cuban missle crisis :: essays research papers

The Cuban Missile Crisis demonstrates Advocacy versus Inquiry approaches as discussed in â€Å"What You Don’t Know About Making Decisions† by David A. Garvin and Michael A. Roberto. It also displays the Double Approach-Avoidance decisions that we studied in â€Å"Conflict† by Dennis Coon. Finally, the steps taken by John F. Kennedy display the steps described by Dennis Coon in his writing â€Å"Coping with Conflict†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Once President Kennedy learned of the missiles in Cuba he formed a committee, EXCOMM, to discuss the appropriate course of action to deal with the weapons. During the meetings three options were presented: The first was to take a political course of actions to begin talks with Cuba. This was quickly dismissed because no members of the committee believed that these talks would be successful. The second option was continued surveillance combined with a blockade. Finally, the third option was military action.(Wiersma and Larson 6) This is an example of Double Approach-Avoidance because both option number two and option number three had positive and negative qualities. Option number two allowed the United States to apply pressure on Cuba without declaring war; however this approach could take a long time to eliminate the threat of weapons and could supply Cuba with time to hide their weapons. Option number three would quickly destroy Cuba’s weapons which was desirable, But Kennedy did not want to declare war because it most likely would upset Alliances and would be costly in American lives. During the discussions of the committee they wavered back and forth between option two and three. Indecisiveness is a common occurrence when a double approach-avoidance decision has to be made.(Coon 202) The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Air Force were adamant that the US proceed with military action and tried to persuade the group to their way of thinking. The Joint Chiefs of Staff would be an example of the Advocacy Approach. John F. Kennedy asked a lot of questions about the possible outcomes of each option. He wanted to know how the US would be perceived, what the costs were, and how quickly we would see results from each of the options. John F. Kennedy would be an example of the Inquiry Approach. On Day four of the EXCOMM talks a majority decision was reached. There were still dissenters and they remained that way. John F. Kennedy liked the idea of the blockade because it provided Cuba with a way out of the crisis.

