall apart. Culture and Business Hexter and Woetzel 2007 The culture and government of any country could have a significant effect on businesses and China is no exception. Today in China western companies find that the government is quite different. Past of the reason would be that in the last 25years, China has passed more than one thousand laws and regulations related to commerce and distribution, limitation of foreign businesses have been relaxed . Allowing private and foreign enterprise to join and merger with local Chinese businesses or even as wholly owned foreign enterprises in most industries. This approach is most welcomed from MNCs as a choice of entering as mention above. Government also has established the necessary legal codes for mergers and acquisitions (MA) of both state and private assets. In China the role central and provincial governments in the business sphere have become more defined, and decisions more open and transparent. The central government, for instance, today tends to exert more contro l over businesses earmarked for national development, such as high technology and aviation, less control over businesses such as consumer goods or food processing, where provincial and local governments with their growing economic clout compete to offer substantial investment to woo business opportunities. These remarkable developments mean that today western companies in China will find a clear, well-trodden path for almost every activity they may want to pursue. Foreign investment law is much better developed Nevertheless, western companies need to focus on their relationship with the government to achieve success has changed. However, in some ways this appears to be a dilemma. On the other hand, transactions occur, and the government is involved in every one all foreign invested business needs government approval and therefore government relationships must be maintained. The ability of a company to make future deals with the government rests on how well it executes the deals it has already made, including the service it delivers to customers and its ability to hit financial performance targets and thus return expected tax revenue to the government. Therefore, China has been more critical, then for western companies to work with central and local government on day to day basis to identify new opportunities. With more western firms in the field, and much greater competition among foreign -based and domestic companies on the ground in every sector, government has almost no choice but to ado pt more routine processes to manage access. The average CEO will find it much more difficult to see the minister in Beijing nowadays. Conclusion In conclusion doing business in China involves many challenges but also provides many rewards. Challenges include cultural misunderstandings, consumer diversity, and the vast size of the country. However, China is a unique business environment The world is expanding and China in its own way has received in an influx of international companies. Western company in their own way have influence the Chinese way of business, its national culture and identity remain steadfast. Their culture is embedded in the way they do business and management style. But its uniqueness and characteristics is what westerner companies face as a major challenge till today. Multinationals organizations seeking investment opportunities find this an enormous task of researching into the Chinese corporate culture. Now many western companies have recognised the need to under the corporate and local culture than persist in China. ( Pang, 1998) In previous years possessing qualities like guanxi was highly valuable but today with the changing atmosphere having high influence would be more beneficial. Finally if western companies aim to be successful in China they must radically improve the way they execute in the country. High performance is difficult in a country with high competition therefore western companies must increase they scope, maintain high/ quality productivity. They should adapt global managerial practices to the realities of Chinese context (Harvard business review 2004, p 171) not forgetting to embed also the Chinese rules and elements. Companies could always tumble in how they execute tactic and approach in china. The wrong tactics or bad execution of good strategy has terrible consequences. But good tactics and execution on the level that western companies would accept of their operating managers in competitive developed market is exceptional in China, even harder to define. Until now many multinational did not need to focus as relentlessly as executing to world class stands in their china operations as they did in other market. Western companies would urgently need to improve performance is nearly every aspect of their operation in china, if they are going to be profitable in the short or long run and indeed if they are to survive in china. In addition other relevant elements would be securing government permission to enter the market, picking the right joint venture partner and then selling existing brands at premium prices in the right cities to right customers. Time and time have shown that those who make smarter choices about joint venture partners like coca cola, brands cities and distribution networks tends to fair better than rivals. Moreover the reforms in the government and plans to use the WTO entry requirements to force the domestic reforms. many believe will make Chinese firms competitive internationally in the coming decades. So in a remarkably wide range of sectors, western companies must now think seriously about their ways in China and those of their current and potential competitors that are likely to affect their wider future global opportunities To be sure, China will remain an exceptionally challenging environment. It is a country with inadequate legal protections, rampant intellectual property right violations, massive government interference, and severe price competition from state subsidies firms. However Beijing desire to expand the service and private sector, combined with its willingness to allow foreign firms to compete nearly across the board, means that the china market is ever changing and now becoming a real opportunity just as the purchasing power of Chinese consumers is beginning to increase. Western companies should try to try this into their advantage just like Ikea has done in china. Entering the Chinese market in 1998 as an EJV, with a low pricing strategy and today has captured 49 % of the furniture market in china. Although as they say patience is a virtue, Ikea had waited for 10 years before its success came in the Chinese market. In the near future China is likely to remain the worlds fastest growing major economy therefore western companies should turn the situation into their advantage and gain global market share while the sun shines.