Failure of the Mercantilism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Failure of the Mercantilism - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the mercantilists believed that the presence of more gold and silver bullions in a country translated to a better economy than any country with minimal gold and silver reserves. The theorists believed and encouraged countries not to use their gold deposits for trade even when the people desperately needed these products. The mercantilists had the idea that any successful trade meant the gain of one party and the loss of the other party. They never viewed the trade between two countries as being mutually beneficial. They encouraged their countries to influence the international trade and ensure that the citizens did not compromise their gold and silver deposits.This essay stresses that  the mercantilists developed ideas that were meant to promote the interests of the merchants since they were believed to be a significant source of a country’s gold and silver reserves. The government placed the role of attracting more gold and silver to the country to the merchants and also entrusted them with implementing relevant measures that would seek to regulate the economy. Malynes, for example, states that the merchants more specifically the bankers would develop appropriate measures that would see the increase in the supply of specie into the country. Malynes rejected any effects of the exchange rate in influencing external trade and trusted the â€Å"tricks of the bankers† to solve the economic problem experienced in the country.

Staffing Organizations Part 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Staffing Organizations Part 1 - Essay Example Thus, terms of employment will entail permanent employment contracts, in which the employees will have secure provisions for their job positions. The permanent employment-terms fosters employee loyalty and keeps the workers settled as they focus on work; hence, it will allow full concentration of workers at work; hence, effective service delivery (Aswathappa, 2005). Additionally, the business will also institute measures of eliminating conflicts among employees and misunderstandings that may arise at the workplace. However, there will be strict corrective action, including facilitation for verbal warnings, as well as, written documentation as warning for misconduct, to facilitate corrective action that follows legal confines of permanent employment guidelines. There will also be employee performance evaluation and awarding of incentives and feedback to motivate the employees accordingly. The support structure for employees will help develop employee relations with the business, creat ing loyalty and motivation to work effectively. Treating employees less favorably or discriminately based on age, religion, race, sex and disability among others are forms of discrimination under various provisions of law. Therefore, in creating a successful working environment in the business to avoid claims of disparate treatment, the first procedure is to review the state laws concerning termination processes as applicable to the permanent employment terms. This will help in ensuring the business follows due process in terminating the employees who fail to meet the working requirements and expectations without claims of disparate treatment arising. The management will file the issued documentation of warning before termination. Additionally, in factor of employment benefits claims, the business will follow due procedures as stipulated in the state laws and bylaws in the location of the business. Thus,

Global Strategy and Local Needs in the Luxury Car Market Essay Example for Free

Global Strategy and Local Needs in the Luxury Car Market Essay 1 Introduction Since the 1980’s researchers have been trying to understand what globalization is and how competitive advantage can be gained out of it. This study will look at this movement with a critical eye and reflect whether or not it is sometimes better to give local needs priority in management decisions. The purpose of this study is to analyse whether the â€Å"Global strategy, but local needs† assumption leads to success. The objective is to provide scientific evidence for this strategy, analyse different organizations’ strategies and provide a possible recommendation for the best practice. Globalization is a driver of luxury 1 but it is not the best solution to apply this approach in all strategic decisions. This paper will not only look at this strategic approach in general, but will try to focus in specific on the luxury car market. The luxury segment is a fascinating subject for scientific research, because it still provides possibilities for relatively fundamental research within its niche. 2 Although there is considerable literature about specific brands, there is a lack of systematic and scholarly work that analyses the luxury car phenomenon itself. 3 The importance of this segment has also been emphasized in Sergio Marchionne’s recent speech to the shareholders (appendix 7. 2). The CEO of the Fiat S. p. a and of the Chrysler Group LLC underlined that his strategy for the future of the Group is located in the premium4 car production. 5 The motivation of this paper therefore is to analyse the challenge Maserati will have to address and to arrive to some practicable conclusions. 1 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 12. 2 Cf. Heine 2012, p. 6. 3 Cf. Berger 2001, p. 160. 4. Expression intentionally quoted to illustrate a later explained statement 5 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012b. Definition and terminology 1. 1 2 Methodology The findings of this project are derived from primary, secondary and tertiary sources of information. The tertiary source was mainly the catalogue of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek in Frankfurt. Another important part of the data collection contributed the Internet. Most data has been found with the search engine google. com and scholar. google. com and the homepages of the relative brands mentioned in the project. The biggest part of the project’s information was taken out of secondary sources such as textbooks, newspapers and specific literature. Finally, the annual reports of 2011 of selected brands have been consulted. 2 Definition and terminology 2. 1 Strategy â€Å"†¦ Strategy in corporate practice is an integrated concept with the objective of ensuring long-term survival in active interaction with the competition †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 6 In today’s everyday changing business environment all companies are forced to reassess their strategies, their structures and their processes regularly. But the answers to every strategic and organizational challenge is varying among industries. 7 Therefore first a summary of different general strategic alternatives will be presented. Afterwards a detailed analysis of the characteristic strategy in the luxury car market will be developed. 2. 2 Global or Local Strategy In this chapter both terms global and local strategy should be defined. Moreover the strategic challenge of a business to decide between both strategies should be analysed. 6 Cf. Kotler/Berger/Bickhoff 2010, p. 12. 7 Cf. Bartlett/ Ghoshal 1990, p. 17. Definition and terminology 3 Businesses have been international since ancient times and at its beginnings international business had simply the form of exporting and importing. Any business that carries out some of its activities across national boundaries can be defined as an international business. 8 In the 70s and 80s keywords as standardization, rationalization and centralization marked the new tendency towards globalization. 9 Globalization is a term that emerged in the 1980s/90s10 and that has become a buzzword in the 1990s. 11 Originally globalization was only an economic phenomenon that described the integration and merger of national economies, and the development of communication and production of knowledge, transportation and migration. 12 Today the extent to which the organization’s activities are spread across geographical regions has become a major consideration in the implementation of an organizations strategy. 13 A global strategy is the tendency of a company to a consistent strategy and adaptation to local circumstances become redundant. Global organizations gain competitive advantage overcoming national and continental boundaries. Therefore it was a widely held belief that there was the risk that the globalization would overrun all regional and national differences. 14 Though today we have evidence that there is no â€Å"global village† and that regional and national differences cannot be so easily neglected. On the contrary the majority of the apparently global organizations use local differences to gain competitive advantage. 15 Therefore numerous literature and research on the counter-rotating trend to globalization, the so-called localization, can be found. Localization in general means the adaptation to or consideration of local market conditions. Most of the research concluded that the two apparently contrary concepts do not mutually exclude but depend on one another: â€Å"Globalization can mean the reinforcement of 8 Cf. Campbell/Stonehouse/Houston 2002, p. 255. 