Global Marketing The WritePass Journal

Global Marketing Introduction and Company Background Global Marketing , p. 61). Additionally, the consumers are increasingly becoming aware of their health issues which change their attitudes towards food. Tesco Plc has had to adopt its marketing mix in order to accommodate the increased demand for organic products. It was also the first to allow customers to make payments using cheques and cash at the checkout. Demographics The demographic changes in the UK population like aging population and more female workers mean that there is a decline in home meal preparation in the country. The company has increased food supply in its stores in order to satisfy the needs of such customers. The same approach is replicated in its international stores as it provides the local foods like whale meat in Japan and other foods in Malaysia and South Korea (Cunningham Harney 2012, p. 90). Technological Factors Many products of the company have of the company have been influenced by technology. Technology is therefore a major macro environmental factor that benefits both the company and the customers (Baines et al 2013, p. 77). The customers are satisfied through more personalised and convenient shopping while the company benefits through the development of an efficient supply chain. Environmental Factors Companies are currently facing increased pressure to acknowledge their responsibility to the society. The companies are required to operate in a way that benefits the society (Bradley 2005, p. 33). Tesco has been accused of selling genetically modified foods to children. The focus of the corporate social responsibility of the company is to comply with regulations and its corporate governance policy. Legal Factors Tesco Plc is required to comply with the different policies and legislations of the countries in which it has operations. For example in Malaysia it faced restrictions that limit its expansion in the country. The company has lowered the prices of some goods to comply with the pricing policies of different countries in which it has business operations. Internal Environmental Analysis Although Tesco PLC has operations in different countries across the world, its core operations are in the United Kingdom which accounts for over 60% of its sales. This study will use different theoretical models in analysing the external environment of the company. The company continuously upgrades its ordering system, in- store processes and vendor list to improve the efficiency of its operations. It uses information technology to maintain its low priced leadership approach to supply chain management.   The EPRG framework will be used to analyse Tesco PLC foreign marketing involvement. The company has to re-orient itself and align its operations to fit into the different levels of operational activities that a particular market segment requires. The EPRG framework assesses four types of orientation of a firm towards foreign marketing. It is very useful in helping companies asses and determine their operational strategies as it relates closely to the marketing mix. The strategies c hosen by the company for each variable determines its overall operational strategy. The table below shows the EPRG analysis and marketing mix of Tesco PLC. Product The products of Tesco PLC are a mix of ethnocentric and regiocentric. The products that the company sells do not fit into all its market segments. Instead it sells products that are suitable for the respective regions in order to maximise sales (Thoenig Waldman 2007, p. 111). The international expansion of the company takes into account the different tastes of the respective market segments. For instance it devoted a very big attention to the needs of the customers while venturing into the central European market as is reflected in the product line (Glowik Smyczek 2011, p. 117). In the Czech Republic the company concentrated on providing the Czech products through retail shops. The same goes to China where the local consumers prefer buying live fish and turtles and other instant noodles unlike in the European market. Tesco PLC had to provide these products to the Chinese market in order to attract the Chinese customers. The other example is in Thailand where the company had to adap t to the shopping habits of the Thai customers by introducing the fresh market hall to serve the interests of these customers who spent a huge proportion of their income on fresh foods. These new adjustments were introduced by the company to help it penetrate the new markets because some of these provisions are not available in its operations in the United Kingdom. The website of the company is also translated into the languages of the specific market segments to ensure that the prospective and existent customers get the latest information on the products on sale and offers if any. The other aspects of the company like online marketing and sales are consistently available in all the market segments. Promotion Tesco PLC uses a mixture of both ethnocentric and polycentric promotional strategy. Although most of its promotional activities are those used in the United Kingdom, it also utilises the needs and characteristics of the particular market in formulating its promotional strategies (Humby et al 2008, p.68). For example Tesco PLC implemented a strong plan for addressing parts of its offer to the customers in Thailand. The measures included remerchandising of its clubpack range of bulk products. It particularly targeted the small traders who shop regularly with the company. Another example is Poland where the company is launching a turnaround plan to improve its presentation of fresh food and is even introducing new concepts like bistro dining in order to differentiate itself from competition (Gunn 2009, p. 139). These plans are in some ways similar to the build better Tesco strategy being used in the United Kingdom but are a little adjusted to best serve the interests of the local market . Price Tesco PLC pursues a predominantly polycentric pricing approach in its international markets. The company attempts to organise its marketing activities based on the specific countries of operation (Humby et al 2008, p. 198). It treats each country differently and formulates strategies that suit the specific local needs of the consumers. As such the prices of its products vary across different market segments depending on demand, income levels and demographics.   