Partnership for Lebanon and Cisco Systems Essay Example for Free

Partnership for Lebanon and Cisco Systems Essay The â€Å"Partnership for Lebanon and Cisco Systems† case study discusses a project developed after the war in Lebanon in July of 2006. After the war, President George W. Bush urged 5 U. S. based companies to partner together to help with the reconstruction efforts in Lebanon, including Cisco systems (led by John Chambers), Intel corp. (led by Craig Barrett), Ghafari Inc. (led by Yousif Ghafari), Occidental Petroleum (led by Dr. Ray Irani), and Microsoft (led by Steve Balmer). The partnership of these 5 successful U. S. companies formed the Partnership for Lebanon, or the PFL, for which a woman named Salam Yamout was appointed as project manager (Jimali, 2011). Upon the formation of the PFL in 2006, the leaders met at the Paris III donor conference with Fuad Seniora, the Lebanese prime Minister, to discuss and develop the key goals that would need to be achieved in the Lebanese reconstruction efforts, and to map out the main initiatives of the PFL (Jimali, 2011). With a primary focus on efficient and productive communities and advancement opportunities for the Lebanese people, they developed the following 5 key objectives for which they made significant progress over the next three years: 1. Emergency Relief and Response: The first of the 5 key objectives, emergency relief and response, was essential to establishing a sense of security among the Lebanese people following the war. From 2006 through 2009, the PFL helped more than 1000 families to rebuild their homes, and helped many communities to resettle. This was a first step toward rebuilding the infrastructure and public society needed for economic and workforce growth (Jimali, 2011). The PFL also rebuilt 10 youth and IT centers, complete with computer labs and Internet technology, providing a training center for over 1400 young people in Lebanon and rehabilitated the schools that stood in the areas most affected by the war, focusing on school safety, quality of student life, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) training (Jimali, 2011). Finally, in order to reduce continued casualties, the PFL trained and certified two dogs to detect landmines, a $65,000 effort that likely saved lives and increased the mobility of the Lebanese people. 2. Job Creation/Private Sector renewal: The next key objective of the PFL was to increase the number of available jobs in Lebanon, particularly in the private sector. Much of the focus on this initiative was suggested by Cisco leader John Chambers, who, in a visit to the American University of Beirut, was affected by the number of highly educated, multi-lingual Lebanese young people who would look for employment opportunities outside of Lebanon immediately following graduation. Noting the emigration of the most capable young workers as a significant obstacle to the future prosperity of the Lebanese people, Chambers suggested the job creation be made a top priority. As a top global leader in the Information Communication Technology industry, Cisco took the lead by developing a $1 million grant program called the â€Å"CREDIT† program, which they used to deliver 133 loans to businesses specializing in ICT (Jimali, 2011). Furthermore, in order to provide learning opportunities for Lebanese businesses, the PFL developed the Executive Mentorship Program, which matched successful U. S. businesses with leaders of Lebanese businesses. 3. Developing ICT infrastructure: As part of the PFL’s job creation efforts, Cisco also took the lead in developing a sustainable Information Communication Technology infrastructure. The first step toward this was to expand broadband service to all rural and urban areas. By partnering with the Lebanese Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (TRA), the PFL developed a long-term strategy for expanding broadband service, which began with the development of several new Internet exchange points and an International Internet gateway. 4. Workforce Training ICT education: Finally in workforce development, the PFL set out to create private sector job opportunities for the uneducated Lebanese population. By creating professional training programs and ICT education, a basic infrastructure targeted at building a middle-class could be developed. The PFL made several achievements in this area, including using high-speed broadband connections to connect 50 public schools to the Ministry of Education, providing online learning materials, sponsoring and ICT/life skills youth summer camp program, placing interns in Lebanese businesses, and helping to integrate ICT programs in Lebanese schools (Jimali, 2011). 5. Developing connected communities and connected governments: The final PFL objective sought to develop connected communities throughout Lebanon. A major stride in this objective involved developing ICT centers where people without broadband capabilities could go to stay connected through variety of Medias. In addition to developing 10 of these ICT centers, the PFL also enabled 5 full-service community access points that were affected by the war (Jimali, 2011). CSR Lessons There are several key strategic lessons that the PFL learned throughout their efforts in Lebanon concerning the creation and implementation of development programs, particularly those that would be able to be adopted by any senior manager. Perhaps the most important strategic lesson was that a targeted, overall objective must be developed in order to maintain the highest likelihood of success. Instead of developing a wide spectrum of initiatives to help rebuild Lebanon, Cisco and the other PFL partners focused on ICT as a means for rebuilding infrastructure and developing economic and educational opportunities for the Lebanese people. By developing this focused mission, Cisco avoided wasting time and resources or putting a great deal of input into unrelated initiatives that may or may not have had beneficial results. Furthermore, by developing a single mission that was within their expertise, Cisco was able to make valuable contributions in a vital area and thus maximize their impact. The PFL recognized that it could not solve all of Lebanon’s problems, but by developing a set of initiatives that Cisco and partnering companies felt well equipped to address, they were able to develop a plan within the ICT industry where it could make a measurable impact (Jimali, 