9 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 36. 10 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 9. 11 Cf. Rohm 2010, p. 4. 12 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 9. 13 Cf. Campbell/Stonehouse/Houston 2002, p. 254. 14 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 10 15 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 58. 4 Definition and terminology or go together with localism as in ‘Think globally, act locally’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  16 . Numerous literatures even deduce a new concept called â€Å"Glocalization. † Glocal strategies are strategies that provide evidence to global and local players, to respond advantageous and purposeful to globalization. They should assist global players to localize their activities where worthwhile and show ways and means to local players to make use of the global area respectively in both cases without abandoning their global or local character. 17 2. 3 Bartlett’s and Ghoshal’s model According to Bartlett and Ghoshal there are three traditional strategic directions a company can follow. Tab. 1: The three strategic directions 18 Multinational Global International Strong local presence Cost reduction through Usage of knowledge and through respect of national centralized but worldwide competences of the HQ needs oriented activities through worldwide diffusion and adaptation 2. 4 The multinational organization The multinational organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal is the archetype of the organization. At the beginning of the 1900th century this was the most diffused organizational model. As shown in figure 1 in the multinational organizational model the HQ is at the centre with many decentralized, interdependent and autonomous branches surrounding it. The specific needs of the local markets are encouraged and therefore they are able to react to local needs. Historically this organizational model was the one of many European companies that expanded into foreign countries. Several of these companies originally where family owned companies. Processes were based on personal relationship and 16 Cf. Pieterse 1995, p. 49 zitiert nach Lohmeier 2008,p. 53. 17 Cf. Lohmeier 2008, p. 64. 18 Cf. Bartlett/ Ghoshal 1990, p. 32. 5 Definition and terminology informal contacts rather than formal structures and systems. Therefore only elementary financial control was necessary. 19 Branch Decentralized federation: Many key assets, responsibilities and decisions are decentralized Branch Branch HQ Branch Personal control: Informal HQ – subsidiary relationship, simple financial control Branch Multinational mentality: Management considers overseas operations as portfolio of interdependant business. Branch Figure 1: Multinational organization 20 2. 4. 1 The international organization This organizational model has similarities to the multinational organization. However as shown in figure 2 the branches are more dependent on the transfer of information and knowledge from the HQ. The objective of this kind of organization is to transfer knowledge and competences in aspects such as technology or marketing to underdeveloped foreign branches. The national branches can adapt products or strategies, while the HQ determines innovation and processes. In comparison to the multinational organization model there is more systematization and control. According to Bartlett and Ghoshal the international organization model had its breakthrough in the post-war period. The international organizational model is the model for the typical American Management culture of empowerment and delegation. 19 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 73. 20 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 74. 6 Definition and terminology Branch Branch Coordinated federation: Many assets, resources, responsibilities and decisions are decentralized but controlled by HQ Branch Branch HQ International mentality: Management considers overseas operations as appendix to a central domestic corporation Branch Administrative control: formal management planningand control systems allow higher HQ-subsidiary linkage. Branch Figure 2: International organization 21 2. 4. 2 The global organization Global companies develop their products and strategies considering only one equal worldwide market. Product development, production and marketing strategies remain centralized. 22 As shown in figure 3 the most important characteristics of the classical global organization have HQs that are a centralized hub that severely controls the branches and a management-mentality that views the world as one economic entity. The main feature is the centralization of assets, resources and competences. The function of branches is reduced to sales and services. In some cases financial competitive advantage is gained outsourcing the production sites abroad. Compared to the multinational and international organizations the branches in global organizations have less power to develop or modify new products and strategies. Managers in global organization, especially those located in HQ, often are more concentrated on the global market and consider the market to be equal worldwide. They have no comprehension of the local needs because there is no exchange of information between HQ and the national branches. 23 21 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p 77. 22 Cf. Bartlett/Ghosal 1990, p. 31. 23 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 75 f. 7 Definition and terminology Internationalization pioneers like Henry Ford build up their production plant according to this model and the Japanese started their offensive in the 70s and 80s with this model. 24 Normally global organizations first where very successful in their home market and used this success then to expand internationally. 25 Branch Branch Centralized hub: Most of the strategic assets, resources, responsibilities and decisions centralized Branch HQ. Branch Operational control: Tight control of decisions, resources and information through HQ Branch Global mentality: Management considers overseas operations as channels for the supply to a unified global market Branch Figure 3: Global organization 26 2. 4. 3 The transnational strategy Bartlett and Ghoshal claim that the traditional directions do note lead to adequate results anymore. Global and international organizations look out for a centralized answer to a worldwide market opportunity. Multinational companies search local solutions. Therefore Bartlett and Ghoshal developed the assumption for a new approach to solve the challenge of increased competitive and changing environment: The transnational strategy. 27 Companies nowadays can only survive in the competitive environment if they succeed in developing simultaneously worldwide competitiveness, multinational 24 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 75. 25 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 31. 26 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 77. 27 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 33 and p. 90. Definition and terminology 8 flexibility and global learning capabilities. These are the main elements of the transnational model. 28. The transnational model is a symbiosis or rather compromise of the other three traditional strategic directions. It combines both kind of competitive advantages: Because the affiliations are seen as strategic partners they can better respond to local needs and global synergies can be positive side effects. In the transnational model local markets are respected, and the proximity to the market is mainly an instrument to react more flexibly on a global scale. 29 The distinction between multinational and transnational companies is the amount to which the HQs are directly involved in the management of the branches. While a transnational company often has a strategic centre that manages to a high degree all the global operations a multinational company does not coordinate directly its foreign activities but rather considers the branches as interdependent business. The transnational organization acknowledges that there are certain resources and competences such as finance or research and development that are better centralized in the HQ while other resources are more advantageous to be decentralized in the markets to spread the competences on a global level. 30 2. 5 The Luxury Concept and Definition. The concept of luxury is known since ancient times. Lucullus, a roman senator who was famous in the ancient Rome for his marvellous evening events and his love for beauty, delicacies and sensorial pleasures, can be considered inventor of the luxury concept. 31 Chevalier and Mazzalovo provide a definition as follows: A luxury brand is selective and exclusive and provides an additional creative and emotional value for the consumer. It is a brand that is giving the desirable attribute of being scarce, sophisticated and in good taste. It also has a slightly understated and aristocratic attribute. 32 28 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 33. 29 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 84 30 Cf. Bartlett/Ghoshal 1990, p. 84. 31 Cf. Heine 2012, p. 2. 