Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Challenges Faced by Companies Entering Foriegn Markets Essay Example for Free
Challenges Faced by Companies Entering Foriegn Markets Essay 1. INTRODUCTION Companies move into foreign markets for various reasons. In certain cases, it is towards achieving a required sales volume. In other instances, it might be a bid to increase brand awareness. Other companies go into foreign markets to re-invigorate sales after their products have gone through their life cycle from inception to decline in home markets. Regardless of reason, moving into a foreign market tends to portend great opportunities for companies, particularly if it entails serving products in an emerging economy that has recently become wealthy enough to afford such products; or selling a new but needed product or service to a developed and wealthy market. However, in foreign markets, challenges are as numerous as opportunities. Some sources of challenges are discussed below. a) Socio-Cultural Differences Companies tend to adopt practices that were successful in home markets without adapting these models to fit the cultural inclinations of markets entered. When large cultural differences exist between the home country and that entered, such practices may result in ineffective business development and partnerships. An example is the now well known Chinese practice of longer meetings in the bid to become acquainted with potential partners, compared to the Anglo-American practice of brief to-the-point meetings. Adopting either approach in a market more inclined to the other, will no doubt hinder business development. Language differences are other examples of socio-cultural differences that posit challenges to companies entering a foreign market. Language differences make effective and efficient communication difficult between companies and local stakeholders. A light example is the Chevrolet Nova which was selling far below expectation in Latin America. Executives of General Motors could not understand why this was so until it was brought to their attention that, in Spanish ââ¬Å"no vaâ⬠means ââ¬Å"it doesnââ¬â¢t goâ⬠. b) Differences in Levels of Bureaucracy ââ¬â Efficiency of Procedures and Processes Company registration, the opening of a bank account, getting import permits, obtaining required licenses, etc, all reflect the ease of doing business in a country as well as the levels of bureaucracy that exist in that country. For companies used to relatively low levels of bureaucracy, entering a market with significantly higher levels of bureaucracy may result in unrealistic project plans translated into unachieved implementation. c) Differences in Availability of Skilled Human Resources Availability of a particular skill in a companyââ¬â¢s home market may result in presumptions about the availability of the same skill in the market entered. 4This occurred in Nigeria in 2001 when the first set of GSM licenses were given to foreign companies MTN and Econet (both from South Africa). At the time, neither entrant foresaw a dearth of local skilled manpower. This ended up costing both companies an unprecedented increase in salaries and other expenses associated with bringing in expatriate workers. The challenge of sourcing skilled labour in foreign markets is further exacerbated when quotas exist on the number expatriates allowed into the country entered despite the dearth of local skill. d) Differences in Infrastructure Prevailing infrastructure affects how companies operate. Prevailing transportation infrastructure affect how companies move goods and personnel for service delivery; market infrastructure affect how players on a given value chain relate with one another; and the level of basic infrastructure such as power and water affect cost allocations and management. For companies entering a foreign market, failure to take into account the infrastructural base of the market entered may result in ineffective and or inefficient operating plans and processes. e) Legislation Favouring Local Companies Unsupportive legislation is another major source of challenges to companies entering foreign markets. Countries tend to enact laws intended to protect or enable local industries. These legislations take many forms. They could be outright levies on foreign businesses; or banning of the activities or management structure of foreign companies; or may be through more indirect means such as required licenses or permits to operate; cumbersome registration processes or permit procedures. 4 David Ogah, ââ¬Å"Expatriates, some semi-skilled, take over even menial jobs from Nigeriansâ⬠, The Guardian Newspaper Nigeria, December 21 2011, http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=71436:expatriates-some-semi-skilled-take-over-even-menial-jobs-from-nigerians-catid=72:focusItemid=598, accessed August 2012. 3. NIGERIAN E-COMMERCE E-commerce is the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. E-commerce uses the World Wide Web at one point in the transactions life-cycle, although it may include a wider range of technologies such as e-mail, mobile devices and telephones. - The major customers of e-commerce businesses are individuals living in major urban centres in Nigeria, notably Lagos, the commercial capital; Abuja, the political capital; and Port Harcourt, an oil rich city in Southern Nigeria; as these cities tend to house the highest number of internet users in Nigeria. 5Nigeria has over 47 million internet users, with a majority of them living in the urban cities. In the mid 2000s, a couple of e-commerce companies were launched in Nigeria. They barely survived. The reason for their demise, or in other cases, stagnant growth, was the difficulty of getting customers to embrace the e-payment options available in Nigeria at that time. This difficulty was due to known cases of fraud that occurred over the insecurity of Interswitch, the only e-payment platform available in Nigeria at that time. However, with the entrance of major card payment solutions like Master card and Visa card in 2006, coupled with the improved security features of Interswitch, the industry experienced an increase in the number of Nigerians executing online payments.6(online transactions grew by 25% in 2011) Prior to the end of the first quarter of 2012, the Nigerian e-commerce scene had been somewhat lukewarm as the only vibrant players were Dealdey.com and Wakanow.com. At the beginning of the second quarter, the sector experienced an increase in the number of e-commerce company in Nigeria, amongst which were Rocket Internetââ¬â¢s Sabunta.com and Kasuwa.com. The long-term outlook for the e-commerce industry in Nigeria is positive, with analysts predicting a significant increase in new entrants. The implementation of the use of mobile money in Nigeria by the Central Bank of Nigeria is expected to accelerate the development of the e-commerce industry in Nigeria, as mobile money allows a greater number of individuals engage in electronic transactions. Currently, the Nigerian e-commerce industry has slightly over 70 companies, though the industry is yet to have an estimated dollar value. Companies in the sector are categorized into: a. Fashion Retailers These are online fashion shops that primarily sell shoes, clothes and other fashion accessories. Major players in this category are Sabunta.com, Kamdora.com, Taafoo.com and 3stitches.com. The clear leader among them is Sabunta, despite the fact that the platform was launched less than 3 months ago while most other players have been in the scene for significantly longer. Sabunta offers a wider range of international brands and possesses a more integrated logistic supply chain. This makes them more capable of serving customers all around Nigeria than competitors. b. Travel and Tourism These are primarily online companies that sell travel and tour packages. The clear market leader is Wakanow.com with a current turnover of thirty-five million naira (N35 million) per month. Other players in this sector belong to private airline operators e.g. www.fly.arikair.com, www.myairnigeria.com, etc c. Electronic Gadgets and Books These are companies that sell electronic gadgets and books online. The major players in this category are Kasuwa.com and Konga.com. It is however difficult to tell who the bigger player is. Both players are less than 3 months old. Apart from electronics, Konga.com also retails baby and female make-up products. d. Broad Product Retailers Players in this category include group-buying deal sites such as Dealdey.com, Buynownow.com and Buyright.biz. The major player with the largest market share is Dealdey.com. It was launched in 2011 and possesses the most robust group-buying deal site in Nigeria. 