Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 9

Part II Change Jesus was a good guy, he didn't need this shit. JOHN PRINE Chapter 9 I should have had a plan before I tried to escape from the hotel room, I see that now. At the time, dashing out the door and into the arms of sweet freedom seemed like plan enough. I got as far as the lobby. It is a fine lobby, as grand as any palace, but in the way of freedom, I need more. I noticed before Raziel dragged me back into the elevator, nearly dislocating my shoulder in the process, that there were an inordinate number of old people in the lobby. In fact, compared to my time, there are inordinate numbers of old people everywhere – well, not on TV, but everywhere else. Have you people forgotten how to die? Or have you used up all of the young people on television so there's nothing left but gray hair and wrinkled flesh? In my time, if you had seen forty summers it was time to start thinking about moving on, making room for the youngsters. If you lasted to fifty the mourners would give you dirty looks when they passed, as if you were purposely trying to put them out of business. The Torah says that Moses lived to be 120 years old. I'm guessing that the children of Israel were following him just to see when he would drop. There was probably betting. If I do manage to escape the angel, I'm not going to be able to make my living as a professional mourner, not if you people don't have the courtesy to die. Just as well, I suppose, I'd have to learn all new dirges. I've tried to get the angel to watch MTV so I can learn the vocabulary of your music, but even with the gift of tongues, I'm having trouble learning to speak hip-hop. Why is it that one can busta rhyme or busta move anywhere but you must busta cap in someone's ass? Is â€Å"ho† always feminine, and â€Å"muthafucka† always masculine, while â€Å"bitch† can be either? How many peeps in a posse, how much booty before baby got back, do you have to be all that to get all up in that, and do I need to be dope and phat to be da bomb or can I just be â€Å"stupid†? I'll not be singing over any dead mothers until I understand. The journey. The quest. The search for the Magi. We traveled first to the coast. Neither Joshua nor I had ever seen the sea before, so as we topped a hill near the city of Ptolomais, and the endless aquamarine of the Mediterranean stretched before us, Joshua fell to his knees and gave thanks to his father. â€Å"You can almost see the edge of the world,† Joshua said. I squinted into the dazzling sun, really looking for the edge of the world. â€Å"It looks sort of curved,† I said. â€Å"What?† Joshua scanned the horizon, but evidently he didn't see the curve. â€Å"The edge of the world looks curved. I think it's round.† â€Å"What's round?† â€Å"The world. I think it's round.† â€Å"Of course it's round, like a plate. If you go to the edge you fall off. Every sailor knows that,† Joshua said with great authority. â€Å"Not round like a plate, round like a ball.† â€Å"Don't be silly,† Joshua said. â€Å"If the world was round like a ball then we would slide off of it.† â€Å"Not if it's sticky,† I said. Joshua lifted his foot and looked at the bottom of his sandal, then at me, then at the ground. â€Å"Sticky?† I looked at the bottom of my own shoe, hoping to perhaps see strands of stickiness there, like melted cheese tethering me to the ground. When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument. â€Å"Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean the world is not sticky.† Joshua rolled his eyes. â€Å"Let's go swimming.† He took off down the hill. â€Å"What about the God?† I asked. â€Å"You can't see him.† Joshua stopped halfway down the hill and held his arms out to the shining, aquamarine sea. â€Å"You can't?† â€Å"That's a crappy argument, Josh.† I followed him down the hill, shouting as I went. â€Å"If you're not going to try, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. So, what if stickiness is like God? You know, how He abandons our people and leads them into slavery whenever we stop believing in Him. Stickiness could be like that. You could float off into the sky any time now because you don't believe in stickiness.† â€Å"It's good that you have something to believe in, Biff. I'm going in the water.† He ran down the beach, shedding his clothes as he went, then dove into the surf, naked. Later, after we'd both swallowed enough salt water to make us sick, we headed up the coast to the city of Ptolemais. â€Å"I didn't think it would be so salty,† Joshua said. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, â€Å"you'd never know it by looking at it.† â€Å"Are you still angry about your round-earth-stickiness theory?† â€Å"I don't expect you to understand,† I said, sounding very mature, I thought. â€Å"You being a virgin and all.† Joshua stopped and grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to wheel around and face him. â€Å"The night you spent with Maggie I spent praying to my father to take away the thoughts of you two. He didn't answer me. It was like trying to sleep on a bed of thorns. Since we left I was beginning to forget, or at least leave it behind, but you keep throwing it in my face.† â€Å"You're right,† I said. â€Å"I forgot how sensitive you virgins can be.† Then, once again, and not for the last time, the Prince of Peace coldcocked me. A bony, stonecutter's fist just over my right eye. He hit harder than I remembered. I remember white seabirds in the sky above me, and just a wisp of clouds across the sky. I remember the frothy surf sloshing over my face, leaving sand in my ears. I remember thinking that I should get up and smite Josh upside the head. I remember thinking then that if I got up, Josh might hit me again, so I lay there for a moment, just thinking. â€Å"So, what do you want?† I said, finally, from my wet and sandy supinity. He stood over me with his fists balled. â€Å"If you're going to keep bringing it up, you have to tell me the details.† â€Å"I can do that.† â€Å"And don't leave anything out.† â€Å"Nothing?† â€Å"I've got to know if I'm going to understand sin.† â€Å"Okay, can I get up? My ears are filling with sand.† He helped me to my feet and as we entered the seaside city of Ptolomais, I taught Josh about sex. Down narrow stone streets between high stone walls. â€Å"Well, most of what we learned from the rabbis was not exactly accurate.† Past men sitting outside their houses, mending their nets. Children selling cups of pomegranate juice, women hanging strings of fish from window to window to dry. â€Å"For instance, you know that part right after Lot's wife gets turned to stone and then his daughters get drunk and fornicate with him?† â€Å"Right, after Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed.† â€Å"Well, that's not as bad as it sounds,† I said. We passed Phoenician women who sang as they pounded dried fish into meal. We passed evaporation pools where children scraped the encrusted salt from the rocks and put it into bags. â€Å"But fornication is a sin, and fornication with your daughters, well, that's a, I don't know, that's a double-dog sin.† â€Å"Yeah, but if you put that aside for a second, and you just focus on the two young girls aspect of it, it's not nearly as bad as it sounds initially.† â€Å"Oh.† We passed merchants selling fruit and bread and oil, spices and incense, calling out claims of quality and magic in their wares. There was a lot of magic for sale in those days. â€Å"And the Song of Solomon, that's a lot closer, and you can sort of understand Solomon having a thousand wives. In fact, with you being the Son of God and all, I don't think you'd have any problem getting that many girls. I mean, after you figure out what you're doing.† â€Å"And a lot of girls is a good thing?† â€Å"You're a ninny, aren't you?† â€Å"I thought you'd be more specific. What does Maggie have to do with Lot and Solomon?† â€Å"I can't tell you about me and Maggie, Josh. I just can't.† We were passing a lick of prostitutes gathered outside the door of an inn. Their faces were painted, their skirts slit up the side to show their legs glistening with oil, and they called to us in foreign languages and made tiny dances with their hands as we passed. â€Å"What the hell are they saying?† I asked Joshua. He was better with languages. I think they were speaking Greek. â€Å"They said something about how they like Hebrew boys because we can feel a woman's tongue better without our foreskins.† He looked at me as if I might confirm or deny this. â€Å"How much money do we have?† I asked. The inn rented rooms, stalls, and space under the eave to sleep. We rented two adjacent stalls, which was a bit of a luxury for us, but an important one for Joshua's education. After all, weren't we on this journey so he could learn to take his rightful place as the Messiah? â€Å"I'm not sure if I should watch,† Joshua said. â€Å"Remember David was running over the roofs and happened onto Bathsheba in her bath. That set a whole chain of sin in motion.† â€Å"But listening won't be a problem.† â€Å"I don't think it's the same thing.† â€Å"Are you sure that you don't want to try this yourself, Josh? I mean, the angel was never clear about your being with a woman.† To be honest, I was a little frightened myself. My experience with Maggie hardly qualified me to be with a harlot. â€Å"No, you go ahead. Just describe what's happening and what you're feeling. I have to understand sin.† â€Å"Okay, if you insist.† â€Å"Thank you for doing this for me, Biff.† â€Å"Not just for you, Josh, for our people.† So that's how we ended up with the two stalls. Josh would be in one while I, along with the harlot of my choice, instructed him from the other in the fine art of fornication. Back out at the front of the inn I shopped for my teaching assistant. It was an eight-harlot inn, if that's how you measure an inn. (I understand that now they measure inns in stars. We are in a four-star inn right now. I don't know what the conversion from harlots to stars is.) Anyway, there were eight harlots outside the inn that day. They ranged in age from only a few years older than us to older than our mothers. And they ran the gamut of shapes and sizes, having in common only that they were all highly painted and well oiled. â€Å"They're all so†¦so nasty-looking.† â€Å"They're harlots, Biff. They're supposed to be nasty-looking. Pick one.† â€Å"Let's go look at some different harlots.† We had been standing a few doors down from the harlots, but they knew we were watching. I walked over and stopped close to a particularly tall harlot and said, â€Å"Excuse me, do you know where we might find a different selection of harlots? No offense, it's just that my friend and I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And she pulled open her blouse, exposing full breasts that were glistening with oil and flecks of mica, and she threw her skirt aside and stepped up so a long leg slid behind me and I could feel the rough hair between her legs grinding against my hip and her rouged nipples brushed my cheek and in that instant profound wood did from my person protrude. â€Å"This one will be fine, Josh.† The other harlots let loose with an exaltation of ululation as we led my harlot away. (You know ululation as the sound an ambulance makes. That I get an erection every time one passes the hotel would seem morbid if you didn't know this story of how Biff Hires a Harlot.) The harlot's name was Set. She was a head and a half taller than me, with skin the color of a ripe date, wide brown eyes flecked with gold, and hair so black that it reflected blue in the dim light of the stable. She was the perfect harlot design, wide where a harlot should be wide, narrow where a harlot should be narrow, delicate of ankle and neck, sturdy of conscience, intrepid and single-minded of goal once she was paid. She was an Egyptian, but she had learned Greek and a little Latin to help lubricate the discourse of her trade. Our situation required more creativity than she seemed accustomed to, but after a heavy sigh she mumbled something about â€Å"if you fuck a Hebrew, make room in the bed for his guilt,â €  then pulled me into my stall and closed the gate. (Yes, the stalls were used for animals. There was a donkey in the stall opposite Josh's.) â€Å"So what's she doing?† Josh asked. â€Å"She's taking off my clothes.† â€Å"What now.† â€Å"She's taking off her clothes. Oh jeez. Ouch.† â€Å"What? Are you fornicating?† â€Å"No. She's rubbing her whole body over mine, sort of lightly. When I try to move she smacks me in the face.† â€Å"How does it feel?† â€Å"How do you think? It feels like someone smacking you, you twit.† â€Å"I mean how does her body feel? Do you feel sinful? Is it like Satan rubbing against you? Does it burn like fire?† â€Å"Yeah, you got it. That pretty much has it.† â€Å"You're lying.† â€Å"Oh wow.† Then Josh said something in Greek that I didn't catch all of and the harlot answered, sort of. â€Å"What did she say?† Josh asked. â€Å"I don't know, you know my Greek is bad.† â€Å"Mine isn't, I couldn't understand what she said.† â€Å"Her mouth is full.† Set raised up. â€Å"Not full,† she said in Greek. â€Å"Hey, I understood that!† â€Å"She has you in her mouth?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"That's heinous.† â€Å"It doesn't feel heinous.† â€Å"It doesn't?† â€Å"No, Josh, I gotta tell you, this really is – oh my God!† â€Å"What? What's happening?† â€Å"She's getting dressed.† â€Å"Are you done sinning? That's it?† The harlot said something in Greek that I didn't understand. â€Å"What did she say?† I asked. â€Å"She said that for the amount of money we gave her, you're finished.† â€Å"Do you think you understand fornication now?† â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"Well then, give her some more money, Joshua. We're going to stay here until you learn what you need to know.† â€Å"You're a good friend to suffer this for me.† â€Å"Don't mention it.† â€Å"No, really,† Joshua said. â€Å"Greater love hath no man, than he lay down for his friend.† â€Å"That's a good one, Josh. You should remember that one for later.† The harlot then spoke at length. â€Å"You want to know what this is like for me, kid? This is like a job. Which means that if you want it done, you need to pay for it. That's what it's like.† (Joshua would translate for me later.) â€Å"What'd she say?† I asked. â€Å"She wants the wages of sin.† â€Å"Which are?† â€Å"In this case, three shekels.† â€Å"That's a bargain. Pay her.† Much as I tried – and I did try – I didn't seem able to convey to Joshua what it was he wanted to know. I went through a half-dozen more harlots and a large portion of our traveling money over the next week, but he still didn't understand. I suggested that perhaps this was one of the things that the magician Balthasar was supposed to teach Joshua. Truth be told, I'd developed a burning sensation when I peed and I was ready for a break from tutoring my friend in the fine art of sinning. It's a week or less by sea if we go to Selucia, then it's less than a day's walk inland to Antioch,† Joshua said, after he had been talking to some sailors who were drinking at the inn. â€Å"Overland it's two to three weeks.† â€Å"By sea, then,† I said. Pretty brave, I thought, considering I'd never set foot in a boat in my life. We found a wide-beamed, raised-stern Roman cargo ship bound for Tarsus that would stop at all the ports along the way, including Selucia. The ship's master was a wiry, hatchet-faced Phoenician named Titus Inventius, who claimed to have gone to sea when he was four and sailed to the edge of the world twice before his balls dropped, although what one had to do with the other I never figured out. â€Å"What can you do? What's your trade?† Titus asked, from under a great straw hat he wore while watching the slaves load jars of wine and oil onto the ship. His eyes were black beads set back in caves of wrinkles formed by a lifetime of squinting into the sun. â€Å"Well, I'm a stonemason and he's the Son of God.† I grinned. I thought that would give us more diversity than just saying we were two stonemasons. Titus pushed the straw hat back on his head and looked Joshua up and down. â€Å"Son of God, huh? How's that pay?† Joshua scowled at me. â€Å"I know stone work and carpentry, and we both have strong backs.† â€Å"There's not a lot of call for stone work aboard a ship. Have you been to sea before?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"No,† Joshua said. â€Å"He was sick that day,† I said. â€Å"I've been to sea.† Titus laughed. â€Å"Fine, you go help get those jars on board. I'm taking a load of pigs as far as Sidon, you two keep them calm and keep them alive in the heat and by that time maybe you'll be something of use to me. But it costs you as well.† â€Å"How much?† Joshua asked. â€Å"How much do you have?† â€Å"Five shekels,† I said. â€Å"Twenty shekels,† Joshua said. I elbowed the Messiah in the ribs hard enough to bend him over. â€Å"Ten shekels,† I said. â€Å"Five each, I meant before when I said five.† I felt as if I was negotiating with myself, and not doing that well. â€Å"Then ten shekels plus any work I can find for you. But if you puke on my ship, you're over the side, you hear me? Ten shekels or not.† â€Å"Absolutely,† I said, pulling Joshua down the dock to where the slaves were loading jars. When we were out of earshot of Captain Titus, Joshua said, â€Å"You have to tell him that we're Jews, we can't tend pigs.† I grabbed one of the huge wine jars by the ears and started to drag it toward the ship. â€Å"It's okay, they're Roman pigs. They don't care.† â€Å"Oh, all right,† Joshua said, latching onto a jar of his own and hoisting it onto his back. Then it hit him and he set the jar down again. â€Å"Hey, wait, that's not right.† The next morning we sailed with the tide. Joshua, me, a crew of thirty, Titus, and fifty allegedly Roman pigs. Until we cast off from the dock – Josh and I manning one of the long oars – and we were well out of the harbor; until we had shipped the oars and the great square sail was ballooned over the deck like the belly of a gluttonous genie; until Joshua and I climbed to the rear of the ship where Titus stood on the raised deck manning one of the two long steering oars and I looked back toward land, and could see not a city but a speck on the horizon; until then, I had no idea that I had a deep-seated fear of sailing. â€Å"We are way too far away from land,† I said. â€Å"Way too far. You really need to steer closer to the land, Titus.† I pointed to land, in case Titus was unsure as to which way he should go. It makes sense, don't you think? I mean, I grew up in an arid country, inland, where even the rivers are little more than damp ditches. My people come from the desert. The one time we actually had to cross a sea, we walked. Sailing seemed, well, unnatural. â€Å"If the Lord had meant us to sail we would have been born with, uh, masts,† I said. â€Å"That's the dumbest thing you've ever said,† said Joshua. â€Å"Can you swim?† asked Titus. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Yes he can,† Joshua said. Titus grabbed me by the back of the neck and threw me over the stern of the ship.