32 Cf. Chevalier/Mazzalovo 2008, p. viii Definition and terminology 9 According to Kapferer and Bastien a luxury brand can be defined by six criteria:33 †¢ An extremely hedonistic experience or product †¢ The price is exceedingly higher compared to the functional value †¢ Tied to a tradition, exclusive expertise and culture ascribed to the brand †¢ Accessible only through controlled and restrained distribution †¢ Obtainable with tailored supplementary services. †¢ Indicating a social representation, making the holder or beneficiary feel special and privileged 2. 6 Luxury versus premium car market The concept of luxury is represented in numerous sectors of activities 34. In this study we will look into more details of the specifics of the automobiles luxury sector. According to Chevalier and Mazzalovo luxury automobiles are â€Å"those cars that consumer perceive as being very special and different from the others. †35 It is necessary to differentiate between the concept of luxury and the concept of premium. The term luxury vehicle suggests a vehicle with a higher quality equipment, better performance, particularly precise construction, comfort, higher design, technologically innovative, and features that transfer an image, brand, status or prestige. Often the image is strongly related to the country of origin of the product. Premium products are upper-range branded products with an increased price without the emotional characteristics like hedonism or myth. „Upper premium brands remain comparative, whereas luxury is superlative. â€Å"36 Suitable examples for this difference can be found in the car industry. While an Audi A6 or A8 are super-premium cars because of the excellent usage value they provide, an Aston Martin or a Lamborghini are luxury cars because of their rarity and the prestige of the name. 37 33 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 47. 34 Sectors of activities of luxury: Ready-to-wear cloth, jewelry and watches, perfumes and cosmetics, fashion accessories, wines and spirits, automobiles, hotels, tourism and private banking. 35 Cf. Chevalier/Mazzalovo 2008, p. x. 36 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 43f. ; Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 53. 37 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 53. 10 Strategic examples One historic management error that underlines the difference between luxury and premium is the Jaguar case. When Ford acquired Jaguar in 1989 they invested a lot in technology and training of the Jaguar employees. Thanks to common platforms with Ford they tried to sell small Jaguars. But this strategy seriously damaged the image of Jaguar and loosing the feeling of exclusivity they lost the luxury status. 38 3 Strategic examples In this chapter the before described theoretic information should be put together into a strategic framework. The strategic examples that will be considered are the most successful competitors of Maserati in terms unit sales: Porsche, Audi, Mercedes and BMW (figure 4). The first step was to obtain an overview of the structure of these companies and to identify their dependencies among each other and with other organizations (appendix 7. 3). The second step was to identify certain characteristics of these organizations and to put them into a framework developed to identify their degree of globalization or localization (appendix 7. 4). Based on this information a picture of their strategic directions has been deduced (appendix 7. 5). Bentley 2,57% Audi 6,56% Maserati 1,81% Jaguar 3,06% Maserati Market 2012 Aston Martin 1,74% Ferrari 1,26% Lexus 0,09% Porsche 48,43% BMW 12,23% Mercedes-Benz 22,25% Figure 4 The Maserati market in Germany in 2012 (market shares) 38 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 51. 39 Management Services Helwig Smitt GmbH, Hofgeismar. 39 Strategic examples 3. 1 11 Daimler AG Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz invented the automobile in 1886. 40 Today the Daimler Group integrates different car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach. Cooperating with various organizations worldwide it has converted from a mainly domestically oriented exporting company to a globally operating one. The company is now well established not only in Europe but also in Brazil and Argentina and has established joint ventures also in China. 41 However for the Daimler Group â€Å"the cultural inertia has been difficult to overcome, and global pretensions and traditional German attachments form a contradictory and unstable mix. †42 Therefore it is difficult to classify the group to Bartlett and Ghoshals model. The Daimler AG is rather a combination between the multinational and the global organization. Mercedes-Benz being historically strongly connected to its German roots has a centralized HQ, but at the same time its business units have been made self-responsible profit centres and procurement of materials is globally coordinated for each group of materials. Furthermore this has been intensified through local settlement of direct production, more consultancies and engineering in the branches, and also some development tasks located outside Germany. 43. Daimler is relocating its production sites into emerging markets, as for example the recently opened site in Hungary. This trend can be underlined by its decreasing production figures in Europe. They are currently reducing their production in Sindelfingen. 44 3. 2 BMW AG The BMW group may be the most German focused of the three companies. It is globalized in its objectives rather than in its activities. 45 Approximately 60% of the production of BMW is still located in Germany (figure 5). However BMW is one of 40 Cf. Daimler AG 2012, p. 4. 41 Cf. Lane 2001, p. 84. 42 Cf. Lane 2001, p. 85 43 Cf. Lane 2011, p. 84f. 44 Cf. Berens 2012, p. 17 45 Cf. Lane 2011, p. 86. 12 Strategic examples the most respected brands in the world. The explanations for BMW’s success are a strong brand character, a stable, family shareholding and a very German business philosophy. 46 It can be deduced that having local roots increases the perceived value of BMW. Producing nearly all its automobiles in Germany customers perceive BMW as an authentic product of German culture. BMW follows the same strategy of keeping the Mini production in England. 47 South Africa, 3,06% China, 5,65% Austria, 5,91% CKD, 2,16% UK, 11,23% US, 15,88% Germany, 56,11% Figure 5: Vehicle production of the BMW Group in the world in 2011 48 Therefore BMW can be classified an international organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal’s model. BMW’s key competences are centralized but many other competences are decentralized. Thus BMW efficaciously implements the strategy of local assembling and local purchasing in countries with high customs duties on imports such as Russia, Thailand or India. However, under the terms of the distinction between luxury and premium products, the cars assembled in Thailand would not longer be defined as luxury products. They do serve to initiate customers into the brand, who then should develop the desire to purchase a ‘real’ BMW ‘made in Germany’. 49 BMW’s Management Meeting Place is a good example for the acquisition of knowledge in the HQ and then transferring it to the branches. First this discussion platform has been started in Germany and then it was transferred to locations abroad. The fact that this strategy works, and that behind BMW probably stands a 46 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 67. 47 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 78. 48 Cf. BMW AG 2012, p. 28. 49 Cf. Kapferer/Bastien 2012, p. 78. 13 Strategic examples strong team is underlined by the fact that BMW has been rewarded being â€Å"The World’s Most Attractive Employer† by a study conduced lately. In fact the employee attrition ratio at BMW has decreased continuously in the last 3 years (figure 6). 5,85 percentage of workforce 6,00 4,59 5,00 4,00 2,74 2,66 2,16 3,00 2,00 1,00 0,00 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011. Figure 6: Employee attrition ratio at BMW AG 3. 3 50 Volkswagen AG The Volkswagen Group maybe is the most advanced example of a conglomerate of successful car manufacturers. Among all the subsidiary brands the most significant ones are Volkswagen AG, Audi AG and Porsche AG, but there are also Bentley, Lamborghini, Seat and Skoda (appendix 7. 3). In fact Porsche owns 32,5% of the Volkswagen Group shares. Succeeding in managing a portfolio of so dissimilar organizations under one umbrella certainly makes the Volkswagen Group to a transnational organization according to Bartlett and Ghoshal. The cooperation in-between the brands of the Volkswagen Group are very well developed. One successful example of this approach is the common hybrid drive used in the Porsche Panamera, Cayenne and VW Touareg 51 . In addition the Volkswagen group has only little external cooperation mainly in the area of researching. The key competences remain inside the group. Becoming an integrated automotive industry is part of the group’s â€Å"Strategy 2018†. However, every single brand has its specific targets. Volkswagen’s target is to 50 Cf. BMW AG 2012, p. 39. 