Industrial or Economic Espionage :: International Business Competition Essays

Industrial or Economic Espionage A small Mississauga electronics safety equipment company is broken into. Although filing cabinets and desks were rummaged through, nothing was seemingly taken. An officer discovered the company had drawn up a bid for $7 million dollar contract a day or so before the break-in. The contract in question was for a foreign country. It was later discovered that the company in question was known for its aggressive economic espionage. An iron ore shipping company was also broken into. At first it was thought that the target had been the firms computers. But, nothing was taken, it was assumed that the burglars had been scared off. Within thirty minutes it was discovered that the company was approaching its fiscal year end. staff eventually found that most of the recent database backup tape was missing. A Quebec based company with the laser-based system for inspecting materials used in, among other things, the stealth aircraft, had three computers stolen. On their harddrives were confidential codes for specialized software used by the Canadian Armed forces. The above are all true examples of the modern threat facing international business today known as industrial or economic espionage. The end of the cold and economic pressures have increased the risk of economic espionage. The collapse of the Soviet Union has left unemployed KGB and other former communist bloc intelligence agents selling everything from Russian night vision devices to completely assembled and functional bugging devices. Even friendly western European governments have been caught spying on private corporations based in the U.S. and other countries, while industrial competitors sometimes hire private companies to collect competitive intelligence from their corporate rivals( Lester:96). What exactly is economic espionage? how prevalent is it? Who does it? How do they do it? and what can we do to stop it. These are the questions that will be looked at in the following pages. First lets look at, what exactly is economic espionage. Espionage and intelligence is no longer the exclusive domain of monarchs and governments, it has become a must for modern international business. Large corporations around the world particularly in western Europe and Asia now hire agents to gather intelligence on their competitors and other countries. The goal of economic espionage is to steal trade secrets, plans and confidential procedures or anything to give your company or country a competitive edge over another (Perry:1996). The areas that interest industrial spies the most include radiation transfer technology, systems diagnostic and testing software, traveling wave tubes, aviation technologies, microwave monolithic integrated circuits, inferred signature measures software, radar technologies, wet

Natalie Meyers Hidden Heart and Astophils Astohpil and Stella Essay

Natalie Meyers'Hidden Heart and Astophil's Astohpil and Stella Longing to bleed my love into words that stain his heart, That in my wound he take, delight that has no wear: Delight may light a fire, of burning thoughts to start, To fan the flame of pity, would help to spark his care, Desperate to show my sorrow with words equal to art. Searching round the depths for lucid language, fair, The force behind my mind locked round a solid part. Some spry ideas seeped, through my reason with a tear, But whisked into a wind, that twirled them in a haze, And dizzy fog that blurs my head into a stare, Becomes a source of strength to break my callous gaze. Frustration takes a dive, and offers me a dare, A new voice (not my own), calls me from within, Write with your heart not head; and now I can begin. The Spirit to Scribe The desire to express one’s feelings can be a complicated and stressful task. In the free imitation poem, "Hidden Heart," by Natalie Meyers, a young woman expresses the frustration she experiences when trying to write her loved one. Likewise, the first sequence of Sir Philip Sydney’s sonnet, "Astrophil and Stella," explores one man’s struggle to write from his heart and eliminate the yearning to select the perfect words for a letter written to his love, Stella. Both Astrophil and Meyers are distraught over what to say and how to say it. Since "Hidden Heart" is an imitation of Sydney’s sonnet, several parallels can be drawn between their common theme, word choice, and form. The "Hidden Hearts" theme of free expression, its diction, and structure, must be compared and contrasted with intertextual references from "Astrophil and Stella," in order to effectively analyze it. Throughout the poem, Natalie ... ...each a resolution by the end of the poem. Both meter and rhyme are very essential in building a solid, yet fluid structure to each poem. "Hidden Heart" mirrors "Astrophil and Stella" in many ways, but contains several unique qualities as well. Natalie’s account was based on personal experience, where Astrophil is a character creation of Sir Philip Sydney. The similarities and differences of the theme, diction, and structure helped enrich both poems without cheapening them. Overall, both stressed the importance of writing with one’s heart to convey true emotion instead of agonizing over the literary quality of a personal letter. Also, the stylistic aspects of each poem carefully wove in a tone that contributed to their personality. With all of these attributes combine, Natalie and Sydney demonstrate the value found in linking two poems together through imitation.