For instance having had a difficult time in Ireland, the company launched pricing initiatives aimed at combating discounters and counter the lower prices offered by its competitors. The company reduced the prices in the stores particularly those close to the Irish border and has plans of extending the same to the rest of its stores in the country in the long run. The same low pricing strategy was also used by the company in Malaysia in order to attract more customers. In the other markets like England and Poland the prices a re a little higher because they are sustainable for those market segments. In essence, Tesco PLC tries to ensure that the products and their prices fit into the demands of that particular market segment in question. People The management orientation of Tesco PLC has elements of both geocentric and polycentric influence. The global expansion of the company has been accompanied by teams that focus on both global and local markets. Its international expansion strategy has mainly been through joint ventures with the local partner firms in order to be sensitive to the needs of the local markets (Maynard 2013, p. 33). The company retains the employees of the partnering firms and continues with the approach of employing the local people because they are well placed to serve the needs of the local consumers.   These local personnel are maintained by the company especially in the middle and low management positions because they are better placed to serve the needs of the local market than the foreign expatriates. Place and Process The process of Tesco PLC is a mix of polycentric and geocentric. The company has adopted a global approach in some of its operations as it has designed its value chain in a manner that ensures that it minimises its operational costs. For instance when it came apparent that it was critical to reduce the prices of products in its stores in Ireland, Tesco PLC decided to drop its suppliers in the country in preference for favourable ones elsewhere. The management of the company has established its distribution channels to facilitate the movement of its products across the different regional and national markets (Zentes et al 2011, p.173). The process of the company also has some elements of polycentric approach because it uses some strategies based on particular countries.   For instance in Asia it treats all the countries differently based their product demands are different making it impossible for the company to use the geocentric approach.  Ã‚   As such it acquires the products f rom the local suppliers and uses local marketing channels for serving the needs of that particular market segment. The polycentric approach has helped the company penetrate into difficult markets like Malaysia, China and South Korea as these countries have significant political, economic and cultural differences with the United Kingdom (Zentes et al 2011, p. 45). The products of the company are sold in its stores which it rents in the major malls and shopping centres whenever it finds space or builds its own   stores in cases where that is the best option for the market segment. The place can be said to be polycentric because the products are mostly in the big cities where there are many consumers with the ability to buy its products. The polycentric approach enables the company to strategically position itself in the markets in order to reach as many customers as possible. Proactive Market Research The uses a polycentric approach in research and new product development because the needs of its customers in the different market segments are very diverse. In addition to this, some market segments like the American market have big industrial players like Wal-Mart who have a large base of loyal customers making it difficult to venture into such markets with an ethnocentric approach. Proliferation of the Brand The products of the company are standardised around the world to ensure that they are distinct and meet the required company standards. TOWS ANALYSIS of Tesco Plc The TOWS analysis will be used to analyse both the internal and external factors in order to provide a holistic view of the position and direction of the company. The figure below shows a combination of the TOWS analysis that combines the DEEPLETERS analysis with the competitive advantages and EPRG model.          INTERNAL STRENGTHS Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strong global brand   and high brand exposure Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strong core UK market Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strong and stable growth in Asia Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚   Financially sound Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚   Variety of products to appeal to different consumers INTERNAL WEAKNESES Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ethnocentric reliance on the UK market Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stagnant or negative sales in some developed countries Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   High price elasticity due to competition and low costs of customers switching to other brands and loyalty Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Resistance to large firms in some countries EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES    SO Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Continue entering appropriate markets across the globe Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Continue building on cost efficient pricing to attract more customers Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Go into new markets and buy local retailers to gain market share WO Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Explore ways of reducing their operational costs in order to reduce prices for the consumers Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increase the efficiency of its business process and supply chain Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Capitalise on the opportunities present in the developing world by opening more stores there    EXTERNAL THREATS    Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increased competition from other well established brands Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Political and legal opposition against expansion in some economies Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contracting consumer expenditures in Europe that reduce the demand for the non-basic