Resistance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Resistance - Essay Example Here, the connection between gender and violence can be established if gender relations is understood as a discourse â€Å"signifying relationships of power† (Jacobs, Jacobson and Marchbank, 2000, p.3). In both cases of violence and gender disparity, thus an exercise of power is involved. On the contrary, resistance is â€Å"a reflection of the potential for subversion and contestation† within the premises â€Å"of established order† (Jacobs, Jacobson and Marchbank, 2000, p.3). This is to suggest that resistance is more concerned with opposing the undemocratic exercise of power, which is often part of the establishment, rather than the simple or violent exercise of power. War has been the greatest exercise of power in human history. As the ethics of war has changed from protecting civilians to deliberately targeting them, the most vulnerable groups, which have lost their â€Å"personal security† are women, children and the ethnic minorities (Jacobs, Jacobs on and Marchbank, 2000, p.5). There is a continuation of this situation in non-war conditions as well in the form of domestic violence, as far as women are concerned. On the other hand, it has also been argued, â€Å"women have been central in democratizing processes† (Jacobs, Jacobson and Marchbank, 2000, p.9).

Obesity Debate Essay Example for Free

Obesity Debate Essay In the five section article, â€Å"Rethinking Weight† by Amanda Spake, the author outlines the conflict surrounding whether obesity classifies as a disease. Spake discusses the prevalence of obesity in America and sheds light on the idea that obesity may contain genetic roots. The article continues with the author’s insights into whether weight or fitness retains the most importance. Spake concludes the article with thoughts on the growing concern of insurance coverage and obesity treatment. The author claims that â€Å"At the heart of this obesity epidemic is a debate over whether obesity is a biological ‘disease’ and should be treated like any other life-threatening illness – cancer, heart disease – or whether it is simply a risk factor for these killers† (282). Spake successfully supports the claim by incorporating a narrative account, explaining the biology, psychology, and scientific research of obesity, and stating how society may already classify obesity as a disease, but Spake strays from the idea of obesity qualifying as a disease when she describes the role insurance companies play when paying for obesity treatment. The article begins with a narrative account of Maria Pfisterer. Spake uses Maria Pfisterer’s story to reveal the struggles obesity and dieting inflict upon a person. According to the author, Pfisterer’s many attempted diets, in terms of weight â€Å"All resulted in a little lost and more regained,† which supports the idea of weight and dieting inflicting a constant burden in the lives of many Americans (282). Spake also included in the story of Pfisterer’s weight battle the idea that no matter how hard Pfisterer tried to lose weight or what method Pfisterer thought to try, the weight never permanently disappeared, which in turn supports the concept of obesity being more than just a physical ailment. The author also discusses the possible treatment of gastric bypass surgery for Pfisterer, which remains unavailable to Pfisterer due to the high cost and specific criteria an individual must possess in order to receive the surgery. The narrative story provides an appeal to emotions by showing one woman’s struggle with weight and the effect that struggle embodies in Pfisterer’s life. The story also provides a persuasive element, influencing a want for Pfisterer to achieve her personal weight goals. The author pinpoints a person’s biology and psychological state as possible factors in the development of obesity. Xavier Pi-Sunyer from the Obesity Research Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital suggests â€Å"†¦obesity is a biologically determined process† (282). Many weight researchers also believe that â€Å"obesity is controlled by a powerful biological system of hormones, proteins, neurotransmitters, and genes that regulate fat storage and body weight and tell the brain when, what, and how much to eat† (284). Rudolph Leibel, a Columbia University geneticist, also states, â€Å"I believe there are strong genetic factors that determine susceptibility to obesity† (285). The given beliefs demonstrate how obesity qualifies as more than a personal decision. A person’s biology resists changes; therefore, the idea of obesity as a biological condition contains validity for Spake’s claim. The author also includes Brian Wansink’s perspective, â€Å"obesity is not just biology; it’s psychology† (286). The brain plays a key role in how obesity operates differently in individuals. The author continues to explain how, psychologically, obese individuals hold no control over the eating habits the overweight display. Spake’s inclusion of biological and psychological ideas presented by reliable professionals persuades critical audiences to agree with the author’s claim. Scientific research also plays a part in the obesity debate. Spake uses a variety of logos and ethos information to support the claim of the ongoing debate over the classification of obesity. The article incorporates the use of statistics from various studies on weight and obesity to solidify the author’s beliefs. The author gives a shocking statistic that â€Å"A majority of Americans—now 64   percent—are overweight or obese and struggling to conquer their expanding waistlines before their fat overtakes their health†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (282). A study done of twins showed that 20 to 70 percent of weight issues developed through inheritance. Another study conducted by RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions stated, â€Å"the nation is spending about $75 billion a year on weight-related disease† (283). Spake even includes the statistic saying that, â€Å"Simply eating with one other person increases the average amount eaten at meals by 44 percent,† which refers to the psychological aspect of obesity (286). The author’s use of statistical information provides a strong backing for Spake’s claim about the obesity debate. Although not officially categorized as a disease, some organizations in society already list obesity as a disease. Spake chooses to include examples of situations in society where obesity may already encompass similar characteristics to a disease. The diseases that result from excessive amounts of weight embody a prominent situation described by the author. â€Å"Almost 80 percent of obese adults have one of these conditions, and nearly 40 percent have two or more,† Spake suggests when referring to diseases, such as heart disease, Type II diabetes, and high cholesterol that relate to the presence of obesity. Another example the author mentions confirms that, â€Å"The WHO has listed obesity as a disease in its International Classification of Disease since 1979.† Spake raises concern as to why obesity still remains uncategorized as an official disease when large quantities of overweight individuals contract other diseases due to the affliction of obesity and when a substantial organization already includes obesity in a database of diseases. Another statistic included in the discussion reads â€Å"About 325,000 deaths a year are attributed to obesity† (283). This shocking statistic sparks the question of why obesity lacks the definition of a disease even further. However, the author strays from her claim when insurance problems come into the article. Bringing the topic of insurance into the discussion provides no backing for any of the author’s claim. Spake chose to incorporate that â€Å"The health insurance industry argues that obesity treatments  can’t be covered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (287). The claim refers to whether obesity classifies as a disease, not the effect of insurance coverage on those affected by obesity. Also, the author included that â€Å"the cost†¦of treatment and health insurance will escalate† (288). The price tag of treatment and rising insurance costs gives no support to the debate of obesity classifying as a disease that Spake claims as the purpose of the article. The inclusion of the insurance debacle distracts from the key issues the article puts forth, leaving readers to question the main idea of the article. In summation, Spake successfully supports the claim by incorporating a narrative account, explaining the biology, psychology, and scientific research of obesity, and stating how society may already classify obesity as a disease, but Spake strays from the claim when she describes the role of insurance companies in paying for obesity treatment. Works Cited Spake, Amanda. â€Å"Rethinking Weight.† Writing and Reading for ACP Composition. Comp. Thomas E. Leahey and Christine R. Farris. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009. 285-88. Print.

