Friday, November 15, 2019

Islamic Concept Of Charity And Social Security Religion Essay

Islamic Concept Of Charity And Social Security Religion Essay This paper deals with the Islamic concept of charity and the formation of moral economy. Charity in Islam has different forms (zakat, sadqah and donation). It forms the social security system for the vulnerable class. It purifies the legally earned money and determines the close connection of the worship of the God. The crux of the charity is to form a moral economy which regulates the behaviour of Muslims in economic and social affairs. The moral economy is based on the fairness, sense of responsibility and purity in worship welfare and social security of the people. 1. Introduction The contemporary debate of the charity has been long in the literature (Melvin 2009, Ferrari and Khan 2010, Shirazi 1996, Scott 1987 and Waldron 1986). Specifically, the religious zeal and zest revolves around the notion of charity (Iwobi 2009). Islamic concept of charity is not exception for that debate of social welfare and the security (Scott 1987). It emphasizes on the moral values and the contribution to the neglected segment o f the society. However, Islamic concept of charity and social security has never been debated in the light of the moral economy. This paper is intended to give a comparative view about the different notions of the Islamic charity (zakat, sadqah and donation). The concept of charity, in general, is not new because every religion of the world preached that charity. However, the focus of this paper is to highlight the forms of charity in Islam, their differences and their impact on the multiculturalism and the formation of the moral economy. The definition of charity in Islamic tradition differs and it is context specific. However, its aim and goals remain the same. The Quran states: And be steadfast in your prayer and pay charity; whatever good you send forth for your future, you shall find it with Allah, for Allah is well aware of what you do (Al-Quran: Al-Baqara 2:110). Similarly, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: No wealth (of a servant of Allah) is decreased because of charity (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2247). Charity is the fifth pillar of Islam and its reward will be given in the after world. The charity is not reciprocity for this world, but the world after. The Quran declare the five basic concept of the zakat. These concepts included: infaq (spending benevolently), ihsan (kindness), zakah (purification), sadqah (charitable deed) and khayrat (good deeds). However, Islam does not force anyone to give charity. It is obligatory in the form of zakat and voluntary in the shape of sadqah (charity) and donation. 2. Basic concepts of charity in Islam Islamic charity has three basic concepts: zakat, sadaqah and donation. 2.1 Zakat (alms giving) The zakat (ØÂ ²Ãƒâ„¢Ã†â€™ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½) is extracted from the word zaka to be pure that denotes purification. The Quran highlights to the purification of wealth and states: Of their wealth take alms to purify and sanctify them (Al-Quran, Al-Tawbah 9:103). The zakat is obligation on a Muslim. It is moral duty of a Muslim to pay zakat at the rate of 2.5% per year. A Muslim cannot deny the zakat. The Quran lists recipients of Zakat: Zakat is for the poor and the needy and those who are employed to administer and collect it, and for those whose hearts are to be won over, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage, and for those who are overburdened with debts and for every struggle in Gods cause, and for the wayfarers: this is a duty ordained by God, and God is the All-Knowing, the Wise. (Al-Quran 9:60). The zakat is given individually to the relatives, neighbors and vulnerable communities. It is also administered collectively: Muslim charity organization, some of the Muslim states regulates the departments which are responsible of the charity (for instance Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zakat and Ushr in Pakistan) and Muslim associations. Nevertheless, zakat is mandatory to every Muslim (who can pay), but it is willful to pay individually or collectively. 2.2 Sadaqah (charity) The word sadaqah (ØÂ µÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½) is derived from the Arabic root sadaqah which means to be truthful and hence sadaqah implies engaging in any virtuous and moral act in order to earn happiness of God. The sadaqah has certain principals which a Muslim must follow. One, sadaqah is given in the name of God. Second, the money or the donation should be from the legal sources. Islam discourages the illegitimate (stolen or unethically gained) money or resources. Third, surplus money (beyond the need of a person) is the money of God and Muslims are custodian of it. Therefore, they should spend and return the money to the needy, poor and spend on the ways of God. The Quran outlines the charity: Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Al-Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:274). The Quran further highlights: And spend something (in charity) out of the substance which We have bestowed on you, before Death should come to any of you and he should say, O my Lord! Why didst Thou not give me respite for a little while? I should then have given (largely) in charity, and I should have been one of the doers of good. But to no soul will Allah grant respite when the time appointed (for it) has come; and Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. (Al-Quran, Al-Munafiqun 63: 10-11). Further, the Quran states: And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive. We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. (Al-Quran, Al Insà ¢n 76:8-9). In another statement, the Quran states: For those who give in Charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credit), and they shall have (besides) a liberal reward (Al-Quran, Al Hadà ®d 57:18). Sadaqah is important for a number of purposes. It reduces the sins and increases the virtue of a Muslim. It compensates for shortcoming in any negligence in the payment of zakat. For instance, if a person forgets to pay zakat in the past or was guilty to pay the zakat, the sadaqah reduces the burden of the past. Sadaqah give a sense of protection not only the giver but also to the receiver of falling victim of disaster. God pleasure is received through the sadaqah. It is pleasure of the giver of the charity. The person feels happiness and fulfills his/ her obligation to the betterment of the humanity. Model of Islamic Charity Sadqah and donation: Volunteer charity No specification of rate or time Depends upon the capacity of an individual capacity Zakat: Obligatory charity Wealth: (income, earnings and savings) at the rate of 2.5% per anum Agriculture product: Crops (around 10%). Islamic Tresury (Fund): Bait-ul-Mal Spending: Needy, poor (orphans, widows), employees to administer and collect zakat, for those whose hearts are to be won over, captive (prisoners), in debts and scholars, and for the wayfarers. Social Security: Marginalized persons, communities Fig 1.1 Fig 1.1 indicates that Islamic notion of charity is mainly based on the zakat, sadaqah and donation. These donations are collected at the Islamic funds. The fund is used to look after the marginalized community. This welfare is a form of social security. Everything related to the Islamic charity is based on the moral economy. The notion of moral economy is main crux of the charity. 