China Construction Market

Intoduction China’s construction market is currently in a state of over-supply, with an overreliance in the past on residential and commercial construction to drive economic growth leading to an apparent ‘glut’ in the market (AECOM, 2013). This shift has created a number of concerns in the market, with the most prevalent the risk of further declines in house-prices in a bid to spur additional demand and correct the possible supply-demand imbalance (BREE, 2014) (Wu et al., 2014). Another risk within the market has been the levels of debt taken on by construction companies during the years of exceptional growth; since the slowdown in demand began, it has been noted that a number of developers have come under pressure, with some defaulting on payments due (Liu et al, 2014). However, it must be mentioned that despite the recent slowdown, the construction market in China still remains a key and significant part of the country’s GDP and is expected to continue growing in the long-term given rising urbanisation and incomes, albeit at a lower rate (Financial Times, 2014). China will still remain an attractive market to consider for EU and US corporations; moving forward, rising labour costs, greater concerns for environmental issues and an increasing middle class will also increase the desire for China’s construction sector to develop more efficient and technological methods in a bid to lower costs, which in turn could present a number of opportunities for UK, EU companies wanting to gain access into the market (EUSME, 2013). Moving forward, both residential and commercial construction will see growth as development moves inland to western provinces looking to industrialise, while the major cities of Shanghai, Wuhan and Beijing etc will all continue to grow on urbanisation and rising populations (Wu et al, 2014). As the Chinese government looks to rebalance growth towards domestic consumption and demand, expect greater investment in infrastructure, especially investment designed to open up the western regions to the eastern, coastal cities. Change Management When considering a potential JV into the Chinese market, a business must be aware of the change management that would need to occur to effectively merge into business regulation and practices within China (Anderson, 2010) (Cameron, 2012). As noted above, the potential to form a JV based on the technology and knowledge within the company is immense as Chinese builders look to rein in costs and compete more effectively in an oversupplied market. One area of consideration for a business would be the current structure of the market, with previous research noting that the Chinese construction market is largely made up of state-owned and local private enterprises (World Bank, 2014). According to recent research undertaken (EUSME, 2013) privately-owned companies control 81% of the market, state-owned 18%, while foreign-funded firms control less than 1% of the overall market. From this, it could be assumed that regulation and business practices may restrict some international companies from moving into the market. Regulation: many companies that have attempted to establish Chinese entities have experience strong regulatory constraints; with the Chinese see protective of their domestic industry (Rowley, 2014). It has previously been noted that it is difficult to obtain building sector licenses given that Chinese provinces will favour the use of local construction companies, with corruption still a major issue to overcome (US Department of Commerce, 2012). Furthermore, it could be mentioned that China is quite risk adverse to the introduction of new building/material techniques, with regulation in place that quite often restricts the entrance of new technology into the market due to an inability for the country to assess its implications on the wider industry, which to some could be seen as a form of protectionism given that the construction sector is such as large employer within the country. While a JV may be beneficial for an international company given its access to a local market player who understands the market, the company must be wary of the technology or knowledge it would be sacrificing in the process (Cameron, 2012). It may also be noted that given current market conditions in China, some Chinese companies may be willing to form JV’s with Western counterparts in a bid to gain access into the recovering markets in Europe and the U.S. Again, the difference in regulation may affect the attractiveness of the Chinese market to some businesses. Business Practices: taking into account practices, it could be seen that major contracts in China have been known to be awarded more through relationships rather than product/ service quality (World Bank, 2014). To some Western companies, this may be business practices they are unwilling to follow, or in some cases unwilling to support the management change that is needed to facilitate business in the Chinese market. Taking this into account, the business must ensure that is able to trust the business and its employee’s in the joint venture. Given the difference in doing business and ethics, the UK Company must ensure that the JV does not contradict its standards in the UK (Cameron, 2012). Key Characteristics: key characteristics of the market may also be of importance given that it could be assumed the Chinese growth in construction has to part been fuelled by quantity over quality. There have been a number of reports detailing the major $Billion efforts by cities within China to essentially support rapid expansion, however most of the building work appears to be of a much lower standard/ design than similar projects in the western economies. With this, it becomes a question of whether the current market in China would fit in with the interests and desired outcomes of the UK Company seeking the JV. To provide come concluding remarks, the UK must ensure that it picks a Chinese partner that meets its UK ethical standards and business practices, essentially aligning their priorities to develop a viable business plan for the JV’s development in the marketplace (Paton, 2008). The company must also ensure that it’s safeguarding its intellectual property, mainly