51 Cf. Porsche AG 2012, p. 67. The Maserati case 14 become the global market leader by 201852. This underlines the global factor. On the other side Porsche’s target is to become â€Å"the leader of exclusive sports cars manufacturers†53. Audi finally has the target to become the â€Å"premium brand that delights customers worldwide† 54 . Therefore the group’s values and capabilities remain inside the group and with a broad portfolio of interdependent and specialized brands completely different target groups can be addressed. The Volkswagen Group leads the global tendencies of the considered companies. But the core strategic functions (e. g. RD and design) remain mainly German. However the Volkswagen Group also recognizes the importance of knowing the local sources and therefore has implemented the C3-Sourcing program. Becoming technical, organizational and social laboratories foreign branches contribute to the integration of the whole group’s worldwide activities. Hence some Audi models that have the same platform as Volkswagen models are now produced in Volkswagen factories in China. This local adaptation is the key of success for Audi’s sales in China, where the top members of the communist party cannot own a car unless it is made in China, but at the same time it forces the brand to give up their luxury strategy and replace it with a premium one. 4 The Maserati case 4. 1 Introduction to Maserati The Italian sports cars producer with the trident on the logo has been founded as Societa Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati on December 1st 1914 in Bologna. Maserati was originally founded as a family business, but in 1937 it was sold to the Orsi family. In 1968 it was sold to Citroen and finally became part of the Fiat Group in 1993. 55 Thanks to his big sister Ferrari, Maserati has been reconstructed and from 2006 stands alone now in the structure of the Fiat S. p. a. (see figure 7). Today Maserati’s headquarter is based in Modena and it has two production sites in the north of Italy. Furthermore Maserati is divided in regions (Europe, Asia Pacific, 52 Cf. Volkswagen AG 2012, p. 233. 53 Cf. Porsche AG 2012, p. 14. 54 Cf. Audi AG 2012, p . 131. 55 Cf. Wikipedia 2012a. 15 The Maserati case. America and Middle East) with national branches in each separate country (e. g. France, Germany, United Kingdom). Maserati is currently becoming more and more significant for the rest of the Fiat Group. The first strategic milestone of the so-called â€Å"2010-2014 plan† was the integration of the Chrysler Group in June 2011. Figure 8 shows the increase of 30% of the workforce through this merger, mainly in North America. * including 58,5% Chrysler Group LLC Maserati (100%) Fiat Group Automobiles* (100%) AUTOMOBILES Fiat S. p. a. Ferrari (90%) Fiat Powertrain (100%) Magneti Marelli (100%). COMPONENTS PRODUCTION SYSTEMS Teksid (84,8%) Comau (100%) Figure 7: Structure of the Fiat S. p. a. Workforce 80 62,583 63,214 60 40 2011 2010 60,336 44,668 24,616 23,596 20 56 39,498 5,579 0 5,838 Italy Europe (excl. Italy) NAFTA Mercosur 4,894 other regions Figure 8: Increase of the workforce in the Fiat Group through the integration of Chrysler in 2011 56 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2011, p. 11. 57 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012c, p. 30. 57 The Maserati case 16 The second milestone was the plan presented in February 2011 in which â‚ ¬ 500 million were invested for the relaunch a production site58. In this new pIant two new models will be produced: The new Maserati Quattroporte by the end of 2012 and the Maserati Ghibli in the second half of the year 2013. 59 Thereby Maserati plans to increase its sales: While in 2011 Maserati sold 6,159 vehicles worldwide, in 2013 20,000 units are planed and by 2015 a growth up until to 50,000 vehicles per year is projected. 60 The Maserati S. p. a. can be classified as a global organization. They concentrate their decision and strategy making in the HQ in Italy and product development, production and marketing strategies remain centralized. The function of the branches is reduced to the implementation and realization of sales, services and marketing activities. The reason is linked to the strong connection with the domestic country and the patriarchal organizational culture that has developed over the years. One cultural example for this approach is that usually in the branches employees refer to the HQ as â€Å"the factory†. And while until today Maserati’s production sites are located just in the domestic market, by the use of a common platform and production site with the Jeep Grand Cherokee in the United States for the new SUV model, Maserati will enter also in the global environment. 4. 2 Maserati’s strength 4. 2. 1 The cooperation with the Fiat Group Being part of the Fiat Group is strength and weakness at the same time for Maserati. Through the cooperation with the other brands of the group, Maserati can benefit from economies of scale and scope. E. g. particular engines for Maserati are developed and produced in the production site of Ferrari. Another example is the collaboration with Jeep that will allow the new Maserati Levante to share the expertise of Jeep in building SUVs. 61 Moreover the fact that the production of this new Model will be relocated to the United States will finally transform Maserati from a purely domestic manufacturer to a global player. 58 Officine Automobilitische Grugliasco. 59 Cf. Fiat S. p. a. 2012c, p. 34. 60 Cf. Wehner 2012. 61 Cf. Baedecker 2012. The Maserati case 17 4. 2. 2 The luxury image Maserati as a brand itself and the Maserati products are stereotypes of luxury. Maserati is like none of its competitors a unique iconic and superlative brand that stands for an extravagant Italian lifestyle and sportiness. It profits from its long-time racing experience and expertise in building extremely performing engines. Additionally some parts are tailor made and its products are positioned in an upmarket pricing class that does not correlate with the functional value they provide. Moreover until today the units sold are rather restricted and therefore it is still a rarity to see a Maserati on the road. Thus possessing a Maserati is to a high degree socially representative and makes the owner feel special and privileged. Maserati is a myth and continuous to benefit from this legend. 4. 2. 3 Driving performance Another very strong characteristic of Maserati is its driving performance. Driving a Maserati is an overwhelming driving experience from the very first moment you switch on the engine. The expertise in building extremely performing engines is definitely a strength that should not be underestimated. „Hearing a Maseratis V-8 engine scream on the way to its 7200-rpm redline is an experience gear heads will cherish. â€Å"62 4. 2. 4 The people that work for Maserati The people that work for Maserati are fundamental assets. A mixture of experienced and long-established employees on the one side and on the other side young, motivated and talented staff are the most important ingredient for the team that is able to face the current challenges. Maserati’s employees identify with the brand to a high level and therefore live for the brand. E. g. in the HQs in Modena are hanging poster with the slogan â€Å"I am Maserati†. 62 Cf. Floraday 2011. The Maserati case 4. 3 18 Maserati’s weaknesses 4. 3. 1 The image of the Fiat Group As mentioned above, being connected to mass-market brands like Fiat and Chrylser could affect Maserati’s luxury status. This is primarily related to the image of Fiat’s quality standards. The fact that some components are commonly introduced in both, Maserati and Fiat, could severely damage Maserati’s reputation. 4. 3. 2 Progress and technology Except for its engines, Maserati is not using the most advanced technology in his cars until now. Competition from other car manufacturers is very strong in this context (e. g. Porsche or BMW). Therefore this is a threat especially in those markets where technology and innovation are very important factors in the consumer buying behaviour process (e. g. Russia or Germany). Moreover while other manufacturers have already developed new propulsive forces e. g. the new Daimler electric fleet63, Maserati continued only the evolution of traditional fuel and diesel engines. As the petrol price rises also this threat is increasing. And depending on the trend of the environmental regulations in Europe and in the rest of the world, this lack of development could become an increasing challenge for the next future of Maserati. 4. 3. 3 Dealer network Another threat is the necessity to improve and expand the dealer network. There is a clear need to increase the distribution capillarity by appointing additional dealers. Moreover, there is also a need to transform the existing dealers bringing them to focus their activities and organizations on the brand. Dedicated sales, after-sales and marketing forces will be key to this transformation. E. g. most of the Maserati dealers sell also Ferraris and should adapt their staff with personnel dedicated exclusively towards Maserati. 63 Cf. Daimler AG 2012, p. 41. The Maserati case 4. 4 19 Maserati’s opportunities 4. 4. 1 Industrial opportunities With its current models range (Quattroporte, Gran Cabrio and Gran Turismo) Maserati is represented in the core segments.