Net Neutrality Research Essay

The Internet has historically been considered an â€Å"open and free† medium. Currently, Internet users get access to any Web site on an equal basis. Foreign and domestic sites, big corporate home pages and low-traffic blogs all show up on a user’s screen in the same way when their addresses are typed into a browser. (NY Times 2010) Having its beginnings in military and research facilities in the late 1960’s, ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) slowly evolved into what is now known as the Internet in the 1990’s. Since then is has become the backbone of American and world culture and economics. There is almost no limit to the content available today. Any person with an idea and access to the Internet can share that idea with the world more quickly than in any other time in human history. (Hunter, 2010) Today there are deep battle lines that have been drawn. The ones on the side of the broadband companies argue that they need financial incentives to lay the cables and build the networks that will be necessary to handle surging amounts of digital traffic. USA Today, 2011) They emphatically reject any government oversight or regulations stating that government interference will smother internet growth. This is despite that fact the original architecture of the Internet was created by government and universities. Its usefulness was greatly enhanced over the years by companies such as Intel, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Apple and Google, much more so than by service providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. Yet it is the service providers that are demanding to become its gatekeepers. (USA Today, 2011) The division (with some exceptions) goes down the party lines. Democrats, who are in favor of net-neutrality rules, insist regulation is needed to prevent network operators discriminating in favor of their own services. A cable-TV firm that sells both broadband internet access and television services over its cables might, for example, try to block internet-based video that competes with its own television packages. Republicans worry, that net neutrality will be used to justify a takeover of the internet by government bureaucrats, stifling innovation (that the internet’s origins lie in a overnment-funded project is quietly passed over. ) (The Economist, 2010) To begin to grasp what has transpired since the advent on the Internet, one must know that the Internet will continue along its phenomenal growth path, despite the current global economic crisis. What’s different is that the Internet will become increasingly mobile and social. By 2012, more people will access the Internet via cell phones than PCs. Their favorite activities will be downloading music, videos and ringtones rather than searching the Web or sending e-mail. PC World, 2009). What is net neutrality? Net neutrality is the concept that states that every person should have the same open access to the internet. In other words, internet service providers should not discriminate against people based on the amount of internet bandwidth they use. Individuals who have paid for internet access should be able to visit all websites at competitive speeds. If the internet was to become non-neutral, then people would have to individually buy access to different websites. Currently, no restrictions are being imposed, save parental control, on the information we are able to gather, and there are no restrictions on communication via the internet nor uploading and downloading. (Boswell) All of this is to change if the ISP’s have it their way. One of the greatest aspects of net neutrality is the options you have to choose from when trying to obtain content via the internet. One of the biggest fears is if net neutrality is gone, certain websites may be exclusive to a certain ISP that other ISP’s will not be able to provide to you. Another vantage point of net neutrality is the options make the websites in question more competitive to bring you the best they can offer to get your count. If certain websites are limited to certain ISP’s, not only would you be restricted from the competitor’s websites, but the websites would have less power to sell their product to the people and there would be less incentive to bring their best. (Naik) In an era where technology is all about the progression every day, this would seem counterintuitive. It’s been said that if the ISP’s aren’t regulated by the FCC, customers who use more would pay more, thus decreasing in congestion. Bieberle, 2010) But the ISP’s already provide different packages that provide a maximum bandwidth. Regardless, it’s just more money for them, and it’s already being feared that this would slow economic growth. Most websites seem to be in favor of network neutrality as it is. (Naik, 2010) The principle states that if a given user pays for a certain level of Internet access, and another user pays for the same level of access, then the two users should be able to connect to each other at the subscribed level of access. The basic concept sounds simple enough: that the internet’s pipes should show no favors and blindly deliver packets of data from one place to another regardless of their origin, destination or contents. (The Economist, 2010) The growing problem with the Internet is that as broadband use expands; the amount of traffic dedicated to media use and downloading increases. This causes a disproportionate drag on the overall system. Imagine a scenario where 95 percent of the users on a particular network are simply browsing a variety of websites for information, and the remaining 5 percent are streaming videos. If those 5 percent are demanding equal prioritization of traffic, 95 percent of the users could experience a noticeable delay in their browsing for the duration of the streaming video. Conversely, if prioritization of traffic allows the low-bandwidth browsing through first, only 5 percent of users would experience a delay, and that delay will be negligible when compared with the experience of viewing the video, especially as most software-driven video players buffer many of the packets in the stream anyhow. (Hunter, 2010) Given the ambiguity about whether mandating network neutrality would promote or impede economic welfare, the more technologically humble course would be for policymakers to embrace a principle of network diversity, which would permit individual network owners to explore alternative business arrangements until concrete harm to competition can be demonstrated. (Yoo, 2006) According to the FCC, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can’t resist engaging in such bad behaviors as slowing a competitor’s sites to direct traffic to their own profit centers. Though they cannot cite a single case where federal intervention was needed