Saturday, August 31, 2019

Ethics of stem cell research Essay

The employment of human embryonic stem cells is a significant breakthrough in the filed of biomedical research. The capability to isolate, culture, harvest and manipulate stem cells presents a huge potential to generate new cells that will technically replace non-functional or degenerate cells in a patient’s body. Such revolutionary technology may possibly serve as a new treatment method for incurable and debilitating diseases. Amidst the excitement within the scientific world for the promises stem cell research brings, there is a growing debate on the ethics that are associated with this novel technology. The collection and manipulation of embryonic stem cells in the laboratory is dependent on the destruction of embryos. Such procurement of biological material therefore warrants the termination of an embryo which directly represents the very beginning of a human being (Robertson, 1999; Leies, 2005). Society has thus questioned whether the scientific world has ignored the absolute value of life in exchange for excellence in biomedical research. In a newspaper article from the Washington post entitled â€Å"Clash over stem cell research heats up,† Rick Weiss (2006) describes how stem cell research is perceived by two sides of the issue. Both sides have aggressively used the media in helping them air out their concerns and excitement, respectively, over the use of embryonic stem cells. The newspaper article was written and published a few days before the Senate would meet to determine the fate of embryonic stem cell research in the United States. The stem cell research bill was initially reviewed in 2001 and indicated that research efforts on embryonic stem cells in the United States will not be funded due to ethical reasons. This new bill will thus take control of the 2001 restriction and will therefore allow funding of research programs on embryonic stem cells that have been created as of August 2001. The bill aims to preserve and protect human embryos from their destruction, yet several scientific groups have claimed that this restriction has hampered their research efforts on regenerative medicine, and has also resulted in the lag of research output. More importantly, other countries that are not restricted from performing embryonic stem cell research have gained a 5-years’ worth of research advantage over the United States. The controversy regarding the ethical issues of embryonic stem cell research impacts the entire human population. Each individual in the society has a susceptibility to contract a disease that might possibly need the use of stem cells that can replace defective ones in the body. We have heard of a number of public figures that have suffered from diseases that could have been resolved through the use of embryonic stem cells. The late former President Ronal Reagan suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and the late actor Christopher Reeve experienced spinal cord injury. Both of these individuals are prime examples of people who could have benefited from the results of embryonic stem cell research. Stem cells may be cultured and manipulated to differentiate into specific types of cells such as astrocytes or brain cells for Alzheimer’s patients, and neural cells for patients with spinal cord injury (Snow, 2003). However, nothing has been done since 2001 because the federal government has put a hold on any research activities that involves stem cell manipulation and experimentation. A solution to current debate on the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cell research is the comprehensive explanation of the definition of embryonic stem cells. It is imperative that the non-scientific public understand the principles and techniques behind the generation of embryonic stem cells. It is also important that the public know that harvesting embryonic stem cells is not much different from abortion. It is also essential to understand that the body of a human female biologically destroys or discards hundred of eggs cells through the natural course. The scientific group, in turn, should be patient enough to explain the area of embryonic stem cell research. I think that the ethical debate on the use of embryonic stem cells for research originates mainly from the miscommunication, misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the concept of embryonic stem cells. In addition, the public only relies on the information that is released by senators and stem cell research activists, who have actually distorted the concept of stem cell research. Should the scientific world be humble enough to example the basics of stem cell research, including the misnomers and benefits of the research, the ethical debate on this issue would decrease and might even vanish. The debate on the ethical issues of stem cell research is just one of several topics that have been under intense scrutiny by the public eye. Other issues of human concern include the employment of genetically modified organisms (GMO), organic foods, genetic engineering and biotechnology. It should be known that these technological innovations were basically created to improve the quality of life and not to destroy existing life forms. Everything that interacts with human beings has its benefits and disadvantages, yet these biomedical breakthroughs are the usual focus of attention of the public. However, if we weigh the benefits and risks of stem cell research, we will realize that the benefits of stem cell research far outweighs the disadvantages that may result from the use of this technology. We should always remember that decades ago, so many lives were lost from bacterial infection because antibiotics were not discovered yet. Today, antibiotics are a common treatment regime for bacterial infections, which is a huge benefit to human health, but it also has resulting in the creation of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. The same setting may also be observed in terms of stem cell research, but we should intelligently consider both sides of the technology.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Best Friend