Australian National Identity Essay Example for Free

Australian National Identity Essay According to Zimmermann there are as many legal systems as there are national states. Every country has its own unique legal system. However, we can allocate among them three main legal systems. These are: Civil Law, Common Law and Islamic Law. Civil and Common Laws are the most influential legal systems in the world, especially in its Western part. All three of these legal systems have existed and developed for many centuries. Further will follow the description of the historically appearance of each legal system separately. Civil legal system is considered to be the oldest and the most widespread one. It also known as Continental, Roman or Romano-Germanic law. In general, Roman law consists of a combination of three main subtraditions such as Roman Civil Law, Canon Law and Commercial Law. The development of Roman Law cover more than a thousand year period, starting from the publication of the law of the XII Tables in Rome (450 B. C. ) and the code of Emperor Justinian I Corpus Juris Civilic , which was created in period from 529 – 534 A. D and later developed by medieval legal scholars. Countries with Civil legal system: France, Germany, Japan, Russia and Uzbekistan. The Common law evolved in England since 11th century after being conquered by the Normans in 1066 A. D.. Afterwards William I the Conqueror created central government and began to standardize the law by combining the best of Anglo-Saxon law with Norman Law which led to a creation of English Common Law. â€Å"William’s enduring legacy was the creation of highly centralized legal system†. [1] (Kritzer, H, M, 2002). The case law originally appeared when the King understood, that many cases, which he had to solve were similar and needed standardization. During the 14th century legal decisions on the common law started providing precedents for the judges to follow. In 1769 Sir William Blackstone wrote Commentaries on the Laws of England, which became the basics of the most common law statutes. These are countries with common legal system: England, United States of America, Australia, Canada, Pakistan, and India. The Islamic Law is called Sharia. The primary sources of Islamic Law are Qur’an and Sunnah. Sharia covers all aspects of every day life of Muslims, including such things as: economics, family and social issues. The legal systems in the World are divided into three main groups: Common, Civil and Islamic legal system, as it was discussed earlier. According to Zweigert, K. and Kotz, H. there are five main differences this two legal systems can be compared: historical background, legal investigation, legal institutions, the sources of law and last one is its ideology. Civil and Common legal systems have both similarities and differences. The main difference between these two legal systems is that common law in England was based on customs, the court existed a long time before there were any written laws. In contrast, the Civil Law developed from ancient Roman Law of Justinian I The second difference is the role of sources of law. At present time there are such sources of law as codes, legislation, customs, judicial decisions (case law), equity and doctrinal writing. Each legal system has several sources from those which were mentioned above. For instance, as De Cruz (2007) points out â€Å"the main sources of law in Civil law countries are the codes, enacted law, doctrinal writing, custom and decided cases. †[2] Civil legal system is codified statutory system, where the main principles and rules are stated in codes. This means that codes and statutes are valued higher and case law is considered just as a secondary source of law. On the other hand the Common law system is uncodified, â€Å"governed by case law and statutes play only an auxiliary role to precedents established by courts†[3](Kritzer, H M, 2002). Equity and case law are accepted sources of law in Common law countries. They do not exist in Civil law jurisdiction. Equity is understood not only as justice but is also considered as a set of legal principles, which are applied in Common legal system. Equity deals with â€Å"situations by applying notions of good sense and fairness†. [4] (Elliott, C Quinn, F, 1996). The law is dominantly created by judge and often without checking the legislation, only by drawing analogy the previous similar cases. This moment shows the difference of the legislators in civil law and in common law. In the civil law, judges should apply the law, which was created by the legislator, on the basis of separation of powers. On the other hand, in common law the judge is given the power to create the law. Another difference between civil and common law system is the force of precedents. In civil law system, the court decides the particular cases according to the legislation and legal norms. But in the common law the courts are supposed not only to solve the cases, but also give an example of how similar cases have to be solved in the future. This means, that decisions, which are made by higher level courts in a specific areas are binding the lower ones to follow them. This makes the court in the common law the basis of legislation. Court procedures are also differentiating in both civil and common legal systems. We all know that at the court two parties cooperate by presenting their evidence to each other. Civil legal system has an inquisitorial procedure. In inquisitorial procedure the judge is the active person, who also takes more investigative role. Common law countries use the accusatorial system, which is also known as the adversary procedure. † The common law principle which places the responsibility for collecting and presenting evidence on the party who seeks to introduce that evidence. †[5] (Woodley, M, 2005). In accusatorial procedure judge is a passive person in comparison with the inquisitorial procedure. Moreover, the last word in court procedure (Civil legal system) has the defendant, whereas in Common law the last world has the prosecutor. Next difference would be legal institutions. It can be seen on the following examples. Trust is a branch of law which exist in Common law countries, significantly developed in England. It regulates relationship between trust and trustee. Trust is the person who delegates their ownership, whereas trustee is the person who owns trusts’ proprieties due to many reasons (e.g. underage) The principle of presumption of innocence works differently in Common and Civil law in criminal cases. In Common law it means that a person is innocent until his gilt is proven by the prosecutor and by the facts he presents. On the other hand in civil legal system, it suggests that a person is found to be guilty until he proved that he is innocent. Convergence theory is a system, when one particular country has a mixed legal system. Mixed jurisdiction in recent time, became a subject of huge debates and discussions in European Union. This is happening because, EU has united many countries with different legal systems under a single legislation. So now EU is becoming an area of convergence, where two major legal systems, civil legal system of the continental Europe and common legal system of England, are getting mixed with each other. But this kind of situation with the mixed jurisdictions did not occur only in European Union. Louisiana and Quebec are examples of mixed jurisdiction systems. Before being a part of USA, Louisiana was a French colony since 1731 till its cession to Spain in 1763. In this period of time Louisiana had a French legal system. But after its cession, French law was replaced by Spanish Law. The Spanish law included â€Å"Nueva Recopilacion de Castilla (1567) and the Recopilacion de Leyes de los Reinos de las Indias (a rearrangement of major legal texts up to 1680), and, in default of a specific rule in a later enactment, the Siete Partidas (a compilation of laws, based on the Justinian compilation and the doctrine of the Glossators, made under King Alfonso X in 1265 and formally enacted under King Alfonso XI in 1348)† (Tetley,W., 2000). On 20 December of 1803 Louisiana became part of United States of America. USA had a common law legal system. The mixture of common and civil law systems lead to a misinterpretation of laws, because all other codes