Compensation: Limousine Business Operators

Market Evaluation Limousines are an elegant and comfortable means of transport, and are far more preferred than plain rent-a-car arrangements. The car rental business, however, has diversified from the classic black stretch limo to a more diversified and modern vehicle fleet ranging from sedans, limo buses, and even stretch SUV's with huge seating capacities. According to latest data, some 400 million Americans make limousine reservations from car rental firms each year for a variety of reasons: among them airport pick ups and transfers, entertaining business and corporate clients, as well momentous occasions such as weddings, proms and other social gatherings. The huge traffic and short wait for a return on investment has caused more than a few hundred new limousine businesses to emerge every year.Although competition in the limo market is currently stiff, there will always be room for limousine business operators whose aim is to provide top-notch service that give clients value for their money. The average salary for a limousine driver in Austin, Texas, for 2012 was $23,550 or $11.33 per hour. The 50th percentile of pay for a limousine driver in Austin, Texas, was $22,140 or $10.64 per hour. The average limousine company allocates 25% of its budget for salary and benefits.The recent economic recovery and increased consumer demand for limousine service resulted in 61% of limousine services increasing revenue in 2012. Business and professional clients comprise 61% of the customer base for limousine services and should be the target customer base for the company.Compensation Structure Mr. Stonefield compensation structure should reflect the company business plan and goals by placing a priority on customer service, repeat business,  new client referrals, and safety. What the company can afford to pay and implementing programs to reward performance that align employee compensation with the success of the company should be the basis of the compensation structure The compensation structure should keep fixed labor costs low and place emphasis on benefits, incentives, and merit based-pay.

Dublin

Curriculum Vitae Personal: Name: Thomas O Hare Date of birth: 6/7/1991 Address: 26 Church field close Mobile: 0861785352 Skerries Home: 01-8491993 Co. Dublin [email  protected] com Education: Third Level: Dublin Institute of Technology, College of Business, Aungier Street, Dublin 2 2010-2014 B. Sc. n Retail and Services Management Core Subjects: Management Information Technology Economics Accounting Marketing Services Retail Management Corporate Finance Logistics Electives: Marketing Communication’s and Geographic Information Systems (year 3) Second Level: Skerries Community College, Skerries, Co.Dublin 2004-2010 Leaving certificate: Maths (P) B3 Irish (P) B2 English (H) C2 French (P) B2 Home Economics (H) C2 Business (H) B3 History (H) B2 Work Experience: August 2010- Present (seasonal work) Aiken Promotions – Stage worker Duties: As a stage worker with Aiken promotions I was heavily involved with the setting up of and the taking down of the concert stage.This involv es wearing safety equipment while working. Most of the work involved a lot of heavy lifting and long hours. We have to report to our manager in the morning to sign in and also sign out at the end of the day. June 2010- September 2010: Customer Service Attendant – Dundrum Town Centre Duties: I worked as a customer service attendant in the car park in Dundrum Town Centre. My duties were to serve customers to the best of my ability. This sometimes involved showing customers around the shopping centre as a lot of people got lost.My main duties were helping customers out in the car park, replacing tickets at the entrances and exits of the car park and being on hand to report any incidents of anti-social behaviour while also doing my utmost to keep the car park clean. On busy days I had to coordinate traffic coming in and out of the town centre. March 2008- June 2008: Child minder – Skerries Creche Duties: My main duties included looking after and ensuring the welfare of chi ldren aged between one and eight years old.I had to organise games and small events for the children. Skills: Computer Literacy: Highly competent in the following packages Microsoft Word Microsoft PowerPoint Internet Microsoft Excel SPSS Email Language: I have a decent understanding of the Irish and French languages as I studied both of them up until I left secondary school.Hobbies and interests: I have a keen interest in rugby and GAA and have won numerous medals most notably a Leinster League division 1A medal and an all-Ireland Round Robin winning medal with Skerries RFC in 2012. I have also won a minor championship medal with Skerries Harps in 2009. I currently play for Skerries RFC Seniors who compete in division 2b of the Ulster Bank All Ireland League. I also enjoy when I have the time to play rugby for my college DIT. I enjoy cooking and learning about all types of food in general in my spare time as I had affection for it when I studied Home Economics in secondary school.I also try to keep up with current affairs as to not fall to far behind with today’s society. I have huge enthusiasm for music and live gigs, in particular electronica and dance music. I have been too many festivals around Ireland and intend to travel to many more around the world. Referees: Mr Kevin O Riordan [email  protected] ie Principal Skerries Community College Mr Bill Dwan Bill. [email  protected] ie Tutor/Geographic information systems lecturer DIT Aungier Street

Argueing Causes for the Rural Brain Drain in America Research Paper

Argueing Causes for the Rural Brain Drain in America - Research Paper Example This dilemma generates a rural school issue and a consequential community challenge. This paper will focus on the viable financial grounds for America’s rural brain drain as is exposed in the book â€Å"Hollowing out the Middle†. By so doing it will discuss the argument that going to college causes financial weight being put on people to a level that hometown monetary cannot provide good employment to make them go back. It will also discuss the benefit of routing a career via the military to gain complimentary vocational training and an experience in life and how the family traditions play a role. Maria J. Kefalas and Patrick J. Carr in their book â€Å"Hollowing out the Middle† maintain that many young adults who are gifted are departing small towns in the countryside while variations in production and farming have absconded the economic environment bleaker for the people who do not (Chomek par. 11). According to about 200 interviews in Northeast Iowa that were carried out with over 30 people from a town of 2,000 with a farm and factory, Kefalas and Carr consider that exporting young adults is resulting in the population being â€Å"hollowed out† and coming to an end. The results of the interview proved that 40 percent of the people who were interviewed were classified as â€Å"stayers†. These are mostly the working-class children who strived economically; another 20 percent were â€Å"achievers† who were bound by the colleges. Another 10 percent of the interviewers were grouped as seekers who enrolled in the military, and the remaining were grouped as â€Å"returners† who came home in the end (Waters et al. 34). Among the returners is a small group who are classified as the professionals sometimes referred to as high fliers. Kefalas and Carr insist that the small town contribute to their downfall by forcing the best and clever young adults to depart, and by

Essay on team communication and problem solving

On team communication and problem solving - Essay Example Conflicts always arise in families with a common blood running through their veins, between lovers who share intimate moments and even among friends who have the same interests. Therefore, it should be without wonder when conflicts arise among officemates or classmates. Nevertheless, the commonness of conflict should not make one simply shrug his shoulders in the presence of conflict. Resolutions such as communication should be sought. This paper looks deeper into the role of communication in conflict management among team members and suggests ways in which people would come to understand further the use of communication to improve team performances and relationships. Communication is very important in every relationship. Nevertheless, people often get exhausted in their communication with others because their expectations are not met. Instead of having the problems resolved, most people encounter more problems and so many times, the problems actually grow bigger. This is because the y fail to see that their communication is ineffective. ... When one listens, he is able to process what is being said more effectively and in effect, will be able to say the right words or respond correctly. Jeane Segal and Melinda Smith agree with Lay and they also suggest people in conflict to â€Å"listen not only to what is said but also to what is felt†. They emphasize looking deeper into nonverbal communication expressed through facial expressions, posture, gesture, pace, tone and intensity of voice. Indeed, these are very important because emotions are the strong driving forces that make people say the words they speak. Human beings are also emotional beings and they often react to words in accordance to how they feel. For instance, when a person points out to another individual that the dress she is wearing is not fashionable, the other person may take it as an insult toward herself and not as a harmless comment about the dress, although the latter was the intention of the speaker. As a result, a conflict may ensue. Therefore, in addition to verbal communication, non-verbal communication should also be given much attention. The aforementioned authors also suggest that conflicts should be managed through non-verbal communication as well. For example, in the illustration given above, when the person saying the dress is not fashionable utters such with contempt, it could be that she is jealous of the other person. Therefore, instead of being offended and angry, the other person may simply give a reassuring touch that tells the person she does not need to be jealous. In addition, when it comes to team conflicts, members should be open-minded to effectively resolve problems. Kenneth Wallace, a seasoned consultant, speaker

Discussions question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussions question - Essay Example zational structures leads to duties being performed effectively within the organization because there are proper guidelines to do so; proper communication channels and the leaders exercise both authority and power. When an organization has properly working organizational structure, it means that their needs and requirements are properly addressed, they have enough motivation, their work is appreciated and they are heard and their opinions and suggestions sought after (by having a proper working communication channel). This will reduce significantly employee turnover (Madura, 2007). A proper and working organizational structure will increase customer loyalty and even increase the clientele base hence ensuring that employees always have work and their future and job security is ascertained. Organizational structures have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and hence ensure that there is avoidance of role disambiguation and confusion which renders most employees redundant if that happens and hence providing a likelihood of being

Which system will work best for the United States, a carbon cap and Essay

Which system will work best for the United States, a carbon cap and trade system or a straight carbon tax - Essay Example To achieve this, two paths have been proposed, cap-and-trade system and straight carbon tax. Cap and trade system provide limits on the use of fossils, it will require that industries and other main sources of greenhouse emission buy permits from the government so as to be allowed to emit the gases, in those permits they will have to establish the market. Those in support of this method argues that, it will set the limit on the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted, secondly, it is more flexible, it is fair since it will reward companies who try to reduce emission and punish those not reducing emission (Salmon 2007). The second proposed path is straight carbon tax. This gives an outright tax on fossil fuels. With this, the cost of tax is set according to the damage associated with every unit of pollution and cost equivalent to the amount of controlling pollution. Emitting a lot of greenhouse gases means paying more. Those in support of this method argues that, it is simple since it will force the people look for alternative source of energy, secondly, it is enforceable b oth in economic and political environment, and lastly, the method is transparent. The advantage of cap and trade system over straight carbon is that, it has attracted a lot of interest and attention from political, public, and industrialist. The political leaders it has attracted include president Obama, main congress leaders, and environmental crusaders. The industrialists that have attracted include General Electric leadership, Shell oil management, and Duke Energy executives (Salmon 2007). The congress key leaders have vowed to pass cap-and-trade law before the end of the year. The straight carbon tax debate was trashed out by the congress and industrial crusaders went against it claiming that it will be used by the reach and it is like the rich is buying the environment to pollute at their own pleasure. The second strength of

Evaluation Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluation Research - Essay Example Maps, graphs or charts can be used to provide average (mean, mode and median) which is then employed in reporting results of a certain survey or experiment presented in the graphical displays. The mean, mode and median would be quite differing from each other depending on the data presented. Each will present a different result Sometimes graphical displays such as charts and graphs present ordinal data that does not require mean. Mean in this case becomes meaning less and would therefore present misleading information. Some graphs provide misleading information if they don’t provide the right scale which represents the actual variable. The use of magazines and newspapers sometimes give meaningless information with colorful pictures which are simple to represent survey responses and public opinion (Chudler, 2009). Therefore one has to be careful while reading these results. There is need to understand the nature of information being presented what most appropriate approach to present it. One has to be careful while making comparisons and as well use the independent variables to make comparisons. Descriptive statistics are employed in quantitative terms to describe the most significant data collection features. They are distinguished from inferential statistics or inductive statistics in that they target to summarize quantitatively a set of data instead of supporting inferential statements regarding population which are represented by the data. Even when inferential statistical analysis is used to analyze data and draw conclusions more general presentations are done with more formal analyses by use of descriptive statistics to provide the audience with a sense of the analyzed data (Supercourse, 2009). Supercourse (2009) further asserts that examples of descriptive statistics include measure of central tendency, measure of association, measure of dispersion, histogram and cross-tab as well as