Combination Therapy in Heart Failure

The ability of the heart to pump blood Is impaired and It can no longer meet the bodys metabolic requirements Table 1 . New York Heart Association Classiflcation of Heart Failure. Remme W], Swedberg K. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure. European Heart Journal. [Online] 2001; 22(17): 1527-1 560. during the rest or exercisel. By treating HF we try to relieve patients symptoms, Improve their quality of life, prevent hospitalization and most importantly prolong their life. The treatment Includes Improved diet (reduced salt intake), physical activity and pharmacological treatment.There are numerous angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs), vasodilators, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors Ramipril) and beta-blockers (Carvedilol). We will have a look at the last two classes. They have been PATHOPHYSIOLOGY The previous hemodynamic model was not adequate and was therefore replaced by neurohormonal model, which involves Reninangiotensin-aldosterone-sys tem sympathetic nervous system 1 , (RAAS) 3 is summarized in Figure 1. The activation of RAAS leads to vasoconstriction, oedema and myocardial fibrosis, which are induced by Angiotensin Ill . roven to be very efficient in HF by numerous clinical studies2-4. SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS HF involves many symptoms such as dyspnoea fatigue, and ankle oedema. l The signs of HF are achycardia (>100 beats per minute), tachyarrhythmia, tachypnoea, distended Jugular murmur and S3 and S4 heart sounds. The Figure 1 . pathophysiology of heart failure and different levels of therapeutic intervention. Taken from: Perrenoud J]. Heart failure (Part 1). European Geriatric Medicine. [Online] 2011; 2(3): 159-171. ccurrence of these symptoms and signs depends on One of the earliest neurohormonal changes in HF is the severity of heart failure and whether it is caused sympathetic activation and it has a primary role in vein, peripheral oedema, hepatomegaly, heart by systolic dysfunction or diastolic dysfunction . isease progression. Left ventricular remodeling, cell death and changes in gene expression are believed to be the main mechanisms that induce ejection fraction8-11. Because it is very potent, small myocardial doses of the tablet should be taken at the start of damage nervous stimulation 10. treatment (3. 125mg) twice daily.The dose is Heart failure can be categorized in predominantly gradually increased up to maximum of 50mg twice systolic dysfunction where the emptying of the left daily8. ventricle is not optimal and predominantly diastolic dysfunction where the filling of the left ventricle is Molecular targets ot optimall -6. As mentioned above, its major molecular targets are membrane receptors (?l, ?2 and 01). It acts on ion TREATMENT channels (Ca2+ and K+) as well. Carvedilol inhibits As mentioned above, the disease can be treated cardiac voltage-dependent potassium IKr channels using several different drug classes4.Multidrug with high potency, voltage-dependent calcium therap y is widely used in patients with heart failure. channels as well as Ca2+-permeable transient receptor potential (TRP) family channels in Failure Zealand cardiomyocytes and in vascular smooth muscle Carvedilol Trial) have been conducted to test the ells. Furthermore, a study conducted by (Kikuta et benefits of different combinations of drugs. It was al. , 2006) suggests that the drug blocks ATP- proven that these therapies significantly reduce the sensitive (KATP) and G-protein-activated (KG) risk of mortality and improve the symptoms. otassium However, hyperinsulinemia and hypoglycemia. It is believed implementing multi drug therapy. ACE inhibitors that the KG channel is opened by G protein in can cause hypotension, cough, and worsen the renal response to stimulation of G-protein-coupled function. Cough can cause patient noncompliance, uscarinic acetylcholine receptors in atria and sino- which in turn may result in the need of different drug therapy. Beta-blockers can cause bradyca rdia, channel would result in anti-cholinergic effects in hypotension, fatigue and fluid retention.Also, in the heartl 2. Study patients there with Australian-New are risks diabetes, associated beta-blockers channels. This results in could Pharmacodynamics Carvedilol is a racemic mixture of R and S Carvedilol enantiomers. Both enantiomers show al receptor Carvedilol is a non-selective beta-blocker (?l and inhibition. However, only S enantiomer inhibits ? ?2) has drenoreceptors. It competitively blocks both ?l and vasodilatation and antioxidant effects. Previously it ?2 receptors. The drug reduces high blood pressure be mainly due to the al and ? blockage.The inhibition contraindicated in HF as it has negative ionotropic of al receptor lowers total peripheral vascular effect. However, studies have shown that carvedilol resistance. Hence, it reduces afterload and balances in combination with ACE inhibitors improves the negative ionotropic effect the ? inhibition. As a function of the heart, especially left ventricular result, the stroke volume and cardiac output are al-blocker. elieved that Furthermore, carvedilol it should maintained or even increased. The systemic arterial The effects of carvedilol are summarized in figure pressure is lowered without reducing the renal 3. lood flow13-14. The antioxidant effects carvedilol and some of its metabolites are due to the presence of carbazole moiety (shown in Figure 2). In myocardial cell membrane carvedilol inhibits lipid peroxidation. Moreover, endothelial, vascular and neuronal smooth muscle cells from reactive oxygen species. Metabolite SB209995 is much more potent antioxidant than carvedilol itself. Animal studies have shown (Feuerstein et l. , 1998) heart failure imbalances the production of reactive oxygen species and the oxidant defense mechanism. The consequence is an excess of free radicals.This may result in cytotoxic effects as well as cardiovascular remodelingl 3. Figure 3. Molecular targets, pharmacodyn amics and clinical implications of carvedilol. Cheng J, Kamiya K, Kodama l. Carvedilol: Molecular and Cellular Basis for its Multifaceted Therapeutic Potential. cardiovascular Drug Revvtevs. coniine] 2006; 19(2): 152-71. Therapeutic efficacy Many different controlled clinical studies were made in order to determine the efficacy of carvedilol. The most known are COPERNICUS, CAPRICORN and USCHFS. They have all shown significant reduction in morbidity and mortality in comparison placebol 5-16.COMET investigating the difference between carvedilol and metoprolol efficacy. The study showed that the allcause mortality was lower with carvedilol (34%) Figure 2. Chemical structure of carvedilol (with postulated active sites) and its active metabolites. * denotes the point of assymetry. Taken from: Cheng J, Kamiya K, Kodama l. Carvedilol: Molecular and Cellular Basis for its Multifaceted Therapeutic Potential. cardiovascular Drug Rewtevs. coniine] 2006; 19(2): 152-71. Carvedilol aids lipid met abolism as it prevents the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL).It is known that LDL has destructive effects endothelial cells. Carvedilol also inhibits the Renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Hence, the production of Angiotensin II is lowered. Furthermore, studies on cardiac rat myocytes showed that carvedilol enhances the production of nitrite. It is therefore believed that it can increase the NO synthesis through some adrenoreceptor independent mechanism. However, the role of excessive amounts of NO in the diseased heart remains unclear 13-14. than with metoprolol (40%) as shown in figure 417. Figure 4.All-cause Mortality between Carvedilol and Metoprolol. Poole-Wilson PA, Swedberg K, Cleland JGF et al. Comparison of carvedilol and metoprolol on clinical outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure in the Carvedilol or Metoprolol European Trial (COMET): randomized controlled tnal.