were written in different languages. That is why, Edward Livingston in 1808 created a â€Å"Louisiana civil code†, which was approved by the major advocates of common law. In 1825 the Louisiana civil code was modified by adding missing force and was organized similarly with French Civil Code. The third civil code was evolved in 1870. The complete edition of all three codes was published in 1938. Starting from 1976 Louisiana’s State University is now responsible for the Louisiana civil code. Another striking example of the mixed of jurisdictions, would be Quebec. For a long time before being ceded by the Great Britain, Quebec was the part of France, and called le Canada. This means that in Quebec was under French Civil Legal system. After cession with Great Britain, the legal systems got mixed, and this lead to a confusion of the applicable law. The French population boycotted the new English law. To make some clarifications were made by creating a Quebec Act 1774, which combined both civil and common legal systems. In 1791 The Constitutional act divided Quebec into Upper Canada, with common law system and Lower Canada with civil law. Nowadays Canada still has a mixed jurisdiction The mixed jurisdiction is, in my opinion, a myth, but many countries are trying to reach the convergence between these two main legal systems. As I stated before, some countries already have mixed jurisdiction, but this mixture often leads to some misunderstandings and confusions to the legal authorities of the country. Convergence theory is a myth, but as long as developed countries will try to mix both of these legal systems, it can become reality. Bibliography Books: 1. De Cruz, P. , (1999). Comparative law in a changing world. 2nd ed. GB: Cavendish Publishing Ltd. 2. Elliott, C Quinn, F. , (1996). English legal system. New York: Addison Wesley Longman 3. Tetley, W. , (2000). Mixed jurisdiction: Common Law vs. Civil Law (Codified and Uncodified). USA: Louisiana Law Review. 4. Woodley, M. , (2005). Osborn’s Concise law dictionary. 10th ed. London : Sweet Maxwell 5. Kritzer, H M, (2002). Legal systems of the world. California : ABC-CLIO 6. Zweigert, K. and Kotz, H. , (1998). An introduction to comparative law. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press. Internet Sources: 1. Pejovic, C. ,(2001). Civil Law and Common Law: Two different paths leading to the same goal. [online] Available from: [Accessed 17 March 2009]. 2. Radford University. Description and History of Common Law [online]. Available from: http://www. runet. edu/~junnever/law/commonlaw. htm [Accessed 18 March 2009]. 3. Common Law vs. Civil Law. [online] Available from: [Accessed 17 March 2009] 4. Rial, J. S. , (2002). Origins of Common Law. [online] Available from: [Accessed 17 March 2009] 5. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, (2007). Corpus Juris Civilic. [online] Columbia University Press. Available from: http://www. infoplease. com/ce6/society/A0813641. html [Accessed 16 March 2009]. 6. Law. com Dictionary. Common Law. [online]. Available from: http://dictionary. law. com/definition2. asp? selected=248 [Accessed 17 March 2009] [1] Kritzer, H M, 2002, Legal systems of the world, volume I A-D, ABC-CLIO, California. [2] De Cruz, P, 2007, Comparative law in a changing world, 3d edn, Routledge-Cavendish, Oxon. [3] Kritzer, H M, 2002, Legal systems of the world, volume I A-D, ABC-CLIO, California. [4] Elliott, C Quinn, F, 1996, English legal system, Addison Wesley Longman, New York. [5] Woodley, M, 2005, Osborn’s Concise law dictionary, 10th edn, Sweet Maxwell, London.

Enzyme Kinetics Laboratory Report

Enzyme Kinetics Laboratory Report How the changes in substrate concentration (PNPP), changes in temperature, changes in pH and the presence of an inhibitor (phosphate ions) effects the rate of reaction of the reaction between PNPP and water catalysed by the enzyme acid phosphates which produces PNP and phosphate as its products . Using spectrophotometer to measure the absorbance of the products formed through hydrolysis of substrate. Abstract: The purpose of this scientific paper was to replicate earlier findings of experiments in enzyme kinetics and to see if enzyme behaviour and activity is influenced by 4 factors- change in substrate concentration, temperature, pH and the presence of a competitive inhibitor. In the first section where the substrate concentration was altered whilst the enzyme concentration was kept constant the relationship was found to be hyperbolic this can be explained using the Michaelis -Menten equation and the Lineweaver burk plot which was also used to obtain Km values of 0.25 and Vmax values of 0.12UNIT. The increase in [S] increased the rate of reaction at first but when [S] too much the initial velocity started to decrease. The increase in temperature led to a general increase in the initial velocity until the temperature reached 347 K where the enzyme denatured. The optimum temperature of the reaction was in the range 310 K- 323.2 where the rate increased at its fastest. The third section was the effect of pH on the enzyme activity. The optimum pH of the reaction was 5.5. This pH gave the highest reading of absorbance which means that the rate of hydrolysis was at its highest. Finally the last section of the experiment was the effect of competitive inhibitor on the rate of reaction. The investigation showed that the inhibitor used (phosphate ions) was a non-competitive inhibitor. The inhibitor did lower the initial velocity of the reaction when it attached to the enzyme at random. Introduction: This laboratory report is on the topic of enzyme kinetics, previous work in this particular field was carried out in the 1700s, when biological catalyst enzymes were discovered and studied. As understanding of enzymes increased scientist carried out basic laboratory experiments such as the conversion of starch to sugar by saliva to increase their understating of enzymes and how they function. However the first actual incident where enzymes were understood in detail was in 1897-by Edward Buchner .Since then on, till this period of time factors which effect the velocity/ rate of reaction and enzymes have been studied widely by many scientists globally. The modern scientists have a deep understanding of enzyme kinetics. The purpose of this laboratory report is to confirm previous findings covered in various sources of scientific literature and journals. Enzymes are often described as organic catalysts which increase the rate of reaction of a bio-chemical reaction ( David L.Nelson etal 2008). Enzymes increase the rate velocity of various reactions that occur in a biological system such as the mammalian digestive system. Enzymes can have functions including transfer, synthesis or breakdown of molecules. It is important to mention that enzymes are proteins which speed up the rate of reaction without being used up themselves i.e. they are reusable. Enzymes have a very specific active site which is complementary to a specific substrate 3 dimensional structure. The specificity is due to the complementary hydrophilic/hydrophobic charge, electrical charge and shape of active site on the enzyme. The binding of an enzyme with an specific substrate produces an enzyme substrate complex (ES).The rate at which the enzyme substrate complex is formed is dramatically increased or decreased in changes in substrate concentration, temperature, pH and presence of an competitive inhibitor the effect of these 4 factors on the enzyme activity is known as enzyme kinetics (Jeremy M. Berg etal 2006).Enzymes work on the concept of transition states. Transition state of enzymes is the phase where the substrate is not a yet a product and not a substrate. Enzymes reduce this phase .The difference between the free energy of the reactants and the free energy of the transition state is the activation energy (Ea).The minimum energy required for a success full reaction to occur. Enzymes speed up the rate of reaction by lowering the activation energy barrier. A typical enzyme substrate reaction can be simplified and be written as: The enzyme studied in this investigation was acid phosphatase. This enzyme can be identified by its Enzyme Commission Number (EC number) which is 3.1.3.2. Now I will briefly discuss the enzyme kinetic properties of acid phosphatase. The enzyme acid