2.3 Donation Third term which is often used is the donation. The donation refers to give money, gift or compensate the person, organization who is in need. A donation is typical a charity and it serves the purpose of humanity. Different words are used for the donation: khairat (ØÂ ®Ãƒâ€ºÃ…’ØÂ ± Ø ØÂ ª) or attya (ØÂ ¹ÃƒËœÃ‚ ·Ãƒâ€ºÃ…’Û ). These words denote the charity collectively and individually. Islam appreciates the donation to the cause of the humanity. It is normally given at the time of disaster, emergency, people in need, to save a human being, construct an educational institution and to feed the hungry people. 3. Difference between zakat, sadaqah and donation Zakat, sadaqah and donations are different kinds of charities in Islamic ideology. Zakat is the obligatory annual alms-giving which is determined on the basis of the value of ones own wealth. It is calculated 2.5% as per Islamic traditions in an year. The zakat is calculated at the beginning of the Islamic month Ramadan. According to the Islamic scholars, the zakat must be collected from the Muslims. This principal does not apply to the non- Muslims living in a Muslim state. It is mandatory and has strict verdict to pay the zakat, however, without any penalty for it. Zakat is responsibility of the only person who owns wealth. It is liable on the individual and the family. However, the sadaqah is a charity that is given beside the zakat contribution over the surplus wealth. It is volunteer act and without any percentage. Sadaqah is not specified as only monetary terms (feeding the poor and the needy), but also given support to the orphans, widows in the form of advising or counseling. It also includes the volunteer activities for the befit of the community at larger: teaching to the poor, giving sense of good faith and advising them to excel on the right path, the path of God. Similarly, some of the Islamic scholars believe that to form charity organization, construct educational institutions (mosque, school, college, universities) and construction of well (to clean water supply to the community) are the different forms of sadaqah. It can be given on the name of any relative (parents or children), if a person wishes to do so. Nevertheless, the sadaqah is volunteer act of the person and depend upon the capacity and surplus wealth of the person. On the other hand, the donation is neither time specific nor it is mandatory or obligatory. It is volunteer activity of a person. It significantly differs from the zakat, but close to the sadaqah. Nevertheless, these three types of the charity contribute to the welfare of the humanity altogether. 4. Comparative view of charity: Development of moral economy Islamic notion of charity (in its different forms) generates a moral economy. This is the economy which is based on the good faith and welfare of the humanity. In line with Bollig (1998) and Thompsons (1971, 1993) notion of moral economy. Islamic charity gives the following notion of charity. 4.1 Islamic charity: Moral injection Benthall (1999) highlights the Quranic injection of charity. According to Benthall the Islamic system of almsgiving (zakat) is more organized than other societies. For him, the zakat is closely associated with the prayers and the worship of God, therefore, the Muslim are morally obliged to pay the zakat to the poor, to the needy as per Islamic conception. He argued that Zakat can be distributed in poor, needy, orphans, widows, divorcees, prisoners and their families, unemployed and homeless people, students, those who cannot afford to marry. It is also for the disasters victims and those in need of free medicine or dignified funerals of a person who need it (Benthall 1999:31). Therefore, the Islamic charity is a moral injection to work for the betterment of the humanity. 4.2 Zakat: Powerful instrument to poverty eradication Zakat denotes growth, extension and purification and it is a donation on wealth and agriculture product. The zakat is collected as per nature of the wealth. It is collected to fulfill the tire needs of the marginalized segment of the society. The zakat is fundamental creed of Islam: It obligatory act of worship (Mohammad 1991). According to Mohammad (1996), the zakat is a system that has potential to eradicate poverty and inequalities (1991:1119). The zakat system is well organized system for the development of a country but it can be more organized for poverty eradication and for the maintenance of a society like Pakistan (Mohammad 1991). Similarly, a survey was conducted in 1990/91 of the household Integrated Economic Survey in Pakistan and findings revealed that the zakat and usher were the significant to contribute the lives of the people (Shirazi 1996). According to the survey, 39000 zakat committees were working with 250 thousand volunteers (Shirazi 1996:166). The zakat contribution on 1981/1982 from 845.85 million Pakistani rupees to 4655.9 million in 1993/94 (Shirazi 1996:170). The money was spending to substance allowance for poor (708.622 million), rehabilitation (245.669 million Pakistani rupees) and 1738234 people benefited from the zakat contribution (Shirazi 1996:185). However, the latest figures on the issue are not available. The development of the Islamic charity and its faire distribution could lead to alleviate and then eradicate poverty in the Muslim countries. However, the institution either do not exist or unable to deliver the services effectively. At some places, this institution was suppressed due to the fear of the dominance and power politics. Nevertheless, the Islamic charity has potential to contribute to the welfare of the humanity. 