Ecotourism Is A Very Fast Growing Sector Tourism Essay

Ecotourism Is A Very Fast Growing Sector Tourism Essay This assignment is basically based on eco-tourism. Ecotourism is a very fast growing sector in todays  travel industry. Also known as green tourism, ecotourism is when people use to travel to a destination and take place in observing and interacting with the environment, learning about the cultures and practices of local inhabitants while promoting their well being. I have put together various articles relating to ecotourism. These articles include a study that reveal what makes up ecotourism and how it is being developed. The second article I will to look over describes how business travel organizers are more often considering ecotourism when they scheduling their events. Tourism is travelling for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes or the provision of services to support this leisure travel. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited. Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. In 2004, there were over 763 million international tourist arrivals. Eco-tourism:  Ã‚   Perhaps the most over-used and miss-used word in the travel industry. But what does it mean?   The Ecotourism Society defines it as responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people.   A walk through the rainforest is not eco-tourism unless that particular walk somehow benefits that environment and the people who live there.   A rafting trip is only eco-tourism if it raises awareness and funds to help protect the watershed.   A loose interpretation of this definition allows many companies to promote them as something that they are not.   If true eco-tourism is important to you, ask plenty of questions to determine if your trip will help conserve and improve the places you visit. www.untamedpath.com/Ecotourism/what_is_ecotourism.html Without getting too bogged down in theoretical definitions of tourism, tourist or the tourism industry it is very important to tell the differences between mass tourism and eco-tourism. Mass tourism should have the following characteristics: A concentration on high volume sales with throughputs and turnarounds The shifting of large groups of people en masse to specific developed destination Full utilization of packaged holiday components offered as a single product at an all inclusive price, often with a short term time period. Development of large scale transport systems, infrastructure accommodation, supporting facilities and attractions within destinations, usually at a fast pace and often supply led. Marketing approach is centred on the most hedonistic motives for travel, particularly the sun, sea and tourism products. The key for mass tourism are high volume, large scale, fast pace, hedonistic motives. Eco-tourism, on the other hand, needs to have the following characteristics Be a nature based experience Be low impact and small scale Promotes a conversation ethic Provides support for local communities Provides a learning opportunity Helps to maintain the natural and cultural integrity of certain tourism areas Utilises environmentally friendly techniques and technologies Eco-tourism has missed in past fifteen years from a convenient buzzword to an international movement. It is an attempt to balance the economic development of tourism with the conservation and protection of natural areas and traditional cultures. It underpins the very concept of sustainable development through tourism There are lots of benefits of ecotourism. If done right, there are lots more benefits  of ecotourism than any disadvantage valuable considering. Sadly, the  idea of  ecotourism has been advertised and abused by many people, organizations, and countries to reap profits for themselves. While there are lots of benefits of ecotourism to consider, we also need to consider the disadvantages of ecotourism. Most of the benefits of ecotourism cannot be corrected in our situation since the number of people taking beneficial of ecotourism is far larger than the number of people actually staying true to ecotourism and helping the environment. We can do our part in helping the environment and saving our natural resources at home, in our backyard, in our community and of course, we can help by educating people. Dont let the benefits of ecotourism make we be part of the scams and schemes that constitute the biggest problem in ecotourism. Its aim is to create the viable and sustainable tourism opportunity, and limit the effect that all related movements will have on the environment, while improving the lives of the public living in the place. According to Ecotourism the concept accords of a number of core principles, including: Minimising industrial impact on the environment, building environmental and cultural awareness, empowering local communities, increasing awareness of the political and the environmental and social issues of the country concerned. MAIN BODY In its original way eco tourism is purely nature-based, the adverse impact of tourism on the local culture having been, temporarily, over looked. However, it quickly became clear that when they trying to create a new tomorrow for tourism, to focus on wildlife and natural environment unique, simply did not work. It was also smoothly clarified that in those countries where the local communities where actively indulged in the eco tourism decision-making process there was that they got much higher a success rate, especially in terms of profit. As a result, todays eco tourism encloses the synergistic approach and I think Bulgaria is the best example where eco-tourism applies. Brief Introduction of Bulgaria Bulgaria, which was founded in 681 A.D., is the oldest state in Europe, but its roots reach far deeper into the past. In tombs adorned with frescoes and bas-reliefs in the Valley of the Kings, archaeologists continue to discover beautifully worked golden objects buried with Bulgarias Thracian forebears, some dating to 3000 B.C. Uncovering the countless burial mounds that dot central Bulgaria is a process started in earnest just a decade ago. In that short time, it has become clear that Bulgaria once was home to the worlds most sophisticated goldsmiths. The discoveries also have prompted local claims that it was here, in the shadow of the Balkan Mountains, that Europes first civilization was born. Traversing Bulgarias mountain ranges, which are carpeted with ancient forests and carved by mineral-rich Rivers, you can see why the countrys sophisticated warrior-artists chose to settle in its fertile plains. Bulgaria is a fascinating country, with a temperate climate that is more southern European than eastern. It is this gentle climate, along with a sweeping, sandy beach bordering the Black Sea coastline that continues to attract new visitors, the vast majority of whom arrive in high summer. Most of Bulgarias unique treasures lie hidden in the ancient tombs of the Valley of the Kings; in the mixture of Bulgarian Renaissance architecture and ancient Roman ruins lining the cobbled streets of Plovdiv; in the medieval university town of Veliko Tarnovo that rises precipitously from limestone cliffs above the winding Yantra River; and in the architectural museum towns snuggled deep in Bulgarias mountains. It is particularly the latter, their narrow cobbled lanes and alleys lined with 19th-century stone-and-timber homes, that define Bulgaria as an undiscovered gem. www.frommers.com/destinations/bulgaria/3535010001.html#ixzz18l6bNScq During the earlier phase of the project, work centred on developing systems to encourage sustainable natural resources conservation and management in and near Bulgarian protected areas, and by this management system to benefit local communities. As part of the protected area management application effort, the project applied a competitive group approach to destination development in some regions around two of Bulgarias largest parks Rila and Central Balkan National Parks. Activities involve eco-enterprise development based on non-timber natural resources harvesting, ecotourism destination development by community ecotourism associations, and significant amounts of public guidelines and organizational development. Sustainable tourism aims are addressed by the triple bottom line system that includes social well being, environmental protection and economic development. BCEG Project assistance give their hands in small, independent tourism providers and regional ecotourism associations to anatomise the national ecotourism market. Based on this activity, the Bulgarian ecotourism sector became more confident in its ability to cover a major portion of the European and other international areas. Ecotourism Monitoring ideas were produced in conjunction with Bulgarian National Park and participating ecotourism communities. This Guidebook is used by communities to choose and analyse indicators related to the triple bottom-line of social, environmental and economic growth. The nations first protected region management ideas were developed and approved through the Government of Bulgaria and are being used to guide in-park and outside-park tourism growth and management programs for two national parks and a world heritage site Rila Monasterys Nature Park. A National Ecotourism Strategy and Action ideas for Bulgaria was made and applied by three collaborating ministries under the Project, and presented to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria by the U.S. Ambassador in 2004. Twelve Regional Ecotourism Action ideas were created, and they contributed to the growth of a national ecotourism action ideas. A national ecotourism market survey was directed and used to aware product growth. Two ecotourism department were institutionalized near Rila and Central Balkans National Parks, and members were trained in hospitality skills, destination management, and membership development. many community ecotourism projects were made, and destination management ideas developed for two of these department. Public awareness was increased by the production and distribution of a national parks multimedia CD, mass-media outlets, and conservation education materials. The project helped significantly to national pride in Bulgarias culture and hospitality. It has made a base for tourism diversification, motivated concrete local initiatives toward application of ecotourism activities, relates the complementary motives of cultural and nature tourism, made synergies among donors, and has institutionalized a replicable growth process. The system of developing sustainable tourism strategies and application ideas has yielded many critical lessons: One is the need to clearly monitor and includes all key stakeholders in a strategic planning growth from the onset; it is important to build on present experience and perceptions, and to use these to build case studies materials for success. The ability to relate (at small scale) the activities of government, national authorities and local civil society was instrument to