Marketing and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing and Strategy - Essay Example Adaptation is essential to an organization's survival in today’s unreceptive business environment. Marketers need to understand what is at the heart of their consumer offering and stay one-step ahead of the competition in terms of delivering it. It is quite evident that with increased globalization and improved technology, there are constant key emerging trends in marketing which are also changing various consumer needs. Marketing is defined as the conceptualization ad delivery of great customer satisfaction. According to Kaplan and Michael (2010), customers are no longer viewed as members of passive audiences rather they are now active participants in marketing processes. Marketing and marketing communication are changing daily. These changes offer a new wave of communication channels to both new and existing markets, which were not evident in the past decade within organizations. Clearly, there have been significant evidence on shift of focus and budget resources allocation into interactive online marketing which is facilitated with increase use of internet. Based on organizational changes across the globe, new theories of marketing have been largely developed such as electronic, social, and environmental and network marketing. These changes in marketing presume changes within consumers’ behaviors and transition towards electronic marketing (Kaplan and Michael 2010). Technology is changing the world past acknowledgment and consumer potential are evolving with it. No industry can afford to rest on its success. In this tough economic climate, small changes are not always enough to sustain a competitive advantage. New marketing models and fresh approaches to customer problems need to emerge rapidly to stay ahead of the competition. Today, the internet is considered one of the biggest forums. Kaplan and Michael (2010) assert that, there is a new change in marketing where marketers have turned to internet to facilitate their marketing processes. Many marketers have resulted to internet marketing for their business regardless of the kind of business being operated. Internet allows customers to review and purchases an organization product and services regardless on which part of the world they are in. customers are able to access company’s website purchase a commodity or service as well as refer a company to other at the comfort of their homes. Anderson and Narus (2004) maintain that, the use of internet is viewed as a holistic marketing, which has become today platform. Here, holistic marketing widely combines traditional marketing with new computer and digital capabilities to build long term and mutual satisfying relationship between the company and its customers. A good example in the adaptation of a holistic marketing process is in Japan where the country engages in u-Japan where information flows freely which facilitated by a network which can be accessed anytime from anywhere. The letter u represents ubiquitous which indicates a time where internet communication plays a major role in marketing linking both consumers and company (Anderson and Narus 2004). Further, based on online marketing marketers have engaged the use of email newsletters to keep in touch with their customers as opposed to traditional method of designing catalogues and brochures. Dwyer and Tanner (2006) assert that, email newsletters are considered as the method, which displays return on investment (ROI) in internet marketing. For example, markets are using full service providers, which are known to create content as well as designing the marketing layout and later send out organizational newsletters. In addition, online marketing have resulted to two new kinds of resellers namely; infomediaries and metamediaries (Dwyer and Tanner 2006). Infomediaries are web pages such as Google and Yahoo that acts as brokers in today’s marketing world. Metamediaries are companies that possess robust internet

COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS - case study format Essay

COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS - case study format - Essay Example The perceptions about time, the power of analysis and integration etc can also be different in different cultures. Political, economical, social and technological parameters can affect the business management process. These parameters are different across diverse cultures. Some countries may have democratic administrations whereas some other countries may have autocratic administrations. Moreover, economic growth, religions and the development of technology etc need not be the same in different countries. Business management styles need to be adjusted or fine tuned based on these parameters in order to manage a business successfully across cultures. Terms of Reference â€Å"In global firms, the effective management of cultural diversity which was once a concept, became imperative for the firms survival now† (Adler & Gunderson, 2007, p.128). I am working as a management consultant and Microsoft has recently approached me to prepare a management report for them in doing business in India. They specifically asked me to give more emphasize to the management challenges Microsoft may face in India. Microsoft discards the idea of a joint venture in India and they preferred making an independent unit in India. They are aware of the fact that because of the above decision, they have to do everything from A to Z in order to setup a business unit in India. So, they asked me to study the probable management issues they may face in India related to culture. This paper is written as a report to Microsoft about the possible management issues Microsoft may face in their Indian operations. Overview of the situation America and India are some of the largest democratic countries in the world even though, they differ heavily in many other aspects. Even though democracy is prevailing in both of the countries, the functioning of the political systems is entirely different. Even though both the countries are secular democratic, Christians dominate the American population where as Hindus dominate the Indian population. â€Å"India is an enormously hierarchical society (arguably the most hierarchical in the world) and this, obviously, has an impact on management style† (Indian Management Style, n.d) Most of the Indian organizations consist of people from different parts of the country and the management should address the cultural diversity aspects all the time. India consists of 28 states and 6 union territories; most of them are extremely diverse as far as culture and language are concerned. Because of the influence of left parties, the influence of trade unionism in India is more than that in America. Left trade unions can create problems to Microsoft, because of their declared stands against the capitalist countries and monopolies. However, considering the huge growth potentials of India Microsoft can neglect these challenges. At the same time, Microsoft needs to spend more time on learning about the diverse Indian culture in order to manage thei r business successfully in India. â€Å"Management practices are always culturally bonded† (Guidham, 2002, p.52). Analysis based on Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner cultural model The major elements of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner cultural model of management of international business are; Universalism vs. Particularism, Analyzing vs. Integrating, Individualism vs. Communitarianism, Inner-directed vs.

Redemtive Vilonce in the Odyssey by Homer Essay Example for Free

Redemtive Vilonce in the Odyssey by Homer Essay The myth of redemptive violence is one that is told throughout history. It is one in which violence is the creator. Whether it be creation of the cosmos, peace, or some other result, in this myth violence results in redemption. This myth has been imbedded in our society to such a degree that it is naturalized and accepted as the way things are without much reflection. For example, many Christians probably dont contemplate the ways redemptive violence is at the heart of their religion. A classic example of the myth of redemptive violence is found in the elaborate poem The Odyssey. Many elements of violence and how we associate with violence are explored within the multitude of pages of this tale. In book nine Odysseus has to confront Polythemus, the Cyclops who is Poseidon’s son. Odysseus and his men where trapped within Polythemus’s cave, which had wine and other luxuries in it. But the Cyclops is intent on eating every last one of them and saving Odysseus, or â€Å"Nohbdy,† as Odysseus presented himself to the Cyclops, for last. Odysseus later blinds Polythemus with a burning stick, leaving him aggrieved and in pain. Writhing in pain, he opens the rock, letting Odysseus’s crew escape. This is just a primal form of the myth, but by injuring Polythemus Odysseys is released, illustrating the productive side of violence. In book ten Odysseus finds himself on the island of Aeolus, which is occupied by the witch Circe. She lures Odysseus’s men into her house and turns them into swine. Odysseus, who has an antidote to the witch’s drugs given to him by the god Hermes, is immune to the witchs drugs and threatens her with the violence of his sword and she takes him to her bed where he persuaded her to change back his men. This tale within The Odyssey is one of violence such those Walter Wink wrote about in The Myth of Redemptive Violence. He writes, â€Å"cosmic order requires the violent suppression of the feminine and is mirrored in the social order by the subjugation of women to men and people to ruler. † Wink goes on to explain that this pattern can be found in Greek myths and in a range of other cultural expressions through history, right up to cartoons in modern day media. Central to this version f the myth is the suppression of powerful females, and their bodies are laid out to create the cosmos in some cases. The Odyssey provides a classic example: Circe, a powerful temptress, is subdued by Odysseus’s threat of violence, therefore placing Odysseus socially above her. Throughout the book Odysseus is faced with endless hardships. He is thrown through massive and relentless life threatening ordeals. He then comes home and finds that he must compete for his wife. These travails poin t toward paradoxes in the human condition. At times, we crave pain and it allows us to associate our inner evils and our violence, and that is exactly what The Odyssey does. As Wink stated in his analysis of a cartoon, â€Å"the ‘Tammuz’ element where the hero suffers – actually consumes all but the closing minutes, allowing ample time for indulging the violent side of the self. When the good guy finally wins, viewers are then able to reassert control over their inner tendencies, repress them, and re-establish a sense of goodness †¦Ã¢â‚¬  We get a good look at this process in The Odyssey, especially when Penelope asks, how do you move the bed? Odysseus replies, you can’t because I fashioned it out of a live olive tree, proving that he was truly Odysseus. The Odyssey is filled with redemptive violence, whether it be against Troy, Scally and Charibdys, Circe, and, most notably, the slaughtering of the suitors. The violence is not all just straight forward, there are power hierarchies, complex relationships, and other factors to account for in viewing violence in this incredible story.