2. SABUNTA.COM Sabunta.com is a fashion online retailer that offers a wide range of International and Nigerian fashion brands for sale in Nigeria. Sabunta.com is an e-commerce company owned by Jolali Global Resources Limited, a privately held company in Nigeria, set up and owned by the German Company, Rocket Internet. Rocketââ¬â¢s headquarters is the vibrant centre of Berlin, Europes Silicon Valley, home to a network of 25 international Rocket offices that cover the operations of the companyââ¬â¢s subsidiaries in developed and emerging markets. Rocket Internet is the largest, fastest and the most successful international online venture builder. It currently has over 50 online ventures in 7 continents where they are all playing in the top segments of the market. The primary focus of Rocket is building proven, transaction-based business models in the online and mobile space. The company has been executing this model since 2007 and have created over 100 market leading companies in over forty (40) countries, dozens of which have been exited successfully. The Rocket Internet Company is best known for cloning successful online business in the US in other countries where they play at the top of the market. In Europe, Rocketââ¬â¢s Zalando is currently the largest online fashion retailer. Other well known companies owned and operated by Rocket include; Wimdu in France, Zidora in Azerbaijan, Dafiti in Brazil, Mizado in Egypt, Locondo in Japan, The Iconic in Australia and Zando in South Africa. Sabunta.com and Kasuwa.com are Rocketââ¬â¢s operations in Nigeria. Both operate from their headquarters in Lagos, Nigerianââ¬â¢s commercial capital, home to over 10% of the countryââ¬â¢s $413 billion GDP. Sabunta.com and Kasuwa.com serve customers around using warehouses in major urban cities. However, Kasuwa.com sells electronic gadgets and books, while Sabunta.com sells fashion items. Sabunta.com provides customers with flexible online platforms to shop for fashion items from the convenience of their homes, and delivers these items at the doorsteps of shoppers. The company provides flexible payment options including bank deposits, online payment, and its innovative payment-on-delivery option, actually first introduced in Nigeria by Sabunta.com. Sabunta.com is young. The company started operations on the 8th of June, 2012 and is currently only three (3) months. Yet it has already become the largest and the fastest growing online fashion retailer in Nigeria, with over a 100 orders per day, The company aims to maintain its positions as the largest and fastest growing in Nigeria, as is being achieved in other countries by other Rocket Internet ventures worldwide. Sabunta.com currently has 71 staff, 24% of whom are foreign nationals. The workforce at Sabunta.com consists of graduates from Ivy league universities in the US and Europe, as well as top talent from Nigeria. Its management team consists of two foreign nationals and a Nigerian. 4. SABUNTA.COM TARGET MARKET The target market for Sabunta.com is Nigeriaââ¬â¢s upper and emerging middle-class living in major urban cities in Nigeria. The age bracket of the typical Sabunta.com customer is between 18 and 65. This age range constitutes individuals who are capable of buying or making purchasing decisions with regards to fashion items. The companyââ¬â¢s targeted customers are however less than 10% of the mentioned age range, as the company targets individuals with an annual income of not less than N2million ($12,500). Sabuntaââ¬â¢s target market constitutes of individuals who live and work in major urban cities of Nigeria such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna, Ibadan, Aba, Warri and Benin. These individuals frequently utilize the internet and various social media platforms to interact with friends, family and colleagues. They are fashion conscious, trendy looking and want to express their personalities with the kind of outfits they wear. They also recognize and wear popular international brands and shop for these brands whenever they or friends and family travel abroad. 5. SABUNTA.COM STRATEGY Having carefully studied the Nigerian e-commerce scene, Sabunta.com concluded that the major problem hindering take-off of e-commerce in Nigeria is the sceptical nature of Nigerians towards online payments. The company responded by introducing the cash-payment-on-delivery option for its customers. Though the company offers regular credit card and online payment options for those who want to do so, the cash-payment-on-delivery option was an ice-breaker: it made sceptical Nigerians participate in online shopping. This enlarged the market of online shoppers, with Sabunta.com being the only company to enjoy the patronage of this new surge in online fashion shoppers. Good performance on the part of Sabunta.com further helped to enforce their dominance. On time delivery, even without having received payment, helped to instil confidence in its target market. To reduce problems associated with deceit and theft, usually by hoodlums posing as customers, Sabunta outsourced its delivery to Red Star Express, a leading Nigerian Franchisee of US global courier brand FEDEX a major courier company that has been in operations in Nigeria since 1992, known for its quality of service, Sabunta.com also introduced various practices that, though standard in mature e-commerce markets, were novel and innovative in the growing Nigerian e-commerce market. These innovations include: a. Free Delivery and Return Policy Prior to Sabunta.com entry, no e-commerce company in Nigeria offered free delivery or allowed customers to return purchased goods. Sabunta.com entered the e-commerce scene offering a nationwide free delivery plan as well as a return policy which allowed customers return goods bought within the first 14 days if they were not satisfied with the condition in which it was delivered. To return goods, customers are allowed to drop the purchased items at any of the 158 Red Star Express offices situated in all the states in Nigeria at their convenience. This reduces the cost which customers incur during the return process. The ability to purchase goods at no extra cost of delivery and to return these goods if dissatisfied at minimal costs make Sabunta.com a provider of high quality at low costs ââ¬â attributes that appeal to the price sensitive and yet quality sensitive Nigerian market. b. International Product Offering Sabunta.com recognizes that its target market constitutes those familiar with and who wear International fashion brands. Consequently, the company partners with sister fashion companies around the world, owned by the parent, Rocket Internet, to offer a large range of international brands over 150 different brands to the Nigerian market. Sabunta.com enhances the display of international products on its site, both those it has in stock as well as those in the stock of its sister companies around the world. This allows the company serve the diverse international tastes of the Nigerian market, and to respond to trends regardless of its current stock. 6. SUCCESS For a company that has been in existence for less than three months in a foreign market, Sabunta.com has been able to achieve a lot of success and has been able to overcome a significant number of envisaged challenges. Sabunta.com successes include: a. Exceeding Projected Revenue Prior to entering the Nigerian market, the management of Sabunta projected revenue of â⠬15,000 from about 150 orders in the first quarter of business. This projection was exceeded after the companyââ¬â¢s first month of operations. The company found itself operating in a large market with a greater potential for online products than it had envisaged or planned for. The result was a restructuring of its operations to meet the demand. b. Obtaining Local Supplies Being an online fashion store, the ability to get local suppliers goes a long way in determining the amount of profit made. Local supply eliminates the various cost associated with getting supplies from outside the country ââ¬â [The average mark-up for goods sold on Sabunta.com is 50%]. The Sabunta.com team was concerned about getting high quality local supplies for their business as the number and industry size of local fashion suppliers were not obtainable from official records or research archives. However, the company was pleasantly surprised at the large number of local fashion suppliers resident in Nigeria. The result has been high mark-ups on locally produced and sold products. This has lead to profitability in less time than projected.[Sabunta.com currently makes an average gross profit of 40% while their operating and net profits are still in the negative]. c. Finding Adequate Logistic Providers To ensure timely and accurate nationwide delivery, Sabunta.com required services from delivery firms who possess best practices as well as offer cost-effectiveness as a value proposition. The firm understood that a weak or inconsistent logistics arm (for example due to different qualities of delivery by several logistic partners) will result in negative customer perception. This challenge was overcome through a partnership with Red Star Express ââ¬â a Franchisee of the US international courier and logistics service provider, FEDEX, that has been operating in Nigeria since 1992. Red Star Express knowledge of the countryââ¬â¢s transportation infrastructure aids in its optimal logistics service delivery. Moreover, Red Star Express provides support with more than just delivery and return of goods. It also collects cash from customers who chose to pay in cash upon delivery, and remits these funds to Sabunta. This saves the company costs associated with cash management. d. Recruitment of Required Personnel Another envisaged challenge was availability of skilled local labor. Given the poor state of Nigeriaââ¬â¢s I.T. infrastructure and sophistication, the company was unsure of the availability of I.T related skill sets to carry out Rocketââ¬â¢s model as practiced in various other markets. The company was however relieved to find competent local talent. Sabunta.com operates with a 100% local I.T team, capable of carrying out functions required by the Rocket model. 