when dealing with Chinese companies that are in need of new development/ technology to improve competitiveness in their home market. The company must also ensure that it picks a partner where it can be an equal stakeholder it he project (Bosshart et al, 2010) References AECOM (2013) Asia Construction Outlook 2014, London, AECOM. Anderson, D. and Anderson, L. (2010) Beyond Change Management, London, Wiley Publications. Bosshart, S., Luedi, T. and Wang, E. (2010) Past lessons for China’s new joint ventures, London, McKinsey & Company. BREE (2014) China Resources Quarterly: Southern Winter- Northern Summer 2014, Sydney, Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics. Cameron, E. and Green, M. (2012) Making Sense of Change Management, London, Kogan Page Publishers. EUSME (2013) The construction sector in China, Beijing, European Union Research Centre. Financial Times (2014) [Online] Doing Business in China, Available at http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/892eae14-6323-11e4-8a63-00144feabdc0.pdf, Accessed 10.11.2014. Liu, B. Wang, X. Chen. C and Ma, Z. (2014) Research into the dynamic development trend of the competitiveness of China’s regional construction industry, KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, 18(1), pp1-10. Paton, R. and McCalman, J. (2008) Change Management: A Guide to Effective Implementation, London, SAGE Publications. Rowley, C. and Cooke, F. (2014) The changing face of management in China (Vol. 6), London, Routledge. U.S Department of Commerce. (2012) 2012 Country Commercial Guide for U.S Companies, Washington, U. Department of Commerce. World Bank. (2014) Doing Business 2015: Going Beyond Efficiency – Economy Profile 2015 China, Washington, World Bank. Wu, J. Deng, Y. and Liu, H. (2014) House price index construction in the nascent housing market: the case of China, The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, 48(3), pp522-545.

Corporate Communication Essay

Introduction The organization which this report will be based on is called Mirihi Island Resort. Mirihi Island Resort is a five star resort located in a secluded island in South Ari atoll of Maldives. It consists of 36 rooms from 6 are beach villas and the remaining 30 are water villas. This resort is under Crown Company (Mohamed, 2014). There are total of 145 staffs mixed from all levels. 60% of the staffs are from Maldives and the rest of the staffs are from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, China, Thailand and etc. Their slogan is â€Å"Mirihi as â€Å"unique† as you†. Like as said in the slogan, Mirihi is a very unique resort. No wearing of shoes or sandals, no motorized water sports, no night animation and no TV’s in the room makes their customers feel like being in Maldives and unique (Mohamed, 2014). Vision Mirihi’s vision is to be always on top of all the Maldivian resorts in service and standard wise to make challenging for other hotels. To be most quiet and peaceful resort in the country as well never pushes on sales. Respect all different culture by providing the same levels of services. Staffs will be well trained for an excellence services and try utmost to motivate the staffs by whichever possible way (Mohamed, 2014). Mission In this highly developing tourism industry; their aim is to keep the guests satisfaction up to the standard while providing services in a quick and efficient way. Focus on improving service standard by observing difference between the resorts and from guest’s feedbacks. Maintain the cleanliness of the rooms, increasing the food quality rapidly, continuous updating the information and training for the staffs, flexibility, making customer feels special and as well â€Å"everything is possible† attitude will be the best advantages to achieve the goals. Never stop trying until achieve the goal (Mohamed, 2014). This report will be evaluating and analyzing the corporate communication of Mirihi Island Resort. Discussion Definition of corporate communication Corporate communication is managing an organization’s internal and external communications with the purpose of establishing and maintaining favorable reputations with its various audience to the mutual benefits of both and to its improved competitive advantage (Kalahub, 2009), (Richard, 2000). Corporate communication includes advertising, public relations and marketing, marketing communications, but they all function under a managed perspective (Kalahub, 2009). Functions of corporate communication There are many functions of corporate communication. Among some of them are discussed below. Media Relations Among all the functions this may be the function for which corporate communication managers are well known. It is because they are engaged in the media relation works, where they have to write and distribute news releases with responding to media enquiries. Corporate communication manager have to oversee all planning for news conferences. Also the manager has to arrange everything needed for the spokesperson to appear on the local television and the radio programs. In addition to that the manager also have to monitor all the news broadcasters and other outlets to see what the media is talking about the company and have to advise strategies to address misinformation (Frederick, 2014). Public Relations Under public relations fall, building relationships with customers and responding to studies from the public. Here, the corporate communication manager is responsible for providing all the information needed to the general public through newsletters, brochures and other printed materials. He/she also has to manage the company’s website by monitoring the feedbacks given by the public and responding to inaccurate posts or requests for information in order to build a good relationship between the public and the organization (Frederick, 2014). Crisis Communication If something unexpected happened in a company that will be a threat to public  safety or company’s reputation. For such a critical event all staff should be well trained and prepared for it as it will help corporate communication to prepare for it in a short period of time. Corporate communicators mainly works with their own staff to develop crisis communication before any disaster