Assessment and Development Essay

1. What is a competency? What are its characteristics? How is it different from Job Description? Competency: Competencies refer to skills or knowledge that leads to superior performance. These are formed through an individual/organization’s knowledge, skills and abilities and provide a framework for distinguishing between poor performances through to exceptional performance. Competencies can apply at organizational, individual, team, and occupational and functional levels. Competencies are individual abilities or characteristics that are key to effectiveness in work. Some examples of competencies required by the employees are: 1. Adaptability 2. Commitment 3. Creativity 4. Motivation 5. Foresight 6. Leadership 7. Independence 8. Emotional Stability 9. Analytical Reasoning and 10. Communication Skills Characteristics of Competencies ? ? ? ? ? ? Competencies are the characteristics of a manager that lead to the demonstration of skills and abilities, which result in effective performance within an organizational area. The best way to understand performance is to observe what people actually do to be successful rather than relying on assumptions pertaining to trait and intelligence. The best way to measure and predict performance is to assess whether people have key competencies. Competencies can be learnt and developed. They should be made visible/accessible. They should be linked to meaningful life outcomes that describe how people should perform in the real world 3|P a ge Common difference Competencies & Job Description. Competencies †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Underlying characteristic of a person’s inputs. Clusters of knowledge, attitudes and skills. Generic knowledge motive, trait, social role or a skill. Personal characteristics. Set of skills, related knowledge and attributes. On the other hand, Job Description †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Superior performance in a given job, role or a situation. Individual’s ability to perform. Linked to superior performance on the job. Contribute to effective managerial performance. Successfully perform a task or an activity within a specific function or job. 4|P a ge 2. What are the different types of competencies? What is their relevance? 1. Behavioral Competency: Behaviors, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that contribute to individual success in the organization ? ? ? Can apply to all (or most) jobs in an organization or be specific to a job family, career level or position For example:- teamwork and cooperation, communication Focus on the person 2. Technical or functional Competency: Specific knowledge and skills needed to be able to perform one’s job effectively ? ? ? Job specific and relate to success in a given job or job family For example:- knowledge of accounting principles, knowledge of human resource law and practice Focus on the job A trainer requires a different set of competencies than an accountant, and a teller requires a different set than a maintenance worker. If there are different levels within the same position, then each job level might also have its own set of vertically derived competencies 3. Core Competency: ? ? A core competency is defined as an internal capability that is critical to the success of business. These are organizational competencies that all individuals are expected to possess. These competencies define what the organization values the most in people. For example:- an organization might want each individual to possess teamwork, flexibility and communication skills. 5|P a ge 4. Threshold competency: ? ? The characteristics required by a jobholder to perform a job effectively are called threshold competencies. For the position of a typist it is necessary to have primary knowledge about typing, which is a threshold competency. 5. Differentiating competency: ? ? The characteristics, which differentiate superior performers from average performers, come under this category; such characteristics are not found in average performers. Knowledge of formatting is a competency that makes a typist to superior to others in performance, which is a differentiating competency. 6|P a ge 3. What is the difference between Assessment Centre and Development Centre? Differences between Assessment and Development centers Assessment centers usually ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Have a pass/fail criteria are geared towards filing a job vacancy address an immediate organizational need have fewer assessors and more participants involve line managers as assessors have less emphasis placed on self-assessment focus on what the candidate can do now are geared to meet the needs of the organization assign the role of judge to assessors place emphasis on selection with little or no developmental feedback and follow up give feedback at a later date involve the organization having control over the information obtained have very little pre-centre briefing tend to be used with external candidates. Development centers usually ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? do not have a pass/fail criteria are geared towards developing the individual address a longer term need have a 1:1 ratio of assessor to participant do not have line managers as assessors have a greater emphasis placed on self-assessment focus on potential are geared to meet needs of the individual as well as the organization assign the role of facilitator to assessors place emphasis on developmental feedback and follow up with little or no selection function 7|P a ge ? ? ? ? give feedback immediately involve the individual having control over the information obtained have a substantial pre-centre briefing tend to be used with internal candidates 8|P a ge 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Assessment Centre and Development Centre? Assessment Centers: Assessment centers consist of a number of exercises designed to assess the full range of skills and personal attributes required for the job. Advantages: ? Assessment centers map the next level challenges and simulate them in exercises. This raises the validity of the assessment tool. The old way of evaluating the person based on past performance does not work many times, as the challenges of the next level are different from the challenges in the existing position. Assessment centers not only help the organization in placing the right candidate for the right job/assignment but also help in developing the participants. When participants see others handling the same exercise differently, it gives them an insight into their own performance thereby raises the credibility of the selection procedure. It appeals to the lay person’s logic and therefore is regarded as a fair means of assessment by the participants. Assessment Centers can be customized for different kinds of jobs, competencies and organizational requirements. They are far more accurate than a standard recruitment process as they allow a broader range of selection methods to be used during the process. They enable interviewers to assess existing performance as well as predict future job performance. They give the opportunity to assess and differentiate between candidates who seem very similar – in terms of quality – on paper. They give the candidates a better insight into the role as they are tested on exercises, which are typical for the role they have applied for. They help employers build an employer brand. Candidates who attend assessment centers which genuinely reflect the job and the organization are often impressed by that company, even if they are rejected. The cost of an assessment centre is usually cheaper compared with the potential cost of many recruitment phases and the cost of recruitment errors. 9|P a ge ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? They are a fair process – they complement an organization’s diversity agenda and ensure that people are selected on the basis of merit alone. Disadvantages: ? ? ? ? ? Assessment Centers are very costly and time consuming. Assessment Centers requires highly skilled observers as the observers may bring in their own perceptions and biases while evaluating. Those who receive poor assessment might become de-motivated and might lose confidence in their abilities. New recruits with high expectations can feel disappointed if the assessment centre has encouraged them to believe the job or organization fits their values if, in fact, it does not. If you haven’t defined the key competencies prior to the event – and a way to measure these competencies – you will only be able to compare candidates on anecdotal details.

Gathering and Evaluating Sources

Associate Program Material Appendix E Strategies for Gathering and Evaluating Sources |Source |What makes the source credible or what does not make it |Explain in at least two to four | | |credible? Consider the following when addressing the |sentences what information you can | | |source: |gather from this source? | | | | | |What is the author’s affiliation to any organization | | | |related to the subject of the article? Does he or she have| | | |an ulterior motive? | | | | | | |What is the author’s experience with the subject, | | | |including academic or professional credentials related to | | | |the subject of the source article? Does she or he have | | | |what it takes to understand the complexities of the | | | |subject? | | | | | | |Does this article report on information that the author | | | |experienced personally, or is it a summary or retelling of| | | |information from other sources? How close is the author to| | | the actual information? | | | | | | | |Is the information current? When was the information | | | |published or last updated? Might there be resources with | | | |more current information? | | | | | | |In general, does the information in the source article | | | |match the information found in other sources? Or is the | | | |information different or unique? Can this information be | | | |confirmed by more sources than just this one? | | | | | | | |Does the source make any claims without having evidence to| | | |support them? | |Source name |What makes this source credible is that the author |The information that I can gather | |Modernismo and Modernization. |questions some of the central assumptions of cultural |from this source is the past | |Authors: Mazzucchelli, Aldo; |studies and looks for the proof or evidence that supports |traditions and costumes. This source| |Novel: A Forun on Fiction |the facts. The author has an articulate approach to |will give me a more in depth look on | | |current discussion of elements of modernity-material, |how or in what aspects has the | | |technological and cultural objects, which the author |traditions changed and the | | |presents both sides of the subject. This source is not up|modernization of Spanish America. | |to date it was published in 2006, it is however the most | | | |recent article I could locate. | | |Source name |This is one of my favorite sources because it is not bias |This source has everything that I | |Everybody’s HERITAGE. |but it does contain opinions but they are backed with |want to include in my paper from the | |Authour: Dahlson,Conrad |evidence and facts. This source is not up to date but it |food to the religion to the arts and | |Source: Hispanic, sep2005, vol. 18|does have important information in it that has lead to the|music This source will give me | |Issue 9, |changes in Latino or Spanish culture. |information about the food, music, | | | |holidays and other aspects of the | | | |religious beliefs. | | | | | | | | |Source name |I find this online source to be credible by the amount of |This is one of my most recent sources| |http://ohioline. osu. edu/hyg-fact/5|research that has been done. I have researched the |that will include up to date facts | |000/5237. tml |references that this cites lists on the reference page and|and information on the Spanish | | |the facts have the right amount of evidence. The sources |culture. I will be able to find | | |that were used to create the page are form government |information about this cultures | | |websites and articles that have been published. family value, rituals and religious | | | |preferences, eating habits and | | | |celebrations and holidays. | | | | | | | | |Source name |The Americano is an online source that offers a top source|This source will give me the | |http://theamericano. com/2009/08/27|for Hispanic news and commentary. The article that I am |information of what aspects of the | |/hispanic-influence-in-the-united-|using was last updated in 2009. This source has a lot of |Spanish culture have influenced the | |states/ |statistics and has credible sources that have been |United States. This site also gives | | |researched. The website also offers up to date news from |information on architectural | | |all over the world. |influences as well as political | | | |influences. | | | | | | | | |Source name | | | | | | | | | | | |Source name | | | | | | | | | | |