7. CHALLENGES Despite Sabunta.com successes, the company faces a myriad of challenges, most of which result from differences between Rocketââ¬â¢s countries of operation and the Nigerian market. Some of these challenges include: a. Challenges Resulting from Socio-Cultural and Socio-Economic Differences Unlike successes gained in recruiting and maintaining local personnel, Sabunta.com has not been able to maintain its international staff. Over seventy percent (70%) of Sabuntaââ¬â¢s international staff who started out with the company left within two (2) months. The reason? Inability to acclimatize to the Nigerian environment with particular regards to the type of readily available food as well as the lack of or the high costs of, basic amenities such as food, water, regular electricity supply, health services, cooking gas, transportation, internet connectivity, etc. Other reasons for the departure of international staff included health concerns. As at August 2012, over 90 percent of international staff who resumed operations with the company (in June 2012) were diagnosed with malaria, a tropical disease most had never experienced. Unanticipated costs and time associated with replacing and training international staff continues to plague Sabunta.com. b. Challenges Resulting from Unavailability of Infrastructure. Being an e-commerce company, Sabunta.com core operations involve the use of the internet. Consequently, the company requires reliable and (preferably) cheap internet connectivity and power. Yet, neither internet connectivity nor power supply exists cheaply or reliably in Nigeria. Nigeria generates and distributes less than 4,000Megawatts barely enough to serve the nationââ¬â¢s power needs and resulting in frequent power outages. Sabunta.com spends over N640,000 (â⠬3,200) per month on diesel to fuel their stand-by generators, and is constantly plagued with this high cost of power. The company also has high internet connectivity expenses N450,000 (â⠬2,250) per month for a bandwidth size of 4/4Mbps. Even with such huge sums spent on internet connection, Sabunta.com continues to experience less than optimal services from Nigerian internet service providers. c. Challenges Resulting from Legislation A key component of Sabuntaââ¬â¢s strategy is offering a wide range of international brands in Nigeria, using stock held by sister companies around the world. Research and studies of Nigerian importation laws suggested that importation of fashion stock into Nigeria would be relatively easy. This left the company vulnerable to the shock it received when the first set of drop-shipment was seized at the airport by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS). The NCS claimed that the goods contained items that were contraband in Nigeria. Sabunta responded by removing such items from their offerings fragrance and perfumes.. Notwithstanding its response, Sabunta continues to face ever present threats associated with bans on importation of fashion related items including textile, leather, clothing, and shoes. Nigerian history reveals frequent policy changes and inconsistencies with regard importation of goods into the country, long identified as a major cause of failure of businesses in Nigeria. Another challenge faced by Sabunta from the Nigerian legislation is the restriction placed by the CBN on the sale of Foreign Exchange to companies and individual except for special purposes like the importation and exportation of goods and services and also the payment of services abroad. This meant that Sabunta had to buy foreign exchange at a higher price in the black market to settle all its international staffââ¬â¢s salary and other payments which were denominated in US dollars.(Official rate is 1$=159Naira as against the black market rate of 1$=163Naira). d. Challenges Resulting from Corrupt Practices. Despite the absence of contraband, Sabuntaââ¬â¢s management continue to experience delays in the release of their consignment by Nigerian Customs officials. Further inquiry revealed that the logistic company they employed (FEDEX) to handle importation of their goods did not have a good relationship with the Customs officials due to the companyââ¬â¢s implemented policy of not offering bribes as is the order of the day. Sabuntaââ¬â¢s management continue to experience and consequently to remain alert to the constant threat of fraudulent and corrupt practices that plaque business in Nigeria. The company continues to face the challenge of local business partners who try to cut corners and deliver less. Prior to partnering with FEDEX, a Nigerian courier company was chosen and partnered with for local delivery. Similar to FEDEXââ¬â¢s collection and remission of cash, the courier company collected payment from customers on delivery. However, the company frequently fell short of its obligations in terms of timing and amount of cash remitted. The courier company also failed to report accurate figures collected from customers, and till date, owe Sabunta over 40% of payments collected. Sabunta was quick to recognize this problem and swiftly partnered with FEDEX for its logistics services. Nevertheless, other sources of corrupt practices persist especially from small independent service providers. This is particularly so with artisan related services such as plumbing, equipment repairs and office maintenance, and are frequent sources of lost funds or delayed services to Sabunta. 8. SABUNTAââ¬â¢S FUTURE: THE MERGER Plans are currently being made for a merger with Kasuwa, Rocket Internetââ¬â¢s other company in Nigeria, also launched in June 2012, to form Jumia. The merger is expected to result in the biggest e-commerce retailer in Nigeria a one-stop shop for all products related to fashion and electronic items. The new website, Jumia.com, will offer a wider variety of international brands, using strategies currently employed by Sabunta. Jumia is intended to provide benefits associated with scale such as discounts and bargaining power (in relation to suppliers), while addressing current challenges faced by both companies. They include: a. Staffing: The merger is expected to reduce the number of required staff. This will result in the reduction of salary expenses and will result in the need for fewer international staff. In other words, international staff who have acclimatized to Nigeria from both companies may continue to provide required services to Jumia without the need to recruit and retain new staff. b. Office Space: The merger is expected to result in shared office space at a cost smaller than the combined cost of Sabunta and Kasuwaââ¬â¢s current office cost. c. Fueling and Power: Similar to the effect on office space, the merger is expected to result in fueling and power costs that will be smaller than the combined current cost of both companies current fueling and power needs. d. Internet Connectivity: More than just reduction in costs, the merger is expected to result in Jumiaââ¬â¢s ability to purchase larger bandwith sizes directly from internet providers in South Africa, Europe, and North America. This will address the unreliability of internet connectivity currently faced by Sabunta and Kasuwa. e. Repair and Maintenance: It is expected that the larger Jumia will be able to partner with large and reliable providers of office and equipment repairs thus eliminating small service providers who have corrupt or unreliable practices. 9. RECOMMENDATIONS 11Doing a proper market research and analysis When entering a foreign market, it is recommended that a firm carry out proper market research and analysis on that market prior to entry. Top on the list is an environmental analysis that needs to be taken also. There are uncontrollable forces which are external forces upon which the management has no direct control, and it can exert an influence. There are also Internal forces which are controllable forces upon which the management to adapt to. 12Form Strategic Alliances When entering a foreign market, it is recommended that a firm forge strategic alliance to enable them get the following * Great synergy with the partnering local company. * Opportunity to access assets that are not readily available in the market. * Access to larger market and technology for small companies. 11 Jusuf Zekiri and Biljana Angelova, Factors that Influence Entry Mode Choice in Foreign Markets, European Journal of Social Sciences ââ¬â Volume 22, Number 4 (2011), http://www.eurojournals.com/EJSS_22_4_12.pdf, accesses August 2012. 12 Mihaela Belu, Strategies of Entering New Markets, The Romanian Economic Journal, http://www.rejournal.eu/Portals/0/Arhiva/JE%2027/JE%2027%20-%20Belu%20Caragin.pdf, accessed August 2012. Appendix 1 Mobile Money In NigeriaMobile money as the name implies is the transfer of monetary value from one personââ¬â¢s mobile phone to another. It has been made waves and affected commerce greatly in certain parts of eastern Africa where it was launched in 2009. In Nigeria, the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria), granted license to 11 mobile money operators in 2011. The CBN rolled out the Mobile money campaign in Lagos State, Nigeria commercial nerve center in January 2012, and planned launching it around the federation by 2013.The CBN also put in place some incentives for using the Mobile money services, by placing charges for Bank cash transactions above 500,000 for individuals and 1million naira for companies.| Appendix 2 Economics of Lagos StateLagos State is the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria. Located in the western part of Nigeria, it is home to over 18million people and has over 2,000 industries. 65% of the countrys commercial activities are carried out in the state. Two of the nations largest seaports -Apapa and Tin-Can Ports are located in Lagos State.| Appendix 3 Income Distribution of the Nigeria Population in 2010 Nigeria Population in 2010-156,051,000 (Source: International Monetary Fund 2011 World Economic Outlook) This report shows the distribution for seven groups within the Nigerian Population in 2010. Percentage of population in income bracket of 0-500 PPP Dollars ââ¬â55.68% Percentage of population in income bracket of 500-1000 PPP Dollars-28.22% Percentage of population in income bracket of 1000-2500 PPP Dollars- 14.61% Percentage of population in income bracket of 2500-5000 PPP Dollars- 1.17% Percentage of population in income bracket of 5000-10000 PPP Dollars- 0.17% Percentage of population in income bracket of 10000-20000 PPP Dollars- 0.05% Percentage of population in income bracket of 20000+ PPP Dollars- 0.1% Source-Marketline analysis based on information from National Statistical Organization