Significance of Reverse Logistics

To the corporate world, it is all about making a profit. To the corporate world, efficiency is a means to achieving that profit. To the corporate world, one can not achieve profit with logistics. To modern researchers, the corporate world has just truly begun to turn its eyes towards reverse logistics. To us business students today, without reverse logistics there can be only limited profit. Within the scope of this analysis we shall be examining the significance of reverse logistics.To comprehend the importance of this study we must first ensure that the reader understands that reverse logistics is an acutely fascinating yet highly misunderstood concept which differs from company to company. Reverse logistics is a manner of reversing the supply chain. In this analytical reversal lies a world of opportunities to businesses. In a manner of speaking, reverse logistics is a highly analytical procedure which calls for the usage of statistical tools and highly trained managers and financi al accountants to understand how to place products back into a supply chain in order to achieve profits.Part of this definition means that businesses should be aware of which products they can expect to see as ‘returned items’. These items should be anticipated to be sold to another supplier to be turned into scraps for another project. Also customization needs to occur to increase the positive user experience; including warranty programs as well to increase the satisfaction level of customers. Businesses highly dislike having items returned to their inventory. Items returned that fail to sell are regarded as a loss in profits and revenue.For companies seeking to understand why such rates of returns occur they must turn to reverse logistics, as a seemingly modern tool, used towards understanding why this occurs to begin with. For businesses it is vital that they analyze, among other information, why such items are returned, how to alleviate this revenue loss, what techn iques or selling tools can be used to prevent this from occurring, and perhaps how to protect the entire company should this occur in various divisions within the company. In analyzing why this occurs we must turn to reverse logistics management.This management solution takes crucial time and effort to look at how to manage the entire returns process. By managing this process, companies can increase the recovery of net assets and revenue goals. As the introduction paragraph points out it is all about ensuring that the profit margin and supply chain is being fulfilled. At this time we shall examine how textile and apparel industries are adversely affected by returned items. When examining the online marketplaces, researchers have determined that typically garments are in danger of being returned by consumers who purchased them online.Purchasing decisions are driven by a consumer’s feelings about themselves and their bodies or physical image of themselves. For instance, when a woman is seeking to purchase clothing which is dependent on a fashionable image they expect the color, feel, fit, image, and expectations to match what they thought they ‘saw’ on the internet. As you can not ‘feel’ or ‘wear’ the garment when purchasing online, you are making the decision to purchase based upon other factors. These factors include color and style.Because consumers are attempting to make an effective choice on what to purchase they are often disappointed by what actually arrives in the mail. As a process hierarchy situation businesses are finding it pertinent to have marketing and sales staff which are willing to communicate with the supplier chain about how to survey consumers and generate more purchasing power in the online stores. Engineering teams are being used to modify the online appearance to appeal to more consumers (Hammond, website).The article, â€Å"In the Virtual Dressing Room Returns are a Real Problem† by J an Hammond and Kristin Kohler, it is emphasized that â€Å"†¦high return rate of apparel products purchased online†¦mirrors the rate of catalog apparel purchases†¦returns for apparel bought from catalogs ranged from 12 to 35 percent.. † This return rate process is a serious concern of companies marketing apparel online and in catalogs. On the other hand, the article shows that decisions to buy generic goods like books, music, electronic, etc..are less reflecting a return rate because less emotional factors tie in to the consumer’s decision to purchase those items. This article indicates that accuracy of color plays a crucial role in decision making of consumers on the web. Surveys conducted, including one by InfoTrends Research Group, indicated that 88% of consumers will shop at online stores which guarantee that their products reflect â€Å"true and accurate† color standards and schematics. Because of feelings of insecurity about acquiring the it ems which meets their color standards and expectations, consumers are less prone to make the initial decision to purchase.Because of this ‘risk’ of purchasing an item â€Å"unseen†, â€Å"untouched† , and â€Å"unworn†, consumers surveyed have become interested in companies which use the new initiatives to improve the color on their websites. For example, detail and color would be greatly improved with companies using zoom technology such as HP Open Pix and Live Picture (Hammond, website). Other companies are seeing products such as BodyMetrics LTD, which can ‘on-line visualize’ body dimensions on a mannequin to see how the item would fit the consumer’s body composition.These tactics are all methods of reverse logistics management, because they improve the online visibility of items which can increase the purchasing of consumers while decreasing the rate of return behavior that companies experience. In addition, as companies are seeking to place their products in online supply markets they can provide those supplier companies with an up-selling tool which aids in their own sales protection. For instance, let us closely examine IKEA’s effective operation management. IKEA, a furniture retailer, has invoked in its company a strong usage of operations management.Operations management is a means towards which a company organizes its hierarchy, sales structure, approach to service, strategic operations, systematic direction of the company, and finally the control of internal and external processes which turn inputs into completed goods and services. IKEA’s experience in operations management is highly organized and analyzed by reverse logistics management. In understanding IKEA’s operations management style we must first recognize that IKEA believes in a self-service concept.This means that IKEA believes that customers service their own needs by picking up their furniture themselves from the warehouse. IDEA’s furniture is built with high quality in mind and displays a wide variety of choice for the every day consumer. Showrooms have been explicitly designed to reflect various rooms and items related to the household goods. Because the ordering and picking up of items is performed by the customer, there is no chance that the consumer be unaware of what they are purchasing. Catalogues and notices are placed around the store explicitly showing the illustrations, dimensions, and availability of color of the goods.These room settings also allow customers to make educated decisions and comparisons about items without being infringed upon by sales personnel hoping to make a sale. As part of the reverse logistic management, this customization of user experience allows for the customer to examine and make decisions while not being under sales pressures (Slack 14-15). As the customer knows exactly where in the store they are purchasing the items from they have the opportun ity to return to the area for further decision making.This operational strategy is very successful to IKEA because of the piece of mind given to customers. Customers see how smooth the process is from selecting their items, to loading their items in a large loading area explicitly for customers, to non-pestering salespeople, to sufficient variety of quality goods at less expensive prices, to well-designed showplace environments, and to staff which willingly help customers at request. This attitude fosters a good mindset in consumers and presents the every day customer with a pleasant environment.Should consumers seek to return items the customer service is guaranteed to be a pleasant one. For customers this operations management has considered all reverse logistics and countered them with a steady aptitude for impressing the every day customer. This situation is truly a competitive advantage for IKEA over the competition. While reading this case study I was impressed with the idea t hat they have an eatery and a location where parents can drop off their children for daycare services while they shop peacefully.In general, this design contains such attractive features which allows for the operations of the organization to be seen on various levels (Slack 14-16). The case study also relates how the transformation process model works at IKEA. In this concept lies the idea of how the resources are used to â€Å"change the state or condition of something to produce outputs. † The nature of this operational concept is that a company can use its resources to literally transform itself and its resources into goods and services. IKEA has done both.It has used quality items from global companies and its in-store services to create the groundwork for a pleasant customized experience. Customers experience a variety of feelings about the IKEA stores while shopping which has a positive affect upon their decision to make purchases. For instance, the daycare allows paren ts to cope with making the decision to purchase while not have the added responsibility of watching over rampant children. Considered a customer processing strategy, this helps the psychological state of customers.In addition, IKEA stores have allowed for showroom settings and customized ideas to help differentiate one product from another. Non-lingering salespersons also alleviate any pressure of making an immediate decision to purchase versus feeling hounded by expectant salespeople. The nature of this process allows for the consumer to feel that they are making the right decision making the purchase. Like all competitive companies they feel that the inputs to the transformation process needs to be â€Å"error-free, fast, and efficient information processing.† Customers feel that this information is an aid for allowing the consumer to be satisfied that their concerns and questions on how to use or install the items will be handled in a professional and efficient manner (Sla ck 17-23). In general, all these processes from business processes to the customer-supplier relationship and interacting relationships are vital to competitive businesses. Whether it be an online stores or a physical store, it is important to recognize that reverse logistics plays a key role in ensuring a satisfied customer while providing a way to generate revenue.Works Cited: Reverse Logistics Management: Manage Returns Processing Across Multiple Channels. Viewed March 26, 2007. http://www. manh. com/reverse_logistics_management/index. html? g=4&gclid=CNG4kM HsjYsCFQlQWAodVUPdWA In the Virtual Dressing Room Returns Are A Real Problem. Published: April 15, 2002 . Jan Hammond and Kristin Kohler. Viewed March 26, 2007. http://hbswk. hbs. edu/item/2883. html Slack, Nigel, Stuart Chambers, Christine Harland, Alan Harrison, and Robert Johnston. Effective Operations Management. 1998. London, Pitman