Contrasting Edmund Burke And Jean Jacque Rousseau Politics Essay

Contrasting Edmund Burke And Jean Jacque Rousseau Politics Essay Two of the most influential political philosophers of the 18th century were Edmund Burke and Jean-Jacque Rousseau. That is not to say that the two men shared the same philosophical views, however; in fact, it could be argued that they were on the opposite sides of the political spectrum, with Burke on the right and Rousseau to the left. A classic example that showed the differing opinions among the two was the French Revolution. Burke was not in favor of the revolution because he maintained that it would disrupt the traditions of France that hold the country together. Rousseau, on the other hand, was a hero of the revolution because he championed liberty and the idea that the people should be in control on how they should be governed. It is amazing to think that two philosophers, having very different perspectives on politics, can both be influential during the same time period. One of the core aspects of Jean-Jacque Rousseaus philosophy was what man was like in the state of nature. In the Second Discourse, Rousseau explained that people were equal and free going back tens of thousands of years because there was no real societal organization to speak of. Since life was centralized on hunting and gathering food, people were, for the most part, equal in terms of societal stature. People were relatively free because no one had to answer to a higher authority, with the family structure being the only exception. Since people were free and equal, they were innocent and individualistic in nature. There were no outside forces that had a corruptive effect on people and there was no reason for groups of people to band together to form a society. According to Rousseau, the development of reason and private property rights ruined equality and freedom because they lead to the few dominating the many. As populations started to grow, there was a greater need for more socie tal hierarchy due to the complex nature of communities, thus less freedom and more inequality. Even though society today believes that reason is a positive thing, Rousseau insisted that progress brought the worst out in people. Rousseau was not necessarily arguing in favor of going back to the time of early humans per se. He knew that society was a point of no return, so he had to be somewhat practical. What he was arguing was to return to the roots of equality and freedom as much as practically possible. The way to achieve that goal politically, Rousseau argued in the Social Contract for a political system that put most of the power in the hands of the people and not the elites. Rousseau was a contract theorist, which meant that he believed that government should only operate with the consent of the people that it is governing. What set him apart from the other contract theorists was that he coined the term general will. What Rousseau meant was that all men should sacrifice their own individual power in order to give way to what he called the general will. In other words, all men give up some of their freedom in order to what is best for the society as a whole. The thing that is not so clear is the mechanism in finding out what the general will is. For example, is it the compilation of the opinions of individuals or is it something that is even greater than public opinion, such as having to understand human nature? Being that there were conflicting issues that faced Rousseaus politic al philosophy, he kept on falling back on the idea of radical democracy. Since Rousseau was so distrustful of political institutions in general, he felt that people should always have a seat at the table when it came to determining policy. With that being said, it would seem that Rousseau was not in favor of having a republican form of government. Instead, as noted before, he was more in favor of a radical democracy. For this reason, he was a hero of the French Revolution. The revolutionaries read Rousseaus work and were inspired to take action against the monarchy, even though Rousseau was not even alive when the revolution started. Abiding by the slogan of Liberty, equality, and fraternity! during the duration of the revolution, the revolutionaries took the cue from Rousseaus political philosophy. The practicality question enters the conversation again, however, when talking about Rousseaus radical democracy. Is it even possible for a country to function properly with every citizen participating? At what point would moving towards a representative government be too far for Rousseau? It would be interesting to find out the answers of these questions from Rousseau himself because he was more of a practical thinker than some people give him credit for. Rousseaus political philosophy would seem to be paradoxical when you think about it, which is why the interpretation of his work is still being debating to this day. Edmund Burke is widely regarded as the founder of the modern conservative ideology. Although he did not believe in adhering to abstract principles when governing, his body of work clearly showed that he valued tradition and stability above all else. Similar to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, nature played a significant role for Burke when developing his political philosophy. Burke wrote that there are two natures. The first nature refers to: the idea that people love their families and that family provides a certain amount of stability and continuity, and that people are more comfortable with what is familiar to them. Burkes second nature refers to the acquired opinions that people accumulate throughout their lives, such as habits and customs. According to Burke, the second nature is what cements society because it provides the traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. As societies and times change, people should always hold on to the traditions that are passed down becau se they form the foundation of stability. Another plank in Burkes political philosophy is practicality. He did not believe that you can run a society based on abstract philosophy because it is not grounded in reality of the current situation. Rather, he was a pragmatist who looked at issues on their face value and tried to come up with solutions that fitted the time. That is not so say that he did not have any values, however. As noted before, he was a big believer in tradition and stability. Burke just argued that overarching philosophies cannot be applied the same in every circumstance because each circumstance has its own unique qualities. Burke is famous for his criticism of the French Revolution in Reflections on the Revolution in France. He was against the revolution because he believed that it would have destroyed Frances great traditions and that the theory and practicality behind the revolution were not sustainable. Burke did not agree with the revolutionists belief that government is created to protect the natural rights of individuals. Instead, he insisted that government was there as a stabilizing force so that people could live comfortably. Also, Burke believed that culture and tradition are more worthy in being protected than natural rights of individuals because they are much more long-lasting. Another problem that Burke had with the French Revolution was the idea that society can be formed from scratch. Burke asserted that societies cannot simply start over from scratch because he believed that leaders make prudent decisions based on the conditions that are in front of them. Installing a new political regime, in Burkes point of view, is not all that practical. With that being said, Burke was not a contract theorist because contract theory provides that a new society can be created by man. Rather, he saw society as an invisible link that connected generations to each other, carrying with it the established customs and institutions. These lasting institutions should be protected and respected due to the fact that they survived, thus showing their adaptability to changing times. It can certainly be argued that Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Edmund Burke had very different views when it came to their political philosophies. Rousseau was in favor of radical democracy and did not trust societal institutions, while Burke valued tradition and stability above everything else. However, there are commonalities that the two did share. One is that both of them believed that times change, so adhering to rigid ideologies was not the wisest thing to do. Rousseau admitted that early man practices were outdated, so he was not so stubborn to strictly stick to that belief system. He did believe that the themes of equality and freedom that was present during the days of early man were everlasting enough to still be applied to his present day. Burke also acknowledged that the world does not sit still. Even though he strongly believed that tradition and stability had to be protected, he knew that life moves on. The reason why he argued for the respect for traditions and institutions that have endured several generations is due to the fact that they showed their adaptability during changing times. Related to the two mens shared view of not sticking to a rigid ideology, Rousseau and Burke both had nuanced political philosophies; neither of their philosophies were black and white. Rousseaus philosophy was so nuanced that it could be considered contradicting, as noted before. In the Social Contract, he famously said, Man was born free and everywhere he is in chains. But later on in the same work he argued for the general will and that sometimes men must be forced to be free. One could make the case that he was a libertarian, while another could equally claim that he was a totalitarian. Burke was nuanced to a lesser extent than Rousseau, but nuanced nonetheless. He knew that holding on to the past can only go so far, which is why he asserted that while times does go on, it is still important to carry on the traditions and culture that were passed on by previous generations. An interesting thing to note about Burke is that he was in favor of the American Revolution. This goes to show that he was not against all revolutions, again showing his nuanced approach to politics. The reason why he supported the American Revolution is because the colonists were not creating a society from scratch. The colonists, descendants of England, were committed to English ideas and principles. The only difference was that they wanted to a free and independent nation. The French revolutionaries, on the other hand, were hell-bent on creating a whole new political paradigm. As far as my opinion is concerned, I think that both Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Edmund Burke contributed significantly to the field of political philosophy. Even though they had different thoughts on how government should operate, both of them had valid points. I agree with Rousseau that people should have a say in the way that they should be governed because history has shown that democracies have been the most peaceful form of government and it seems to be the most fair system (at least so far). But I agree with Burke as far as remembering your societys history and culture because you would not be where you are in life if it wasnt for previous generations. I also concur with Burke that society should not change too quickly, as it might cause instability that might do more harm than good. It turns out that I am quite nuanced with my approach to political philosophy, just as Rousseau and Burke were.

Why We Go To Malls :: Free Essay Writer

Why We Go To Malls There are a number of reasons why people shop at malls. For one thing, people malls extremely convenient. In addition malls provide shoppers with a great variety of stores and shopping opportunities. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, malls are great places for entertainment. Malls are convenient places to shop. They provide shoppers with abundant and secure parking areas. Shoppers need not drive around for fifteen minutes looking for a parking place, nor need they be afraid to walk to their cars after they have completed their shopping. Malls are usually totally indoors so people are comfortable why they shop. They do not they do not have to be subject to the elements as they go from store to store. Finally, the most convenient aspect of the mall is its one stop shopping experience. Variety is another advantage of the mall. There are specialty stores, such as candle stores, bath and beauty stores and music and video stores. These are the anchors of the mall, and the mall provides "odd stores" for those eccentric shoppers who are looking for different items. Finally, the mall is a wonderful entertainment center. Not only do people go there to shop, but they also got there for relaxation. There are movies sometimes as many as fifteen or sixteen. In addition, arcades are available for children, teens and adults. Some parents drop their children off at the arcade, give them a roll of quarters and pick them up after they have completed their shopping. For the hungry shopper there is a food court, which provides fast food for those shoppers who want to relax and possibly have a cocktail with their meal, other restaurants are available.

The Institution of Slave Trade Essay -- Caribbean History Slavery Cult

The Institution of Slave Trade The institution of slave trade and the actual experiences of slavery that occurred in the Caribbean were to form a monumental part of that region's culture, society, and everyday interactions, both in the past and in the present. The culture that is present today in the Caribbean is the result of many different influences varying from those introduced by ruling colonial countries, to influences that the slaves stressed, and even from brand new colonies being developed. The diverse and multifaceted culture that is present today is a direct result of the institution of slavery. The reason that forced all of these cultures to become intermixed and entangled was a result of slavery, but more specifically a result of the development of the sugar plantation. With the growing demand for sugar and its various by-products, like molasses and rum, growing in Europe so came the demand for more plantations. Obviously with the growing demand for plantations, came the growing demand for a labor force to work these plantations while still producing a profit for the owners. This really left only one option for these owners and that was for the introduction of the practice of slave labor. Pirates that were supported by these European imperialistic countries began to work in the trade of slaves from India and Africa to the Caribbean, to begin working in the fields. These pirates role in helping the country that they were tied to was very simple, and that was to attack only those trade ships that were of a rivaling country from there own. This practice not only ensured the slowed or diminished growth of rivaling countries, but also aided in boosting the economy and thereby the power of their own country. ... ...d to the newly freed Africans. This extreme racism by these plantation owners made it very difficult if not impossible for the freed slaves to purchase any land with which to produce sustenance for their day to day living. Even though the institution of slavery is what brought about the rigid social and racial class separations in the Caribbean, it would take much more then just the abolishment of that institution to dissolve those distinctions. Many of those social hierarchies can still be seen today. Despite these separations, the culture and society of the Caribbean still remains one of the most diverse and colorful that can be found. Each of the small pieces of beliefs, cultures and practices that were brought over during slavery have formed together to make a beautiful and ornate mosaic that is among the most rare of social cultures. This is the Caribbean.

Dr. Faustus Vs. Dorian Gray Essay -- essays research papers

Deals With the Devil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the books The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dr. Faustus, both protagonists are lured into the world of evil, but by different forces. Dorian Gray and Dr. Faustus both sell their souls to the devil. However, Dorian Gray deals with the devil unknowingly, and Dr. Faustus conjures the devil. After Dorian sells his soul, he becomes an immoral criminal, and even resorts to murder. After Dr. Faustus sells his soul, he lives frivolously and entertains himself through practical jokes. So who is more evil? An innocent young man corrupted by the ideas of another? Or, a man who is bored with the world, and seeking excitement calls upon the devil? Dorian Gray is clearly more evil, because even though both he and Faustus were corrupted by knowledge Dorian destroys peoples lives and commits felonies, whereas Faustus just does things for his own pleasure. The protagonists in these works are intellectuals. They read many books and have an immense amount of knowledge in many areas. Dr. Faustus knows everything about the material world and is dissatisfied with it. So, he becomes infatuated with the spiritual world. This is why he wants to sell his soul. His desire for knowledge overcomes his sensibility. Dorian Gray read many books about fields he was interested in like art. These books did not corrupt him; he was just thirsty for knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many other factors lead to the eventual downfall of both characters, ...

Migration and the Gender Roles Essay

In this paper I will analyze the research and data devoted to the issue of migration and changing gender roles; I will investigate the dynamics of the gender roles within the families on the move. Undoubtedly, migration has a significant influence on gender roles and the construction of gender identities. The first important trend is connected with the new role of women. Migration breaks the traditional way of life, so women become more independent and self-responsible. Within the family migrant women also imposes their new gender roles. Parvati Raghuram states that migration leads to â€Å"critique of patriarchy† (Raghuram 2004) on the larger scale. Bertil Egero in the preface to Lisa Eklund’s study of the migration inside China refers to migrating women as to the,â€Å" pioneers also in terms of the gender role models they represent, a sharp break with the traditional subordinated roles of rural women. † (Eklund 1999) This trend gradually evolves into the second phenomenon associated with the balance of power within families on the move. Smits, Mulder and Hooimeijer state that joint decision-making requires equal power balance within couples. Their data from the mid-nineties Netherlands shows that men are becoming tied stayers, while women are tied movers in the modern society. This view is supported by Keith Halfacree, who states that tied migration, â€Å"has been shown to have a clear gender dimension; it is usually the female migrant who is ‘tied’†¦[but] labour migration will become ‘de-gendered’. † (Halfacree 2004) More equality and higher responsibility of both partners is noted within the families on the move. I consider that my outlook and personal position couldn’t bias my interpretation significantly. I analyses the data and research papers attentively and objectively. Still, I believe women becoming more independent to be a positive trend and consequence of migration. But I must admit that gender roles are the cornerstone of every cultural tradition, so Westernization of migrant families can jeopardize cultural diversity. References Eklund, L. 1999. Gender roles and female labour migration — a qualitative field study of female migrant workers in Beijing.PROP Report No 29 www. soc. lu. se/prop/LisaEklund. PDF Smits J. , Mulder C. H. , Hooimeijer P. Changing Gender Roles, Shifting Power Balance and Long-distance Migration of Couples. Urban Studies, March 2003 Halfacree, K. Untying migration completely: de-gendering or radical transformation? Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jan 2004 Raghuram, P. The difference that skills make: gender, family migration strategies and regulated labour markets. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jan 2004.

