...Toyota's best-selling models in Europe. Besides, Toyota has used the "Yaris" and "Echo" names on the export version of several different Japanese-market models. At the beginning, Toyota decided to sell Yaris in the European market and build their overseas factory in Valenciennes France. As Toyata’s target market was in the European market, its overseas factory has the advantage in low labor cost and delivery cost. Valenciennes is a medium-sized city of 350,000 inhabitants located at northeast of France near the Belgium border. The region was severely struck by the steel crisis of the 1970s and the following constriction of the coal mining industry. The region suffered a huge economic depression with an unemployment rate approaching 30% during the 1980s. At that time, the installation of the Toyota factory in the industrial suburbs of Valencienne was a very important step of this regional revitalization process. Toyota ensured to the local government that it will create more than two thousand jobs for local residents. Considering of local economic situation, Toyota’s plant was more than welcome by local government and residents. To attract Toyota, national and local governments, as well as the European Union, gave Toyota a total of 51.5 million Euros in subsidies and tax incentives. However, there were some concerns about the Toyota's willingness to remain in the region for the long-term. Many people worried that Toyota might simply exploit the offer and close the plant a few...
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...Globe F A Cautionary Tale for Emerging Market Giants PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES How leadership failures in corporate Japan knocked its companies off the world stage by J. Stewart Black and Allen J. Morrison ifteen years ago, Japanese companies accounted for 141 of the companies and 35.2% of the revenues of Fortune’s then brand-new Global 500 list. By 2000 their share of revenues had fallen to 20.8%, and by last year it had shrunk to 11.2%, with only 68 Japanese companies making the list. During the same period, U.S. firms’ portion of Global 500 revenues, which was 28.4% in 1995, grew slightly, to 30%. Firms from the European Union and Switzerland, meanwhile, increased their portion from 31% to 36%. Much of Japan’s loss has been a gain for firms from emerging markets. Since 1995 companies from the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) have seen their combined share of Global 500 revenues leap from 0.9% to 10.4%. But will those countries lose their edge in the years ahead, as Japan did? Or will they find ways to remain globally competitive and protect their share—as the U.S. and Europe have done? To answer those questions, we first need to understand why Japan was unable to continue the meteoric rise it saw in the 1970s and 1980s, because the new generation of emerging-country multinationals bears a disturbing resemblance to corporate Japan in the 1990s. Over the past quarter century, we have tracked the rise and fall of Japanese business, and our research reveals...
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...crash, which led to the 1970s recession. Narrowly defined, the period spanned from 1945 to 1952, with overall growth lasting well until 1971, though there are some debates on dating the period, and booms in individual countries differed, some starting as early as 1945, and overlapping the rise of the East Asian economies into the 1980s or 1990s. During this time there was high worldwide economic growth; Western European and East Asian countries in particular experienced unusually high and sustained growth, together with full employment. Contrary to early predictions, this high growth also included many countries that had been devastated by the war, such as Greece (Greek economic miracle), West Germany (Wirtschaftswunder), France (Trente Glorieuses), Japan (Japanese post-war economic miracle), and Italy (Italian economic miracle). ------------------------------------------------- Terminology In academic literature, the period is frequently...
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...The process of work is at the core of social structure. The technological and managerial transformation of labor, and of production relationships, in and around the emerging network enterprise is the main lever by which the informational paradigm and the process of globalization affect society at large. In this chapter I shall analyze this transformation on the basis of available evidence, while attempting to make sense of contradictory trends observed in the changes of work and employment patterns over the past decades. I shall first address the classic question of secular transformation of employment structure that underlies theories of post-industrialism, by analyzing its evolution in the main capitalist countries between 1 920 and 2005. Next, to reach beyond the borders of OEeD countries, I shall consider the arguments on the emergence of a global labor force. I shall then turn to analyze the specific impact of new information technologies on the process of work itself, and on the level of employment, trying to assess the widespread fear of a jobless society. Finally, I shall treat the potential impacts of the transformation of work and employment on the social structure by focusing on processes of social polarization that have been associated with the emergence of the informational para- digm. In fact, I shall suggest an alternative hypothesis that, while acknowledging these trends, will place them in the broader framework of a more fundamental transformation:...