Case study in franchising store Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case study in franchising store - Essay Example Franchising is supposed to be the best option for expansion and revenue generation as it offers sustainable growth oriented business models without any cost incurred by the organisation. However, for the franchisee, it is very important to ensure that the brand image of the franchisor is retained and further developed. Such concern often raises conflicts between the two parties. This paper will attempt to analyse issues related to franchising based on the case study of a franchising company. For this purpose, an organisation with franchising business model will be selected and its franchising related issues will be figured out. At first, a brief history of the organisation will be discussed to understand its business franchising model. Next, the issues underlying the franchising operations will be pointed out. For analysis and evaluation purpose, relevant data obtaining method will be discussed. Finally, the paper will conclude with some recommendations based on the analysis of the indentified issues. For this project, the McDonald’s franchising business has been selected for case study. McDonald is a leading fast food retailer in the global fast food retail sector. It is operating in around 117 countries with nearly 32,000 local restaurants (McDonalds-a, 2010). In 1940, Dick and Mac McDonald opened a restaurant called ‘McDonald’s Bar-B-Que’ in California and later in 1948 it was named as McDonald’s. For the last 70 years, the giant food retailer has been operating its fast food business quite successfully (McDonalds-b, 2010). Satisfactory food quality and efficient services of McDonald has made it a brand image in the fast food service sector. For expansion purpose, the company had adapted franchising strategy in 1955 and at present, around 75% of its total restaurants are operated by independent franchisees. Currently,

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PACT Analysis and Prototype Design for an Interactive System - Assignment Example 1. PACT Analysis People Two groups of people are identified as the potential users of the system, the students or individuals living in shared accommodation and the grocery administrative persons. Here the students are at the requesting end and the grocery admin at the receiving end. Students: As per one of the survey result on a professional social networking website (Linked In, 2011), the average age of students at Coventry University was identified to be 28 while Central & Eastern European online directory (Central & Eastern European Directory On-Line, 2007) identifies the individual ages to be ranging from 18 to 50+. These students come from various countries with varied subject of expertise and have diversified level of knowledge on using the computer applications. A shared shopping system would be very beneficial for these groups of people as they can initially club their orders with other room-mates having good knowledge on using computers and later learn the process from them . ... This group of people would be benefited by this type of a system to a great extent. As per Higher Education Statistics (Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2010), the number of non-UK students studying in Coventry University UK contributes to 60.2% of the total students. This implies that there is a high probability that larger number of students will live in shared accommodation and the concept of shared shopping system would be very valuable to them. Grocery Administrative Personnel: This group of people are those who are responsible for receiving the online orders and distributing them among the delivery persons. Though they would have good knowledge on using computers, we cannot expect them to be an expert in understanding any software product. Hence the system should be implemented in very user friendly environment such that it can be used by any person with just basic knowledge on using a computer. Activities: Currently, students living in shared accommodation either buy their grocery individually or together as a group and then share the bill by either visiting a nearby grocery store or ordering online. However due to the complexity involved in calculating the exact amount for each student from the total bill and collecting the individual cost, students look for different means to identify each individual’s contribution to the total cost of the grocery items. Physical Means: Students plan ahead the different grocery items required for the week and share the items among each other. On weekends, they go in groups or individually to a super market and purchase their list of items. In some cases, along with the items, the students also plan on who has to go for shopping for

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Social media and prisoners assignment - Essay Example This is because, allowing the prisoners to access and use social media is placing the victims and the families of those affected by the crimes at the mercy of the prisoners, for perpetual threatening, insults and further torment. Whenever the victims and the families of the victims encounter the faces of the prisoners who offended them on the internet calling for friendship and love, it is a horrifying reminder of the ordeals they suffered on the hands of the offenders. Additionally, allowing the prisoners to access and use social media, presents them with an opportunity to seek for their victims and their families online, and continue to torment or threaten them through inappropriate messages (Allisa, 73). For these reasons, those opposed to the prisoners accessing and using social media platforms to access the outside world, holds the opinion that it is only fair to hinder, and illegalize any access of social media by prisoners. Secondly, the critics and those contesting social media access and use by prisoners, hold that such action amounts to opening further avenues for the criminals to continue perpetrating crimes, since by allowing the prisoners to use social media platforms, they can engage in plans to escape from jail, or even organize for the supply of contraband goods into the prisons, or worse still, coordinate further criminal activities through communicating with their partners in the outside world (Jonsson, 1). For example, in May 2000, an inmate from a New York prison who had been sentenced for fraud was found to have masterminded a stock-picking internet fraudulent scheme (Allisa, 74). Further, a case of David Puckett, an in inmate from Texas who befriended and cajoled a Face book friend who eventually assisted him to escape from prison, serves to strengthen the case for those opposed to the access and use of social media by prisoners (Jonsson, 2). Nevertheless, the discussion holds that prisoners should be allowed the access and

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Death Penalty Debate - Essay Example The main argument in favor of death penalty is the possibility of an innocent person being mistakenly executed. Given the long and rigorous justice process that precedes the conviction of a person beyond a shadow of doubt, the risk of such an incidence is extremely low. There are also arguments that a criminal can still reform and atone. Opponents of death penalty argue that society should not give up on wrongdoers altogether. In my opinion, it is the victim's near and dear ones who can give a fitting answer to this question. I am sure that the parents whose daughter has been raped and killed in cold blood will not forgive the criminal. It is the society's responsibility that they should get justice. Capital punishment is a reflection of the public belief that some crimes so grievously offend humanity as to merit a death punishment (Sharp, 2000). Perhaps this is why it still finds support in many of the world's nations (Wikipedia, 2007 ). It has been proved that convicted criminals freed on parole or probation commit thousands of violent crimes every year, thus endangering the lives and property of many innocents (Sharp, 1997). Therefore, the death penalty saves lives in the long run. It should definitely be given for extreme crimes in order to deliver justice to the victimized as well as to deter future offenders. i) Deterrence - The main advantages of this punishment in this philosophy is that many future crimes either by the

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Human resource management ( HRM in spain) - Essay Example For instance, Anglo-Saxons consider management ability depending on interpersonal skills, while the French consider the most intellectual individuals as the best managers. On the other hand, Germans argue that good management is a function of formal authority (Valle, Martin, and Romero, 2001:249). In this regard therefore, it is evident that organizations all over the world are adopting global practices, but in many cases, they do so in nation-specific ways. Based on the General Motors case study in Spain, this paper seeks to provide a report on the international human resource management in Spain. The report covers the institutional context that influence human resource practices in that country, essentially focusing on the laws, employer organizations, trade unions, training an education system, and other relevant issues (Ferner, Quintanilla, and Varul, M.Z. 2001:116). Moreover, the report covers the current human resource management trend in the country based on relevant case stud ies. Overview of Spain Based on Hofstede analysis, Spain ranks high in uncertainty avoidance and low in masculinity score. This results from the Spaniards feelings concerning career security, rules, and regulation. The Spanish history in relation to human resource management traces back to the second half of the twentieth century. It is not after the death of General Franco and the subsequent collapse of his regime did the economy of Spain come into focus. The Spaniards looked upon their leader to lead then to democracy and the European Union. In those times, only a fraction of the labor market had employment. According to statistics, the levels of unemployment reached record highs in 1965, skyrocketing to about 38.5% (Perllow and Weeks, 2002:347). In the 80’s however, the levels reduced by about 5% to stand at 33.5%. Comparing these levels to other European states, Spain had the lowest level of employed women, accounting for only 18% of the entire women population in the cou ntry. Italy had an average of 25% and between 30% and 40% in northern Europe. PESTLE Analysis of Spain Political Spain adapts a kingdom type of state. The country has a constitutional monarchy primarily based on parliament democracy. Moreover, power is highly decentralized, with autonomous communities having a high legislative level. Furthermore, the country enjoys a fiscal and executive autonomy. After the restoration of political democracy in 1975 following the death of General Franco, the country has generally displayed stable leadership and democracy (Combs and Luthans, 2007:111). Economical The Spanish economy was already recording significant recovery by 2004 from the financial crisis, recording a 2.4% growth. This was 2% higher than the previous year and 7% higher than the recorded levels in 2002. According to statistics, the highest unemployment record in recent times was that of 2000, but dropped to about 10.8% in 2004. Additionally, overall employment rate grew by 1.6%, wi th unemployment levels dropping by 3.5%. Spain seeks to promote employment in line with the European Union Directives. Nonetheless, the European Union directive merely present a framework for guiding human resource practices, but does not offer maximum protection to the equality and rights of employees in the work place (Lam, Chen and Schaubroeck, 2002:907). The local legislation that currently exist act as the

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ISRAEL- PALESTINE CONFLICTS - Research Paper Example Apparently various researches and reports have shown that the most affected region is the Gaza strip where; lots of lives have been lost; properties as well as other social amenities have been affected (Mandell 1985). The occurrence of conflicts between the Palestine tribes has also created a major setback on the efforts of the international community that has been placed to facilitate peace negotiation between the two countries. Conflicts between the Sunnis and the Shiites have created divisions among the Palestine leaders hence diverting their attention from the peace negotiations towards resolving these internal conflicts (Migdalovitz 2010). Various social researchers as well as other concerned International Stakeholders have undertaken studies to find the causes of the Israeli and Palestine conflict. The most obvious factor that has emerged is that the conflicts were triggered by the struggle on who owns Gaza; however, bodies such as the media have failed to provide comprehensive information concerning the causes of conflict between the two nations. That is, there are cases where the media has portrayed Israel as an innocent nation that is making an attempt to save the aggressive Palestine from causing harm to its citizens. This has raised lot of concern from the various stakeholders especially among the Palestine leaders. International Organizations such as the United Nations, World Health Organizations as well as other stakeholder countries have made different efforts to ensure that peace and stability exist between the two nations. However, their efforts have not been successful owing to a number of reasons. The first reason emerges from the inter-ethnic group among the Palestine Tribes; these tribal conflicts have been propagated by the differences emerging the specific inter-ethnic affiliations. That is, certain groups such as the Shiites have experienced tremendous hatred from the Sunnis who