Micro Economic Environment Essay

The economic environment consists of external factors in a business’ market and the broader economy that can influence a business. You can divide the economic environment into the microeconomic environment, which affects business decision-making such as individual actions of firms and consumers, and the macroeconomic environment, which affects an entire economy and all of its participants. Many economic factors act as external constraints on your business, which means that you have little, if any, control over them. Let’s take a look at both of these broad factors in more detail Macroeconomic influences are broad economic factors that either directly or indirectly affect the entire economy and all of its participants, including your business. These factors include such things as: Interest rates Taxes Inflation Currency exchange rates Consumer discretionary income Savings rates Consumer confidence levels Unemployment rate Recession Depression Microeconomic factors influence how your business will make decisions. Unlike macroeconomic factors, these factors are far less broad in scope and do not necessarily affect the entire economy as a whole. Microeconomic factors influencing a business include: Market size Demand Supply Competitors Suppliers Distribution chain – such as retailer stores Why Is It Important? The economic environment of business will play a pivotal role in determining the success or failure of a business. Let’s first consider some  macroeconomic factors. If interest rates are too high, the cost of borrowing may not permit a business to expand. On the other hand, if unemployment rate is high, businesses can obtain labor at cheaper costs. However, if unemployment is too high, this may result in a recession and less discretionary consumer spending resulting in insufficient sales to keep the business going. Tax rates will take a chunk of your income and currency exchange rates can either help or hurt the exporting of your products to specific foreign markets. Now, let’s turn our attention to microeconomic factors for a bit. Market size may determine the viability of entering into a new market. If a market is too small, there may not be sufficient demand and profit potential. This leads us to the concept of demand and supply. If your product is in high demand but there is a low supply of it, you are going to make a tidy profit, but if your product is in low demand and the market is flooded with similar products, you may be facing bankruptcy. The quality and quantity of your competition will affect how well you do in winning customers in the marketplace. Suppliers are the arteries pumping vital supplies and resources to you for production. If you have problems with suppliers, it can clog up those arteries and cause serious problems. Likewise, the type of relationship you have with your distributors, such as retail stores, may influence how quickly your products leave their shelves. Summary The environment in which a business operates is very complex and has a great deal of influence on how a business performs and whether it will succeed. Macroeconomic factors influence not only a business but also all participants in an economy and include such things as interest rates, inflation, unemployment rates, taxes, discretionary spending, periods of growth and recession. Microeconomic factors also influence the success or failure of a business and include such things as market size, demand, supply, competitors, suppliers, and distributors.

Ambition in Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and School Ties Essay

Ambition: It’s Easy to Dream a Dream, but Much Harder to Live it Napoleon Bonaparte once said: â€Å"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. It all depends on the principles which direct them. † From this quote, one can see that great ambition is crucial to experience success whether it is achieved in an honest fashion, or a morally questionable one. In the novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (ADK) and the movie School Ties (ST) a strong sense of ambition is one of the driving topics for the plot and the development of many characters. For example, one can see that Duddy will do anything to achieve his dreams, even if that means betraying his friends or taking part in illegal activities. Although the amount of ambition in both works is very prominent, too much ambition can prove to be detrimental in many ways, and it is evident that ambition proves to be more severe in ST because many characters struggled with common morals and were affected by the mental destruction that comes along with too much ambition. In ADK, Duddy proves to be too ambitious for his own good throughout the entire novel, as he cares too much about owning land rather than following morals or obeying the law. Just one of these examples would be when Duddy sells contraband comic books. â€Å"American comic books were beginning to trickle into the city again, and so Duddy was attracted by this new line†¦ Barney was picked up by the police and fined. Duddy, unfortunately was caught with a large stack on hand. He took fright and threw them in the furnace. † (Richler 56). This quote shows evidence that Duddy began his overly-ambitious ways at a young age by selling pornographic comic books. Moreover, this proves Napoleon Bonaparte’s quote in that those who are ambitious are willing to commit very good or very bad acts in order to succeed. Similarly, morals are lost in ST as well when Dillon cheats on his history exam, and tells the class that it was David instead of him. â€Å"It wasn’t Connors. †¦] I should have told the truth yesterday. I know who cheated. It was Green. † (Darryl Ponicsan, Dick Wolf). At this point in the movie, it portrays Dillon as the antagonist as he lied to his friends, and cheated on his exam. Since Dillon did this in order to get into Princeton, one can conclude that he did this because he felt like he had no other options. Thus leading the reader to believe that Dillon did this out of ambition, but he let his morals get the better o f him. In this way, ADK is extremely similar to ST in the sense that characters from each text betrayed their friends, and cheated in one way or another in order to succeed. Secondly, Duddy Kravitz can be seen struggling with the mental exhaustion that comes with having too much ambition throughout the novel. An example of this is when he has a small breakdown just after he loses all of his money by playing roulette. â€Å"Duddy was seized by an uncontrollable fit of laughter. He rolled over in the grass, biting his arm to muffle the noise†¦ Three times he stopped, his laughter immense. The thought of them searching for him all through the night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Richler 90. ) This quote gives evidence that Duddy was so blinded by his ambition that he has fits of laughter over the fact that he lost all of his money. Moreover, this proves that Duddy’s mental health has diminished because he doesn’t care about the fact that the employees at the lodge are sincerely worried as they search for him. Similarly, mental destruction due to ambition is portrayed in ST as well during the scene where McGivern is so upset about his teacher insulting him in French class that he sneaks into the classroom that night in order to repeat his recitation to himself while his friends are looking for him around campus. McGivern is so distraught about this presentation that he ends up getting taken away in an ambulance at the end of the night. Although the way that mental destruction is shown in ST is slightly different than in ADK, they are very alike because both mental breakdowns by the characters are brought on through their ambitions to succeed. In conclusion, mental destruction and the loss of morals from being too ambitious are evident in both novels, but it is more severe in ST because multiple characters suffer in different ways, whereas Duddy is the only character that struggles significantly with his ambitions. Ultimately, being ambitious is a great trait because it builds character, but becoming too ambitious can harm an individual in more ways than one. So, how ambitious are you?

Demonstrative Communication Essay

â€Å"Communication is an exchange of information, verbal pr written message and is the process of sending and receiving message†. () With communication there must be a sender and a receiver for it to take place. In this paper I will provide examples how effective and ineffective demonstrative communication can be positive or negative on situations. Also I will explain how demonstrative communication involves listening and responding. Demonstrative communication is nonverbal and unwritten communication thought facial expression or body language. Effective ways for a sender and receiver to communicate in a demonstrative way would be to send the right message. Sender would want to make sure the receiver comprehends and understands the sender. For example Kinesics: â€Å"refers to the many behaviors of the body†() these would include posture, gestures, and facial expressions. To make a positive gesture one could give the sender two thumbs up letting them know they did a great job. Letting the sender know they understand the message. A negative gestures would be a frown or to raise an eyebrow. This would provide feedback to the sender letting them know you disagree. Effective communication is a two way street for the sender and receiver. Ineffective ways for sender and receiver to communicate would be if the sender was demanding or ordering the receiver for something, and persuading or lecturing them. For example, using words like â€Å"you must† this may make the receiver think you are being demanding and they may resent you. Lecturing the receiver is another negative way to communicate with them. This may cause them to feel like they are wrong. Hepatic is a powerful form of communication. This would include giving the sender a pat on the back letting them knows you understand and everything was great. A native communication result would be a slap in the face. This would lead to many problems. Demonstrative communication between the sender and receiver will be positive if the sender does not overload the receiver with to much information at one time. If the receiver provides active listening or reading, this will allow the receiver to engage in what the sender is trying to get across to them. Demonstrative communication can also be negative if the receiver has a lack of eye contact or crossing of the arms. Things like this tell the sender one may not be interested in their message they are trying to get across. Provide feedback is a part of responding and giving the sender insurances that you are listening and understood what was being said. With demonstrative communication for example, one can respond by providing feedback like, â€Å"What I’m hearing is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This lets the sender know you are listening to the message.

A Study of Human Speech and Language Term Paper

A Study of Human Speech and Language - Term Paper Example The development of language and speech starts as early as in infancy. Studies show that speech and language learning begin in the uterus with the infant’s recognition of its mother’s voice. Lieberman explains that anatomical changes and modifications in the human vocals for example the increase in length and the lower lying larynx compared to other animals is thought to play a crucial role in the development of human speech (2013). These improvements have been found to enable humans to produce a wide range of repertoire. However, changes in human genetic makeup have been shown to impact aspects related to neurologic system. Neurological aspects that control human motor control ability as well as those that lead to higher cognitive capabilities involved in speech development and language have been shown to be gene-determined. This research aims at investigating factors that influence development of speech and language in human beings to promote the conclusion that genes are responsible for human being’s speech and language development. The research questions are: The world is really being unlocked by advances in technology and is high end application in science. Voice, language, and speech are the tools used by humans to communicate with each other. Additionally, language is a significant and unique system that distinguishes humans from other animals and results to the development of race and heritage in normal child in terms of mother tongue inheritance (Dorothea, 2012). However, lack of sufficient technology and scientific knowledge has seen heated debates emerge over the development of science and language. Proponents have held strongly that human language depends on factors like adequate intelligence and environmental simulation (Mesoudi, Alan, McElligott, and David, 2011). Conversely, opponents held that human speech originated genetically. The result has been two perspectives of

Digital forensic Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Digital forensic - Coursework Example So, digital forensic has become very essential and in fact a part of the overall security perspective of any computer based industry, in spite of various challenges associated with the digital forensic investigation process. The increased use of Skype is resulting in increased number of cyber crimes as the users take advantage of the anonymity associated with its use. But with the aid of apt digital forensic tools, valuable evidences can be retrieved and it can reveal the defendant’s activities. This report will discuss about the various available tools that will aid the digital forensic investigation process, document the steps involved in the investigation process along with the challenges that has to be faced during the course of the investigation process. The artifacts collected from a Skype conversation can be analysed with the help of several investigation tools like ‘Skype chat carver’, ‘Belkasoft Evidence Center’, ‘Chat Examiner’, ‘Epilog’, ‘Forensic Assistant’, ‘Internet Evidence Finder’, ‘Skype Extractor’, ‘SkypeAlyzer’, ‘SkypeLogview’, and others (Mikhaylov 2013). It is very important to know where and how to recover the evidences like calls, messages, contacts, file transfers, and voicemails from a user’s accounts in order to utilize the above mentioned tools in the forensic analysis process. The steps stated below will help in the evidence recovery process. There are four users who use Skype application in this example. The file named ‘shared’ is a XML file which contains the main configuration information like time of usage, IP address, and other useful information. Exploring the ‘shared’ file one can retrieve the Unix style time stamp information (Shaw 2014). Here comes the first challenge. This Unix style time stamp information is displayed in a coded format as a string of numbers, which has to be converted to