team-building and creating a common set of goals. Each understood they had an vital role to play in any successful ecotourism investment. In the absence of a full fruitful national policy, a partial national policy and many of political good will can do! Ecotourism in Bulgaria was able to capitalize on a changing national tourism development policy that, although centred on mass tourism, was open to form other forms of tourism market diversification. Advertising at national and local levels is not only imp ortant but critical to helping areas, government and even commercial banks, to better understand the opportunities for relating natural and historical resources to rural growth and economic growth activities. Those same information activities and centred campaigns are critical to the growth of a bottom-up system that is based on rapid, information sharing between stakeholders at regional level. Kamelia Georgieva, Bulgarian ecotourism important for the BCEG project, confirmed, Sustainable tourism growth is about social and political engineering, as well as enterprise growth. Public awareness is critical to support this system. Long-term technical and commercial financing helped to governments, NGOs, and the private sectors are needed to implement the sustainable tourism system. Sustainable tourism growth and marketing to national and, more importantly, international areas is important to careful but concerted ecotourism growth. Foremost centred on domestic tourism markets in areas where citizens have a culture of holiday and growing real income will increase the local confidence needed to spread into the global market. International marketing and global market growth are good opportunities for public and private partnerships. There are no better low hanging circumstances for relating common ideas, and shared costs and revenues. Protected regions and cultural landmarks must be saved from bad human impact related with distinct forms of tourism, including eco-tourism. When monitoring impacts and endorsing limits of acceptable use and change, they protected regions and cultural site managers must err on the side of conservation. The unsuccessful to do so can result in costly restoration agendas and the loss of culture and biodiversity. Therefore protected regions and site managers will work with others to: Develop a national process for the enjoyment and utilization of resources and sites that respects and sets boundary on use and change growth mechanisms that effectively endorse the management process. Analyzing threats to biodiversity and cultural and heritage sites and apply ways for mitigating those threats. Monitoring indicators and monitor changes in biodiversity and historical heritage. Implement official systems, standards and ways for the protection of natural resources (species, localities) and cultur al and historical heritage sites in the areas of major conservation value, both inside and outside the protected region network. Growth and utilize special training agendas for training on assessment of desirable change, and increasing the skills of PA administrations, heritage regions managers, representatives of the private sector in the region of eco-tourism, departments and government. There are a number of practical mechanisms growing in Bulgaria to help protected regions conservation and eco-tourism growth several have the capacity to financially benefit protected regions and eco-tourism entrepreneurs. Provisions to grow these mutually beneficial systems are still in their infancy and need to be further monitored and improved. There is a need to:  · Go on to monitor national legislation and reform it to allow fees to be collected from ecological activities to fund the conservation and maintenance of resources and sites of cultural heritage.  · Growth and legalize profitable financial systems that promote the initial goals of sustainable growth and nature conservation monitoring protected regions and eco-tourism financial systems models from other countries that employ the use of limited time redemption or commercial contracts  · Growth model shortens that serve to guide concession relationships, and endorsing their duration and operating systems  · Assign the profits made from these contracts to benefit the goals of nature conservation and local economic development  · Support the development of protected regions Fund to ensure continuing financial help for capital betterments and operating projects departments with a mechanism of protected regions in the country. The PAF would help capital investments, park development projects, cultural sites, and provide eco-tourism growth grants to communities that work in close proximity to protected regions.  · Assign central and municipal cultural funds, envisaged in the Law on Protection and growth of Culture, to help initiatives goals at conserving and using cultural heritage for eco-tourism. Theories Develop Clusters or Networks of Core Eco-tourism and Supply Chain Businesses at the International, National, Regional and Local Levels Scattered eco-tourism activities in the country could profitable from the exchange of information and cost savings related with a national network of eco-tourism providers. The scale of such a network is difficult to measure at the existing time and should evolve from a model that represents the advantages to network subscribers. Eco-tourism groups or networks could start within key areas of the country, growing into a national system. Improve the Entrepreneur Capacity of Businesses and Train Local Communities Providing Eco-tourism Services Many local scommunities with good capacity for providing and benefiting from eco-tourism do not have enough skills and experience to offering eco-tourism products and services to their clients. At a certain stage, small, rural communities are able to measure the advantages of ecotourism as an income generation way and as a municipal growth tool, but they lack the important means and skills to monitoring success. Hence, these communities require small and micro business growth assistance to develop entrepreneurial potentials. Expand Enter to Financing Mechanisms, Equity Investments and Other Funding Resources Circumstances for investing in and financing eco-tourism in Bulgaria are relatively undeveloped. The scale and costs linked to most rural eco-tourism activities and services are not of a enough size to capture much commercial banking help. The scale and location of many of these business growth activities are varied, and represent no logistic and administrative advantage to a commercial bank if they were interested. However, investments in a large number of small-size projects in major target regions, rather than in large-scale individual projects, are needed to grow rural eco-tourism. Eco-tourism financing faces various challenges, and government agency help combined with (a) business planning and best management activities, and (b) financial facilitation and guarantee programs, may provide solutions. The following systems are seen as suitable for advancing eco-tourism models. Facilitate the Development of Effective Small and Medium Eco-tourism Enterprises Small and medium enterprises play a vital role in sustainable growth. SMEs support meeting sustainable growth goals by generating and keeping income and economic improvements closer to home. They are more flexible and readily tailored to offering tourists with extra care or customized services. Implementation Local government engagement and leadership is key to the development and promotion of eco-tourism development. Effective implementation of the NETS by local governments will require:  · An understanding and capacity to develop eco-tourism as part of local government planning and operations  · Establishing local mechanisms for ensuring public and private sector engagement in focused eco-tourism development  · Selecting and applying financial mechanisms to support eco-tourism development, such as national budget, matching grants, public-private sector joint ventures, and links to large-scale tourism development  · Developing and implementing by- laws  · Creating and applying incentives  · Developing and implementing a system of monitoring indicators of success and impact A partnership between the Ministry of Regional Development and the National Association of Bulgarian Municipalities and the Foundation for Local Government Reform, the two national associations that address local government, will help to ensure that eco-tourism is a focus of local government and capacity building. Both the public sector and the national associations must agree to participate in completing the NETS. In doing so, they will build the capacity for their future role in its implementation. CONCLUSION Ecotourism is the future of tourism, but it will resolve the key issue of large-scale ecotourism. Depending on the time, there can be better ecological and economic benefits from large-scale ecotourism. There are already examples in Bulgaria where this is obvious. However, scale is a case-by-case decision. The fundamentals of ecotourism (given that it is taken as given it will be based on green productivity principles, in that it is nature-based, provides quality experiences, is enjoyable, and is profitable not only for the operators but the local community) do not change with a change in scale. Ecotourism is a move to counter this. Its objective is too made viable and sustainable tourism opportunities, and limit the effect that all linked activities will have on the environment, while improving the standards of the local people living in the area. According to Ecotourism.org, the concept involves a number of core principles, including is minimising industrial effect on the environment, building environmental and cultural awareness, raising awareness of the political, and social issues of the country concerned, and make sure that the experience is good for all parties, including visitors and citizens. The objective is to get sustainable and responsible tourism activities to the benefit of all and the detriment of none. One of the most essential factors in the success of any ecotourism program is knowledge. Those proposing the project should gain intimate knowledge of the location, the fauna, the flora and the communities living there. They should know how they effect on each other and how a change in one will affect the rest. They should understand the culture recognising the people relationship with the environment, and how they look the concepts such as land and water gathering materials for personal purposes. Eco-tourism is in its philosophy, centred on cultures, wilderness adventures, personal development and learning new measures to live. It is defined as go to destinations where the flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the like minor attractions. Responsible eco-tourism involves programs that decreases the adverse impacts of traditional tourism on the natural environment, and improves the cultural integrity of local people.