What are the Marketing-Related Problems of Apple Essay

What are the Marketing-Related Problems of Apple - Essay Example Marketing is an important tool because it helps in boosting up the sales of the brand. It also helps to create the brand image in the minds of the consumers. In case of Apple marketing holds a very great importance because it has not only helped in creating the strong brand image of Apple but has contributed immensely to bridge the gap between the customers and the products offered by Apple. Apple has strong marketing practices but it is true that there are some problems associated as well. The first problem is related to the high innovation rate at Apple. Customers expect innovative products from Apple. But the problem that lies in is that the ads made by Apple usually do not provide the relevant information about the new innovations that have taken place. The ads project the product but do not project its essence and history or information. Customers know that the company is providing with fancy and expensive products and are lost in the charm of owning such products. Most of the c ustomers are least concerned about what the product is all about. But there are customers who want to know each and every detail of the product. So this poses a challenge for Apple to come up with a marketing strategy which could satisfy both type of the consumers. It causes a problem because Apple cannot afford to lose any one segment just because of the risky marketing. Another marketing-related problem faced by Apple is again regarding the new products. Customers expect that every marketing campaign will focus on a new product because rate of innovation at Apple is high. For Apple it is very difficult to keep up with the customers’ expectation and come up with innovative products and marketing campaigns at the same time. Failing to do so can tarnish the image of the brand. The third marketing related problem faced by Apple is its undefined target market. As mentioned before, Apple first innovates and then focuses on the target market for its products. In order to so it use s its marketing practices. An inefficient marketing campaign results in a failure and creates a huge problem for the company. Marketing is not a cheap game. It requires lot of resources. Its ads need to target the desired market segment. Marketing practices at Apple are not just related to ads and online advertising. It also includes opening up of retail stores in different parts of the world. Managing this practice is in itself a problem. Apple is critical of its marketing practice because it is afraid that what if the marketed product does not meet the customers’ expectations. This means that the marketing showed a totally different side of the product but in actual the product was different. Apple’s marketing practices creates hype for its products and at times it causes a problem for the company. An example that can be quoted here is of the iPhone. When it was launched, it was heavily promoted, resulting in long customer lines and a spot shortage. iPhone was initia lly very expensive but after the first 8 weeks of its launch, the company decreased the price of iPhone by $200. Loyal customers of Apple were caught short and this damaged the customer loyalty. In order to regain its customers Apple had to apologize publically (HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL 2007) The last and the most important marketing related problem faced by Apple is that of comparative advertising. Apple operates in a highly competitive industry. Since the very beginning Microsoft has been the largest competitor