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...popularity of American culture abroad confirmed the global influence of the U.S., as the world embraced their various art forms. Elvis Presley, musical comedies, Hollywood romances, and action movies were recognized worldwide. The federal government also contributed to this boom, as the congress created programs that helped the veterans, the elderly, and the poor; as well as approving government funding to build a major interstate highway system. After World War 2, conflicting ideologies and mutual distrust caused divisions between the former Allies, leading to the conflict known as the Cold War- a state of tension and hostility between nations aligned with the United States on one side and the Soviet Union on the other, without armed conflict between the major rivals. The Soviet Union side wanted to spread communism and the United States wanted free elections in Eastern Europe- which they had agreed upon in their peace agreements- but Stalin (the Soviet dictator) ignored that pledge. This prompted U.S. president Truman to take action. In 1947 he outlined a new policy to congress (known as the...
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...CHAPTER World War II 24 Learning Outcomes After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following: LO 1 Explain the various causes of World War II. LO 2 Explain America’s foreign policy that developed after World War I and that was in place at the beginning of World War II, and describe how that policy changed as the war progressed. LO 3 Describe the events of World War II, both in Europe and in the Pacific, and explain why the United States acted as it did throughout the conflict. LO 4 Describe and discuss the American home front during World War II, paying special attention to long-term societal changes. LO 5 Explain how World War II was brought to an end, both in Europe and in the Pacific, and discuss the immediate aftermath of the war both in America and around the world. 9781133438212, HIST2, Volume 2, Kevin M. Schultz - © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. No distribution allowed without express authorization Just as World War II transformed the world, it also transformed the United States’s role in world affairs. “ ” If the New Deal could not end the Great Depression, a world war would. Beginning in the late 1930s, talk of war became more insistent and The Second World War can be seen as an energizing urgent in Europe. The finanevent in American history rather than a destructive one. cial uncertainty of the worldStrongly Disagree Strongly Agree wide depression had created 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 political vulnerabilities that...
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...1920s---the League of Nations, the attempts at disarmament, the pacts and the treaties---all proved meaningless in view of the growth of Nazi Germany and its deliberate scrapping of the postwar settlement in the 1930s ---World War II was largely made possible by the failure of Britain and France to oppose strongly flagrant German violations of the Treaty of Versailles A. The Role of Hitler 1. WW II in Europe had its beginnings in the ideas of Adolf Hitler, who believed that only Aryans were capable of building a great civilization 2. Hitler was a firm believer in the doctrine of Lebensraum which stated that a nation’s power depended on the amount and kind of land it occupied 3. Hitler thought that the Russian Revolution created conditions for Germany’s acquisition of land to its “racially inferior Slavic” east (Mein Kampf spelled out Hitler’s desire to expand eastward and to prepare for the inevitable war with the “Bolshevik Jew-led” Soviet Union) 4. Hitler always returned to his basic ideological plans for racial supremacy and empire as keys to the blueprint for achieving his goals 5. Hitler’s desire to create an Aryan empire led to slave labor and even mass extermination on a scale that would have been incomprehensible to previous generations of Germans (or anybody else outside of Uncle Joe’s reach) B. The “Diplomatic Revolution” (1933-1936) 1. between 1933 and 1936, Hitler and Nazi Germany achieved a diplomatic...
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...decided to protect themselves and therefore, signed mutual defence agreements (Kelly). These agreements not only meant that they were protected, but also that they would have to protect their allies if they were attacked. Many of these alliance agreements had been made and signed between 1879 and 1914. For example in 1879, Germany and Austria-Hungary had signed a Dual Alliance to protect them from Russia and in 1881; Austria-Hungary became an ally of Serbia, so that they could protect Serbia from Russia trying to gain control (historyonthenet.com). Other alliances included France and Russia; Britain, France and Belgium, and finally Japan and Britain. In this case it was inevitable that there would be a world war and it all began with Austria-Hungary announcing a war on Serbia. Of course Russia jumped to protect them, which led to the Germans starting a war with Russia and then France and because Germany went into France through Belgium, the British were also dragged into the war and so the war began (Kelly). Another leading cause was Imperialism. Imperialism, defined in the dictionary as “The policy of extending the rule of a nation over other peoples” (dictionary.com), played a huge role in the events leading up to the first world war and was one of the main long term causes. This...