Digital Divide Essay example -- Access to Technology, Gender Roles

The following comment was written by an anonymous author in response to the digital divide that is so evident in our society today. â€Å"Power is necessarily unequal when one group knows what’s going on and the other group does not. And the powerless, lacking information as they do, almost necessarily function at the bottom of the economic and political pyramid of almost any society† (Racial divide,2010). Whether it is gender, racial, economic or disability related, our nation is segregated by the haves and the have-nots. Digital Divide defined What is meant by Digital Divide? The Digital Divide is the lack of ability for certain groups, usually socio-economic and cultural, to access necessary information and communication technology (ICT) (Gorski, 2001). The lack of access usually includes the unavailability to computer and internet services. As describe by Gorski (2001), the digital divide is further subdivided by gender, race, income and disabilities. Gender With the increase of availability of access to technology in society today, women are still lagging behind their male counterparts (Conversations for a Better World, 2010). Why is this still happening in the Twenty-first Century? Globally, the root cause is the cultural treatment of women. In many cultures worldwide, women are denied access to education let alone technology. Even if they are given the opportunity to use a computer, most often they lack the computer skills to effectively navigate most websites (Digital Gender Divide, n.d.). In America and other developed countries, the digital divide that separates gender is much narrower, and often equal to that of males, depending on the survey. If a digital divide does separate the genders in developed n... .... In summary, the Digital Divide is real and has placed a severe gap between certain groups of people in the American culture. The Land of Opportunity is not necessarily made available to all. In her CNet article, Sonia Arrison (2002), provides a unique perspective as to the reason behind the gap. â€Å"The digital divide is not a crisis, and it is certainly not the civil liberties issue of the 21st century. The real issues are the sorry state of education and the push to raise the taxes that affect lower income families most† (Arrison, 2002). Arrison states that if the Government could improve the education in the American schools and stop luxury taxes on so many services, the Digital Divide could easily be narrowed. By narrowing the divide, more families could afford Internet if so desired, and students could have access to a better education.

7s Model Samsung

Case Study 2. : Trade and Innovation in the Korean Information and Communication Technology Sector1 . Onodera, Osamu Kim, Hanna Earl OECD Journal: General Papers; 2008, Vol. 8 Issue 4, p109-155, 47p, 34 Charts, 20 Graphs This includes the strategy of the organisation, the innovation strategy, the culture in the organisation towards risk-taking and change, the motivation of employees, cross functional learning, knowledge management and the use of internal and external networks. â€Å"Employees’ willingness to take risks very much depends on the existence of a †noblame† culture. A strong culture fosters innovation only if it is built on norms such as accepting failure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Goffin & Mitchell, 2005, s. 265). †Multifunctional learning fosters innovative and learning by doing on the part of the employees and help them keep up to date with the latest developments. It also serves as a basis for creating a climate that can bring about organizational transition† (Takeuchi & Nonaka, 1986). â€Å"Organizations need to increase their innovative capacity and one powerful mechanism for doing so is to extend participation in the process to a much wider population. Mobilizing high levels of participation in the innovation process is unfamiliar and, for many organizations, relatively untested and apparently risky† (Bessant, 2003, s. 767). †Mobilizing and managing knowledge becomes a primary task and many recipes offered for achieving this depend on mobilizing a much higher level of participation in innovative problem-solving† (Bessant, 2003, s. 767) †Companies increasingly cannot expect to warehouse their technologies, waiting until their businesses make use of them† (Chesbrough, 2003, p. 32) Thirdly, the 7-S framework contains the very process of innovation. The process is divided into a series of relatively well-known steps in the â€Å"funnel† approach that seems to be standard in theory and praxis these days. However, it has been chosen to illustrate this differently than conventionally, because:†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The assumption of a sequential progression without feedback loops and recurring tasks is unreali stic †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Saren, 1994, s. 633). Hence, the illustration of the process circling the innovation fundamentals. So what is contained within the process element of the 7-S framework? Again this can be illustrated by using a quotation from some of the state-of-the-art literature:† †¦ There is no doubt that for managers to increase the success rate of their new product efforts, they should master techniques for the planning, development, deployment, evaluation and control of necessary competencies throughout the new product (NPD) process, i. e. , from the generation of the new idea to the launch of the product to the marketplace †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tzokas et al. , 2004, s. 619). In other words, the innovation process is measured by looking at project management, project planning, top management involvement, project managers, and the application of innovation fundamentals across the seven stages of the process. Companywide, we will build a content-rich business structure that fosters innovation in hardware and software. Building from our creative platform, we will develop new businesses in health, the environment, and renewable energy. A company that epitomises the transformation of the Korean ICT sector is Samsung Electronics. Samsung Electronics is one of the world leaders in semiconductors, in particular DRAMs and fiash memories. Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), mobile phones, and digital appliances such as fiat panel TVs. While Samsung had quickly grown from an assembler of black and white TVs in the 196()s to one of the market leaders in DRAMs in the late 1980s, making use of foreign technology and based on foreign markets, it was generally a market follower rather than an innovator even in the late 1980s. Changes in the business environment in the early 1990s, i. . greater competition at the lower end of the market due to the increasing use of evolving production networks in the Asian region by Japanese producers, increased competition in the Korean domestic market due to progressive trade and investment liberalisation, and withdrawal of the generalised system of preference (GSP) privileges in export markets, triggered a transformation of Samsung with a greater emphasis on technology, increased global production and sourcing, and enhanced international sales and distribution. The fact that Samsung now has research facilities not only in Europe, US and Japan but also in Russia, India and most recently China, that it now has 27 manufacturing facilities in 12 countries, with overseas I 1E;CD JOtJRNAL; GENERAL PAreRS – VOLUME 2008/4 – ISSN -IMS-2821  © oe C D 2008 112-CASE STUDY 2 production reaching 35. 9% in 2007, and that it has doubled its sales tietwork from 32 sales organisations in 23 countries in 2000, to 60 in 48 countries iti all regions, shows how global Satnsung's operations have become as a result hich has become one of the leading firms in the ICT industry worldwide from a modest position in the past two decades. The study assesses how regulatory, trade, and investment policy choices have helped, alongside other key policies, to provide the right framework conditions for technology absorption and innovation. In addition, it examines how the private sector, and more particularly Samsung, has taken advantage of those conditions to enhance its innovation capacity. The objective of this study is not to provide a comprehensive history of Korea's development or to evaluate Korea's innovation policy. Rather it is an attempt to shed some light on the relationship between trade and innovation from the recent rapid growth of Korea's ICT industry in the past 15 years. focuses on Samsung's strategies in international R;D, manufacturing, sourcing, supply chain management, sales and distribution. (Other key determinants of Samsung's success include its strong branding and marketing strategy, its investment strategy of investing in large capacity when other companies are cautious, and effective human resource management. The Samsung Group is today the largest chaebol in Korea, which has businesses spanning from electronics and electro-mechanics, shipbuilding and engineering, petrochemicals and fine chemicals, life insurance and securities to trading and constructions. Samsung Electronics is its largest company with 2006 consolidated sales of OECD JOURNAL: GENERAL PAI^RS – VOLUME 2008/4 – [SSN -1995-2S21 O OECD 2U0B CASE STUDY 2 – 1 4 1 USD 92 billion and net income of USD 8. 