Trouble in Paradise with Comments Essay Example for Free

Trouble in Paradise with Comments Essay Company joint venture in China is one of the regions shining success stories. So why is generai manager Mike Gravesthinking about pulling the plug on it? ROM Mike Gravess tall windows, which were draped in red veivet, the view of Shanghai was spectacular: the stately old Western-style buildings, the riot of modem skyscrapers, the familiar needle of the TV tower. But today Mike barely noticed it. Clenching a copy of his Chinese partners proposal for another acquisition it would be the companys fourth he paced the floor and replayed in his mind that mornings unsettling phone call. He had called his boss. Bill Windier, at headquarters in Ohio, hoping to get a nice quote to inject into the brief remarks he was to make at that days banquet celebrating the joint ventures tenth anniversary. But as he gave Windier a quick rundown of what he intended to say mostly about the joint ventures progress toward world-class qualityMike could sense his bosss growing frustration. Aboutfiveminutes into the call. Windier cut Mike off in midsentence. saying,Dont throw your shoulder out patting yourself on the back. Windier reminded Mike about the margins he was looking for across all of Heartland Spindles businesses. A 4% ROI is pathetic, Windier said. Weve been in there ten years, Mike. The numbers shouid look better by now. He said he was looking for a 20% ROI, adding that such a number could surely be achieved through greater efficiency and more automation. And in Windlers view, the company had at least 1,200 employees too many. That needs to be fixed, fast, he said. Mike knew his boss wouldnt take no for an answer, but he had also learned that his Chinese partners would never agree to drastic moves such as the layoffs suggested by Windier. It was beginning to look as though the five good years he had spent here as general manager might be destined to come to a pairrful end. Mike couldnt help but HBRs cases, which arefictional,present common managerial dilemmas and offer concrete solutions from experts. A CHANGED WORLD AUGUST 2003 H B R CASE STUDY †¢ T r o u b l e in P a r a d i s e wonder if those harsh v^ords from Ohio were a warning that his contract might not be renewed in six months. Then, to top things off, just as Mike had extricated himself from the phone conversation, this latest acquisition proposal had arrived from deputy general manager Qinlin Li. The top executive on the Chinese side of the joint venture, Qinlin had been with the JV since its inception. As before, there would be almost irresistible pressure to go along with the deal. The Chinese side would make it clear yet again that the delicate partnership depended on Mikes support for continuous expansion and protection of jobs. The timing couldnt have been worse: The last thing Windier would want was more growth initiatives eating into the profits. A knock on the heavy teak door snapped him out of his musings. Feng Chen, Mikes assistant and translator, informed him that his car was waiting. nior executives, Qinllns immediate subordinates, stood up and nodded their greetings. There was a burst of excited applause, and cameras flashed. Qinlin was accompanying three important government officials into the room. They approached Mikes table and politely bickered for several minutes over who should enjoy the most prominent seat at the table, as required by Chinese custom. At last, the eldest and most highly placed official accepted the seat of honor. Qinlin stepped up to the podium, above which hung a huge Chinese knot of red silk, the symbol of cooperation. There was an expectant hush as he tapped the microphone. Ladies and gentlemen Qinlin began,thank you for joining me to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Zhong-Lian Knitting Company Limited. Those who were vwith the company at the beginning remember the hardships we endured and the hard work we put in. Since the establishment of Zhong-Lian as a 50/50 joint venture between Suzhou First Textile Company and our U. S. partner. Heartland Spindle Company, Zhong-Lian has faced many difficulties and obstacles. But we succeeded Mike was listening to the translators words, but he could hear the passion in Qinlins voice. We turned a money-losing company into a money-making company, and we made great headway as a result of support from our government, efforts on the part of both parent companies, and all our managers and employees. Mike hadnt been there during the early days, but he knew the stories. He was the fourth GM sent by Heartland in ten years. His two most recent pre- Enhance Friendly Cooperation As the car pulled up outside the ShangriLa Hotel, Mike forced himself to smile at the red carpet lined with dozens of lavish flower baskets sent by local government officials, business partners, suppliers, customers, and even competitors. A marching band in full uniform stood at the hotel entrance, and above it stretched a bright red banner that said, in Chinese and English: Enhance Friendly Cooperation and Ensure Mutual Growth and Celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of Zhong-Lian Knitting Co. Ltd. Mike exchanged greetings with Qinlin, who had been there for an hour already and was still seeing to last-minute details. In the ballroom, an elegant young woman in a red silk qi-pao, a traditional dress for formal celebrations, escorted Mike to the round table that was front and center. Tvo Chinese se- Katherine Xin is a professor of management and holds the Micheiin Chair in Leadership and Human Resource Management at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai; she is also the editor in chief of HBR China. Vladimir Pucik is a professor ofinternational human resources and strategy at the International Institute for Management Development (lMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. 28 decessors had left before their threeyear assignments were complete, one for family reasons his wife couldnt adapt to China-and the other for a better job offer (allegedly). Mike, a veteran manager with 20 years of international experience, had lived and worked in Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia before Heartland sent him to Shanghai. Mikes toughest challenge at tbe outset was the language barrier. He wouldnt have survived without Feng Chens help. It didnt take long for Mike to learn what cha-bu-duo meant: almost okay. He hated that word! It was baffling to him: Even though his Chinese partners were intelligent and willing to work hard, they werent exactly obsessed with quality. They cut corners and hardly ever followed operating procedures to HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Trouble in Paradise †¢ H B R CASE S T U D Y It didnt make sense to him until months later, when Mike heard someone say, Keeping silent in a group is safer. You wont get in trouble if you dont do anything. But you will get in trouble if you make a mistake. We are experienced under this system, and we know how it works. At any rate, Mike was relieved when the equipment was set up even though it took two years and outside pressure from the provincial Environment Protection Bureau to make it happen. There was another burst of applause. Qinlins voice reverberated through the room. We have acquired three moneylosing state-owned enterprises and managed to earn an annual profit of between 5% and 6%, he said. The number of employees increased from 400 to 2,300 in the past decade. Given the slump of the textile industry in these years, Zhong-Lians achievement is remarkable. In the coming years, we will further enhance the company and maintain our growth momentum. Qinlin paused, and his eyes sparkled. Let me tell you another piece of good news, he said. We are preparing our fourth acquisition, which is expected to raise our production capacity by 40%. The number of our employees will grow to nearly 3gt;5oo. And all this will help us launch our next initiative: building our own national brand. An elegant young woman in a silk qi-pao escorted Mike What little appetite Mike had for the celebration vanished. He had long been to his table. But he was preoccupied by the Chinese executives trying to quash that kind of talk. Heartplans and what they would mean for profitability. land, he knew, would never support launching an apparel brand that would the letter. Buttons often fell off sweat- sewage disposal three months after he eat up resources and limit profits for ers before the garments were even started (he was astonished that his Chi- years. Qinlin knows this well, Mike shipped out of the factory. Cha-bu-duo nese partner hadnt updated it already), thought, so why is he raising expectais why Mike insisted on introducing his counterparts said, Okay, yan-jiu- tions in such a public way? Total Quality Management to Zhong- yan-jiu. Tvo months later, after Mikes Qinlin thanked the vice mayor and Lian and TQM was probably why the repeated prodding, the proposal made the other government officials without jV had been so successful. Mike had also it onto a meeting agenda. But at the whose wise supervision, in his effusive felt a small sense of satisfaction when meeting, the Chinese managers seemed words, the joint venture would not have he taught his Chinese colleagues a new reluctant to discuss the matter, and no made such great progress. The vice term: Six Sigma. one wanted to assume responsibility for mayor rose to speak and returned the Cha-bu-duo wasnt the only expres- solving the problem. When Mike asked compliments, praising Zhong-Lians consion Mike heard all too often. He also managers for feedback individually, tribution to the local economy esquickly got used ioyan-Jiu-yan-Jiu, which they all had ideas, many of them excel- pecially to maintaining employment means Lets review and discuss. When lent. He couldnt imagine why the man- levels and calling the joint venture a he proposed a new system to deal with agers hadnt spoken up at the meeting. flagship among the citys enterprises. A CHANGED WORLD AUGUST 200^1 H B R CASE S T U D Y †¢ Trouble in Paradise When it was Mikes turn, he too voiced the expected praise for the officials it was a ritual whose airy forms and steely seriousness had become almost second nature to him. But throughout his little speech, he felt he was hardly doing more than going through the motions. He was preoccupied by Qinlins plans and what they would mean for profitability. Later, the lazy Susan at each table was filled with eight cold dishes, eight hot dishes, and two showpiece dishes: a whole suckling pig and a whole braised mandarin fish in the shape of a squirrel. Qinlin, as the host of his table, proposed hildrens education at Concordia International School (the best in Shanghai). Life here was easy and comfortable a world away from what it would have been like back in Ohio. But Mikes tension returned when he thought about his meeting the next morning with the people at Hua-Ying, the potential acquisition. He wouldnt be living in Green Villa much longer if he signed off on that deal. Over dinner, Mike told Linda about the conversation with Windier. Dont they understand that the Chinese way of doing business is different from the American way? Linda asked create another one: Many jobs would disappear. The Chinese partners were much more concemed with creating jobs and keeping govemment ofificiaJs happy than with improving quality. They wanted to keep growing into new provinces and buying up unprofitable companies, even if turning them around took years. But expansion would require significant additional resources that Heartland Spindle clearly wasnt ready to commit. And now there would be pressure to create a new company to market a national brand, again a drain on cash. So what do you think youre going to do? Linda asked. Im meeting with executives from Hua-Ying tomorrow morning. Maybe theyll surprise me with an operation that wont take forever to turn aroundthatd be the best case, Mike said. After that, Ill have to talk to Qinlin and the others about Heartlands concerns. But I know how that conversation will play out. Theyll say Heartland is being shortsighted and that the JVs history of turning around money-losing businesses should prove that we just need to be more patient. I wish Bill and the rest back in the States had a better understanding of how things work here. I was skeptical myself at the beginning. Remember when wefirstgot here and 1 was fuming at the business expenses? Seemed like every executive on the payroll was wining and dining some key partner or contact. And Robert OReilly, our controller, came to me shouting that our Chinese partner spent money like water. But, gradually, we both figured out that those expenses were paying off for us. The Chinese ritual of sharing food-nurturing ^i/anx(-is so powerful in making deals that it became one of our hidden assets. Im afraid we wont get those kinds of results if we focus only on cutting costs and laying off workers, as Ohio wants us to do. Life here was easy and comfortable-a world awayfrom what it was like back in Ohio. But Mike knew he wouldnt be here much longer if he signed off on that acquisition deal. a toast. Then he emptied his glass as a sign of his sincerity and joy. Glasses clinked; champagne and Coke bubbled. But Mike had become so attuned to the subtleties of these gatherings that he immediately noticed the response of the officials: Instead of emptying their glasses, they merely took sips. Mike supposed that they must have heard about his opposition, muted though it had been, to the expansion ideas. him sympathetically. Its not all about squeezingthe most out of your workers here. They value stability and long-term employment. Youd think Heartland wouldVe been prepared for this sort of performance. Its not like youre losing money, like so many JVs here do. Just last week on the course, Christie and Maya told me that their husbands businesses hadnt turned a profit yet I know, but that doesnt seem to be good enough any more, Mike said. He recounted Bills suggestions about layoffs and investing in more automated equipment. He knew that he would soon have to broach these subjects with his Chinese partners. Mikes biggest problem was that he could see both sides. Heartland wanted to reposition itself in the U. S. arketselling at discount stores wasnt profitable enough. But to enable Heartland to make the jump to high-end retailers, the joint venture would have to meet much higher standards of quality. Those old dyeing machines, for instance, would have to go; they had cost the company a lot of money over the last few years, not just in shipping and handling charges for returned products but also in terms of the companys reputation. New machines would fix that problem, but theyd Living in Style sitting in the backseat of the company car, Mike felt his tension ease when his driver, Lao Li, turned into his neighborhood. The car slipped by a row of cypresses and passed a perfectly manicured golf course. Designed in European country style, the elegant Green Villa was an ideal residence for expatriates. Mike loved this village its extensive recreational amenities, itsfirst-classservice. At very little cost, for example, Mikes family had hired a live-in domestic helper who happened to be a superior cook. His wife, Linda, played golf three times a week with her friends in the village, and she had recently taken up yoga. The company paid $7,800 a month to rent the familys home; it also paid for a chauffeur, a nanny, and the PowerPoint and Green Tea The chief executive of Hua-Ying, Genfa Wang, sent his own limousine to pick up Mike and Qinlin as a symbol of his HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW 30 Trouble in Paradise †¢ H B R CASE S T U D Y sincerity and hospitality. Genfa and his top managers were waiting at the gate when the car pulled up, and one of the men stepped forward to open the car door. Genfa greeted Mike, Qinlin, and Feng Chen with,My honor! IVlyhonor! It is a great pleasure to have you here with us. Thefirstbuilding they entered looked fairly clean, but the conference room carpet was pocked with cigarette bums. Not exactly a high-class operation, Mike thought. Up on the third floor, there was a disagreeable odor-no flush. He could just imagine the state of the plumbing. And hadnt leaky pipes been responsible for the initial spread of SARS into cities in Hong Kong? He was sure he had read something like that. His unease grew. What other hidden risks were lurking in this facility? There was no way he was going to be able to agree to this acquisition, he thought. But he was pleasantly surprised to see seven cups of Bi Luo Chun tea, one of the best Chinese green teas, on an ele- ant redwood table. And a minute later, Genfa pulled out a laptop and began making his presentation using PowerPoint slides. Mike was shocked. He hadnt expected such sophistication from a company this size, especially a company that seemed to lack modem sanitary facilities. Genfa, sensing Mikes reaction, said proudly,My nephew gave me training on this high-tech stuff. He is a college graduate, a vice GM of our company in charge of technology and engineering. Great, Mike thought with exasperation. There were probably a few relatives on the board, too. But his mood swung back during Genfas 40-nunute presentation as the CEO spoke precisely and clearly about the numbers-it was obvious he was shrewd about the market. Mike was intrigued. At the second building, his earlier impressions were reinforced: The machines in here looked old and shabby. Some workers were busy, but others were idly waiting for a product deliv- ery. Bales of goods were stacked high in one comer, and Mike stumbled over a box as he picked his way through the dim