to avert this behavior, the FCC proposes to take over the very Internet architecture that ISPs invest 60 billion job-creating dollars a year developing. It will insist that no information can be prioritized by the ISPs, transferring that power to federal authorities instead. ISPs are left asking obvious questions. Why invest in making a network more efficient, why collaborate to build new technologies, if ISPs will not be allowed to profit from them? In rushing to defend a consumer who has no need of its help, the FCC threatens to cripple the greatest platform for the expansion of freedom and prosperity since Jefferson put quill to parchment. (Blackburn, 2011) The net neutrality debate has brought attention to the larger concerns related to the boundaries between the FCC and antitrust authorities. The shaping of net neutrality regulatory policy’ â€Å"has operated under the assumption that the FCC has the authority, by virtue of its ancillary jurisdiction, to regulate Internet transmission providers. This confidence in the FCC’s scope of authority proved misplaced in Comcast Corp. vs. FCC, decided by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit in 2010. Finding no relation between the FCC’s net neutrality policies and the agency’s legislative mandate, the court clarified that the FCC may use its ancillary jurisdiction only when the proposed action is specifically related to the agency’s mandated responsibilities as Congress delineated in the Communications Act of 1934 (Communications Act). Boliek, 2010) The Obama administration says the â€Å"net neutrality† rules, which were scheduled to take effect in November, are necessary to prevent Internet Service Providers from prioritizing data, or blocking services offered by competitors. (Suderman, 2012) Some of the pros and cons of â€Å"Net Neutrality† The foremost advantage of net neutrality is that it is helpful in adding competitiveness to the market, as the users are given more option s to choose from. The competition between service providers will make each of them come up with their best, and this will directly benefit the end user as he won’t just get options to choose from but also get quality service. Those in support of net neutrality are of the opinion that government control of the Internet would eliminate monopoly, thus ensuring that the big websites do not dominate the market. It will also help in curbing the numerous illegal activities and frauds which can be attributed to the web. Interestingly, most of the websites out there are in support of the concept of net neutrality. Naik, 2010) Those who oppose net neutrality argue that it is an absolutely futile exercise as none of the service providers would go about sabotaging their rivals by blocking their content or degrading network performance. They also cite the example of other networks which are functioning properly even with the major contributors being in charge of them. As far as government control of the Internet is concerned, these people argue that it would result in increased Internet censorship and invasion of privacy, both of which wouldn’t go down well with the users. Naik, 2010) The Internet has evolved beautifully on its own up to this point. To interfere â€Å"proactively† could be a mistake. Despite acknowledging that there exists â€Å"data hogs†, I feel it would be a mistake to begin to tweak with an issue before it became. Granted it would seem prudent to lean to caution but the Internet is too critical a medium to tamper with. If any â€Å"interference is necessary, I would suggest a two prong attack. First would be a plan to foster more competition among ISP’s. Second would be is to offer a monthly data limit and charge by the megabyte beyond it. There’s no evidence of systemic problems in the broadband market, so new rules are unnecessary. (PC World, 2010) Conclusion Google’s original network neutrality defense can only be found today in the historical archives of the Internet. Network neutrality is there defined as â€Å"the principle that users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. †Interestingly, though the eeming kindheartedness towards users, the only mentioned means to achieve the said effects is reflected in the following precept: â€Å"broadband carriers should not be permitted to ‘use their market power’ to discriminate against competing applications or content. †(Thompson, 2011) It was only in the FCC’s September 2010 call for additional comment in its Open Internet proceeding that the FCC finally recognized the reality that a carrier’s decisions on Internet services are only part of a broader decision on how to use its infrastructure more generally. That is, a carrier chooses how much bandwidth to devote to Internet service and how much to devote to video channels, and this choice can affect consumers’ ability to trade off between the two types of service. (Speta, 2011) Although the FCC has a broad scope of operation (â€Å"all interstate and foreign communication by wire or radio†), and is charged with making available â€Å"to all the people of the United States . . . a rapid, efficient, Nation-wide, and world-wide wire and radio communication service . . at reasonable charges,† as well as the duty to â€Å"encourage the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications communications capability,† the Commission’s power to require cable operators to build out to hard-to-reach areas, open their expensive high up-front-cost facilities to competitors, and charge reasonable rates for high-speed Internet access is unclear. (Crawford, 2010) There is nothing wrong with charg ing for a service. The policy problem comes when there is one â€Å"delivery â€Å"actor (or one category of actors) in a position to work closely with a small stable of content/service providers. The problem is exacerbated when that same delivery actor is in a position to use its technical control over the delivery conduit to privilege its commercial relationships, and to have all of it appear to be â€Å"free† to consumers as long as they are paying a monthly subscription for content. Adding in the technical ability to charge for and deliver ads based on all of this activity, the single delivery actor becomes very powerful. From a policy perspective, is it appropriate to have a conduit able to exert leverage over and exact tribute from all possible high-speed interactive communications? Should everything we do online trigger a payment to the pipe? (Crawford, 2010) Therefore, my opinion is that the internet should remain neutral. All businesses are capitalist entities in the pursuit of a fat bottom line, and their main objective is to please their clients (with the most money). Besides we already pay for access to the internet through ISPs, how much more would we have to pay for data transmission rates and or bandwidth?