5 billion. It employs 128 000 people in more than 120 offices in 57 countries, and is organized into five major businesses: semiconductors (memory chips, system LSI devices and hard disc drives), LCDs (TFTLCD products in various applications). Telecommunication networks (mobile phones, telecommunication systems), digital appliances (washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners and stoves) and digital media (TVs, audio/video products, PCs and computer peripherals) (Samsung. 2006). It is among the global leaders in semiconductor such as DRAM. SRAM chips, and flash memory. CDMA mobile handsets, and digital media technologies such as Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), and has fast become a truly global multinational company. For example, value of tbe Samsung brand was USD 16. 1 billion in 2006 in the Brand Value Survey conducted by Business week magazine and Intcrbrand, or 20†³Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ among all corporations in tbe worid and 7†³Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ in the IT sector. Samsung Electronics is also ranked 27'*† in the worid on Fortune magazine's list of Global Most Admired Companies. Samsung's success in particulariy noteworthy in light of two factors: first, the company's medium sized domestic market (Korea has a population of 48 million) and, second, its origins and recent history. Samsung started off in 1938 as a trading company, and while it entered two manufacturing sectors {i. e. sugar and textiles) in the mid-1950s, it was not until 1969 that the firm entered the electronics industry with the incorporation of Samsung Electronics Co. One major characteristic of Samsung's entry into the electronics industry was its reliance on foreign technology. ^^ Table 21 provides a brief overview of Samsung's evolution to the 1990s. Table 21. Samsung tecbnological capabilities and features of international production 1970s 1980s 1990s 20008 Key activities Main sources of capabilities Level of technologicai capabilities International production and scope of interaction Conglomerate diversification J/V partners, Original Equipment f/lanufacturer (OEM) buyers and overseas training Capabilities in mass production (TVs) Entry into DRAM market OEM buyers, foreign licensing, reverse engineering Broader product range (VCR, MWO, DRAfvl, components) but very weak in ability to introduce a major change of product US & EC for lowend markets (limited success). Centralised intrafirm interaction Organisational reform, internationalisation Acquisitions. strategic alliances, in-house R&D Continued weakness in product development International production of lowend items in peripheral regions. Moving toward decentralised intraand inter-firm interaction Transformation into a global company. In-house R&D, strategic alliances and increasing emphasis on intellectual property. Strengthened R&D and design capabilities, with a core competency in product development. Creation of a global production network ainly in the Asian region but also in other parts of the globe as well. Source : Kim (1994) for 1970s – 1990s. IH-XD JOl'RN. M. : GENERAL PAPERS – VOLl/ME 2008/4 -ISSN -1995-2821  ©OECD 2008 142-CASE STUDY 2 1970s – Dependence on foreign technology Given its lack of expetience in electronics, Samsung had no choice but to turn to foreign sources of technology in management, production in marketing and Samsung established a close relationship with Japanese and US firms. It created several joint ventures with foreign technology suppliers such as NEC, Sanyo, Corning Glass Works and other companies. ^ It reached numerous agreements to assemble electronic products for foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM) buyers, who provided it with design and engineering support as well as with an international market. Samsung also relied extensively on outside suppliers for the purchase of core components. However. Samsung and its affiliated partners have increased its capabilities for parts supply and for some parts even began to ship parts to Korean and Japanese customers. Samsung electronics expanded and improved its assembling capacity, producing ten million black and white TV sets by the end of the 1970s. Most sales were through OEM channels. OEM buyers provided Samsung with product design, quality control and engineering support, leaving Samsung to increase its manufacturing capability. Samsung continued to increase access to other international distributors and was able to renegotiate TU and ease initial geographical restrictions imposed by its jomt venture partners. † Samsung expanded its OEM channels and capabilities by adding two new products – VCRs and microwave ovens. As Samsung was unable to gain foreign licensing for these products, it used â€Å"reverse engineering†, and succeeded in developing its own microwave in 1978 and VCR in 1979. Samsung further diversified into the telecommunication sector through a 1977 JV with GTE of the US. In 1974, Samsung acquired Korea Semiconductor Co. (KSC), a joint venture between Korea Engineering & Manufacturing Co. and Integrated Circuit International, a US firm, which manufactured simple integrated circuits for electr onic watches, which formed the basis for Samsung's entry into the dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) business. 980s and early 1990s – Upgrading of technology – entry into DRAMs The 1980s was the period of expansion and diversification for Samsung. As Samsung began to experience limitations on growth in the CTW and VCR markets due to lack of component availability. Samsung made a decision to enter the IC business. To achieve its objective, Samsung once again tried to learn foreign technology through a broad range of formal and informal contacts, and decided to enter the DRAM market which was considered more suitable for Samsung which had familiarity with incremental process innovation and large scale manufacturing efficiency both of which could become sources of competitive advantage in this sector. In 1983, Samsung licensed a DRAM design from Micron Technology, a US company, and entered the merchant market for DRAMs which require the most advanced manufacturing technologies and huge capital outlays. In 1983, Samsung successfully developed a 64K-DRAM, followed by a 256K in 1984. and a lM DRAM in 1986. Samsung continued to upgrade its technology and decreased its reliance on outside technology, except for capital equipment and thus rose from a virtually zero share in memory chips in 1984 to be the world market leader in DRAMs by 1992. Table 22 shows how Samsung has gradually caught up with technology leaders: Samsung kept closing the gap between itself and the technology leaders, and has been the leader in DRAM development since 1992 when it the first company in the worid to develop 64 Mbit DRAM. OECD JOURNAL: GENERAL PAPERS – VOLUME 2008/4 – ISSN -1995-2821 O OECD ZIKlti CASE STUDY 2 – 1 4 3 Table 22. Samsung technology gap in DRAM 64Kbit' 256Kbit IMblt 4Mbit' 16Mblt 64Mbit 256Mblt IGbIt 4GbIt First development company Intel NEC Toshiba Hitachi ^^jj^^†^^ Samsung Samsung Samsung Samsung Development date by Leader 06/1979 01/1981 07/1984 08/1987 08/1992 08/1994 11/1996 12/2000 Development dale by Samsung 12/1983 01/1984 06/1986 02/1988 07/1990 08/1992 08/1994 '11/1996 '12/2000 Gap between Leader and Samsunq ^^^†Ã¢â‚¬ ^ ^ ^^^^^ ^ ^^^'^ ^ months 3 months – . . . 