2011). Another key strategic lesson learned by the PFL was that a thorough situational analysis is essential to developing an effective restructuring campaign. This is a lesson that is relevant to any rebuilding efforts, whether it is for a nation, a corporation, or a nonprofit organization. By conducting a detailed situational analysis, Cisco as able to analyze which objectives would create opportunities in Lebanon and how Lebanese government organizations, businesses, and communities would utilize various initiatives. Cisco’s thorough analysis allowed them to develop an effective methodology for implementing various programs, as well as to gain government cooperation and support throughout the process. This analysis also provided Cisco with insight regarding which support and resources they would need to ensure success and therefore allowed them to gather the support they needed before beginning the process in order to produce the fastest and more effective results. John Chambers, Cisco CEO, said, â€Å"In September, we visited Lebanon and we saw a country that can achieve many of the goals itself, but with the proper assistance can achieve them at a much faster pace and rebuild the country for the future, not just rebuild back to where they were before. † (Cisco CSR Report, 2009). Lastly, an essential strategic lesson learned by the PFL concerning the implementation and running of development programs was that a change process must be developed in carefully planned incremental steps, beginning with the development of the infrastructure needed to prepare for the next step. This is especially important for ensuring that the strategy can be adopted by any senior manager, because it allows for a step-by-step map of development that allows managers to build upon previous initiatives. Cisco, Corporate Sponsors, and PFL Because of its expertise in this area and its long-time commitment to investing in community sustainability, Cisco was an effective leader in the PFL’s objectives, providing valuable insight on how to encourage job creation that would continue to evolve over time. Cisco is a leading organization in global networking and communications technology, and was the creator of the multi-protocol router, which revolutionized Internet communications. A company worth $550 billion in 2000, Cisco’s success has been attributed to a focus on customer need that was so targeted that they did not commit to any specific technology and were willing to change in whatever way they needed in order to meet their customers need. It was this willingness to adapt as well as Cisco’s commitment to community and economic investments that made Cisco the right leader for the PFL’s goals. Cisco’s CSR initiatives had always been designed in a way that sought to add value to the organization through strategically planned initiatives and to leverage the company’s core competence and sustainability levels in a way that provided clear and measurable outputs. Cisco also took a lead in the PFL’s educational and professional training programs, which provided crucial career opportunities for the Lebanese people. The Challenge of Sustainability Despite the successful implementation of the PFL initiatives from 2006 through 2009, in September of 2009, PLF project manager Salam Yamout expressed concern to her manager, George Akiki regarding the long-term sustainability of the PLF initiatives. She said, â€Å"The PFL has undoubtedly been successful across the 5 work streams, and has infused much needed resources, support and hope in a context of post-war devastation, but the key question haunting me now is how to sustain this impact into the future. † (Jimali, 2011). Akiki agreed, and thus the question of how Lebanon could sustain the development initiated by the PLF without the generous management and resource contributions of Cisco and PLF partners. While the sustainability challenges faced by the PLF may seem daunting, the educational and job training programs developed by the program can be designed to be self-supporting, these programs, if continued and managed by competent leaders, can allow Lebanon’s ICT related programs to continue to prepare Lebanese people for good jobs. The first step to maintaining these programs is to gather investors from both within Lebanon and from the International community, particularly those who benefit from the increased educational and professional opportunities in the Middle East. Moreover, if the Lebanese government is able to recognize the benefit hat a more vibrant ICT community can offer to the economy, a system of public funding can be developed. Furthermore, if individuals who are trained through these programs can be offered incentives to remain within the program as educators, the programs can become self-sustaining through generations. Conclusion Cisco and the partners that formed the PLF provide an example of an efficient program for utilizing the specific expertise and resources of one industry to enact positive change on a community in desperate need of rebuilding. Their thorough analysis, clear-cut mission, and careful planning in an area that they were well resources in, allowed for an extremely effective rebuilding process. Moreover, Cisco provided a valuable framework for how with productive partnerships and effective leadership, successful organizations can help to address societal problems in a way that adds value to both the community involved and the partnering organizations. Too often, today’s conversation regarding CSR presents in if/or debate, as if companies must choose between economic value and ethical value. The economic argument suggests that corporations are obligated only to shareholders, and that investments made in activities that do not directly maximize profits are irresponsible, while the ethical argument suggests that because corporations benefit from the people and infrastructure of communities, they are obligated to make investments in those communities (Bansal, 2005). However, a modern view of CSR suggests that there is a middle ground where economics and ethics can converge to create longer term sustainable value. Cisco’s participation in the PLF program is an example of this middle ground. In its participation in the PLF program, Cisco expanded its influence in a part of the world where they previously had little reach, thus creating added value to their organization while addressing significant societal problems.

