Identify the main sources of foreign currency risk confronting an Essay

Identify the main sources of foreign currency risk confronting an international firm and evaluate different techniques that you think may be most appropriate i - Essay Example It can be seen that due to the volatile and unpredictable nature of the forex markets during times of political or economic crisis both these markets carry a considerable risk for the multinational firms. The preceding discussion will assess the types of strategies which can be used to avoid these risks and their feasibility in the short and long term. This involves the transfer of the transaction exposure to another company through the technique asking them to pay for a product in your currency so that they have to bear the transaction exposure resulting from forex uncertainty on their own. Another technique would be to price the export in the local currency of the other firm and demand payment immediately in which case the current spot rate will determine the value in your own currency of the export.4 A second way of minimising transaction risk is "netting out", and this technique is very helpful for foreign multinationals with large business concerns who do frequent and sizeable amounts of foreign currency transactions. In this way unexpected exchange rate charges will essentially "net out" over many different transactions. This is mainly because when payments and receipts are in many different currencies as this will spread the risks and there might even be a chance of profit.. Although transaction exposure cannot be completely netted away ,the company is better off making a small in one area of trade that a large loss overall if it literally "puts all its eggs in one basket". Compared to hedging this may even be a safer way of avoiding forex risks. Hedging strategies (aimed at reducing short-term transaction exposures of roughly less than a year.5) Forward Contracts This is probably one of the most direct methods of handling hedging risks. The obvious advantage of this is to prevent the company from suffering any loss through a depreciating or appreciating currency because the payment has already been made to a bank. The problem however is that small businesses are often discouraged by banks in this option because of the increased risk that the banks in collecting back the money Futures contracts Another option of hedging transaction exposure is with futures market hedge which is a lot similar to the above method .The difference begins when a short sale of a future contract puts the business in a position opposed to that of a business owning the futures contract. This happens because an increase in the value of the contract causes a loss to the company. 6When the futures contract decreases in value, it gains that amount. Another problem is that any losses in