1 Design licensing from Micron Technology; Process technology from Sharp 2 Samsung with two Korean partners Source. Kim (1997), Siegel and Chang (2006), Samsung website (http://www. samsung. com). By the late 1980s, Samsung was able to produce a wide variety of semiconductors for use in phone sets, computers, private automatic branch exchanges (PABXs). acsimile machines, and VCRs (Kim. 1997). As a result, it was able to reduce dependency on Japanese suppliers for core components. Nonetheless the majority of the DRAMs produced in Korea were exported to foreign countries and the other non-memory chips required (I. e. microprocessors) continued to be imported from other countries (Kim , 1998). The strong resource shift to semiconductors meant that development of other capabilities suffered to some extent. While Samsung Electronics Co. had a minor change capability, it remained weak in major change capability (Kim, 1997). As a result, it continued to use license technology from foreign companies for its main export products in this period. ‘ OEM channels remained dominant in the company sales at over 65% of total sales even in 1988. and Samsung maintained close relationships with OEM buyers such as JC Penney, Sears Roebuck, GTE, Toshiba, IBM, Hewlett Packard, RCA and Crown Corporation (Kim. 1997). It was towards the end of the 1980s that Samsung slowly started to build its own technological capability with the acquisition in 1988 of Micro Five Corporation, a US company, and with the establishment of Samsung Infonnation Systems America Inc. SISA) in Silicon Valley to support export activities as well as to gather information on ICT products. It was also in this period that Samsung began its search for foreign talent as a means to compensate for its lack of internal expertise (Box 3). It was also in the 1980s that Samsung started to internationalise its production for certain products such as colo ur TVs, audio products and microwave ovens. Samsung also sowed the seeds of its telecom business at this time, acquiring Korea Telecommunications in 1980 and started production of a cellular phone in 1986. Box 3, Technology transfer through hiring One of the ways Samsung has overcome its lack of technical capabilities has been through recruiting top level engineers from world leading competitors. ^† In early days, Samsung focused on recruiting Korean engineers working at foreign companies. Hwang Chang-gyu, a former president of Samsung Electronics, was recruited from Intel, and Chin Daeje. another former president, worked at IBM's Watson Research Center before being hired by Samsung, to name just a few. These people have significantly contributed to the transformation of Samsung from a me-too memory producer to the world leader by bringing cutting-edge technical knowledge and managerial skills. Samsung also hired foreigners in order to fill the gap it identifies to upgrade its technical capabilities. It is widely known that Shigeo Fukuda, who was hired from Kyocera, played a critical role in the Samsung's new initiative in 1993 known as â€Å"New Management. † It is believed that his critical comments on Samsung during the 1980s pushed the company to enhance its product development processes and design capabilities. More recently hiring has become increasingly diverse from all over the world including David Still (US), David Henri (France). Roman Sepeda (US). Nelson Allen {US). Hao In (China), and Tung Wang (China). OECD JOURNAI. : GENERAL PAPERS – VOLUME 2008/4 – ISSN -1995-282! O OECD 2008 144-CASE STUDY 2 Transformation into a global company – 1993 and onwards Several changes in the business environment faced Samsung in tbe early 1990s. First, lower trade barriers and transportation costs and enhanced ICT from the latter 1980s and the 1990s resulted in greater fragmentation of the ICT industry. In the late 1980s, Japanese producers rapidly increased overseas production in response to increased competition from Korean competitors and the rapid appreciation of the yen, which led to greater competition at the lower end of the market. Secondly, Korea's domestic electronics market which had long been protected from foreign competition was gradually liberalised as Korea prepared to join the ranks of industrial nations. † In 1989. import quotas on consumer electronics were removed. By 1993 there was a plan to cut the average tariff rate below 10% for all imported electronics goods. The number of items subject to the import diversification programme wbich shielded the Korean market from Japanese competitors was steadily decreased with a schedule put in place for abolition in 1999. Thirdly, on the export side, the generalised system of preferences privileges were withdrawn from Korean electronics goods by the US and EC in 1988. The Won also started to appreciate against the dollar making exports from Korea less attractive. The above changes in the business environment led to a strong initiative headed by the Chairman Kun-Hee-Lee in 1993 lo become a truly global company. ‘ Under this new initiative, Samsung began its transformation from a successful company to one of the global leaders in the industry. There was a renewed emphasis placed on quality, and several new products were subsequently introduced such as the TFT-LCD and CDMA mobile handsets. The Asian financial crisis presented a further challenge as the domestic market plunged, and Samsung had to unde rgo a fundamental restructuring of its activities, exiting from numerous businesses, cutting 30% of its workforce and cutting its debt-toequity ratio from 300% to 30%. However, the Asian crisis also presented an opportunity for Samsung to consolidate its domestic market as competitors weakened their positions, while shifting more of its resources to the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and mobile phone businesses which has allowed it to diversify its revenues. The growth has been particularly strong in the CDMA mobile handset market, where Samsung has leapt from almost a negligible share in the global market to number one in CDMA pbones with a share of about 30%, and number two in the global market overall bebind Nokia. Below we focus on three main strategic responses of Samsung: greater emphasis on technology, global productions and sourcing, and international sales and distribution. Greater focus on technology (globalisation of R&D and strategic alliances) Samsung's R;D expenditure in Korea bas continuously increased both in terms of amount and as a percentage of sales, on average 18% annually from 2002 to 2006, and now approaches 10% of total sales (Figure 21). ‘^ Tbe proportion of R&D staff has jumped from 16% in 1997 to 24% in 2006, and the company plans to push it up to 32% by 2010. The number of scientists and engineers at various research centres in Korea has increased by 70% since 2001. Table 23 indicates how Samsung has aggressively recruited scientists and engineers with graduate degrees; tbe number of Ph. D. ‘s is up by 50% and the number of Master's degree holders has been more tban doubled. Samsung bas also changed its patenting activities since the early 1990s (Table 24). While Samsung only bad 1 704 patents for applications made before 1994, it was granted over 2 600 patents for applications made in the three yeai- period 1994-1996, and has consistently been granted over 1 000 patents since then. * This shows how Samsung has OECD JOURNAL: GENERAL PAPERS – VOLUME 2008/4 – ISSN -IWS-2821  ® OECD 200s CASESTUDY2-145 become aggressive in the application of patents in the United States as part of its technology strategy. Figure 21. Samsung Electronics R&D expenditures 12. 00* 10,00% 0. 