Preparing A Career Development Plan Essay

1. What are some of the possible reasons Scott did not seek or receive advice from her immediate supervisor? Some of the possible reasons Scott did not seek or receive advice from her immediate supervisor are because of the work relation with them. When you look for help and advice it can be hard at times to go to a person who is your boss and in charge of you. Most of the times the work relationships between a worker and there boss is not as peers but as a leader. It is hard to seek advice from someone who is not viewed as a peer. It makes it easier for her to talk to Elizabeth Burroughs because she is a manager but not in charge of her. Scott therefore has an easier time seeing Burroughs as a peer. Another reason why Scott could have a tough time going to her boss could be because her boss would discourage her from moving on because she is good at her job and her boss wouldn’t want to see her leave. 2. After reviewing the chapter, suggest all possible ways that Scott can prepare her-self for career advancement. Scott can prepare her-self for career advancement by, first identifying career opportunities and requirements. Once that is done she should identify and recognize different career paths. When considering she should think of places with boundaryless career opportunities. This is so she does not get stuck in a position where she can no longer move up and plateau. Other things that she can do to productively prepare herself are, taking career planning workshops, career counseling and mentoring. One of the most important things that she needs to do is network herself to have great support, and connections.

History Isu: Juno Beach Essay

Some of the greatest battles in Canadian history took place during the course of World War II. Most would argue it to have been Stalingrad, The Battle of the Atlantic, or even the Battle of Scheldt. The Battle at Juno Beach was a defining moment in Canadian history that led to the rise of a great nation. On June 6, 1944, after having prepared for more than four years, Canadian troops in Britain took place in an invasion that would become the greatest turning point in Canadian history. â€Å"†¦ early in the morning of June 6th, 1944 under cover of a massive air and naval bombardment, ships started ferrying 150 000 American, British, and Canadian troops across the channel of Normandy.† After courageous fighting and tremendous struggles, the Canadian, American, and British troops managed to get the farthest inland to secure a position against allied invaders. â€Å"†¦the German defences at Juno Beach had been shattered and Canada had established the beachhead.† Because Canadian troops were able to secure the beach, â€Å"Operation Overlord† led to great victories amongst the Allied Troops. Juno was the largest amphibious battle to have taken place in history. â€Å"155,000 soldiers, 5,000 ships and landing craft, 50,000 vehicles and 11,000 planes were massed for the greatest seaborne invasion in history.† Canadian troops, being the only commonwealth nation, were assigned 1 out of the 5 beaches at Normandy to secure. First, Canada was to create a beachhead on Juno beach. The American, Canadian and British troops task was to capture and seize all sea towns ashore of the beach and get further inland after breaking through enemy lines. Also, their objective was to secure the Carpiquet airport and create a link that would be able to attach the British beachheads on the other two beaches, Sword and Gold beach, and also to secure the Caen-Bayeux highway. â€Å"The challenge facing the Canadians was to overcome the coastal defences and capture ground positions that could be defended against German counter attacks.† The task the Canadians were given was one that would take a lot of courage and self-determination to push through. â€Å"†¦ Germans had turned the coastline into a continuous fortress of guns, pillboxes, wire, mines and beach obstacles.† Although the Germans had displayed strong thresholds, the allied troops managed to keep pushing their way through German defences. With the lead of Major General R.F.L Keller, the 3rd Canadian Infantry along with many men, tanks, and vehicles helped to secure and take over Juno Beach. â€Å"The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division supported by the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade would land on Juno beach in brigade groups. Two brigades would land in the initial assault followed later by the reserve brigade which would pass through the lead brigades on to the divisional objectives . More than 20,000 men, 200 tanks and hundreds of other vehicles were under the command of Major-General Keller.† The allied troops were successful in securing the position on Juno beach. â€Å"†¦in the face of heavy shelling and deadly machine gun fire, the Canadians fought their way past the German defences.