Paul Joseph Goebbels Essay Example for Free

Paul Joseph Goebbels Essay Paul Joseph Goebbels (29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitlers closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism. He played a hand in the Kristallnacht attack on the German Jews, which many historians consider to be the beginning of the Final Solution, leading to the Holocaust. Goebbels earned a Ph.  D. from Heidelberg University in 1921, writing his doctoral thesis on 19th century romantic drama; he then went on to work as a journalist and later a bank clerk and caller on the stock exchange. He also wrote novels and plays, but they were rejected by publishers. Goebbels came into contact with the Nazi Party in 1923 during the French occupation of the Ruhr and became a member in 1924. He was appointed Gauleiter (regional party leader) of Berlin. In this position, he put his propaganda skills to full use, combating the local socialist and communist parties with the help of Nazi papers and the paramilitary Stormtroopers, aka, Brownshirts, SA. By 1928, he had risen in the party ranks to become one of its most prominent members. Goebbels rose to power in 1933 along with Hitler and the Nazi Party and he was appointed Propaganda Minister. One of his first acts was the burning of books rejected by the Nazis. He exerted totalitarian control over the media, arts and information in Germany. From the beginning of his tenure, Goebbels organized attacks on German Jews, commencing with the one-day boycott of Jewish businessmen, doctors, and lawyers on April 1, 1933. His attacks on the Jewish population culminated in the Kristallnacht assault of 1938, an open and unrestrained pogrom unleashed by the Nazis all across Germany, in which scores of synagogues were burned and hundreds of Jews were assaulted and murdered. Further, he produced a series of anti-Semitic films. Goebbels used modern propaganda techniques to psychologically prepare the German people for aggressive warfare. During World War II, Goebbels increased his power and influence through shifting alliances with other Nazi leaders. By late 1943, the tide of the war was turning against the Axis powers, but this only spurred Goebbels to intensify the propaganda by urging the Germans to accept the idea of total war and mobilization. Goebbels remained with Hitler in Berlin to the end; just hours after Hitlers suicide, Goebbels and his wife Magda killed their six young children and then committed suicide.

Human Gene Therapy :: Biology Biological Genetic Essays

Human Gene Therapy Ashanthi Desilva is now able to ride her bike in her suburban Cleveland neighborhood. She can play basketball with her friends or go fishing with her family. She is slightly inconvenienced by her weekly shot of the critical immune system enzyme: adenosine deaminase (ADA). Ashanthi was born with a faulty gene that results in the inability for her body to produce ADA, leaving her dangerously susceptible to even the weakest of infections (Brown). In 1990, researchers collected samples of Ashanthi's blood, isolated some of her white blood cells, and incorporated into them a virus engineered to contain a healthy ADA gene. These cells were then injected back into her body. She was the first patient to undergo gene therapy, and without that therapy and the weekly shots of ADA, she would have been destined for a life of isolation. Human gene therapy is the replacement of an absent or faulty gene with a functioning gene. As a result, the body is able to produce the correct enzyme or protein, thereby eliminating the cause of the disease (Gene_Therapy_Overview). There are essentially two types of gene therapy: somatic cell therapy and germ line therapy. Somatic cell therapy involves treating any cells of the individual, except the gametes, at the cellular level to correct an absent or malfunctioning gene. This can be accomplished in three ways: ex vivo, in situ, or in vivo. Ex vivo involves removing cells from the patient, altering the genetic material, and placing them back into the patient. In situ requires the vector be placed directly into the affected tissues. In vivo gene therapy involves injecting the vector into the bloodstream. The vector then must find the target tissue and deliver the therapeutic genes. Germ line gene therapy treats the gametes or an embryo, which would be used in the case of in vitro fertilization. The difference between somatic and germ line gene therapy may seem to be subtle; however, the alterations obtained through germ line therapy are not only found in that generation, but are passed on to the individuals progeny. That has serious repercussions when it comes to discussing the ethics of using germ line therapy. Presently, similar techniques are being examined for both somatic and germ line gene therapy, but germ line therapy is more difficult (Coults). This is not to say that somatic cell gene therapy is easily accomplished. One challenge facing researchers is finding a suitable vector that would safely and efficiently deliver the genetic payload into the patients' genome.