goods Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Economic reforms may threaten multinationals like the finances and operations of Tesco Plc          ST       Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Remain ahead of its competitors in terms of research and innovation in order to give the customers what they want Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contribute to the society in which it operates to limit the political and legal barriers that inhibit its growth WT       Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increase the awareness of the brand through advertisement Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Withdraw from the markets that are not performing well and use the funds to support other operations of the company    The above analysis reveals that the company is on the right path as it has enacted mechanisms that will help it capitalise on its strengths and address its weaknesses. For instance the company has closed some of its international businesses that are not performing well like in the United States to reduce on loses. The company has also increased its operations in China and is focused in strengthening its presence in the emerging economies in Asia. Additionally, it is employing more local people and complying with the local regulations to reduce opposition against its operations in some economies. Opportunity Identification Analysis of opportunity identification will be done using the BCG Matrix. The Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG) is important in analysing how companies allocate resources (Maynard 2013, p.81). The matrix splits the products of the company into four categories that determine how much money the company should invest in them. The categories are as follows: Cash cows should be used by the company for profits as much as possible Stars should receive investments so that they become the next cash cows Dogs have low share of market growth and should be sold as they depress the performance of the company Question marks have low share of high growth market and have the potential of becoming stars or dogs. The high street shops of the company are the cash cows. Tesco Plc has approximately 30% of market share in this division although the growth of the division has been very slow. The online operations of the company are the stars. The company is the largest online grocer in the United Kingdom. Tesco Plc should make more investments in this sector to improve its online offering because e-commerce is growing rapidly. The question marks of the company include video on demand service and blinkbox which face high competition from the big industrial players. The company should decide on the appropriate level of investments needed for turning this division into star. The Fresh and Easy operation in the United States was a dog and that is why the company decided to pull out of the country. Positioning/ targeting The targeting strategy of Tesco Plc includes people of all ages and it offers a wide range of products to meet the demands of the customers. The company focuses on the specifications of products that are close to those of the rival companies in order to try and win customers from such companies. For instance it offers fresh and unreserved goods because people spend more money buying fresh products. In addition to product specifications, the company also prices its products fairly to attract more customers because households are very sensitive to price. Conclusion The findings of this study reveal that the strategies being pursued by Tesco Plc in its international expansion are in line with strategic models. The company identifies the opportunities present in the business environment and then devises the strategies for exploiting them. It has also adopted entry strategies like joint ventures and acquisitions for expanding into the international market. Such approach has helped the company expand its distribution network and win over the local markets by giving the customers a local approach. The company has also closed down the international businesses that are not doing well in the United States and Japan to reduce on loses and help it focus on other profitable markets. The company must continue to exploit the potential emerging markets and also looks for mechanisms of outdoing its major competitors. References Applegate, E., Johnsen, A. (2007). Cases in advertising and marketing management: Real situations for tomorrows managers. Lanham: Rowman Littlefield Baines, P., Fill, C., Page, K. (2013). Essentials of marketing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Bradley, F. (2005). International marketing strategy. New York: FT/Prentice Hall. Cunningham, J., Harney, B. (2012). Strategy strategists. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Glowik, M., Smyczek, S. (2011). International marketing management: Strategies, concepts and cases in Europe. München: Oldenbourg. Gunn, M. (2009). Trading regime analysis: The probability of volatility. Chichester, England: Wiley. Humby, C., Hunt, T., Phillips, T. (2008). Scoring Points: How Tesco Continues to Win Customer Loyalty. London: Kogan Page. Maynard, J. (2013). Financial accounting, reporting, and analysis. Oxford: Oxford university press McLoughlin, D., Aaker, D. A. (2010). Strategic market management: Global perspectives. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Pradhan, S. (2009). Retailing management: Text and cases. New Delhi, India: Tata Mcgraw-Hill Education Pvt. Ltd. Richter, T. (2012). International marketing mix management: Theoretical framework, contingency factors and empirical findings from world-markets. Berlin: Logos. Thoenig, J.-C., Waldman, C. (2007). The marking enterprise: Business success and societal embedding. Basingstoke [England: Palgrave Macmillan. Zentes, J., Morschett, D., Schramm-Klein, H. (2011). Strategic retail management: Text and international cases. Wiesbaden: Gabler.   Appendix Ethnocentric Polycentric Regiocentric Geocentric Ethnocentric Proliferation of the Brand Promotion product Polycentric Price / place/ Proactive Market Research Regiocentric Geocentric People / process

'Information systems have revolutionised the way we work'. Critically Essay - 2

