History of San Juan, The Capital of Puerto Rico

The capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan ranks high on the list of most historic cities in the New World, with early explorers establishing a settlement there 15 years after  Columbus’s monumental first voyage. The city has been the scene of many historic events, from naval battles to pirate attacks. Modern San Juan, now a top Caribbean tourism destination, embraces its long and fascinating history. Early Settlement The first settlement on the island of Puerto Rico was Caparra, founded in 1508 by Juan Ponce de Leà ³n, a Spanish explorer and conquistador best remembered for his quixotic quest to find the Fountain of Youth in 16th-century Florida. Caparra was deemed unsuitable for a long-term settlement, however, and the residents soon moved to an island a short distance to the east, to the present site of Old San Juan. Rise to Importance The new city of San Juan Batista de Puerto Rico quickly became famous for its good location and port, and it rose to importance in the colonial administration. Alonso Manso, the first  bishop  to arrive in the Americas, became bishop of Puerto Rico in 1511. San Juan became the first ecclesiastical headquarters for the New World  and served as the first base for the Inquisition as well. By 1530, barely 20 years after its founding, the city supported a university, a hospital, and a library. Piracy San Juan quickly came to the attention of Spain’s rivals in Europe. The first attack on the island took place in 1528, when the French razed several outlying settlements, leaving only San Juan intact. Spanish troops started building San Felipe del Morro, a formidable castle, in 1539.  Sir Francis Drake and his men attacked the island in 1595 but were held off. In 1598, however, George Clifford and his force of English privateers managed to capture the island, remaining for several months before illness and local resistance drove them away. That was the only time El Morro castle was ever captured by an invading force. The 17th and 18th Centuries San Juan declined somewhat after its initial importance, as wealthier cities such as Lima and Mexico City thrived under the colonial administration. It continued to serve as a strategic military location and port, however, and the island produced significant sugarcane and ginger crops. It also became known for breeding fine horses, prized by Spanish conquistadors campaigning on the mainland. Dutch pirates attacked in 1625, capturing the city but not the fort. In 1797, a British fleet of approximately 60 ships attempted to take San Juan but failed in what is known on the island as â€Å"The Battle of San Juan.† The 19th Century Puerto Rico, as a small and relatively conservative Spanish colony, did not participate in the independence movements of the early 19th century. As the armies of Simon Bolà ­var and Jose de San Martà ­n swept across South America liberating new nations, royalist refugees loyal to the Spanish crown flocked to Puerto Rico. Liberalization of some Spanish policies – such as granting freedom of religion in the colony in 1870, encouraged immigration from other parts of the world, and Spain held onto Puerto Rico until 1898. The Spanish-American War The city of San Juan played a minor role in the Spanish-American War, which broke out in early 1898. The Spanish had fortified San Juan but did not anticipate the American tactic of landing troops at the western end of the island. Because many Puerto Ricans did not oppose a change of administration, the island basically surrendered after a few skirmishes. Puerto Rico was ceded to the Americans under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish-American War. Although San Juan had been bombarded for a time by American warships, the city suffered relatively little damage during the conflict. The 20th Century The first few decades under American rule were mixed for the city. Although some industry developed, a series of hurricanes and the Great Depression had a profound effect on the economy of the city and the island in general. The grim economic situation led to a small but determined independence movement and a great deal of emigration from the island. Most emigrants from Puerto Rico in the 1940s and 1950s went to New York City in search of better jobs; its still home to a great many citizens of Puerto Rican descent. The U.S. Army moved out of El Morro Castle in 1961. San Juan Today Today, San Juan takes its place among the Caribbeans top tourism destinations. Old San Juan has been extensively renovated, and sights like the El Morro castle draw large crowds. Americans looking for a Caribbean vacation like to travel to San Juan because they don’t need a passport to go there: it is American soil. In 1983 the old city defenses, including the castle, were declared a World Heritage Site. The old section of the city is home to many museums, reconstructed colonial-era buildings, churches, convents, and more. There are excellent beaches close to the city, and the El Condado neighborhood is home to top-notch resorts. Tourists can reach several areas of interest within a couple of hours from San Juan, including rainforests, a cave complex, and many more beaches. It is the official home port of many major cruise ships as well. San Juan is also one of the most important ports in the Caribbean and has facilities for oil refining, sugar processing, brewing, pharmaceuticals, and more. Naturally, Puerto Rico is well-known for its rum, much of which is produced in San Juan.