Communication Through Graphic Design Essay

I’m going to college to earn a degree in Graphic Design. Graphic Design is the art or skill of combining text and pictures in advertisements, magazines, or books. My dream has always been to work for a large successful major business or company. I would love to live in the city and be able to drive down the high way or pick up a magazine and see my design in it for everyone to see. One of the biggest meanings of the word â€Å"design† is planning. To design is to come up with a plan for all elements of a project. I’ve always been really big on making plans. Like when I go to the mall I don’t like to just walk around aimlessly. I like to have a planned route of certain stores I’m going to go to, and in what order I’m going to go to them. I’ve never actually thought about the communication process when it comes to a career in Graphic Design. I always figured it was a career with little communication considering it’s all mostly done on the computer and independently. Depending on the job task, company, or person your doing a certain job for there has to be plenty on communication in order to get the project and design done. Which is a sender receiver type of communication. When going to create a design you must pay close attention to the person telling you what to design. So good communication skills are relevant to get a good job done and reach your bosses standards. Graphic Design is all about communicating images, ideas, and information visually. There are many different types of communication, Graphic Design is visual and non-verbal communication. For example, a billboard on the side of the road is still a form of communication even though there isn’t technically any talking going on. People drive by and still get the point and the message without any verbal communication. Some interesting history I never realized or thought about is that technically graphic design started back in the prehistoric period. With cavemen doing cave paintings and markings on boulders to relay a message to others. It’s interesting to think that people have been creating forms of non verbal communication through somewhat Graphic Design for quite some time now. Graphic Designs involves intrapersonal and interpersonal communication. This is because with this type of job comes lots of thinking, analyzing, listening, observing, questioning, and evaluating. Also I learned that there’s nonverbal physical means in Graphic Design such as; sign language, touch, eye contact, and body language by using design. It’s through communication that understanding, cooperation, and collaboration occur. Communication skills is way more important in Graphic Design than most would assume.

College students should have complete freedom to choose their own Essay

College students should have complete freedom to choose their own courses and create their own curriculums - Essay Example (Robertson & Smith, 1999, p.69) As the system functions today, college students are forced to conform to an educational model that was not designed in their interests. In other words, the existing educational system serves to indoctrinate young minds into obedient servants of the established social order. At the top of the social pyramid are the business and political elites, whose interests are reflected in the design of curricula. Hence, though it might lead to radical social upheavals, allowing greater freedom of choice within college campuses is the right way to go. Let us look at the rationale offered by those against freedom of choice in curricula and identify flaws in their arguments. A prominent advocate for less academic freedom was the sociologist Mortimer Adler, who stated that, left to their own choices, some students â€Å"will ‘downgrade’ their own education; therefore, adults should control these crucial choices so that such downgrading does not occur.† (Noddings, 2006, p.285) This fear is overstated, for college authorities can devise ways of ensuring that certain basic standards are met. Moreover, by what criteria are courses judged good and bad? In other words, the notion of ‘downgrading’ is very subjective. As John Dewey noted in his lectures, â€Å"a course in cooking, well planned and well executed, can induce critical thinking, increase cultural literacy, and provide valuable skills - it can be a "good" course. In contrast, a course in algebra may discourage critical thinking, add nothing to cultural literacy, and lead students to despair of acquiring useful skills - it can be a "bad" course.† (Noddings, 2006, p.285) Considering that John Dewey was the most influential educationist of last century, his views have to be heeded to. The essence of Dewey’s argument is that by there is more merit than what is apparent in courses such as

Place Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Place - Research Paper Example In the book, Tropic of Chaos, the author, Christian Parenti talks about the core issues and critical problems associated with the harsh environment of East Africa, ‎US borders and mountain region located in Afghanistan, as well as the political turmoil with reference to Rio De Janeiro slums. The book presents quite a compelling description of the bloody war and political turmoil faced by the regions under discussion. This historical analytical account provides insight on episodes of terror and transformation through ‎fact-based knowledge in support of the new worlds where there could be melting glaciers meet beautiful rivers and ‎abundance of refreshing green grass. The author portrays a realistic for the readers that are ‎basically outside of the privileged US class. Parenti’s hardnosed journalism describes the issues ‎related to climate change from a personal perspective and divulges the discussion of the issues that were not explored so deeply by any other writer in such a detailed and analytical manner (Parenti 154). Globalization has impacted both positively and negatively on society and corporations, in which the negative impacts have hindered realization of human dignity and moral values (Nwaogaidu 9). A person’s confirmation of human dignity is influenced by the realization of moral development and its negative causes, and this is what drives an individual to seek achievement a world where an individual’s dignity is entirely valued. The poor in Nigeria thought that because of belonging to a certain ethnic group, a particular neighborhood, or a particular background of education, they were weak to stand up against their poverty. Subsequently, it was a question of whether the poverty was due to overpopulation or vice versa, or individuals became poor because of bearing too many children, or they had created large numbers of responsibilities on their own that they could not

Project halim Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project halim - Assignment Example The main function of the encoders and decoders is to convert parallel data to series data. Design of the control circuit The function of the control circuit will be to give an alarm to indicate the departure of the child. The communication process that will be employed is the RF communication because it is the most accepted and affordable cost solution. In the RF module, both transmitter and receiver pairs are essential because the communication uses the principle of serial communication. The module of operation demands a component that converts the n-bit data to serial data. The RF module can, therefore, employ Serial encoders or decoders (HT12D and HT12E) to convert the data or task. RF communication block diagram The block diagram of the RF communication illustrated above employs the encoders/decoders that are TTL compatible. Therefore, the input levels are depicted in a TTL Logic level. To solve the problem, the TTL input must be changed into serial data input. To have a serial d ata input, an encoder must be used because; it can be read directly by the RF transmitter performing the amplitude Key shifting (ASK) modulation, and further transmitting the data via antenna. At the receiving end, modulated signal by the antenna is received; the RF Receiver carries out the filtering, demodulation and processing of the transmitted data. The data obtained at the end is a serial data that is converted to a TLL level logic data. The RF Module The module comprises of an RF receiver and transmitter. The two operate at a frequency of 434MHz. The transmitter obtains serial data from the encoder and transmits it using a wireless platform provided by the antenna attached to the pin 4 (data). The transmission speeds are between 1Kbps and 10Kbps. The RF receiver operated at the same frequency as the transmitter to obtain the data transmitted. In most cases, the RF module is used beside coupled with a pair of encoder HT12E and Decoder HT12D. The encoder is useful in encoding pa rallel data for transmission while the receiver send the required signal to the decoder for decoding. Features Range frequency of the TX: 433MHz Supply voltage of the TX: 3V ~ 6V Coverage in open space (standard Conditions): 100 Meters Receiver Frequency (RX): 433 MHz Operating voltage of RX: 5V Supply current of the RX: 3.5 mA RX IF Frequency: 1MHz Low Power consumption Easy Application HT12E and HT12D The decoder (HT12D) is ICs comprising a series of CMOS for remote control applications. The IC is paired with an encoder HT12E with the HT12D main role is the conversion of the serial input to parallel output. The HT12D decodes the serial addresses and data that are received by the RF receiver, which in turn sends the parallel data to the output pins after processing. For successful operation, the paired decoder and encoder must have the same number of address and data format selected. The serial data and address from matching encoder, received by the decoder, is transmitted by a car rier employing the RF transmission medium providing output to the output pins. Consequently, the HT12E encoder IC is also a series of CMOS specifically for Remote Control applications. The purpose of its use is interfacing the RF. The suitability of the encoder is restricted to 12 bit information consisting of N data bits and address bits. The encoder converts the parallel input from the

Genesis and exodus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Genesis and exodus - Essay Example God also assures Abraham that after punishment He will raise up the Israelites and lead them to the Promised Land. After 400 years of hardship and torture in the exile, the Israelites were ready to leave Babylon and go back to rebuild Jerusalem. However, bearing in mind that it was not an easy task, the books of Isaiah and Genesis encourage the exiles to leave Babylon and go back to rebuild Jerusalem. In order to encourage exiles, these two books (Isaiah and Genesis) used different means including reminding them of the God’s promises. For instance, the book of Genesis reminds exiles how God entered into a covenant with Abram. The book of genesis states that â€Å"And Abram fell sound asleep when the sun went down. Then he was overwhelmed by a great terror. Then the Lord said to him, â€Å"Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign country. They will be oppressed and enslaved for 400 year. But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. Afterwards, they will come out with numerous possessions. But for you, you will join your ancestors peacefully and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sins of the Amorites have not yet reached its limit.† When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch passed between the animal parts† (Gen. 15: 12-17) On the other hand, book of Isaiah encourages exiles by also reminding them God’s plan. For instance the book of Isaiah states that â€Å"Now, this is what the Lord says, the one who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: â€Å"don’t be afraid, for I will protect you. I call you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I am with you; when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you. For I am the Lord your God, the sovereign king of Israel, your deliver. I have handed over

The movie style of David Fincher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The movie style of David Fincher - Essay Example Quotations from the film have been cited independently in the bibliography. Fincher’s choice and portrayal of protagonists merit some attention. Frequently, his lead characters are men in a stressful or otherwise unfulfilling job, at odds with the world they inhabit, and with complex and unstable psychologies. Detective William Somerset in Seven is on the verge of retiring from a long career in the police. He repeatedly speaks about the oppressive nature of the city he lives in and how he would like to travel ‘far [a]way from here’. In Fight Club, the unnamed protagonist suffers from insomnia and has to join a slew of support groups to feel like a victim and find his emotional release. He is later revealed to be suffering from Split Personality Disorder as well. In Zodiac, the cartoonist-detective becomes obsessed with trying to solve the Zodiac’s codes and can think of nothing else, leading his second wife to leave him. The Game features millionaire Nicholas Van Orton, who, in his brother’s words, was ‘becoming such an asshole’ that he needed an extraordinarily complex and dangerous prank played on him for him to be able to feel again. The Social Network also fictionalises its real-life lead Mark Zuckerberg as someone not really ‘likeable’. Film critic James Lewis Hoberman, in his review of The Social Network, describes the character as ‘a sort of mildly autistic Sammy Glick with a grim 1,000-yard glare’. In the movie itself, the final lines are also directed at Zuckerberg’s character: ‘Youre not an asshole, Mark. Youre just trying so hard to be one’. The social and psychological alienation of his protagonists then, are a recurrent feature in Fincher’s films. Another thematic concern that pervades Fincher’s oeuvre is contemporary society as a locus of apathy and emotional numbness. In Seven, Somerset repeatedly expresses his dissatisfaction with the society he inhabits

