Chocolate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chocolate - Research Paper Example It is made up of cocoa solids and cocoa butter only and hence it is chocolate in its simplest form (Hawkins 19). It is bitter and thus is not a popular choice for most people who love chocolates. It is ordinarily used as an ingredient in baking and cooking. It adds chocolate flavor to cakes and brownies since it is smooth and rich in cocoa butter. Like unsweetened chocolate, semi-sweetened chocolate is mainly used for cooking purposes. They are mainly used for baking chocolate chip cookies although they can be used to bake many other commodities. It is composed of dark chocolate (cocoa butter and cocoa solids), sugar and vanilla that are an emulsifier. The percentage of sugar does not exceed 50% the mass of the chocolate (Hawkins 20). The ratio varies depending on the manufacturer. This form of chocolate has a good balance between sweetness and chocolate and thus and work well in most recipes. Bittersweet chocolates contain at least 35% of cocoa solids. They are dark in color and have rich flavors. Normally they have high percentages of flavonoids although their percentage depends on the manufacturer. They contain chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and sugar. The high percentage of chocolate liquor content makes it dark. It is can be eaten and can also be used for baking purposes. It contains chocolate flavor, cocoa butter, and sugar. The percentage of cocoa solid ranges forms 35-45% depending on the manufacturer (Hawkins 20). The percentage of sugar is more than 50%. It is not easy to differentiate them with semi-sweet chocolate. It is made up of milk solids, sugar, and cocoa butter. 10 % is composed of cocoa liquor, and at least 12% is made up of dry milk solids (Hawkins 21). It is mostly eaten as candy bars and is preferred by most people who love eating chocolates. It was first developed by Daniel Peter, a Swiss candymaker, in 1876. It is made up of cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. Unlike other

Market and Social Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Market and Social Research - Essay Example The word frequently means daily in a week. Alcohol is the drug that many youths prefer; this is because of many young people like experimenting that leads to experiencing many consequences of too much drinking. As a result, underage drinking is currently rated the first public health problem in the country(Norman 2011, pg. 504). According to the latest survey of 2005 of monitoring the future, showed that youths as young as eight years were getting involved in drinking of alcohol. Moreover, when they drink they use to drink intensively, often consuming five to six drinks at one time. The research result showed that average age of engaging in the use of alcohol was 14 as compared to 17 years in1960 and serious drinking that was associated with middle age begun to appear during the young adulthood and occasional adolescence. In United Kingdom, many researchers have been done to answer the question why young adults get involved in binge drinking. One of the explanations was that; as adolescence move to young adulthood they occasionally encounter a full dramatic change in their lives. These changes include physical, lifestyle, independence and emotional changes. Such developmental transitions have associated them with drug use mostly alcohol abuse. Therefore just being a young adult is a risk factor for drinking dangerously(Courtney & Polich 2009, pg. 146). With the continuous rise of alcohol abuse among the young adults and teenagers, there is a need that should be taken to prevent the vice from escalating further. It means that the study must be performed to determine the knowledge and awareness of the population at risk of alcohol abuse, and the methods that can be used to prevent the vice. Some methods that can be used include; introducing stringent rules in pubs regarding drinking alcohol, collaborating with landlords to evict those young adults who are the worst drinkers, and changing the outlet to

Government Response to Hurricane Katrina

Government Response to Hurricane Katrina National strategy for homeland security requires collaborative efforts by both the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) and National Response Framework (NRF) to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters. Effective incident management of catastrophic events requires coordination of relevant stakeholders. Both the NIMS and NRP, the Federal and State agencies have responsibility for addressing any disaster and emergencies through pooling resources together. However, the framework faces myriad of challenges including meagre resources and malfunctioning local governments. These challenges effective response to disasters such as Katrina (Walsh, Christen Jr, Lord, Miller, 2011). Impacts of the changes on the programs in response to Katrina. The changes are necessary in providing guidelines on the response by the both the State and Federal governments in the event on major disasters such as Katrina. NIMS provides proactive approach for the response team in preparation, prevention and mitigation of the effects of Katrina. On the other hand, NRF details national disaster response principle, responsibilities and structures which lead to a coordinated response to disaster. Therefore, these changes make response to disasters more efficient and effective (Walsh, Christen Jr, Lord, Miller, 2011). Necessities of changing in the existing National Response Plan (NRP) to the current National Response Framework(NRF). Unlike NRP, the NRF puts in place a single, robust approach to domestic disaster management. NRF outlines effective ways of preventing, preparing for, response to Hurricane Katrina when it occurs in any state especially in the vulnerable areas. Moreover, NRF is an all-hazards plan within the framework of National Incident Management System (NIMS). Nevertheless, establishment of NRF was mandated by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to integrates the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and other national-level contingency plans in responding to Hurricane Katrina. Therefore, it establishes the structure and mechanisms for national-level policy and operational direction for domestic disaster management (Wise, 2006). Response to hurricane Katrina dictated by the todays NRF and NIMS. The all-hazards approach is cost effective due coordination among organizations involved in the four parts of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery in achieving common goal, that is, Hurricane Katrina. The response allows sharing of costs by the organizations involved thus reducing the cost borne by each state in mounting response to Hurricane Katrina (Walsh, Christen Jr, Lord, Miller, 2011). Emergency management at the local level and implementation of the NRF in response to Katrina. Local jurisdictions are responsible for ensuring the public safety and welfare of their residents during emergencies by mobilizing resources for the same. The NRF implementation does not therefore, usurps state responsibility and jurisdiction when responding to a disaster but provide framework for such response (Walsh, Christen Jr, Lord, Miller, 2011). It is therefore, imperative to note that National strategy for homeland security requires collaborative efforts by both the National Management Systems and National Response Framework (NRF) to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters. The all-hazards approach is cost effective and efficient in emergency response during Hurricane Katrina (Wise, 2006). References Walsh, D., Christen Jr, T. H., Lord, G., Miller, G. (2011). National incident management system: Principles and practice. . New York: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Wise, R. C. (2006). Organizing for homeland security after Katrina: Is adaptive management whats missing? Public Administration Review, 66(3), 302-318.

Humorous Wedding Speech Made by a Fellow Teacher :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Humorous Wedding Speech Made by a Fellow Teacher Ladies and gentlemen, it's an honour to be standing here. I suppose I should actually say it's an honour and a pleasure, but I know the pleasure won’t kick in until this speech part is over. I must admit to being a little surprised when James invited me to his wedding as I only met him a few years ago. But on reflection, I think he was swayed by the fact that I know very little about the first years of his life, which therefore puts some rather embarrassing stories out of reach. James and I have been close ever since we met whilst (while) teaching at Ferndale secondary school - so close, in fact, that he has told me secrets that nobody else knows. One of those secrets is that James keeps a diary. In preparation for this speech, I decided to swipe his diary and would now like to read to you a few of the entries that chart the blossoming romance between James and Anis. [pull out a diary prop] So here it goes: September 5th 1998 – Today was my first day as a teacher. When the kids got out of line, I just got loud and acted tough like dad does. I hope they don't realize that I am really just a big sissy. September 6th 1998 – A pretty teacher at school talked to me today. That was weird. September 7th 1998 – I said â€Å"hi† to the pretty girl today. It's a good thing Jason [best man] taught me how to be cool. September 13th 1998 – Ate dinner at Pizza Hut tonight with Jason, Sarah, and the pretty girl named Anis. I think I like her. September 14th 1998 – I couldn't sleep last night with all the butterflies in my stomach. I think I like this girl more than my car. September 15th 1998 – Jason is the coolest guy I know. I hope he doesn’t decide to go out with Anis. September 14th 1998 – Anis kissed me. It was amazing. I haven't kissed a girl since Freshers’ Week at Uni (the university). December 7th 2001 – I proposed to Anis today. She accepted, but only after criticizing my way of kneeling. This is one of the happiest days of my life. Unfortunately, I can't see much because I've been crying like a little girl.