How the Telephone Shaped Lives Essay

Telephone is not just a communication device that serves a convenience in connecting people all around the world but in some ways affects each of our lives psychologically and emotionally to the point of becoming harmful, this according to John Brooks who wrote the essay â€Å"The Effects of the Telephone†. According to the author, â€Å"It has saved lives by getting rapid word of illness, injury, famine from remote places. † Information and news around the world was primarily distributed by way of a telephone until the emergence of today’s enhanced communications technology. It is genuinely undeniable that the telephone has essentially changed our lives. It has made long distances seem close through connections between families and friends who are living far from each other. Telephone also helps a country’s economy by serving as a means in helping business grow, be it a small one or a huge multi-national corporation since transactions can be made over the phone instead of waiting a few weeks for a mere document to arrive. These days, telephones have been developed to transmit documents by way of fax machines. In politics, it perhaps crucially has prevented or maybe aggravated war situations or misunderstandings among countries and nations. This has obliterated, maybe not totally, the art of letter writing and it has evolved into a faster, more efficient tools in connecting different people like the internet which has once began through telephone. These may be the obvious consequences of the materialization of this communication device but on the other hand, we should look at some of its psychologically destructive side. â€Å"The obvious effects just cited seem inadequate, mechanistic; they only scratch the surface. Perhaps the crucial effects are evanescent and immeasurable. † (Brooks) The author emphasized on the psychological effects of the telephone to people wherein its actual ringing may evoke emotions according to our expectations making it our nerve-ending to the society we are in. It may evoke hope of maybe hearing a phone call that would tell you that your job application has been accepted, the relief that a loved one may be calling to inform that she or he has arrived safely to her or his destination, the fear or anxiety of hearing bad news or emergencies if your phone rings in the middle of the night and joy to hear the voice of a person you miss. The writer has successfully and succinctly implied not just the beneficial side of the telephone but also the mental outcomes in our human systems. He has imparted his message vividly and makes the readers realize that unknowingly some things that we have or do everyday has gradually affected our lives. The telephone has become an important part of a household thus, a community as well. It lends people the convenience which makes life easier but people must also examine how things like these may enslave us that may make us take important things for granted.