Music :: essays research papers

The Justice Department has intensified its antitrust investigation of the music industry's licensing practices, demanding that industry organizations and online companies submit a slew of documents related to Internet music services. The department recently began sending out "civil investigative demand" letters, hunting for evidence of collusion by record companies and affiliates to impede competition. The recipients of the letters include the Recording Industry Assn. of America, at least two Internet companies and MusicNet, an online music distributor jointly owned by three major labels and RealNetworks Inc. A copy of one letter obtained by The Times indicates that antitrust investigators are looking at all the terms proposed by the record companies and music publishers for their licenses, as well as the lawsuits they threatened, brought or settled over online music. Another issue being explored is the contentious negotiations over online radio services. The major labels control the copyrights to most of the recordings that consumers buy, while the publishers control the songwriters' copyrights. That control gives the labels and publishers the power to dictate which companies can offer interactive or on-demand music services online, as well as influencing their prices and terms of use. The growing demand for online music services has led the conglomerates that own the major record companies to create their own channels for distribution. AOL Time Warner, Bertelsmann and EMI Group formed MusicNet, and Universal Music Group and Sony Corp. created Pressplay. The inquiry appears to revolve around two questions: Why are MusicNet and Pressplay the only ventures to receive licenses for a significant amount of major-label music? And what, if anything, did the labels do to inflate their royalties from online radio services? The record companies' defenders say the labels have been cautious in licensing, but they haven't colluded to limit competition. "I don't see it, and I haven't experienced it," said Robin D. Richards, chairman and chief executive of MP3.com, a maverick online music company that was acquired in August by Vivendi Universal and has a distribution deal with Pressplay. But executives at several online companies say they have had mixed experiences with the labels and that some act fairly and some don't. The result, they say, is that the labels' online ventures--MusicNet and Pressplay--are launching this year without any real competition. The industry's licensing practices also have drawn criticism from some influential lawmakers, including leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary committees. In addition, the federal judge presiding over the industry's copyright-infringement lawsuit against Napster Inc.