Engaging Students during Instruction Essay Example for Free

Engaging Students during Instruction Essay Differentiated instruction is the critical element of effective education. Differentiated instruction guarantees that the learning needs of every student are satisfied. Bloom’s taxonomy can be used to determine the level of individual learners’ thinking, while Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences can help evaluate the level of learners’ knowledge and determine the ways to enhance this knowledge by using differentiated instructional strategies. Engaging Students during Instruction Differentiated instruction is the critical element of effective education. Differentiated instruction guarantees that the learning needs of every student are satisfied. Bloom’s taxonomy and Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences are the two complementary models that can be used to develop differentiated instructional strategies in any type of learning environment. Out of many educational researchers, B. Bloom is considered one of the most prominent education professionals in the 20th century. â€Å"Bloom and his colleagues undertook the daunting task of creating taxonomy of educational objectives† (Tomlinson, 1999). It should be noted that Bloom has initially concentrated his attention on differentiating the learning objectives; thus, his taxonomy can be successfully applied to differentiate between the learning outcomes for different groups of learners. Howard Gardner was deeply involved into researching human creative abilities (Gardner, 1993). The result of his profound investigation is reflected in the discovery of eight levels of intelligence (knowing). Each of these multiple intelligences can be used to determine the level of knowledge for a particular learner, and to develop the set of strategies to address the most significant knowledge gaps. In many instances, the combination of the two learning theories will serve the basis for the creation and implementation of effective instructional approaches that will satisfy the learning needs of all types of learners. In reality, both Bloom’s taxonomy and Gardner’s multiple intelligences create a stable framework for successful learning. Each lesson must have individualized learning objectives, a clear set of instructional strategies, and a choice of evaluation criteria, but these elements cannot be developed and applied without sound knowledge of Bloom’s and Gardner’s learning theories. Each lesson should be characterized by â€Å"a variety of teacher techniques aimed at reaching students at all levels† (Skowron, 2001), and by engaging all students into discussion. Here, Bloom’s taxonomy will be used to determine the level of individual learners’ thinking, while Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences will be used to evaluate the level of learners’ knowledge and the ways to enhance this knowledge using differentiated instructional strategies. Gardner pays special attention to non-linguistic intelligences, including bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, musical, and naturalist learner abilities (Gardner, 1993). Gardner’s theory can be used to â€Å"convey learning experiences with understanding of the many different ways individuals gain mastery in their learning processes† (Tomlinson, 1999). However, Gardner’s approaches are limited to knowledge and comprehension areas of instructional design, while Bloom’s taxonomy further expands to setting clear objectives and evaluating the learning outcomes through the prism of six different levels of learning. Gardner’s multiple intelligences and Bloom’s taxonomy form a detailed observation of the learners’ style, needs, abilities, and knowledge. The two theories create an excellent combination that will motivate students to learn. â€Å"With the outcomes clearly defined for students, the possibility exists that they will feel more challenges; they may motivate them to push on to the next levels of understanding† (Skowron, 2001). At each level of student intelligence, a variety of instructional strategies can be implemented to satisfy the widest range of the learning needs, and to ensure that each of Bloom’s learning outcomes is achieved by all groups of learners. When learners are aware of the six groups of learning outcomes (Bloom’s taxonomy) they may also choose, whether they need to work on their strongest intelligences, or whether they should concentrate on their weaker intelligence sides to achieve the anticipated outcomes in particular learning process. Thus, the combination of Bloom’s taxonomy and Gardner’s learning theory offers substantial freedom for student participation in the learning process (Tomlinson, 1999). Bloom’s taxonomy and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences offer better choice and independence to students, creating favorable conditions for developing and implementing differentiated instructional approaches in classroom. References Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: the theory in practice. New York: Basic Books. Skowron, J. (2001). How to differentiate instruction. In J. Skowron, Powerful lesson planning models, Arlington Heights, IL. Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The differentiated classroom responding to the needs of all learners. ASCD. Paper responses Daniel’s paper Daniel is very correct: there is no â€Å"one size fits all† in education. Differentiated instruction should stem from the optimal combination of learning theories and approaches. Piaget’s epistemological theory and Gardner’s multiple intelligences form a good combination of differentiated approaches toward instruction, and Daniel uses a simple and effective mathematical example to illustrate his findings. However, Daniel’s work also implies that there is unlimited number of theoretical combinations that can be used to differentiate instruction. I think and agree with Daniel that by using only one theory, instructional professionals risk losing significant learning benefits that each learning theory offers.

The Benefits of Globalization Essay -- Outsourcing, Offshoring, Free T

Frequently, people are unclear of exactly what Globalization means. Globalization is the tendency of the world's economies to act as a single interdependent economy. It can be described as the increased movement of people, knowledge, ideas, goods and money across national borders to make the world more unified in a sense. Globalization is often thought of in economic terms but as we know there are other components with this idea like, economics, and cultures. There is a huge debate of whether or not globalization is positive or negative. Some view globalization as being inevitable and key to our economic future. It has the potential of making societies richer through trade, and creates knowledge and understanding to people around the world. On the other side, people believe it increases inequality within and between nations. I believe that globalization will only advance our world and make us more unified. The world's economic system is just one factor in globalization. Over the past two centuries, economic activity has become more global and international trade has becom...