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...Labor Unions in the United States Posted Mon, 2010-02-01 17:21 by Anonymous Gerald Friedman, University of Massachusetts at Amherst Unions and Collective Action In capitalist labor markets, which developed in the nineteenth-century in the United States and Western Europe, workers exchange their time and effort for wages. But even while laboring under the supervision of others, wage earners have never been slaves, because they have recourse from abuse. They can quit to seek better employment. Or they are free to join with others to take collective action, forming political movements or labor unions. By the end of the nineteenth century, labor unions and labor-oriented political parties had become major forces influencing wages and working conditions. This article explores the nature and development of labor unions in the United States. It reviews the growth and recent decline of the American labor movement and makes comparisons with the experience of foreign labor unions to clarify particular aspects of the history of labor unions in the United States. Unions and the Free-Rider Problem Quitting, exit, is straightforward, a simple act for individuals unhappy with their employment. By contrast, collective action, such as forming a labor union, is always difficult because it requires that individuals commit themselves to produce "public goods" enjoyed by all, including those who "free ride" rather than contribute to the group effort. If the union succeeds, free riders...
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...World War II Research Report The Soviet Union Danny Buck History 114 Dr. Murphy November 24, 2014 World War II Research Report The Soviet Union Totalitarianism came about in Russia during the time of Stalin. Before doing research I had thought that it would have started with Lenin, but it did not. “Why did Russia, in its enlarged incarnation as the Soviet Union under Stalin, become one of the three most repressive and brutal totalitarian states of the 20th century (the other two being Nazi Germany and China under Mao)? The urge to modernize rapidly is often put forward to explain the character of the Soviet Union. But what equally needs to be explained is the very backwardness that created such an urge. And the Russian intelligentsia had long been preoccupied both with modernization and resistance to it.” (Hollander, 2006). It was a brutal way of life where the people existed to serve the state. The Rise of Totalitarianism In the late 1910’s the czar was over thrown and he and his family were murdered. Lenin came to power and communism took over the country, but it was not totally repressive until Stalin came into power. Stalin’s goal was to modernize the Soviet Union. He wanted to industrialize the Soviet Union and increase the production of products. He thought that if he could make the Soviet Union a manufacturing giant that it could be a super power. He also wanted to maintain complete and absolute control and to not allow any interference from anyone...
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...LABOR MARKET INSTITUTIONS AND WAGE INEQUALITY WINFRIED KOENIGER, MARCO LEONARDI, and LUCA NUNZIATA* The authors investigate how labor market institutions such as unemployment insurance, unions, firing regulations, and minimum wages have affected the evolution of wage inequality among male workers. Results of estimations using data on institutions in eleven OECD countries indicate that changes in labor market institutions can account for much of the change in wage inequality between 1973 and 1998. Factors found to have been negatively associated with male wage inequality are union density, the strictness of employment protection law, unemployment benefit duration, unemployment benefit generosity, and the size of the minimum wage. Over the 26-year period, institutional changes were associated with a 23% reduction in male wage inequality in France, where minimum wages increased and employment protection became stricter, but with an increase of up to 11% in the United States and United Kingdom, where unions became less powerful and (in the United States) minimum wages fell. W age inequality is substantially lower in continental European countries than in the United States and United Kingdom, and its evolution over time has differed greatly across countries. The same holds true for the skill (or education) wage premium. Changes in the supply of and demand for skills are unlikely to fully account for these marked differences (Acemoglu 2003). A substantial amount of research on...
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...with scientists (engineers) to make machines to mass produce the goods. Started with the textile industry (imported from India and then British government banned the imports of textiles from India and then the demand became greater) because the demand for textiles was not being met with the “putting out” system. Spinning machines made thread and then the flying shuttle would weave to make cloth. Social implications included opening of schools – even for women on a positive side and as a negative side, it led to overcrowding in the cities (which led to theft and prostitution), unemployment (people traveled to the cities to work in the factories and there weren’t enough jobs to go around), health concerns (sanitation and pollution) and child labor. Economic implications would include the rise of the two different classes – Capitalists (bankers, merchants, factory owners) and the working class (factory workers). 2. Discuss the population explosion, urbanization, and other demographic factors of the industrial Revolution. Also, discuss the growth of huge industrial cities during the 19th Century. (Bentley & Ziegler, chap.29) The population explosion during the industrial revolution happened because of the...