Greasy Lake - T. Boyle Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greasy Lake - T. Boyle - Assignment Example I agree with Boyle in that most of the time people have no idea about the reality of what they admire and aspire to be; only when one experiences something can one know the true meaning thereof. In the beginning Boyle romanticizes the â€Å"bad† or â€Å"dangerous† persona that the narrator and his friends aspire to have as their own, or feel is their own. There is a tendency even now, I feel, to make the bad appear good and attractive, whereby young men want to be rebels or bad. Boyle captures this attitude right in the start of his narrative, stating that it was a time â€Å"when it was good to be bad†. The narrator of the story goes on to list quite a few of the â€Å"bad† qualities that his friends have, and which he admires, and which make him think that they are â€Å"two dangerous characters†. Most often such dangerous characters do not have any inkling of what real danger is, and their image is often based on stories they themselves tell, or on feats that are really not â€Å"dangerous† but merely irresponsible. In the story, for example, the two friends of the narrator are â€Å"bad† because not only can they hold their own at a party, but can also roll joints in extremely difficult circumstances. It seems that this is often the truth of life; if you put yourself out to be as someone, more often than not, people will believe you without any evidence, and soon you will start believing it too, that is until you are faced with an event that challenges your claim. When something comes along that actually challenges the claims that you make, it is only then that the truth is known. Only when you are faced with the task of proving yourself to be who you claim to be can you actually prove the same. I completely agree with Boyle on this, because in my opinion very few people turn out to be who they say they are when it comes to putting their claims into action. When they are forced to scatter, with the narrator finding himself in Greasy

American Flatbread Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Flatbread - Case Study Example The mission statement indicates that the value of the business is customer satisfaction and employee safety. George Schenk owns the American flatbread company and values community service based on healthy food as well as environmentally friendly workplace. Besides, he values quality and integrity achieved by perfecting simple menus that appeal to families and other pizza lovers. Schenk has been able to bring his own vision concerning food through making a popular American flatbread sold both locally and to other states. Making clean and healthy food has seen his efforts appreciated nationally. Also providing support to the community through hosting regular benefit bakes. Father, he expanded the facility to a wholesale and retail outlets and involves himself in the daily operations of making a stable food model which is reorganized worldwide. American flatbread supports business practices, which are socially responsible through participation in community organizations other than buying local products as much as possible. Occasionally, American flatbread holds meetings that are aimed at raising funds to benefit the community and giving attention to individuals who deserve it (Craig 1). The needy are also considered by the company as they are able to have free flatbreads. Educating children about food through accommodating class trips to enable them make their own pizza. Small business owners should be close with their employees in their communities to enable mutual understanding and fairness that is beneficial in a two way. This also enables a peaceful coexistence of the business and the community members. The benefits associated with franchising a business includes building a vision that is shared and helping in stimulating deeper conversations with the entire community through purchasing and sharing of benefits from the business. The small business franchises may also benefit directly through showcasing already

Aviation Research Paper Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aviation Research Paper - Scholarship Essay Example Hence, patents are related with invention, trademarks relate to distinguish a company or good fro others and copyright is related to the originality and artistic creativity. All these forms are protected by specific laws. There are certain factors that a company has to consider for protecting its inventions doing business in multiple countries. These factors can be categorized by marketing factors and the legal factors. While considering the marketing factors, the company has to determine if it is better to diffuse the technology so the product rises to the position of dominance or to protect the invention so the competitors may not be able to copy it. At the legal front, the company has to consider the possibilities of real protection given by the host country. Every country has its own means and methods to protect the intentions. Thus, if the company find it difficult to protect the invention, it may consider relying on trade secrets instead. There are two distinct reasons why a company should consider protecting the product through trade secret laws instead of patent and copyrights. First, the company has to adopt the trade secret policy when the formula is not patentable. Second, the company should prefer trade secret when it finds it appropriate to expose the product to the public without apprehension of loosing the underlying technology to the competitors. Cloni Q # 4. Cloning is the form of imitating an invention or product which successfully utilizes the technology without violating the copyright, patents, trade secret and/or the trademarks legality. The example of Compaq imitating IBM's BIOS is a vivid illustration how a company skilfully imitate a technology and still no legal action can be taken against it. Q # 5. Microsoft Windows operating system is an example that lies on the continuum of wholly proprietary system. Q # 6. There are many factors that influenced Microsoft to adopt the wholly proprietary system. First, Microsoft wants to monopolize the market as it is the main controller of the software market. Second, there are numerous software companies producing their software running on different operating systems. Thus, if Microsoft decides for the wholly open system there is very likelihood that other software companies would develop modify the operating system to suit their own software. Chapter Ten Q. # 1 There are certain advantages of large companies over the small ones. The biggest difference between large and small companies is there budget and financial resources that allow the large companies to invest heavily for engaging their scientists and researchers for further innovations. Apart from financial resources, the human resources also contribute significantly for the success of large companies. Thus, the large companies can outperform small companies due to their extended resources. On the other hand, small companies also have some advantages over the large ones. Most importantly, they can concentrate more on their limited resources to achieve instant results of their research. Further, there is limited bureaucratic hindrances that undermine the efforts of large firms. Q # 2: Formalization can help the organization to facilitate and streamline their administrative works so the workers and customers can interact effectively and the organization work is carried out smoothly. Formalization also reduces the burden of too many

Relationships in Second Life and How They Can Affect Real Life Essay - 1

Relationships in Second Life and How They Can Affect Real Life - Essay Example However, for many inhabitants of Second Life, it is not just a 3D online game, but another world that â€Å"†¦has its own economy and millions of residents who own and create property, make friends and even get married† (CNN Living, 2008). These virtual worlds (VWs) have become conduits for socialization, collaboration, entertainment, social networking, and business development (Mennecke et al. 371). In VWs like Second Life, users must build virtual representations of themselves through creation of customizable avatars, which gives them a 3D body that they control and provides a â€Å"tangible embodiment of their identity† (Ducheneaut, Wen, Yee, and Wadley 1151). Through the avatars, users can discover an ever-growing assortment of virtual sites, fabricate all sorts of items, from clothing to buildings, and create businesses to sell their goods or services, forge relationships with other players through their interactions with their avatars, and buy virtual property (Hayes 154). According to Dell, as many as 13 million people have logged on to Second Life at least one time and about 450,000 subscribers are from more than 50 countries are online in any given week, ranging in age from 18 – 72, 27% of which are female (Hayes 154). Researchers have begun to conduct studies to analyze the way self-perception formed through interactions in VWs affects behaviors in the re al world (Dell). According to Ducheneaut, Wen, Yee, and Wadley, "the choices users make when creating and customizing their avatar will have repercussions on their interactions with other users† (1151), which can cause users to create online personas that are sometimes the complete opposite of who they are in real life.

Ancient Japan Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ancient Japan Reform - Essay Example However, the reforms had a far more reaching effect apart from strengthening the imperial family. They also created a good system. Although some people argue that these changes were ineffective, I think they rather led to the creation of a more efficient and refined system. As such, I will support this argument/stand from facts drawn from class reading and other sources. Ritsuryo is basically a historical system in japan founded on Chinese legalism and Confucianism philosophies (de Bary 22). RitsuryÃ… -sei is a term often used to refer to the system (political) in accordance to the Ritsuryo. Another significant term often used in this period or analysis is the kyaku, whuch refers to the Ritsuryo amendments whereas enactments were termed as shiki. Most of Japan’s reforms commenced during thhe Asuka period and extended into the nara period. The capital of japan was moved to Asuka in this period (538-710). Asuka was located on plains and it bordered nara. This period is mostly known and remembered for its vital social, political and artistic transformations. These transformations had their roots in the kofun era. The Yamato nation changed considerably during this era, adopting social and political systems from china. Their primary goal was to make the imperial family stronger and legitimate. Shotoku Taishi in 603 implemented a Confucian organization made up of 12 court ranks. Subsequently, he established the seventeen article constitution in 604, which explicitly highlighted the rights and duties of government ministers, people and the ruler. Taika reform preceded these transformations. The Taika reform took place between 645 to 649 and led to the creation of the Ritsuryo. The Ritsuryo was an organization and system comprised of fiscal, administrative and social institutions in japan commencing from the 7th to 10th century. During the Asuka era, Daoism and Buddhism were introduced into japan. Consequently, these religions eventually were syncretized with the