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Coping with Corruption in Trading with China Free Essays

CASE 2-5 Coping with Corruption in Trading with China Corruption is on the rise in China, where the country’s press frequently has detailed cases of corruption and of campaigns to crack down on it. The articles primarily have focused on domestic economic crimes among Chinese citizens, and on local of? cials who have been ? red or assessed other penalties. Indeed, China has been rated by Transparency International as number 59 of the 102 countries the German organization rates on its â€Å"Corruption Perception Index. We will write a custom essay sample on Coping with Corruption in Trading with China or any similar topic only for you Order Now †1 Finland is rated the least corrupt at number 1, the United States at 16, and Bangladesh the most corrupt at number 102. Corruption’s long arm now is reaching out to touch China’s foreign business community. Traders, trade consultants, and analysts have said that foreign ? rms are vulnerable to a variety of corrupt practices. Although some of these ? rms said they had no experience with corruption in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the majority said they increasingly were asked to make payments to improve business, engage in black-market trade of import and export licenses, bribe of? cials to push goods through customs or the Commodity Inspection Bureau, or engage in collusion to beat the system. The Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption reports that outright bribes as well as gifts or payment to establish guanxi, or â€Å"connections,† average 3 to 5 percent of operating costs in the PRC, or $3 billion to $5 billion of the $100 billion of foreign investments that have been made there. The most common corrupt practices confronting foreign companies in China are examined here. ANGLING FOR CASH MNCs also are asked sometimes to sponsor overseas education for children of trading of? cials. One person told a Chinese source that an MNC paid for that individual’s U. S. $1,500-a-month apartment, as well as a car, university education, and expenses. Firms ? nd direct requests for cash payments—undeniably illegal—the most dif? cult. One well-placed source said that a major trader, eager for buyers in the face of an international market glut, had fallen into regularly paying large kickbacks into the Honduran, U. S. , and Swiss accounts of of? cials at a PRC foreign trade corporation. Refusing to make payments may not only hurt sales, it can also be terrifying. A U. S. ?rm was one of several bidders for a large sale; a Chinese of? ial demanded the MNC pay a 3 percent kickback. When the company representative refused, the of? cial threatened: â€Å"You had better not say anything about this. You still have to do business in China, and stay in hotels here. † Not surprisingly, the U. S. company lost the deal. Traders of certain commodities may be tempted to purchase on the black market those import and export licenses that are dif? cult to obtain legally. A fairly disorganized underground market, for instance, exists for licenses to export China-made garments to the United States. Some branches of the Commodity Inspection Bureau (CIB) also have posed problems for some traders. Abuses have emerged in the CIB since it started inspecting imports in 1987. A Japanese company, for instance, informed CIB of? cials of its intention to bring heavy industrial items into China—items that had met Japanese and U. S. standards. The of? cials responded that they planned to dismantle the products on arrival for inspection purposes. The problem was resolved only after the ? rm invited the of? cials to visit Japan. Some traders get around such problems by purchasing inspection certi? ates on the black market. According to press accounts, these forms, complete with signatures and seals, can be bought for roughly U. S. $200. Some claim that, for the appropriate compensation, customs of? cials in a southern province are very willing to reduce the dutiable value of imports as much as 50 percent. Because the savings can far exceed transport costs, some imports that would logi cally enter China through a northern port are redirected through the southern province. PAYING TO IMPROVE BUSINESS Foreign traders make several types of payments to facilitate sales in China. The most common methods used are trips abroad. Chinese of? cials, who rarely have a chance to visit overseas, often prefer foreign travel to cash or gifts. (This was especially true when few PRC of? cials had been abroad. ) As a result, traders report that dangling foreign trips in front of their PRC clients has become a regular part of negotiating large trade deals that involve products with a technological component. â€Å"Foreign travel is always the ? rst inducement we offer,† said an executive involved in machinery trade. In most cases, traders built these costs into the product’s sale price. Some trips are â€Å"reasonable and bona ? de expenditures directly related to the promotion, demonstration, or explanation of products and services, or the execution of a contract with a foreign government agency. † But other trips, when of? cials on foreign junkets are offered large per diems and aren’t invited speci? cally to gain technical knowledge, may be another matter. Foreign travel isn’t always an inducement—it also can be extorted. In one case, a PRC bank branch refused to issue a letter of credit for a machinery import deal. The Chinese customer suggested that the foreign trader invite the bank of? ial on an overseas inspection tour. Once the invitation was extended, the bank issued the letter of credit. QUESTIONS 1. List all the different types of bribes, payments, or favors represented in this case and say why each is either legal or illegal. 2. For those practices that you say are illegal, classify each as lubrication, extortion, or subornat ion, and tell why. 3. Which of the payments, favors, or bribes are illegal under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)? 4. Assuming that the FCPA did not exist, what is the ethical response to each of the payments, favors, or bribes you have See www. transparency. org for more details about their 2002 index. 572 Cases 2 The Cultural Environment of Global Markets you think bribery will become less prevalent in markets like China? 573 identi? ed? Read the section titled â€Å"Ethically and Socially Responsible Decisions† in Chapter 3 as a guide to assist you in your decision. 5. Now that the OECD has approved an FCPA-like treaty to ban commercial bribery by ? rms in member countries, do 6. List alternatives to paying bribes in international markets and discuss the pluses and minuses of each. How to cite Coping with Corruption in Trading with China, Essay examples