Public Finance as the Collection of Funds Assignment

Public Finance as the Collection of Funds - Assignment Example The Public Finance and Trade Program at United Nations for Training and Research provide online education that covers important issues that are developing currently. These issues cover key areas of public financial management and intellectual property. This program focuses on expanding and enriching the government and private companies, specifically enriching the intellectual know-how of interested individuals. The program is done through e-learning, thus making learning much easier and convenient. This program only requires the student to have a computer with internet access, to be allowed to attend the virtual classes  (Ware, 2014). Thus, the e-learning courses allow participants get educated at the comfort of their computers and around their schedule. In addition to this, they achieve high-quality training, and international networking and collaboration among the participants are also enhanced the online learning. Each course of e-learning takes into consideration the requirements of people participating from developing countries and emerging economies. Basically, the e-learning center is composed of high broadband Wi-Fi complex. Through e-learning and incorporation of compulsory courses such as entrepreneurship, the students are educated on how to fair in job markets and on how to startup businesses. The e-learning course is applied through registration, technical requirements, and profiles of e-course moderators. Once a person has registered, the institution is required to send the password and username of all accepted participants, via email together with other instructions for accessing the course. The course fee should be made before one starts the course. According to Ware (2014), it is evident that e-learning is used in developing the economy by offering e-payment standard services.  

The Case of the Off-Rhythm Bongo Player Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Case of the Off-Rhythm Bongo Player - Essay Example As explained by Jason Bardi reports from the Scripps Institute, "calcium is a second messenger and regulates many different intracellular processes, including gene expression within cells." (Bardi, 2004) and "the transfer or spread of this excitability to a neuronal network, manifested as electro-graphic and clinical seizures, occurs via synaptic transmission." (Wellmer J, Su H, Beck H, Yaari Y and Eur J Neurosci, 2002) The effect on ion channels and effect on threshold are distinctive in the sense that "native calcium channels have been classified by both their electrophysiological and pharmacological properties and are generally divided into low-threshold (T-types) and high threshold (L-, N-, P/Q- and R-types). The L-, N-, P/Q- and R-type channels typically activate at membrane potentials near -30 mV and display diverse kinetic, voltage-dependent and pharmacological properties.1 The availability of specific pharmacological agents targeting the high threshold channels has permitted elucidation of many of their physiological functions. The T-type calcium channels describe a class of molecules that transiently activate at relatively negative potentials (-60 mV) and for which a general lack of high-affinity selective blockers has made their exact physiological contributions lag behind those of the high-voltage activated isoforms" (Snutch, 2005) The effect on Bado's muscles including the aching, twitching and tingling fingers is based on how the calcium mediates constriction and relaxation of blood vessels. This includes those excitable cells which controls the nerve impulses like those occurring in his twitching fingers. More definitively explained by Jane Higdon of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon University, calcium plays a role in mediating the constriction and relaxation of blood vessels (vasoconstriction and vasodilation), nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and the secretion of hormones, such as insulin. Excitable cells, such as skeletal muscle and nerve cells, contain voltage-dependent calcium channels in their cell membranes that allow for rapid changes in calcium concentrations. For example, when a muscle fiber receives a nerve impulse that stimulates it to contract, calcium channels in the cell membrane open to allow a few calcium ions into the muscle cell. These calcium ions bind to activator proteins within the cell that release a flood of calcium ions from storage vesicles inside the cell. The binding of calcium to the protein, troponin-c, initiates a series of steps that lead to muscle contraction. The binding of calcium to the protein, calmodulin, activates enzymes that breakdown muscle glycogen to provide energy for muscle contraction. (Higdon, 2003) As explained in the following afflictions, cell excitability and effects on the skeletal muscle are discussed: a) Hyperkalemia: "In acute hyperkalemia, the ratio of intracellular to extracellular K+ is decreased. The gap between the resting membrane potential to the excitability threshold is decreased and the nerve conduction is initiated more easily. If this continues it progresses to weakness of muscles. Gradual hyperkalemia, as in

E-Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

E-Business - Research Paper Example In the competitive world of business, the existing business organisations are trying to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage that strives to ensure a sustainable growth for the organisation. The prevailing scenario of the business world is the outcome of multiple factors where globalisation plays a very crucial role. Globalisation has itself offered better opportunities for trade and commerce as it has helped to enhance international trade. Moreover, the technological advancement is another key factor that has contributed significantly towards the growth prospect. The world economies have experienced a massive development in the fields of information & communication technology, transportation, infrastructure, research & development etc. All these improvements have changed the entire social and economic arena and now the entire business world is successfully incorporating and utilising these technical improvements to gain a better and sustainable competitive advantage over the prevailing highly competitive business world. In this regard, e-business and e-commerce are two most crucial technological developments that have revolutionised the entire business world. The present day businesses have recognised the potential for e-business and e-commerce and most of them have already identified and incorporated e-business and e-commerce as an integral part of their strategic management.

Aviva life insurance Essay Example for Free

Aviva life insurance Essay AVIVA life insurance entered in 2002 and deployed Talisma e-CRM suite. AVIVA got the success by recognizing the potential customers and bringing out products and services tailored to the customer requirements. Also e-CRM developed multistep marketing campaign and superior services across multiple channels. With this CRM project the company aims to achieve the organized data base system, superior service standards, quick access to customers, upgrading offers to customers, integrating the efforts of insurance agents and officials and ultimately to obtain customer satisfaction. The implementation of Talisma e-CRM has helped them to share real-time customer information across different customer-facing departments across locations. This has helped departments track customer details and respond to queries at short notice. Aviva has made its mark in the Indian insurance industry in just two years. It has no doubt been aided in this by the deployment of Talismas e-CRM suite that has helped it launch new products and services to differentiate itself from competitors. eCRM practice in GP to provide Customer service: Grameenphone leads the market with nearly 20 million subscribers. Mobile phone services are an important contributor to the cash-strapped nation’s economy. This company is trying to provide the quality customer service to its customers . GrameenPhone try to give the best customer services to retain the present customer and attract the potential customer To give the service as fast as possible eCRM is designed such a way that customer manager can provide the service in a fastest way. They use ORACLE Siebel customer relationship management. Each and every customer has their unique ID and password to logging in the software. Here they give a clear idea of how customers get service and how their problem is solved by using eCRM tools. After logging to the software the customer manager need to put the customer number and then he has to click on GO button than he can see all the basic information of the customer. Here name, address, connection name, whether this customer is prepaid or post paid everything will be present there. ECRM is the software which helps to keep all data of the customers. It is not record the customer data it helps to give the service appropriately. Ithelped GrameenPhone to give higher level of satisfaction in much way such as: It helps to retain customer by giving satisfactory service It also increase the customer loyalty cause customer are satisfied with the service Evaluation of Customer profitability by reducing the cost of the service. It also reduced cost It helps to acquire new customers It helps to grow profitable customer relationships It help to retain profitable customers It reduces customers’ call handling time GP can keep appropriate record of every call It also help to Grameen Phone to reduce customer dissatisfaction