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Essay --
Shane Moreland What is the Gospel? The Gospel is who Jesus was/is, the meaning of his death, and his resurrection. The main idea is to show that God opened up His kingdom and invited us along inside. It details the importance of scripture, the promises, and prayers that point to Jesus sacrifice on the cross. Jesus came down to Earth from heaven even though he did not have to and died for every single personââ¬â¢s sins. The Gospel deepens our Christian faith and life in numerous ways. The Gospel offers instruction on how to live righteously, guides us to who we are destined to be, gives us teaching on how we can share Christ with others, and teaches us to pray and grow our relationship with Christ. In NT Wrights explanation of what is the Gospel, he explains that the world and culture is constantly changing. He is saying in order to understand the truths of the world; we must personally go seek for them. We all have to grow up and be leaders and stop being followers. We donââ¬â¢t know who really wrote the Gospels and donââ¬â¢t even know if they wanted or titled the given name ââ¬Å"Gospelsâ⬠. NT Wright comments on how in Mark 1:1, it states, ââ¬Å"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;.â⬠People assumed just because Mark said that, then Matthew, Luke, John must be Gospels too. The Gospels are at one point defined as the good news about how God did the thing that he had always promised to do. The whole story is a public announcement about something that has happened as a result of which the whole world is a different place and everyone is invited to discover that for themselves and to live within the new world that thereby has been created . That is the good news. You can say it in a hundred different ways, but that is the story that... ...e views us as his wonderful work. We should pray because God calls on us to be faithful and obedient to him. Sometimes we pray to God without even realizing it. There are so many things in this world that connect us to God that we donââ¬â¢t even know about. The spreading of good news is what we do when we share the good that Christ has done for us. It is a personal calling for each person to gladly accept him from an eternity in hell and to show that he cares for us by rescuing us from Satanââ¬â¢s corruptions. In conclusion, the Gospel is who Jesus was, the meaning of his death, and his resurrection. The Gospel deepens our Christian faith and life in many ways. It offers us how to live righteously, guides us to who we are destined to be, and gives us instruction on how we can share Christ with others. Lastly, it instills in us to pray and grow our relationship with Christ.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Coca Cola Company Industry and Competitive Analysis
Jan Bernadette Balingitââ¬â¢s Autobiography Hi! My name is Jan Bernadette Tolentino Balingit,I was born on December 08 1999. My favorite color is violet and my favorite cartoon character is Hello Kitty. I am the only one girl between my two brothers. And I live in Sisiman, Mariveles, Bataan. And Iââ¬â¢m taking schooling at Bepz Multinational School. And I want to play all day but not always because I want to first my study. Iââ¬â¢m 13 yrs. old now. When I grow up I want to be an Optometrist like my mother, because I want to be like her.To be an Optometrist, I will finish first my study because when I will not finish my study I will not be an Optometrist. Iââ¬â¢m nearer and nearer to that stage because Iââ¬â¢m Grade 6 now. And I will introduce to you my FAMILY members: Maria Victoria T. Balingit-Mother, Benny Balingit ââ¬â Father, John Benedict T. Balingit ââ¬â Older brother, John Vincent T. Balingit ââ¬â Younger brother. My very memorable experience is when we go to Enchanted Kingdom with my family especially me.And after we eat there we make ââ¬Å"Galaâ⬠then we decided to take a ride in the rides named ââ¬Å"Space Shuttleâ⬠we fall in line there in about 25 minutes. Then when itââ¬â¢s our turn we sits at the middle seats. And when the rides start moving we all get nervous and when we go down from the rides we all get dizzy. And my dad searching for a nurse to get our blood pressure we need to take a rest first. And when the nurse is there to get our blood pressure my motherââ¬â¢s blood pressure is the highest blood pressure at all. Project In English Submitted To: Fatima Acuna Submitted By: Jan Bernadette T. Balingit
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Effects of Communication Technology on American Society
As a postmodern society, America faces many and new challenges every day. The unstoppable development of technology that has credited us as a powerful country seems to be impacting the American society in more than just a positive way. As our country evolve and develop new and more amazing technologies, the social interactions tend to decrease. The traditional interactions of people in the society have increasingly been affected by the new technologies to the point that what we used to consider normal in society has become deviant. Despite the uncountable benefits of technology in areas such as medicine, aeronautic, and economy, the wellness of social interactions seems to be facing a dramatic change in America. An analysis of todayââ¬â¢s influences of technologies and social networking in American society may reveal a correlation between the increasing use of technologies and the decrease in the face to face interactions that used to characterize our society. The intention of th is paper is to provide a factual list of some of the most obvious effect of technology in American Society. Wherever people look, information in favor of technologies would be found; however, the negative impact of technology in our society is equally obvious. Some of the fact that may be found on this research paper may be alarming to the readers in general. Americans have been exposed lately to enormous amount of information that encourages us not only to use these technologies, but also states thatShow MoreRelated The Cold War Era Essay example1046 Words à |à 5 Pages1980s the American society saw what could quite possibly be titled the biggest technological effect on society. This era, The Cold War, was a period in which fear of attack or invasion and a need to be superior reigned in the American society. It led to the development of space technology, during the Space Race, communication systems, and military technology in what has been appropriately deemed the Arms Race. On October 4, 1957 [1] a huge change concerning technology in society occurred. Read MoreImpact of Technology on Personal Communications888 Words à |à 4 PagesThe Impact of Technology on Personal Communications Introduction Innovations in technology are making communication easier in todays world, but some observers suggest that these advances have been at the expense of personal contact as many people choose to interact from home in front of a computer screen. Nevertheless, the trend is clear and more and more people are using digital platforms to interact rather than traditional face-to-face interactions. Indeed, Match.com even proclaims in itsRead More Impact of Telephone on Society Essay1665 Words à |à 7 PagesTelephone on Society Many inventions revolutionized society and one example is the telephone, which was introduced to society in 1876. The inventor, Alexander Graham Bell developed this idea and the telephone made him famous because communication would never be the same after the development of the telephone. The telephone made an incredible impact on society. The impact could be seen through the quickness of communication, business, easier communication in wars, and some negative effects too. Read MoreThe Negative Effects Of Technology1541 Words à |à 7 Pagesabout 9 in 10 Americans use the Internet and 77% of Americans own a smartphone. Compare these statistics to the early 2000s when 5 in 10 Americans were online and in 2011, when only 35% of Americans owned a smartphone. Just a few decades ago, the technology we have today were merely ideas in science fiction novels or gadgets seen in a futuristic movie. There is no doubt that technology use has increased dramatically within this decade and these numbers may continue to rise as technology becomes moreRead More12 Domains Of Culture Technology And Material 2 Essay600 Words à |à 3 PagesOF CULTURE: TECHNOLOGY MATERIAL 1. Thereââ¬â¢s no arguing that technology has helped make life easier. Americans use it every day to communicate, travel, build and entertain themselves, but is it all positive? Does technology replace that which makes us human? Is technology harmful to the preservation of cultural values? Think about these questions as the effects of technology and material