'Information systems have revolutionised the way we work'. Critically discuss this statement using two concepts from the mod - Essay Example The internet is considered as one of the major infrastructures to drive the new era of information. The innovations of technology have resulted in the widespread application of information systems in organizations, politics as well as in the public sector with the introduction of electronic and digital government models. Discussion E-Government Electronic government is the digital communication process between the public sector and the government bodies through the use of Information systems including internet facilitated operations and communication technologies. The E–Government strategies can be defined as the implementation of the Information Technology and Communication Technology to deliver government services and information smoothly to the public. The digital governance is directed at maintaining the delivery system of government services and improving the internal government processes (Alston, 2003, p.4). The E-Government models can be classified as the following: Gov ernment to citizens (G2C), Government to Governments (G2B), Government to Businesses (G2B) and Government to Employees (G2E) and Citizens to Governments (C2G). Electronic government has made public administration process flawless and has also influenced the governments to re-evaluate their business processes and responsibilities across all the levels of the government (Deloitte Touche Consulting, 2012, pp.7-10). Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have enormous administrative potential for helping the government in delivering information and services Information and Communication Technologies can be effectively used to enhance interconnectivity, efficiency, transparency, decentralization and service delivery of the authority. Electronic government has become an important part of public administration in many countries in order to perform these functions more effectively. Four conceptual frameworks can be applied to the E-Government theory (Garson, 2006, p. 45-50). The first framework considers the potential of Information technology Systems in the decentralization of the government processes. The second concept aims towards the limitations of contradictions in the strategy. The third framework is the socio technical framework which evaluates the continuous communication in the government and public environment with the effective use of technology. The last framework is used to supplement the strategy of electronic government with global integration theories. The electronic government has four important dimensions to support the government processes, engage the public and improve the level of government services (Rabaiah, 2010, pp. 51-69). The key dimensions are: Electronic services to ensure delivery of programs, services and information to the citizens in electronic form, electronic management to use information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance the managerial capacity of the body and streamline the government processes, electronic d emocracy to promote public participation in the decision making processes and electronic commerce to facilitate electronic exchange of goods and services for money. This includes payment of taxes, utility bills, paying for entertainment programs, renewal of vehicle registrations etc. (Mistry, 2012, pp.145-176). According to researches, there can be major

Post traumatic stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Post traumatic stress - Essay Example The current state of literature suggests that numerous events and factors can trigger posttraumatic stress in children, from a minor physical injury to earthquakes and wars. Psychological treatment has a potential to reduce the symptoms and complications of posttraumatic stress in children. The current state of empirical literature suggests that a whole range of factors and events can trigger the development of posttraumatic stress experiences in children. Dozens of studies confirm that children are particularly vulnerable to the risks of PTSD. Aaron, Zaglul and Emery (1999) explored posttraumatic stress in children after acute physical injury. The researchers interviewed forty children 8-17 years old and concluded that many children hospitalized with physical injuries met diagnostic criteria for PTSD (Aaron et al, 1999). In a similar vein, Thabet and Vostanis (1999) analyzed posttraumatic symptoms investigating Palestinian children who suffered the emotional effects of war. War was found to heavily contribute to the development of posttraumatic experiences in Palestinian children: 72.8% of children in the sample reported posttraumatic reactions to war traumas (Thabet & Vostanis, 1999).

Process and Outcome Evaluations Essay Example for Free

Process and Outcome Evaluations Essay A Process Evaluation is relatively used to monitor as well as document the planning, implementation, and interrelationship of the components of the proposed project are the focus of the process evaluation. The process evaluations main focus is to assist with the description of program interventions’ development, as well as its activities, also to provide quantitative and qualitative data on many services that are to be rendered and their effectiveness. A Process Evaluation is also responsible to document the acceptability of a specific program within the programs targeted community. An Outcome Evaluation is what is known to be based on the project’s ecological systems social constructionist theoretical orientations and its focus on the peer, family, individual, as well as school domains, the outcome evaluation will provide better understanding to some of the key evaluation questions and its effectiveness. Some examples of process evaluations are: 1. A program that provides addiction recovery services to the communities children ask the clients and their parents to fill out survey forms to specify if the program was helpful for their family to help them to meet specific goals. 2. The children participating in sports work with their coaches to fill out questionnaires about the program services they receive. Examples of an outcome evaluation are: 1. The number of high school students that are graduating goes up after the school implements an after school program to assist children struggling with grades 2. The city was able to increase its funding to the school from $3,000 to 15,000 after implementation of the after school program showed  improved graduation References Yuen, F., Terao, K. (2003). Practical grant writing and program evaluation. . Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning.