Example Solution Manual: exploring strategy text & cases

A key danger to highlight is of long lists of forces or influences that are too unwieldy for practical action. So the second question challenges students to assess which of the forces are likely to be of most significance in driving Industry change. Here students should justify their views In terms of the evidence from the past and the likely Impact In the future of any particular Influence. The end-chapter case example on the European brewing Industry also asks students to do a PESTLE analysis. Illustration 2. Scenarios Scenarios help students think long term and very broadly: here the World Economic Forum and its members are looking a decade ahead, and thinking about gee- economics in general as well as just the market in a narrow sense. The question asks about whether companies have more influence over government policy or gee- economics. It then goes on to ask about how companies might influence government. This also obviously touches on issues of corporate social responsibility, pursued in Chapter 4.Companies probably do have more influence on policy coordination, but the Issue Is which governments they should be talking to (the united States, China? ) and whether It Is only governments that matter (United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization? ). They should also consider how they can best Influence governments, Individually or collectively through, for example, the World Economic Forum or the Business Roundtable, the group of Coos of leading American corporations.To some extent, the power is likely to be exercised negatively: through lobbying against and criticism of proposals for financial re-regulation. It is worthwhile also asking about the influence these corporations can have themselves on gee-economic shifts: some Western company headquarters are shifting away from their home-countries, for example, the global headquarters of American civil engineering conglomerate Hallucination moved to Dublin and Swiss/Swedish engineering company ABA moved its global robotics business headquarters to Shanghai. Illustration 2. The Steel Industry The steel Industry provides a fairly easy-to-understand case of rapid structural change, and one led by industry actors. Understanding how the leading companies in other words, a sense that structures are given rather than changeable. The first question particularly invites a comparative analysis using the radar-plot introduced in Exhibit 2. 5. The radar-plot might look roughly like the following, with the mutinous lines indicating rough positions in around 2000 (10 years earlier than the illustration) and the dotted lines indicating positions in 2010.The comparative positions highlight the increasing power of suppliers such as the iron ore producers (negative); the high power of sophisticated buyers, somewhat mitigated by the declining power of the Big Three (mildly positive perhaps); and the beginning of decreased rivalry (positive) as the larger steel companies such as Imi tate try to consolidate the industry. It might be said that the new entry threat has stabilized and even reduced, though continued investment by Chinese players may increase rivalry especially if they turn to overseas markets.Overall, comparing the size of the two radar plots over time suggests only a marginal change in favor of the steel producers. With regard to the second question, the acquisition strategies seem driven by the desire to reduce rivalry by reducing the number of players and even capacity. You might ask students what is necessary to make this work: here you might highlight the importance for reduced rivalry of both simultaneous cuts in capacity investments by, for example, the Chinese and strong barriers to new entry. With Edgar to the third question, success in raising barriers to entry (e. . Through technological change) and in reducing rivalry (through continued consolidation) would make the industry more attractive. Vertical integration strategies into sources o f supply (e. G. Iron ore) would help too. A potential negative is significant progress with substitute materials. This depends on technological progress, hence providing a useful link between the Porter 5 Forces and PESTLE. Illustration 2. 4 Chugging in the Charity Sector The aim of this Illustration of course is to show that industry structure analysis is elevate to not-for-profits as well.Indeed, charities appear ruthlessly competitive – hence the High Street chugging. The first question points to at least three of the Praetorian forces as causing problems: (I) There are low barriers to entry, with ‘constant refreshment' of the industry by new charities; (it) there is strong buying power on the part of local authorities commissioning services; (iii) there is intense rivalry because of the number of competitors and tendency towards overlap and duplication of charitable services.In addition, they face substitutes in the form of coal authorities and other agencies perfor ming services in-house, but at this point the trend in that respect was in their favor. The suppliers of funds – donors – have many alternative charities to give to. The mergers and increasing concentration levels (the largest are growing fastest) imply growing industry consolidation. At the moment, the industry structure might be described as highly competitive, but there may be widespread advantages to it moving towards a more oligopolies situation. Illustration 2. Cycles of Competition The Wisdom' in strategy theory has been that competitiveness is about building up a Eng-term competitive advantage and then defending it against competitors. The idea industry will work its way out over time. It also highlights the potentially destructive nature of competition (at least from the point of view of industry players) and the value of trying to avoid it. Indeed, a key point is that these competitive cycles are not inevitable. Signaling to competitors, and interpreting the signals of others' competitive moves, can help avoid head-on competition.Retaliation (Section 2. 3 under barriers to entry) is a key principle here, as are the basics of game theory (Chapter 3). With regard to question 1, Francesco might have slowed down or rebuffed entirely Deceptiveness's invasion of the French market by retaliating hard against its initial move: even though the youth niche was not so important to Francesco, a determined response there would have signaled the likelihood that attacking the core French market would be so fiercely opposed that it might not be worth Deceptiveness's while even to try.With regard to question 2, Francesco would have been hard-pressed to avoid escalating competition in the business market. However, one possibility might have been for Francesco to focus on a particular selected niche (say the small firms segment). By signaling clearly through advertising or similar that this niche was the extent of their ambitions, Francesco might have enc ouraged Descriptive to concentrate on its best opportunities, leaving the French get on with their specialist in peace.Illustration 2. 6 Key Debate: How Much Does Industry Matter? This debate addresses an enduring source of controversy in strategy research, and allows students to review the importance of the contents of Chapter 2 (particularly the five forces'), at the same time as introducing the more internally focused issues of Chapter 3 that follows. For Porter, industry matters a lot. The aseptic might argue ‘he would say that, wouldn't he'?After all, this is exactly what his training in industrial economics and the standard products of his consulting firm would favor. However, the important thing here is to recognize the extent of the research he (and collaborators such as Anita McGowan) draw upon to make their case. It is worth pointing out to students that strategy theories are more than ‘Just theories': there is solid empirical research involved too. When meetin g a new theory, students should et used to asking: where is the research evidence?What the research seems to suggest is that an industry is not the be-all and end-all, but that choosing an attractive industry is a very good starting point in strategy: industry accounts for about two-fifths of the explained variance in the Porter and McGowan study (leaving aside control variables etc. ). Turning to the precise question, the kinds of industries that influence members' profitability's more than others seem generally to be service industries (explaining the greater industry effects in the Porter and McGowan study than in Runlet's).But to go on from here, industry influences are most likely to be strongest in highly competitive and mature industries. In such industries, sources of firm-specific differentiation are likely to be few, easily imitated and easily competed away, so making it hard to earn above-normal profits. At the same time, standard recipes for competing would have been est ablished, so only the incompetent would perform substantially below the norm (and competition should have eliminated most such incompetents by the industry maturity stage).These conditions would probably prevail in service industries such as hotels, restaurants and retail. Newer industries commodity competitors and suppliers, so allowing persistent variability in profitability. Video Questions Hoicks Hoicks is a specialist insurer in the Lloyd of London insurance market. The company specializes in niche areas such as property and casualty insurance for high net worth individuals and companies, as well as cover against such risks as hacking, kidnapping and satellite damage. The video case is quite complicated, so best viewed after a thorough working through of the chapter material. . The industry is facing more buyer power, with the rise of online price comparison sites. On the other hand, there is a process of consolidation with the rise of ‘consolidators' (companies such as R esolution), who are acquiring weaker companies in order to build position. This is likely in the long term to reduce rivalry. Major failures such as that of the American giant Alga (American Investment Group) are likely to reduce rivalry too. It is clear that general recessionary pressures are also influencing the market at the time of the video, reducing demand and likely to make it more price-sensitive. . Hoicks has a specialist position, aside from companies like Alga or the general insurers that Resolution is trying to buy, and its power in its niche is reinforced by its brand (well known in the United Kingdom). It also has the advantage of having both an underwriting (issue of insurance policies) and investment business, which mean that Hoicks is protected from short-term cycles or crises in one part of the business, probably helping to buffer it from price competition in the short term too. Assignment 2. PESTLE Analysts PESTLE analysis is a useful starting point for environmen tal analysis. Illustration 2. 1 provides a model. A ‘blank of the basic template of illustration 2. 1 can be provided to dents who can then be asked to complete it for the forces at work in a particular industry. The danger is that long lists of forces or influences can be generated by this device. So the second question challenges students to assess which of the forces are likely to be of most significance in driving industry change.Here students should justify their views in terms of the evidence from the past and the likely impact in the future of any particular influence. See the discussion of the PESTLE for the end- chapter case on the European brewing industry for an example. Assignment 2. 2 Building Scenarios Assignment 2. Requires students to focus on change in industry characteristics and competitive forces through the construction of scenarios. Guidelines for the construction of scenarios are given in Section 2. 2. 2 it is recommended that students follow these, buil ding either two or four scenarios for a given industry.The work done in Assignment 2. 1 should provide the bases of identifying the key industry forces or influences which will enable them to do this. Some of the problems of scenario building should be emphasized to students: Students may try to build in too many factors and, therefore, not be able to limit the number of scenarios. They may find difficulty in generating scenarios with a coherent and compatible set of factors. Some may be wary of having to exercise Judgment; and others will confuse Judgment with hunch.Try to encourage a realistic debate that tests out assumptions and students to build scenarios for an industry for which there is a company case (or for their own industry/company if possible) and then to assess the company's strategic position in the light of the different scenarios (e. G. See the notes above on the brewing industry). One of the issues that might surface is the ease or difficulty with which scenarios c an be constructed. It usually emerges that scenarios are much easier to construct where the number of key forces at work in an industry is relatively few.They are less easy to construct if the number of important forces is high because the number of variables the student is trying to handle becomes too great. This, in turn, raises another issue. Scenarios are of particular use in uncertain environments as a means of helping managers to think through possible futures. However, uncertainty may arise for a number of reasons. If uncertainty arises because of the unpredictability of a few forces, then arguably scenarios may be very lawful, but what if uncertainty arises primarily because there are a large number of forces at work: to what extent are scenarios of use in such circumstances?There are a limited number of very important forces at work in the brewing industry: but what of fast-moving hi-tech industries where there are many different forces at work? Assignment 2. 3 Five Competi tive Forces Five forces analysis is an absolutely fundamental technique in strategy. Section 2. 3 should give students the ability to carry out a basic five forces analysis of any industry. They should be encouraged to consider all of the elements of each of the vive forces: so for example, under barriers to entry, scale and experience effects, channels, retaliation and so on.The radar-plot technique of Exhibit 2. 5 should only be used as a summary once the full analysis is complete; the danger is of it being used to short-circuit the analysis. Students should be expected to do more than simply list elements; they should clearly identify the implications (positive or negative) of each. The second question about conclusions for industry attractiveness should underline the importance of drawing out implications, rather than Just listing. Assignment 2. 4 Comparisons between Industries and Over Time This assignment allows students to build on Assignment 2. In order to consider the inves tment implications of differences between industries and change over time. The assignment is a substantial one if relying on students' own research. However, time can be saved if two case studies are used (e. G. Brewing, pharmaceuticals or hi-if, perhaps looking backwards at change over the past three to five years, rather than change in the future). Similarly, students may save time by using the radar-plot technique (Exhibit 2. 5), as in the discussion of Illustration 2. 3. It is important to note the two follow-up questions.Explicitly asking for Justification helps students avoid the superficial analysis which is easy to do with five forces. Asking the question about investment helps students think about concrete implications, again something that five forces analyses often neglect. By looking over time, students will learn to be cautious about investing in industries with declining attractiveness. By comparing industries, students can also consider industry attractiveness in thei r diversification decisions, an issue picked up in Chapter 7.At the same time, it is worth countering attractive are likely to have high barriers to entry, so the costs of entry may outweigh the benefits of entering. An industry that is becoming relatively unattractive may be neglected by competitors, and, if you enjoy a strong competitive advantage in that industry, it may still be a source of profit to you. Assignment 2. 5 Strategic Groups This assignment builds on the notion of strategic groups and strategic space outlined in Section 2. 4. 1 in the text. Figure 2. 8 provides an example of how the exercise could be carried out.This could, for example, be applied to the European brewing industry: Key strategic dimensions might come under either of the scope or resource commitment characteristics in Section 2. 4. 1 – for example, product range or extent of vertical integration. Possible key strategic dimensions in the European brewing industry might include geographical cover age, strength of brands, diversification, size of firm, type of distribution, and so on. Students are encouraged to draw more than one strategic group map if they believe that more than two dimensions are important.It is useful to ask them to consider the extent to which different bases of such maps give rise to similar or different configurations. They might find, for example, that however the maps are drawn up, some companies always tend to end up in the same groups. In other words, some companies may have a very similar set of strategic characteristics along many dimensions. Students are asked to examine the strategic group maps to see if there are any under-populated White spaces' in the industry.For example, in brewing, is there an opportunity for a giant specialist in making ‘own brand' beer for the large retailers? However, students should assess carefully why there are few competitors in any such white spaces. White spaces can often turn out to be dangerous ‘blac k holes' rather than attractive opportunities. Assignment 2. 6 Critical Success Factors and the Strategy Canvas It is very likely that students will concentrate on success factors that are salient to them as consumers – for example, the product ranges of a clothing retailer.Less visible elements, such as ownership by a diversified parent company, may be neglected. However, for a short assignment, this need not matter too much: the essence is comparison in order to identify areas of (potential) competitive advantage. The key insight of a strategy canvas is to encourage competitors to compete where it s relatively easy to secure a significant advantage (Blue Ocean), and not necessarily to compete fiercely over the top-rated success factors if advantage can only be obtained at very considerable cost (Red Ocean).You can introduce less visible, but strategically significant elements after they have done their basic analysis. Integrative Assignment Full Analysis of an Industry or a Sector This assignment would be a demanding research project over a significant part of the course. It is however a very good test of students' ability to apply tools to real data appropriately, as well as developing their research skills. Students will see it as practical and, if allowed a choice of sectors, relevant to their own interests. Good research resources are essential.As well as free web-based resources such as company reports, trade association statistics and some government or supra- access resources such as the business press and Journals available through Businessperson Premier, Fictive or Prosiest, and reports from organizations such as Remuneration, Key Notes and Minute. Your institution's librarian will advise you on what is available to students and how proficient they are likely to be in using such resources. You would also want to guide students on which industries or sectors to choose.Very broad industries – for example, the world airline industry †“ are likely to overwhelm students with data. It might be helpful to encourage focus – for example, the airline industry in India, or similar. Industry focus also reduces the risk of plagiarism. There are many student assignments of a similar nature available for a fee on the web, and it would definitely be wise to avoid allowing students to research the same industries in successive years. Requiring a specific focus on particular homes (e. G. Internationalization) or some less common concepts (e. . The strategy canvas, cycles of competition etc. ) can also reduce plagiarism. Insisting on precisely citing sources for key data and points (through an end-note system or similar) makes simple plagiarism harder too, as well as being good practice. If allowed, students will find very helpful a couple of example assignments from previous years to guide them roughly on what they are supposed to do. A report length limit of around 2000-2500 words would encourage students to focus on what is really important.Requiring an executive summary would also force students to consider what is really important and what are the key implications. Over a two semester course, this assignment could be stage one of a two-part assessment regime; the second semester could have as an assignment asking students to consider implications of the first part for the strategy of a particular company in the original industry or sector. Case Example The European Brewing Industry This case focuses on the key techniques of PESTLE and five forces analysis that are central to this chapter.Full cases such as the pharmaceutical industry can be used evolve students' skills in seeing trends in industry data and drawing conclusions as to the likely impact of those trends on particular companies in an industry. PESTLE Here it would be helpful to ask the students to draw on wider knowledge or research (you may have beer drinkers from many countries in your class). Depending on how extensive students ' additional research and thinking are, a wide-range of issues may be raised. To highlight some for the purposes of illustration: Political: government campaigns against drink driving Economic: the rise of the Asian economiesSocial: rise of beer consumption in southern Europe Technological: few clear in the case, but innovations around products such as ice- cold lager might be raised Environmental: few clear in the case, but packaging issues are likely to be important Legal: few clear in the case, but changes in licensing laws and permitted alcohol limits for driving are relevant. Pestles can often seem somewhat inconclusive, so it is important to pull out key issues and conclusions. The increasing hostility to drinking (under P and L) and the rise of Asian economies and southern Europe (under E & S) seem particularly important trends.One way of drawing some simple conclusions is to assess the overall balance (positive or negative) under each of the PESTLE headings: in the case of t he European brewing There has traditionally been a wide variation of industry structures across Europe. The United Kingdom is fairly competitive. Denmark, Holland, Italy, Belgium and France, on the other hand, have been in near monopoly situations. However, with increasing exports and imports and cross-border acquisitions, national markets are becoming less protected. An interesting issue, then, is at what level to conduct industry structure analysis.If at a European level, the broad issues to consider under each of the five forces are as follows: Buyers: With more than one fifth of beer sold through supermarkets, and increasing resort to ‘own-label', these buyers are increasingly powerful (underline that buyers are not the ultimate consumers). Suppliers: The high concentration of the packagers suggests that these are becoming increasingly powerful. Substitutes: Wine is clearly a dangerous substitute. New entrants: Internationalization through M and increased trade is introduc ing new entrants into previously protected markets: most countries see increasing imports (Table 2).Enhances-Busch and Gabrielle are two obvious new entrants into Europe. Students might be alerted to the potential threat of Toasting and the other Chinese brewers. Although not prominent in the case, there is still the potential of small new brewers entering using micro-breweries or contract brewers (e. G. Cobra). Rivalry: falling demand, international entrants and over-capacity obviously increase the scope for rivalry. However, note that sales values are rising, that innovation and branding can mitigate price-competition, that there has been a history of price-fixing cartels, and that leading players are attempting consolidation through M.It might be useful to ask the students to compare industry concentration ratios in 2000 and 2009: that is, the share accounted for the top three or five players (Table 3). As ever, it is important to draw conclusions. On balance, the European brewin g industry does not seem attractive, and unlikely to become more so until the current round of consolidation is completed and brewers achieve greater leverage against their buyers and suppliers. Impact on Particular Brewing Companies The three companies are chosen to represent different types of ‘player'. A-B Ellen is the largest player, after a succession of spectacular mergers.It is remarkable how the company is withdrawing from fast-growing China and Eastern Europe, however. Greene King is tiny in comparison to A-B Ellen, with Just one key domestic market, the United Kingdom. However, domestic focus and its own pubs may be giving it a strongly defended local position. You might ask whether there are competitors who might be tempted to buy such a company. Tossing Tao is the wild-card here. It is strong in its booming home market, but it is also interested in moving overseas. But would it make Europe a priority region for expansion, or choose another market?