strikes but in case of developing crisis message they should work with different of people or company, it might be a political officials, attorneys or an emergency response person. Therefore it’s the responsibility of corporate communicators to advise senior leaders in a company to manage the crisis (Frederick, 2014). Employee Communications When a company needs to deliver a message to external audience, the corporate communication manager may has to act as employee communications manager. Being that position they have to design printed publications and write emails to announce company news, important information and training opportunities. Corporate communicator also may have to create a focus group to learn what issues the front-line employees are mostly facing. Also they give advices to the senior leaders on how to improve relationships with their staffs and gain support for the initiatives. In general, the corporate communicator manages a company’s Intranet and internal blogs (Frederick, 2014). Investor Relations The main purpose of investor relations is to reassure shareholders that by investing in the company they have taken a wise move, and even though if they don’t want to buy more shares they should continue to hold onto their shares. The importance of this communication is towards the financial success of the company and the decisions it makes that lead to growth. Therefore the employees involve in investor relations has prepare regular financial and management reports and briefs for the financial media (Scotter, 2014). Internal Communication In the internal communication the corporate communicator has to focus on aligning staff with the organizational values and purpose. Therefore, the corporate communication manager has to arrange staff conferences with senior managers, sharing stories on the company intranet and organizing award schemes to reinforce organizational values. Internal communication often  mediates with media relations, sharing positive coverage internally to raise morale (Scotter, 2014). Corporate Advertising Corporate advertising is any advertisement that focuses more on public relation than sales promotion. The purpose of the advertisement is to build a company’s image, reputation and presence among the general public or within the industry. Corporate advertising is regarded as one of a variety of communication tool that is used to promote the desired corporate brand’s corporate identity rather than promoting company’s specific products or services (Zulhamri, 2012). Public Affairs In an organization at the local, state and federal level, all the sectors are subject to laws and regulations. Therefore, public affairs staffs’ job is to forward organization’s case for amendments to existing legislation. In some cases they have to campaign for new laws as well. For this reason public affairs staff’s job often work with media relations to run integrated campaigns (Scotter, 2014). Definitions of Identity, Image and Reputation Identity A company’s identity is what the company is, the way the company is being recognized and the characteristics that defines the company (Corp, 2014). For example the company’s name is a part of its identity. Image An image of an organization is the perceptions that different people hold of an organization. Such perceptions differs depending on how well people know the organization. Some perceptions are derived from people’s individual experiences and impressions of the organization and also by the marketing and communication activities (Bailey, 2008). For example when someone says Rolex watch the first thing that comes to the mind is the quality and the price of the product. It is because the Rolex watch is commercialized in such a way that people believes that it is expensive hence a quality product. Reputation It is the collection of perceptions about a company that is hold by the stakeholders with whom it relates, both internal and external† (Munich, 2008). For example Apple Company is a very high reputed company, hence they provide high quality products and they have been continuously trying to keep on their standard. Analysis Analyzing using Rep Track Model In every organization it is very important to analyze their image, identity and reputation in order to be successful. To analyze these three things the best tool or model is the Rep Track Model. It is the world’s first standardized tool for tracking reputation of globally across stakeholder groups. It tracks 23 key performance indicators grouped around 7 reputation dimensions that is effective in getting stakeholders to support the company that has been proven by researchers. The following diagram shows an illustration of Rep Track Model. The seven reputation dimensions will be used to analyze the reputation of the selected company, Mirihi Island Resort. Product/Services Mirihi is a service oriented company. Reviewed by many customers that has been to Mirihi, they have a high quality service which fulfills customer requirements and their needs. Compare to other top most leading resorts, Mirihi has high prices for their packages, compare to their service. Because in Mirihi there are no televisions available in the room and the rooms are not so big. It’s not because they can’t afford it or they don’t want to give that service. It is because they want their customers to get the chance to be relaxed without being engaged to the news and other media entertainments. On the other hand they provide high speed Wi-Fi so they can be in touch with their family and friends. However their customers are very much comfortable and happy with their service. Innovation Mirihi is the first resort in the Maldives who provided the service of encountering whale sharks for their customers. And they keep trying to come up with new innovations to make their services more and more unique. They are very flexible for their customers, can come up with their own ideas of  different activities or services. Also they always try to change their way of giving services. Workplace If any one goes through the reviews about Mirihi Island Resort it will see from all the comments about their wonderful staffs and their fantastic service. This shows that how happily the staffs are working in