phosphatase catalyses the removal of phosphate group from organic molecules. Its primary mechanism of action is to bring a substrate molecule into contact with a molecule of water .This results in catalysis and the removal of phosphate group. Finally an hydroxyl group is attached to the substrate molecule. An example of this is the reaction shown below. This reaction was studied in this laboratory investigation. Acid phosphatase p-nitrophenylphosphate (PNPP) + water phosphate + p-nitrophenol(PNP) In the reaction above PNPP is the synthetic substrate, which is described as chromogenic.At. At high purity this compound is completely colourless. PNPP is hydrolysed by the enzyme acid phosphatase this produces phosphate and PNP. The product produced is yellow and can be measured using a colorimeter. The first part of the investigation concerns the effect of substrate concentration on the rate of reaction. I predict and expect that at an increase in substrate concentration (PNPP) will lead to an increased rate if reaction/initial rate. The reason for this is that an increase in substrate concentration increases the chances of a successful collision occurring between the enzyme and substrate increasing the likelihood of ES complex and product (PNP) formation results in an overall increase rate of reaction. This will produce a fist order reaction on a graph. However it is important to mention that at high substrate concentration the enzyme will be fully saturated this will reduce the rate of reaction as the there are too many substrate than enzymes. On a graph this would show a plateau. The maximum velocity of the reaction or the Vmax would be expected to be close to this region. Therefore I predict to see a hyperbolic relationship on a graph. Section B of this investigation concerns the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction. I would exepcet to find that an increase in temperature would result in an increase in the rate of reaction. The reason for this phenomenon is that as there is increase in kinetic energy being applied to enzymes and substrates it increases the chances of collision occurring so more product (PNP) is formed per unit time. However I also believe that temperatures above 50 -70 degrees Celsius would denature the enzymes active site and the 3 dimensional structures. At this stage the enzyme will not be complementary in shape to the substrate. This would mean that no reaction can be completed so the rate of reaction will decrease. It is important to state that the enzyme is going to have an optimum temperature at which the ES complexes and products are made at the fastest velocity. The increase in temperature increase the amount of molecules which have higher energy than the Ea barrier this in turn increases the amount of molecules which can react increasing the rate of reaction or initial velocity. I believe the optimum temperature is going to range between 20-40 degrees Celsius. The third part of this lab report is based on the effect of pH on the rate of reaction again I believe that at extremes of pH such as acidity or alkalinity will affect the rate of reaction. This may cause the enzymes structure to denature and will cause a lower rate of reaction and lower rate of product formation because the enzyme will not be complementary to the substrate. I would expect this enzyme to have a low optimum pH of around 5-2 as it is acid. Finally the last section of this investigation concerns the effect of a competitive inhibitor (phosphate ions) on the rate of reaction. Inhibitor in this case the phosphate ions will compete with the actual substrate PNPP for the active site of the enzyme acid phosphatase. These inhibitors can only attach to the active site of the enzyme due to their complementary properties. The concentration of the inhibitors will be kept constant and the concentration of the substrate PNPP will be altered. I believe that as the concentration of PNPP increases the rate of reaction will increase this is because the PNPP can out- compete the competitive inhibitor and reverse the effect of the inhibitor. Materials and Methods: All procedures were carried out as described in the lab schedule. No alterations were made to any of the procedures carried out throughout the experiment. Discussion: The first section of this lab report relates the effect of substrate concentration on enzyme activity. I shall briefly discuss and explain what my data shows and means. Graph 3 which is the graph of Michaelis Menten of collected data. The relationship between the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction and the substrate concentration can be describes as hyperbolic. The graph and tables 2 show that as the concentration of substrate (PNPP) increases from 0.00 Mmols to 0.20 Mmols of substrate the initial velocity or the rate of reaction shows an increase in too. The relationship can be describes as fist order as the [V] rises almost linearly with the increase in [S]. However after the concentration increase from 0.20- to 3.00 Mmols the initial velocity shows a gradual increase and then gradually levels of or slopes here graph shows 0 order relationship. This supports the prediction I made in the introduction. The graphs indicates that as the concentration of substrate increase the rate of reaction increase this is because of the increase chances of a collision between a substrate and an enzyme. This in turn increases the rate at which ES and P are formed. However after the concentration increase after 0.20 3.00 Mmols the rate stars to level off. The reasoning behind is this is that there are too many substrates than compared to enzymes an all enzymes are described to be fully saturated .At this phase the reaction is at its Maximum velocity and cannot increase in rate unless more enzymes are added therefore enzyme concentration is the limiting factor. I can tell that the data I collected from the experiment in the lab is accurate and valid as the graph which compares the theatrical data and the collected data show similarities in the trend line the Vmax the km and as well as the points and there is no anomalous data point on either of the 3 graphs. My findings support the findings of many previous investigations and journals as the graphs show a similar relationship as to the findings to previous work. The implications of this investigation can be used widely to determine the Vmax and KM. These values can be used for medical purposes since the enzyme acid phosphatase is manufactured by the body to remove phosphate groups. The limitation of Michaels Menten plot is that the Km and Vmax cannot be accurately determined. Therefore a Lineweaver burk plot is plotted. The Lineweaver burk plot shows that the KM and Vmax are very similar to the ones from the Michaelis Menten plot. Finally KM is an approximate measure of the affinity of an enzyme for its substrate.A small value of KM indicates a high affinity of the enzyme for the substrate. From my graphs (1 +2) I can tell that the KM was 0.24 and therefore small. This means that the enzyme acid phosphatase has a high affinity for the synaesthetic substrate PNPP. This means that small concentration of substrate PNPP is enough to run the reaction at half of maximum velocity (1/2 Vmax). The next section of the investigation concerns the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction. I predicted an increase in temperature will increase the rate of reaction or the initial velocity of the e reaction until the enzyme denatures and the protein sequence becomes damaged an unravels. The actual reason for why the protein sequences unravel is that the protein has too much kinetic energy and the amino acids vibrate and this causes the non covalent forces to be weakened. There is an increase in the rate of reaction as the temperature increases from 278 -323 K the increase is almost linear. However after the temperature 323 K-to 347 K the enzyme denatures and unravels. This is proved by the last point on the graph which doesnt fit the line of best fit. Overall the graphs and data all prove my predictions correct. There is no other anomalous data present. The third section concerns the effect of pH on the rate of reaction. As we have discovered before the enzyme used was acid phosphatase so the pH at which it works at best the optimum temperature