Global economic development Essay Example for Free

Global economic development Essay Evaluation of Gwlad’s position within the global economic environment Swot analysis (Hewings, 1995) Strengths – Gwlad as a country should focus on its administrative strength in the public sector. This would allow the country to delivery better services to the public in terms of quick processing of documentary and information needed by the citizens. Secondly, the country has seems to be one of the states in Western Europe which has highest number of population with diverse cultural activities. The Gwlad country’s population diverse cultural work attracts a number of tourists. Weakness- the country offers low level services. It also shows that it has low manufacturing productions. In the overall results, the country has not developed to high production scale hence there is relatively low gross domestic productivity per head. Threats-the fact that the country has no ties with the other neighboring countries is vulnerable to incur high import and exports taxes. Other threats that may exits are those associated with shortages of vital good which are not produced locally. Opportunities- the country being in the region of Western Europe is most likely to be having advanced technology. This means that the wealthy in technology based activity can be worked to increase both the level of manufacturing as well as GDP per head within the country. Suggested policies to follow (Trogen, 1999) Technological policy- the group needs to utilize this policy in curbing the problem associated with the low productivity. In such a policy, the teams must emphasis both on innovation and invention work. Still many efforts should seek technical assistance from part of the globe where possible. Competition policy- in every kind of economic growth of region, amicable environment which allows competition is a must for spurring economic growth and development. This means that the local competition environment should be bestowed to all potential citizens in every particular sector of production. Apart from the local competitors, the policy should encompass other issues that would allow the external competition as part of initiating news ways of economic growth. activity2: yes! The issues that Dai has identified part of the main issues to look when deciding, marketing of Gwlad. It is clear that Dai has taken location, distance and labor as the main factors to consider in this marketing strategy. However, it should be known that security and resources available within the country plays important role in economic developments. Furthermore, the means of communicating available and the accessibility of they location goes hand in hand in determining the attraction external investors to come and invest in a particulars region. Overall, it would be very important to first consider the costs involved in the marketing of the Gwlad to the external world. While business activities are diverse, they entail a lot of interwoven interaction of many sectors. Any decision made within the government directly and indirectly affects the performance of the business. This form the fundamental issues as the governance procedure are final on business prosperity or failure. Hence, incentives and subsidiaries that are offered by the government in Gwlad perhaps would make the citizens and the foreigners’ interest to invest much aroused. Politics and policies enacted in the Gwlad also have enormous impact to business. Services and the rate at which they are available to interested business operators are also major part of marketing the state. This is because delay and bureaucracies in service and information acquisition are both derailing factors in business operations. Activity 3- (Meier, 2004): (I)-no! I do not agree that technological advances are the only key factors to economic development. There are other issues which are also of great importance. This is because economic development focuses on three or more area in its development. One of the focuses is the government policies. In such a field, economist examines issues which are concerned with price stabilities, employment and taxation as well as the policies set to have sustainable growth. as the economic development protocols are integrations of several factors, government operates on many areas which are directly in connection with economic development such monetary policies, trade transaction and taxation policies together with regulation pertaining to financial institutions. The second major area determining the economic development of a place or region is the manner in which policies dealing with services and infrastructures are set. These include highways, housing, security and still parks. Thirdly and the final section in which economic developments is determined is directed to policies of job creation, retention and expansion, technology transfers and marketing as well as neighborhood development. In such consideration, it is vivid that the economic development is not achieved only through technology advancement. Certain factors are physical factors which are needed for the operations of certain economical activities. Other factors are human based availabilities like policy making that affects the economic growth of an area. For instance, trade restriction may be major factor contributing to low rates of economic developments due to lack of competitive environments. Abolition o such trade restrictions create a better environment for potential foreign investors. Financial factors have been seen as prominent factors that enable economic developments as can be revealed in most developing and underdeveloped countries. Their economics developed rates are not associated with inadequate funding for projects based on economic development and projects on research work which brings about technical advances. Thus, human policy factors, financial status factors and technical factors are all attribute to economic development As from the above revelation, I do not agree the three sectors are the core that economic policy should concentrate in. Energy; environmental, telecommunication and ICT are not the core that can bring economic growth in a country without integrating changes in governance. Management of any organization/ institutions is vital. Thus the inclusion of effective management and services delivery would enhance proper utilization of the resources available in the three sectors which would lead to economic growth. Activity4-(Isard, 1985): analysis of inward investment attraction, domestic company development and combination strategies Inward investment Strengths- depending on the financial ability of the surrounding neighbor countries, this form one of the greatest strong hold in which the foreigners can capitalized in. this means that they would be able to provided financial services and their products. Weakness- the fact that the country has got no ties in trade transactions such as free trades areas with the neighboring states, many inwards investments are likely to be heavily taxed and barred in their operations. Generally, unfair treatment to the inward investors is likely to cause low rate of investment. Opportunities- the fact that most neighbors have advanced technology and also they are able to having greater GDP than the Gwlad, it means that the inwards investment would be able to replicate similar productivity phenomenon making trading a competitive issue in the country. This means that the inward investors would enjoy the advantages of large scale production (Pleeter,1990) Threats- following the inwards investors interacting with the locals, there is that possible of technology transfer which the local would gain an advantage of learning the new techniques and therefore begin producing local products that would halt the utilization of the investors’s products Domestic company development: strength- the country seems to be lagging behind in all the areas. This implies it has very limited strengths on which it can take an advantage over its neighbors. (Peterson, 2001) Weakness- the country is portrayed to lag behind in general productivity which implies that their is low trade activities in the regions Opportunities- the country having a score of learned individuals within its boundaries can be utilized both in the management level to bring technology to its required standards enhancing production which is a core to level of trade activities in country. Threats- the domestic company development are likely to be threaten when the country goes to inwards investment. The inward investors being more competitive than the domestic companies would render the local companies uncompetitive in terms of quality of products, price and in marketing strategies. For the above consideration of the analysis, I would choose the combined strategy the main reason for choosing this particular mode is because, with proper policy formulation and enactment for both internal and external investor companies, there are high chances of mutual benefits. Technology advancement, financial investment availability leading to higher production of the products would enhance the general growth of the economy of the country. Activity 5:- (Bulmer-Thomas, 1992, Leistritz, 1991): the GDEAD’s members are supposed to come up with policies which would enable low cost in the supply chains. These policies includes:- The policy of strategic vision and concrete actions in cooperating in the supply of the material and the distribution of the products to all parts on the country Reduction of taxes in the products produced locally the investors Development of local infrastructures that will enhance logistics from one area to another Recruitment and training of human resources to enable smooth distribution of the products Policies to enable persuasion of U. S multinationals in financing, marketing and RD in Gwlad The GDEAD must come with policy that allows globalization of market in Gwlad The team should use merger systems of the a few industries so that they begin venturing in to the same market in which the multinationals are operating to break monopoly of the U. S automotive companies. The team should advocate for new methods of technology in information and communication to enhance global advertising both from local and multinational companies. Activity 6:- (Dewhurst, 1991) Pros of the EU are that the EU members have several methods in which its negotiations and terms are based. First, the EU group has strong negotiating power than any other union. This means that the pooling together of efforts in the negotiating process makes the members to have great influence in international trade. Its members are said to be first in the leading in foreign direct investment. The united stated are depicted as the second while they remain the first for foreign investment. While the EU operations are undertaken within the 130 countries, it commands a relative open economy that accounts over 14% of the international trade of its gross domestic products. In comparison with the United States gross domestic products, it commands of 12%. It implies that the EU association with the Gwlads is of more advantageous than joining any other of the above state. (Bull, 1995) I would make arrangements of integration type in joining EU for the Gwlad. This because the EU integration would protect the local first and then from the integration the other collaborating states would have an influence in Gwlad in political, security, technology and other areas in which economic issues are connected. He Gwlad would be changed in its institutions through the established rules and regulations of the EU integration that sets the culture and philosophical basis of government as well as other authoritative bodies which could change economic Institutions. However, free trade would definitely bring in unfair competitions to the locals industries and communities leading to the poorly performing ones. (Dewhurst, 1991) Activity7:- (Grady, 1989) The clusters economic development established in this region is not of best nature. Locating an economic zone far 100km from each other is like creation of monopoly of the various institutions established. Secondly, the interaction of the various institutions when they are far from one and yet they are no quicker means of communication implies less information transfers/ ineffectiveness or delay actions would be frequent. This implies especial in the health, bioscience, financial services/ products and professional services. Similar disadvantages would exist in creative, automotive and aerospace zone. However, the distance would be of advantage to automotive and aerospace in advancing the technological world as this would be determined by increased needs to travel from one zone to another. In organizing the above sectors, I will use different policy as they all differ in the application of creating and reduction economic growth. While the bioscience and the health sectors are there for the purpose of ensuring fitness of the community, the automotives and aerospace are established for saving time in production. Thus health and bioscience would policies towards health facilities and proper nutrition while the latter two would venture policy on technology of speedy safer means. Activity8:- (Grady, 1989, Brace, 1993) Costs and benefits of meeting the demands of the aerospace industry The costs of the meeting the demands of the aerospace industry involves the productions costs. This would require importation of new materials for the manufacture of the aerospace device. Second is the maintenance cost, which will be cut through the use of the correct quality materials. Thirdly is the training cost which will be an essence in having potential skilled human resources and engineers who work on the technological manufacture of the aero plane as well As maintaining them. Finally, the country would have to invest in R D that would enhance development of modern aerospace using the most advanced technologies than any other competing companies Suggested policy to GDEAD: (Hunter, 1999, Walsh, 1996) The GDEAD should come u p with a policy for which given the current financial situation, it would be able to meet the same demands, but through institution establishment and collaboration with the industry, it would support them in the research work. Reference: Brace, P. (1993). State government and economic performance: Johns Bull, A. (1995): The economics of travel and tourism: Longman. Bulmer-Thomas, V. (1992): Input-output analysis in developing countries: Wiley Dewhurst, J. (1991): Regional input-output modeling / new development and interpretation: Avebury Grady, D. (1989): Governors and economic development policy: vol. 17, pp 870-84 Hewings, G. (1995): Regional input-output analysis, Beverly Hills: Sage Publications Hopkins University Press Hunter, K. (1999): Interest groups and state economic development policies: Praeger Publishers Isard, W. (1985): Introduction to regional science: Prentice Hall. Leistritz, F. (1991): The socioeconomic impact of resource development: Westview Press. Meier, G. (2004): Leading issues in economic development. Oxford Peterson, W. (2001): technology, planning, and Development: Oxford University Press. Pleeter, Saul (1990). Economic impact analysis: Boston: Maritinus Nijhoff Publishing Trogen, P. (1999): Which economic development policies work: retrieved from http:// University Press Walsh, R. (1996): Recreation economic decisions: Venture Publishing, Inc www. spaef. com, on 1st December 2008

Dignity for the Working Person Essay Example for Free

Dignity for the Working Person Essay Even where abuse is common place and chaos and mismanagement make pride in accomplishment difficult, workers still find ways to create meaning in work and to work with dignity. Human dignity is necessary for a fully realized life. One might ask, but what is dignity? (Hodson 19) There are two different meanings to the idea of dignity, the first is that people have a certain inherent dignity as a consequence of being human, like a dying persons dignity may be reduced if their physical being is prolonged unnecessarily (Meyer and Parent 11). The second is that people earn dignity through their actions like the human dignity of a worker can be violated by mismanagement or dignity can be attained through noble action or enduring great suffering like valiant soldiers, moral leaders, victims of injustice and enduring workers (Castel 135). To defends ones dignity means to insist on being treated with respect, (Freeman and Rogers 1). A dying person may refuse life support or the worker may curse the abusive boss and walk off the job. Resisting abuse is an act by taking back ones dignity, (Vredenburgh and Brender 1337). The worker who works effectively inspite of all the obstacles achieves dignity through work. Working with dignity are ones inherent human rights and are worthy of respect by oneself and others (Hodson 20). In this next paragraph it will reflect the challenges of working with dignity and the joy that can be found when these challenges are met. At Electrical Components Limited, the assembly work is hard and unrelenting, giving rise to chronic overwork and exhaustion (Cavendish 1). At Electrical Components Limited which is in a foreign country the workforce is made up of mostly female workers on assembly lines that produce small electrical components. The work is physically challenging, the stress is considerable, there is no freedom of movement, no taking of short breaks or even a walk around. These stresses are increased by the workers need to keep up with completed task on a fast paced assembly line so that work does not pile up in front of her, (Cavandish 32). The speed of the line is constantly being pushed to the limits with increasing speed pushing the rejection rate up, but the company will toletrate this because it was cheaper to have rejects and two women to fix them than to have a slower line†¦ especially since the exhausting effect of the fast line would make their numbers go up, (Cavendish 111). In this setting the machine breakdowns on the line are a blessing for the women who are switched to packing or other lighter duties. After packing all day, many women have aching arms and legs but they were able to move around more and haven’t had to face eight hours of automated pressure to keep up a steady pace (Cavendish 39). The unpleasant work on the line is rigidly controlled by the time clock. There is only one clock for fifty women to clock in and clock out at exactly 4:15 or their pay will be docked (Cavendish 88). The supervisors post a supervisor at the clock to keep the women working until the last minute. Pregnant women were allowed to stand at the front so all the women would say they were all pregnant (Cavendish 89). The senior worker pays no attention to the concerns of the other workers on the line and upholds rules or breaks them in a self-serving fashion in order to reduce her work load because she has a second job as a janitor at a shopping mall and never chips in with the other workers by contributing for cakes or treats (Cavendish 26). Her inconsiderate actions are a threat to the other women on the assembly line because of the chronic pressures and overwork, these women are just trying to survive through solidarity and mutual support by shifting work to each other. The quality of work is tested by having two strong-willed workers sit opposite each other, one to check the electrical circuits and one to check the mechanical part. Faulty devices supposed to be pulled and checked by the checker with a circuit tester, but that is not done and it is put in the box and the problem is not fixed. These two women talk all day about their personal lives even though they despise each other (Cavendish 36). In this working situation there is no co-worker support, no resisting management emands, no improving output, no making life at work more bearable. Overwork has reduced work like to a dog-eat-dog shared fundamental traits. Bad supervisor practices are driven to maximize production at all cost (Cavendish 82). At Electrical Components Limited, chronic pressure and overwork significantly undercut both good supervisory behavior and supportive co-worker relations. How do workers respond to excessive and repetitive work that leaves them exhausted at the end of the day? The development of the assembly line at Ford Motors quickly led to the birth of the United Auto Workers as workers organized to seek alleviation from the distress and unrelenting strictness of the assembly line through collective bargaining action (Brecher 1). But for the many employees like the women of Electrical Components Limited, who do not have the benefit of a union, and even for many of those who do, the most common reaction may be it is their unavoidable fate. In many assembly jobs, workers are expected to have a closed mind when they enter the factory gate.