Rhys In Wide Sargasso Sea Analysis

Rhys In Wide Sargasso Sea Analysis Rhys in Wide Sargasso sea illustrates how Antoinettes identity is so completely weaken through the patriarchal oppression that when she looks into the mirror she does not recognize her own reflection. It was then I saw her the ghost ,the woman with streaming hair. she was surrounded by a gift frame but I knew her(pg.154). Antoinette does not realize that what she sees is a reflection of her broken selfhood. Her self hood has under gone an irretrievable split. With her heart and spirit broken she began to exhibit signs of an emotionally weak, confused and unbalanced woman. Rhys gives voice to madwoman who has been othered by imperialistic and patriarchal oppression. Her madness is shown through out the novel to be a reaction to oppression. Antoinette is imprisoned by the patriarchal rules of her marriage, which eventually leads to madness. Antoinettes marriage is the culmination of this enforced literal oppression. Rhys illustrates the injustice of Rochesters assumption that mothers madness must inevitably passed on to the daughter. Rhys shows that Rochesters cruelty towards Antoinette is due to a projection onto her of his hate for his father, and the marriage arrangement which he has been pushed into. His anger is the anger of the oppressed. Like Antoinette, he is a victim of imperialistic and patriarchal oppression. I agree with Teresa F.OConnors arguments about Mr. Rochesters cruel treatment of Antoinette. She argues that her cruelties derive from his own rejection by his father and Antoinette becomes his scape-goat for the hate he feels towards him(162). Although, Mr. Rochesters cruelties derive from his hatred of his father, but his cruelties are still approved of by the patriarchal society. He is allowed to treat his wife disrespectfully because of the patriarchal norms. Thus, Mr. Rochester with his patriarchal oppression, is the reason for their failed marriage. Teresa F. O Connor says that, Mr. Rochester acts as the colonizing English aggressive, controlling, urban, and a warrior that captures wealth, property and people(170). Antoinettes attempt to make her husband love her by seducing him into having sexual inter-course with her is ineffective. Rochester reflects in the text; I woke in the dark after dreaming that i was buried alive, and when I was awake the feeling of suffocation persisted(Rhys 87). The suffocation he feels derives from finding himself in the power of his wife and not the other way around. He then demonstrates his sexual power over her by denying her a physical relationship with him, yet sleeping with the black servant, Amelia, he derives her further away from her identity. Mr. Rochesters infidelity is a way for her to demonstrate his patriarchal power over Antoinette and show her that she can not control him. Rochester tries to assign animality to his wife. He describes Antoinette degradingly by trying to destroy her human identity and make her more animal like. When Antoinette comes out of her room and rages about her husbands infidelity with Amelia, he diminishes Antoinettes human features in order to explain her madness, Her hair hung uncombed and dull into her eyes which were inflamed and staring, her face was very flushed and looked swollen.(Rhys93) Alienation is the major reason for Antoinettes psychological break down. Mr. Rochester alienates her by eliminating her identity and forcing a new one upon her. For in Wide Sargasso sea Rochesters rejection of Antoinette is the final straw in her isolated, painful, emotionally deprived life which cause her to adopt an exact mirroring of mothers expression which allows Rochester to label her Bertha, the stereotype of madness created by patriarchal society. The moment he turns Antoinette into Bertha and then to Marionette is emblematic. Rochester can be seen here as an agressive tyrant, when he deprives Antoinette from her identity. Rhys writes him directly into the role of colonize at the point where he changes Antoinettes name to Bertha. She becomes like a mirror, first wiped, clean of her own selfhood into which he then project his self-hatred, which he finally breaks up as she might a doll, chanting to her, the lulling and demeaning refrain, Marionette, Antoinette, in attempt to get rid of his own guilt. He begins to call her Bertha, signaling the beginning of his separating himself from her (ironically he likes to call her Bertha because it is a name dear to him). Rochester renames Antoinette; he controls her body now, but not her spirit. Antoinette is only a puppet, a doll for him, the doll had a dolls voice, a breathless but curiously indifferent voice(Rhys155). This also indicates that men reduce women to objects in order to control them, but inside the doll, underneath, the disguise, there is still the woman, who has feelings and emotions and who would rather give up her body then her spirit. We can see in part three of Wide Sargasso sea, Antoinette attaches values to names, Names matter, like when he woudnt call me Antoinette, and I saw Antoinette drifting out of the window with her scents, her pretty clothes and her looking glass(Rhys 117). Names matter because they are part of a persons identity and through a persons name he or she can be identified in a community. Mr. Rochester also shows his colonial power when he eliminates his wifes identity, as a colonizer he tries to force a British identity upon her. The patriarchal Mr. Rochesters obsession to dominate and control his wife makes him alienate Antoinette from her own identity. He tries to eliminate Antoinettes identity and turns her into a Victorian Englishwoman. Though Antoinette seems to perceive her fate as inevitable, she gives in and dies emotionally. She never becomes Bertha, at least not the perfect angel that Rochester wants to be. She says Bertha is not my name; you are trying to make me into someone else, calling me by another name. Renaming Antoinette is one way in which Rochester exerts his masculine power over his wife. He tries to create a woman whom he can control, dominate and possess. But Antoinette only seems to submit to it. Her struggle is on the inside, and instead of becoming the English girl, Rochester wishes her to be, she becomes someone else, someone much like her mother was. In the end of the part two when Mr. Rochester and Antoinette are about o leave for England, Mr. Rochester notices that she has lost her vitality and acts completely passive. She was so shocked to see Rochesters behavior towards her that she becomes like Zombie, having no soul. Teresa F.OConnors says that, the mad females in Wide Sargasso Sea turn their madness inwards (197). This is what happens to Antoinette, the destruction and alienation of her identity leads to her madness. Thus Mr. Rochester considers her to be mad. He wants to destroy her even more by eliminating every autonomous part of her, he wants complete control over her body and mind. By destroying her last spark of life, he turns Antoinette into an aphasic object. Being turned into someone else and loosing the only place where she has felt happiness and safety, gives her nothing to identify with. But I love this place and you have made it into a place I hate. I used to think that if everything else went out of my life I would still have this, and now you have spoilt it. Its just some where else where I have been unhappyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (Rhys95) Thus, Mr. Rochester has power, through his patriarchal position in their marriage, the power to destroy both Antoinettes identity of soul and identity of place. Rhys allows Antoinette to rise above her situation by seeking final revenge on Rochester and gaining back her independence, her sanity and her life. Rhys shows from the beginning of Antoinettes marriage, her defensive behavior. When her husband tries to teach her about the life style he finds correct, she argues against him in order to maintain her own ideals and values. She also fights to keep her husband when she finds out about his infidelity, she asks Christophine to help her with Obeah (Voodoo) in order to maker her husband love her. Christophine who is the figure of female independence in all forms (sexually, economically and politically) suggests to Antoinette what to do and how to solve their problems with her husband. Christophine advices Antoinette to be strong and independent like her self. She says, A man dont treat you good, pick up your skirt and walk out. In the end he comes to find how you do without him, he sees you fat and happy, he wants you back. Men are like that (pg69). What is certain is that Christophine considers her self free to contrast Rochesters behavior to accuse him of reducing Antoinette to a doll. She is so self-confident to answer him directly, coldly and going beyond his pretension of patriarchal power, this is a free country and I am a free woman. Christophine says to Rochester, she tells me in the middle of this you start calling her names Marionette some what so. Here Rhys illustrate that sexual and emotional oppression seems to be the key idea in patriarchal tyranny, for Antoinette lets her self to be victimized by the enemy, the man she was trick into marrying. In the end, however, after Rochester has drained her of all emotions, she manages to break free from the sufferings by making her last act of self-determination. With this last step, Rhys turns her mad woman into a symbol of female liberation. Antoinette finally regains her activity in the third part of the novel, and takes responsibility for her own life. In this way, she takes her destiny in her own hands. Teresa F. OConnor disagrees with other critics about the third part of Wide Sargasso Sea, where Antoinette appears to burn down her husbands house in England and commit suicide. She does not believe that Antoinettes act of burning down the house is an act of rebellion and resistance. She believes it to be a passive act since Antoinette is unaware that her act is rebellious (168). I disagree with Teresa that the apparent act of burning down Mr. Rochesters house is a passive act. Antoinette does not really burn down in her dream, she ha a premonition in her dream that she sets his house on fire and commits suicide by jumping from the building. When she wakes up she is convinced of what she has to do. Now at last I know why I was brought here and what I have to do. This statement is made by a woman perfectly awake with a clear mind. Antoinettes act of burning down his house is an active choice which brings her back from her apathy. This is an act of revenge that restores her agency that her husband had tried to eliminate. In the light of Cixouss theory, I support my statement that Antoinettes madness is a rebellion against the patriarchal repression and before her suicide; she destroys the prison that has held her captive by burning the house, an old dignified English Mansion representing the patriarchal tradition. Antoinettes rebellion against her patriarchal husband can be related to the incident when her childhood home, Coulibri, was burnt down. Despite her husbands effort to destroy her identity and take away her sanity, he can never control her completely. She still has her own will left, which is displayed in her final act of revenge and rebellion against her oppressive husband. She sets her self free from patriarchal oppression and takes command over her own situation by deciding her own course of life or, as in this case, death. Therefore, in part three Rhys with the use of color red shows how Antoinette destroys the dominant discourse of the patriarchal society. Red is metaphorically associated with passion and it is also associated with Antoinette and with her red-soiled through out the Wide Sargasso Sea. It is repeatedly repressed by her husband as he prefers her white dress which is the symbol of innocence and purity. He rejects the flame red dress with which she identifies her self as intemperate and unchaste. This tendency to suppress the color red is reversed in the third part of the novel. As Antoinette takes her red dress that has a meaning from the cupboard in the red curtained room in which she has asked Grace Poole to light a fire and is reminded of the color of fire and sunset in her home town. Every thing associated with red is repeated again and again in the novel to show the destruction of patriarchal order. The red is the color of flames which Antoinette dreams she sets fire to Thorn field, thus symbolically destroying the patriarchal order that is upheld by discourse. She decides to leave the oppressive world behind her by choosing death instead of an imprisoned life, although the choice of death in order to be free may seem as a poor alternative. It does show, though, Antoinettes determination not to be governed and have someone else decide her destiny, by committing suicide she takes her destiny in her own hands. There must have been a draught for the flame, flickered and I thought it was out. But I shielded it with my hand and it burned up against to light me along the dark passage. Thus, Rhys represents her protagonist with a ray of light o guide her hopes. For Antoinette at least the darkness of ignorance, despair and death are finally illuminated by the light of self-knowledge and revolt.