will be in the acidic pH regions. I can confirm from my graph that the optimum pH of the reaction is in the region 5-5.5 which is indeed acidic. pH of 5.5 gives the highest absorption value, this therefore means that the rate of hydrolysis was at its fastest. A possible explanation for the change in the experimental design is that the pH may denature the enzyme if the enzyme was added first the active site and 3 dimensional shape of the enzyme could be altered at extremes of pH such as 2 which is quite acidic. The pH does not affect the substrates 3 dimensional structure in the same ways as the enzymes. Therefore to obtain valid results /data the design for this part of the experiment was slightly altered. pH has a very strong effect on enzyme activity .This is because enzymes work on the basis of mechanisms such as induced fit hypothesis and lock and key . The enzymes have a specific active site due to the complementary 3 dimensional active site with the substrate. According to the induced fit hypothesis the enzyme can undergo some change in the 3- dimensional structure in order to fit the substrate. However a change in pH changes the enzymes active site structure. An increase in H+ ions can change the active site structure due to the fact that h+ ions can interfere with any polar molecules on enzymes protein structure. Amino acids side chains can be protonated and may be damaged due to the extreme pH (concentration of H+ )this may result in the protein sequence to unravel which means that the active site is not complementary to the substrate and the rate of reaction decreases as no or little ES are formed which results in little products formed. The final section concerns the effect of a competitive inhibitor (phosphate ions) on the rate of reaction. From my graph I can tell that the inhibitor present was an non-competitive inhibitor. I can tell this by looking at the Lineweaver Burk plot where the trend lines cross the 1/Vmax intercept at different values but cross the 1/km intercept at the same values. This means that this type of inhibitor does not affect the KM but does lower the Vmax values. Non competitive inhibitor has the same effect as lowering the total volume of enzyme. This type of inhibition is reversible. It binds to a site away from the enzymes active site it denatures the active site so no other substrates can bind to the active site. This in turn lowers the rate of reaction and the rate at which products are formed. However this type of inhibitor also binds to the enzyme substrate complex I can therefore conclude that the non competitive inhibitor does lower the rate at which the products are formed. References: Books: David L. Nelson et al (2008) Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry ,W.H Freeman and Company Jeremy M. Berg et al (2006) Biochemistry, W.H Freeman and Company Lab schedule (2009) Enzyme Kinetics MODULE LSC10034 EXPERIMENT 4 Lecture Notes: Lectures notes (2009) Dr John Mills- Module LSC-10034 Proteins and Enzymes lectures 9, 10, 11 (Figures 1-5) Absorbance values- Table 4 and Table 6 Emma Ezekiel Web Pages: EC Number -http://www.brenda-enzymes.org/php/result_flat.php4?ecno=3.1.3.2 Seen :20 November 2009

Incorporating Farmers Knowledge in International Rice Research Essay

Incorporating Farmers' Knowledge in International Rice Research The longevity of many cultures can be attributed to their adherence to tradition, specifically subsistence practices. More likely than not, trying to push modern technology into these cultures will only result in disaster. Such is the case with the Green Revolution and the rice situation Stephen Lansing covered in The Balinese. It simply does not seem logical to disrupt traditional practices that have supported a culture for so long. There is a reason certain practices have been around for so long and that is because they work the best for certain people in certain locations. Sam Fujisaka supports this notion which is the basis for his article "Incorporating Farmers' Knowledge in International Rice Research." Fujiska's article describes his research done examining traditional farming techniques of the Claveria people of the Southern Philippines, so that their methods of rice farming may be used to improve research of agriculture. This article sets a good example for researchers of more developed countries who study such indigenous cultures. Rather than trying to see which modern technology from the "outside world" will best help these cultures, Fujisaka attempts to learn from these cultures' traditional methods to help improve the farming industry. Fujisaka's study of rice farming in the Philippines is much like Lansing's study in Bali, in that both cultures rely heavily on rice farming and both cultures suffered much the same from the effects of the Green Revolution. Thus, finding what improvements need to be made and how, is an important task that could help many people. Fujisaka began exploring these improvements by interviewing local Clave... ...ys best for everyone. This is a point that is necessary for people (specifically anthropologists) to bring into the light when dealing with other cultures. Understanding as much as possible about a culture is essential before attempting to get involved with their lives and, as Fujisaka shows, before getting their lives involved in others. He concludes "that the knowledge of farmers can be used first to identify and prioritise research issues" (139), and considering the respect for these cultures with which he conducted his research, Fujisaka's study can be considered more sound than most. References Fujisaka, Sam. "Incorporating Farmers' Knowledge in International Rice Research." The Cultural Dimension of Development: IndigenousKnowledge Systems. Ed. Warren, D. Michael et al. 1995 124-139. Lansing, J. Stephen. The Balinese Fort Worth: Harcourt, 1995.

The Death March Essay -- War, World War II

Plan of Investigation A tactic used in past wars, and also categorized as a war crime, is known as the death march. These marches have often been criticized for being inhumane, and forcing enemy soldiers into â€Å"conditions primitive and unsanitary.† (51 Allen) Both of the death marches studied in this historical investigation occurred in World War II. The first is the Bataan Death March, inflicted upon Americans and Filipinos by the Japanese. The second case studied will be the forced movement of â€Å"undesirables† (i.e. Jews, Homosexuals, blacks, gypsies, etc.) in the numerous Nazi death marches. How and why did the reasons and strategies for the Bataan Death March compare with those of the Nazi death marches? Both cases will be summarized and then analyzed. The justification for these marches will therefore lead to deciphering the extent that these marches helped the instigating countries, and what war would have been like without them. Primary sources, such as â€Å"Aband oned on Bataan,† along with secondary sources such as â€Å"Double Victory† will be utilized to fully comprehend the differences of the two marches. Summary of Evidence 1) Bataan Death March When General MacArthur of the United States surrendered, the Japanese were not prepared for the immense number of US and Filipino prisoners. Their justification for their war crimes comes from their culture. The Japanese were instilled with the idea of fight or death. Surrendering was not an option to the Japanese, because it made one scum, and not even human. In the Japanese perspective, the American soldiers that surrendered had intentionally put themselves in this position. The Japanese did what they were taught; their cultural traditions allowed for the violence an... ...ese Lines in World War II. New York: NAL Caliber, 2009. Print. Allen, Oliver Craig, and Mildred Faye Allen. Abandoned on Bataan: One Man's Story of Survival. Boerne, TX: Crimson Horse Entertainment and Pub., 2002. Print. "American Experience . MacArthur . The Siege of Bataan | PBS." Interview by Edwin Ramsey, Richard Gordon, and Leon Beck. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. 2009. Web. . Holocaust Encyclopedia. "Death Marches." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 06 Jan. 2011. Web. . Nelson, Jim. "The Causes of the Bataan Death March Revisited." 11 May 2007. Web. . Smurthwaite, David. The Pacific War Atlas 1941-1945. New York: HMSO, 1995. Print.