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... 2. Many minorities did join; but segregated units (beginning of the Civil Rights Movement) II. Production A. Industry 1. Switched to wartime production 2. Brought U.S. out of the Great Depression B. Labor Force 1. Faced discrimination and lower pay 2. Women became a permanent part of the work force (beginning of Women’s Rights Movement) III. Science A. OSRD (Created by FDR in 1941) 1. Pesticides (DDT), Radar, Sonar, and Penicillin B. Manhattan Project 1. Atomic Bomb 2. Einstein worked on project IV. Federal Government Control: A. OPA & WPA 1. Control Inflation 2. Encourage Americans to buy War Bonds (War Bonds financed the war) B. Rationing (limiting scare goods needed for war) 1. Gas & Metal 2. Black Market The War for Europe & North Africa I. The U.S. and Britain Join Forces A. FDR and Churchill worked out a war plan together B. Battle of the Atlantic 1. Germans wanted to prevent supplies from reaching Great Britain and the Soviet Union 2. Allies in control of the Atlantic by middle of 1943 II. The Eastern Front and the Mediterranean A. Battle of Stalingrad 1. Hitler...
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...School, he left in 1899. He later worked full time for a social Democratic Labor Party. In 1902, he got arrested for scheduling a labor strike, so he exiled in Siberia. This arrest was the first of many. He named himself Stalin because it means “Steel” in Russian. He gained fame by being a part of the 1907 Tiflis bank robbery. He took over right after the Russian Revolution. In February 1917, the Russian Revolution began. By March the Tsar left the throne and was under house arrest. By October, the revolution was over and the majority of the Russian people had control. A bunch of people wanted control over the Soviet Government. Stalin was appointed as the General Secretary of the Communist party. This gave Stalin control over all party member appointments which gave him his base. He eventually had a lot of power because nearly all members of the central command owed their job to him. After Lenin died in 1924, Stalin set out to destroy the old party leaders to take more control. He had people removed from power through bureaucratic shuffling and denunciation. They all went into exile including Lenin’s successor Leon Trotsky. Stalin killed anybody that was against him or “against the people.” In the late 1920s and early 1930s Stalin reversed the agrarian policy which made peasants back to serts. Stalin believed collectivism would make more food but it caused famine. Millions of people were killed in forced labor or starved by famine. Stalin wanted rapid industrialization but it costed...
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...An NBDA Publication July 1, 2008 Vol. 17, Number 11 Gas Price Hikes Fuel Sales of Commuter Accessories Retailers React To Changing Mindset BY NICOLE FORMOSA BURBANK, CA—When Rob Stotts moved his H&S Bicycles to a new location in Burbank, California, this spring, he stepped up his stock of commuter-related accessories like panniers to hold laptops, slick tires and racks. He also reorganized his shop’s layout to emphasize commuter bikes from Kona, Jamis, Giant and Electra. Stotts hasn’t changed his business model—he still sells high-end bikes and has a VIP room for custom fits—but he says if his customers aren’t already clamoring for commuter-oriented products, which many are, they soon will. “I have a lot of friends who own bike shops and we all agree: Once gas hits $5 a gallon, we’re going to see a huge influx of bicycle sales,” Stotts said. Some economists say the nation’s pumps could reach that benchmark by the July 4 holiday. Americans already appear to be driving less. The Bikestation will add three new commuter facilities, like this Continued on page 26 Photo courtesy of Bikestation Distributors Stock For Rise in Repairs BY MARC SANI BLOOMINGTON, MN—When Steve Flagg reviewed his inventory reports recently, one item jumped off the page—27-inch tires. “We were totally unprepared for the demand in 27inch tires,” said Flagg, president of Quality Bicycle Products. Wayne D. Gray, vice-president of KHS/FreeAgent Bicycles, noticed the same trend. “We’re seeing a lot...
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