Benefits Of Technology Contribution To Developing Countries

Benefits Of Technology Contribution To Developing Countries In such fast growing economies, multinational companies are relying heavily on technology to maintain their competitive position in the global platform. To do so, multinational companies constantly expand into new markets and hence their success is partly determined by their ability to transfer technology to local companies (Chen (1996), Chung (2001)). Transfer of technology is a foremost strategy initiated by the multinational companies during their international expansion. Technology transfer is defined as the transmission of know-how to suit local environments, with effective absorption and diffusion both within and across countries (CHung (2001) and Tihanyi Roath (2002). Transfer of technology is not as simple as it looks it involves a series of complex procedures starting from the multinational companies capability of teaching, the local companies capacity of learning and the complex integration between the two companies (Griffith, Kiessling and Dabic, 2005). Technology gives c ompanies the competitive edge to strive and compete in the global world. It is integrated with every value adding activity of the company and helps in achieving these activities (Porter, 1980). Technology helps in improving and maintaining quality levels and competitive edge of the products. It also helps in reducing the productions cost and increase manufacturing productivity by improving efficiency (Gisselquist Grether, 2000). Every country (developing and developed) spends large amount of funds to attract foreign investments. This investment can be in terms of foreign direct investments in stocks of local companies or in terms of investing in the countrys properties real estate or opening up a manufacturing plant in the country. The reasons noted for such behavior by the governments of developing and developed country is to strengthen their economy and technology sophistication and upgradation. When a multinational company is operating in foreign (developing) country, it happens to brings in new technologies and ways of working to the local country. Thus helping the country to upgrade its technological know-how. In this paper, the author will first highlight the importance of technology contribution by multinationals and later evaluates the factors that will determine the whether or not the transferred technology provides benefits or is a disadvantage to the host country. The role of multinational companies as an agent of technology transfer for economic development of less developed countries is potential and very important (Bruce Peters, 1979). FOR MNCS: Keeping aside few instances that have taken place and the points noted against the multinational companies in less developing countries. We cannot ignore the fact that these multinational companies have played a vital role in technological and overall development of developing countries. Starting from transfer of technology to bringing new ways of managing business to improving productivity to making local business competitive in comparison to the world. The contribution of the multinational companies in less developed countries is noteworthy (Aswathappa, 2008). Multinational companies and developing countries have different goals, hence they should try to come together and find mutual goals and benefits. This could be in terms of resource identification, technology selection and advancement. It is known that the world is dependent on each other for few or more things. It is the developing countries that are dependent on multinational companies from developed countries for help in te rm of technological development and stronger economies. Similarly, the multinational companies are dependent on these developing countries for cheap labor and land. Their goal is mutual and hence by working together can realize benefits for each other. Against MNCS: There are many cases and instances which show that the multinationals technology contribution to developing countries is hardly suitable. Multinational companies develop technologies that are highly capital intensive whereas the technologies needed by the developing countries are labor intensive. Thus this makes the technology contribution as less suitable, also multinational companies charge heavily in the forms of fees, duties and royalties for the usage of their technology. Thus making the technology very expensive for the developing countries. On several occasions it has been noted that that multinational companies or foreign companies operating in developing countries are dumping technologies by using obsolete technology with the help of turnkey projects. It is also noted that multinational companies try to make local companies dependent on their technology and expertise and thus making revenues by contributing obsolete technologies. For example: Indian government did its best t o attract foreign companies and investment with a hope that these multinational companies would help reach its goal of having best technology around the globe and strong export hub. This goal of India is not yet been realized with the exports falling and the global financial crisis still showing some of its effect in India. Likewise, other developing countries have been disappointed at many occasions. Today the word green is associated with the global warming; many companies have gone green meaning they have taken the initiative to use eco friendly methods to minimize their impact on the environments. Developing countries attracted multinational companies with the hope of setting up Greenfield projects which would in turn help to maximize their manufacturing capacity. The goal is yet to be achieved. government of developing countries attract foreign companies in order to bring new technologies to country but these foreign companies in turn either acquire local companies or merge wi th them, thus keeping the country away from new technology and manufacturing abilities. Many less developed countries have now kept environment on their first priority. Countries are now becoming more concerned about the impact that multinationals create on the environment due to certain technologies that they use (Aswathappa, 2008). POTENTIAL FACTORS: It is also very important to note the factors that will determine whether the technology transferred will be of benefit to the developing country or not. Griffith et al., (2006) uses an environment strategy performance framework to identify the role of market (i.e. competitive intensity and market dynamics) and cultural environmental (national cultural distance and organizational cultural distance) factors on international technology transfer to developing countries. During a survey conducted to find out the direct efforts of market and cultural environmental factors on transfer of technology with 131 managers working in a subsidiary of multinational company. It was found that market dynamism factors were more influential market environmental factor than competitive intensity. Whereas national cultural distance was less influential cultural environment factor than organizational cultural distance. The report also highlighted a very important and pivotal relationship between transfe r of technology and subsidiary performance (Griffith et al., 2006) Summary Multinational companies are businesses that carry out operations across globe. They are the most active players in the world of international business they have been often charged on several grounds like taking advantage of poor countries, their interests override the interests of developing nations and they have a tendency to bribe the less developed country government to make policies and regulations favorable to them. It is widely known that each coin have two sides, there are pros and then there are cons, there is opportunity and then there is risk. multinational companies are very important in terms of technology contribution but then there are risks of obsolete technology, technology dumping, impact on environment etc. thus developing countryà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s government should list few factors that would help them to determine whether the technology contribution by multinationals is benefit to the host country or not. A research conducted by Gibson and Smilor suggests that there are four variables i.e. communication interactivity, cultural and geographical distance, technology equivocally and personal motivation play very important role in technology transfer within and between companies (Gibson and Smilor, 1991). In another research conducted by Rebentisch and Ferretti (1995), they found that four categories, Transfer Scope, Transfer Method, Knowledge Architecture, and Organizational Adaptive Ability, describe important elements of the transfer process. Transfer Scope describes the extent of embodied information being transferred. Transfer Method describes the approaches used to transfer the technology. Knowledge Architecture describes the structure and the interdependencies between the firms knowledge assets. Organizational Adaptive Ability describes an organizations ability to change its knowledge architecture over time.