Tesco Strategy Analysis

Tesco Strategy Analysis Introduction First I will start with brief introduction of the firm I am writing about. Tesco is the largest food retailer in UK, operating around 2,318 stores worldwide. Tesco operates around 1,878 stores throughout the UK, and also operates stores in the rest of Europe and Asia. Tesco.com is a wholly-owned subsidiary offering a complete online service, including tescodirect.com and tesco.net. The company also offers a range of both online and offline personal finance services. Tesco is headquartered in Hertfordshire, UK. For the year ended February 2004 Tesco PLC achieved revenues that totaled  £33,557 million, an increase of 18.7% against the previous year’s revenues that were  £28,280 million. (5) History This part I have divided into three main fraction: Grows; Marketing/management strategy and competition during each particular period of time. Competition is included here for the reason that I am strongly persuaded that it is the main driving force for any business. Pre 1980 Grows The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. Name was formed by using the first three letters of the suppliers name (TES), and the first two letters of a brand creator surname ((CO) Jack Cohen), forming the word TESCO. Tesco floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1947 as Tesco Stores (Holdings) Limited. The first self service store opened in St Albans in 1951 (still operational in 2008 as a Metro), and the first supermarket in Maldon in 1956. During the 1950s and the 1960s Tesco grew organically, but also through acquisitions until it owned more than 800 stores. The company purchased 70 Williamsons stores (1957), 200 Harrow Stores outlets (1959), 212 Irwins stores (1960), 97 Charles Phillips stores (1964) and the Victor Value chain (1968) (sold to Bejam in 1986). (3) Marketing strategy Tesco introduced the new superstore concept for Britain. After a few years from appearance (1968) superstore became very popular for it’s vide range of products at competitive price. In 1974 company introduced its first gas station which had lower price for petrol but was adjacent to Tesco superstore. (1) 1980s In May 1987 Tesco completed its hostile takeover of the Hillards chain of 40 supermarkets in the North of England for  £220 million 1990s Grows 1995 Tesco overtook Sainsbury and became UK largest supermarket. In the 90s international expansion began: France (1992) Hungary (1994) Poland (1995) Czech Republic (1996) Slovakia (1996) Republic of Ireland (1997) Thailand (1998) South Korea (1999). Entering foreign markets in the first half of 90s was made mainly by purchasing already existing stores or joining the local retail leader. For example first stores in the Czech Republic were opened by buying US corporation Kmarts operations in the country and converting them into Tesco stores. In 1997 expansion to Asia market began from acquiring 13 shops from CP Group in Thailand and formed Tesco Lotus. In 1999 by joining with Samsung entrance to South Korea market was achieved. (3)(1) Marketing strategy Tesco introduced a loyalty card, branded Club card, in 1995. This card was giving discount but what is more important it gave an opportunity to keep a hand on a pulse of customers need and to collect all necessary data for future planning’s. New goals were set: Expansion to foreign market, developing of a nonfood products selling. Tescos main advertising slogan appeared Every little helps. Its advertisements in print and on television mainly consist of product shots (or an appropriate image, such as a car when advertising petrol) against a white background, with a price or appropriate text, e.g. Tesco Value, superimposed on a red circle. (1) On television, voiceovers are provided by recognizable actors and presenters, such as James Nesbitt, Jane Horrocks, Terry Wogan, Ray Winstone, Neil Morrissey, Martin Clunes, David Jason and Kathy Burke among others. In international expansion Tesco took to attention difference in tastes between different regions. While entering Central Eu rope market Tesco was instilling western standards of shopping by introducing large number of hypermarkets. (2) Also very big attention was devoted to customers’ needs usually it was represent in product line. In Czech Republic for example Tesco concentrated on providing Czech products in retail shops. In China, the locals preferred to buy live fish, turtles, meat and other popular products such as instant noodles, unlike in European countries. Tesco had to provide these in its hypermarkets to draw the Chinese customers. Similarly in Thailand, the customers spent a huge proportion of their income on fresh foods. To adapt to the shopping habits of the Thai customers, Tesco developed a fresh market hall an area adjacent to the main store, wherein 14 local vendors sold a range of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, ready-to-eat products and other local food products. This area was designed to provide the Thai customers with traditional and local atmosphere. Competition On 21 March 1997 Tesco announced the purchase of the retail arm of Associated British Foods which consisted of the Quinnsworth, Stewarts and Crazy Prices chains in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as associated businesses for  £640 million. The deal was approved by the European Commission on 6 May 1997. This acquisition gave it both a major presence in the Republic of Ireland, and a larger presence in Northern Ireland than Sainsburys which had begun its move into the province in 1995. Tesco’s nonfood marked faced a huge competition level in GB from such giants like ASDA and MarksSpenser. At the beginning of entrance to the Hungarian market main competition was represented by small family-run stores, which served immediate customer needs. The strategy against it was introducing more than 1000 its own label products at 20% cheaper price than branded ones. Later Auchan (Fr), Metro (gr) and Cora (Fr) entered Hungarian market and became the main competition. 2000s Grows After purchasing 35% share of Grocery Works in July 2001 Tesco became involved in the USA internet grocery retailing. In 2002 Tesco purchased 13 HIT hypermarkets in Poland. By purchasing TS Stores, owner of 870 convenience stores in the One Stop, Dillons and Day Nite chains in the UK it made a huge step in the homelands convenience store market. In October 2003 Tesco started UK telecoms division which added to existing already internet service provider business also mobile and home phone services. In June 2003 Tesco purchased the C Two-Network in Japan and acquired a majority stake in Turkish supermarket chain Kipa. In 2004 Tesco continued its acquiring parade by buying Adminstore, owner of 45 Cullens, Europe, and Harts convenience stores, in and around London. August same year broadband service was launched. In Thailand Tesco Lotus was a joint venture of the Charoen Pokphand Group and Tesco but facing criticism over the growth of hypermarkets CP Group sold its Tesco Lotus shares. In late 2005 Tesco acquired the 21 remaining Safeway/BP stores after Morrisons dissolved the Safeway/BP partnership. In mid 2006 Tesco purchased an 80% stake in Casinos Leader Price supermarkets in Poland. They will be rebranded into small Tesco stores. (3; 1) Marketing/management strategy Tesco`s international expansion strategy in Asia was mainly represented as joint ventures with the local partner firms like Samsung Group in South Korea (Samsung-Tesco Home plus), and Charoen Pokphand in Thailand (Tesco Lotus) due to sensitivity of local market for foreigners and a bit more complicated â€Å"know how† than the rest of the world. In these mergers local personnel has an assured quantitative domination in low and middle management positions. . It also formulate not big acquisitions an important part of its expansion strategy. For instance, in its 2005/2006 financial year it made acquisitions in South Korea, one in Japan and one in Poland. In September 2005 Tesco announced that it was selling its operations in Taiwan to Carrefour and purchasing Carrefours stores in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Both companies stated that they were concentrating their efforts in countries where they had strong market positions. (1) In May 2007 Tesco decided to move its online operations head office to Switzerland for the tax reasons. This allows it to sell CDs, DVDs and electronic games through its web site without charging VAT. This opportunity was closed by government in June 2008. Tesco has made a devotion to corporate social responsibility, by contributing of 1.87% in 2006 of its pre-tax profits to local communities’ charity organizations. (3) In 1992 Tesco started a computers for schools scheme, offering computers in return for schools and hospitals getting vouchers from people who shopped at Tesco. Until 2004,  £92m of equipment went to these organizations. The scheme has been also implemented in Poland.BITC Tesco Computers for Schools. Starting during the 2005/2006 association football season the company now sponsors the Tesco Cup, a football competition for young players throughout the UK. The cup now runs a boys competition at Under 13 level and two girls cups at Under 14 level and Under 16 level. Over 40,000 boys alone took part in the 2007/08 competitions. Competition Tesco was accused by the UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for being a part of a price cartel; among participants were top five UK supermarkets (Safeway, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys) and a number of milk, butter and cheese. The investigation started in 2007 and in the same year Asda, Sainsburys and Safeway adjudged them guilty in acting against consumer interest by covering of 5000 farmers support in recovering after the foot-and-mouth crisis. Total fine for them amounted  £116M. Tesco, on the other hand, maintain to deny any activity in this cartel, therefore it is investigated by the OFT. (3) Strategic analysis Industry analysis: PESTE. UK. Political Factors Because of employment legalization reasons, the state encourages big firms to be a representation of different kind of labor demand, starting from part time, lower-paid local jobs till higher-paid and centrally-located jobs. (7) This includes hiring students, disabled and elderly workers, who are paid lower rates but for the reason of a usually frequent staff turnover, these workers propose a higher level of devotion and therefore represent desirable labor supply. However at Tesco, an overwhelming majority perceived no difference in the treatment of part-time and full-time employees.(7) Moreover In a period of six years, Tesco procured employment to over 2,000 unemployed and disadvantaged people, according its job guarantee scheme. In this scheme the aim is to provide training and employment to people who are first-time workers, single parents and older people. (8) Competition Commissions ruling and have been lobbying to boycott supermarkets and large food manufacturers and instead support small independent suppliers, processors and retailers at the expense of large supermarkets like Tesco. A supporting argument can be shown in figures. In UK by 2004 small grocery stores overall had employed 500,000 people with turnover of  £21 billion, and Tesco managed to hire twice less (250,000) with even bigger turnover  £29bn. (12) Proposals from the European commission to clamp down on predatory pricing policies to prevent the selling of goods below cost price such as exist within France Germany, Ireland and Spain. Furthermore, there are standards for nutrient descriptors such as â€Å"light†, â€Å"reduced fat† and â€Å"low fat†, set by governmental and European agencies like the European Food Authority (EFA) Economical Factors The UK food retailing market is mature and highly competitive and this market has been affected by negative inflation in the food sector. The diffusion of domestic markets and the desire for expansion have treated increasing globalization in retailing via self-start, merger and acquisition and franchising. Poor land resources issue enhanced by government legislation on planning restrictions on out of town shopping facilities makes it difficult to expand into these locations Britains supermarkets are racing to open small high street stores to cash in on demand for convenience shopping in urban areas. (6) Social/Cultural Factors Demographic changes as for example higher percentage of older people, less women as housewives and overall trend for eating outside mean that UK retailers are responding towards changes by focusing on added value products and services. Moreover new trends are the supply chain and other operations cost reduction and own-label share in the business, overall silence about taking new supplier between national retailers. In the UK a tendency toward healthier food and environmental awareness, represented by friendly packaging can be noticed. Nevertheless in the last ten years there has been a quantity improve in consuming quality products with good tastes, among them exotic fruits, fish and other can be noticed. Overall, can be stated that UK population is becoming more experimental in their food traditions. (9) Technological Factors Changes in retailing methods as such clothes sales via the Internet is now a common place in retailing. Paperless operation, the management and administration of the company are undertaken on IT systems, which are accessed through secure servers; provide flexibility in the running of the business. As Sweden is at the forefront of technological advancement with national companies like Ericsson, Tesco would enjoy the comprehensive logistics and distribution channels already in place. Environmental Factors Starting from 2003, an increase in pressure on large companies and managers in UK may be observed, main motivation of a government is to make them be more aware of their responsibility to society, and act in a way which benefits society overall. For the food retailing the biggest issue is environmental, the main area for them to act in the â€Å"socially responsible† way. Therefore by recognizing