on American culture are explored. In the first point, the production element of technology and materialRead MoreThe Negative Impact Of Technology929 Words à |à 4 PagesTechnology is the all-encompassing applications used to advance society throughout history. Technology has been largely expanded upon in the past few generations of society. From smart phones to artificial intelligence, technology has infiltrated daily life and taken on various forms, which is commonly believed to benefit American society. However, these innovations have come at a cost, negatively affecting struggling and vulnerable populations. Technol ogy has negatively affected society by dividingRead MoreTechnologyââ¬â¢s Detrimental Effect on Society Essay1243 Words à |à 5 PagesThese days, technology seems to be almost everywhere we go. With advancements to cell phones, computers, video games, cars, and our iPods, our lives have become much easier than ever before. Technology is made because the society always wants to find more efficient methods of doing certain tasks. Without technology, mankind would not have discovered things that the majority of us now know, such as the world, animals, science, and the like. However, the society doesnââ¬â¢t gain much benefit, besidesRead MoreDigital Technology And Social Media Essay1707 Words à |à 7 Pagesin years past, digital technology and social media have grown to become a part of our everyday lives. The recent rise in those who own smartphones allows this everyday use of digital technology and social networking to be easier than ever before. At any time and any place, we have the ability to ââ¬Å"socializeâ⬠with nearly anyoneââ¬âeven celebrities who have no idea most of us even exist. The continuous consumption of digital media has altered once personal face-to-face communication to just that, digitalRead MoreTechnology: The Invention of The Cell Phone Essay1431 Words à |à 6 PagesTechnology has been a part of Americansââ¬â¢ lives for several years and continues to improve. It has given society an easier way to communicate with family and friends with one simple device, the cell phone. A cellular phone is the most common type of technology used by all groups of people including parents, teenagers, and even young children. The number of people who own a cell phone also continues to increase, causing a huge distraction on society. Cell phones seem to own a person as they dependRead MoreImpact of Cell Phones1262 Words à |à 6 Pagesin our American society, illustrating the growing effects of technology on our advancing society. I t is nearly impossible to imagine entering any public setting without encountering at least one person using a cell phone because this has become a part of normal, everyday life. The benefits to mobile communication are numerous; however, many would argue that the detriments are abundant as well. An impartial view of the effects of cell phone use would still reveal that an evolution in society has been
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Sex Education And Sexual Education - 991 Words
Countless avenues shape our knowledge of sex; whether its teachers, parents, media, or other sources. At some point most individuals receive an account of sex education. These lessons, connections, and knowledge we acquire impact our ideas about sex. The subject of my interview, whom weââ¬â¢ll refer to as Jessica, was no exception. Jessica is a 21-year-old, who grew up in a small, conservative North Carolina town. The public schools she attended taught sex education from an abstinence perspective and used scare tactics to deter the students from having sex. However, Jessica expresses that her mother had the largest impact on what she was taught about sex, she describes having a very close relationship with her mother. Jessicaââ¬â¢s mother became a teenage mother at the age of 18, and in part she believes this influenced her motherââ¬â¢s teachings the most. Now a Certified Nursing Assistant for Novant Healthcare, she believes that the education received through her job furt her builds her knowledge of sex education and clarifies any discrepancies she once had. ââ¬Å"My mom always knew that someday it would happen, I mean she always hoped that it would happen at an appropriate age, but above all she wanted me to be protected from disease and unplanned pregnancyâ⬠, said Jessica. Birth control, condoms, and disease prevention were at the core of the sex education she received. In Jessicaââ¬â¢s opinion sheââ¬â¢s was extremely appreciative of the comprehensive teachings from her mother when she becameShow MoreRelatedSex Education And Sexual Education1253 Words à |à 6 Pagesteach sexual education classes, or teach abstinence education classes? Pregnancy rates in America are slowly decreasing, but are still extremely high. According to K. F. Stanger-Hall (2011), Pregnancy rates in America are more than double the rates of other countries with 72.2% per 1000 girls between the ages of 15-19 becoming pregnant. The best way to lower teen pregnancy is to teach about prevention in schools with sex education or abstinence classes. Tee nagers need to learn about sex so thatRead MoreSex Education And Sexual Education884 Words à |à 4 Pagesââ¬Å"After a while, sex became a reality. Itââ¬â¢s a lot harder to abstain when youââ¬â¢re actually in the moment, faced with that decisionâ⬠(Stevens). Individuals encounter the reality of coming face to face with the temptations of intercourse; over time it becomes harder to sustain from joining the system. Students devour lust, but do not know how to control themselves and sex education provides substantial advice. With this in mind, sex education provides preparedness, answers questions, and creates awarenessRead MoreSexual Education And Sex Education1762 Words à |à 8 Pagesimportance of sexual education and describe differences and similarities in some of the research done on this topic. Having sexual education available to youth is the key in reducing the number of unwanted situations in the sexual health of the individuals. Teaching adolescents about sex is beneficial because they become aware of consequence that might follow specific actions. This is a chance to ensure adolescents take safer routes when deciding to become sexually active. Youth sexual education has beenRead MoreSex Education And Sexual Education Essay1326 Words à |à 6 Pagesalways affected the essence and teaching of sex education in the United States in different ways. Various sexual education methods exits, however comprehensive and abstinence-only programs are the most commonly know in public schools. Although many schools in the United States prefer to give an abstinence-only lecture, the results shown proof that these programs are ineffective because it simply does not fit the reality we live in, comprehensive sex education works better, and they do not offer honestRead MoreSexual Education And Sex Education1358 Words à |à 6 PagesDo Not Have Sex, You Will Get Pregnant Die (Mean Girls) What if a rapist was coming at someone? Do kids know what to do besides lie on the ground and cry? What if a teenager had an unplanned pregnancy? Do they know their options about abortion or adoption or keeping the baby? Will young adults know the results of their choices? Sexual education teaches all of the following, and kids in the curriculum are more likely to defend themselves in a plot when they were approached by a stranger (ââ¬Å"TeachingRead MoreSex Education And Sexual Education1632 Words à |à 7 Pagessystems in the United states have been implementing sexual education into classrooms. Arguments are abundant when dealing with such fragile situations and there are many advantages and disadvantages of sexual education being taught in the public schools. It seems that most parents are either strongly for or against sex education classes, but there are a few parents that are on both sides. In fact, there are more parents that support sex education classes. However, there ar e pros and cons that mustRead MoreSex Education And Sexual Education1365 Words à |à 6 PagesSex education is and always has been lacking in our country. An increase in sexual education would be greatly appreciated from almost everybody, especially with how high the sexually transmitted disease rate has raised in the past twenty years. Sex education can be used to teach young people how to have safe sex and show them the scary truths of sex that they are never taught otherwise. To lower STD rates and raise pregnancy awareness in younger people, schools and parents should be teaching childrenRead MoreSex Education And Sexual Education948 Words à |à 4 Pagescomprehensive sex education taught in schools. One the other hand, the opponents believe that the reason for this decline is the sex education classes that teach about not having sex. Even when most schools are teaching abstinences only sex education about sixty-six percent of high school students says they are sexually active . Which concludes that the abstinences only sex education is not working and is not the proper way of teaching sex education in schools. Not teaching proper sex education may resultRead MoreSex Education And Comprehensive Sexual Education1609 Words à |à 7 PagesLet s talk about sex. Stances on comprehensive sexual education vary, whether it be from religious beliefs or past experiences, different views are held throughout. It is in the interests of society in general... for every secondary school pupil to be in receipt of sexual educationâ⬠(Cumper 16). The phrase ââ¬Ëitââ¬â¢s better to be safe than sorryââ¬â¢ applies heavily on the topic of sex education, the idea of a pregnant and STD ridden 15 year old tends to frighten a million times more than the thought ofRead MoreSex Education : Comprehensive Sexual Education972 Words à |à 4 PagesSex Education Comprehensive sexual education has long been a contentious issue within the United States of America. Owing largely to Americaââ¬â¢s history and culture, sexual education has long been stigmatized as unnecessary involvement in the private life, or even misattributed to rising rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. A U.S. review article, however, poses the opposite argument ââ¬â ââ¬Å"The overwhelming weight of evidence reveals that sex education which discusses contraception