Hunger Essay -- World Hunger Poverty Food Essays

Hunger Hunger is an issue which many people think lies little importance. Im going to give you a look at World Hunger as a Picture of Poverty, how it affects Third World Nations, and How World Hunger is a disease that is plaguing our society. "Food is more than a trade commodity," pleaded Sir John Boydorr in 1946. "It is an essential to life." The first director-general of the new Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Boydorr fruitlessly proposed plans for a World Food Board to protect nations and people from hunger in the world market system. That market system does not distribute food on the basis of nutritional need. This is one of the most troubling and complex realities of the world hunger problem. During recent famines in Ethiopia, in another example of the workings of the marketplace, foreign food aid begins trucked to famine areas from ships at the docks passed food leaving the famine areas on other vehicles. Merchants were taking food from famine areas to parts of the country where there was no famine. World Hunger and poverty can be seen in many ways. But first lets establish a solid definition of poverty : Poverty is a state in which the ability of individuals or groups to use power to bring about good for themselves, their families, and their community is weakened or blocked. When someone lacks food, this is referred to as material poverty. This sort of poverty can hurt people in many ways, it can hurts people's self esteem and it can also hurt their outlook on life. Lets say you come home from work to see your family, instead of seeing a family which is happy because it has a roof over its head you come home to see that your children don't have enough food on the table to keep them properly nourished. This hurts familys and tears some of them apart. It is also just a very cruel punishment because after a while of being hungry, you start to starve to death and when you starve, the body just starts to eat itself up to find the nourishment it needs. It can also effect people's outlook on life and on people in a major way. People who are denied food can start to hate life and everyone around them. There's also two instincts in life that will always kick in when your hungr y: The survival instinct which is to survive no matter what the situation is and the instinct to provide food for your family. I am not a father myself, ... ...itary force and start trying to live like Jesus would want us to and help our fellow brothers in Christ. Due to many self-centered greedy people, we have fellow humans starving to death. This can't keep going on because every time someone starves, we are not just hurting that person but we are also hurting ourselves. We all live in the world as one race with different sections. The sections being the different nationalities we have in the world. And whenever one division gets hurt, the whole gets weakened. We need to depend on each other to survive from day to day healthy. It is true the poverty is a main cause of world hunger but it isn't the only cause. If the economy was serving the people and not the other way around then more people would have the money needed to buy food to live from day to day. And if greedy governments gave some of he people money or food they would have money to buy food. If the Military stopped using so much money to make machines that kill, there would be more money for people to buy food with. And if more people cared there would be a lot less starving peopl e in this world. If this hunger doesn't end, I can see a very pathetic world in our future. Hunger Essay -- World Hunger Poverty Food Essays Hunger Hunger is an issue which many people think lies little importance. Im going to give you a look at World Hunger as a Picture of Poverty, how it affects Third World Nations, and How World Hunger is a disease that is plaguing our society. "Food is more than a trade commodity," pleaded Sir John Boydorr in 1946. "It is an essential to life." The first director-general of the new Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Boydorr fruitlessly proposed plans for a World Food Board to protect nations and people from hunger in the world market system. That market system does not distribute food on the basis of nutritional need. This is one of the most troubling and complex realities of the world hunger problem. During recent famines in Ethiopia, in another example of the workings of the marketplace, foreign food aid begins trucked to famine areas from ships at the docks passed food leaving the famine areas on other vehicles. Merchants were taking food from famine areas to parts of the country where there was no famine. World Hunger and poverty can be seen in many ways. But first lets establish a solid definition of poverty : Poverty is a state in which the ability of individuals or groups to use power to bring about good for themselves, their families, and their community is weakened or blocked. When someone lacks food, this is referred to as material poverty. This sort of poverty can hurt people in many ways, it can hurts people's self esteem and it can also hurt their outlook on life. Lets say you come home from work to see your family, instead of seeing a family which is happy because it has a roof over its head you come home to see that your children don't have enough food on the table to keep them properly nourished. This hurts familys and tears some of them apart. It is also just a very cruel punishment because after a while of being hungry, you start to starve