light. When he noticed that the record sheets on the desk and walls were handwritten, his heart sank: So much for high tech. On his way home that night in his own companys car, Mike gazed out the window, trying to figure out what to do next. Should he recommend the acquisition to Bill? Should he propose rejecting the deal and thus probably bring an end to the partnership? The idea of buying out the JV had occurred to him, but it clearly wouldnt work, not with the Chinese partner dreaming of a national brand. When the Audi came to a stop outside Mikes house, he hadnt reached any conclusions. He knew he was going to have another sleepless night at Green Villa. Can Mike keep the joint venture from unraveling? Four commentators offer expert advice. Right now, youre reading about the newest Spend a few weeks with us, and youll be creating Ready to find your edge in the world of business? Executive Education programs at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills Kenan-Flagler Business School provide you witfi skills that quickly translate to your everyday work environment from creative problem-solving to d eveloping globally competitive strategies. The following General Management Programs ate now enrolling: CALL TODAY FOR A GENERAL MANAGEMENT BROCHURE. Executive Development Institute {EDI) Senior Executives Institute (SEI) Global Executives Institute (GEI) PUT YOUR CAREER ON THE FA5T TRACK. Call 1-919-962-1531 or visit www. exed. uncedu/gm today to receive a brochure outlining our open enrollment and custom program offerings. UNC Business. Shaping leaders, driving resulU. UNC KCNANFLAGLER H B R CASE C O M M E N T A R Y †¢ Can Mike Keep the Joint Venture from Unraveling? Mike must reach out to political officials and understand their goals. I cannot overstress how crucial relationships are in China. M I ike Craves needs to do four things, and quickly. First, he needs to develop a clearer vision of Heartland Spindles-and its partners-strategic goals in China, Second, he needs to assemble a much stronger team for the company. Third, he needs to consider alternatives to the traditional 50/50 joint venture. And, finally, he needs to move outside his personal comfort zone as a manager. The lack of a clear, shared strategy is the most glaring problem in this case. Is Heartland chiefly interested in China as a low-cost production baseforU. S, exports? Or is it hoping to win a share ofthe domestic market? If so, which segment is Heartland focusing o n a n d based on what competitive edge? Without a clear strategy, its impossible to choose the right structure for and extent of cooperation with a foreign partner. Conversely, when your intent is clear and reasonable, you can get past a surprising number of obstacles. When Michelin started discussions in Shanghai with Chinas largest tire manufacturer, we were clear that we intended to develop a major center there for the world tire industry and that we would therefore have to bring our best technology. To protect that technology, we would need control ofthe venture, which initially seemed impossible to achieve from a legal standpoint. As it turned out, we got control because the municipality shared the goal and recognized the necessity. Perhaps there once was a clear strategy that has been forgotten overthe course often years and several changes in management. Mike should study the contracts and, more important, have discussions with the original sponsors ofthe deal. If he can learnthe initial intentions, he might find a positive starting point for rebuilding a spirit of cooperation vwith his partner. This brings me to my second point: the importance of mobilizing a team of people to further the JVs strategy. Political officials are going to be a big part ofthat team; they have a stronger influence on economic life in China than Mike might realize. He must reach out to them and understand their goals. It is not a matter of good dinners and dubious expenses left to the Chinese staff. Success will depend on the personal involvement of top executives. I cannot overstress how crucial relationships are in China, Only when individuals know and understand each other can they develop the level of cooperation required for success, Mike should convince his boss to be the one who owns the relationship with a key officiai-the vice mayor, say. Yes, this will add a layer of complexity, but success in China is as much about time as it is about money. This is the most important fact for Mike to impress upon the leadership back at headquarters. Our CEO, Edouard Michelin, is in the habit of coming to China two or three times a year, with a flexible agenda, and that does a great deal to develop and support our operations here. Mike also needs to think creatively about alternatives to the traditional 50/50 joint venture. For instance, if Heartland Spindle is focused on exports and profitability, it might make more sense to have a minority share in the venture. Heartland would bring knowhow to the table and would purchase the export production, leaving the Chinese partner to manage productivity and profit levels. That would protect Heartlands margins and reduce its investment, yielding a higher return on assets. The point is that this situation might require a creative solution, and that brings me to my final concern. Mike needs to move out of his comfort zone and learn to strategize and negotiate in a highly dynamic environment. He should be the one taking the initiative, not reacting in surprise to the ideas and actions of others. Ericjugieris the chairman ofMichelin (China) Investment in Shanghai. 32 HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Can Mike Keep the Joint Venture from Unraveling? †¢ H B R CASE COMMENTARY I ts never easy making joint ventures work, especially when the strategic objectives of the partners diverge. Zhong-Lian Knitting has had a very successful ten years, during which the partners have been able to work out their differences. But this jV may well have outlived its usefulness. land Spindle is focused on short-to mediumterm financial returns and on transforming Zhong-Lian into a high-quality manufacturer. No amount of discussion is going to reconcile their differences. If he concludes that the status quo is not viable, Mike must ask himself a second question: How can he restructure or exit the JV in a way that makes sense for Heartland? To answer, he must take into account any termination or exit clauses in the joint venture agreement He must also determine whether Heartland needs to have an ownership interest in the JV to continue the commercial relationship with it and whether Suzhou is financially able to buyout Heartlands interest in the JV Mike would be well advised to investigate several options in parallel. They could include selling some or all of Heartlands interest to Suzhou. A phased exit in which Heartland reduces its ownership stake overtime could make sense if Heartland wants to minimize disruption in the relationship; it might also make it easier for Suzhou to raise capital (if this is a constraint). AIternatively, Mike could explore the sale of Heartlands interest to a more compatible third party. The partners might also wish to consider an IPO, assuming that Zhong-Lian is sufficiently developed to make this option realistic. An IPO would give Heartland an exit while providing the joint venture access to capital to continue its growth. A third question Mike should be asking is. What is Heartlands overall joint venture strategy, not just in China but also in other markets? Heartland should consider establishing a portfolio of joint venture relationships in China and other low-cost regions. That would allow the company to diversify its sourcing relationships, reducing the risk associated with any one partner. It would also allow Heartland to upgrade its skills in establishing and managing international joint ventures. Perhaps if Mikes boss became involved in negotiating a few international jVs, he would acquire a better appreciation for the challenges involved in managing such relationships. Zhong-Lian is similar to many other joint ventures in that its problems are partly due to its success. I am reminded of the jV created in the early 1980S by Merck and the Swedish pharmaceutical company Astra to help Astra enter the U. S. market. It operated successfully for more than a decade; by the late 1990S, various analysts estimated it to be worth up to $10 billion, largely because of sales of the blockbuster drug Prilosec. But the parties increasingly found that their objectives were incompatible. Merck wanted to continue benefiting from Astras current products and RD pipeline, but Astra needed control over its U. S. operations to pursue its vision of becoming a leading global pharmaceutical company. The partners eventually agreed to restructure the venture so that Dieter Turowski Is a managing director in Mergers Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley in London. Heartland should consider establishing a portfolio of joint ventures. That would reduce the risk associated with any one partner. Astra had control, and Merck would receive payments based on the sales of future products. Zhong-Lian and its Chinese parent, Suzhou First Textile, may be at a similar crossroads. To determine his next step, Mike Craves needs to answer a fundamental question: Have the partnersstrategic interests moved so far apart that the JV no longer makes sense in its currentform? The answer apDears to be yes. Suzhou is focused on expansion within China and on developing a national brand; this strategy will continue to put pressure on the ventures financial performance. Heart- A CHANGED WORLD AUGUST 2003 3 H B R CASE C O M M E N T A R Y †¢ Can Mike Keep the Joint Venture from Unraveling? H eartland Spindle entered the China market at the same time many multinationals did, about a decade ago, seeing the same enormous opportunity. The market was huge and there was undercapacity in many segments and industries, so high margins seemed assured. But that was a shortsighted and static view of the ma rket. As the multinationals rushed in and productivity quickly improved, the immediate result was a dramatic expansion of capacity, and margins deteriorated. In very short order. he companiesexpectations about revenues and profits became obsolete. and products with very strong brands. My first advice to Mike Craves would be to study the industry structure closely and determine whether a 20% return on investment is theoretically possible for Zhong-Lians products. The nextquestion is whetherthis joint venture is in a position to capture the highest margin in its industry. Does it have a unique business model, perhaps, based on some core competence? Maybe it can leverage its channel or its brand back in the United States or in other developed markets. Or perhaps Heartland can make the venture a bigger part of its global strategy, exploiting the regions labor costs and productivity edge to reconfigure its worldwide production strategy. If Mike doesnt discover a unique business model that will generate a 20% ROI, he needs to inform his boss that its time to exit. But if he believes such a return is achievable, he needs to restructure the jV to get there. If Heartland doesntwantto make any more of an investment in the venture, it could bring in a private shareholder or other marketdriven companies to buy the governments shares. Mike also needs to ensure that he is linking compensation packages to performance. Ive observed that employees in China-especially senior managers-respond very,very wellto pay-for-performance plans. Its been my experience that Chinese organizations are quite adaptable to other cultures. The problem here, and perhaps for many companies, is that real assimilation cantoccurunlessthe two partners are working toward the same goals. Zhong-Lian is under the strong influence of the government, and, as a result, it is doing exactly what should be expected: creating jobs and boosting revenue rather than profits. The minute Mike starts to create a market-driven and value-creation-driven connpany-largely by rewarding senior managers for gains in those directions-things will start to change. The joint venture is already one of the success stories on the Chinese business landscape. Ifthe venture is restructured and incentives are aligned with higher performance, it might even meet the expectations Heartland has set for it. Manyforeign executives said that if they were to move into China again, they would do so through a solely owned business, not a joint venture. Heartland also went the usual route of entering China by means of a joint venture. Many multinationals chose this path because of regulation requirements, others because of their unfamiliarity with the Chinese business landscape. Many of them have come to regret that decision. In a McKinsey survey of executives of foreign companies in China three years ago, a great number of respondents said that if they were to move into China again, they would do so through a solely owned business, not a joint venture. The main reason was that the partners often dont share the same vision or philosophy, and the disparity in the viewpoints hampers performance. The survey also found that morethanhalfofthejointventures in China are not working properly. David Xu is a principal In Zhong-Lians case, the problem does not seem to be the cultural difference so much as the difference in the two partners* visions and definitions of success. One question, then, is whether Heartlands high-margin vision is sensible. The textile industry in China is extremely competitive and will be for the foreseeable future because the entry barriers are low. The margins in textiles are therefore typically very low, except for special textiles at management consulting firm McKinsey ; Company in Shanghai. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW Can Mike Keep the joint Venture from Unraveling? †¢ HBR CASE COMMENTARY ment unless it improves the bottom line, wants to improve quality, and sees no benefit to creating a Chinese brand because it views China as a low-cost manufacturing platform rather than a market. In the absence of congruent performance objectives, the joint venture has no underlying strategic logic. Thus the partners immediately need to Lets look atthe Chinese marketfirst. Many revisit both their older and continuing reaforeign companies are finding it tough to sons for staying together. Ifthe partners cangenerate acceptable profits there. Even the not agree on a minimally acceptable ROI or Japanese, historically the biggest investors, that such a goal is a top priority, they should are seeing their lowest returns in China. (And think about exiting the venture. when the Japanese do invest, the size oftheir Finally, Mike is part of the problem. It is subsidiaries tends to be smaller; they dont absolutely stunning that he learned on the employ anywhere near the number of people day ofthe anniversary banquet that his partZhong-Lian Knitting does. ner wanted to make another acquisition. EiChina is also becoming a more expensive place to do business. Betweeni992 and 2001, the consumer price index in the United States increased by 1. 27times; in Shanghai, it went up 2. 21 times. Wage rates in Shanghai more than tripled between 1991 and 2000. Its not surprising that more and more competitive Japanese corporations have begun to pull out of the market-they are a ther the Chin ese partner is out of control or Mike is out of touch. How much time is Mike spending with the partner? Has he grown too comfortable in paradise? Mike needs to be proactive. Rather than simply waiting for his Chinese partner to hand him the names of acquisition candidates, for instance, he could develop specific acquisition criteria with his partner or even M ike Craves needs to start by acknowledging that his boss is correct: A 4% ROI is not enough for most foreign investors after ten years. So where is the problem? Is it in the Chinese market itself? Is it with the partnership agreement? Or is it with Mike? Id argue that all three contribute to this dilemma. Paul W. Beamish is the director ofthe Asian Management Institute at the Richard Ivey School of Business ofthe University of Western Ontario in London, Oritario. One ofthe largest costs in many joint ventures is the expatriate manager package. Perhaps he could save by reducing the number of expats. little further along the exit curve than Bill Windier is. Next,the partnership. In any international joint venture, the partners must share congruent performance measures. That is certainly not the case here. While both partners have an explicitgoalthattheJV be profitable, they differ widely in terms of what constitutes an acceptable financial return. Furthermore, some oftheir nonfinancial goals forthe JV seem to have evolved and have only now become explicit. The Chinese partner is happy with achieving a 5 to 6% profit and % being viewed asa local hero. It wants togrow the scope of the jV and establish a national brand. The U. S. partner wants a 20% ROI, will consider growth only if it improves profitability, has no interest in creating employconduct some investigations himself He should also look for additional ways of improving the JVs profitability. One of the largest costs in many joint ventures in China is the expatriate manager package. He could save money by reducing the number of expats, perhaps by promoting local managers. Lots of smart people are available. Various factors have contributed to the current situation, some of which such as the condition ofthe Chinese market-Mike cannot control. He needs to concentrate on the things he can change: the relationship between the U. S. and Chinese partners and his own managerial behavior.