Organic Chemistry (Methamphetamine) Essay

Methamphetamine was first synthesized from ephedrine in Japan in 1893 by chemist Nagai Nagayoshi. In 1919, crystallized methamphetamine was synthesized by Akira Ogata via reduction of ephedrine using red phosphorus and iodine. Synthesis is relatively simple, but entails risk with flammable and corrosive chemicals, particularly the solvents used in extraction and purification; therefore, illicit production is often discovered by fires and explosions caused by the improper handling of volatile or flammable solvents. Most of the necessary chemicals are readily available in household products or over-the-counter cold or allergy medicines. When illicitly produced, methamphetamine is commonly made by the reduction of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. The maximum conversion rate for ephedrine and pseudoephedrine is 92%, although typically, illicit methamphetamine laboratories convert at a rate of 50% to 75%. Methamphetamine has been reported to occur naturally in Acacia berlandieri, and possibly Acacia rigidula, trees that grow in West Texas. Methamphetamine and regular amphetamine were long thought to be strictly human-synthesized, but Acacia trees contain these and numerous other psychoactive compounds (e.g., mescaline, nicotine, dimethyltryptamine), and the related compound ÃŽ ²-phenethylamine is known to occur from numerous Acacia species. Diagrams Health Concerns Physical effects can include anorexia, hyperactivity, dilated pupils, flushing, restlessness, dry mouth, headache, tachycardia, bradycardia, tachypnea, hypertension, hypotension, hyperthermia, diaphoresis, diarrhea, constipation, blurred vision, dizziness, twitching, insomnia, numbness, palpitations, arrhythmias, tremors, dry and/or itchy skin, acne, pallor, and with chronic and/or high doses, convulsions, heart attack, stroke, and death can occur. Psychological effects can include euphoria, anxiety, increased libido, alertness, concentration, energy, self-esteem, self-confidence, sociability, irritability, aggression, psychosomatic disorders, psychomotor agitation, grandiosity, hallucinations, excessive feelings of power and invincibility, repetitive and obsessive behaviors, paranoia, and with chronic and/or high doses, amphetamine psychosis can occur. Methamphetamine use has a high association with depression and suicide as well as serious heart disease, amphetamine psychosis, anxiety and violent behaviours. Methamphetamine also has a very high addiction risk. Methamphetamine also is neurotoxic and is associated with an increased risk of parkinson’s disease. Methamphetamine abuse can cause neurotoxicity which is believed to be responsible for causing persisting cognitive deficits, such as memory, impaired attention and executive function. Over 20 percent of people addicted to methamphetamine develop a long-lasting psychosis resembling schizophrenia after stopping methamphetamine which persists for longer than 6 months and is often treatment resistant. Meth labs can also be fatal seeing as they often blow up. This is usually due to amateur chemists operating them. They can also give off deadly fumes. Where It Is Commonly Found Methamphetamine is FDA approved for use in children and adults under the trademark name Desoxyn. A generic version became available in April, 2010. It is prescribed as a treatment for ADHD and exogenous obesity, as well as off-label for the treatment of narcolepsy and treatment-resistant depression. Physical Properties Formula C10H15N Mol. Mass 149.233g/mol Half-Life 9-12 hours Metabolism hepatic IUPAC Name N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine Structure Related To Function The structure of this molecule is very much related it’s function. It closely mimics another molecule which stimulates the brain. This molecule fits the receptor site and therefore acts as a stimulant. Functional Groups Methyl Amino Aromatic (Phenyl)

China Economic Growth - 774 Words

Economic growth means the increase in the real GDP over time. It can be caused by an increase in an aggregate demand or aggregate supply. However, long-term economic growth mainly results from an increase in aggregate supply for instance increased capital, etc. Growth accounting is the tool to estimate the contributions from various sources to economic growth. It is the growth of GDP explained by weighted growth rates of other variables. It should be cleared that the growth rates of other variables need not to be the final explanation of GDP growth (Holz, 2008). It is given by: ΔY/Y=ΔA/A + ÃŽ ±.ΔK/K + (1-ÃŽ ±) ΔL/L. How long run aggregate supply impact growth is shown below. In China, the average economic growth rate from 1998-2013 was 9.6% (IMF, 2013). The major contributor of economic growth was capital especially the non-ICT capital and TFP. However, in the recent years TFP growth is declining and almost reached zero in 2013 but non-ICT capital is constantly growin g with 6.0% growth in 2013 (CBTED, 2014). The trend on non-ICT capital and TFP from 1998 to 2013 is depicted below. (Source: based on data extracted from CB, 2014) (Source: Based on figures from CB, 2014) From the above figures, it can be seen that capital is increasing however; the growth in TFP is fluctuating. TFP has used to be the major contributor in the long-term economic growth of China. It increased continuously from -5.52% in 1998 to nearly 8% in 2003 then kept on decreasing and reached nearly zeroShow MoreRelatedThe Economic Growth Of China1503 Words   |  7 Pages Over the past three decades in China, it goes without saying that it was miracle that economic growth increased rapidly. 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