to death and when you starve, the body just starts to eat itself up to find the nourishment it needs. It can also effect people's outlook on life and on people in a major way. People who are denied food can start to hate life and everyone around them. There's also two instincts in life that will always kick in when your hungr y: The survival instinct which is to survive no matter what the situation is and the instinct to provide food for your family. I am not a father myself, ... ...itary force and start trying to live like Jesus would want us to and help our fellow brothers in Christ. Due to many self-centered greedy people, we have fellow humans starving to death. This can't keep going on because every time someone starves, we are not just hurting that person but we are also hurting ourselves. We all live in the world as one race with different sections. The sections being the different nationalities we have in the world. And whenever one division gets hurt, the whole gets weakened. We need to depend on each other to survive from day to day healthy. It is true the poverty is a main cause of world hunger but it isn't the only cause. If the economy was serving the people and not the other way around then more people would have the money needed to buy food to live from day to day. And if greedy governments gave some of he people money or food they would have money to buy food. If the Military stopped using so much money to make machines that kill, there would be more money for people to buy food with. And if more people cared there would be a lot less starving peopl e in this world. If this hunger doesn't end, I can see a very pathetic world in our future.

The Place of Factor X in Friedman and Albright’s Conflict

Three scholars namely Thomas L. Friedman, Madeleine Albright and Francis Fukuyama have offered related thoughts which policy-makers could learn to use in conflict resolution. To all of them, respecting human dignity is apparently the key to conflict resolution. Also, they all try to explain moral choices as the type of choice that must surface in the society to create a harmonious society. However, they have presented different sources for which people reflect on in making moral judgments like identity, rationality and freedom. The articles they have written which are; The Dell Theory of Conflict Resolution, Faith and Diplomacy and The Posthuman Future, respectively have tackled distinct issues but they derive their arguments from human nature. The first article for example discusses about the impacts of economic globalization on state and group collaboration; the second deals with how expertise and consideration of religion could facilitate in the understanding of cultural and religious differences to arrive at peace and settlements thus preventing wars; the third concerns itself with dissecting human nature to prove that technological and scientific development should be regulated to preserve the innate characteristics of humans and maintain their aspirations for unity. I would like to emphasize however that using the third article, Posthuman Future by Francis Fukuyama, the two articles are similar in that they refer to some aspects of human nature that Fukuyama referred to in his study as part of Factor X. But at the same time, I would like to present a personal analysis that Friedman and Albright in their discussions of economic-political behaviour and religious beliefs, are able to introduce although implicitly another aspect of human nature that Fukuyama might have not fully underscored- the human interactions that produce, mould, shape and influence beliefs, behavior, ideologies that yields to mobilization, organization, even conflict and its resolution. Let me begin by sharing what Fukuyama has to say about human dignity. How is moral choice determined? Francis Fukuyama in his new book the â€Å"Posthuman Future† tries to give a fresh perspective on the nature of humans and human values that eventually leads to a discussion of a kind of moral choice that is rooted in human dignity. Fukuyama says that human values are rooted in human nature which in turn is rooted in our genes. Fukuyama defines human nature as â€Å"the sum of the behavior and characteristics that are typical of the human species, arising from genetic rather than environmental factors.† Humans as complex wholes with a range of capacities like rationality, moral choice, sociability, sentience, consciousness, language, and so on that exceed those located among non-human animals is what gives humans moral worth. So while non-humans may possess nature as well, only humans possess dignity. Dignity is what gives humans the following: â€Å"superior†¦ moral status that raises us all above the rest of animal creation and yet makes us equals of one another qua human beings.† Fukuyama believes that dignity resides in what he refers below as Factor X: â€Å"a mysterious ‘Factor X' which is the ‘essential human quality' that remains after ‘all of a person's contingent and accidental characteristics' have been stripped away.† Fukuyama claims that: â€Å"Factor X cannot be reduced to the possession of moral choice, or reason, or language, or sociability, or sentience, or emotions, or consciousness, or any other quality that has been put forth as a grounds for human dignity. It is all of these qualities coming together in a human whole that make up Factor X† It is Factor X that Fukuyama wants to conserve from the command of biotechnologists. In this given equation, biotechnology which consists of the alteration of our biological nature would also alter human nature, transforming human values and undermine capitalism. He further notes that: â€Å"What is ultimately at stake with biotechnology is the very grounding of the human moral sense. We therefore need international regulation to obstruct any technological advance that might ‘disrupt either the unity or the continuity of human nature, and thereby the human rights that are based upon it.