4.3 Charity: Road towards the social justice According to Bremer (2004:1) the development of any society local resources are necessary. Islamic societies developed over a range of charity organizations to in order to address the needs of the needy and poor. These organizations are zakat boards, wakf (endowment) and diverse local structures reflecting the richness of Islamic culture from Dakar to Davao (Ibid). For her, a strong civil society is now widely recognized as an important pillar supporting democratic institutions in the West (Bremer 2004:2). The strength of the civil society leads towards the development of the democratic institutions. According to her, foreign aid and a government is not enough for development in Muslim societies. Bremer outlines that in recent years USAID has funded the creation of an NGO service center that provides technical assistance and training to civil society organizations, and has granted financial support directly to NGOs ranging from business associations to community development groups (B remer 2004:3). For her, this development contribution can be significantly increased with the assistance of Islamic charity in Muslim societies. Ultimately, this charity leads towards the establishment of the social justice system (Bremer 2004). The whole notion of charity revolves around the notion of social justice in the Muslim world. The charity is the strong instrument to bring in the social justice. It helps the marginalized population within the society and tries to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich. 4.4 Charity: Funding for free education According to Blanchard (2007) religious school work as a charity organization in Muslim countries. They are source of providing education to the vulnerable groups, especially to the madrasas (religious schools). Madrasas offer a free education, room, and board to their students, and thus they appeal to impoverished families and individuals. On the whole these religious schools are supported by private donations from Muslim believers through a process of alms-giving known in Arabic as zakat. The practice of zakatone of the five pillars of the Islamic faithprescribed that a fixed proportion of ones income be given to specified charitable causes, and traditionally a portion of zakat has endowed religious education (2007:4). Blanchard (2007) provides information that in Pakistan Madrasas are being observed by the government regarding their finance sources after 9/11 attack in the United States. He reveals that the madrasas are contributing to provide the education to the poorest. He found that madrasas are registered in Pakistan and their financial assistance is observed by the Government of Pakistan since August 2006 (Blanchard 2007:5). Nonetheless, the charity could fill the gap of the education. 4.5 Charity: Belief and health seeking behaviour A study highlights the importance of the sadaqah in health seeking behaviour in Pakistan (see Midway, Tabasco, Hani, and Khan 2010). This study revealed those patients who strongly belief and practice sadaqah (charity) feel better and believe that they can recover their health after giving charity to the poor. According to this research, almost 85% of the respondent thought and gave charity. The study reveals that the sadaqah is usually giving in the form of money (85.2%) clothes (49.2%) and sacrificing an animal (65.5%). Almost 92% of the respondents relate the belief and practice of sadaqah giving in the hope of recovery from illness. Nevertheless, charity gives internal strength to the patients and they believe that they can have better health recovery after giving the charity. 4.6 Islamic charity is universal or specific notion of welfare: There are two views about the Islamic charity. One, it is localized notion of welfare and limited to the only Muslims and the Muslim societies. The Muslims are contributors as well as consumer of the charity. This perspective is under criticism among a large segment of the Muslim scholars (see Benthall 1999). However, the second point of view is that Islamic charity is universal and every human being without border, creed and dogma can benefit from the charity. However, the charity contribution is applied only on Muslims. The Muslim contributes to the charity and gives equal importance to the whole human being in order to disburse the charity (Benthall 1999). However, they do not impose on the non- Muslims. Nevertheless, only Muslims are contributor of the Islamic charity. However, it is equally important to give the charity to the non-Muslims. There is no specification of creed or dogma in the Islamic charity (except zakat). The zakat is limited to the Muslim societies. The donation are without any religious affiliation or association. 5. Discussion There is wide spread opportunity to get resources in order to feed the marginalized segment of the society, as per the notion of Islamic charity, then why the Muslim countries are dependent upon foreign aid is a question which is often raised. In fact, there are two major reasons of the dependency of the Muslim societies on the foreign aid and remain in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development. 5.1 Collapse of the charity institution: Change in the charity institutions Muslim countries depend upon the foreign aid because they were unable to maintain their institutions. Such institutions were collapsed during the colonization or soon after (Bremer 2004). In the eyes of the colonial masters, the Muslim charity institutions were the symbol of Muslim legacy and they were a source of the rise of the Muslim power. Therefore, it was necessary to abolish such institution from the Muslims societies (Bremer 2004). Especially, the zakat institution was under strong scrutiny during the colonial era because it was believed that this institution supports the freedom struggle. The colonial powers developed the institution of welfare instead of the zakat institution. However, this welfare institution, developed by the colonial powers, was perceived as not ones own. It was considered as a symbol to get money, but without any legacy (Bremer 2004). It was just perceived as the symbol of the colony and soon after become the source to collect the money by hook or by crook. People wanted to get benefited from the social welfare but not were ready to pay it back. Therefore, it was not much institutionalized as the zakat was spread during the Muslim era in the Middle East and in the Muslim countries before the 19th century. However, the Islamic charity institutions are believed as part of the worship of the God. Therefore, there were rare cases of the unfairness or corruption. They have strong check and balance to maintain the charity among the Muslim charity organizations. Nonetheless, the change in the charity institution brought mistrust and unfairness in the charity. Many of the Muslims societies became the prey of it and remain in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development. 