Irish Roman Catholic who describes (B Devlin) her school days

Source D is form an Irish Roman Catholic who describes (B Devlin) her school days, which implies a degree of bias because her Vice Principle â€Å"mother Benignus† had her family suffer at the hands of the British. Her view on Protestants was that they were not Irish, and she even had separate views on teaching about Irish history. This source is an adaptation form b Devlin â€Å"the price of my soul, 1969†, this date indicates that this source could be primary but yet again it could be bias. This source is limited in a way but still gives us sufficient evidence to show how troubles could have broken out, because Protestants and Catholics Were divided as communities and were taught in separate methods, they were also separated so when the two meet either side would contradict each other. Therefore resulting in violence. Source E is a Protestant cartoon from the nineteenth century showing â€Å"ERIN† (Ireland) bound by ropes by a Catholic Priest. This is portraying conflict between the two religions. There is a message portrayed by the cartoon and it is that Catholicism has control of Ireland. But this could be portraying the truth, as Catholicism was the main religion in Ireland. This source is limited but it helps to show how conflict between Catholics and Protestants came about. But this could also be a Propaganda Against the Catholics to try and gain support for Protestants. Source F is a map showing the Gerrymander in Derry in 1966. It is obvious that the Protestants have deliberately placed themselves at an advantage in places where they get the most votes apart from the South Ward, where Catholics had the majority. But this source is very limited, as it cannot give more information than it already holds. Source G is of Protestant images of Catholic attacks on Protestants in 1641. This could be propaganda to recruit more men into raising an army. If any thing I think the Catholics people who are being pushed around because the Protestants have the British behind them so this makes more tension added to what is building up to be the beginning of the troubles. Source H is what some People would call primary evidence that has no bias what so ever. This is true to some extent the photograph shows a civil rights marcher clearly being struck by armed officers. However the photo is limited evidence we cannot see what is outside the perimeter of the photograph or what before or after this incident to cause the RUC officers to strike the marcher. There may be a cause for it and yet it could also be a raged attack by thee RUC officers. We also learn that the police might have attacked without provocation and there is a lot of violence in the blood of both Protestant and Catholics. This source, like others can be read two ways it can show two sides to an uncomprimised story. However it is sources like these that did infact add insult to injury, in that it was probably sold to papers and both Catholics and Protestant would be outraged reading this. One side could feel disgusted that uniformed officers are acting in this way at a peaceful civil rights march. And the other side could say that the media is quick to snap a photograph of a RUC officer beating a marcher but where is the photograph showing the cause for their attack IE violent marchers or perhaps a weapon of some sort. So really this source has not helped either side prove or gain in any way but just aggravated the situation. Source I is a photograph of a violent situation where loyalist ambush civil rights marchers at Burntollet in January 1969. This picture is not very clear and does not tell us much about the ambush. As the picture is not clear you cannot tell whether there is actual violence. This piece of evidence is primary but it could be bias. There seems to be something censored in the photograph as every one is looking in the direction direction were it is censored. This source source doesn't really help add more tension between the two sides but it does stir a little fire I think. Source c is telling us of a man who was in a pub before the incident, where Para troopers told him â€Å"they were going to clear the Bog.† Which when added to what I have read in the â€Å"Bloody Sunday† gives an idea that they had an intention to go in and fire and they were expecting trouble. Source B tells us that as time progressed so did science and so the forensic evidence was able to change for the better, as this source tells us that a lot of evidence was changed. The Para troopers used illegal weapons. I think that this source is linking with source C to say that the Para troopers were abusing Their Powers that day. Source A: Paras in bloody Sunday evidence Storm. Source A is from a newspaper report dated Friday 17th September 1999, bloody Sunday occurred 30th January 1972. There is approximately 27 years and nine months between this event and the report. Although the report is not trying to interperate the events of Bloody Sunday it does them. The report also discusses enquiries that are going on presently about bloody Sunday, again 27 years ago. This is just one example amongst many that clearly illustrates how an event so big in history is discussed even years after it occurs. Although compared to a historical event such as the battle of Hastings, Bloody Sunday is quite recent, it is perhaps this fact that makes it hard to determine what happened that day. For example we have limited source work/ evidence or exact knowledge of the battle of Hastings but for Bloody Sunday we have plentiful, which is why I guess that it makes it harder to judge what really happened. Witnesses and evidence contradict each other through bias in their stories and the sides that they take. Photographic evidence can be read two ways as can scientific and again this will be perceived through the side that you take. It is the evidence that contradicts itself and other hard facts. It is because the evidence can be read in two ways that it has produced so many interpretations and will continue to do so throughout time. Looking at Bloody Sunday is a bit like analyzing the color red. Depending on the perceiver's personality or current state of mind red can be viewed in many different ways. It can show passion, aggression, rage, danger, royalty, love, authority or hate. Neither of the above are correct and neither are incorrect but we can all agree that if there is an underlying emotion that we associate with something visual i.e the color red, it will be enhanced once the two meet. It is in the same way that we may view the events of Bloody Sunday. There is underlying emotions within people concerning that day and these can be brought to light by different factors. Depending on what it is that the person involved has connected as a visual stimulant different things will arouse different emotions.