order to build the reputation of the company. Mirihi management always make sure that their employees are well trained and highly motivated. Therefore they frequently conduct training sessions for all the staffs including top management staffs. They don’t discriminate between their staffs, they distribute early bonus and salary increments equally and fairly. Mirihi gives full support for the staffs who wants to invent things and those who wants to study as well. Mirihi staffs has the opportunity to internally change their positions. Governance In Mirihi they have general session in every month to share their achievements, financial situations, about the allowances starting from the last four years so that it is easy to compare and about all the upcoming programs or events. They are very transparent as they always tell exactly the situation with the government regarding the taxes to their staffs. And they prepare annual report and submit it to the government and also they pay taxes on time. They make sure that their staffs are aware and follow the rules and regulations public by the government. Citizenship Mirihi is a very environmentally friend company. They never cut down the trees and according to their policy cutting down the trees are prohibited unless it is very necessary. They have very strict rules for the guests not to stand on the corals, not to collect anything from the sea, not to put anything in to the sea and not to feed the fishes. And the guests are Leadership In Mirihi they have charismatic Managers. From the management they always make sure that they keep on the standards or improve their level to get on the top most. Whenever they face any issues or threats they overcome it making suitable strategies. They make sure that their staffs are comfortable  with their given resources. Performance They have been as the top resort on the famous travelling website for almost one year. At the moment also they are in the top six. From this clearly can be seen that they performed well with high profitability. Monthly and annually they make huge profit compare to their expectations and therefore they are able to provide early bonus to their staffs with an amount of around MVR10,000 for each staff. Their market share has been growth, still being among the smallest resorts in the Maldives. Recommendation Even though Mirihi is a profit gaining and reputed company, there are few things that they need to improve. †¢They need to have corporate communication department to analyze their re †¢They should conduct performance appraisals or evaluate their staffs performance more frequently and give feedbacks on their performance so that they know what are things that need to be improved. †¢Mirihi should provide a 24 hour room service to make their service better since they don’t have a 24 hour restaurant or a bar. †¢There are not enough sun beds on the beach for the guests to enjoy the sun bath. So they should provide more sun beds on the beach. †¢Finally the guest Wi-Fi and the staffs Wi-Fi is very slow and the guest Wi-Fi is not available most of the areas like specially in the spa. So they should provide Wi-Fi to the most areas so that their service could be more improves. And the Wi-Fi should fast. Bibliography Bailey, S. R. (2008). InternationalEncyclopedia of Orgnaization Studies. SAGE publications, Inc. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412956246 Corp. (2014). Your Dictionary. Retrieved from Your Dictionary Web site: http://www.yourdictionary.com/identity Frederick, A. (2014). Small Business.chron. Retrieved from Small Business.chron Web site: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/functions-corporate-communication-department-23716.html Kalahub. (2009, November 07). Slide Share. Retrieved from Slide Share Web site: http://www.slideshare.net/9924927019/corporate-communication-2444333

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Cardiovascular Disease Essay example - 1806 Words

Cardiovascular Disease in the African American Community Causes, Preventions, and Treatments Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to the dysfunctional conditions of the heart, arteries, and veins that supply oxygen to vital life- sustaining areas of the body like the brain, the heart itself and other vital organs. Since the term cardiovascular disease refers to any dysfunction of the cardiovascular system there are many different diseases in the cardiovascular category, and many of these diseases are strongly intertwined. Ischemic Heart Disease is the medical idiom for the obstruction of blood flow to the heart. It is usually due largely in part to excess fat or plaque deposits that narrow the veins that provide oxygenated blood to†¦show more content†¦The body is often able to mask the subtle damage due to the extra work the cardiovascular system is undergoing, but not forever, and for that reason hypertension is often referred to as the silent killer. In fact, approximately 27% of African Americans with hypertension are unaware of their condition. Unfortunately, m any times the first warning signs of hypertension are angina attack, stroke, or even myocardial infarction, all severe cardiovascular diseases. Dyslipidemia is defined as a total cholesterol level greater than 200 mg/dl., LDL cholesterol above 130 mg/d, HDL cholesterol bellows 35 mg/dl; and a lipoprotein level greater than 30 mg/dl. An elevated cholesterol level rigorously lends itself towards conditions such as atherosclerosis, which can in turn lead to more serious CVDs. However, cholesterol is not actually a damage mechanism but rather a risk factor for increased risk of heart disease. In many aspects of health and disease, biological and genetic variables are considered to be the most important in reaching a medical solution to a problem. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that social disparities between African Americans and the rest of the American population may have a greater influence over disease prevalence then genetic differences. It is common knowledge, that as a race Afri can Americans are far more likely to live andShow MoreRelatedCardiovascular Disease Essay1716 Words   |  7 PagesIn todays world, there is a rise in the US population adopting unhealthy lifestyles that lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD).1, 2 Stroke and coronary heart disease are the two leading health conditions and leading cause of death in established countries. However, these two types of cardiovascular disease have identifiable risk factors that can be modified to reduce the risk of developing CVD.3 Additionally, due to an increase in the prevalence of obesity, primary prevention for CVD is catchingRead MoreThe Occurrence Of Cardiovascular Disease Essay2112 Words   |  9 PagesOccurrence of Cardiovascular Disease Vital signs are an important measurement for a general assessment of a patient’s overall cardiovascular risk. The use of vitals signs should be regularly incorporated in the practice of physical therapy like other settings of the health care as a pre-screening measure. Vital sign assessment provides invaluable information to determine if the patient’s health is appropriate for physical activity or if the patient needs to be further assessed for cardiovascular healthRead MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Cardiovascular Disease1247 Words   |  5 PagesStates suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease and almost eight million people die each and every year from it(Meyers). This realization is incredibly disheartening. Cardiovascular disease includes conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain or stroke. Other heart conditions, such as those that affect your heart s muscle, valves or rhythm are also considered fo rms of heart disease. The threat of heart disease in America is rising day byRead MoreEssay on Nutrition Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease1536 Words   |  7 PagesNutrition Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease It is imperative as a nurse to develop an understanding that caring for a patient goes beyond the physical care given and it includes a holistic aspect: caring for the body, mind and soul. This holistic approach can be applied when assessing patients’ nutritional status and helping them implement healthy life choices, while living with a disease and possibly the comorbidities caused by the disease. Specifically, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the comorbiditiesRead MoreCardiovascular Disease Is The Number One Killer1696 Words   |  7 PagesCardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States, causing about 610,000 deaths yearly (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Cardiovascular disease is defined as a group of disorders damaging the heart and blood vessels, usually involving the blockage of vessels, which in turn harm the heart (WHO, 2015). A 2011 American Heart Association statement predicted that without intervention, 40% of United States adults will have at least one form of Cardiovascular diseaseRead MoreUnderlying Risks for Cardiovascular Disease Essay1653 Words   |  7 PagesSince 1960 the age-adjusted mortality rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) has declined steadily in the U.S. due to multiple factors, but still remains one of the primary causes of morbidity and premature mortality worldwide. Greater control of risk factors and improved treatments for cardiovascular disease has significantly contributed to this decline (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). In the U.S. alone it claims approximately 830,000 each year and accounts for 1/6 of all deathsRead MoreCardiovascular Disease : A Disease That Affects The Heart And Blood Vessels1910 Words   |  8 PagesCardiovascular disease is a disease that affects the heart and blood vessels which may cause various problems relating to the blood flow to the heart. Many complications arise from cardiovascular disease, which may lead up to other li fe threatening illnesses such as heart attack or stroke. According to the American Heart Association a heart attack occurs when the blood flow of blood to part of the heart is blocked by a blood clot; if the clot cuts the flow of blood part of the heart muscle beginsRead MoreCohort Follow-u`Studies: Cardiovascular Disease1291 Words   |  5 PagesCohort Follow-up Studies – Cardiovascular Disease: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death and mortality across the globe, especially because of its increase in low and middle income countries. The disease is commonly referred to as heart disease since it’s a group of diseases that involve the heart, blood vessels or both. Generally, the disease involves abnormal functioning of the heart of blood vessels, which increases the risk of heart failure, heart attack, cardiac rhythm issuesRead MoreCardiovascular Disease : The Congestive Heart Failure, Stroke, And Coronary Heart Disease Essay1752 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Cardiovascular disease comprises the congestive heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease. These conditions have continued to be the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States of America today. The occurrence of cardiovascular diseases is influenced by various factors such as physical, political, environmental, and social factors (Kochanek, 2011). These factors entail access to quality and affordable health care services, affordability to healthy diets, conditionsRead MoreCardiovascular Disease And Lifestyle :852 Words   |  4 PagesCardiovascular Disease and Lifestyle Part One: There are multiple factors that lead to the development cardiovascular disease. While some individuals are born with conditions that predispose them to strokes or heart disease, a majority of people participate in a combination of risk factors that lead to the development of cardiovascular disease. A few of those risk factors include a lack of physical activity, smoking, and poor diet. The more frequently individuals expose themselves to these risk

Business Model Innovation and Organizational Design