Manage own performance in a business environment Essay

Outcome 1: Understand how to plan and prioritise work and be accountable to others 1.1 The purpose and benefit of planning work is that it gives you a rough estimate of how long the work will take, what equipment or resources will be needed to complete the work and what budget will be needed it also makes it easier for you to plan your day to day work. If you are then asked what work you have been doing you can show them therefore being accountable for your work. 1.2 The purpose and benefits of negotiating realistic targets for work is that you can give yourself time to complete the job without giving yourself extra stress when running out of time and also making sure there is sufficient time that the job is completed to the required standard .You can do this by discussions with colleagues on how long tasks may take and planning each stage to ensure that each stage is completed on time so you know that you are keeping to the targets for the whole project to be finished on time. 1.3 It is best to prioritise targets with the most urgent tasks being high priority then work out how long each task may take and break it down into steps a diary is a good tool so you can put each step into the diary to help you keep on target. 1.4 The types of problems that can occur during work are: A higher priority task may be given to you Staff absences Equipment failure E.g. problems with computer These problems can be dealt with by informing the manager that there may be a problem with completing on time so any necessary adjustments can be made, having other members of staff available to cover absences and reporting  equipment failure to the necessary people as soon as possible as to get repairs done quickly. 1.5 It is important to keep other people informed on the progress because it helps them to see what targets have been reached and as to whether there may be a delay in completing the task. 1.6 It is important to let other people know if work plans need to be changed so that they in turn can change their work plan to ensure that the job is still completed on time and to a high standard 1.7 The benefit of recognising mistakes is to ensure that the same mistakes are not made twice, this will benefit the company be saving them time and money as the task will not need doing again. You can learn from your mistakes be recognising what you did wrong and taking steps to ensure that the same thing doesn’t happen again. 1.8 The purpose of guidelines and procedures is that, you know what has to be done and how it has to be done. There is no chance for you to go wrong, and make mistakes. The purpose of this Code of Practice is to establish clear and mutual expectations. This helps to minimise the risks and problems of personal difficulties, problems with supervision, or bad performance. Outcome 2: Understand how to behave in a way that supports effective working. 2.1The purpose of setting high standards for my own work is to enable me to do my best and therefore produce work of a high standard. 2.2Ways of setting high standards for my work involves me talking to my line manager and agreeing ways as to how I can improve my performance then each day trying to produce work of a higher standard. 2.3The best way to deal with pressure arising from work tasks is to make sure you allow your self enough time to complete tasks when nearing a  deadline and work is not completed the best way to deal with the pressure is to keep yourself disciplined and ensure you keep to your plan of work and at the same time talking to your line manager and other colleagues to explain the pressure that you are under so that between you all you can come to an arrangement to get the work completed. 2.4When a setback occurs you need to accept that this is part of life but at the same time do what is needed to try and lesson the effect of the set back on your colleagues and the company as a whole and learn from the set back to try and prevent it from happening again. 2.5It is important to be assertive so that any points or suggestions that you make are listened to and your opinion is taken seriously it is also important to be assertive so that you feel confident to say no when being given more work than you can handle this will benefit you and the company as it will reduce the pressure on yourself therefore leaving you more able to do you work to a higher standard. 2.6It is necessary to be assertive when there is the need to say no when you have high priority work to complete but are also been given more work that may not be so urgent. It is also important to be assertive in meetings and staff reviews to ensure that you get your point across so you and your colleagues are aware of your and their own goals and responsibilities. 2.7 It is important to be able to be ready to take on new challenges and adapt to change as this challenges you as a person and improves your quality of work also being able to adapt to change is important as everything in life changes especially regarding to technology so not being able to adapt will make it difficult for you to do your work efficiently therefore having a negative effect on you and the company. 2.8The purpose of treating others with honesty, respect and consideration is that when working in a team everyone needs to feel that they are being treated fairly this will enable the team to be able to run more smoothly while also building a good working relationship within the team and work  will be produced to a higher standard. 2.9Types of behaviour that show honesty, respect and consideration are: Listening to others points of view and opinions Always speaking the truth yourself Encouragement Praising colleagues on work well done Treating people fairly Respecting others feelings Types of behaviour that do not show honesty, respect and consideration are: Telling lies yourself Running people down to other members of staff Not valuing other peoples feelings Not treating everyone the same Picking fault with others work rather than using tact and diplomacy Ignoring or not listening to others points of view and opinions 2.10The purpose and benefit of helping and supporting others at work are that you are building a healthy working relationship and being an important part of a team this will enable everyone to get on well and therefore they will produce better quality work. Supporting the people you work with builds their confidence as well as your own whilst showing that you can support the team being part of the team or as their team leader.