Business Communication for Electronic Commerce and Business

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Communication for Electronic Commerce and Business. Answer: Introduction The proposal is done to focus on the impact of social media on the management of communication at the business organisation IBM. Communication is essential, not only for enabling coordination of work among the employees but also can lead to effective decision making, furthermore allow the organisation to perform its tasks within less time (Ibm.com, 2017). The digital communication is an easy and convenient way of communicating with each other through social media use and even makes quick decisions that can be successful for the management of business (Cambie, 2012). There are various channels of enabling communication between the employees and it is possible with the involvement of social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Research background The background of research illustrates the use of social media for managing communication within the organisation and its efficiency in managing good relationships between the stakeholders and allowing them to commit to the organizational excellence. Gmail, Google hangout, facebook, instagram and Twitter are relevant platforms for enabling communication transparency and make people communicate with each other within the organisation and discuss about matters to fulfill the roles and responsibilities with ease and efficacy (Chesher Kaura, 2012). Social media involvement is also essential for making people communicate with its customers and obtain their opinions and feedbacks to determine the market conditions and fulfill he needs and requirements of the customers easily (Ibm.com, 2017). Research objectives To identify the role of social media in facilitating the processes of communication at IBM To evaluate necessary measures for utilizing the social media and bringing out the best of benefits for the company To assess the probable impact of social media involvement on the management of communication at IBM To recommend probable measures for improving the communication process and maintaining string relationships with the business stakeholders Research questions What is the impact created by involving social media on the communication process at IBM? How could the various ways or approaches be used for facilitating the social media involvement and obtain business benefits? What kind of impact is created by using social media for the purpose of communication within the organisation? What are the methods or techniques recommended for enhancing the efficiency of communication process at IBM? Discussions The discussions are mainly based on the kinds of data and information that have been collected for understanding the impact of social media on the management of communication and facilitating the relationships between the stakeholders of IBM (Clark Jr Cain, 2013). Conclusion By analyzing the report, it could be understood that the social media usage had brought great benefits such as proper communication was enabled along with management of proper relationships between the stakeholders in business. Recommendations Few recommendations included: To use social media for enhancing brand awareness, enhance the visibility of products and services to make customers know about those and ensure that their buying behaviours are influenced too. To use the social media channels for promoting effective communication between the employees and making it easy for them to make decisions too To utilize the social media for improving the customers services It is also recommended to integrate the use of social media by aligning it with the business goals and objectives Introduction Social media platforms are effective channels for promoting effective communication and enabling higher engagement of the employees within the organisation. Social media involvement could increase the speed and rate of information flow and exchange, furthermore increase the employee engagement and reducing communication activities done through face to face meetings and telephonic conversations (Glisic Leppnen, 2013). The social networking within the workplace not only facilitates the communication process but also improves the organizational productivity by distributing information among the employees working at IBM. It improves the effectiveness of communication process, helps in identifying the new information and data and even allows the employees to discuss ideas and share opinions among themselves (Godlovitch et al., 2013). Digital communication with the involvement of social media The personal communications at IBM are managed with the help of providing a platform for managing accessibility to data, information and applications that are present on the host system. The personal communication feature at IBM include the virtual terminal emulation and system network architecture that can provide multiple functionalities such as proper networking, communication and other features of administration including the emulation of host terminal, client server applications and better connectivity (Ibm.com, 2017). The major component of IBM Host Access Client Package and IBM Host integration solution could also facilitate the social media involvement and enhance the processes of communication largely. Social media platforms changed the way of communication One of the major effective social media platform is the facebook, which has been a top priority for the businesses to allow people connect with each other and share personal thoughts, opinions and behaviours. Twitter is another fast-paced network that has allowed the users to share data and information by using hash tags and allow the content to be seen by the targeted audiences (Kotz, Kozubowski Podgorski, 2012). The employees of IBM have managed to communicate with each other through these social media platforms and this has facilitated the marketing activities and ensured proper communication at the workplace. Snapchat is also used as a temporary social media platform that allows the employees working