00% 2002 2UU3 2001 2005 2006 Table 23. Nunfiber of scientist and engineers in Samsung research laboratories Period Ph. D. Master's Bachelor Total 2001-02 2003-04 2005-06 1 039 873 1 537 2 980 3 453 8 320 6 038 6815 7 363 10 057 11 141 17 220 Table 24. Number of Samsung patents in the United States 1 Patents by year of grant Patents by application year Patents by year of grant {cont. ) Patents by application year (cont. ) Pre-1994 850 1 704 2001 1 446 1 550 1994 412 498 2002 1 328 1 804 1995 423 656 2003 1 313 2412 1996 485 1 532 2004 1 604 2 005 1997 584 1 613 2005 1 641 890 1998 1 305 1 845 2006 2 451 216 1999 1 542 1470 2007 2 723 13 2000 1 437 1 336 Total 19 544 19 544 Source : Based on US Patent and Trademark Office (2007). Samsung's efforts to strengthen its research capabilities have not been limited to Korea. In order to improve responsiveness to the local demand conditions and tap into the pool of cutting edge scientists and engineers, the company established R&D centres in various paits of the worid (Table 24). Samsung started by setting up Samsung Information Systems America (SISA) in Silicon Valley in 1988, followed by Samsung Electronics Research Institute in London in 1991. These two research facilities are typical examples of R&D facilities set up to monitor abroad as is the case with the Dallas and OECD JOURNAL: GENERAL PAPERS – VOLUME 2008/4 – ISSN -1995-2821 O CffiCD 2008 †¢ ] †¢ †¢ ‘ 146-CASESTUDY2 Yokohama facilities in 1997. More interestingly, the company has rapidly expanded its global network of research centres with the objective of utilising the foreign pool of research talent starting with Russia (1993), India (1996) and the three recently added research centres in China focusing on semiconductor, mobile telecommunications, and electronics. Samsung has also seriously increased the size and capabilities of the foreign research centres: its research centre in Moscow had only one Ph. D. and seven Masters in 2001 and now has ten Ph. D. ‘s and 29 Masters; its Bangalore software facility had no Ph. D. , 17 Masters, and 37 Bachelors in 2001 and now hires four Ph. D. ‘s, 179 Masters, and 164 Bachelors. Table 25. Samsung R;D facilities Research centre Samsung Information Systems America Samsung Electronics Research Institute Moscow Samsung Research Centre Samsung Electronics India Software Operations Dallas Telecom Laboratory Samsung Telecom Research Israel Samsung Yokohama Research Institute Beijing Samsung Telecommunication Samsung Semiconductor China R;D Samsung Electronics China R;D Location San Jose London Moscow Bangalore Dallas Yakum Yokohama Beijing Suzhou Nanjing Established 1988 1991 1993 1996 1997 1997 1997 2000 2003 2004 Core tasks Strategic parts and components, core technologies Mobile phones and digital TV software Optics, software algorithms and other new technologies System software for digital products, protocols for wired/wireless networks and handsets Next generation telecommunications systems Hebrew software for mobile phones Core next-generation parts and components, digital technologies Mobile telecommunications standardization and commercialization for China Semiconductor packages and solutions Software, digital TVs and MP3 players for Chin While, Samsung had already begun to use strategic alliances especially for acquiring technologies, the increasing R;D capabilities of Samsung is allowing it to benefit from strategic alliances in developing new cutting edge technologies (Table 26). Because there is an increasing convergence of technologies, for example between telecommunications and broadcasting, mobile phones and personal computers, telecommunication equipment and household appliances, it is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to conduct the research and development necessary to cover all technology areas in one company. Samsung, therefore, has been using its technology base to conduct strategic alliances to build new strategic capabilities. OECD JOURNAL: GEKERAL PAPERS – VOLUME 2008/4 – ISSN -1993-2821 O OECD 2130 » i' Partners Table 26. Date Selection of recent strategic alliances Areas of cooperation CASE STUDY 2 -Ul Nokia April 2007 Limo Alcatel Sony (S-LCD) IBM Intel & Microsoft Discovery Salvarani Sun Microsystems VDL Charter Bang & Olufsen Kent State University Qualcomm Toshiba (TSST) Sony (S-LCD) IBM Dell Hewlett-Packard Disney Napster Sony NEC Matsushita Microsoft January 2007 October 2006 July 2006 March 2006 March 2006 September 2005 July 2005 July 2005 February 2005 January 2005 November 2004 October 2004 July 2004 April 2004 Maroh 2004 March 2004 January 2004 September 2003 September 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 January 2003 November 2001 Co-develop technology for handsets and DVB-H standardisation solutions Establish a joint venture for developing a Linux platform (SAMSUNG Electronics, Vodafone. DoCoMo, Motorola and NEC) Cooperate on satellite DVB-H Jointly invest in 8th-generation LCD line (2200mm x 2500mm motherglass) Co-develop and market technologies for industrial printer solutions Co-develop UMPCs Cooperate on high-definition contents Co-develop new built in products combining household electronics and furniture Cooperation in solution business and next-generation business computing systems Cooperate in commercialisation of terrestrial DMB Co-develop cable broadcasting receiver and set-tcp box for digital TV Full Duplex service Partner in home theatre business Co-develop display technologies Cooperation in MDDI (Mobile Display Data Interface) technology Develop and market optical storage devices Establish joint venture for 7th generation LCD (1870 x 2200 mm) line Co-develop nano-logic process technologies Supply multi-functional laser printers Share technology for ink-jet printers Supply â€Å"Movie Beam† set-top box for VOD Co-develop and market SAMSUNG-Napster player Expand and consolidate memory stick business Cooperate in high-end business computer systems Standardise technology, co-produce and jointly market DVD recorders Co-develop digital household electronics Source: Based on Samsung homepage. OECD JOURNAL; GENERAL PAPERS – VOLUME 20U8/4 – ISSN -1995-2821 O OECD 2008 148-CASE STUDY 2 Globalisation of the production network and global sourcing Samsung Electronics began to build its global production network in the early 1980s when it established its first manufacturing facilities in the U. S. and Portugal. It went on to establish a subsidiary in the UK (1987). Mexico (1988) and Thailand in 1988. Since then, the company has continued to expand the network by adding new countries to the network as well as setting up new facilities in countries where it has already established its production facility. In 1989. Samsung further set up production subsidiaries in Spain, China. Hungary and Turkey. Table 27 lists the countries where the company has its production facilities and illustrates that the company has been selectively expanding its global production network. Table 28 shows how overseas production is gradually increasing in recent years reaching 35. 9% in 2007. It should be noted that while this figure is a measurable increase from the levels in tbe early 1990s, it remains considerably smaller than comparable figures for Japanese electronics companies which exceeded 70% as of the early 1990s (Table 8). The major products manufactured in overseas facilities are consumer electronics products such as TVs. VCRs, refrigerators, and microwave ovens. The company's Mexican production subsidiaries produce flat-screen TVs and LCD TVs and export them to the US and other Latin American countries. As Mexico is a member of NAFTA, Samsung's exports to the U. S. from Mexican plants are exempt of import tariffs. Samsung Electronics Hungarian Co. Ltd.. established in 1989, produces 3. 2 million TVs annually and exports them to Western and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. † ‘ Recently, Samsung announced to increase its production capacity of the mobile phone manufacturing plant in Haryana, India from one million to three million units per year. In addition to the importance of the local market, India is considered as a strategic alternative to China to hedge tbe uncertainty from relying heavily on Chinese operations. â€Å"†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ In the semiconductor sector, Samsung pursues a triad strategy: Giheung complex in Korea as the R&D and frontier semiconductor manufacturing hub. the American facilities in Austin. Texas as strategic manufacturing hub for the Americas, and the Suzbou complex in China as the global testing and packaging hub. ^^ Table 27. Samsung electronics global production network* Korea North America Asia Pacific Europe South America Middle East and Africa CIS 2000 Six Facilities Mexico, U. S. China(7), India, lndonesia(2), Maiaysia(2), Thaiiand, Vietnam Hungary, Spain, U. K. Brazil None Uzbekistan 2006 Eight Facilities Canada, Mexico(2}, U. S. Ct]ir)a(13). india(2). Indonesia, Malaysia(2), Philippines, Thaiiand, Vietnam Hungary, Slovaiiia None None None † The number in parentheses is tlie number ol subsidiaries in the country; Countries in italics are those newly added to the list between 2000 and 2006. Source: Samsung Electronics' website (www. amsung. com/us). OECD JOURNAL: GENERAL PAPERS – VOLUME 2008/4 – ISSN -I9;I5-282I O OECD 2008 CASE STUDY 2 – 1 4 9 Table 28. Samsung production network (KRW million) 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Total Domestic production Overseas production 64 817 456 100% 43 582 016 67. 2% 21 235 440 32. 8% 81 57 24 963 009 100% 632 359 70. 3% 330 650 29. 7% 80 629 510 100% 57 457 670 71. 3% 23 171 840 28. 7% 85 58 26 834604 100% 972 765 68. 