Report on How Honda has changed its Internal Environment - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 18 Words: 5363 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Macroeconomic environment of a business is crucial to all its operations. This is because all of its present and future operation depends on the surrounding business environment. Honda has continued to embrace the changes that happen around its operations in order to ensure sustainability and profitability. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Report on How Honda has changed its Internal Environment" essay for you Create order The current global motorcycle manufacturing sector is full of competition. It therefore becomes crucial for every manufacture to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and then identify the opportunities to exploit so as to gain competitive advantage. Research and Development (RD) and innovation in the manufacturing process mark the epitome of Hondas competitive advantage. It is crucial for a corporation to bank on its competitiveness and maintain it for the prosperity of its product and services. Macro-environment A firms macro-environment is made up of various aspects of the firms surrounding that have the capacity to potentially affects is business strategies. An organizations macroenvironmental variables have less impact on the firms operation as compared to the organizations task environment. The macroenvironmental variable consists of sociocultural , economic, technological, political and legal variables. It is important for a firm to consider these variables in order to understand the various threats as well as opportunities that can be created by the specific variables. They also help in indicating how the strategic plans can be effectively adjusted so that a firm can acquire as well as retain a good level of competitive advantage. The microenvironment is made up of forces that emanates from outside the firm and can never be effectively altered by any form of actions of the firm. This is to say that the organization can be influenced by the macroenvironmental forces but it can never i nfluence these environmental forces. Socio-cultural and demographics Lifestyles and societal values do change over time. There are several socio-cultural and demographics factors that directly impact the motorcycle manufacturing industry. The fact that in this generation women can work outside their homes and join the workforce means that they have an improved spending power (Newsweek,2010) the increase in the spending power of women is an economic factor that can effectively be employed to develop products and services that target women in the motorcycle manufacturing industry . The other socio-cultural factor is that need s to be considered is the attitude towards new scientific marvels of going green. In terms of demographics, the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) which are experiencing exponential growth offer a perfect opportunity for the sale of motorcycles. Demand for green products The demand for green products is a part of the natural macroenvironmental force which can closely be associated with the larger socio-cultural environmental forces that effect product sales. Nature is the main source of raw materials that are use in the production of most products. The raw materials could be renewable, depleting or infinite in its supply. It is important that all the raw materials be preserved and any form of wastage be curtailed. The ecology should be preserved by appropriately minimizing pollution. This is by means of eco-friendly (green) technology. The concept of eco-friendliness and going green can effectively be used by marketers in the motorcycle industry in order to win more customers. The concept of going green in the motorcycle industry involves the research and development of hybrid, e-motorcycles as well as hydrogen-fuel-cell motorcycles. The process has several merits. It however also has its fair share of challenges as pointed out by Schwartzapfel (20 08). The fact that companies such as Honda are already established means that the incorporation of green technology in their production and marketing mix can effectively bring a positive jolt to their brand and corporate image. This would in turn be reflected on their performance. This is reinforced by the fact that green demand amongst customers is rapidly getting stronger (PWC,2008). In regards to demographics, the statistical figure that baby boomers comprise of approximately 25.8% of the United States population (Briand,2009) is a factor for motorcycle manufacturing industry to consider in their marketing mix. The fact that they have higher income than the media United States population is another opportunity that can be exploited by the motorcycle manufacturers (Dell Web,2010). The opportunity is derived from the fact that baby boomers have a higher income and are constantly refusing to acknowledge that that are aging. This makes them a perfect target for luxury products and services. The threat to the reliance in this market segment is based on the fact that the baby boomers eventually get too old to use the luxury products that they thought were appropriate to their lifestyle thereby leaving a demand vacuum. Legislation Legislation is yet another important microenvironmental force that the motorcycle manufacturing industry must reckon with. The legal environment that firms are facing is rapidly becoming complex and has a rather direct effect on their operations (Thomas,n.d). This has made it very difficult for the businesses to operate without being affected by a legal, compliance or regulation problem. The