5.2 Collapse of morality: Change to develop a new morality based on materialism Islam appreciates the giving hands (charity giver) and discourages the charity recipient. According to Islam, giving hand is better than the receiving hand. However, current scenario does not reflect the basic ideology of the charity of Islam. Despite of the fact that the zakat remain as an institution among the Muslim societies at individual level. However, it was not developed at the state level after the colonial era. It was perceived that state is in the hands of someone else (colonial masters or their local representatives) and there was not any institutionalized method of the zakat collection and its distribution. This mistrust or non-confidence led to collapse the real notion of the moral economy among the Muslims. In Islamic morality, there are two sets of rights and obligation for a Muslim: the rights to worship God and the right to serve the humanity. In Islam, the right of God may be put aside by the God, if He wants to do so. However, the right to serve the humanity cannot be neglected until unless the fellow human beings do not forgive it. It is exclusive related with the people and their rights. They (people, especially poor and the needy) have to forgive their rights to the fellow Muslims. So the Islamic moral values exclusive emphasize on the welfare and social security of the humanity and the marginalized group of the society. However, the collapse of the Islamic morality of charity is dominated phenomenon in the current era. It does contradict on the basic philosophy of the Islam that spends everything to the humanity which is surplus. However, the materialism and greed for wealth is dominant in the current culture of the Muslim societies. It is depicted in the life style and in the emerging value system. Consequently, it is affecting the basic notion of the Islamic charity and changing the moral economy of the Muslim in the contemporary era. 7. Conclusion Islamic concept of charity is much associated with the Muslim societies. It forms a moral economy and moral value systems (give charity and worship to the God). It also strengthens the notion of close social networking of the Muslims. However, it does not neglect the humanity at large. It gives a due share to provide the help to the people of the world. The charity is given to the needy, poor, scholars, charity organizations and welfare of the society at large. However, criticism to retain the Muslim charity among Muslim is not exclusive from the discussion of the charity. Dominant point of view, however, is in favour of the humanity rather than the welfare of the any specific community. Islamic charity begins from the individual level. It creates the space for the state. However, it does not exclusive involve the state to regulate the charity. The charity in Islam is equally important to the worship of God. Islam emphasize the worship of God (right to obey the God) and the service for the humanity (the rights of the poor and the needy). The charity is the right of the fellow human beings who are in need and it cannot be neglected as per Islamic moral economy. The Islamic charity is grounded in the concept of the moral economy.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Admire: God and Long Black Hair Essay

Everyone has his own idol. They can be a singer, film-star or superrich person for example. But to me, my mother is the person I love and admire the most. My mother still looks quite young although she is forty now. She possesses a little fat figure, round face, and a long black hair which is naturally straight to her shoulder. However, those are not the impressive things that draw people’s attention, but her figure and her eyes. She looks rather small and thin. To look at her, you will never think that she has been a mother of three children although she doesn’t dress gaudily or fashionably. My mother has very deep sad eyes which are watery. That reminds me of a lake on a stormy day. See more: The stages of consumer buying decision process essay I love her for her sacrifices to the family. She loves us very much. She never gets angry with her children. She teaches us how to become a good person and how to distinguish good and bad things. Besides she is also a good cook. So I never missed a family meal. She works very hard from the early morning till late at night. I never think that any woman could manage to do such an enormous amount of work like that. I am indeed very indeed proud of my mother. To me, she is not a good wife but a good mother as well. By looking at her small figure and the way she works hard, it is easily that she is trying her best to bring all the good things to her children, the only source of joy left in her life. Thanks God for having given her to us, the most priceless gift I have ever had.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Dell Summary

DELL INC STRATEGIC POSITION, CHOICE AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Table 1: PESTEL | | |Meaning to dell? |Dell’s ability to | | | | |address. | |Political Factors |China’s five-year plan has a clear set of social objectives. 23) |Good chance for Dell to grow |Very good. | | |Increased government spending helped China for the first time to beat the US to become the |in BRICS nation. | | | |world's biggest PC market. (24) | | | | |Restrictive policies in many countries for the protection of domestic companies. 25) | | | | |BRICS sign framework pact for local-currency credit lines. (26) | | | | |European Commission Unveils New intellectual property rights (IPR) Strategy (27) | | | |Economic |The US Debt Crisis and Downgraded Credit Rating. 28) |Global consumers spending |Moderate | |Factors |Global Economy growth forecast 4 % in 2011 and 2012. (Advanced economies 1. 6% and 1. 9 % |less Increased competition. | | | |Emerging and developing economies 6. 4% & 6. 1% ,US 1. 5 % & 1. 8%,China9. 5 9. 0 ) (29) | | | | |Canalys predicts 14% growth in PC market for 2011. 30) | | | | |China has topped the US as the largest PC market worldwide (31) | | | | |Economies in developing countries like growing at faster rates than developed countries. (32)| | | |Social | Education affects brand consciousness, product demand. 42) |Consumers willing to pay more|Very good. | |Factors |Income levels (40) |for higher quality. | | | |Cultural aspects affect sales. (39) | | | |Technological Factors | Fast technological advances (33) |Needs continuous products |Good. | |Increased research and development. (33) |innovation and redesigning. | | | |Short product life cycle. (41) | | | |Environmental | Adds to Global warming. (34) |Requires focus for |Moderate. | |Factors |High Environmental effects. 35) |sustainability. | | | |The global volume of e-waste generated is expected to reach 93. 5 million tons in 2016 from | | | | |41. 5 million tons in 2011 at a CAGR of 17. 6% from 201 1 to 2016. (36) | | | |Legal Factors | Minimum wages restrictions in many countries. Effects to its profit margin. |Good. | | |Strict recycling laws in some countries. (37) | | | | |Existence of consumer rights and labour rights. (38) | | | | |Competition laws, employment laws, health and safety legislation. 38) | | | Table 2: Porter’s 5 Forces | |Forces |Factors |Strength | |1 |Threat of New Entrants | |Low | | | |In PC industry, not many competitors emerging on a yearly basis. 17] | | | | |Chance of a new PC vendor entering the market and gaining significant market share is pretty| | | | |slim. [18] | | | | |Entry barriers are higher now than they ever have been. [18] | | | | |Capital required is huge. 18] | | | | |Cost and distribution are two of the entry barriers that are making entry into the PC market| | | | |tough. [18] | | | | |Computer industry is highly competitive with continuing developments. 