Comparing Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle :: Roald Dahl Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Essays

Comparing Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Both ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ and ‘The Speckled Band’ is detective murder mysteries. They share some similarities but have many differences. In my essay I will discuss these and the effects they have on the story. Roald Dahl wrote ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ in 1954. It is much more modern than Conan Doyle’s ‘The Speckled Band’ of 1892. In ’Lamb to the Slaughter’ the main point to the story is to find out whether Mrs. Maloney will get away with committing a murder. Dahl also tries to illustrate that appearances can be deceptive. However, in ‘The Speckled Band’ the reader continues to read the story to find out who the murderer was and whether Holmes will discover how the crime was committed. The stories are both murder mysteries yet their shapes are almost opposite. The setting of ‘The Speckled Band’ is a typical old mansion. ‘The manor house is very old’. This lends an atmosphere of foreboding and suspense to the story. This is because it is natural to find dark and sinister places scary. Conan Doyle uses descriptions such as ‘A picture of ruin’, ‘Ill trimmed lawn’, ‘the building was of grey lichen-blotched stone’; to show this age. The setting is important in that the atmosphere and the suspense, which keeps the reader interested, are dependant upon this. In Victorian times, this type of setting would be more suited to the audience than that of a warm and cozy house. Conan Doyle was not challenging stereotypes, instead using them to his own advantage. However, in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ the scene of the crime is the complete opposite. ‘The room was warm and clean’. This causes the reader to feel relaxed without any suspicion that events such as a murder would occur. Roald Dahl uses this homely image ‘the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight’ to contrast sharply with the murder – shocking the reader – and to support the impression given by Mary Maloney’s character, so forcing the reader to challenge their preconceptions. Whereas great attention to the setting is given in ‘The Speckled Band’ it is no longer needed after the initial description in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ as suspense is built in different ways. This is a large difference between the two. The main character in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is Mary Maloney. Dahl spends a long time at the beginning of the story creating an impression of her as a loving wife and house-proud women. ‘Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come home’, ‘She took his coat

Technology’s Impact Essays -- Communication Internet Technological Pap

Technology’s Impact Is the outgrowth of technology really a threat to college student? â€Å"Hey are you in the room, Ashley?† Kate knocks the door. â€Å"Hey I forgot my key, will you open the door for me,† Kate shouted. After five minutes, Kate went next door and knocked on her suitemate’s door. Her suitemate opened the door for her. She went through the bathroom, and reached to her own room. As she opened the door she was shocked; actually there was more of an angry expression on her face. â€Å"Ashley! Why didn’t you open the door for me? I told you I would be back in five minutes and I wasn’t bringing my key with me. Why did you lock the door? Didn’t you hear what I said? Now would you get away from your screen? I think we need to talk! We never talked since you setup your computer. I think we have a lot of problem now, we need to talk!† Again and again Kate repeated her phrase. Ashley didn’t say a word and her hands kept punching her keyboard. Then she suddenly started to laugh. â€Å"Why are you laughing? What is so funny?† Kate shouted. Ashley didn’t say a word and kept punching her keyboard and kept giggling. Realizing that Ashley was IMing her internet buddies, Kate shrugged and left the room. This is what I personally observed in James Madison University . It seems that the technology is taking control in our communication world. We hardly have any face-to- face conversation anymore because we stare at the screen most of the time. I read the article Luddite vs. Fetishist which was interesting. I then had the opportunity to create a survey to find out what our attitude toward technology is and how we really are addict to it. Bill Henderson in his publication Luddite vs. Fetishist stated that computer and tech... ... this was a very limited survey that I only gave out to 20 people for each section of my survey. In some of the questions I asked in the survey the result did not vary much. Therefore, in future investigations adding ten more questions and giving out fifty surveys will have a much more accurate result. Also, I need to get a variety of majors because a computer major is going to have more of a passion for technology than an english major. I could have asked more demographic questions for background information as well. As Kate left the room, Ashley slowly selected her away message for AIM. She then opened and checked her email once again to make sure she did not miss any messages. Last, she gathered her books and left the room. On the screen, her away messages said, â€Å"At class, leave your message and I will get back to you A.S.A.C (as soon as my class is over).† Technology’s Impact Essays -- Communication Internet Technological Pap Technology’s Impact Is the outgrowth of technology really a threat to college student? â€Å"Hey are you in the room, Ashley?† Kate knocks the door. â€Å"Hey I forgot my key, will you open the door for me,† Kate shouted. After five minutes, Kate went next door and knocked on her suitemate’s door. Her suitemate opened the door for her. She went through the bathroom, and reached to her own room. As she opened the door she was shocked; actually there was more of an angry expression on her face. â€Å"Ashley! Why didn’t you open the door for me? I told you I would be back in five minutes and I wasn’t bringing my key with me. Why did you lock the door? Didn’t you hear what I said? Now would you get away from your screen? I think we need to talk! We never talked since you setup your computer. I think we have a lot of problem now, we need to talk!† Again and again Kate repeated her phrase. Ashley didn’t say a word and her hands kept punching her keyboard. Then she suddenly started to laugh. â€Å"Why are you laughing? What is so funny?† Kate shouted. Ashley didn’t say a word and kept punching her keyboard and kept giggling. Realizing that Ashley was IMing her internet buddies, Kate shrugged and left the room. This is what I personally observed in James Madison University . It seems that the technology is taking control in our communication world. We hardly have any face-to- face conversation anymore because we stare at the screen most of the time. I read the article Luddite vs. Fetishist which was interesting. I then had the opportunity to create a survey to find out what our attitude toward technology is and how we really are addict to it. Bill Henderson in his publication Luddite vs. Fetishist stated that computer and tech... ... this was a very limited survey that I only gave out to 20 people for each section of my survey. In some of the questions I asked in the survey the result did not vary much. Therefore, in future investigations adding ten more questions and giving out fifty surveys will have a much more accurate result. Also, I need to get a variety of majors because a computer major is going to have more of a passion for technology than an english major. I could have asked more demographic questions for background information as well. As Kate left the room, Ashley slowly selected her away message for AIM. She then opened and checked her email once again to make sure she did not miss any messages. Last, she gathered her books and left the room. On the screen, her away messages said, â€Å"At class, leave your message and I will get back to you A.S.A.C (as soon as my class is over).†

Themes and Characters in For Whom the Bell Tolls Essay -- For Whom the

Themes and Characters in For Whom the Bell Tolls For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway, is a contemporary novel about the realities of war. The novel is wrought with themes of life and stark direct writing. The characterization in the story is what comprises the intricacy of the underlying themes within the tale. The story itself is not complex, but the relationships of the characters with the environment and with each other coupled with Hemingway's command of description and understanding make the novel as a whole, increasingly developed. The emotions of the story are not found in the dry narrative but rather from the character's themselves. The main character, Robert Jordan, has personality traits spanning various aspects of the heroic side of human nature. In addition, he displays ingenuity and perfectionism. His actions also show a high degree of introspection and philosophical thought. His relationship with Maria and the conflict it causes results in Robert Jordan's discovery of his personal values. He struggles to understand what defines his life and resolve the conflict of what to live or die for. Other secondary characters within the novel are Maria, Pilar, and Pablo. Pilar and Pablo play pivotal roles in both the story and the development of Robert Jordan's character. Their personality traits come into direct conflict with each other, affecting Robert in a wide variety of ways. Pilar can be best described as an aggressive, dedicated, outspoken women who feels comfortable leading a group or controlling a situation. Pilar demonstrates her skill at various times within the text, most notable ... ...xual trauma and made a woman by Robert, and he is given true happiness by her. Indeed, the rarity of their love is apparent when one analyzes the diction and syntax describing their lovemaking: lightly, lovingly, exultingly, innerly happy and unthinking and untired and unworried and only feeling a great delight and he also said my little rabbit, my darling, my sweet, my long lovely. The repetition of word structures and then sentence structures creates a catharsis. The repetition of words beginning in "l" and then "u" establish a parallel sentence structure which creates a rhythm alluding to their own physical interaction. They fall in love, these two people, one always looking ahead and the other always looking back. Through the necessity of war and the help of Pilar, they are able to learn to live in the now, and through this learning are able to grow as characters.

Analysis of Motives and Prospects within the OLI Framework: A Case Study of German FDI in China