How Does the Writer of This Text Use Language and Grammar Essay

The author uses jargon, puns and compound sentences to shape his readers response. This is done by paying attention to his audience which is the readers of the Metro, which are public transport users. Also to his purpose which is to entertain his audience. Puns are used to give a light-hearted effect to entertain his audience. This is evident where the author says â€Å"A new musical talent spreads his wings†. This provides entertainment to his readers in the form of comedy. Additionally the words he uses acts as a metaphor, yet in this case the phrase is quite literal as he is talking about a fly. This quite an effective pun. The use of puns provides amusement to his audience and by placing this pun at the beginning of this article it makes the reader intrigued to read on. Furthermore puns are used throughout the article to keep the reader engaged. Jargon is used also as a way to present his readers with photography knowledge. He uses a quote from the photographer which says â€Å"†¦to give a refreshing view on insect marco-photography†. By using this the author gives the public a small insight to what technology goes into taking these photos. This uses of jargon also presents another purpose as it shows the photographer of these fly photos to be a professional within this business. Also that it makes it easier for people who know about the subject to follow, as specialized terms can be used without losing information. This is useful as he has a very wide audience and some may understand these terms. The use of compound sentences adds more detail and information. The author says â€Å"Nearly all the photographs of Mr Fly, whose first name was Gerald, were taken in Mr Hendrickx’s bedroom, using mostly natural light and a small eight megapixel camera.† By saying this the author adds more richness to the sentence and therefore by doing so adds more information to his readers. By adding more information the author can entertain his audience which are on the public transport on their journeys. Furthermore that by using compound  sentences it is more effective in creating a balance between two important pieces of information, thereby leaving the reader with a better understanding of the article. To conclude by using all this techniques the author of the text can keep his audience engaged and entertained while reading his article and furthermore provide them with information which they may not of known prior.