† The troops were able to penetrate farther inland then all other allied forces could. Securing Juno beach was a huge success and as a result, has helped Canada to become a greater nation. Since Juno Beach, the troops that were involved with the invasion are greatly recognized and forever appreciated. Securing Juno Beach may have been one of the best things to have happened. After having done so, many great victories came along. They extended their beachhead further inland, and continued to move northwestward. They were able to liberate several French channel ports, which included Dieppe, which was a great success, because a number of Canadians had lost their lives at such place two years back. Also, because of such a great achievement at Juno Beach, the liberation of Europe took place, along with the defeat of Nazi-Germany, which lead up to the end of World War 2. The defeat of Nazi-Germany became a very proud accomplishment for many. â€Å"Allied to serve the common cause of freedom and democracy, Canada, Great Britain, the United States, the countries of the British Commonwealth and free nations suffering under Nazi occupation counter-attacked.† Due to Canada being able to accomplish many victories, they proved that coming together as a nation could lead to great victories and successes. Also, it helped make and build the independence of Canada. It showed that Canada is a powerful country, and doesn’t need to hold hands with Britain per se, but still work together. â€Å"So many different roads to Victory, conquered through determination and courage and at the price of many human lives.† Although â€Å"Operation Overlord† took the lives of many brave soldiers, it was one step closer to the complete defeat of Nazi-Germany. With great success comes a price, and although the capture of Juno Beach was accomplished, many soldiers were wounded, killed, or captured. â€Å"Fourteen thousand Canadians landed in Normandy on D-Day and to ensure the victory 340 Canadians had given their lives. Another 574 had been wounded and 47 taken prisoner. The casualties were less than expected, but heavy nonetheless.† Despite the many loses Canada suffered, soldiers were still encouraged to move forward and keep on fighting. The Canadian troops relied heavily on goods and services that were being shipped to them. The government greatly supported the troops, providing them with the many necessities needed to be successful. â€Å"Canadian troops relied on a tight organization and on a wide range of services that provided food, shelter, medical care, intelligence, communications and more. They also relied on ships, aircrafts, tanks and weapons needed to face the enemy.† Funding for the invasion was very costly, but in conclusion, led to great victory for the allied troops. Canada at the Battle of Normandy had a great impact on war. It changed the way many thought of the word â€Å"impossible.† After what was done, and how much was conquered, anything is possible. Being able to get further inland than any other before and securing a position that later on led to the liberation of Europe and the defeat of Nazi-Germany isn’t just a small accomplishment, it’s something that has changed the way war is seen and the way troops continue to fight. Without the necessary goods and services being sent over to the allied troops, not much would have been possible. Many brave troops stood against German defences and took their lives so the rest of their brothers could continue on and make Canada proud. â€Å"Many would die there but, for the Canadian forces, D-Day was a triumph that is still honoured at home and on the beach they called Juno.† It is with great success that Canada as a nation, is able to say proudly that they fought strongly to secure Juno beach on June 6, 1944, and because such a great event took place, the rise of a nation began. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Jill Coyler, Jack Cecillon, Graham Draper and Margaret Hoogeveen, Creating Canada A History- 1914 to present ( McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2010) , 239 [ 2 ]. CBC News, D-Day: The allied invasion of Normandy, 1944, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/06/02/f-dday-history.html, June 5, 2009 [ 3 ]. CBC News, D-Day: The allied invasion of Normandy, 1944, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/06/02/f-dday-history.html, June 5, 2009 [ 4 ]. Lane, D.W. â€Å"Juno Beach – The Canadians On D-Day†1944, http://members.shaw.ca/junobeach/juno-2.htm, Operation Overlord – Plans and Preparation [ 5 ]. Lane, D.W. â€Å"Juno Beach – The Canadians On D-Day†1944, http://members.shaw.ca/junobeach/juno-2.htm, Operation Overlord – Plans and Preparation [ 6 ]. Lane, D.W. â€Å"Juno Beach – The Canadians On D-Day†1944, http://members.shaw.ca/junobeach/juno-2.htm, Operation Overlord – Plans and Preparation [ 7 ]. Jill Coyler, Jack Cecillon, Graham Draper and Margaret Hoogeveen, Creating Canada A History- 1914 to present ( McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2010) , 239 [ 8 ]. Juno Beach Centre, â€Å"Canada in WWII†, http://www.junobeach.org/e/2/can-eve-rod-e.htm, Roads to Victory [ 9 ]. Juno Beach Centre, â€Å"Canada in WWII†, http://www.junobeach.org/e/2/can-eve-rod-e.htm, Roads to Victory [ 10 ]. Lane, D.W. â€Å"Juno Beach – The Canadians On D-Day†1944, http://members.shaw.ca/junobeach/juno-2.htm, Operation Overlord – Conclusion [ 11 ]. Juno Beach Centre, â€Å"Canada in WWII† http://www.junobeach.o rg/e/4/can-tac-e.htm Arms & Weapons [ 12 ]. CBC News, D-day: Canadians Target Juno Beach 1944, http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/second_world_war/topics/1317/ 2003