Question: Discuss about the Business Model Innovation and Organizational Design. Answer: The introduction of the European economy requires the present status of the European Union. The economic condition of the European Union has been updated since the recent turmoil of Global Financial Crisis. All the countries in Europe, especially those who are under the European Union are treated as a single country by their purchasing power parity. Currently, the economy of Europe is moving through the business cycle from depression to boom. The economy crashed around 2007 after the Lehman Brothers crashed, which created a financial crisis affecting most of the major economies in the world. Many companies and banks were bankrupted increasing the rate of unemployment. According to Serricchio, Tsakatika and Quaglia (2013) like the other major economies of Europe, Germany and Greece has suffered the same blow due to the crisis. Germany due to its internal strength of the economy was less affected by the crisis than Greece. The financial crisis brought the financial loopholes in Greeces economy out in the open. The economies have taken significant steps since then to come out of the depression. These steps incorporate innovation, renovating business models of the organizations, digital revolution, re-invention of an organization's policies, and entrepreneurship. The assignment will analyze four European companies to support the steps taken by the organizations. According to Bock and George (2014), the European Union was created honoring the concept that those countries which are engaged in trade are less likely to go to war against. After the World War II and the Cold War, the political and economic dependency was required to reduce any future possibility of war and the openness between the member countries will create business opportunities. During the Global Financial Crisis, the organizations which were the backbone of the European economy took a financial hit which broke the financial conditions of the member countries. Common people were largely affected by the consequences of the crisis. The governments of the member countries have taken several countermeasures collectively to follow an inclusive growth agenda. These measures incorporate both government infrastructure and non-government bodies of Europe. The measures followed by several organizations like Sebamed(Sebapharma) and Springer SE in Germany and Thenamaris Shipping company and Apivita farms in Greece, as stated below: Innovation: Since the Global Financial Crisis of 2007, business innovation, research and development have been stagnating due to low funding and lack of investments. These are needed to innovate. Innovation is one of the basic components that keep an organization floating and sustaining. It is applicable in many ways in an organization. According to Cummings and Worley (2014), the innovation can be of the business model, financial model, technological, digital, and others, in the organization. The German company SebaPharma, a part of Sebamed, created by Heinz Maurer in 1957, has a story of success in the medicinal skin care industry. After the financial crisis had got over, the company has invested rapidly in the innovating new business model and products, which can bring back the market demand the multinational organization was facing previously (Sebamed 2016). Another company of the same country, Axel Springer SE, Europes one of the largest digital publishing houses has faced the same crisis. The organization was founded in the year 1946. The company has survived this long due to the consistent innovation in the organization. Axel Springer SE has an employee capacity of 15,000 presently. Even before the Global Financial Crisis hit the economy of Europe, the organization had a consistent record of investment in research and development wing. The organization made its financial strength with the help of technological and business model innovations. As the company is expand ing since its early days, the adaptation of new issues in the business model was experienced by the organization. The financial crisis thus could not affect the company as it did to most of the companies in the Europe. Thenamaris, a shipping company from Greece, was founded in the year 1970. The company has grown rapidly since then. During the Global Financial Crisis, the economy was hurt badly due to its previous loopholes in the economy. This made the shipping company strive for perfection during the recent years. As stated by Spolaore and Wacziarg (2013), the innovation in business guided the company through the tough times to get out of the stagnating economy of Greece. The company Apivita farms in Greece, founded in 1972 operates in the cosmetics industry. The organization has innovated several formulas for its products which made those highly demanded. The Global Financial Crisis had hit the companys fund badly. But with innovative ideas for the products and business plans, the company avoided bankruptcy and turned around for a better and stronger future. Business model: According to Boons et al. (2013), the business model plays a crucial role in determining an organization's future. Without a proper business model, an organization cannot survive in the long run. An innovative and strong business model is required to stay ahead of the competitors. Since the Global Financial Crisis, the European companies along with their counterparts from the rest of the world has changed or updated their business model, as it can increase the profitability and revenue of the organization. A clear and well-structured business model shows efficiency in the production process of a company. Sebapharma of Germany and Apivita of Greece have been operating in more or less the same industry for quite a long time. The business plans of these companies have outsmarted their rivals in their respective countries. With constant innovation and efficient distribution system, these organizations have avoided the financial crisis of 2007. The business models of these companies are well structured. Axel Springer SE of Germany has a clear business model which helps the organization in creating and distributing high quality information (Axelspringer 2016). The organization's extensive holdings incorporate successfully authorized multimedia label groups like DIE WELT and BILD. It also includes newspapers, magazines, and ventures in TV and radio companies. The shipping company Thenamaris has improved their business model slowly to survive in the industry. Since the financial crisis of 