Canadian Remembrance Day Quotes

Canadian Remembrance Day Quotes In 1915, Canadian soldier  John McCrae wrote a poem called In Flanders Fields. McCrae had served in the Second Battle of Ypres in Flanders, Belgium. He wrote In Flanders Fields after a friend died in battle  and was buried with a simple wooden cross as a marker. The poem describes similar graves on the fields of Flanders, fields that were once alive with red poppies but were now filled with the bodies of dead soldiers. The poem also highlights one of the ironies of war- that soldiers must die so that a nation of people may live. As is the case with most of the British Commonwealth countries,  Remembrance Day in Canada is celebrated on November 11. To mark the occasion, Canadians observe a minute of silence and visit memorials to honor the soldiers who died for their country. The poppy symbolizes  Remembrance Day, and some people wear the flower as a sign of respect. At the National War Memorial, a ceremony is held to honor the soldiers. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also an important landmark where people show their respect. Canada has always been known for its peaceful people, vibrant culture, and beautiful countryside. But even more than that, Canada is known for its patriotism. On Remembrance Day, salute those patriotic men and women who have served their nation by reading some of the quotes  below. John McCrae In Flanders Fields, the poppies blowBetween the crosses, row on row,That mark our place; and in the skyThe larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard amid the guns below. Jose Narosky In war, there are no unwounded soldiers. Aaron Kilbourn The dead soldiers silence sings our national anthem. Thomas Dunn English But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, is their monument today, and for aye. Joseph Drake And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldiers tomb, and beauty weeps the brave. Agnes Macphail Patriotism is not dying for ones country, it is living for ones country. And for humanity. Perhaps that is not as romantic, but its better. John Diefenbaker I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind. Pierre Trudeau Our hopes are high. Our faith in the people is great. Our courage is strong. And our dreams for this beautiful country will never die. Lester Pearson Whether we live together in confidence and cohesion; with more faith and pride in ourselves and less self-doubt and hesitation; strong in the conviction that the destiny of Canada is to unite, not divide; sharing in cooperation, not in separation or in conflict; respecting our past and welcoming our future. Paul Kopas Canadian nationalism is a subtle, easily misunderstood but powerful reality, expressed in a way that is not  state-directed- something like a beer commercial or the death of a significant Canadian figure. Adrienne Clarkson We only need to look at what we are really doing in the world and at home and well know what it is to be Canadian.

Free Essays on Fire Safety At The Ocean Deck

The Ocean Deck Bar and Restaurant is a staple in the Daytona Beach community. Located on the beach at 127 South Ocean Avenue, the ocean deck provides many customers with an exciting array of food, drink and activities. Other than the social atmosphere at this Caribbean themed restaurant, Fire protection is also on the priority list of its proprietors. The Ocean Deck is a 2 story structure whose primary building material is wood. The upstairs primarily serves as a restaurant while the downstairs serves it’s purpose as a full bar and entertainment area, including a stage for karaoke and bands and a dance floor. During the warmer times of the year, the ocean facing doors of the bar and restaurant are opened to allow for its customers to enjoy the beach while enjoying the facilities. There are five (5) exits spread throughout the building, which provide an easy route for escape in case of an emergency. All exits are properly marked and are kept unobstructed by employees of the establishment nightly. The exits are also well lit, and are supplied with only outward swinging doors to make exiting the building as easy as possible. After speaking with Robert Bergen, an employee of the Ocean Deck’s night shift, we found that fire emergencies are not to be handled by the employees. The employees are informed where to direct patrons in a time of an emergency. They are also knowledgeable in the location of handheld fire extinguishers and manual alarm system actuators. Robert also informed us that during the night shift, when the bar is mostly crowded, the employees must take extra caution due to the fact that many patrons have been consuming alcoholic beverages, which can hinder their ability to act responsibly in the event of an emergency. (Bergen, 2004) To make the Ocean Deck safer and more enjoyable they have put into place, a 177 person maximum occupancy. Although this limit is effective, overcrowding can still become a ... Free Essays on Fire Safety At The Ocean Deck Free Essays on Fire Safety At The Ocean Deck The Ocean Deck Bar and Restaurant is a staple in the Daytona Beach community. Located on the beach at 127 South Ocean Avenue, the ocean deck provides many customers with an exciting array of food, drink and activities. Other than the social atmosphere at this Caribbean themed restaurant, Fire protection is also on the priority list of its proprietors. The Ocean Deck is a 2 story structure whose primary building material is wood. The upstairs primarily serves as a restaurant while the downstairs serves it’s purpose as a full bar and entertainment area, including a stage for karaoke and bands and a dance floor. During the warmer times of the year, the ocean facing doors of the bar and restaurant are opened to allow for its customers to enjoy the beach while enjoying the facilities. There are five (5) exits spread throughout the building, which provide an easy route for escape in case of an emergency. All exits are properly marked and are kept unobstructed by employees of the establishment nightly. The exits are also well lit, and are supplied with only outward swinging doors to make exiting the building as easy as possible. After speaking with Robert Bergen, an employee of the Ocean Deck’s night shift, we found that fire emergencies are not to be handled by the employees. The employees are informed where to direct patrons in a time of an emergency. They are also knowledgeable in the location of handheld fire extinguishers and manual alarm system actuators. Robert also informed us that during the night shift, when the bar is mostly crowded, the employees must take extra caution due to the fact that many patrons have been consuming alcoholic beverages, which can hinder their ability to act responsibly in the event of an emergency. (Bergen, 2004) To make the Ocean Deck safer and more enjoyable they have put into place, a 177 person maximum occupancy. Although this limit is effective, overcrowding can still become a ...