most significant legislations that affect the motorcycle manufacturing business are in the domains of positive consumerism, competitive practices, environmental issues and employee relations. Most of these laws are associated with several regulatory bodies. They include Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).An analysis by Thomson Reuters Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC,2011) indicated that the cost of compliance is to continue rising with time. In the motorcycle manufacturing arena, co rporations such a Honda must comply with the various regulations that affect their trade. The noise statutes for example are one of the regulatory compliances that they face. In the U.S foe example the federal laws require all motorcycles to have their noise below 80 decibels from a point located 50 feet away from the motorcycle (Fredrix, 2007). This could negatively impact their sales. The regulatory requirements are very expensive to meet and maintain. This is therefore a great threat to the motorcycle manufacturing industry. Economic environment The economic environment is crucial for the sales and manufacture of motorcycles. The current status of the economy is not very good as a result of the recent economic downturn. It is therefore important for Honda to understand the current economic condition as well as predict the future economic conditions. It is worth noting the current oil prices calls for the manufacture of fuel efficient motorcycles. The decline in the median income also has an effect on motorcycle sales. A report by the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA, 2010) indicated that the recent economic downturn reduced the sale of motorcycles by roughly 20%. The global economy is however in recovery but the high unemployment rate coupled with a decline in the level of media income means that fewer people are likely to indulge in the purchase of the high-end, luxury motorcycle products and services. Technology Technology presents both a potential threat as well as potential opportunity to the established Honda products. Other competing firms have introduced and are in the process of introducing new and complex technology that is more refined making it extremely hard for Honda to assess their true market potential. The introduction and enforcement of the CAFÉ standards has seen the fuel economy of cars and motorcycles improve. This has been coupled with the introduction of hybrid versions of the cars and motorcycles as well as technology for alternative fuels such as hydrogen. The improvement of fuel economy is important to the current global economy as a result of the decline in the median income as well as the ever rising price of fuels. The downside of the hybrid technology is that some of the hybrid cars and motorcycles may end up being more expensive when compared to their conventional counterparts. The opportunity presented by this technology is that it can allow for the product ion of more economical and fuel efficient motorcycles to replace the expensive car whose maintenance has been worsened by the decline in median income, lack of employment and exorbitantly high prices of gas. Business Level Strategy The business level strategy at Honda is in line with its enterprise and corporate strategies. In the motorcycle industry, the corporation is striving to build its products and services very close to its customers in a total of 21 plants that are spread across 21 countries. The corporation also conducts Research and Development (RD) in a total of six countries. The research and development system is tailored in its approach in order to produce products and services that are durable and reliable at the same time. The focus of the Honda foundation is to have three main dimensions; social, economical and environmental issues. This means that the corporate strategy is to support sustainability at all levels. The motorcycle manufacturing plants are design to be easily convertible to motor vehicle manufacturing plants should there be a need of an exit strategy. The business strategy at Honda is to fully support the processes of globalization and exhibit its characteristics. RD has therefo re been continuously been used by Honda in order to have a competitive advantage over its competitors. The RD system at Honda is remarkable. This is because it is systematic in its approach to challenges of durability, product reliability as well as performance. Honda has a proactive approach to the future needs and demands while effectively taking care of social, economical and environmental issues (for sustainability). The research and development at Honda employs leading edge technologies as well as an unparalleled commitment to the process of innovation in order to create better products for future mobility. The other aspect of Hondas business level strategy includes the role played by the dealers. The production, distribution and selling are to be inspirited by the three joys. They are The Joy of Buying The Joy of Selling The Joy of Creating These are Hondas beliefs as well as desire to ensure that every individual working with Honda or interacting with the company and its brand should experience a sense of joy . The consumers should experience the joy of buying Honda products by receiving products and services that exceeds whatever expectations they had. The dealers should experience the joy of selling. There should be a creation of inspiring experience for the clients, this should be coupled with a quick response to the various changes in value in the needs of customers. The customer relations must also be improved through a sales team that is attentive and friendly. There should