Impact Of Dei Verbum In Roman Catholic Church Religion Essay

Impact Of Dei Verbum In Roman Catholic Church Religion Essay Throughout the history of Christianity, the church has convened a number of councils in order to clarify teachings, address problems, or enact reforms. In many instances, these councils have resulted in momentous turning point in the course of Christian church history. These councils also attempt to respond to the urgent needs of the emerging generation during this modern era. The general councils began in Nicaea in 325, convened at intervals throughout the first millennium and the medieval period, struggled with the age of reformations to the modern world, with a total of 21 councils convened in the span of more than 1600 years. Unlike other councils before the modern era, the opening of Vatican councils seemed to create new perspectives for the Roman Catholics especially in more specific areas on their beliefs and practices. Vatican II was reopened in 1962 by John XXIII which it stunned many by his actions. Shortly after ordination as the pope in 1949, John XXIII believed the church ought to look at the state of the world in order to meet the impending needs of the people. With that, preparation lasted for almost four years and the entire council stretched across four autumns until the 16 documents were completed. In the process, there are two majors camp of people, one who were called the conservatives disputing the fact that the church needed no change at all and the convening of Vatican II was not necessary. The church is self-sufficient and to avoid that happened during the Enlightenment period, the ideal way is to insulate itself behind a powerful structure that would claim to have all the answers. While others were keen to see a new millennium coming forth through Vatican II and Christians from other denominations such as the Lutherans, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Quake rs were cordially invited. This was a revolutionary move by the Pope John XXII. Although, John XXII did not manage to see through the council, his post-decessor Pope Paul VI continued this council and brought it to completion.  [2]   Among all the various key documents of Vatican II, Dei Verbum (DV) (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation) could be considered one of most well received and a foundational component on Catholics thinking on revelation, exegesis and the use of the bible in the Roman Catholic Church. Hence, to what extent does the DV theological idea applied in the 21st century context? Therefore, it would be attempted to present the impact of DV in the current and local context.  [3]   Looking at the rear mirror of church history, there were tremendous issues surrounding the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) especially during the medieval period. Probably the first threat to the divine revelation came from Marcions denial of the Scripture and the nature of God appeared in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Shortly after this, the Gnostics came into the scene whereby they typically claimed to have secret revelations from Jesus, incorporated new systems of beliefs which are inconsistent with the Church. Consequently, the Catholics became more restrictive in the availability of the scripture to the people. RCC believed that God revealed Himself to the people through Jesus Christ. On the other hand, RCC viewed these divine revelations as being originally transmitted primarily by oral means (Sacred Tradition) and later by written means (Sacred Scripture). These Scared Tradition Scared Scripture were additional to the bible. With this emphasis, the bible is not con sidered to be the exhaustive, comprehensive teaching of the Christian Faith. Rather, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture together are considered the integral source of divine revelation, as explained in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church: Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out of the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing and move towards the same goal. Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ, who promised to remain with his own always, to the close of the age.  [4]   With this notion, RCC tend to weigh more heavily on the catechisms as compared to the bible. For this reason, translation and transmission of the bible was not placed on emphasis. Besides this reason, extensive manpower and efforts required to recopy the text. RCC was fearful that the bible could be stolen and abused by individuals. Hence, the reproduction of this decreased during the middle ages and people generally do not have access to the bible.  [5]  The bible basically played a subordinate role in the lives of the believers. Ecclesiastical authorities restricted people to access scriptures and normally reserved for certain level of bishops.  [6]   With the introduction in DV through Vatican II, Scared Tradition was stated as not being static and unchanging but constantly developing through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to a fuller and deeper understanding of the truth. This ongoing of development does not mean the truth but rather the grasping of the truth by the believers.  [7]  Thus, DV call the RCC to return to the main source which is the bible. Like most of the sixteen documents, Dei Verbum was carefully, even passionately considered, but in many ways the subject of Revelation was exceptional, being fundamental to Vatican II in several respects.  [8]  Joseph Ratzinger mentioned that it is important to note that only Scripture is defined in terms of what it is: it is stated that Scripture it the word of God consigned to writing. Tradition, however, is described only functionally, in terms of what it does: it hands on the word of God, but it is not the word of God  [9]   As such a new movement brought forth many renewed faith within the Catholics and their access to proper understanding of the Scriptures.  [10]  The Council then laid down new direction which promoted the reading and studying of biblical texts in a new way. The manner through which Catholics gained new access to the Scriptures was at least the five following ways. Firstly, the Catholics are able to hear the preaching of the word in the communitys vernacular. Before Vatican II, the priest celebrated Mass in Latin with his back facing the people, making the action of the Mass seem far away. It was easy for the faithful to fall into the role of spectators. Now the assembly is more actively engaged, helping us to experience all of us celebrating the Eucharist with the priest. Vatican II liturgy mentioned that the members should be full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations (#14).  [11]  This phenomenon occurred during the 4th century when St Jerome was com missioned by Pope Damasus I to translate to the Latin language and by 13th century, it became the commonly used translation in the Roman Empire.  [12]  With that, most of the masses were conducted in Latin where the indigenous languages were ignored in this situation. Consequently, the nominal people would have minimum understanding of the passage. By and large, the language Latin was not well received in most part of the community and shortly after, the language seemed to be lost. Also, since this is not their native language, the believers would find it difficult to understand and make sense of it. With DVs proposal of using indigenous languages, the believers were able to understand the message preached. According to the Catholic leader, he mentioned similar phenomenon in the RCC in Singapore and how this new dimension added life within the Church and more people are eager to hear the message.  [13]  It appeared that in the past, most people attended the mass because of a form of obligation and doze off during the proceeding. The many reasons given were that they do not understand the meaning of the message. With this new initiative, the preaching became more relevant at least the native language to the local context. Secondly, there was a change in the form of sermons from just a regurgitation of the bible to homiletical preaching: From a liturgical format to a homiletically manner. DV recognized that biblical exegetical plays an essential and positive role in the understanding of the bible. Moreover, it would add substance to the delivery of the message and allow the revelation to fill human hearts more and more  [14]  The efficacy of the word of God depends on the careful preparation and delivery of the message on the pulpit; this requires good training. Efforts were placed in making the sermon digestible and applicable. Therefore, the use of preaching has been increasing to bring a biblical message into the hearts of believers, but sadly, it is not yet universal. In the local context, there seemed to be more of such homiletical preaching occurring among the RCC.  [15]   Next is the liberty for personal bible study by the individual Catholic. This is something uncommon before the Vatican II as the bible is known as the authoritative and scared text, where only the bishops, the academics or scholars were able to read and make interpretations of it. The effects of releasing the Holy Scripture to all were seen from the Protestants movement whereby numerous interpretations arise within the short span of time.  [16]  Besides, it might appear that the bible is not scared enough that only the bishop has the access to it. Thus, the availability of the bible to Catholics became restricted due to the theological, social and also various heretical religious movements. Looking in retrospection, Vatican II created some impact in this area whereby Catholics are able to access to the bible in their native language allowing the Logos and Rehma word of God to be spoken during their devotional time. From a unidirectional reception to a bidirectional, believers are able to directly communion with God through the bible. The Church today encourages its members to make use of new methods of Scripture study and to cherish the Scriptures. Catholics are growing in their understanding of the Bible through the benefits of historical research, literary analysis and archaeological findings. Church documents wisely steer Catholics away from literal-minded approaches and from reading the Bible as if it were a science or history textbook. Since Vatican II, there is fairly widespread of the RCC participation in bible study groups, often advance by Ecclesial movements such as the Neo-catechumenate and the monastic tradition of  Lectio divina. It is sometimes ecumenical in nature whereby the study with Protestants or the Jews and they almost always find both enlightening and enriching. This action was illustrated in the DV 6 (no. 22) if these translations are produced in cooperation with the separated brethren as well, all Christians will be able to use them  [17]  that encouraged the RCC to make peace with the Protestant Bible Societies and work with them. Although there have been a longstanding hostility, full collaboration between the Catholic Biblical Federation and the United Bible Societies was soon established, bringing a notable increase in production of vernacular versions all over the world.  [18]   Similar collaboration has developed with publishers of daily bible reading aids such as the Bible Reading Fellowship, though in this country, at least, nothing seems to check a lamentable decline in general knowledge of the Bible.  [19]   As such, bible study became a central activity of the reformer groups which sprang up especially among the poor. More often than not, it was their daily reading of the bible that brought light into their own situation which was the main cradle of liberation theology.  [20]  In the local context, similar trends were observed in Singapore as well where such practices mushroomed. Many RCCs instituted bible study within the congregations on a regular basis where the believers examine the scripture. Such phenomenon was not evident before Vatican II. With this, Catholics became more familiar with the bible and equipped to defend their faith.  [21]   Finally, the last trajectory, posed a more complex issue to be addressed. It is the formal and scholarly pursuit of biblical study in the academy. Although the goal of academic study is to enable the deepening understanding of the Scripture, the methodologies employed might be deliberately bracketed faith. Since, most Catholic biblical scholar adopted certain methodologies from the Protestants colleagues, they might realized some incompatibility of the certain traditions practiced in the Catholic Church to deviate from the original intention of the Scripture. However, such rigorous academic study facilitated the understanding of the bible from a more holistic manner (theological, cultural, social and context). Consequently, some Catholics started to realize that certain doctrines seemed to be inconsistent with the Holy Scripture and some abandoned certain practices in the Catholic faith. Conversely, some others turned away from the Catholic faith and embraced the Protestant beliefs.à ‚  [22]  Also, many lay leaders are able to learn the bible from a theological angle, able to defend their faith. In Singapore, there are many such theological training evolving within the different Roman Catholic Churches and programme were developed to educate and trained lay ministers.  [23]  Growing numbers of lay women and men are attending theology schools, leading and/or joining Bible study groups and reading an array of solid articles or books on the subject. Priests and religious are no longer the only Scripture experts. Therefore, it is evident in RCC that such changes are happening now and hopefully will be ongoing. Since Vatican II, many speculations about the impact were raised, and it seemed there is an effect of change in the RCC circle as being more biblical, and personal faith; returning back to the original intent of God. Although, many of us were too young to think of Vatican II except as history, this phenomenon caused an effect in the universal church especially in the Catholic circle. According to the RCC in Singapore, many of the believers started getting more involved and serious in studying the bible. In this sense, it also means that wave from Vatican II remain active in both the academic and among the people of the RCC. Although some changes were seen in the RCC, it is heartbreaking to see the overwhelming cases of sex abuse scandals within the RCC, which caused a stir among congregations. Questions were raised regarding the credibility of these priests and the role of the scripture in their lives and casted doubts on the transformation in the RCC due to Vatican II. In conclusion , with the inception of Vatican II, there has been a vast enrichment of the lectionary for Mass and the readings for daily prayer of the Church and made a tremendous impact in the RCC. Hopefully this will continue to fulfill its original intention by Pope Paul XXIII when he convened the pastoral council.