Capitalism versus Socialism Essay Example for Free

Capitalism versus Socialism Essay Budget deficit is just one of the many factors that negatively affect the provision of most of the government projects in the society. Without the sufficient amount of government funds, building of infrastructures and other public goods would be delayed or underprovided. As we can remember, there are some goods and services that can only be provided efficiently if the government is the one who supply it instead of the private firms to protect the rights and welfare of the consumer group. If there exist under provision of these public goods, the societal welfare would negatively be affected. In this regard, there is a question on whether what should prevail in our economy, capitalism or socialism? One may say that this debate between capitalism and socialism is already a cliche, but we cannot set aside the arguments and points of each side which could give us guide us in understanding what is happening in the real world. Let me discuss first capitalism. Capitalism promotes the concentration of the government in the provision of security in the society and not to intervene in the business world. Some capitalists say that, with the intervention of the government, person who wants to establish a business enterprise is being deprived due to the policies that are being implemented by the government. For instance, legal monopoly that was given by the government to some companies hinders other people from starting their own water/electric company. This failure of other people to start their own utility business, as capitalists believe, is a violation to their freedom. Socialism, on the other hand, is extremely the opposite of the capitalists thinking. Here, government intervention is very much welcome and the society is recognizing the ability of the government to efficiently handle companies and to equally distribute whatever the goods or service that they produce to their citizens. One good example to this is the provision of government of medical services and education. Since not all individuals can afford the costs of schooling provided by private firms, what the government does is they establish public schools charging at a minimum amount. As for the medical services, the government establishes public hospitals and clinics that would provide its citizens cheaper medical services and medicines for less capable people. With this, the basic right of human, to have education and access to medical services, is being fulfilled by the government. The reason why government provides efficient goods and services is due to the fact that they are providing the said goods and services at a reasonable price unlike private firms, especially monopolists, that charges above what is socially acceptable price. Now, based from the points of these two ideologies, therefore, it depends on the situation if whether a certain government intervention is good to the society. If the government interferes in the market in order to protect the welfare of its citizens, then, there is no room for capitalists to say that they are being deprived by the government to put their own business. In addition to that, establishing another utility business, like electric company, would be very costly due to the high fixed costs that they must face. This is the reason why it would be efficient if only one would continue ‘monopolize’ the production of electricity in the country. In this regard, if there would be an under provision of public goods like education, electricity, medical services and security due to budget deficit of the government; societal welfare would surely be greatly devastated. More people would be deprived with their basic human rights and might suffer to private firm’s abusing power. Only during instances wherein the private firms abuses their power and charge high to their customer by providing inelastic goods the government initiate actions to regulate the situation. Good Economics versus Good Politics One could say that an act promotes good economics if it aims for the maximization of the satisfaction of the society or market (Sharma, 2007). On the other hand, one could say that an act promotes good politics if it is backed up by a good policy for the welfare of the majority. Most of the analysts say that good economics leads to good politics and vice versa. Others believe that it’s the other way around. The point of the latter is that, making policies that promotes the no personal interest would lead to good economics since promoting the interest of the majority is tantamount to saying that they are maximizing the satisfaction of the society or they are after for the optimal level of societal welfare (Gittins, 2004). In order for each of the said ideals to exists, it must ensure the survival of one another. It seems hard for the politicians to set aside their personal political interest for the public interest but it should be done in order to attain what is really best for the economy and for the country. One way to promote the public interest is to lessen the burdens being imposed to the public like- tax (Gruen, 2007). Minimizing the tax rate would require a long battle and endless debate but the thing is, if all of the politicians would set aside their personal interest everything is possible for the government and they could act efficiently for the betterment of the economy. In this regard, there is no point arguing what is the best for the society- good economics or good politics, since one is needed for the existence of the other. Invisible Hand Principle Advocated by Adam Smith, invisible hand supports capitalist’s view. According to Adam Smith, the government must not intervene in the market and focus only on providing security and justice system to the society. They also believe that government lessens the societal welfare with their imposition of taxes. Taxes just add up to the operational costs of the businesses that in turn being passed to the consumers. In short, the burden of the taxes that are being imposed by the government goes to the end consumers. Adam Smith believes that market systems has its own mechanism to ‘heal’ itself and move back again towards the equilibrium condition even without the intervention of the government. By satisfying the ‘selfish’ motives of producers and consumers, they are unconsciously helping each other. Therefore, increasing the taxes rate collection of the government to cover the budget deficit would be an unwise idea since it would only add up to the burden of the consumers or the public. Government intervention must have the right timing and, as much as possible, impose less burden to the consumers. As what have been cited a while ago, government intervention depends on the situation and the condition between the private firms and the consumer group. Government intervention would only be sufficient if it uplifts the welfare of the consumer group with less negative effects on the private firms. But as for the increasing tax rate scenario, it seems that, although unintentionally, the government negatively affects the welfare of the consumer group while leaving the private firms unharmed since they only pass the taxes to the consumers. In this case, it would be better if the government let the ‘invisible hand’ or the free market system to put back into order the economy. Production Possibilities Curve There are some instances wherein private firms are being restricted in passing the added costs of government intervention to their consumers. Like for instance, the imposition of tariff on importers, tariff is another income generating activities of the government aside from taxation. With the extra expenses of the importers on every unit of goods that they are importing to the country, they can now only afford to buy less of the said imported goods depending on their allotted budget. In this scenario, the business would be producing below its production possibilities curve or PPF. This means that with the existence of higher tariffs on imported goods needed by local industries, the companies could only buy fewer imported raw materials and, therefore, producing fewer number of finished products than with the optimal level of production. This situation is treated to be inefficient, but since tariff is a form of income generation of the government, the only thing that the government could do is to find the efficient level of tariff rate wherein businesses could still produce closely to their PPF. With this, the value of the efficiency that is lost from the private firms would be justified and would return to them in a form of infrastructures in a form of roads and bridges which could alleviate the efficiency of their operation. In reality, it is pretty hard to produce within the PPF due to the existence of various intervening variables and tariff is one of them. The least thing that businesses could do is to produce closer to their PPF or their optimal level of production based on their capacity and capability. Opportunity Costs With the possibility of under provision of important government services, the government cannot afford to make it happen due to the high opportunity costs involved in the case. The government might forego the value of the welfare of its citizens in exchange of the improvement of the welfare of the corporations. If the welfare of the corporations and consumer group is to be calculated, the welfare of the consumer group is surely larger than with the welfare of the corporations in the market; and in the first place, it is the duty of the government to protect and prioritize the safety and welfare of the majority- citizens of their country. Just imagine the number of students that might stop schooling with the cutting of the budget for education; the number of sick and less capable citizens that only relies on the help of the government for cheaper medical services and/or medicines from public hospitals and clinics. To make the situation worst, the government prioritizes the welfare of Iraqis than with its own citizen. It was aired in the news that the government raised the amount of budget for the ‘peace keeping role’ of the government to Iraqi people. It is not bad to help other people, but ‘think first about the welfare of your own people before the others’ since that is the right thing to do. The point here is that, the reason why the government suffers to budget deficit is due to their wrong priorities. The government must not set aside the welfare of its citizen since it would bail them higher opportunity costs. Capitalism versus Socialism. (2017, Jan 27).

Are Solar Panels Cost Effective in Massachusetts Research Paper

Are Solar Panels Cost Effective in Massachusetts - Research Paper Example These incentives include tax credits, improvements in household asset valuation, cost reductions stemming from higher demand and supply capabilities by licensed installers, and even rebates that provide instant cost recovery on solar photovoltaic system installation. Because of Massachusetts’ total basket of potential incentives, solar panels are not only cost effective, but can provide long-term financial benefits for consumers and businesses that can relatively quickly recoup the initial costs of installation. Why Solar Panels are Cost Effective in Massachusetts Solar photovoltaic cells are installed either on the rooftops of homes and businesses or as ground-level panels depending on the wattage required by the user and their available square footage or acreage. Most consumers install five kilowatt-capable solar panels which will require 500 square feet of available space in order to install this efficient system (Boston Solar, 2011). Typically, this type of solar energy sy stem will completely remove dependency on standard electric utilities which allows the consumer to be 100% self-reliant in electric energy production. Such a system ranges, in general, between $20,000 and $27,500 before considering any incentive enhancements. There are, however, less efficient solar packages that produce significantly less energy output and will force the consumer to be partially reliant on power production from their local utility companies to supplement solar-produced output. Despite this initial high cost of installation, it is estimated that a five kilowatt solar photovoltaic system will generate enough electricity to power the entire home and be equivalent to $2,200 in savings on annual electricity costs (Local Solar Panels, 2009). Thus, in one year, a $20,000 system provides a return on investment, before considering incentives, at 11 percent. Now, many consumers are turned away from installing a solar panel system due to the initial expenditure required. Not many consumers can readily afford such a high price for solar panel installation and will be forced to procure financing options (e.g. second mortgage or home mortgage refinancing) in order to have the system installed. Despite this, there are significant long-run advantages for having their own solar energy production system that are provided by the Federal government and Massachusetts government that enhance the initial 11 percent return on investment. The state of Massachusetts has created a Commonwealth State Rebate that provides consumers with up to $8,500 in repayments when installing a solar system with higher output levels. This rebate system was established in 2010 in order to entice consumers to consider installation. In fact, demand for the program was so very high that the program ran out of its initial funding capabilities, requiring Massachusetts government to provide an additional $222 million in funding over the initial budget of just $108 million (Boston Solar, 2011 ). With potential rebates of up to $8,500, the Commonwealth Rebate System now maintains the capability to increase return on investment from 11 percent to 53.5 percent, thus recapturing over half of the initial installation costs for the system. In 2008, the Federal gover

Global Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global Economy - Essay Example The new structural adjustment programme (SAP) and economic policy usually foretell environmental effect without precision due to the multifaceted interaction of different ecological, political, social, and economic forces. This will result in an adverse effect on ecological balance. The overexploitation of natural resources caused by greater demand and the destruction of ecological systems because of rapid population increase has a severe effect on the environment. Thus the notion of sustainable development emerged, which denotes a method of human growth wherein resource use aspires to satisfy human needs while protecting the sustainable performance of the environment or the ecosystem, so that the needs of both the present and future generations will be met. Globalisation is definitely changing the global environment. Some believe that globalisation has a favourable effect on sustainable development, as a phenomenon of growth and higher living standards. It cultivates economic development and supportive organisations, both needed in the long term to deal with the global environment. Others view globalisation’s effect as detrimental, as a phenomenon reducing the world into a swamp of environmental deterioration. It is speeding up the disastrous process of overexploitation of natural resources without regard for social justice or equality. These two strands of argument are both valid. Globalisation is characterised by multifaceted and div erse groups of overlying mechanisms. Unavoidably, there will be diverse and on occasion intersecting outcomes for the global environment. Despite the capabilities of globalisation toward economic integration it contributed to inequality leading to greater environmental effects like desertification, biodiversity, conservation of the ozone layer, and climate change. In general, pollution, depletion of the ozone layer,