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Essay -- essays research papers

One flew East, One flew West, One died without a part of his brain. In my opinion the main theme of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is conformity. The patients at this mental institution, or at least the one in the Big Nurse’s ward, find themselves on a rough situation where not following standards costs them many privileges being taken away. The standards that the Combine sets are what makes the patients so afraid of a change and simply conform hopelessly to what they have since anything out of the ordinary would get them in trouble. Such conformity is what Mc Murphy can not stand and makes him bring life back to the ward by fighting Miss Ratched and creating a new environment for the patients. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest represents a rebellion against the conformity implied in today’s society. Ken Kesey, the author, offers many examples of imagery through the Chief’s detailed narrative of the story. Appealing to the sense of sight, Bromden, describing the reactions of some invalid patients, says: â€Å"the Chronics woke up to look around with heads blue from lack of blood† (214). A touch imagery is present when the Chief describes McMurphy’s hands: â€Å"I remember the palm was smooth and hard as bone from hefting the wooden handles†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (23). After killing McMurphy, Bromden’s narrative appeals to the sense of sound when he expresses he â€Å"heard the wires and connections tearing out of the floor† (310). Guessing that fall is coming and using the sense of smell, Bromden states: â€Å"I ca...

10 Ways How Photoshop Changed History of Photography

10 Ways How Photoshop Changed the History Of Photography by Steven Campbell on Apr. 2nd, 2010 In the past, you had to be very patient as a digital photographer. If you wanted to catch something spectacular you had to carry your camera with you everywhere until you saw something special. To capture a sunrise you had to get up at the crack of dawn. Models had to spend hours in the makeup room and studios had to be well lit. Everything I just mentioned changed instantly with the invention of Photoshop.Photoshop has changed the history of digital photography. Nowadays, when you look at an amazing photo or image your first impression is still â€Å"wow† but your immediate second thought is â€Å"that has to be photoshopped†. When you think of the history of Photoshop and everything Photoshop did to change the game, it’s pretty insane. In this article, I’m going to cover some of the ways how Photoshop has changed digital photography forever. How We See the World [pic] The most significant effect Photoshop has had on us is how we see our world.Digital artists and manipulators know how to take an ordinary photograph and turn it into something completely different and extraordinary. [pic] Images that are photoshopped really have me doubting reality sometimes. Whether they have to do with people, places, or things, you can’t argue with the creativity and time that goes into some of these images. They give you a new perspective on the world. How We View History [pic] Aside from the historical significance of digital photography, Photoshop has changed the way we view history in general.Historical photographs can be photo shopped just as easily as any other image, which leaves you wondering if you are viewing a historical painting or a modern piece of Photoshop art. How We Advertise I bet you were wondering when I was going to get to this part. Advertising has changed forever due to image manipulation. You can’t look through a magaz ine without seeing dozens of photo shopped ads (I dare you to try). [pic] Think about what this means. To me, this says that companies that used to run text ads or had to hire a photographer to take their photos can now just pay someone to make their ad on a Mac or PC.Photoshop has changed advertising and business as a whole. How We View the Human Form [pic]Photoshop has also changed our image of what the perfect person looks like. With models and celebrities – most notably – we have seen Photoshop go into every magazine cover and spread in modern existence. Allow me to touch on a few examples of this. Erasing Blemishes Ever wonder how your favorite actor looks so perfect all