Life Without Gravity Essay

In a world without gravity, one would be weightless, but always nauseous. Because of this, it would be very difficult to complete a lot of your daily activities without throwing up. If you tried to eat something while you and your food are floating around, you will probably have a lot of trouble trying to hold your food down. In 0-g, life would be very hard. Roller coasters are a perfect example of this. I do not do well on roller coasters. I get sick when I encounter zero gravity for that split second on rides with loop-dee-loops and the like. This is how I know I would really suck at surviving if there was no gravity. Not only would I be constantly puking, but I wouldn’t be able read or really even enjoy doing anything except floating around trying not to dry heave. So, I wonder how someone, mainly me because I do not have a strong stomach, would merely perform the act of drinking a glass of water and thinking at the same time in a world where everything floats. Without the force of gravity acting on all objects, there is nothing keeping us attached to the earth. We would simply float away from the earth unless we nail out toes to our floorboards, and our entire house to the earth’s crust. So, drinking water†¦this would not go very well for me. Not only would the water not be forced to stay in its proper area of residency, the cup, but it would be poured on my face if ever I tried to drink it, and that is most certainly NOT WHERE IT BELONGS. However, since the only force acting on the cup is the earth’s, pushing everything away from its core, the water probably was already floating around in space somewhere. This would make for a very, VERY thirsty Alex, not to mention the rest of the world. Unless you had stocked up on bottled water prior to the sudden change in the laws of the world, you would be dead. Thinking during splashing water all over yourself, or trying to catch it as it pins itself to your ceiling, just as you are doing because of the lack of gravity, would probably present a slight problem. As if you weren’t already nauseous as could be, suffering from extreme thirst and boredom while you lie in wait on your ceiling for something interesting to happen like being crushed by that bookcase over there that has been slowly creeping closer with each passing second, you would also need to be able to think. While floating around on earth shouldn’t give you any more of a headache than when you lie down, I have a feeling that I would get them anyway. However, in space, 0-g, your blood would be floating free throughout your body, just as you do so, ubject only to those forces placed on it by your own circulatory system. Your blood would have no tendency to pool in any particular part of your body, meaning no headaches. But with everything floating around, I can’t help but think that all that free blood must make you kind of floppy. Without gravity, multitasking would probably be even more difficult than it is in a world with gravitational forces. If I tried drinking my water, while translating our national anthem into Arabic, WHILE I try to bike on one of those stationary exercise bikes, I would be very sad. Not only would I be nauseous and EXTREMELY THIRSTY, causing me to get a headache, but I would be floating away from my excise bike, while trying to stay on it, that giving me exercise within itself. I can’t even imagine how long our species would survive before we either all starved to death or tried to open a window for fresh air and then floated into our atmosphere and died from lack of oxygen. I don’t think that we would live very long at all, and drinking a glass of water would be so terribly difficult that it would make living very complicated.

Financial Decision Making Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial Decision Making - Coursework Example The price earnings ratio measures the relationship between stock dividend payout and a stock’s market price in order to compare a stock’s performance against any other stock. One can also use earnings per share in order to determine how a company compares to another in terms of current dividend paid. This two key investment ratios can only be used with company’s that are publicly traded and issue stocks Additionally there is a wealth of investment advice and current company profiles and analysis available on the internet, which make the task of choosing an investment much easier for the private investor. For a company that is not publicly traded, an individual must use other forms of financial analysis in order to determine what the best investment option is and how much the required rate of return needs to be in order to justify the risks associated with a specific company. We have been presented with three individual companies as possible investment alternative s none of the companies are publicly traded. The three possible investment choices are: 1) Acme Consulting-Although the initial investment of the company is low at $50,000,the company will be a start up venture so the risks related to the investment are always highest with a new company. Acme will be a management consulting firm with a high level of expertise and experience specializing in marketing and distribution of high technology products and solutions in the international market. The initial operating focus for the company will be the European and Latin American markets and the American market for foreign clients. Acme will provide high value services at the highest costs the market will bear the company will be targeting primarily large manufacturers of high technology products such as IBM, Apple and HP as potential clientele. 2) Interstate Travel Center- Is also a start-up company which will consist of a will be full service truck stop and service center to be located in Tex as. The initial start up costs for the project will be 2.75 million in order to buy the land and build the 6,000square foot facility which will include a restaurant, convenience store, gas/ diesel islands and service facilities and amenities. The required capital investment will be $250,000 from an investor/s and a 2.5 million loan. 3) Silvera and Sons- This is a successful well establish business dedicated to the distribution and exportation of premium Brazilian Arabica Coffee beans. Its main customers are premium American specialty roasters and wholesale to the local Brazilian market. For the last six years demand for the company’s products has exceeded capacity, so the company has had to refuse a lot of larger shipments, therefore losing a lot of potential sales and customers. The company wants to expand their production capacity in order to fulfill the additional demand. The company is confident that they will be able to sell all additional production of their premium Ara bica beans. Since the investment will be used to fulfill the demand for their products, and it is a successful profitable company, it seems that the safest investment for an individual would be to invest in Silvera and Sons. Although it was not required in this assignment to calculate the discount rate for each company, I took the initiative in my research of learning how to calculate the discount rate. In order to calculate the required rate of return or discount rate one must determine what the risk free interest rate is, the average market return, market risk premium