Was the urbanization good for south America Essay

Was the urbanization good for south America - Essay Example Thousands of people flocked into America to escape, political oppression they faced in their home countries. Between 1881 and 1890 alone, there were a total of 5,246,613 immigrants who had arrived in America (McKelvey, 1963). As the urban areas grew in size and a number, there were a number of negative social, political and economic effects which were associated with it. The discussion in this paper discusses some of the problems associated with urbanization during the late 19th century. (Wakstein, 1990) The main problem of urbanization during the 19th century was the poor or lack of planning in the cities. The urbanization in America was mainly accelerated by migration of people, industrialization and technology. The spiral increase in the population did not give government authorities enough time to plan and budget for the increasing numbers (Ghadar&Loughran, 2014). Lack of poor infrastructure and planning resulted to a number of social problems which includes; a number of basic services like police and fire departments were; inadequate disposal system; there was a huge sanitation problem; lack of hospitals and medical facilities; and the geometric growth of the population. (Wakstein, 1990) There was constant increase in the cases of reported crime in the urban centers. The constant growth in the population, together with reduced police control proved a challenge for the police to control incidences of criminal acts in the cities. Thieves took the advantage of the teeming masses in the cities to rob people. The consumption of alcoholic drinks and other drugs as people tried to escape drudgery and boredom of their daily lives. There was increased violence which included number of people who were murdered in the cities. The incidences of child labor also went high. (McKelvey, 1963) With the upsurge in the number of people who were flocking the urban cities to