also be a thorough product maintenance as well as repair. Honda motorcycles have competitive advantage over its competitors. For quite a long time, Honda has managed to stay ahead of the pack by investing a lot of time and efforts in refining its competitiveness in the motorcycle market. Hariri (2004) when examining the competitive advantage at Honda motorcycles realized that Honda began its quest for competitiveness almost 47 years ago when they first introdu ced a small and lightweight motorcycle that had an automatic clutches, 30-speed transmission as well as electric starts. These bikes had superb handling and were deemed to have a rather safe and friendly appearance. They went ahead to make it more comfortable for female riders by including in their design, step-through frames. Their products were appealing to people from all walks of life. The appeals coupled with their affordability and slogan that read You meet the nicest people on a Honda worked marvelously in their marketing campaigns. The huge demand for little motorcycles gave Honda the chance to launch as well as dominate the then relatively new market through the employment of proprietary technology, efficient production, regular introduction of extremely efficient and top-notch, next generation models, improved innovativeness in their product design as well as product features as well as the a relentless improvement in their after-sale services. This made most of their comp etitors (especially from Europe to disappear). There has been some competition from Harley Davidson and BMW but Honda has still managed to dominate by virtue of the momentum gained over time (Hariri,2004). What Honda has done in order to maintain competitive advantage is to continuously differentiate itself in the motorcycle marketplace. They have continuously made efforts to be different from their competitors while ensuring an unparalleled uniqueness in their product offerings. They have also made it their philosophy to ensure that they add a lot of value in the products and services that they offer their customers. Their competitive advantage is also done to ensure uniqueness in product quality for the future markets. Honda has also managed to maintain competitive advantage by frequently enhancing their products and services in order to meet what is desired by their clients as bold, useful and innovative. The innovative improvements at Honda in terms of product design, types of m odels and well as superb quality and service are what makes them unique and hence have a competitive advantage over their competitors. The company has also worked hard in order to put environment and consumer safety as part of its agenda. Their goal surpasses compliance and regulation but is aimed at bringing mobility to the generations to come. This is achieved through a proactive development as well as introduction of technologies that are safe and environment friendly. The safety targets everyone (pedestrians, driver as well as other motorcycles and motor vehicles).The company has taken actions aimed at making environment and consumer safety as part of its agenda. Their goal surpasses compliance and regulation but is aimed at bringing mobility to the generations to come. This is achieved through a proactive development as well as introduction of technologies that are safe and environment friendly. The safety targets everyone (pedestrians, driver as well as other motorcycles an d motor vehicles) All Honda motorcycles are fitted with environment-friendly and programmed fuel injection system (PGM-FI). For safety purposes the Honda motorcycles are equipped with a combined braking system that has both the traditional braking system and an anti-lock breaking system working together. On differentiation, the 2011 Honda CBR250R motorcycle has several patents (More than 18) related to its frame and an advanced fuel filter layout that effectively reduces its weight as well as an advanced cooling system and a cross frame for improved rigidity (Wasef,nd). Value Chain Analysis Value chain analysis can be a great method for the management of an organization to recognize the main activities that takes place in the organization. The activities recognized are usually part of the organizations value chain and besides, they enormously provide sustainable competitive advantage for the firms. Therefore, competitive advantage of a firm is lying in its capability to execut e better the important activities along the value chain than the firms with which it is competing. It should also be noted that the aim of any business is to attain sustainable competitive advantage. The framework of value chain that was laid down by Porter (1990) is a mutually dependent system or association of activities that are related by linkages. If the structure is carefully managed, the linkages are capable of being an important origin of competitive advantage (Pathania-Jain, 2001). Value chain analysis is basically entailing the connection of two fields. To start with, value chain connects the value of the activities of the organizations with the major functional parts. Secondly, the evaluation of the involvement of every part in the generally extra value of the dealing is made (Lynch, 2003). For a company to build and maintain a competitive advantage over its competitors, it has to bear in mind several aspects of the companies and the firms with which it is in compet ition. Given that the Honda Company has outlined the firms with which it is in competition, it is capable of performing better than them. The fact that there are no leading competitors in the United States motorcycle market gives Honda an upper hand. Having realized that, the