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Artificial Intelligent in Construction Management
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology 10 Artificial Intelligence for Project Management Final Report Instructor: Prof. Rayson Chou Student: Bui Quang Nha : M9705809 Fillip Korsa : E9815001 Table of Contents Abstract 4 1. Introduction 5 1.1. Background 5 1.2. Business needs for pavement life cycle prediction 5 2. Project statement 5 2.1. Problem definition 5 2.2. Project objective 6 3. Data description and preprocessing 8 3.1. Data description 8 3.2. Data preprocessing 9 4. Data mining techniques 12 4.1 Linear Regression 12 4.2 Neural Network 13 4.3 Support Vector Machine 14 4.4 K-fold cross validation 15 4.5 Performance Evaluation 16 5. Analysis Process 17 5.1 Feature selection 17â⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦2.4. Project objective In our case we had to re-specify our goals in relation to data we had obtained. Project objectives: * Apply AI techniques to: * Predict pavement characteristics (IRI) * Figure out which factors influence these characteristics significantly * Provide generalized model for following data processing * Compare several prediction models, using different types of prediction approach with real estate of pavement International Roughness Index (IRI) Introduction The international roughness index (IRI) was developed by the World Bank in the 1980s (UMTRI, 1998). IRI is used to define a characteristic of the longitudinal profile of a traveled wheel track and constitutes a standardized roughness measurement. The IRI is based on the average rectified slope (ARS), which is a filtered ratio of a standard vehicles accumulated suspension motion (in mm, inches, etc.) divided by the distance traveled by the vehicle during the measurement (km, mi, etc.). Figure bellow shows the IRI scale. Next picture shows the relation of pavement serviceability related to time and IRI. 2. Data description and preprocessing 3.5. Data description In order to held this project we began cooperation with Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic who provide us all data sets. Following tables describers more details about our data set. Previews of data sets are shown in APPENDIX 1; APENDIX 2 and APENDIX 3. List ofShow MoreRelatedArtificial Intelligence In Technology1612 Words à |à 7 Pages ââ¬Å"The increasing use of artificial intelligence in technology will transform our societies for the worse.â⬠Module: FC-503 Tutor Name: Assessment type: Essay Student Number: T0061516 Word Count: The theme of the 2017 Summer Davos meeting was about the fourth revolution of science and technology and artificial intelligence was undoubtedly one of the main topics discussed by people. From driving interactive voice with nobody to Alphago defeat the invincible chess champion Ke Jie (GibneyRead MoreWelcome For Magney House Designed By Pritzker Prize Winning Architect Glenn Murcutt1121 Words à |à 5 Pagesplane through the glass curtain wall into the landscape. The combination of the serial progression and compression of the circulation spine is a sophisticated and elegant method of organisation within seemingly open and interconnected spaces. The construction of Magney House utilises the limited palette of concrete, pre-fabricated steel, corrugated aluminium and glass. The skeletal structure is created from a pre-fabricated steel frame that was manufactured in nearby Nowra, minimising transportationRead MoreTransportation Systems Using Artificial Immune Systems2027 Words à |à 9 Pagestransportation systems using artificial immune systems. It demonstrates that biological solutions help to develop principles for detection strategies, formation of reactive solutions, supervised learning and memory utilization from previous experiences. The report reviews the current transport control systems; the geographic information system (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), automatic passenger counters (APC), and automatic vehicle monitoring systems (AVMS). However, the management capabilities for theseRead MoreInformative Essay About the Twin Towers Going Green1130 Words à |à 5 PagesS. Green Building Council. They use this sy stem to determine if a building, or even a community, is energy efficient. These standards include improving energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions, indoor environmental quality, and intelligent resource management. The new world trade center complex qualifies for the LEED gold certification, the next highest attainable status (below platinum). To achieve this status, the complex had to meet a number of huge requirements. Among these requirementsRead MoreA Robotic Body Via Remote Neuron Detectors1438 Words à |à 6 PagesNeely, have argued that if a machine has self-interests and is not defined by external human inputs, it must be considered a rational agent, and afforded rights as befits such a station. Cybernetics researchers argue that Warwickââ¬â¢s study, IBMââ¬â¢s AI(Artificial Intelligence) project, and similar efforts force the resolution of this debate, and suggest that robots must inevitably be treated as humans as their intelligence increases (Warwick 223-234). Because these disparate views are a direct result ofRead MoreQuestions On Knowledge Driven Dss1278 Words à |à 6 PagesKnowledge-driven DSS Yaw et al (2014) wanted to develop a knowledge elicitation strategy to create and acquire home energy retrofit knowledge which can be integrated in the development of an intelligent decision support system to gain more understanding of home energy retrofits and serve as a single source of comprehensive and reliable information for homeowners. However, the adoption rate is low regardless of well-established benefits due to insufficient or unsuitable information for decision makingRead MoreApplication of Ict in Civil Engineering15318 Words à |à 62 Pagesdesign 6.4 ICT and construction companies CHAPTER THREE 7.0 Recommendation 8.0 Conclusion 9.0 Summary 1.0 ABSTRACT The use of modern information and communication technology is considered to be an integral part of modern civil engineering. It is becoming essential for the introduction, implementation and integration of advance computer aided engineering techniques and method in the processes of civil engineering and construction domain. Today due toRead More Artificial Intelligence Essay2730 Words à |à 11 PagesArtificial Intelligence1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) conjures up visions of robots that can mix dry martinis while beating a grand master at chess; and to some, will one day be able to look, act, think and react just like a real person. I would like to explore the concept of AI as it relates to the business world, and its possible many other applications. I believe that true AI is a dream worth pursuing. Like me, there are many who, just like those of the early 1960ââ¬â¢s, thought that puttingRead More5th Generation Computer1934 Words à |à 8 Pageseach generation and the developments that led to the current devices that we use today. The computers being developed presently belong to the fifth generation. The most significant aspect of this generation of computers is expected to be the ââ¬Å"artificial intelligenceâ⬠. The chips used in these computers are ââ¬Å"Very Large Scale Integratedâ⬠circuit (VLSI) with high power efficiency. Besides VLSI there is LSI, ULSI types of chips which are also being used in fifth generation computers. The term fifthRead MoreThe Survival Of Man Depends On The Early Construction Of An Ultraintelligent Machine1814 Words à |à 8 PagesIntroduction ââ¬Å"The survival of man depends on the early construction of an ultraintelligent machineâ⬠(Good, 1965). As early as the 1960s renowned scientists such as Good and Neumann theorized of an ââ¬Å"intelligence explosion,â⬠now known as the technology singularity, resulting from intelligent machinesââ¬â¢ designing their next generation without human intervention. This idea of artificial intelligence (AI) has grown immensely and is a common topic amongst scholars, scientists, and theorists in the mathematic
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Sustainable Management Futures FIFA