Variable pay strategy and program for an online retailer Research Paper

Variable pay strategy and program for an online retailer - Research Paper Example Variable pay can at times be long termed (more than a year) while at times it can be short termed (less than a year). Incentives refer to pre determined standards or criteria used in award determination. Bonuses on the other hand are wards delivered to the people concerned at the end of a certain period. The period on the case of bonuses is determined by the subject judgment of the quality of the performance while a reward is warranted (Variable Pay and Performance Linked Incentives, 2010). Strategy An effective variable pay program is as result of a strategic variable pay strategy, this strategy acts as a guideline for a quality design and program administration. A strategic program has the following characteristics: the clearly fit in the organizational structure and are steers of the organizations success. For a strategy to contribute to the success any organization, it must be in line with the mission and vision of the organization concerned. The speed of a strategy does not brin g about and importance because most likely it may be speeding to the wrong direction. A quality and strategic program should target to meet the objectives of the organization by lying down the require plans which if properly and rightfully administered, it would take the firm to another level. The strategy of the program should be also sound enough to bring about sustainability of the firm putting in consideration all the core strengths of the organization. It is also critical for a strategy to be in a specific context. It must bring out feasibility where it suits with the culture of the organization and that of the human resource, this must consider the organizational environment and realities that exists. Integration must also prevail where the structure of the program suits in the structure of the specific organization including the human resource’s structure. The program must also be flexible enough to respond to appropriateness and changes within an organization (Variabl e Pay Plan Development, 2011). There are differences between other compensations and variable pay, this differences occur on the bases of benefits and base pay. Variable pay program does not fit in entitlement cultures, this is because it’s not career annuity where base pay increase and must be compensated trough earnings over the given period. In reference to financial perspective, variable pay is a variable cost but the benefits and base pay are naturally fixed. There are difficulties in administering variable pay, competitive measurements is on of these difficulties. Levels of variable pay vary dramatically unlike levels of base pays, this helps in transforming average of the prevailing market into a broad-range, other than a specific point. One of the major characteristic of these variable pays is that it can be combined with other components to evaluate the performance of different levels in the organization both long term and long term (Variable Pay and Performance Link ed Incentives, 2010). The most significant benefits associated with variable pay compared to other types of compensations it that cost related to planning can be combined with performance/revenues and therefore vary economically. In Alaska, there is an advantage of using this kind of system because when the world’s economy is open to large variation, it carries with itself competitive advantage because the situation disadvantages them

NUMMI Case Study External Environment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

NUMMI External Environment - Case Study Example Discussion The effects of the government`s laws and regulations to the business. The aspect of a government`s involvement in the operations of a given business is an external factor that can either have a positive or negative impact on the business. In this case, the government of the United States has stipulated various regulations to guide various aspects in the production of motor vehicles; the main role of the set benchmark was to govern the construction of motor vehicle engines in a manner that emits limited quantities of exhaust whose final impact on the business became negative. These regulations forced the company to increase their production cost since the production of the required engines was very expensive thus leading to a negative influence on the General Motors Company which at that time focused on production of large vehicles with bigger engines that emitted large quantities of exhaust since the production cost was favorable. This presented the Company with a major ch allenge that involved seeking for better ways that that could not agree with the financial status of the company since the customers started demanding for high quality vehicles thus leading to a left shift in the demand curve of the vehicles manufactured before the new regulations came were enforced. Despite the fact that the General Motors struggled to produce vehicles that met the government and customer standards, they experienced frequent losses as their products were of low quality since they could not meet the required standards of both the customers and the government. The management of the NUMMI had to modify their strategies used in terms of production so as to face the challenge. As a result, the above challenge created the need to seek external assistance in order to improve their productivity hence profits; a solution was formulated which could see the Company form a partnership with the Toyota Company in Japan. The agreement was that Toyota could assist General Motors C ompany to produce smaller cars with higher operational qualities. The merger led to the formation of the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI). However, General Motors Company did not implement most of the modes of car production systems employed by Toyota Company hence leading to the closure and failure of some of its branches such as the Van Nuys in the year 1992 (Glass 9). Economic Recession The second aspect of external environment that led to the failure of the General Motors Company is the economic recession experienced in the United States of America that resulted to the loss of the Company’s market share from forty seven percent to thirty five percent from the late 1907’s to the early 1980’s (Glass 10). At that time, the recession was characterized by excessive car production that led to deflation in the markets. The reduction of the market share of the General Motors Company enabled many of the customers to develop a negative perception to wards the products produced by the company due to the fact that they were of low quality. The media and the consumer report magazine also played a big role in the failure of the company since they portrayed a negative perception of the company towards the consumers thus enabling them to ignore the NNUMIS`s products (Glass 12). By the year 1992, the Company had made a loss of approximately twenty billion US dollars propagated by the recession and the