Disease and Conditions of the Circulatory System Essay

Disease and Conditions of the Circulatory System - Essay Example Tablets should be counted daily and every attack should be noted and reported to the doctor/physician. If you are using the transdermal Ointment, squeeze the prescribed dose to the applicator then spread it in a thin layer on the patch. Then put the patch on the skin surfaces without hair. Finally cover and wrap with secure tape. The ointment should not touch your fingers. Keep changing the areas of application to avoid inflammation. Store the container in a cool dry place. The Hypertensive heart disease is a number of combined complications of the systematic arterial hypertension or high blood pressure affecting the heart. There is hypertensive heart disease with heart failure and that without. It is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and and ischemic heart disease. It is caused by chronically elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the pressure of the blood vessels, making the heart to work harder while pumping blood. The heart muscles thicken and the left ventricle of the heart is enlarged. The heart can no longer pump the amounts of blood it could before. This leads to the thickening of the blood vessel walls .It accounts for 90% of the cases of hypertension in adults. Framingham conducted a study that showed that the disease accounts for a quarter of the heart failure cases. It has been common in the elderly. Its preference is high due to the many reported cases of blood pressure today. Due to societal anxieties, more and more people are being diagnosed with blood pressure a risk factor of the heart disease. This inturn makes more people prone due to the heredity factor. Leisure activities like smoking and not eating healthy also have led to the increase in the rate of prevalence. Other contributing risk factors include obesity and diabetes which are on the rise daily. The prevalence can be reduced by people living healthier lifestyles and avoiding smoking, eating healthy and exercising. One should

Expensive products that are not in the reach of the masses Case Study

Expensive products that are not in the reach of the masses - Case Study Example Any marketing campaign will need to set the groundwork for yak milk benefits rather than Land 'o Lake branded yak milk features. i. The team of professionals working on the project is experienced, and has the expertise required. Simultaneously, the local Chinese team of Dr Wu and Mr. Dongzhou is a very suitable partner, as they have the government contacts; the local perspective and the experience of working in the country that the team can count on to formulate a successful and far-reaching campaign. Further to the fact that Dr. Wu and Mr. Dongzhou have good government contacts, the political structure of the country is such that if the right officials are on board and are agreeable to the project, the campaign has better chances of success. ii. The government is interested in developing the Tibetan region and has been working on developing the infrastructure to empower the impoverished herdsmen. Thus the team will have the government's support on its side if the team and the local partners lobby it with the officials as being a tool to improve the lives of the poor in that region. The team can promote the idea to the government that by selling their cattle's milk, the herdsmen will be provided a viable opportunity for conducting business and raising the standard of living in the region. The disadvantages of alternative #1 i. Even though the team from Land ' o Lakes has local partners, the team itself has relatively little experience of working in developing countries and therefore it will be difficult for them to truly grasp the nuances of local culture. ii. The advertising campaigns currently being undertaken are well developed and sophisticated, given this context, the yak milk project will have a very slight to nil margin of error in depicting local tastes and selling the brand as a foreign product, given that consumers view foreign goods as being of better quality. 2. The advantages and disadvantages of option 2 are: Advantages : i. Catering to a niche market is simpler and will allow for testing the viability of the brand with advantage of having lower losses in case the product fails to make an impact. ii. As it is an acquired taste, yak milk, if catered to such a market will not need marketing or sales push as much as it would need if it was catered to the mass consumer. Disadvantages i. Niche market consumers will be hard to target as their demographics and geography are not restricted to a certain class of households. Given this, targeted marketing campaigns pertaining to consumers' tastes will be difficult through conventional means therefore the campaign will have to be restrictive and yet catering to common tastes. ii. Targeting niche consumers will limit the brand's potential as there might be prospects for yak's milk for the general market. Recommendations: Recommend alternative #1, because catering to the mass market will also target consumer with the acquired taste and will also help create mass awareness about the nutritional value of the milk being superior to that of cow's milk. Further to the alternative, targeting

Campaign of Underground Workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Campaign of Underground Workers - Essay Example According to Kaufman (2004), industrial relations have three faces which include science building, problem solving and the ethical face. Science building involves understanding the employment relationship and its institutions. Problem solving entails designing policies to and institutions so as to enhance the relationship while ethical face is concerned with the principles of employment relationship. In any relationship, there are bound to be conflicts hence in the employment relationship, conflicts are inevitable and it is the role of management to devise ways of ensuring they are dealt with in an appropriate manner to avoid consequences such as strikes and lock-outs. There are three management perspectives regarding conflicts in organizations. The unitarist perspective views conflict as irrational and illegitimate hence does not recognize the role of unions. The pluralist perspective recognizes the existence of different interests among stakeholders hence conflict is inevitable. Th e radicalist perspective, on the other hand, is f the view that conflict in organizations is as a result of inequalities in income and wealth distribution hence recognizes different forms of eliminating or reducing conflict (Kaufman, 2004). The system of management thus determines the king of employment relationship in the workplace; some organizations are unionisable while others prefer a direct relationship with employees as it is a management prerogative. Poor industrial relations can lead to industrial action in the form of strikes, lock-outs, walkouts among others and may hinder organization efficiency and productivity. The paper will discuss the effect of strike action on employment relationship with reference to London underground workers campaigns during the 1990s. To understand industrial relations in Britain and the effects of strike actions on employment relationship, it is important to understand the historical evolution of industrial relations in Britain. Edward (2003a) acknowledges that industrial relations in Britain began as early as 1920s followed by personnel management practices and later human resource management in 1980s. The IR thus has undergone various transformations shaped by social, political and economic factors. British IR was voluntarism in nature guided by free-market principles; an organization can decide to unionize staff though collective organizations and uniting in strike action was regarded as a restraint to the free market therefore, those found guilty of conspiracy were liable to fines, imprisonment, and deportation (Hyman, 2003). Contrary to practices in other countries, in Britain there was no right to strike or to organize in an attempt to make demands to the management, only immunities were available in some areas. The immunities were also contradictory in nature as they gave employees power which in reality was limited by equal entitlements to the employer. For example, employees were free to join unions but the mana gement was also free to dismiss anyone for joining the union. Collective bargaining was allowed but the management had the discretion to decide which issues to negotiate and which ones to refuse. The employees were also in breach of their employment contracts if they engaged in strike action but at the same time, it was lawful to call a strike. The employers were also reluctant and unwilling to

Aviation Spare parts supply chain management optimisation at Cathay Case Study

Aviation Spare parts supply chain management optimisation at Cathay - Case Study Example An efficient cost reducing solution to the problem of supply chain management optimisation has been suggested from a new perspective based on integer linear programming formulation by introducing a new algorithm to the rotable part, which can be applied to the whole inventory. For this purpose, calculation has been made through Viscalc application with iterative probability computation to prove the worth of the solution in reducing cost of inventory. Report findings point to the need of changing obsolete technology used through Ultramain and update it through currently available dynamic applications, as Ultramain was acquired for handling technical log process and for general maintenance management only. Based on the integer linear programming, the significance of the optimisation of the inventory, particularly of T category rotable parts like engine of the aircraft, is shown to be very crucial to attain. The subject of logistics and supply chain management has attained significant importance due to globalisation of business functions. No industry can manage to achieve cost efficiency and high performance levels without investing specialist resources to leverage from better supply chain management functions. Likewise, significance of supply chain management theories and their application in aviation business of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, one of the topmost successful business stories in the airways industry, has been felt by the management of Cathay Pacific, as derived from the case study. Cathay Pacific Airways Limited stands on a high pedestal in the matter of performance and customer patronage among the world’s leading airlines. It is a financially sound commercial airline. Cathay Pacific has successfully been voted â€Å"Airline of the Year† organised by Skytrax Research in 2005 and awarded â€Å"Airline of the Year† in 2006 by the Air Transport World magazine. For maintaining its profit

Campaign of Underground Workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Campaign of Underground Workers - Essay Example According to Kaufman (2004), industrial relations have three faces which include science building, problem solving and the ethical face. Science building involves understanding the employment relationship and its institutions. Problem solving entails designing policies to and institutions so as to enhance the relationship while ethical face is concerned with the principles of employment relationship. In any relationship, there are bound to be conflicts hence in the employment relationship, conflicts are inevitable and it is the role of management to devise ways of ensuring they are dealt with in an appropriate manner to avoid consequences such as strikes and lock-outs. There are three management perspectives regarding conflicts in organizations. The unitarist perspective views conflict as irrational and illegitimate hence does not recognize the role of unions. The pluralist perspective recognizes the existence of different interests among stakeholders hence conflict is inevitable. Th e radicalist perspective, on the other hand, is f the view that conflict in organizations is as a result of inequalities in income and wealth distribution hence recognizes different forms of eliminating or reducing conflict (Kaufman, 2004). The system of management thus determines the king of employment relationship in the workplace; some organizations are unionisable while others prefer a direct relationship with employees as it is a management prerogative. Poor industrial relations can lead to industrial action in the form of strikes, lock-outs, walkouts among others and may hinder organization efficiency and productivity. The paper will discuss the effect of strike action on employment relationship with reference to London underground workers campaigns during the 1990s. To understand industrial relations in Britain and the effects of strike actions on employment relationship, it is important to understand the historical evolution of industrial relations in Britain. Edward (2003a) acknowledges that industrial relations in Britain began as early as 1920s followed by personnel management practices and later human resource management in 1980s. The IR thus has undergone various transformations shaped by social, political and economic factors. British IR was voluntarism in nature guided by free-market principles; an organization can decide to unionize staff though collective organizations and uniting in strike action was regarded as a restraint to the free market therefore, those found guilty of conspiracy were liable to fines, imprisonment, and deportation (Hyman, 2003). Contrary to practices in other countries, in Britain there was no right to strike or to organize in an attempt to make demands to the management, only immunities were available in some areas. The immunities were also contradictory in nature as they gave employees power which in reality was limited by equal entitlements to the employer. For example, employees were free to join unions but the mana gement was also free to dismiss anyone for joining the union. Collective bargaining was allowed but the management had the discretion to decide which issues to negotiate and which ones to refuse. The employees were also in breach of their employment contracts if they engaged in strike action but at the same time, it was lawful to call a strike. The employers were also reluctant and unwilling to