17] | | | | |People likely to go with big brands they ‘knowâ⠂¬â„¢. [17] | | |2 |Power of Suppliers |Suppliers such as INTEL and Microsoft holds significant amount of power. [17] |High | | | |Intel’s microprocessor chips are used in approximately 80% of personal computers. [18] | | | | |Microsoft operating systems are used in 90% of computers. 18] | | |3 |Power of Buyers |PC has become a commodity. [19] |Moderate | | | |There is no brand loyalty among PC users. [19] | | | | |Use of industry standard hardware and software means a user can easily switch from one brand| | | | |to another. 19] | | |4 |Threat of Substitute | Organizers, PDAs, blackberries and Tablets are the substitutes of PC industry. [20, 21] | | | | |PC market growth has been impacted by media tablets and next-generation smartphones. [21] |High | | | |It is anticipated that tablets will Cannibalize 10 % of PCs by 2014. [21] | | |5 |Existing Rivalry |1. 6Acer, Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo are the major competitors of Dell. [17] | | | | |1. 17 Attractive new gadgets such as Apple's iPad making PC industry saturated. [22] |High | Table 3: Value Chain Analysis |Primary Activities: | | |Inbound logistics |Higher density container & trailer shipment via sea, air & road to reduce fuel consumption. 1] | | |Use of foam pallets instead of wood for shipping, which reduce cost of freight by reducing weight. [1] | | |Dell relies on its highly reliable suppliers for materials. [2] | |Operations: |Produce built to order computers according to individual costumers needs. [2] | | |Use the knowledge from direct contact with its customers. 2] | |Outbound Logistics: |Logistics teams leverage the best transportation and logistics providers available in the industry. [1] | | |Dell sends computers monitors directly from its supplier to customers reducing the cost of storage and time of transfer. [2] | | |Use of direct selling models reduce coast to customers. 2] | |Marketing and sales:|Expanding relationships with retail partners around the world [1] | | |Use o f direct selling model thereby reducing cost of distribution channels and communication gaps between customers and company. | | |[2] | | |Direct selling models helps to understand unmet customer needs. 2] | | |24000 retail outlets worldwide, including contracts with Walmart Brazil and Maxico , and Gome Group, the largest electronic | | |seller in Chaina. [16] | |Services: |Dell spent lot of money in training segment managers to provide state of the art customer advice. 2] | | |Customer solutions team collaborate with customers to fulfil there unmet needs. [2] | |Support Activities: | | |Procurement: |Material used is not protected under any trade mark or copy right. [2] | | |Any competitors can use the same materials from same suppliers as suppliers tend to sell generally to all players in industry. | |[2] | |Technology: |Introduce new and relevant technology much more quickly than competitors who use slow moving distribution channels. [2] | |Infrastructure: |Revolutionized compu ter industry’s traditional value chain by introducing direct selling model. [2] | | |Use ROIC as mean of managerial performance and individual business units performance. [2] | | |Inventory turnover is 6 days. 2] | |Human Resources: |Dell staff has to be knowledgeable and customer focused to provide best outcome. [2] | | |Train its segment managers to provide state of the art customers’ service. [2] | Table 4: Generic Forces | | | | |Broad |COST LEADERSHIP DIFFERENTIATION | |Market | | | | |Supply chain efficiencies. [62] |Unique Customer services. [63] | | |Direct sales model allowed Dell to pursue Cost |Dell (PRODUCT)RED signature products contribute directly to Global Fund to help | | |Leadership Strategy. 62] |eliminate AIDS in Africa. [64] | | | |Robust market share by holding 12% of worldwide pc market. [65] | | | |Alienware M11x the first ultraportable gaming notebook. [66] | | | |Dell precision Mb6400 a high-performance mobile workstation. 67] | | | |Dell Str eak 7 is the first 7† tablet that has dual-core processor that supports 4G. [69] | |Narrow |FOCUSED LOW COST |FOCUSED DIFFERENTIATION | |Market |Introduced low-cost notebooks for consumers and small |Dell first introduced Streak Android-based tablet computer for doctors and other | | |businesses in Asian markets. [66] |clinicians. 70] | Table 5: Ansoff Product Market Matrix: | |Existing products |New Products | |Existing |1. 1. $155 million acquisition of MessageOne Inc(industry leader in |1. 4 Announced new tablet latitude XT3 for business customers that allows | |Market |SaaS) enables enterprise level email business continuity, |grater mobility, security and manageability. 6] | | |compliance, archiving, disaster management. [4,5] |1. 5 Announced 24 new products including smart phone, tablets, netbooks, | | |1. 2. Introduced existing alienware and XPS laptops with HD 3D |desktops etc. [7] | | |screen. [9] | | | |1. Unveiled new series of printers, projector and monitors in | | | |2011. [12] | | |New Market |1. 6 Introduces 4 new low cost PC for emerging markets like China. |1. 10 Introduced new android based smart phones and windows phone. [8] | | |India etc in 2008. 11] |1. 11Introduced android based streak tablet designed for doctors and | | |1. 7 Launched comprehensive rage of printers in India in 2011. [12] |clinicians. [10] | | |1. 8 Contracted with Gome Group, the largest electronic retailer in |1. 12 Introduced cloud computing that provide IaaS based on VMware. | | |china. 16] |[14,15] | | |1. 9 Only 5. 1% Indians and 9% Chinese have computers. 75% Americans| | | |have computers. [16] | | Table 6: Boston Construction Group Matrix |Relative Market Share (Cash Generation) | |Market Growth Rate |HIGH |HIGH |LOW | |(Cash Usage) | | | | | | |Stars: |Question Marks: | | | |Personal computers [43] |Dell tablet [45] | | | |cloud computing services[44] | | | |LOW |Cash Cows: |Dogs: | | | |Customised systems [46] |Printers [48] | | | |Ink ca rtridge [47] |5 inch Streak Smartphone [49] | Table 7: Dells Acquisitions. Success of Dell’s Acquisitions | |Ingredient acquisitions [72] | |Acquired KACE in 2010 increases 1200 business customers and tripled in value. [72] | |HP doubled the Dell’s bid for 3PAR INC. a storage network company. [73] | |Made 12 acquisitions in last year. [74] | |Virtually all acquisitions were successful [74] | |Acquired ‘equal logic’ 3 years ago and turned revenue of $100 m into $1 Billion post acquisition [75] | Table 8 : Suitability, Acceptability, Feasibility | | | | |GENERIC STRATEGIES |BCG MATRIX STRATEGIES | | | | | | | | | | |Cost Leadership|Differentiation |Focus / Low Cost |Focus / Differentiator |STARS |CASH COWS | |   |   |YE 30/1/09 |YE |YE 28/1/11|YE |YE |YE |YE 31/10/08 | | | | |29/1/10 | |31/12/08|31/12/09|31/12/10| | Table 10: Financial Ratios for DELL Inc (2006-10) |   |   |2006 |2007 |2008 |2009 |2010 |Industry Average|Ref | |   |Profitabilit y Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |2 |Net profit margin (%) |4. 