the time? Well, they don’t. Image editing has led us to believe that some people are actually perfect in appearance, when in reality these photos have been doctored.You want to look perfect in all of your photos? Start learning Photoshop. Adding Style [pic]You can do anything you want to a person on Photoshop. Hair color, eye color, fashion, you name it – you can change everything. Age Progression Want to see what Katie Holmes might look like in a few dozen years? Someone’s already thought of that. Thought of that. [pic] You can use Photoshop for practical means like predicting age progression. It takes a bit of talent, but nonetheless it’s a possibility.How We Witness Nature [pic] If you’ve ever seen Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel you know that there are some beautiful places on this planet with some crazy looking creatures living there. Photoshop has allowed artists to get even more creative with nature and create their own species and landscapes. See the skull in that tree? What We Find Humorous [pic]A lot of photo shopped images are meant to be funny. Creators use irony and humor to adapt digital photos to make us laugh. To Make Fantasy Reality pic]Aside from all the real world examples of Photoshop history, images are constantly created to invoke our imagination. When you look at one of these pieces of art you are able to visualize the artist’s dreams and fantasies. What did we do before this? Conclusion These are the 10 ways I’ve noticed that Photoshop has changed the history of the digital photograph. There’s got to be more but these things just don’t jump out at me anymore due to the norms I’m accustomed to in the Photoshop era. What do you think about Photoshop? Has it affected your life in some way?

The Term Sustainability in The Brundtland Report in 1987...

Impending climate change, overpopulation, poverty, depletion of resources, biodiversity loses, pollution, food security, economic crises and countless other issues are all traceable back to mankind’s unsustainable practices. Sustainability has often been deemed the only feasible approach to providing mankind with a worthwhile future. The term â€Å"sustainability† has gained considerable support since its publication in the Brundtland Report in 1987. The acceptance of the report by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly gave the term serious political status and resulted in global following (****). Sustainability or sustainable development aims at alleviating poverty whilst improving the well-being of the planet through sustainable†¦show more content†¦The seemingly broad-scale failure can be accounted for by failures within each of the three pillars and more particularly within business and society. Environmental sustainability Unlike the economic and societal sectors it is clear as to what needs to be done in our environmental areas. Environmental sustainability which seeks to protect the planet and its resources, so that it may sustain life for present and future generations (****). Given the increased ecological focus we now understand the need to preserve and restore our environment and safeguard our natural resources (****). Included in all of this environmental sustainability are the moves toward cleaner, renewable forms of energy, reductions in emissions, efficient resource usage and considerations from business and society surrounding their negative environmental impact. Environmental Restoration Conservation Societal sustainability Countries like the United States Social Education and related Societal paradigms Citizenship -ïÆ'   politics consumer Economic sustainability Taxes, fines, incentives Green economy Multidiscipline Sustainability Science unanimously agrees that in order to attain true sustainability we need to address the problem as a whole and not as individual parts (***). The Science’s Role After all of this the question still remains as to science’s roles in sustainable development. Science has various vital roles to play within the sustainability realm, knowledge,Show MoreRelatedThe Concept Of Sustainable Development1638 Words   |  7 Pages‘environmental politics.’ The concept of sustainable development makes us believe that it is possible to realize economic prosperity and protect the environment at the same time (Carter, 2007). 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