An interventional approach for patient and nurse safety Dissertation

An interventional approach for patient and nurse safety - Dissertation Example The theoretical framework that was used in this study was the model of impaired sleep developed by Lee et al. The framework is based on a scientific theory (Burns & Grove, 2009) as it uses previous research linking sleep quality with errors and lack of alertnessTheoretical Model Discussion The theoretical framework is clearly discussed as having a direct significance with the research topic It is stated impaired sleep consists of either sleep deprivation (inadequate sleep) or sleep disruption (fragmented sleep). The model implies that impaired sleep results in cognitive, behavioural, physiological, social, and emotional responses. The paper elaborates how a targeted fatigue countermeasures program for nurses (FCMPN) can intervene and prevent or alleviate the cognitive and behavioural impacts (like sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and alertness) and reduce patient-care errors. The following figure from the paper captures the conceptual and the theoretical framework employed: The fr amework is therefore discussed well to outline what variables are to be measured pre and post the FCMPN intervention. 2. Major Study Variables Research Variables: 1. Sleep Quality 2. Sleep Duration 3. Daytime Sleepiness 4. Vigilance 5. Risk for Accidents and Errors 6. Short Term Memory 7. Problem Solving and Coping. Conceptual Definition Sleep Duration was defined as the time duration that participants spent in uninterrupted sleep. Sleep Quality was clearly conceptualized to mean sleep which is not fragmented and which is of adequate duration. While the remaining variables were not clearly defined, conceptually they could be understood to mean the following: Daytime Sleepiness – tendency to doze during the daytime work-hours Vigilance – Drowsiness and Unplanned Sleep Episodes during work hours Risk for Errors – Any perceived deviations from standard practice Short Term Memory – Recall of errors Problem Solving and Coping – How errors were managed O perational Definition Sleep Duration was measured using the log book entries made by the participants. Sleep Quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index PSQI (Buysse, Reynolds, Monk, Berman, & Kupfer, 1989). Daytime Sleepiness was measured using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (Johns, 1991) while other variables (Vigilance, Risk for Accidents and Errors, Short Term Memory, Problem Solving and Coping) were measured using the log book entries using the self-report method 3. Sample and Setting a. Sample Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria Full-Time Hospital Staff Surgical nurses were used as the sample. In addition, the selection criteria included that the nurses should be working at least 36 hour per week. Advanced practice nurses, nurse managers, or nurses in specialized roles such as discharge planning were excluded. b. Sampling Method The paper mentions using three surgical nursing units in Michigan using convenience method for selection, though the rationale or the specific fa ctors that led to the selection of the method is not listed. The qualifying nurses were contacted using the official mailing list and out of the 126, 62 consented to participate in the research. c. Sample Size 62 Power analysis indicated that 30 sample size would be sufficient to establish the impacts of FCMPN on the variables that are researched. d. Refusal to Participate Number and Percentage 62 out of the 147 full-time hospital staff nurses (43%). e. Sample attrition or Mortality Number and Percentage Out of the 62 selected for participation, 15 (24%) did not continue with the study for the complete duration. f. Informed Consent Process/Institutional Review Board The 147 nurses that comprised of the qualified the inclusion criteria were sent a preliminary survey to provide demographic information and give their interest to participate. Once the intent of