Rational Choice Theory Essay Example for Free

Rational Choice Theory Essay A Significant theory to me will be the Rational Choice theory. This theory explains how people make decisions by seeking the most cost-effective means to achieve a specific goal without reflecting on the worthiness of that goal; to maximize personal advantage by weighing costs against benefits without moral or ethical values. It is a popular theory as it is an efficient system that explains and predicts a behavior of a person, and to larger extent, a collective group of people. Understanding this theory would allow a person to understand quickly how decisions are made, and the impact of the decisions on a society — how it functions and performs economically. Based on this theory, people’s measured decisions are often calculated based on financial benefits and costs. Singapore, by and large, has functioned on this theory, which has benefited from this tool of measurement and prospered since the days of nation building. However, this theory will work perfectly only if everyone in the society shares the same values, had perfect information, and the ability to make the most rational decisions at any point in time. People living in a society with homogenous values, such as Singapore, have similar behavioural patterns, which enable this theory to work. However, on a global scale, this theory will no longer work as peoples’ values are varied and culturally diverse. The most rational choice for one man might be an irrational choice for another. And when this occurs, there will be unpredictability and the results that follow can be disastrous. The Great Financial Crisis is a good example of the rational choice theory gone awry. Financial institutions’ goal is to maximize profits. To maximize profits, financial institutions have to find ways to create profits. One of these methods was to get creative with offering mortgage to people who wanted to own homes. Credit terms were made easy and the securities in place to safeguard the process were ignored. These consolidated loans were sold to big investment banks which resold them as securities offering high returns. Credit agencies working for these investment banks told investors’ that securities were safe. Selling a financial product based on a large group on loans was supposed to limit the risk if a few loans went bad. However, a large number of loans, later known as toxic, were borro wed by individuals with no financial means. Furthermore, many of these loans were offered in the form of adjustable rate mortgage, which started out with an initial period of low interest rate, and later ballooned up to three times the initial rate. All these borrowers were saddled with a monthly mortgage payment way beyond their monthly income. To make matters worse, the sprint to own a house on such easy terms had created a housing bubble, causing house prices to escalate astronomically. This phenomenon further pushed people to borrow way beyond their means. Consequently, millions of homeowners were unable to repay their mortgage loans. The financial institutions disregarded moral and ethical values to draw up shady credit schemes. Consolidated mortgages were bundled in with the toxic ones and resold for profits. Individuals felt the need to buy a house simply because everyone else was buying a house without the discretion of affordability and the hyper-inflated housing prices. Ea ch acted on imperfect knowledge to maximize personal benefits and disregard moral and ethical values. Rational choice theory can be an efficient method as a decision-making tool to attain goals, but it is definitely too simple an application on a macro context. To make a good decision, one has to balance cost-benefit analysis with moral and cultural factors.

Religion Essays Diversity of Religious Cultures

Religion Essays Diversity of Religious Cultures The impact of immigration greatly affected the diversity of religious cultures and traditions in Australia The impact of immigration greatly affected the diversity of religious cultures and traditions in Australia. It dramatically increased in some groups and causes a decline in others, because of the introduction of new denominations. Before 1945, Australia was predominantly a Christian based society, lacking diversity. The impact admidst the Second World War led to an increase in the Orthodox churches and several branches of Christianity. The abolishment of the White Australian Policy (1970s) meant that Australia was freely open to various peoples from other countries seeking migration to Australia. As a result of this more Africans, Asians and Middle Easterns were able to migrate, most of which brought new religious denominations such as Islam, Hindiusm, Buddhism etc. Prior to 1945, Australia’s religious landscape was mostly dominated by Christians- mostly Catholics and Anglicans. Even within Christians, Anglicans dominated more in numbers as they were supported by the government and held some social authority. However, the aftermath of WW2 with the refugees seeking new lives enabled Jews to come to Australia- which contributed in increasing the number of Jewish adherents in Australia. Also, the slogan ‘populate of perish’ in the 50s- 60s enabled other Europeans to immigrate to Australia, hence increasing the number of Orthodox Christians. Although since 1945, Christianity still outnumbered other religions in Australia, the drop of the White Australian Policy in the early 70s allowed immigration from non- Christian countries such as: Asia, India, Africa and Middle East- bringing religions Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam into Australia. This not only shapes the current religious landscape of Australia having diverse religions other than Christianity, but also effected the rate of Christianity to drop to 67.9% out of the whole population of Australia. Changing patterns of religious adherence 20 percent of Australians are non religious From 1996-2001 > dramatic increase in Islam, Buddhism, Hindu and Judaism Due to the abolishment of the white Australian policy immigration increased. After 1976 the Methodist church seized to exist. After 1976 the two new Christian denominations arose in Australia > Pentecostal church the uniting church in 1981. Christianity as the major religious tradition Originally migration came from Irland / Britain Immigration 14 orthodox denominations in Australia Abolishment of white Australian policy. Denominational switching Within protestant or Anglican denominations people are very prepared two switch denominations. 1991 the church life survey shows that 29% of people had switched in the last 5 years. Reasons for switching is because; New comers joining or rejoining after a number of years. Rise of new age religions: New Age teachings became popular during the 1970s Often use mutually exclus ive definitions for some of their terms A free-flowing spiritual movement Secularism: the belief that religion should not be involved with the ordinary social and political activities of a country. from 1788 to the present day, regular church attendance has increased from 10% to 20%. People who associate themselves with no-religion in the census rose from 7% in 1971 to 16% in 2001. The ANU survey showed 42% of responses believed religion was not important. Outline changing patterns of religious adherence from 1945 to the present using census data There have been significant declines in the number of Christians regularly attending religious services. This decline is most evident in the Anglican Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Uniting Church. The drop in the figures for these three denominations represents both a decrease in the percentage of those who are affiliated with that denomination as well as a decline in actual numbers over the last decade. The proportion of Orthodox Christians in Australia grew rapidly after the Second World War and has remained quite constant over the past decade. Roman Catholics have continued to increase both numerically and as a percentage of the population, and have overtaken Anglicans as the largest denomination in Australia. Pentecostal figures have demonstrated strong growth both numerically and as a percentage of the population since the 1960s. In the last ten years however, this steep ascent appears to have slowed down and reached a plateau. The significant drop in the numbers of people regularly attending religious services should be read in conjunction with the substantial trend in the increasing numbers of people writing No Religion or Religion Not Stated in the census. The figure for religions other than Christianity, on the whole, appears to be steadily increasing from a fairly small base. Buddhist figures have grown at a steady rate from 1972 onwards and is now the largest religion other than Christianity in Australia. Hinduism has maintained steady growth. The numbers of Muslims in Australia have also increased dramatically since 1945. In 2001 the proportion of Jews was similar to that recorded in 1947. Christianity as the major religious tradition The significant decline in the number of Christians regularly attending religious services, especially in the Anglican, Uniting Church and Presbyterian denominations, can be attributed to the aging population, the lack of migrant intake and the general dissatisfaction impacting on other mainstream Christian groups. Roman Catholics are continuing to increase numerically, though not at the rate of the population because of its younger membership and substantial migrant intake. The significant increases in the Pentecostal figures can be attributed to factors such as the lively nature of its worship, its emphasis on contemporary music, the strong sense of community and spiritual support it provides, the charismatic leaders which lead the congregation and the clear cut answers it provides for times of uncertainty. Pentecostalism is an evangelical (fundamentalist and focused on conversion) and charismatic (a strong emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit) strand of the Christian religion. The slow down in the increase of Pentecostal figures in the last 10 years can be attributed to the revolving door syndrome which recognises that large numbers of Pentecostals remain with the Church for a relatively short period of time and because many Pentecostals were encouraged by their leaders to write Australian Christian Church rather than Pentecostal on the 2001 census. Immigration Changed Australia from being mono-cultural, mono-faith to multi-cultural, multi-faith. Since World War 2 and the lifting of the White Australia policy there has been much more diversity in migration and an accompanying increase in the diversity of religious groupings. Migration after World War 2 led to increased number of Catholics from countries such as Italy, Malta etc. This also increased numbers of Orthodox Christians from Greece and Eastern Europe. After the ending of the White Australian policy in 1972 migration developed from a larger range of countries bringing a wider range of religions. Migration has led to significant increases in the numbers of people who are Buddhist, Muslims, Hindus and Jews. Buddhists came from Indo-Chinese countries Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and in more recent times Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. Muslims came from countries such as Indonesia, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq, Bosnia. Increases have also occurred in Christian denominations where there is a large non-Anglo population Orthodox (Eastern Europe) and Catholic churches (from predominantly Irish to include Mediterranean, Eastern European, Asian, South American, African members). Increased presence of a variety of religious groups has also led to a greater appreciation of this diversity. Denominational switching The vast majority of people affiliated with religious groups in Australia were born into that religion. The phenomena of swapping between denominations or groups of the same religious tradition is known as denominational switching. Denominational switching is more common in Protestant Churches than in the Catholic Church. The majority of Pentecostals have moved from another Protestant denomination to join the Pentecostal group. Pentecostal is the term used to describe Christian denominations which have a strong emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues, healing, prophecy etc). They are often relatively small groups which provides for more personal interaction, they also have lively worship. Pentecostalism is the fastest growing Christian group. Most Pentecostals have switched to the group from another Christian denomination. Many leave again after about 2 years this is known as the revolving door syndrome. Rise of New Age religions Census figures show a considerable level of dissatisfaction with traditional religious groups. Alongside this dissatisfaction is an indication of a strong and growing longing for a spiritual dimension to life. New Age is an umbrella term which refers to a range of alternative and/or pseudo-religious groups that people are attracted to. New Age religions are characterised by their adoption of elements of Eastern religions and their subsequent rejection of traditional Western views, and the fact that it favours creation centred spirituality. Some examples of new age religions are feng shui, yoga, tai chi, astrology, tarot cards, numerology etc. Many people uphold traditional religious beliefs and practices but supplement them with new age elements. Secularism Secularism is the belief that religion should not interfere with or be integrated into the public affairs of a society. There are multiple factors which have contributed to the decline of religions relevance for the integration and legitimation of modern life. The increasing pluralism and materialism of society alongside societys increasing individualism and dissatisfaction with traditional religions are major reasons for secularisation. This trend is most evident in the significant increase in the number of people responding No religion in the census alongside an overall decline in the Christian figures recorded in the census.