2007, the organization has made its business model to acquire the maximum of the domestic market. This attribute helped the company to survive the blow of the Global financial crisis. Start-ups: The post-Global Financial Crisis period has seen a high rate of unemployment. Due to the weak level of demand, the production has stopped in many organizations. This situation had the potential of starting a stagnating depression. Due to the failures of banks, funding the start-ups had gone down largely. As stated by Davenport (2013), this situation calls for new entrepreneurs who can create new job opportunities for the unemployed persons. This system absorbing the unemployed population of the member countries of the European Union will help their economies grow, collectively. The tour conducted in the European companies are not startups, but the financial crisis had led to a situation, where the old organizations are creating new business models and innovating their products along with the production process. These companies needed such intensive care which is required by a start-up. To survive the financial crunch, the companies can take help from their governments in the form of subsidies, rebates, and others (Bergek et al. 2013). Digital revolution: As stated by Reynolds et al. (2014), the digital revolution is referred to the change of technology from mechanical and analog to digital electronics used in the organizations operating in several industries. With digital revolution in the industry, the organization in that industry can ensure less cost of production and efficiency in the manufacturing process. Digital revolution is costly at first but reduces the cost of production in the long run. The visited companies in Germany and Greece can use this process to change the production mechanism to a more digitalized way. The existing companies in the European Union use computerized technology for production as it helps the organizations in producing more units with efficient and low costs. This attribute can help an organization in expanding. The digital revolution is a portion of the theory given by Schumpeter of the evolution of socio-economy. According to Clark, Osterwalder and Pigneur (2012), with more concentration on the digital revolution, creative destruction occurs. It increases efficiency in every tier of the production process. New skilled and unskilled labors get absorbed in the production system of the organizations. Hence, it is also beneficial for the country where the organizations are operating. Re-invention: According to Schneider and Spieth (2013), sometimes creating new technologies are not the answer for all the problems an economy faces. With the introduction of new technologies, new workers get employment, but if the innovation is a disruptive one, often it destroys previous employments. If new business plans and models are taken into consideration, people from the previous model might not fit into the new structure of the organizations. According to West, Ford, and Ibrahim (2015), this will create more unemployment. There is one way to ensure that both the new and technologies bring the change that the economy needs, and that is re-invention. It means an organization updates its old business model with new technologies and ideas rather than throwing the old model out of the production process. This will help the workers of the old business model to adopt the new technologies and remain in the productive side of employment. Sebapharma has reinvented its business model keeping at par with the old model. The new techniques being used by the medicinal skin care company are not disruptive in nature, giving the old workers ample time to fit in with the new system. Apivita of Greece is following the same procedure to survive the ups and downs of the business cycle (Apivita 2016). Axel Springer SE of Germany has followed the procedures of reinventing its business models which kept the organization in an advantageous position. Reinventing the business model has guarded the organization from all the issues that came in the economy where the organization operates. Even when the European economy was largely affected by the Global Financial Crisis Axel Springer SE has expanded its business over Europe. This was possible due to the reinvention strategy followed by the organization. Thenamaris is operating in an industry where new invention takes time and resources. Reinvention in this organization will make Thenamaris more attractive to the clients and consumes fewer resources. This will increase the market demand for the services provided by the company. The stock price for the company will also rise (Thenamaris 2016). Corporate entrepreneurship: Corporate entrepreneurship is largely defined as a system which goes on within an existing organization leading to new business ventures. It also ensures new products and services. This pushes an organization ahead in the race with its competitors. The existing teams in an organization find ways to foster and launch a new business which different from the parent organization. As stated by Leih, Linden and Teece (2014), the benefits of the new business serve the purpose of the parent organization increasing its assets, resources, and position in the market. This was suggested by the economists during the period of financial crisis, as it can absorb more men and create employment by the economists during the period of financial crisis, as it can absorb more men and create employment. This was also suggested because the start-ups had little resources to include the unemployed people. Hence it will be beneficial for both the organization and the economy. The German company Axel Springer SE has followed this strategy by creating new brands like BILD, WELT, and FAKT. This process has absorbed more than 15,000 persons. Steps like this by the established firms increase employment and strengthen an economy. The other visited companies have also adopted this strategy to increase their assets. In the backdrop of the Global Financial Crisis, the major affected economies all over the world have tried to get up from the stagnating depression caused in the year 2007. Many established organizations and startups helped in this