† (Fukuyama, 2002) Francis Fukuyama seemingly concerned with the natural order of things fears that with artificial actions like those presented in medicines, cloning and genetic engineering, what could have been naturally designed as the end in our society would change as we intervened in the natural course of events. This assumption leads him to some policy prescriptions as regards the limitations of these developments. One can deduce from his assumptions that our morality and our moral choices will also be affected with these perceived changes. The resolution for Fukuyama in all of humans’ worries that provoke biotechnology is seen in his statement, â€Å"There are good prudential reasons to defer to the natural order of things and not to think that human beings can easily improve upon it through casual intervention† Having read the Dell Theory of Conflict Resolution, one can judge at the outset that the intention was to rationalize the behavior of people and organizations which due to globalization and   in the consideration of their best interests have resorted to collaboration, thus making their human nature progress into economically defined configurations and abstain from war and other skirmishes. Richard Cobden said: â€Å"Free trade is God’s diplomacy. There is no other certain way of uniting people in the bonds of peace† (cited in the Dell Theory of Conflict Resolution). If I were to put it simply, I’d say Friedman as he appears a liberal to me wishes to promote for the sake of resolving conflict among groups and states, human’s embedded rationality as the aspect that makes us unique and thinking life-forms. He is saying that economically speaking, we would rather choose the best possible choice- that one that will entail the least costs and risks and the greater benefits. The least harm would be to preserve the freedom of choice and inherent rights of humans -characteristic of a capitalist system and even prospered in free trade. Now, this has become not only a rational choice for him, but also a moral choice; and dignity derives itself from the consideration of other people’s rights to personal property, opportunity to engage in the globalizing system as free and rational beings and appreciation of what others could do to help others at the same time helping their own selves (comparative advantage). In this case, conflict arises when disrespect against other humans in the form of illegal transactions, abuse of power, unfair decisions and agreements take place. Hence, as far as foreign policy is concern, time has come for policy-makers to lose interest in hard security issues like war but focus on meaningful and friendly trade treaties and the like. On the other hand, the article Faith and Diplomacy by Madeleine Albright takes faith in religion as the basis of human’s moral choices. Looking at human’s capacity and nature to reason and feel- this must be provoked to make people make better assessment of their actions and decisions. It is the domination of a common identity as humans created in the likeness of God that could fashion an intensive dislike to killing other humans and hurting them. The ultimate reason to abhor war and fighting must come from the nature of humans to feel sympathy, pain, sadness from the makings of their religious differences. Hence, international diplomatic relations faced with religious-based insurgencies must take this tactic to eliminate the perspective of dehumanization in wars as an opportunity to maintain order. Human dignity in this case is taken away when one treats another human non-human. He says in the article: â€Å"When participants in a conflict claim to be people of faith, a negotiator who has the credentials and the credibility to do so might wish to call their bluff† Humans have the nature to realize mistakes after some moments of reflection based on reason and sentiments. However as Fukuyama states, Factor X is the totality of human natures, the sum of all parts. Although a lot of other scholars still contest and rebut Fukuyama’s exaggeration of the impacts of biotechnology on the human qualities, I may not delve into those criticisms although one thing is clear to me: that all of these scholars have faith in what humans can do both negative and positive. Conflict is caused by human qualities and characteristics as rational, free beings capable of innovation and complex organizing. What must be given emphasis however more than human nature is human interaction. Their social nature is what brings them to form distinct religious groups and organizations, influence each other to develop new traditions, norms and structures, cooperate and not to cooperate depending on mainstream beliefs and ideologies. I would say Friedman and Albright’s thoughts on moral choice, human dignity and conflict resolution are not isolated from the human aspects that Fukuyama is talking about, although in a separate discussion, they have perhaps unintentionally promoted another way of looking at conflict which transcends the explanations made by Fukuyama.       .   

The Country Of South Africa - 2267 Words

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