5 |4. 82 |4. 05 |2. 71 |4. 28 |6. 7 |[51,52] | |3 |Return on total assets (%) |13. 05 |3. 89 |12. 54 |6. 01 |8. 68 |8. 14 |[50,52] | |4 |Return on capital employed (%) |43. 22 |42. 86 |29. 35 |14. 87 |18. 57 |16. 42* |[50] | |5 |Return on equity (%) |58. 19 |76. 97 |58. 02 |25. 4 |33. 93 |13. 65 |[50,52] | |6 |Solvency ratio (%) |17. 32 |13. 89 |16. 12 |16. 76 |20. 12 |25. 9* |[50] | |   |Efficiency Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |8 |Net asset turnover |7. 32 |6. 77 |5. 25 |3. 6 |3. 22 |1. 51 |[50,52] | |9 |Debtor days (days) |30 |36 |29 |41 |39 |45. 25* |[51] | |10 |Creditor days(days) |80 |86 |61 |97 |84 |52. 5* |[51] | |   |Liquidity Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |12 |Quick ratio |1. 08 |1. 01 |1. 3 |1. 22 |1. 42 |1. 15 |[51,52] | |   |Stability Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |14 |Interest cover |68. 22 |76. 44 |34. 3 |13. 57 |17. 25 |2. 5 |[50,52] | |15 |Debt/Equity(%) |12. 82 |9. 45 |44. 44 |60. 57 |66. 26 |21. 43 |[51,52] | |   |Investors Ratios |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | |17 |P/E ratio |23. 16 |15. 48 |7. 45 |17. 61 |9. 64 |14. 2 |[50,52] | |18 |Dividend yield |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2. 09 |[50,52] | [pic][76] 77] Figure 3: Financial Rations (Table 10) |REFERENCES | | |http://content. dell. com/ – Accessed 6 October 2011. |http://www. oppapers. com/essays (accessed: October 8, 2011) | |http://ivythesis. typepad. com/ Accessed 6 Oct 2011. |http://www. scribd. com/doc (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. businessweek. com/ – Accessed 27 September 2011. |http://2point8. blogspot. com/2006 (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. dell. com/us/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |http://knol. google. om/k (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. gartner. com/ Accesses 17 Oct 2011. |http://it. tmcnet. com/topics (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://techmento. com/2011/02/14/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |http://www. usatoday. com/tech (accessed: October 9, 2011) | |http://www. pcmag. com/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |IPPR, China in the global economy, July 2011 | |http://www. unwiredview. com/2011/09/30/ Accessed 17 Oct 2011. |Owen Fletcher, China Passes U. 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Friday, November 8, 2019

Black Panther Party Origins and History

Black Panther Party Origins and History The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Boddy Seale in Oakland, California. It was initially organized to protect blacks from police brutality. They evolved into a Marxist revolutionary group that was labeled by the FBI as advocating the use of violence and guerilla tactics to overthrow the U.S. government. The party had thousands of members and chapters in several cities at its height in the late 1960s. Origins The Black Panthers emerged out of the nonviolent civil rights movement of the early 1960s. Leaders Newton and Seale both began their experience with organized groups as members of the Revolutionary Action  Movement, a socialist group with militant and non-violent political activities. Its roots may be also found in the Lowndes County Freedom Organization (LCFO)- an Alabama group dedicated to registering African-American voters. The group was also called the Black Panther Party. The name was later borrowed by Newton and Seale for their California-based Black Panther Party. Goal The Black Panther Party had a specific platform laid out in 10 points. It included goals such as: We want power to determine the destiny of our black and oppressed communities, and, We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace. It also outlined their key beliefs, which centered around Black liberation, self-defense, and social change. In the long term, the group aimed rather vaguely at a revolutionary overthrow of the white-dominated status quo and black power. But they had no more concrete platform for governing. They took their inspiration from a combination of socialist intellectuals, combining their thoughts on the role of class struggle with the specific theories about black nationalism. The Role of Violence The Black Panthers committed to  projecting a violent image and to actual violence from their inception. Second Amendment rights were central to their platform and called out explicitly in their 10-point program:   We believe we can end police brutality in our Black community by organizing Black self-defense groups that are dedicated to defending our Black community from racist police oppression and brutality. The second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States gives us the right to bear arms. We therefore believe that all Black people should arm themselves for self-defense. The groups violent stance was by no means secret; in fact, it was central to the Black Panthers public identity. Author Albert Harry, writing in 1976, observed that the groups paramilitarism was clearly visible from the start, as Black Panthers strutted around in their black jackets, black berets, and tight-fitting black pants, their pockets bulging with side arms, their clenched fists high above their defiant heads. The group acted on its image. In some instances, members would appear en masse and simply threaten violence. In others, they took over buildings or engaged in shootouts with police or with other militant groups. Both Black Panther members and police officers  were killed in confrontations. Social and Political Programs The Black Panthers were not solely focused on violence. They also organized and sponsored social welfare programs, the most famous of which was their Free Breakfast for Children. In the 1968-1969 school year, the Black Panthers  fed as many as 20,000 children through this social program. Eldrige Cleaver ran for president on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket in 1968. Cleaver met with North Korean leader Kim Il-sung in 1970 and traveled to North Vietnam. He also met with Yasser Arafat and the Chinese ambassador to Algeria. He advocated a more revolutionary agenda and after being expelled from the Panthers led the Black Liberation Army splinter group. The Panthers worked on electing members with unsuccessful campaigns such as Elaine Brown for Oakland City Council. They supported the election of Lionel Wilson as the first black mayor of Oakland. Former Black Panther members have served in elected office, including U.S. Representative Bobby Rush. Notable Events   May 2, 1967: About 30 armed Black Panther members enter  the California legislature to protest consideration of outlawing the right of private citizens to bear arms. There was no violence, but the spectacle is well remembered and brought the group into public light. At that time, open carry of weapons was legal in California. The Black Panthers had exercised this right in being present at arrests and stationed at the legally-allowed distance while displaying their firearms.August 1967: The FBI includes the Black Panther Party in their counterintelligence program, COINTELPRO, aimed to discredit and neutralize subversive organizations. They conduct hundreds of actions to weaken the party.October 28, 1967: Party leader Huey P. Newton is arrested after Oakland police officer John Frey is shot and killed performing a traffic stop of Newton, in which another officer and Newton were also shot. This incident led to the rallying cry of Free Huey, which galvanized support for the party among other activists. Newton was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter, a conviction that was later overturned.   