company is capable of making good strategies that will make it to beat all the other firms like the Harley-Davidson whose market share is 28%. It is only this company that is above it as far as the market share is concerned. The company must also ensure that the other firms whose market shares are below it are never allowed to pass it. Such companies are the Yamaha whose market share is 17%, and Suzuki whose market share stands at 13%. While Harley-Davidson has the largest market share, it does not have the ability to enforce the rules of competition. Through the diversification of Honda, it is a bigger and an extremely more profitable firm than Harley-Davidson despite the fact that the firm is having a wider m arket share than Honda. The diversification is capable of making Honda to build and maintain a competitive advantage over its competitors which is mainly Harley-Davidson. Honda is also capable of building and maintaining a competitive advantage over its competitors by the fact that it is regularly tracking the moves of its competitors. Having tracked the total net income for Harley-Davidson which is standing at 259 million and comparing it with its total net assets which was standing at 6.83 billion in 2010, it is capable of working all round the clock to ensure that it beats the firm through all means. It will also ensure that its total net assets exceeds that of its rival company, mainly Harley-Davidson and also the other competitors. It is also having the capability of maintaining a competitive advantage through its taking advantage of the weaknesses of its competitors. The company is capable of maintaining a competitive advantage over its competitors through the analysis o f its target market. The target market refers to a given group of customers which the company is aiming at when it is producing its goods and services. The target market refers to the people who will most probably purchase or use the products or the services that a firm is producing. Honda has analyzed not only its market share but also the market share of its rival companies. Having known the market share of its competitors will most likely make it to beat the competing firms. They should endeavor to stay ahead of the other firms with which it is competing. They should develop great strategies that will enable them to lead the other firms. Honda is capable of maintaining a competitive advantage through the thorough analysis of its inbound logistics. Inbound logistics can be defined as the activities that are concerned with the reception of materials that comes from the suppliers, ensuring that these materials which are acquired externally are well stored, and also ensuring that they are properly handled within the company. Only then will it be capable of staying ahead of other firms in the industry. Fixed/Storage Costs: Due to the fact that both the fixed and storage costs are comparatively high for a number of the competitors in this industry, Honda should strive to minimize its storage and fixed costs so as to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. Operations also have to be looked at by the firm so as to maintain a competitive advantage over other firms. Operations involve the activities that are connected to the production of services and goods. It plays a crucial role in the maintenance of a competitive advantage. All the motorcycle companies have added capacity in huge increments. This has greatly increased competition. However, Honda also constructed a plant in India. The plant is having a yearly production of approximately 600,000 motorcycles. This capacity of production is exceeding the whole number of motorcycles that is sold in th e United States during the year 2010. This expansion has greatly made the firm to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. However, the firm should strive to become the leading manufacturer of motorcycles in the United States. Outbound logistics must also be looked at by the firm to maintain a competitive advantage over the other firms. Outbound logistics refers to the activities that are mainly concerned with the distribution of the end products to the consumers. Sales and marketing are also not left behind when value chain analysis is being looked at. The area of sales and marketing is basically analyzing the various wants and desires of the customers. Besides, is accountable for the creation of awareness among the customers who are the main target of the firm. The customers should be kept updated about the goods and services that are provided by the company. Generally firms ought to apply mechanisms of marketing communications such as publicity, sales promotion s so as to draw many consumers to the products that are produced by these firms. The fact that Honda is marketing its products is giving it a competitive advantage over its competitors. Marketing and advertising distinguishes Hondas motorcycles. This will make the consumers desire to buy the best products. Indeed it is Hondas continued marketing strategies that will make it to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. After sales services is also vital for value chain analysis. The companies are obliged to offer after-sales service previous to or after the sale of the goods or service. Good Procurement procedures are also vital for the analysis of the value chain. The procurement section is held responsible for the purchase of items that are vital for the operations of the firms. An effective procurement department ought to be capable of obtaining the greatest quality commodities at prices which are very low. The management of human resources is also vital for the val ue chain analysis. The department