at IBM to share the content and it can be seen for maximum 24 hours (Kwok Yu, 2013). It is effective for the managers and higher authorities to communicate and share their messages and information that are confidential and so Snapchat can be used to make the messages visible for 24 hours and then get automatically removed, so that it cannot be accessed by any other person. This would communicate the messages and instructions properly to the subordinates and allow for making quick decisions too (Leonardi, Huysman Steinfield, 2013). Communication strategies With the involvement of social media in business, there are more scopes and opportunities to enhance the business contacts and target wider audiences. It is also useful for managing advertisements and the recruitment process, which can further enhance the market research capabilities and develop marketing campaigns by enabling proper communication between them. The implementation of marketing campaigns would also deliver effective communication and direct the individuals to various websites for making them acknowledged with happenings within the company (Macnamara Zerfass, 2012). The companies to communicate and connect with its customers and other stakeholders while selling the products and services use the social networks. By involving the social media, it has become easier to develop trust and loyalty among the individuals within the business and ensure that ideas and opinions are circulated properly. The social media sites can be created to focus on personal broadcast network and fare well above the traditional advertising, furthermore share both positive as well as negative responses related to the business transactions or decisions that are needed to be made (Schivinski Dabrowski, 2016). The most suitable online communication strategy is to invest in social media and think strategically about how to make the best use of these social media platforms. The social media communication strategy could create a proper networking event and monitor the content that should be provided by the people. The blogs are used as an excellent platform for managing the business communication strategy, share insights into the business and develop relationships with the customers (Wang, Yu Wei, 2012). The blogging in social media can help in producing quality content for engaging the individuals within the company and determine the needs and preferences. The content posted through blogs could also make people know about the industry trends and facts and share about the business success stories too (Ibm.com, 2017). Benefits and drawbacks of social media Digital communications have been largely influenced by the involvement of social media to foster the development of relationships and setting connections between the staffs within the workplace of IBM. Conversations are easily managed with the use of social media platforms by communicating through open body languages and connecting it with the staffs, managers and subordinates. Few drawbacks of social media communication within organizations could be the lack of skills and abilities to read, write or spell due to lack of accessibility of keyboards (Cambie, 2012). Though social media usage could promote effective communication, still the lack of physical cues and face-to-face interactions might create misunderstandings and misconceptions. Information overload could be caused due to the busy online discussions and communications through useof social media. The time taken for commenting or receiving a particular response might be high, which could create other issues as well. While usin g social media platforms for facilitating the communication process, negative comments might be posted, which in turn, could result in deteriorating the brand image as well (Chesher Kaura, 2012). Conclusion The report was developed to focus on the various aspects of social media and how it had impacted the process of communication at the organisation IBM, India. Social media platforms had helped in creating effective channels for managing communication between the individuals and ensured successful functioning of the business organisation. The social media platforms enabled the staffs of IBM to communicate and at the same time, improved the marketing activities efficiency to share and exchange messages and information, furthermore make effective decisions with ease and effectiveness. References Cambie, S. (2012). International Communications Strategy: Development in Cross-cultural Communications, PR and Social Media.Strategic Direction,28(6). Chesher, M., Kaura, R. (2012).Electronic commerce and business communications. Springer Science Business Media. Clark Jr, G. C., Cain, J. B. (2013).Error-correction coding for digital communications. Springer Science Business Media. Glisic, S. G., Leppnen, P. A. (2013).Wireless communications: TDMA versus CDMA. Springer Science Business Media. Godlovitch, I., Monti, A., Schfer, R. G., Stumpf, U. (2013). Business communications, economic growth and the competitive challenge.Study for the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) and the International Telecommunications User Group (INTUG. Bad Honnef, Germany: WIK-Consult GmbH. Ibm.com. (2017). IBM - India. [online] Available at: https://www.ibm.com/in-en/ [Accessed 23 Nov. 2017]. Kotz, S., Kozubowski, T., Podgorski, K. (2012).The Laplace distribution and generalizations: a revisit with applications to communications, economics, engineering, and finance. Springer Science Business Media. Kwok, L., Yu, B. (2013). Spreading social media messages on Facebook: An analysis of restaurant business-to-consumer communications.Cornell Hospitality Quarterly,54(1), 84-94. Leonardi, P. M., Huysman, M., Steinfield, C. (2013). Enterprise social media: Definition, history, and prospects for the study of social technologies in organizations.Journal of Computer?Mediated Communication,19(1), 1-19. Macnamara, J., Zerfass, A. (2012). Social media communication in organizations: The challenges of balancing openness, strategy, and management.International Journal of Strategic Communication,6(4), 287-308. Schivinski, B., Dabrowski, D. (2016). The effect of social media communication on consumer perceptions of brands.Journal of Marketing Communications,22(2), 189-214. Wang, X., Yu, C., Wei, Y. (2012). Social media peer communication and impacts on purchase intentions: A consumer socialization framework.Journal of Interactive Marketing,26(4), 198-208.