this drift movement, Tesco developed Corporate Responsibility committee in 2001 in order to fulfill its obligations before society. (6) In 2003 the UK government has launched a strategy for environmentally friendly consumption and manufacturing in order of cutting waste, reducing expenditure of resources and diminishing environmental damage. One of the legislation was a creating of a tax on highly processed and fatty foods advertising. The so-called ‘fat tax directly affected the Tesco product ranges that have subsequently been adapted, affecting relationships with both suppliers and customers. (9) Porters Five Forces Threat of New Entrants The grocery market of United Kingdom is crucially dominated by a small number of competitors, among them such brand names as Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Safeway that hold a market share of 70% and small chains of Somerfield, Waitrose and Budgens with a another 10%. Starting from 80th the grocery retailing system has been represented mainly supermarket business. This powerful force had a major impact on the small local, private owned shops, such as grocery, bakers and etc. Therefore in nowadays it can be treated as a huge blockade for the companies who are willing to to enter this market. As an example, two reasons can be stated: necessity of a sufficient capital because of large fixed costs and highly developed supply chains. This is also evident in huge investments done by large chains, such as Tesco, in advanced technology for checkouts and stock control systems that impact new entrants and the existing ones. Other factors can be economies of scale and differentiation (in the prov ision of products or services with a higher perceived value than the competition) which is highly developed by Tesco and Asda due to their promotional/advertizing activity, aggressive operational moves in product development, and more sophisticated distribution. Bargaining Power of Suppliers These representatives of a supply side are usually influenced by key grocery chains and are under a constant pressure of losing their business to the supermarket chains. As a result, it enhances a strong enough as it is positions of dominant stores like Asda and Tesco in compromising better prices from suppliers, which smaller market chains are just unable to go with. Moreover UK based suppliers are vulnerable to the ability of big retailers to source their products abroad at a cheaper price. The UK Competition Commission found that Tesco steadily paid its suppliers 4% below the industry average on the 2000 date. In 2005 newspaper â€Å"Financial Mail on Sunday† started the campaign called â€Å"supermarket bullies† to uncover cases of pressuring farmers by large grocery chains. â€Å"We have heard numerous cases of poor treatment of suppliers by Tesco, but all of those we spoke to asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing contracts. One supplier said â€Å"I woul d like to give you this info but cannot risk being seen to be a troublemaker for fear of losing valuable supermarket customers†Ã¢â‚¬  was written in the report. (12) Tesco voluntary signed for supplier Code of Practice provided by Department of Trade and Industry (dti) to solve the problem of pressuring suppliers. However as Office of Fair Trading states that code is not working effectively, suppliers concerned about being de-listed by supermarkets or worsening trade conditions if they will officially complain. Bargaining Power of Customers Tescos famous loyalty card Club card can still be named as the most successful customer maintenance strategy that plays a big role in Tescos financial profitability upkeep. Brand Tesco can hold and increase its customer base because of its permanent tendency to meet customer needs, constant in-store promotions, customizing service to maintain lower prices. A crucial change has occurred in shopping habits of UK population in recent years. People tend to satisfy more of their needs in one place and in shorter time, it shows a necessity for large chains to expand their services into new non-food markets as banking, pharmacies, telecoms, etc. Consumers have become keep an eye on fair trade and the influence of developed countries consumers on the Third World suppliers. Fairly traded products as tea, coffee and cocoa are viable, and such products are now widely available at the majority of large chains. In 2005 Tesco had the largest range of fair-trade products in the UK, it was represe nted by 91 fair-trade products line, however comparing with overall context of the 40,000 products line it looks rather tiny (0.2%) achievement of supporting third-world countries. Moreover there are evidences that supermarkets exploiting customers good will by overcharging for fair trade products. â€Å"The supermarkets know that people do not go for the cheapest product when buying fair trade because they think the extra money is helping someone in the developing world.† John McCabe, a retail pricing expert states. (12) Threat of Substitutes In the grocery industry small chains of convenience stores are emerging in the industry. In this case Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys are trying to acquire existing small-scale operations and opening Metro and Express stores in local towns and city centers. With a giant share of the grocery retailing market represented by Tesco`s chain, small private shops can be placed nowhere but substitutes. Most local retailers wind it almost impossible to compete with Tesco because its enormous buying power. On average Tesco contracts with wholesalers are 11.5 per cent cheaper than for private independent retailers. Londis, the â€Å"corner shop† brand in UK, has claimed that it is cheaper to purchase brands from Tesco and resell them than to buy them from wholesalers. (12) Bargaining Power of Competitors The retailers market environment can be characterized as dominated by large players with significant grows, increasing store size, emergent retailer concentration, and the utilization of a range of formats, which are now important characteristics of the sector. As it was already stated, almost all purchasing power of the food retailing industry is acquired in the relatively small number of retail buyers. Besides market can be described as mature operating, where grows is difficult and it serves as a driver to diversification into non-food areas, moreover, consumers are more and more demanding and sophisticated, big players like Tesco are constantly accruing large amounts of consumer information that can be used to predict and fulfill their changing preferences. This highly competitive market currently is in the position where advanced technology and innovations are required for maintaining and increasing market share. Such innovation can be seen in the development of a range of trad ing formats, in response to changes in consumer behavior. The dominant market leaders have responded by refocusing on price and value, whilst reinforcing the added value elements of their service. (8, 4, 6) Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives Mission statement: Creating value for customers, to earn their lifetime loyalty. Tescos corporate responsibility work is reflected in its everyday activities, mainly focusing on use of organics, use of energy and recycling water and in addition charity and community initiatives. Tescos CSR strategy was to earn the trust of our customers by acting responsibly in the communities where we operate, by maximizing the benefits we bring and working to minimize any negative impacts. (10) The company is publishing â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility Report† every year, with a detailed description of a companys CSR approach, implementation and policies. Usually it consists of such element as â€Å"Environment†, â€Å"Community†, â€Å"Suppliers and ethical trading†, â€Å"Customers, choice and health† and â€Å"People†. A Corporate Responsibility committee was established in 2001 it consists of different functions executives, who are gathering four times a year for Tesco`s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives discussion. The first report of committee came out in 2001. CSR plays a big role in strategy decision making of Tesco due to its wish to ensure that corporate responsibility creates a component of the everyday activities of the company. Because of its large size and degree chain, supermarkets like Tesco are influencing society in a broad perspective by encouraging its employees, suppliers and customers to be socially responsible. In Tesco`s case an example of this kind of responsibility can be its charity, fund raising for education, promotion of health food and making it as affordable as it can be. This social responsibility policy is implemented not only for chains operating in UK, but also to the all countries where Tesco is developing its business. (11) In 1992 Tesco started a computers for schools scheme, offering computers in return for schools and hospitals getting vouchers from people who shopped at Tesco. Until 2004,  £92 million of equipment went to these organizations. The scheme has been also implemented in Poland. Starting during the 2005/2006 football season the company now sponsors the Tesco Cup, a football competition for young players throughout the UK. The cup now runs a boys competition at Under 13 level and two girls cups at Under 14 level and Under 16 level. Over 40,000 boys alone took part in the 2007/08 competitions. (3) Tesco gave at least 1% of its pretax profit to charity, in the form of donations, employee time and gifts. In the fiscal 2004-05, Tescos total charity contributions stood at  £21,762,931. Tesco Charity Trust provided grants of  £878,556 to local and national charities in the UK (3) Though Tesco`s initiatives toward being more social and environmental responsible a quite visible, there is some issues it is criticized for. For instance, Tesco distributed 1.4 billion plastic bags in 2004, which ended up in landfill. In the UK, only 7% of plastic bags were recycled and the company continued using more and more plastic bags. Grocery packaging makes up roughly a quarter of all household waste. (11) Second what is Tesco claimed for is energy use. Tesco uses twice more energy and on average in the industry 4.3 GJ/m2/yr to 2.4 GJ/m2/yr respectfully. Among others concerns of Tesco`s environmental friendship are Pesticides and organic food (the issue is that not just Tesco tries to gives no privilege to non pesticide food, but also overprices organic goods); GM foods (dairy and meat products from animals fed on GM cattle feed (maize and soya)) and deforestation. Aims and Objective Five objective of Tesco`s business strategy are: To be a successful international retailer Since the mid 90th Tesco have been investing in market out of the country, looking for new opportunities for expansion and accumulating long term securities and returns for shareholders. Today Tesco is present in 13 markets outside UK and planning to enter India. To fulfill all international ambitions Tesco has evolved a strategy based on six elements. Be flexible(in Japan people prefer to buy small amount of fresh food every day) ; Act local (In Thailand customers have a habit to interact with vendors and choosing what they want from piles of production); Maintain focus; Use multi-formats (hole spectrum from convenience to hypermarkets) ; Develop capability; Build brands. To grow the core UK business Core UK business has over 285,000 employees and over 2,200 stores, moreover, 70% of sales and profits comes from UK business. Tesco in planning to maintain their different store format strategy, which consists of Express, Metro, Superstore, Extra and Homeplus. To be as strong in non-food as in food. The broadest range of non-food products can be seen in Extra stores and Homeplus that include such products as clothing, health and beauty, stationery, cookshop and soft furnishings, etc. In 2006 was launched Tesco Direct, an online catalogue with non-food offers, including almost 13,000 products in it. To develop retailing services such as Tesco Personal Finance, Telecoms and Tesco.com â€Å"All our customers are different, and their needs are continually changing. That’s why we continue to offer more than one way to shop.† Tesco Personal Finance is giving for customers a choice of 28 products varying from savings account and credit cards to car insurance. Tesco.com has attracted more than one million customers since 2000 in UK. Main target groups are people without access to transport and without time for shopping. Tesco.com also operates in the Ireland and South Korea. To put community at the heart of what we do. â€Å"Our core purpose is to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. Our values, which underpin everything we do, are that no-one tries harder for customers and to treat people how we like to be treated.† References 1. Tesco: The British Supermarket Chains Global Expansion Strategies » ICFAI Business School; Case development centre 2. Supermarket Wars Andrew Seth and Geoffrey Randall 3. Wikipedia.org 4. http://www.answers.com/topic/tesco-plc-adr 5. http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/ir/ 6. Ivoryresearch.com Strategic Management of TESCO supermarket: PESTEL analysis, Porters 5 Forces analysis, Critical success factors, SWOT Analysis, VALUE CHAIN analysis, TESCOS strategic options, Core Competences Cultural Web. 7. Part-time Workers in the Multiple Retail Sector Small Change from Employment Protection Legislation? Alison Balchin 8. http://ivoryresearch.com/sample5.php 9. Marivic Butod Strategic Analysis of Morrison, Asda and Tesco July 20, 2009 10.Tesco Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2009 11. ttp://www.icmrindia.org Tescos Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives 12. â€Å"The Tesco Takeover† the friends of the earth report. http://www.foe.co.uk/ Other Essays on Tesco Other essays available on the Tesco organisations are: Tesco Business analysis Tesco is one of the leading supermarkets Tesco Changing Business Environment Tesco SWOT analysis Tesco Fresh Veg Supply Chain Management