that is concerned with the recruitment, training of the workers, motivation and also providing rewards the firms workforce. Workers are gradually becoming a significant way for the attainment of sustainable competitive advantage. The workers ought o be given thorough training in the customer service. The workers should be given both bonuses and also stock plan. This kind of compensation plan is capable of encouraging the workers to work best for the organization to ensure that their value of compensation goes up. This is capable of resulting into employees who are more productive thereby reducing the cost of workers. Technological advancement is also a field that is mainly dealing with technological improvement, training and the acquisition of knowledge and skills that are important for the survival of Honda. The Companys infrastructure is also playing a key role in the value chain analysis. It entails effective planning and efficient control system s like accounting (Lynch, 2003). Protection from the Five Forces Threat of New Entrants Economies of scale: This threat to Honda is classified as being medium. In terms of the organizational (Internal) economies of scale, there is the most cost efficient production level is referred to as Minimum Efficient Scale (MES). This point is where the cost of producing a unit of a given product is at its minimum. This is to mean that it is the most cost efficient production level. Should the Minimum Efficient Scale (MES) of a given firm be in the public domain, it would become very possible to determine the level of market share that would be necessary for rivals to jump in at a lower cost. Honda protects itself from the threat created by this form of threat of new entrants by making the difference between the Minimum Efficient Scale and the entry unit cost to be very large. Honda also ensures that they maintain competitive advantage through product differentiation and quality product and service delivery. Access to Distribution Channels: This threat is rated as posing high threat to entry .The possibility of a new entrant establishing its independent dealership network to rival the one is high but Honda has through the years perfected its distribution channel. They have come up with an effective and efficient virtual distribution system as part of its value chain. Cost Disadvantages that are Independent of Scale: These are indicated as posing low threat to entry to Honda. This is related to technology and intellectual property rights. In order to protect itself from this form of threat, Honda has patented most of its ground-breaking technologies. The patenting of its proprietary corporate information helps Honda to minimize the level of threat of new entrants. Honda also strives to train and maintained its skilled workforce in an effort to reduce protect itself from the threat possessed by new entrants. Competition In order to reduce the threat posed by too much competition in the motorcycle manufacturing industry Honda has made efforts to distinguish itself from its competitors by differentiating its products and services in order to be unique and exquisite it its products and services offerings. It has also patented its key technologies. Substitutes In order to protect itself from substitute products, Honda has taken steps to involve itself in the trend of the public to prefer public transportation (preferred due to its cost effectiveness and environment friendliness ), motor vehicles (carpooling) and leisure walking by actively involving itself in the embracing of sustainable and energy efficient proprietary technologies that counter the effects of high fuel prices and environmental degradation. Honda has embarked in the production of fuel efficient engines and has embraced green technology (hybrid and e-machines/motorcycles). Supplier Power The concentrated nature of the motorcycle manufacturing market implies that the existing suppliers have extremely low bargaining power with the corporations that they are already engaged with. The suppliers however, have high bargaining power with the potential new entrants to the motorcycle manufacturing market as a result of the cost of switching. Honda has therefore customized its manufacturing processes so as to meet their requirements and therefore an unprecedented switch would require a lot of resources and costs to the affected supplier. Competition In order to protect itself from competition, Honda has placed emphasis in thorough research and development as well as innovation that are targeted towards solving the future mobility needs. Evaluation of the effectiveness of how the Honda has chosen to manage rivalry Honda has effectively managed business rivalry (competition) through the employment of certain specific moves that have delivered major blows to its business rivals. Some of these are Emphasis on Research and development and innovativeness Honda dedicates a lot of funds annually to RD endeavors. In 2007 for example, it spent an estimated $5.14 billion on RD alone (Crain Communications,2008).Their quest to solve tomorrows mobility problems coupled with good innovative techniques has ensured that Honda has maintained its sport as one of the best motorcycle manufactures in the whole world. The building of relationships The most competitive corporations in the whole world must have strategic partners. Honda too has strategic partners that are an integral part of its value chain. In order to successfully complete, Honda has made an effort to introduce key players into its value chain process. This has been facilitated by the application of technology to form the virtual value chain paradigm. Business partners/transactions