April 6, 1968: An armed confrontation erupts between Black Panthers and police led to a 90-minute confrontation at a building housing Panthers. Eventually, the Panthers surrender. Over the course of the day, at least four policemen are wounded and one killed. One Panther member, Bobby Hutton, is killed by the police and seven others are arrested. Huttons death becomes a rallying issue.1969: Gun battles take place between Black Panthers and rival organizations, including one in Campbell Hall on the UCLA campus in 1969. Panthers torture and kill a suspected informant, Alex Rackley, which leads to a trial of Bobby Seale alleging he ordered the killing. A hung jury resulted and there was no retrial.December 4, 1969: Another well-remembered instance of violence is instigated by the FBI, which provides the information needed to raid the Illinois Black Panther Party heads apartment. Two members of the Black Panthers were killed by gunfire. The event is remembered partly for the disproportio nate firing: evidence revealed later that the police fired up to 99 bullets, while the Panthers may have shot one. It is also remembered because the  information required for the break-in was obtained by an FBI infiltrator in a period when surveillance of the domestic group had been approved. The charges against the seven survivors of the raid were later dropped and Hamptons family won a $1.85 million wrongful death settlement from the city of Chicago. December 8, 1969: The LAPD conducts a SWAT attack on the Los Angeles Black Panther office, firing thousands of rounds and resulting in no deaths but a handful of injuries on both sides.1971: After a fall-out between Newton and Eldrige Cleaver, the party splits into factions and engage in assassinations of each others members, with four killed.1974: Nine Panthers, including Newton, are arrested for assault on police officers. Newton is also charged with murdering Kathleen Smith. He flees to Cuba. Panther bookkeeper Betty Van Patter goes missing and is found beaten to death, with Panther leadership suspected. In 1977, there was an attempt to assassinate Crystal Gray, a witness in the Smith murder.Elaine Brown was appointed Chairwoman of the Panthers in 1974 as Newton went into exile. Membership in the Panthers declined precipitously throughout the 1970s and was down to a couple dozen by 1980.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Politics Essays - New Deal, Social Programs In The United States

Politics Essays - New Deal, Social Programs In The United States Politics Frank Sinatra once said, "You're riding high in April, shot down in May. But I know I'm gonna change that tune, when I'm back on top, back on top in June." Does the epitome of individualism lie in the lyrics of a Las Vegas singer? Is this really how far we must look to find the principles on which this country was created? Unfortunately, this is the case. Social programs implemented by the Federal Government have produced a nation of sniveling crybabies. The concept of rugged individualism has been replaced by the doctrine of victimization. Consequently, we find ourselves entrenched in a constant battle to save our nation from imminent disaster. Social and moral deterioration is attributed to the following: the media chastising traditional views, publicly funded Federal handouts, and the breakdown of family values. The median from which the majority of Americans receive their news has one major flaw; it's not actually the news. NBC, CBS, and ABC report the news from their perspective. Whatever news they deem important is constructed to parallel the public sentiment. This has an enormous impact on the way we form social priorities, morals, and personal principles. If were told what to think, how do we become independent? For example, when an individual openly proclaims that welfare is harmful, that same individual is called a bigot by the press. It is no longer safe to promote conservative ideals for fear of public ridicule. Our nation has been in a downward spiral ever since The New Deal. The Roosevelt Administration attempted to remedy poverty by throwing money at the poor, free for the asking. Although we've demonstrated for the past fifty years that this method does not work, it is still implemented nevertheless. The Federal Government subsidizes the poor by sending them tax-free checks. Instead of encouraging individuals to realize their full potential, the Government labels them as helpless; unable to survive without a bloated Federal Government providing them things. Recent legislation is aimed at helping welfare recipients by aiding their job search. Moving recipients off welfare and into jobs gives them a feeling of self-reliance. This is the key to a happy, successful life. Society's ideals have changed dramatically in recent times. Unfortunately, these changes have a negative impact on the families of America. Single parent households, divorces, and teenage pregnancy is becoming more common. Personal responsibility has long been abandoned. Even common courtesy has been thrown in the background. The absence of a stable family threatens the future of our children. The alarming trends show us that children of broken homes have a greater risk of becoming delinquents than their stable family counterparts. Undoubtedly, our founding fathers would be ashamed of our nation's integrity. America was built on core beliefs. The seemingly most important belief is rugged individualism. The founders emphatically stressed the notion that every individual is sovereign, and dependency on Government is political slavery. America can still be saved. Every citizen should feel personal responsible for the welfare of his or her family. In addition, Americans should teach their children to emulate positive role models, rather than the fringe sections of our society. Many people believe that these are extravagant ideals and that we could not afford to upset the current standards. On the other hand, can we afford not to?