Politics in the English Language Essay

Miscommunication is often the result of modern prose which is most commonly used despite its vagueness because of its simplicity. According to George Orwell’s â€Å"Politics in the English Language,† these habits must be eliminated in order to think clearly, if not, language will continue to be used in corrupt ways by politicians. With poor language skills come poor thinking skills, making it easier for people to be manipulated by warped language. Ted Hughes â€Å"Words and Experience† expresses that words are inadequate and that it is very difficult to capture experience properly. The way in which Hughes and Orwell appeal to the problem of miscommunication are different; Orwell is critical while Hughes is sympathetic. In the paper â€Å"Politics in the English Language,† George Orwell appeals to logos to prove that the misuse of language is corruptly used by politicians for selfish purposes. Thought corrupts language and politicians manipulate language fo r their own selfish purposes. Words such as fascism and democracy are among those words due to their lack of a concrete meaning. Democracy is often associated with a positive meaning whereas fascism is associated with a negative meaning. As a result dishonest politicians use their own interpretation to twist the meaning of what they are trying to communicate. They have defended events such as the Russian purges and deportations, the British rule in India and the atomic bombing in Japan by using language consisting of â€Å"euphemisms, questionable begging and sheer cloudy vagueness† (Orwell 699). This language covers up all the details of the events and is a prime example of how thought corrupts language. Language is warped because of the way it is used to lie and manipulate people. Politicians use vague language to hide questionable acts which leads to poor language skills. Orwell states that â€Å"the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts† (Orwell 691). He believes that poor language skills lead to poor thinking skills which are detrimental to society beca use people often accept the words of authority figures without thinking; they are not conscience of the meaning of the words being used. These bad language habits that Orwell indentifies are dying metaphors, pretentious diction and meaningless words; all of which are unnecessary and increase vagueness. This form of modern prose is easier therefore it is used commonly resulting in poor thinking skills. â€Å"The whole tendency of modern prose is away from concreteness† and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else† (Orwell 697). Orwell suggests that the problem is cyclical; vague language leads to the inability to think for oneself and the inability to think leads to miscommunication. Orwell uses logos to identify the problem and treats it with a critical tone however, believes that it can be fixed â€Å"if one is willing to take the necessary trouble† (Orwell 691). Ted Hughes and George Orwell share similar views on the misuse of language however Hughes uses different points to convey the message in his essay â€Å"Words and Ex perience.† Hughes states that words are tools and that it is difficult to choose the correct words to capture experiences. He uses the metaphor â€Å"A word is its own little solar system of meanings† (Hughes 120) because there is a vast amount of words to choose from and the process is often overcomplicated. Too much time spent thinking of the correct words to use causes people to miss the experience all together. Finding the right word requires a fine balance therefore words should not be used casually. Without this balance, words tend to inhibit the simplest descriptions such as â€Å"the infinite depth of crowiness in the crow’s flight† (Hughes 122). In this case, all words can be used for are indicators and general directives. Swiss psycho-analyst Jung believes that people know how to use words properly but have to quiet down to get what is inside their conscience. Although Hughes writes in a hopeful tone he believes that words are inadequate in describing experience. If and when a balance is found and words match experience, that is poetry. His view and solution are effectively communicated in using a sympathetic tone. George Orwell and Ted Hughes both attack the problem of the misuse of language effectively. With similar goals, both are equally able to convey the same points while appealing to different aspects and emotions. George Orwell’s â€Å"Politics in the English Language,† appeals to logos while criticizing the way unclear language is used corruptly by politicians. He adequately shows how people are easily manipulated by warped language because poor language skills lead poor thinking skills. Ted Hughes appeals to logos by using a sympathetic tone to convey the message that words are inadequate and it is very difficult to capture experience in his essay â€Å"Words and Experience.† The problem of miscommunication found in modern  prose is the result of vagueness and must be fixed. This is difficult because of the bad habits formed and its simplicity, however it can be fixed if one takes the initiative.