In order for Honda to maintain fairness as well as a sound relationship with all of its business partners, it engages itself in fair and credible transactions. Should they need a business partner, they select the partner by carefully comparing as well as evaluating the partners in a manner that is impartial and with a consideration of their terms and conditions. After the selection of an appropriate partner, no gifts will be given or accepted beyond what is considered appropriate. The misuses of positions as well as authority are also prohibited. Business partners are also not to give or be given improper benefits. Relationship with various governmental bodies/agencies In order to have a strategic relationship with the main governmental bodies/agencies, Honda must be fully compliant with the regulatory requirements as well as abide by all the laws that are laid down in every country. The granting of excessive benefits and gifts is also prohibited. Strategic management The protection as well as the preservation of intellectual property (IP) rights The rigorous and extremely expensive process of research and development at Honda has earned it several patents and trademarks that are considered intellectual property. These patents are used in the manufacture of most of its efficient products. The patent holds the key to the future success of the corporation and must therefore be protected by the law. Honda therefore strives to protect its IP rights in order to protect its operations. Improved value chain Inbound logistics For the inbound logistics the system at Honda has been designed to have a close integration with all the suppliers. This is crucial because vender management is an integral element if the value chain process. This is based on the fact that over seventy three percent (73%) of the cost of production is attributed to the component materials. It is therefore crucial for Honda to ensure that it maintains a very tight control on the logistical costs while reducing the transactional costs incurred in the process of procuring material components. They therefore employ the Just-In-Time method of manufacturing, a philosophy that demands very close level of coordination between the manufacturing processes/centers ,the vendors as well as the ancillary units (Bagchi Dhali,2009). This process is a facilitated via an online platform. Manufacturing operations Honda manufacturing hubs are known to be on some of the best JIT manufacturing centers in the world (Bagchi Dhali,2009). They also employ Lean Manufacturing which is coupled with the use of high level of automation in order to ensure that the degree of efficiency is high under low inventory costs but high cash flow. The operating and cash cycles are however reduced in an effort of improving the conditions for working capital. Honda incorporates the concepts of JIT, Lean manufacturing and Integrated Supply chain in order to improve efficiency in its manufacturing hubs. Outbound logistics Honda employs well established channels of delivery from all of its plans in order to ensure that the waiting period is minimal. The sales and marketing techniques Honda has over the years involved itself in marketing campaigns such as Fill it, Shut it, Forget it that have yielded positive results under the umbrella of efforts dedicated to fuel economy with a low running (owning costs).Honda has consistently focuses on certain aspects and quality of its products to prove that they are reliable and contained the value for the money invested/spent on them. These have made the company to gain new customers as well as retain the old ones. Honda also introduced the customer loyalty programs. Honda also never engages in price wars. The virtual value chain The use of the virtual value chain systems augments all the activities that take place in the Physical Value Chain (PVC) system. This aids in the free flow of information within the organizations value chain. Honda implements an SAP ERP program that has several necessary modules such as materials, production, sales, assets, materials, marketing and distribution in order to allow for the faster processing and access of information from a single point. This aids in the minimization of cases of efforts duplication in various departments. This also aids in the real-time connection to all the vendors at any given time. The seamless flow of information on products, components and processes in places located far away from each other makes the entire process of the motorcycle more integrated and effective. Recommendations Honda should explore unexplored markets in the BRIC (Brazil,Russia,India and China) countries and Africa in order to have a wider market base. More efforts should be dedicated in the building of better relations with business partners as well as governments for the purpose of increasing sales and uninterrupted manufacturing process through the creation of a better and improved business environment. Honda should come up with better systems of protecting its intellectual property and acquiring more IP rights from other sources other than from its RD program. This should be aimed at collecting the best proprietary information in the motorcycle manufacturing and distribution sector. Honda should maintain its lead in the domain of mobility RD for the present and future markets while carefully improving and managing innovation at all of its branches of operations. In an effort to score high in sustainability. Honda should publicly embrace Triple Bottom Reporting in order to showcase its commitment to sustainability. All efforts should be placed on going green and developing energy efficient motorcycles that are safe and affordable.