Abstract This study deals with an analysis of German FDI in China using the OLI framework, an eclectic framework for analysing FDI. Other theories that aid in explaining German FDI’s motives and prospects in China are the internalisation theory and the product cycle theory. This study is mainly qualitative, using secondary data from existing literature. It suggests that German FDI is guided by internalisation advantages, location-specific advantages, and ownership advantages in its motives and prospects in the Chinese market. The internalisation advantages for German FDI in China include incentives derived from conducting such FDI in the country over other locations or through exporting. Location-specific advantages are identified as cheap, trained labour, export-oriented nature of existing FDI, quality of local infrastructure, access to natural resources, and cooperation agreements with local suppliers and the Chinese government. Ownership advantages, on the other hand, are identified as technology-based infrastructure and management know-how. Introduction This report deals with the analysis of motives and prospects within the OLI framework, focusing on a case study of German foreign direct investment (FDI) in China. To begin with, it is important to define and describe what the OLI Framework is. The OLI framework was developed by Dunning (2010) and is considered an eclectic approach to the study of FDI. It has been a guaranteed viable means to think about MNEs, which likewise paved the way for a range of applied works in economics and international business. Albeit it does not constitute a formal theory in itself, the OLI framework is nevertheless helpful in classifying many recent empirical and analytical studies concerning FDI (Reinert et al., 2009). Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been an important characteristic of globalisation. It is different from portfolio investment since it involves a package of assets and intermediate products and is generally carried out by MNEs (Blanco and Razzaque, 2011). Germany is China’s mo st important trade partner from Europe. In 2003, German companies were placed as the top European investors in China and were ranked as the seventh largest investors in the country. Albeit the ˆ7.9 billion investment of German companies in China comprised a tenfold increase from 1995, this only constituted 1.2 per cent of total German FDI. Most of these investors were manufacturing companies (around 2/3 of all German investors). Some of the pioneer German companies in China are Bayer, Siemens, and Volkswagen, which have been doing business with China for more than a hundred years (Reinert et al., 2009). China has large market potential as proved by about 76 million abundant consumers in the country, which is even larger than Germany’s total population. China is also characterised by low-cost assembly line, which serves as a major driver for investing in the country. Apart from it, its WTO membership has been an important driving factor behind German FDI, as WTO enabled ea sier access to China’s market (Bao, Lin, and Zhao, 2012; Reinert et al., 2009). The issues besetting German FDI in China are the unrelenting legal uncertainties in the country, as shown by the lack of intellectual property rights protection; limited market transparency; the rapidly changing regulatory framework conditions and obstacles; inadequate potential supplier networks; and difficulty in searching for relevant market information due to the problem involving the identification of individual market segments (Reinert et al., 2009). Potential German investments also face high input prices in China, such as high prices for raw materials and electricity, thereby making it all the more difficult to attain profit margins. There is also a rising competition in China in the midst of the growing attractiveness of its market. Given this context, this research intends to look into the intentions and outlook of German FDI in China, using the OLI framework to evaluate them.1.1 Objecti ves of the ResearchThe objectives of the research are described as follows: To analyse the German FDI in China in terms of its motives and prospects within the OLI framework; To describe the theoretical underpinnings surrounding German FDI activities in China; and To analyse how the OLI framework functions as a relevant model for the dynamic development of MNEs and German FDI within the increasingly growing Chinese market. Literature Review This part of the research report presents an array of published works relating to the topic of investigation to give light to the important concepts and to serve as evidence to the claim that may be posited. It also involves a description of methodology and data used.2.1 Methodology and Data UsedThis research is characteristically qualitative, which means that it is value-bound and relies on interpretations. It is predominantly inductive and is carried out in natural settings, discounting the use of quantities and measurements, which are confined within the domain of quantitative research (Klenke, 2008). This research also uses a case study method, which is described as â€Å"the study of the particularity and complexity of a single case† (Simons, 2009: 19), which in this report is the German FDI in China. Case study as this report’s research approach acknowledges the tradition in which it is drawn upon, specifically qualitative research (Simons, 2009). Secondary data a re solely used for this report. These are data that have been collected by a person (e.g. an author) and are being used by another (e.g. a researcher) for his/her own purpose (Oleckno, 2008). These data are therefore non-original. In this research report, they are mainly taken from books, academic journals, and relevant online resources relative to the topic being investigated. The search engines used to locate the needed materials are Google, Scholar Google, and Books Google, from which a number of sources have been uncovered. The journal articles utilised from these search engines are published by Wiley and Elsevier.2.2 Literature Review on the Motives and Prospects of German FDI in ChinaAccording to Zhang (2005), China’s location characteristics would help to understand and appreciate massive FDI in the country. The four determinants of China’s location-specific factors for the influx of FDI are its export-promotion strategy for FDI, its dominant availability of che ap labour, and export-orientation of FDI injected by the countries entering China. In the case of Hong Kong and Taiwan, unique links with China (the Chinese connections) are important determinants. The study uses a qualitative method and a case study design in dealing with the subject matter. Its applicability to the topic under investigation is seen in its direct focus on FDI in China and how China has flourished as a location for countries to engage in FDI. The limitation posed by the study is its emphasis in Hong Kong and Taiwan and does not include German FDI, which does not however mean that the study is already totally irrelevant. In the work of Chen and Reger (2006), German FDI in China has been described as one that has grown larger in size and of higher quality (alongside related technological activities), with long-term motives and broad market orientation. German FDI also seeks new markets and expands market shares within China. The authors second Zhang’s (2005) ea rlier claim for FDI determinants in China, such as cheap, abundant labour, and export orientation; and added some more, including China’s huge domestic market, access to natural resources, and enforced tax incentives. The research approaches used by the authors include a mail survey and a database analysis. The work is applicable to the present study because of its emphasis on the nature of German FDI in China. In a separate study by Pikos (2013), the author presents an investigation of the consequences of FDI for German companies in China. The author highlights the differences amongst the following: FDI in China, FDI elsewhere, and exporting. When size and sector activity are controlled, attributes to FDI in China include turnover, employment, net income, profit margins, and total assets, to name some. Albeit performance is boosted through FDI elsewhere, this is however on smaller scale. It is noted that investing in China results in better outcomes than doing FDI in another country, and this is due to China’s large and rapidly growing market. The methods used by Pikos (2013) are descriptive and econometric analysis in order to address the research topic. The applicability of the work to this research is its description of German FDI in China, thereby aiding the research to give light to the topic. A limitation of the study is its focus on location-specific factors for FDI. On the other hand, Zhang and van den Bulcke (1999) state that the expansion of FDI and its embodied technology are two of the key forces that molded the development of the Chinese automotive industry. Germany is an important source of inward FDI in China’s automotive industry, third to Hong Kong and the United States respectively. FDI in the automotive industry during the 80s was highly focused on the assembly of whole vehicles. In the 1990s, FDI became highly concentrated on the manufacturing of parts and components. Since the Chinese government in the 1990s had stric t control of the Greenfield investment projects for whole vehicle manufacturing, the latecomers encountered quite high entry barriers since dominant positions were already occupied by early movers. European automotive multinationals strongly influenced the restructuring of China’s automotive industry since the 80s. Moreover, China’s European car manufacturers have engaged in cooperation agreements with the Chinese government and local suppliers and often extend technical and financial assistance to local suppliers. An example of this is a 5-billion Chinese Yuan contribution of Shanghai Volkswagen for localisation funds (Zhang and van den Bulcke, 1999). The approach of Zhang and van den Bulcke’s (1999) study is chronological, mainly basing from existing secondary literature. The study is relevant and applicable to the topic under investigation as it provides useful and sufficient insights on the nature of the Chinese automotive industry and the chronological deve lopment of European FDI in the country, which can aid in analysing the current motives and outlook of German FDI in China. The research limitation is bounded within the study’s concentration on the Chinese automotive manufacturing industry. Analysis and Discussion The analysis and discussion provided for this research report is anchored on the literature review being carried out for German FDI in China.3.1 Analysis of German FDI in China Using the OLI FrameworkThe OLI Framework pertains to the three potential sources of advantage; namely Ownership, Location, and Internalisation, that lie beneath an organisation’s decision to enter into a multinational level of operation. Ownership advantages explain the reason/s why firms operate abroad whilst others do not, and indicate that successful multinational enterprises (MNEs) possess firm-specific benefits that enable them to overcome the costs entailed in operating in a foreign country. Location advantages, on the other hand, concentrate on the location aimed by an MNE (Reinert et al., 2009). Access to natural resources serves as a location advantage for choosing China for which to invest, as in the case of German FDI. Additional determinants of location selection for FDI are availability of cheap trained labour (e.g. Chen and Reger, 2006; Pikos, 2013; Zhang, 2005) and quality of local infrastructure (Tang, et al., 2012). Other critical factors are a smooth relationship with Chinese authorities, both central and local; and experience to cope with Chinese bureaucracy (Tang, et al., 2012). Such relationship is the bottom line for German FDI to engage in cooperation agreements with the Chinese government and local suppliers, as earlier highlighted by Zhang and van den Bulcke (1999). Zhang (2005) also highlighted in his work that China’s location characteristics would help to understand and appreciate massive FDI in the country. Internalisation advantages – another embodiment of the OLI framework – provide the influence on how a firm decides to operate abroad, making a trade-off between transaction savings and monitoring costs of a completely-owned subsidiary, on one hand; and the advantages of other forms of entry, such as joint venture and exports, on the other. A main characteristic of this approach is that it provides emphasis on the incentives for the individual firm. Mainstream international trade theory has considered this a current standard, which was not the case in the 1970s when FDI was classically regarded as an international movement of physical capital in pursuit of higher returns (Reinert et al., 2009; Taliman, 2007). The internalisation advantages embodied in the OLI framework are also found in the study of Pikos (2013) in the literature review, which magnifies the differences amongst conducting FDI in China, elsewhere, or through exporting, apparently aiming to ascertain the incentives that can be gained from choosing the most suitable out of the three options. The OLI framework is in fact an eclectic paradigm that provides a general theoretical framework for ascertaining firms’ FDI activities beyond their national borders. The eclectic paradigm is an analytical theory that