Cultural Differences in Body Language Essay

Do you know what I am doing? (thumbs up to the side – Hitch hiking). When I do this, most of you would think it means â€Å"good job†. But in the middle east, for example in Iran, it’s an insult similar to â€Å"the middle finger†. Good evening Madam Toastmaster, fellow toastmasters and guests, tonight let’s look at body language in different cultures. Do you agree that gestures can communicate as effectively as words? I agree. Some might argue, it maybe even more than words. However we must be aware different culture has different body language. Therefore, in our personal and business lives, careful consideration must be given to whom we are with and where they are from. A question that we might ask is; do we expect other cultures to adapt to our customs and protocol, or are we willing to make an extra effort to learn more about how they prefer to communicate? It wouldn’t be the first time that someone who wasn’t familiar with the communication customs of another country, found themselves in a rather embarrassing situation. Many years ago, President Richard Nixon arrived in a foreign country. Upon his arrival, he stood at the top of the stairs leading from his aircraft door, and overlooked the welcoming crowd gathered below him. He smiled and proudly raised both hands high in the air, palms facing outward and gave a gesture of his trademark famous â€Å"Peace† sign (as he had done many times before while travelling abroad). However the crown immediately began to jeer and hiss at the President, and he found himself on the receiving end of a hostile and rude welcome. Could you imagine how he felt? The reason was because in the country he was visiting, the two fingered, palms outward â€Å"Peace† sign, which was acceptable in North America, was an absolutely offensive gesture to the local people in that African country. This would have been the equivalent of a president from another country visiting New Zealand, and with a smile, â€Å"flipped the bird† which in their country might have meant â€Å"greetings†. As a member of the audience, how might you react? In North America, a simple â€Å"thumbs up† gesture can mean that things are â€Å"great† or a hitchhiking sign which indicates â€Å"I need a ride†. However, in Greece, this gesture signifies â€Å"up yours† when accompanied with a rapid upward and slower downward motion. The gesture for YES is often thought to be universal, however in India they wobble their heads from side to side to say yes. Correct me if I’m wrong my Indian friends. There are also variations in saying no. In Greece they toss their head up. In Japan, they wave their hands in front of their nose like ur gesture for stinky. Or, how about the â€Å"OK† sign where the index finger and the thumb connect to make an â€Å"O† shape and the three remaining fingers point up and slightly flare out. Although acceptable in Western culture to signal that things are â€Å"A-OK†, in Russia or Turkey, this gesture can represent a sexual insult. specifically an orifice (that’s as far as I’ll go with that). In China you may see two men walk hand in hand or with an arm around another’s shoulder. This is a sign of friendship. However, the situation is regarded as homosexual in American culture. In some countries such as France or Italy, it is acceptable to exchange a kiss on one or both cheeks while shaking hands when greeting one another. In other countries such as Japan, this type of behavior is considered impolite as the Japanese are considered to be a â€Å"non-touch† society relative to other cultures. The Japanese have a respectful custom to bow to each other. The most senior status person bows the least and the least status person having to bow first and display the deepest bend from the waist. Business cards are exchanged and read first in a complex formality. This ritual is to determine the seniority, position or rank of everyone in the room first. Then the bowing gesture commences based on the information read. For example, let’s say Tony Cooper is the CEO of Mitsubishi Motors in Japan. I am a small department manager from Fontera†¦the process is: So as you can see, it is really important to know your audience. If you are traveling to other countries, you need to be aware that some of the most commonly acceptable gestures at home can have a completely different meaning to someone from abroad. Demonstrating a sound knowledge of the cultural differences in nonverbal communication will get you noticed and others will appreciate that you are both respectful and prepared. Tonight you’ve learnt as least one thing: be careful if you thumb a ride in Greece O Take the time and invest in a little research to become culturally educated. By doing this you will be able to: Save the embarrassment. (i. e. Be careful if you thumb a ride in Greece O) Gain the competitive edge. A little research can go a long way prior to traveling abroad on business. Surely it helps if you are willing to make an extra effort to learn more about how they prefer to communicate. As the saying goes, â€Å"In Rome, do like the Romans do†. Get to know your audience and their customs. Remember in business, it’s about being prepared and establishing rapport quickly. Understanding body language in different culture might be the very thing that tips the scales in your favor and will give you the competitive edge you’re looking for.