The Character of Lennie in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

The Character of Lennie in Of Mice and Men Have you ever read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck? If so, you probably remember Lennie, George's companion. Throughout the novel, Lennie and George dream of having their own farm. They work on a ranch to save money for their dream farm. Lennie is a big, strong, man with rounded features. He is at times very forgetful, absent-minded, and one-dimensional. First of all, Lennie is greatly forgetful. In the beginning of the novel, Lennie kept asking George where they were going (Steinbeck 4). One character, Crooks, takes advantage of his forgetfulness. Because Lennie would forget anything Crooks told him, he was relieved he could talk to somebody without worrying about him telling anybody else. He often forgot what George told him not to do, like talk or even look at Curley's wife. Next to being forgetful, Lennie is absent-minded for a good portion of the novel. He is unaware of what he's doing sometimes until he has done it. For example, he enjoyed to pet soft objects. While living in Weed, he was "petting" a woman's dress and the woman started to scream (Steinbeck 11). Lennie didn't know what he was doing wrong. Once Lennie was given a puppy, he accidentally killed it because he was too rough with it. Eventually, he would kill Curley's wife too by breaking her neck when told he could pet her hair. Again, Lennie did not know what he was doing wrong until it was done. Throughout the novel, there is really only one thing on Lennie's mind, tending to the rabbits once he and George had their farm. After Crooks was done telling Lennie his childhood story, Lennie asks a question about rabbits (Steinbeck 70). This is an example of Lennie having only one thing on his mind.

Early American Literature By Stephen Crane And Robert E. Lee About War :: essays research papers

Early American Literature by Stephen Crane and Robert E. Lee About War American Literature consisted of many well known writers. These writers wrote excellent pieces of literature which are widely read today. These writers wrote about some aspect of American life, and they depicted America very well. Some of these writers are Stephen Crane and Robert E. Lee. Lee wasn't exactly a writer, but he wrote a good piece of literature which really showed the peoples attitude during this time. War was a major topic in American Literature. During this time America was just developing and many wars occurred. The wars affected the people and their everyday lives because many of their loved ones were dying. The Americans didn't like war and they were tired of sending their people out to war. Two authors that conveyed this war time really well were Stephen Crane and Robert E. Lee. Stephen Crane depicted the attitudes of Americans at that time really well. In his poem "War Is Kind" he shows us how tired Americans were of war. This poem is very strong and emotional because he gives us mental images of how horrible war is. In this piece Crane keeps repeated "war is kind". These three words really show how he and other Americans felt about war. He is not saying that war is good. He is saying this in a sarcastic way. For example, he talks about how peoples loved ones are dying. And then later he says "Do not weep. War is Kind." In this poem he really shows us that Americans were really tired of war. In the "Letter to His Son" Robert E. Lee also depicts his attitude, as well as other Americans, towards war very well. Many Americans hated war, but still some were very patriotic. Robert E. Lee was definitely one of them. In this letter he talks about how he hates war but he will fight for his country if he has to. Many Americans at this time felt this way.

Black Slave Owners in the South Essay

As with the accounts by Nichols (1863), when people think of the slavery period in American history, it is normally assumed that the slave owner was white and the slave black. This was true in many cases but the number of free black slave owners was actually higher than most people realize. Black slave owner usually treated family members and friends much better than the other slaves they might own. But even being a family member did not raise the slave above being a commodity. According to Lightner and Ragan (2005), even the black slave owners could not free their slaves so even the ones who purchased family members had to list them as slave purchase. For example, a husband who was born or had managed to become free might buy his wife from the white person who owned her. The husband would thereafter possess his spouse as a slave, not because he wished to keep her in bondage but because the laws of the slave states often made manumission difficult or impossible. Slaves were an investment to their owners and this included the owners who were black themselves. Slavery was inhuman and oppressive but only when it affected a loved one, otherwise, it was a profitable endeavor. According to the 1830 census, roughly 65% of black slave owners bought the slaves for financial reasons with only 8% buying strictly family members and close friends to ensure good treatment and better lives. The 1830 census also named the number of slaves owned by blacks as 10,000 in 4 different states. In 1811, a free black woman named Philis Wells received a $900 loan from Peter Desportes, She got the loan by using her black slave, Mark, as collateral. This was not an uncommon practice. Many black slave owners put up slaves against loans they requested. Mulattos were considered the â€Å"black elite† because of their light complexion and meshed with the whites as much as possible. Treating a slave as anything but a slave would mark you as unworthy to mix with the whites or to enjoy the finer privileges society offered. According to Koger (1985)many other free blacks purchased slaves to use as apprentices for their trade. Moses Brown purchased a young boy for around $300. Moses was a barber by trade and trained the boy to following his footsteps. By the next year, the boy was working as a full barber in Moses shop. Camilla Johnson was a free black pastry cook. She purchased a mulatto name Diana and with Diana’s light coloring, was able to use her as a server at the parties she catered. Freed blacks quickly found that purchasing slaves to train meant an increase in the profits of the business. As Johnson and Roark (1985) explain â€Å"†¦while the mulattos could mix more easily with white society without many questions, darker skinned free blacks had a harder time†. Richard Edward DeReef was one of the richest free black men in Charleston, SC. He owned real estate and had achieved a small fortune. Due to his dark complexion, however, he would have been shunned by the â€Å"black elite† except for his claim of Native American Indian blood. If one claimed Native American blood, many times the complexion was accepted as an indication of this lineage. This did not help the slaves to ascend their station but it was a large help to those free blacks who wished to be part of the mainstream society, accumulate wealth and maintain slaves of their own. In South Carolina in 1860, William Ellison was the largest black slave owner in the state. He had been born into slavery and once freed had begun to accumulate his own slaves. By 1960 he owned 63 slaves, not including the ones owned by his son. According to Grooms (1997) â€Å"Ellison’s major source of income came from his being a â€Å"slave breeder†. Slave breeding was looked upon with disgust and the laws of most southern states forbad the sale of slaves under the age of twelve†, but Ellis made a fortune selling slaves of all ages including babies. Grooms (1997) also states that the majority of black slave owners raised sugar cane and lived in Louisiana. There were a few black slave owners who owned sugar cane plantations. C. Richards and her son P. C. Richards were black slave owners who had 152 slaves working the sugar cane plantation they owned. A large majority of black slave owners were female. This was due to the fact that more female slaves were set free than males. History has shown us that a race enslaving its own people has gone on throughout history, but black slave owners are virtually unheard of in the common histories. Questions for Discussion †¢ Why would someone who had been a former slave and was well aware of the conditions slaves endured justify owning slaves themselves? †¢ Why were the majority of freed slaves’ women? †¢ Why were black slave owners overlooked throughout much of the history of the slave period? References Grooms, R. 1997 Dixie’s Censored Subject: Black Slaveowners, Retrieved January 23, 2007 From the Barnes Review. Website: http://www. americancivilwar. com/authors/black_slaveowner. htm Johnson, M and Roark, J 1985 Black Masters: A Free Family of Color in the Old South New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company,Inc. Koger, L. 1985 Black Slaveowners: Free Black Slave Masters in South Carolina, 1790-1860. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company Lightner, D. L. , & Ragan, A. M. (2005). Were African American Slaveholders Benevolent or Exploitative? A Quantitative Approach. Journal of Southern History Nichols, C. H. (1963). Many Thousand Gone: The Ex-Slaves’ Account of Their Bondage and Freedom. Leiden: E. J. Brill.