accommodates other FDI theories a nd views most of the theories as having complementariness with each other (rather than having substitutability) of which their application can be fully enhanced (Tang et al., 2012). Internationalisation theory is one of the general theories of FDI, which views a MNE as an organisation that engages in utilising its internal market to produce products and distribute them efficiently in situations where a regular market encounters failure of operation. In effect, the internationalisation theory regards MNES taking on FDI activities abroad as a way to respond to goods and factor market imperfections, which have in fact prevented international trade and investment to operate efficiently (Tang et al., 2012). Through FDI, MNEs are able to produce and distribute their products via internal markets, thereby enabling them to optimise efficient production and improve the total profits. This notion must also constitute the motives and prospects for German FDI to conduct business in China. It mu st be noted that a MNE only employs FDI if the cost is outweighed by the benefits (Suneja, 2006; Tang et al., 2012). Worthy of note is the idea that in the lens of the internationalisation theory, knowledge, information, and research are intermediate products to be readily and directly traded to other countries due to the risk of loss of knowledge advantage (Rugman, 2002). However, MNEs possess vertical and horizontal integration, enabling the creation of their own internal markets, whereby intermediate products such as technology know-how are converted as a firm’s valuable property. This reflects the ownership advantage embodied in the OLI framework, as discussed by Reinert et al. (2009) and Taliman (2007). Hence, as the MNE sustains its competitive advantage, its ownership such as management know-how can be utilised and bolstered (Tang et al., 2012). The Uppsala Model looks at the internationalisation process as cyclic, experiential, and resource-based learning-by-doing, wh ich seems to foresee later research flows regarding dynamic capabilities and temporary competitive advantages with the internalisation framework (Sanchez and Heene, 2010). Based on the analysis, the internationalisation theory cannot in fact be seen as a separate body of thought from the OLI framework because it has a similar trail with such framework in relation to understanding the motives of a MNE (e.g. German firm) and its outlook to engage its FDI in a country like China. Meanwhile, the product cycle theory describes the so-called ‘wild geese flying’ patterns of foreign trade to explain the different economic development phases of countries. This theory cites three phases of industrial development with which each country attempts to elevate itself o the top phase of industrialisation. The theory says that the mature phase takes place once industrialisation development has been extensively laid down over the entire region or country with robust dynamic growth (Tang et al., 2012). It is interesting to consider that the OLI framework may be fastened over the product cycle theory in analysing German FDI in China, and that the relevance of the framework cannot be set aside when the chronological developments involved in the industrialisation process are taken into account. The applicability of the twin analysis of OLI framework and the product cycle theory is seen in Zhang and van den Bulcke’s (1999) study, which uses chronological discussions to describe the growth of European FDI in China, and cites the ownership-specific, location-specific, and internalisation-specific factors of European firms (e.g. German firms) to invest in the Chinese automotive sector.4. ConclusionThis research report deals with analysing the motives and prospects of German FDI in China within the OLI framework. The OLI framework is an eclectic framework that accommodates other theories of FDI and explains the intentions and outlook of MNEs to engage in FDI in China . The motives and prospects of German FDI to continuously seek to invest in Chinese market is propelled by internalisation advantages (e.g. incentives through conducting FDI in China rather than elsewhere or through exporting); location-specific advantages (e.g. cheap trained labour, export-orientation of FDI; access to natural resources; quality of local infrastructure; cooperation agreements with the central and local governments and local suppliers); and ownership-specific advantages (e.g. management know-how; technology-based infrastructure). The rapidly growing globalised market ushers the German FDI to continuously seek newer FDI prospects within China, beset by the growing competition and search for competitive advantages. References Bao, S., Lin, S., and Zhao, C. (2012) The Chinese Economy After WTO Accession. England, Ashgate Publishing Limited. Blanco, E. and Razzaque, J. (2011) Globalisation and Natural Resources Law: Challenges, Key Issues and Perspectives. Glos: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Chen, X. and Reger, G. (2006) The Role of technology in the Investment of German Firms in China. Technovation, 26 (3), 407-415. Dunning, J. H. (2010) New Challenges for International Business Research: Back to the Future. Glos: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Klenke, K. (2008) Qualitative Research in the Study of Leadership. Bingley, IWA: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Oleckno, W. A. (2008) Epidemiology: Concepts and Methods. IL: Waveland Press, Inc. Pikos, A. K. (2013) German FDI in China: Consequences for Firms’ Performance (Published Thesis]. Denmark: Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University. Reinert, K. A. and Rajan, R., Glass, A. J., and Davis, L. S. (2009) The Princeton Encyclopedia of the World Economy. Oxfordshire: Princeton University Press. Rugman, A. M. (2002) International Business: Theory of the Multinational Enterprise. New York: Routledge. Sanchez, R. and Heene, A. (2010) Enhancing Competences for Competitive Advantage. First Edition. Bingley, IWA: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Simons, H. (2009) Case Study Research in Practice. First Edition. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Suneja, V. (2006) Understanding Business: A Multidimensional Approach to the Market Economy. New York: Routledge. Taliman, S. B. (2007) A New generation in International Strategic Management. Glos: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Tang, S., Selvanathan, E. A., and Selvanathan, S. (2012) China’s Economic Miracle: Does FDI MatterGlos: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Zhang, K. H. (2005) Why Does So Much FDI From Hong Kong and Taiwan Go to Mainland ChinaChina Economic Review, 16 (3), 293-307. Zhang, H. and van den Bulcke, D. (1999) The restructuring of the Chinese Automotive Industry: The Role of Foreign Direct Investment and Impact of European Multinational Enterprises. Belgium: University of Antwerp. Analysis Of Motives And Prospects Within The Oli Framework: A Case Study Of German Fdi In China Introduction There are a number of theories that explain motives and prospects of FDI. OLI framework is the one that is most widely used by economists. According to OLI, there have to be advantages that can offset costs of making direct investment abroad. In this paper we apply the OLI framework to understand the motives behind German FDI in China. A case study of Volkswagen China is conducted to show the application of OLI in practice, and to demonstrate why FDI abroad can be a success story despite all the difficulties a company faces in a foreign environment. Literature Review One of the earliest theories explained FDI in terms of market imperfections. Kindleberger (1969) argued that for companies to gain advantage by investing abroad market has to be imperfect . If we assume that markets are perfect there is nothing foreign companies can exploit to make enough profits that will offset costs and risks associated with investing abroad (Kindleberger 1969).. The concept of firm-specific advantages was introduced to explain how market imperfections lead to foreign investment. Among these advantages are superior technology and marketing (Caves 1971), cheap labour (Grubel 1968), management skills (Wolf 1977), and exclusive access to natural resources (Lall and Streeten 1977). . Only when a foreign company possesses these firm-specific advantages can it successfully invest and become a major player in a foreign market and compensate for the disadvantages of being foreign in the country of its operation (Hymer 1976). Vernon’s product life cycle is another major FDI theory that tries to explain motives and the rationale behind FDI. Vernon (1966) dissected product life cycle into three distinct phases – innovation, maturity and standardisation Established companies in developed economies invest in new projects to design innovative products that will sell in future and guarantee a new profit channel for them. When a new product is designed, it is sold in the domestic market. Consumers gradually get used to it and demand new products. This leaves the company with two not mutually exclusive choices – get back to the innovation phase and design something new, or go abroad and produce the same products there. Going abroad is sometimes a better choice because foreign producers (such as China) start to imitate the existing product and become so good at it that the differences with the original become marginal (Vernon 1966). A later theory developed by Dunning (1977) has become widely used in attempts to understand the motives behind FDI. The theory became known as OLI: Ownership, Location and Internalisation. All three elements should be present in order for FDI to occur. This theory will be explained in greater detail in a separate chapter of this paper. Theoretical FrameworkDefinition of FDIAccording to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2008) 4th Edition of Benchmark Definition of FDI, FDI is â€Å"a category of cross-border investment made by a resident entity in one economy (the direct investor) with the objective of establishing a lasting interest in an enterprise (the direct investment enterprise) that is resident in an economy other than that of the direct investor† . Companies carry out FDI because they want to have direct control over their enterprise. This is what makes FDI different from portfolio investments which usually result in an ownership of less than 10 per cent of a foreign company’s capital. Hence the investor does not have real control over the foreign company (OECD 2008). Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Greenfield investments are the two different types of FDI. The choice between them has different implications for the parties concerned. M&A happen when an existing company is bought out by a foreign firm. In contrast Greenfield investments are investments into new assets. For developing economies, including China, M&A are more common, for developed economies like Germany Greenfield investments are a popular choice (Shatz and Venables 2000). FDI are divided into horizontal and vertical; only in a few cases do the two occur simultaneously. Horizontal FDI occurs when a company invests in a firm built to serve the foreign market (Shatz and Venables 2000). . This foreign firm then performs the same activities as the host firm does in its own domestic market. With vertical FDI, the production cycle is fragmented so that each phase can be completed in a country where it can be done cheapest of all (Shatz and Venables 2000). OLI Framework The OLI framework is a theory that explains motives and the rationale behind multinational corporations’ (MNCs) decision to choose FDI instead of licensing use of their name or product to foreign producers or sellers (Lynn 2008). . FDI is a foreign investment so, for it to occur, the investing firm has to acquire assets in a foreign country. FDI is called direct investment because it results in a direct and real control over the acquired capital. MNC acquires a right to produce what it wants in a foreign country and decide where it wants to sell the product. As explained above, the whole product (horizontal FDI), or parts of it (vertical FDI), can be produced in a foreign country based on the considerations of cost-effectiveness (Shatz and Venables 2000).. FDI occurs because there are advantages to it. The first one is ownership advantage which stands for â€Å"O† in the OLI abbreviation. There has to be some advantage to owning the foreign asset. These can be lower costs, greater reputation, or swifter transition to a foreign market. Take for example Apple. The company has a reputation for high quality products so by owning a production facility in a foreign developing country it can still make profits that will offset costs of FDI (Lynn 2000). . Ownership advantage alone is not enough for FDI to occur. Here is when the â€Å"L† comes into play. â€Å"L† denotes the location advantage. A less costly labour force, access to the natural resources needed in manufacturing and a better geographic position (which leads to more efficient logistics), are some of the location advantages that can make companies seriously consider investing abroad (Lynn 2000). . Again this is not enough for FDI because everything described above can be achieved by brand licensing or through establishing joint ventures. FDI needs a third element – internalization, or control, advantage. This is the â€Å"I† in OLI. When it is believed that MNC can lose market