Question: Discuss about the Sustainable Management Futures FIFA. Answer: Introduction: The Federation Internationale de Football Association is one of the most noted international sports organization. It is better known as FIFA. This body is the international governing body of soccer with its governance over the global associations-country-wise. . This organization is responsible for organizing the international soccer tournaments of which the event of Football World Cup and Women World Cup are the most noted events. FIFA is lot more than a sports organizing and developmental organization. Established in the year 1904, this organization has attained a lot of growth and development over the years. The organization has arranged a large number of important world soccer tournaments. However FIFA is a lot more than that. In fact it is a company or a business organization in the truest sense. The company has been said to do an overwhelming business with its past track record through arrangement of World Cup football tournaments with the objective of successful effort to rais e sponsorship for the same. The name of this organization and its torchbearers are however involved in a large number of notorious events that have dragged the esteem of FIFA into a large number of controversies(FIFA, 2015). In the current discussion we will be looking at the various instances that cite examples of the principles and trends of business ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainability that have been displayed by the organization of FIFA. Contradictory approaches will be discerned in all the mentioned genres that have been exhibited in the context of FIFA. Business Ethics: The name of FIFA has always been involved in a large number of controversies. These controversies have been mainly related to the unethical practises that have been continued in FIFA regarding bribery, corrupt behaviour and self dealing. All these allegations came up increasingly against the organization soon after the election of Sepp Blatter as the President of FIFA. Blatter did resign from his position in the year 2008, however stayed in the position till somebody suitable can be found. Meanwhile down the line of events, soon the ethics committee of FIFA had banned Blatter from soccer for eight years(Foose, 2016). Explaining the situation it can be further elaborated that in the initial days Blatter did get away with various unethical practises since there was no ethics policy in FIFA at that time. In this context we can cite the first business ethics that can be deciphered in the case of FIFA. To begin with every company must have a definite set of code of ethics. This code must be written and well established set of principles that will be definite and relatable. These guidelines and principles will show a certain path to the rest of the members of the company that will help them to tread the path of ethics. The business or the organization will automatically be an ethical one. The absence of this code of ethics was one of the main reasons why FIFA, under the leadership of Blatter, got involved into a number of unethical dealings and events(Bbc, 2015). The code of ethics was established in the year 2004 in FIFA. Judged against the principles of this code, Blatter was found guilty of a number of unethical dealings. This has been the reason why he had been dismissed from his position and banned from soccer administration for eight years. However the question here is that why did it take so long? This brings us to the second approach to business ethics. It is not merely important and adequate to formulate business ethics. The authorities must be highly vigilant to make sure that the members of the company are following the code of ethics and the leadership of the organization is following the rules and the ethics code to perfection. Had this been done in FIFA in the early years of 2002, a lot of unethical dealings could have been restrained(Fifa, 2012). To make an analysis of FIFA business ethics it can be said that the organization has in fact given an international recognition to one of the oldest and popular forms of sports. This organization is in fact an industry by itself where it has internationally organized and has disciplined the game of football of soccer with inclusion of innovative ideas with implementation of them as rules of the games. However in addition to this it can be yet again said that this is an organization that has also brought gender equality to the game. The organization is not only known for organizing mens football on an internal forum but it has done the same for the women of the game. It has arranged for the Womens World Cup, which is an incredibly great measure on the part of the sports organization. However the very structure of the company can be held responsible due to which the organization soon got deep into the mesh of unethical practises. In this context it can be explained that running an orga nization on the lines of ethics requires a certain amount of planning. Just as one has to plan the strategy of the company in terms of its operations and marketing, they should give priority to business ethics. This is needed to be planned and strategized in a very careful manner. This helps the business to remain streamlined and also focused to do profit in a feasible manner that brings maximum good to a maximum number of people instead of concentrating the benefit to few people. It also ensures that the company earns a respectable name in the market and is revered as a brand. This helps to create a credibility of the brand in the market. This is resulting to earn better acceptability from the market. sduring the course of examining those factors in the context of FIFA, observance revealed that on one hand the company has exhibited undisputable ethics in granting men and women the same opportunity; but from the business point of view for money making became a business that was rest ricted for just few, bringing increasing traces of corruption within the company. Hence one can easily spot contradictory business ethics ploys and approaches that have been applied in the case of FIFA. Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporate Social Responsibility is a term that is much familiar to us. This will indicate at the quality contributions that are being done by any company for the benefit and the growth of the community and the society in macro and micro level with emphasis on environment as per need of the region. However the question that arises in this context is that whether CSR as an agenda is applicable just for those companies which are commercial enterprises. In fact in this context it can be said that the FIFA is yet again another organization that too has its considerable share of CSR. However this responsibility is different from the normal concept of CSR.(Moyles, 2012). To evaluate its share of CSR, we can say that FIFA has done a great job through its organizing of the womens world cup. This is an endeavour on the part of FIFA that has granted both men and women the same quotient of opportunity and respect. In fact this is a step which is considered to be mitigation of discrimination of class to be followed by international association of other sports. The example that has been set by FIFA is something that can be taken up by the other sports organizing groups as well(Fifa, 2016). However the highly controversial event that took place in 2015 world Cup it can be said that the organizers did not really show much sense of responsibility towards the society of the world. In fact there have been a large number of occasions where the unethical principles and the measures that have been set up by the sports organization did create very bad impact on the global society. As a result of the sham show at the recent world cup, many of the US soccer lovers had lost their interest in this sport. This has definitely created a very negative effect on the future of the sports. The other stakeholders too including behind the screen and the ones at the limelight of the audience have been affected. The entire event did create a negative vibe(Fifa, 2013). However people are realizing that in the present age of visibility the players are the people or the personalities who have a heavy share of CSR responsibility. They are in fact the idols to the rest of the world and their fan clubs who are not only following them but are also assessing them all the time. This is why the players have become a lot more diligent, calculated and also responsible in terms of their public behaviour. In fact the declaration of Qatar world cup could be well shelved which could save the government of the nation enough money with resultant creation of a large number of employment opportunities for the national youth(Fifa, 2015). The previous part of the discussion has been very useful in pointing out the real meaning of CSR. Normally this is a term that would indicate at the value additions done by a company in the context of the environment as per location. However this is something that is not the sole definition of CSR. Corporate Social Responsibility will refer to the overall impact that the said event had on the global society. Now there is no second doubt to the fact that the world cup football tournaments are events that adds a great fillip to the global economy. It also adds to the aspect of fan following and hero worship by the general fans of the soccer players. In this context the various campaigns and the advertisements done by these soccer stars not only can have the ability of benefitting the business brands but also can inspire the general people of the world to follow some of the best health consciousness with practises like losing of extra weight or taking up of good habits or that of fighti ng social evils. However when these players act in a lousy manner in front of the general public, the fans not just loses faith in their stars but the image of the game in general. This is a form of super responsibility towards the society that the soccer players do share. This was something that they probably did not realise earlier, which is slowly dawning onto them. Similarly FIFA too, being an internationally acclaimed association with reputed brand