process. Many people lost their jobs during the crisis. These organizations like organizations like Sebamed(Sebapharma) and Springer SE in Germany and Thenamaris Shipping company and Apivita farms in Greece, absorbed many of those unemployed people. These organizations improved their business styles and models to survive in the long run, which in turn, benefited the economies of the countries where the organizations operated. References: Apivita, (2016). Our history. [online] Apivita.com. Available at: https://www.apivita.com/our_history [Accessed 2 Nov. 2016]. Axelspringer, (2016). Company Structure Axel Springer SE. [online] Axelspringer.de. Available at: https://www.axelspringer.de/en/artikel/Company-Structure_40339.html [Accessed 2 Nov. 2016]. Bergek, A., Berggren, C., Magnusson, T. and Hobday, M., 2013. Technological discontinuities and the challenge for incumbent firms: Destruction, disruption or creative accumulation?. Research Policy, 42(6), pp.1210-1224. Bock, A.J. and George, G., 2014. Agile Business Model Innovation. European Business Review, p.8. Boons, F., Montalvo, C., Quist, J. and Wagner, M., 2013. Sustainable innovation, business models and economic performance: an overview. Journal of Cleaner Production, 45, pp.1-8. Clark, T., Osterwalder, A. and Pigneur, Y., 2012. Business model you: a one-page method for reinventing your career. John Wiley Sons. Cummings, T.G. and Worley, C.G., 2014. Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Davenport, T.H., 2013. Process innovation: reengineering work through information technology. Harvard Business Press. Leih, S., Linden, G. and Teece, D., 2014. Business model innovation and organizational design: a dynamic capabilities perspective. Reynolds, P., Balan, P., Metcalfe, M. and Balan-Vnuk, E., 2014. Investigating innovative business models of general hotels in South Australia. CAUTHE 2014: Tourism and Hospitality in the Contemporary World: Trends, Changes and Complexity, p.1075. Schneider, S. and Spieth, P., 2013. Business model innovation: Towards an integrated future research agenda. International Journal of Innovation Management, 17(01), p.1340001. Sebamed, (2016). Sebapharma | Company-sebamed. [online] Sebamed.com. Available at: https://www.sebamed.com/company/sebapharma.html [Accessed 2 Nov. 2016]. Serricchio, F., Tsakatika, M. and Quaglia, L., 2013. Euroscepticism and the global financial crisis. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 51(1), pp.51-64. Spolaore, E. and Wacziarg, R., 2013. How deep are the roots of economic development?. Journal of Economic Literature, 51(2), pp.325-369. Thenamaris, (2016). History | Thenamaris - How shipping should be. [online] Thenamaris. Available at: https://www.thenamaris.com/about-us/history/ [Accessed 2 Nov. 2016]. West, D., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E., 2015. Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage. Oxford University Press.

It is debatable as to whether ... free essay sample

It is debatable as to whether the fate of characters in Mary Shellys Novel Frankenstein is down to choice rather than destiny. The concept of Destiny vs Freewill an important theme throughout the book. Many characters throughout the storyline experience a tragic ending – especially Victor and his family members. Shelly uses Victor and Justine in comparison with the monster to highlight fate vs freewill. Victor Frankenstein attains a strong belief that his actions are dictated by his genes causing him to make poor decisions which consequently leads to his and the tragic end of others. From the beginning of the novel Frankenstein is set on creating new life; although not by choice but because it is his supposed destiny to do so. When Frankenstein thanks Walton for his sympathy he goes on to say how [his] fate is nearly fulfilled. [He] waits but for one event, and then [he] shall repose in peace meaning he is once again blaming fate rather than taking responsibility for his actions of manipulating the laws of nature and artificially creating life. We will write a custom essay sample on It is debatable as to whether or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Frankenstein is unable to comprehend the impact his neglectfully thought out choices bear. He creates life only to maltreat it which in turn leads to the death of many loved ones.Justine and Victor are likeminded characters – both believe that life is dictated by fate and everything has already been planned out for the course of life. When accused of the murder of William, Justine simply says [she] does not fear [death] – [she] is resigned to the fate [awaiting] her. She believes it is best to submit in patience to the will of heaven. Justine does not fight for her life when wrongly accused but believes there is nothing in her power to stop her prosecution from occurring. She will die due to Heaven willing her to do so. Her choice to not fight leads her to meet death because she blindly follows what she believes to be her destiny without question.In comparison with Frankenstein and Justine, the monsters views of fate differ. From his birth the monster refuses to be the submission of abject slavery. The human characters within the novel are held as hostages to fate – they blindly follow which path fate directs their lives. The monster on the other believes that slavery is not his portion as he has the power of freewill. As the monster is neglected by his creator he makes a decision to seek revenge against him – he does not blame his misfortunes, the will of Heaven or allow fate to dictate how he reacts to the events that occur in his lifetime but instead fights against it. Although not in a humane way he chooses to try and better his life and fight against his supposed destiny which is something other characters fail to do.Destiny versus Freewill plays an essential role in the life of every character within the novel. Characters such as Victor and Justine believe that fate direct their lives and they are not to blame for their actions whereas the monster blames his misfortunes on himself and took matters into his own hand – in attempts to better his life. E very character has free will and whether they choose to acknowledge that determines how their future will turn out.