share in case another company gets access to the same asset, FDI becomes the only choice available (Lynn 2000). . It is known that at some stage, foreign producers start copying products produced in the developed world and when they do it they are able to offer cheaper prices thus outperforming foreign producers in sales. To prevent this scenario many companies prefer to go with FDI and gain exclusive control over their assets. Methods and Data In this research, we conduct a critical review of the main theories of FDI, paying special attention to the OLI framework. While we acknowledge the importance of OLI in understanding international business and FDI in particular, we provide a short overview of criticisms of the paradigm so that readers have an understanding of the potential limitations of this research. A case study of German car manufacturer Volkswagen is used as a method of understanding FDI under the OLI framework as applied to the German investor interest in China and the two country’s bilateral economic relations. Additionally, we use statistical information to put some numbers into perspective and cite a research by Deutsche Bank which includes some forecasts as to the future of German FDI in China. Volkswagen (VW) Case Study Volkswagen was founded in 1937 (Datamonitor 2011). The name of the brand translates as â€Å"the car of the people† (Datamonitor 2011).. Volkswagen is represented in China through two ventures – with Shanghai Automotive International Company founded in 1985 and with First Automotive Works started in 1990 in Changchun (VW Annual Report 2010). VW has always regarded China as an important market. Today, there are 9 production facilities in China and 2 more are planned. VW’s target is to sell 3 million cars per year. Through 2015 VW is set to invest a total of 10.6 million euro to expand its production in China. VW is actively involved in producing electric vehicles in China. Both E-Golf and E-Lavida were presented in China and the first electric test was made here in 2011. VW is also set to produce a new brand specifically for the Chinese fast-paced economy (VW Annual Report 2010). Volkswagen Analysis Based on the OLI ParadigmOwnership advantageVW is one of the world’s most successful car manufacturing companies and, as such, it has a lot of advantages. VW is known in Europe for its technological advances and efficient production system. VW brand is strong all over the world. Many consumers associate vehicle design innovation, cost-effectiveness, and high safety standards with VW and consider it as their first choice when making decisions on buying a vehicle (VW official website 2011). Not surprisingly, VW had a competitive advantage over all Chinese manufacturers at the time of the entry into the market (VW official website 2011). In fact, VW is still superior to any of the Chinese car producers. VW exploited its technological dominance and increased its brand recognition. Chinese consumers were happy with the product offered and enjoyed VW’s presence in their country. Currently, VW strives to adjust its technology to meet changing customer need s and develop sustainable models for future (Yu 2010). .Location advantageVW’s joint venture in Shanghai was the most successful car enterprise in China at the time it was established in 1985 and it retains the top position today (Li 2000). . Locating in China, and Shanghai in particular, was the best possible decision for VW in terms of location because the region is rapidly developing and the people’s life standards are improving. Shanghai is the most densely populated and prosperous city in China and it has close ties with the central part of the country (Li 2000). Products from Shanghai are considered to have high quality across China and do not face any obstacles due to local protectionism. It should be also noted that at the time VW entered China it received many incentives and support from the government. The government still stimulates the automobile industry to increase domestic sales and contributes to the development of the sector. Thanks to these location a dvantages, VW China became a success and continues to be a source of decent income for the parent company (Li 2000)..Internalization advantageVW had the first mover’s advantage which helped it to become a major player in the new market. The company managed to take control over the major share of the Chinese market and realise all its ownership advantages. This first mover advantage till today helps VW to be very competitive with regards to Japanese and American rivals. To retain its market share, VW continues to innovate according to the changing tastes of the Chinese consumers and requirements to reduce the strain on the environment resulting from manufacturing and exploitation of automotive vehicles (VW official website 2011).Future of German Interest in ChinaChina has attracted German interest more than any other emerging country since 1997 (Deutsche Bank Research 2004). German companies explain their excessive interest in China by citing the country’s huge market p otential. In 2001 there were about 76 million prosperous consumers in China – a population that is worth FDI in any country despite possible barriers and foreign culture-related challenges (Deutsche Bank Research 2004). This number of prosperous consumers in China is greater than the total population of Germany and it is set to increase tenfold by 2015. The second most important argument for German FDI in China is the â€Å"extended low-cost assembly line† (Deutsche Bank Research 2004). Cost has always been one of the most important considerations in business decision-making.. Heated global competition for competitive advantage and market shares across virtually all industries means that companies need to find cheaper options for manufacture. China is often the best solution because of the low-cost labour force it offers. Not surprisingly, Germany, alongside other strong economic powerhouses, chooses China as a low-cost manufacturing site and actively invests there (D eutsche Bank Research 2004). Another reason for German FDI is the growing economy of China and its potential to become a dominant power. Germany has to defend its interest in a country which is set to become a global leader with an over 1 billion of potential buyers of products and services. Of course, China is a completely whole new world for German businesses that has to be explored until there is sufficient understanding required for making informed decisions. Usually, most foreign companies entering China lack information vital for their success and have to be quick to adapt or risk becoming a failure. China cannot be considered â€Å"one country – one market†. It is bigger than both Eastern and Western Europe put together (Deutsche Bank Research 2004) and it is naive to think that one product design or pricing strategy will work across the whole country (Deutsche Bank Research 2004). Hence a lot of prior planning is required (Deutsche Bank Research 2004). Among other obstacles that can potentially deter German interest in China are high input prices. There are a lot of protectionism locally, and also many logistic and bureaucratic inefficiencies that are not easy or cheap to overcome. Moreover, the global prices for raw materials and energy resources a re growing which adds to the cost of production even in China (Deutsche Bank Research, 2004). The final commonly-cited obstacle to German interest in China is the heated competition amongst different foreign companies coming from such developed nations as USA, Canada, and Australia. Everyone knows about advantages of investing in China and hence there is a lot of competition for assets and control over the market.Criticism of OLI frameworkThe OLI framework offers a very useful insight into the motives and the rationale behind FDI. The paradigm has evolved over the time to adapt to changes in the way international business is conducted (Narula 2010). Critics of the theory argue that because of expansion of OLI’s application to all MNE-related phenomena, it now risksbecoming tautologous (Narula, R. 2010). Narula proposes a return to the classic OLI framework and using alternative theories to understand the more complex new developments rather than internalising everything so th at it fits OLI. Narula acknowledges the importance of OLI in early research on the international business and FDI, but argues that it is not suited for explaining everything that happens in business (Eden 2003). In fact, it is becoming cumbersome to apply OLI to understanding international business, as the latter has became complex (Eden 2003).There is a need for new frameworks. OLI can still be a valuable tool in understanding some aspects of international business and FDI, but should lose its dominance in the academic community (Narula, R. 2010). Conclusion German interest has been present in China for almost half a century. Because Chinese market is huge and has a big growth potential, German companies are likely to look for more opportunities there. Before a decision to invest is made, companies always asses its prospects. OLI framework is often used to see whether FDI is justified. OLI’s critics now say that there should be some additional analysis involved in decision-making, because, as good as the paradigm is, it still cannot explain every complex aspect of international business. References Caves, R. (1971). International Corporations: The Industrial Economics of Foreign Investment. Economica, Vol. 38, pp. 1-27 Datamonitor (2011). Automotive Manufacturing in China http://360.datamonitor.com.www.baser.dk/Product?pid=10C672D5-7559-4A0A-90B3-5EFBDF97D73C [accessed 31 March 2014] Dunning, J. (1977). Trade, location of economic activity and the multinational enterprise: A search for an eclectic approach. University of Reading diuscussion papers in international investments and business studies, no. 37 Eden, L. (2003). A Critical Reflection and Some Conclusions on OLI. Vox Professori. http://www.voxprof.com/eden/Publications/Eden-Reflections-on-OLI-2003.pdf [accessed 1 April 2014] Foreign Direct Investment in China – Good Prospects for German CompaniesChina Special (2004). Deutsche Bank Research. http://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/DBR_INTERNET_EN-PROD/PROD0000000000196028.PDF [accessed 30 March 2014]Grubel, H. (1968). Internationally Diversified Portfolios: Welfare Gains and Capital Flows. American Economic Review, Vol. 58, pp. 1299-1314. Hymer, S. (1976). The International Operations of National Firms: A Study of Direct Investment. PhD Thesis. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Kindleberger, C. (1969). American Business Abroad: Six Lectures on Foreign Direct Investment. Yale University Press Lall, P. and Streeten, S. (1977). Foreign Investment, Transnationals and Developing Countries. London: Macmillan Li X. (2000). Foreign Direct Investment in China: The Importance of Market Entry Timing. The Haworth Press, Inc Lynn, W. (2008). The OLI Framework Temple University. Lecture Notes. http://astro.temple.edu/~pippin/oli.htm [accessed 30 March 2014] Narula, R. (2010). Keeping the eclectic paradigm simple: a brief commentary and implications for ownership advantages. United Nations University. Working Paper Series. https://www.google.com/#q=Narula%2C+R.+(2010).++Keeping+the+eclectic+paradigm+simple%3A+a+brief+commentary+and++implications+for+ownership+advantages [accessed 30 March 2014] OECD (2008). OECD Benchmark Definition of Foreign Direct Investment, 4th Edition, pp. 1-241 Shatz, H. and Venables, A. (2000). The Geography of International Investment. Policy Research Working Paper, Vol. 2338, The World Bank, Washington, D.C. Vernon, R. (1966). International investment and international trade in the product cycle. Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 80, pp. 190-207 Volkswagen Annual Report (2010). http://www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/info_center/en/publications/2011/03/Volkswagen_AG_Geschaeftsbericht_2010.-bin.acq/qual-BinaryStorageItem.Single.File/GB_2010_e.pdf [accessed 31 March 2014] Volkswagen official website (2011). With a new sales record Volkswagen Group China, http://www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/info_center/en/news/2011/01/With_a_new_sales_record_Volkswagen_Group_China.html[accessed 31 March 2014] Wolf, B. (1977). Industrial Diversification and Internationalization: Some Empirical Evidence. Journal of Industrial Economics, Vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 177-191. Yu, Q. (2010). BlueMotion’ powers VW to save energy, boost sales. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2010-12/20/content_11728087.htm [accessed 31 March 2014] Additional Resources Chunlai, C. (1997). The Location Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries. The University of Adelaide. http://www.rrojasdatabank.info/97_12.pdf [accessed 30 March 2014] China (2013). German Federal Foreign Office. http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Aussenpolitik/Laender/Laenderinfos/01-Nodes/China_node.html [accessed 30 March 2014] Franco, C., Rentocchini, F., Marzetti, G. (2008). Why Do Firms Invest AbroadAn Analysis of the Motives Underlying Foreign Direct Investments. University of Bologna and University of Trento. http://www.etsg.org/ETSG2008/Papers/Franco.pdf [accessed 30 March 2014] World Economy FDI: The OLI Framework. University of Oxford. http://users.ox.ac.uk/~econ0211/papers/pdf/fdiprinceton.pdf [accessed 30 March 2014]