image and the most important name in the arena of the game has a very big social responsibility. Its dealings will have a direct impact on the way the general public reacts to the game of soccer or football. The reputation of the brand will also tide over the players of the game and the teams who are participating in the game. This large and far reaching impact of the reputation of FIFA is in fact the main reason why the organization has received such blatant blows due to its recent controversy. Hence the analysis in this context will reveal the fact that dual approach of CSR has been in practise within the boundaries of FIFA. On one hand it has helped to mitigate discrimination in the society in the context of gender but it has set some of the most unfortunate course of events due to its lack of operational transparency. Sustainability: FIFA is an organization to which football is much more than a game. It is a spirit that can bring various communities together and can open new breakthrough pathways for global development, emergence of opportunities and can transform lives and establish universality. This game is one that can create very affective and powerful opportunities which can break social barriers and distinctions and can inspire much greater health awareness and educational programs. This is one of the main reasons why FIFA has often been used as the platform that could spread social messages using the dint of passion for football. These social projects get a wonderful platform through FIFA tournaments to reach out to the gamut of the global audiences. This essence of FIFA guarantees its sustainability where we see that the organization renders a much bigger role and responsibility than just arranging and organizing events of world soccer tournaments(Fifa, 2015). The organization has ensured its sustainability through more ways than one. In this context we see that the authorities have turned no stone unturned to keep the events of the organization environment friendly. The various arrangements that are done by FIFA to conduct world soccer tournaments are done with the point of protecting the environment from any kind of damage. The various events arranged by FIFA are often used to raise a greater awareness for preservation of the environment. This is a trend that has been maintained and has been accentuated since the year 2006, when the World Cup was organized in Germany. FIFA has also used its platform to generate the idea which sponsors the activities against racism which is very commonly found in different sports by the stakeholders. This is an aspect that says that a chance of fair play and competition would be granted to one and all. This indicates at a healthy practise and competition in the game(Sibilski, 2015). Meanwhile the various instances of foul play and corruption that has been cited in the organization especially during the tenure of Blatter have also been tided over. This indicates at the fact that the authorities are much inclined to attain sustainability of the brand or the organization that is cemented with the formation of the ethics committee for the organization in the year 2004. An analysis of the above facts and data will reveal the inference that the authorities of the organization of FIFA had always aimed at the sustainability of the organization. As a result of the same we see that the authorities have set about to create the ethics committee that has been very important in the downfall of Blatter. Hence we can say that the element of sustainability have always been in the back of the mind of the strategic heads of the brand of FIFA. This is one of the reasons why the brand has been developed to be much more than a world soccer organizing company, the brand has been highly effective in creating special and particular values for the various communities of the world. This is a brand or a name or an event that can also be related to various other global opportunities which have been used to improve the social or the healthcare or educational prospects of the world. This is a platform that not only celebrates the spirits of soccer and football but also is ce lebrated by the global population irrespective of their nationality and community specification. FIFA is an event or is a name that celebrates universality. It has exhibited extra ordinary care and respect for the environment and has taken immense care to see to the fact that its various events and their organizations should not create any challenge or problem for the nature as a whole, This is yet again a great step on the part of the authorities and the management of the brand,. In fact these various steps that have been taken so far to create a global image for the brand in order to get better acceptability from the global population or audience. The recent spurges of corruption details which have surfaced in connection to this name put negative impact on its international image considerably. But the authorities are trying quite hard to maintain its position and attain its former prestigious image as the premier football authority worldwide. Discussion: In terms of business ethics, CSR or that of sustainability we see that FIFA as an organization happens to be within the clutches of much duality. In this context we see that various forces had been at play in the past history of the organization. This is especially true of the early years and the presidential rule of Sepp Blatter which had generated a large variety of unethical practises and corruption with the gain of prevalence and predominance in the organization. This factor of corruption and unethical practises did happen to malign all the aspects of business ethics and CSR which in turn did affect the index of sustainability of the organization. In this context we can say that the authorities of the brand had been vigilant about the whole affair and they have made the required changes so that the brand can keep up the great work of fostering the game of soccer or football on an international basis(Sportindustry, 2016). Conclusion: On a closing note one can say that FIFA is one of the most prestigious and noted names in the industry of international football. In fact it is with the formulation of FIFA that the game of soccer or football has been organized and has been given coveted worldwide platform. This is corroborated by the fact that FIFA is the organization which arranges for the World Cup on a regular basis. However the occurrence of certain unethical practises led to the degeneration of the brand. In fact this effect tided over the entire sport of football, its players, national teams and also the involvement of the fans. An overall degeneration came to exist over the arena of world sports. However the situation has been arrested and has been restored to a great extent in the recent times. This is due to the proactive measures on the part of the management and the authorities of FIFA. One thing that stands quantified is the fact that FIFA is much more than just a sport organization. It is considered to be an industry by itself, that involves a large number of stakeholders and also has a great and a far reaching influence and impact on the global society. It benefits the economy, adds a fillip to the social issues and also can trigger off global trends and behavioural patterns. Hence the responsibility of FIFA does not remain restricted to the welfare of the game of football, but also the influence that it has on the global scenario as a whole. References: Bbc, 2015. Fifa corruption crisis: Key questions answered. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32897066 [Accessed 26 March 2017]. Fifa, 2012. Fifa Code of Ethice. [Online] Available at: https://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/administration/50/02/82/codeofethics_v211015_e_neutral.pdf [Accessed 26 March 2017]. Fifa, 2013. Social Responsibility. [Online] Available at: https://www.fifa.com/marketinghighlights/brazil2013/social-responsibility/ [Accessed 26 March 2017]. Fifa, 2015. Anti-discrimination. [Online] Available at: https://www.fifa.com/sustainability/anti-discrimination.html [Accessed 26 March 2017]. FIFA, 2015. History of FIFA - Foundation. [Online] Available at: https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/who-we-are/history/ [Accessed 26 March 2017]. Fifa, 2015. Social responsibility. [Online] Available at: https://quality.fifa.com/en/Footballs/Quality-Programme-for-Footballs/Social-responsibility/ [Accessed 26 March 2017]. Fifa, 2016. Sustainability. [Online] Available at: https://www.fifa.com/sustainability/ [Accessed 26 March 2017]. Foose, A., 2016. Reevaluating Enterprise Ethics After the FIFA Corruption Scandal. [Online] Available at: https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/86947-reevaluating-enterprise-ethics-after-the-fifa-corruption-scandal [Accessed 26 March 2017]. Moyles, C., 2012. FIFAs Humanitarian Aid and Corporate Social Responsibility. [Online] Available at: https://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/world-cup-2014/fifa-institutional-politics/fifa-institutional-politics/ [Accessed 26 March 2017]. Sibilski, L., 2015. Can FIFA become a role model for sustainable development? [Online] Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2015/05/22/can-fifa-become-a-role-model-for-sustainable-development/ [Accessed 26 March 2017]. Sportindustry, 2016. The big interview: Fifa on sustainability. [Online] Available at: https://www.sportindustry.biz/features/big-interview-fifa-sustainability [Accessed 26 March 2017].
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