7% 861 839 31. 3% 98 507 817 100% 63 175 968 64. 1% 35 331 849 35. 9% Source: Korean Government. International sales and distribution Samsung's initial expansion of international sales was through Samsung Corporation, the group affiliate involved in general overseas trading in the early 1970s. While this may have aided Samsung initially, it blocked Samsung Electronics† further expansion and in 1978, Samsung established its own sales affiliate in the United States for the first time. Since then, Samsung Electronics has continuously expanded its sales and distribution network around the world (Table 29). In 2000, the company had a network of 32 sales organizations in 23 countries and its primary emphasis was on North American and European markets. However, the company doubled its sales subsidiaries to 60 in 48 countries over six years, and it is now paying more attention to emerging markets, including Asia Pacific. Middle East, Africa. CIS, and South America. According to Samsung Electronics' homepage as of 2008, Samsung had a total of 53 sales subsidiaries and branch ofllces in 36 countries. ^'^ Samsung has achieved over three quarters of its sales overseas in recent years (Table 30). Table 29. Samsung electronics global network of sales subsidiaries* 2000 2006 North America Canada, Mexico, United States (6) Canada, Mexico, United States (4) Asia Pacific Europe South America Middle East and Africa CIS Australia, Hong Kong. India, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan France, Germany{2), Italy, Poland, Portugai, Sweden, The Netherlands(2), U. K. (2) Argentina, Colombia, Panama South Africa, U. A. E. Russia Australia, China(6). Hong Kong. lndia(2). Indonesia. Japan. Malaysia. Pakistan. Philippines, Singapore. Taiwan, Thailand. Vietnam Austria, France, Germany(2), Greece, Hungary. Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands. U. K. (2 Argentina, Brazil. Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru Algeria. Iran. Jordan, Kenya. Morocco. Nigeria. Saudi Arabia. South Africa. Tunisia. Turkey. U. A. E. Kazakhstan. Russia. Ukraine. Uzbekistan The number in parentheses is the number of subsidiaries in the country; COUNTRIES in italics are those newly added to the list between 2000 and 2006. Source: Samsung Eiectronics' website (www. samsung. com/us). UKCD JOURNAL: GENERAL PAPERS – VOLUME 2008/4 – ISSN -1W5-2S2I  © OECD 2008 150-CASE STUDY 2 Table 30. Samsung sates network 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Domestic sales Overseas sales % of overseas sales to total Source : Korean Government

55 House Idioms

55 House Idioms 55 House Idioms 55 House Idioms By Mark Nichol The integral nature and the ubiquity of houses in our culture has given rise to a number of idiomatic expressions that include the word house. This post lists such terms. 1. A house divided against itself cannot stand: A statement from a speech by Abraham Lincoln based on biblical scripture and alluding to the impending conflict between the North and the South over slavery 2. A house is not a home: A saying that differentiates a physical building from a dwelling identified with a family 3. A house of cards: a precarious situation, from the notion of an activity in which one or more people try to build a structure out of vertically placed playing cards without causing it to collapse 4. A plague on both your houses: A curse, based on a line from Romeo and Juliet, in which the speaker expresses disgust with both parties in a dispute 5. As safe as houses: In British English, a reference on the presumption that a house is secure, to satisfactory protection 6. Basket house: A music venue in which performers earn only money collected in a basket or other receptacle as donations 7. Big house: Slang for prison, or a reference to the main residence of an estate 8. Boardinghouse reach: An especially long reach across a table, alluding to the relaxed table manners of a boardinghouse, a lodging in which meals are provided 9. Bottom the house: A reference to thoroughly cleaning a place 10. Brick house: A sexually attractive woman, from the notion that she, on the analogy of a sturdy structure made of brick, is well built 11–12. Bring down the house/bring the house down: A reference to a performer being so entertaining that everyone in the venue in which the person is performing responds so enthusiastically that the performance is temporarily interrupted 13–15. Call house/house of ill fame/repute: Euphemisms for brothel 16. Clean house: A reference to thoroughly reforming an organization by replacing employees or members or changing policies or traditions 17. Crack house: Slang for a house from which crack cocaine is sold 18. Dream house: A house one considers ideal as a residence 19. Eat (one) out of house and home: Deplete all the food in a house 20–21. Fox guarding the henhouse/in the henhouse: A proverbial reference to the folly of allowing a person inimical to an organization to lead it or be involved in it 22. Full house: Said of an entertainment venue with the audience at capacity 23. Get (one’s) own house in order: An admonition to improve one’s own situation before criticizing another person for theirs 24. Get along like a house on fire: Become friends immediately upon meeting 25–26. Go around/round the houses: An expression, synonymous with â€Å"beating around the bush,† alluding to a person talking about trivial matters to avoid bringing up a sensitive topic 27. Halfway house: A residence for rehabilitating ex-convicts, drug addicts, or mental patients; by extension, a midpoint 28. Hash house: An inexpensive restaurant 29. Haunted house: A house thought to be inhabited by ghosts or spirits 30. House band: A musical ensemble hired to play regularly at a venue on its own, backing up visiting performers, or both 31. House music: A style of electronic dance music similar to disco but with few or no lyrics 32. House of correction: A euphemism for prison 33. House of many doors: Slang for prison 34. House poor: Able to afford housing costs but little else 35. House specialty: A menu item or other product that a business takes pride in offering 36. House wine: Any type of wine offered as a specialty of a restaurant or bar 37. Housebreak: Train a pet to use a special receptacle or go outside to urinate or defecate; by extension, make polite or submissive 38. Housewarming party: A celebration to commemorate moving into a new residence 39. In the house: Present (usually in the context of an entertainer being in a performing venue) 40. Keep house: Manage a household 41. Keep open house: Said of a residence in which visitors are always welcome 42. Lady of the house: A woman who manages a household 43. Like a house on fire: Quickly, from the notion that a burning house will swiftly become engulfed in flames 44. My house is your house: An expression of hospitality to make a guest feel welcome 45. On the house: Free (meaning that the house, or establishment, will on a special occasion pay for a product offered in the establishment) 46. Open house: An event in which visitors are welcome, either for a house party, a showing of a residence for sale, or an event in which members of the public are invited to visit an organization’s headquarters 47. Out of house and home: Evicted or otherwise deprived of shelter 48. Outhouse: An outdoor toilet 49. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones: A proverb that discourages hypocrisy; compare â€Å"put (one’s) own house in order† 50. Play house: Pretend to engage in activities associated with being part of a family (usually said of children role-playing domestic behaviors such as cooking and cleaning) 51. Put (one’s) house in order: Manage one’s affairs; contrast with â€Å"Put (one’s) own house in order† 52. Put (one’s) own house in order: An expression exhorting people to take care of their own affairs before criticizing how others handle theirs; compare â€Å"Those who own glass houses shouldn’t throw stones† and contrast with â€Å"Put (one’s) house in order† 53. Rock the house: Elicit an enthusiastic response from an audience 54. Shotgun house: Slang for a long, narrow house built with rooms in a straight line, from the notion that a shotgun shell could be fired through the front door and out the back door 55. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house: A reference to a dramatic performance that causes everyone in the audience in a performance venue to cry Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals20 Rules About Subject-Verb AgreementOne Scissor?