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Maritime Transportation Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Maritime Transportation Industry - Essay Example However, the maritime transportation industry could be considered as having reached its peak and is now falling out of popularity due to the many problems and challenges the industry is now facing. These problems are listed and discussed in the following: Unlike trucks and planes, ships operate in a much more extreme environment. The ship, exposed to highly-corrosive and oxidative seawater, develops rust easily and can have its parts heavily damaged in just one delivery especially if it encountered storms during the trip. Compounding the problem is the incrustation of ship hulls, particularly the underside, by bacteria, algae and other sea organisms. Incrustations destroy paint making it easier for the metal of the ship to corrode. A heavy layer of organisms increases drag and leads to higher fuel costs. It can also cause accidents, impaired navigational ability and even the loss of the vessel. These are grave problems unique only to the maritime shipping industry which makes it more dangerous than other transportation method. (GAO, 2002) One big problem with the maritime transportation industry is that it is very sensitive to instabilities in the industry. In the 1980s, the changing pattern of international trade combined with rapid technological developments resulted in many structural and technological changes in the world shipping industry (Sussman, 2002). The fast rise and fall of other industries that were sources of job orders of the maritime industry meant that there could be a rapid decline or surge in seaborne trade. A decline could wreak havoc in the maritime transport industry because the maritime transport fleet is unable to respond quickly as existing tonnage cannot be easily redeployed and contractual obligations for the construction or order of additional ships cannot be easily removed without substantial financial penalties. This characteristic of maritime transport could lead to excess tonnage situations such as what happened in the 1970s when seaborne trade started to diminish, especially in the pe troleum trades. The result was that there was a severe imbalance between supply and demand which peaked in 1983 when surplus tonnage amounted to 28.5% of the world fleet. This means that when there is a decline in maritime trade, the maritime transport would easily suffer from huge losses incurred in contract obligations and fall out of the industry which creates a void in suppliers of the service. (Department of Transportation, 2007; Pedraja, 1994) 2.3 Restrictive Shipping Practices According to Donn (2006), unlike air and land transport of goods,

Friday, November 1, 2019

International Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Management - Essay Example Although ethnically diverse teams play a critical role in the success of companies due to the flexibility, receptiveness, and resource utilization that are expected of them (Marquardt and Horvath 2001), the management of cultural differences and conflict has become a challenge for many international organization. Diversity in culture can bring about misunderstanding, adverse relationships, and weak performance, thus the need to effectively manage geographic distances, facilitate control and coordination matters, establish strong communication, and maintain team consistency. Because of this crucial need, numerous studies, even early research such as that of Hofstede and Trompenaars, have been carried out to explain cultural variations in the working environment and the successful management of these differences among employees. Theories on Cultural Dimensions Through my experience as international director, I have learned about the essential components behind a successful expatriate assignment. Theories of cultural dimensions from well-known researchers such as Hofstede (1980) have been of good use in explaining why people are culturally different from each other. National culture plays a crucial part in understanding a workforce that is ethnically diverse as explained through Hofstede’s (1980) cultural dimensions including power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long term orientation. Power distance indicates the acceptance and expectation of the society, especially the less powerful individuals, that power can be unequally distributed, thus representing inequality. Anyone who has had experience in international studies can point out that all countries and societies have demonstrated inequality in wealth and power distribution, although some are more unjust than the others. Individualism refers to ho w people are integrated into groups; for instance, individualist societies tend to establish loose relationships among its members and each individual is expected to attend to himself and his family while collectivist ones are likely to stay committed to such relations and demonstrate unwavering loyalty to each other. Masculinity indicates how gender roles are distributed; men’s values significantly differ from those of the women such as in terms of assertiveness, competitiveness, compassion, and modesty. The index for uncertainty avoidance suggests how societies can tolerate and accept ambiguity, or whether or not they can find comfort in uncertain and unplanned situations. Unstructured circumstances are often different from the normal conditions and cultures that aim to avoid uncertainty place their efforts in minimizing the likelihood of ambiguous situations through the implementation of strict rules and regulations to ensure control over all. On the other hand, cultures t hat are accepting of uncertainty are