I am always really impressed and excited by the girlstudents wearing Ao Dai coming out of schools every where in the city at the end of class time. That image is indeed beautiful and so rich in the Vietnamese culture! However, we may be forgetting such a lovely image because of the current tendency for cultural intergration . The white Ao Dai has been gradually replaced by the self-designed skirts matched with shirts as usually seen in the Korean or Japanese movies . Seeing this reality, we, highschool students support the concept of maintaining the Ao Dai as the official uniform for highschool girlstudents. Introduce members of group) So why do we should keep using Ao Dai as school girls’ uniform? 1. First of all, the Ao Dai is a kind of dress that represents most deeply the nationality of the Vietnamese people. People never take the Vietnamese Ao Dai for the Japanese Kimono, for the Korean Hanbok or the Chinese Xam gown. With a long history related to that of the development of the Vietnamese people, the Ao Dai has become a typical tradition, rich in national cultural essence. In other words, the Ao Dai is the national costume for the Vietnamese women.That is why female delegates, leaders’ Ladies dress themselves in Ao Dai at the national or international conferences in order to affirm the sense of national superiority. The contestants for the global beauty contests always wear Ao Dai to promote the Vietnamese image. Right in our country, every day, every hour do we see the Vietnamese women in the national Ao Dai at hotels, restaurants, banks, post offices, schools and offices as well. The Ao Dai bears in itself the image of a country, Vietnam with an abundant cultural core. . The Ao Dai not only symbolizes the national tradition, but also glorifies the beauty of the Vietnamese women, especially the white Ao Dai has been connected with the softness and purity of the Vietnamese girlstudents for long time. With the simple but fine features, the pu rely white Ao Dai brings about the sense of nobility for highschool girlstudents. No one can forget the image of the girlstudents of Dong Khanh Highschool on their way back home. That image has been the endless inspirations for writers and poets since then.Young girlstudents may like the youngness and the modernity of the new fashionable uniforms, but the Ao Dai is always the best choice for the dress that represents the dynamic and modern aspects of present-time girlstudents, but still keeps the non-mistakable of the Vietnamese women. 3. Finally, the Ao Dai honors not only the external beauty but also the internal beauty of the Vietnamese girls’soul more than any other costumes. To some extents, the dress we wear influences our behavior. In this sense, the Ao Dai has educational value.In the white, charming Ao Dai, the girls’ conducts, speech, attitudes and manner are even more valued. That is the thought of holding a representative,and national image ,the preservatio n and the development of the cultural values for the nation. The educational aspect of the Ao Dai not only spreads over the grirlstudents but also over the community . Every day, at any time we can happen to see the Ao Dai on any streets in the city: that is not just a beautiful image , but it is a symbol that reminds people of the typical, traditional, cultural beauty and profound, national sense of superiority.Consequently, for its national, educational and aesthetic values, represented in the girlstudents’ Ao Dai, we strongly recommend the Ao Dai to be the official uniform for highschool girlstudents. Vietnam being in its process of renovation and intergration; we may easily leave the traditional beauties behind. For this reason, we should not allow the imported foreign fashions or styles to bring the Ao Dai into decadence. Beautify ourselves and our city with your white alluring Ao Dai! Toi v? n luon ? n tu? ng va xuc d? ng khi m? i gi? tan tru? ng, nh? ng ta ao dai tr? n g c? a cac b? n n? sinh ua ra kh? cac n? o du? ng thanh ph?. Hinh ? nh ? y th? t d? p va d? m ch? t Vi? t Nam bi? t bao. Th? nhung, v? i xu hu? ng van hoa h? i nh? p hi? n nay, chung ta dang d? n m? t di m? t hinh ? nh d? p nhu th?. Chi? c ao dai tr? ng dang d? n b? thay th? b? i nh? ng b? d? ng ph? c t? thi? t k? , di? n hinh nhu cac ki? u vay k? t h? p v? i ao so mi ma ta v? n thu? ng th? y trong cac b? phim Han Qu? c hay Nh? t B? n. Tru? c th? c tr? ng nay, nhom h? c sinh chung toi mu? n th? hi? n quan di? m v? vi? c chung ta nen duy tri vi? c s? d? ng ao dai nhu d? ng ph? c c? a h? c sinh trung h? c. (Gi? i thi? u nhom)V? y t? i sao chung ta ph? i duy tri vi? c s? d? ng ao dai nhu d? ng ph? c c? a cac n? sinh? 1. Tru? c h? t, ao dai la trang ph? c th? hi? n tinh dan t? c sau s? c c? a ngu? i Vi? t Nam. Ngu? i ta khong th? nh? m l? n ao dai c? a ngu? i Vi? t v? i kimono c? a ngu? i Nh? t, hanbok c? a ngu? i Han hay su? n xam c? a ngu? i Trung Hoa. V? i l? ch s? lau d? i g? n li? n v? i l? ch s? phat tri? n c? a dan t? c VN, ao dai da tr? thanh m? t net truy? n th? ng d? c trung, d? m da b? n s? c van hoa dan t? c. Noi cach khac, ao dai chinh la qu? c ph? c c? a ngu? i VN. Do la ly do vi sao ? cac h? i ngh? qu? gia hay qu? c te, cac n? d? i bi? u hay phu nhan cac nha lanh d? o v? n m? c ao dai d? kh? ng d? nh s? t? ton dan t? c. Cac d? i di? n tham gia cac cu? c thi s? c depk toan c? u luon mang tren minh chi? c ao dai VN d? qu? ng ba hinh ? nh Vi? t. Ngay ? d? t nu? c chung ta, hang ngay, hang gi? chung ta d? u co th? nhin th? y hinh ? nh ph? n? Vi? t trong chi? c ao dai dan t? c ? cac khach s? n, ngan hang, buu di? n, tru? ng trung h? c va cac co quan khac. Nhu v? y, co th? noi r? ng ao dai da mang tren no hinh ? nh c? a c? m? t d? t nu? c Vi? t Nam d? m da b? n s? c van hoa. 2. Ao dai khong ch? ang d? m tinh dan t? c ma ao dai con ton vinh v? d? p c? a ngu? i ph? n? Vi? t Nam va ao dai tr? ng da g? n li? n v? i s? d? u dang, net trong sang c? a ngu? i n? sinh Vi? t t? r? t lau r? i. V? i s? don gi? n nhung tinh t? , chi? c ao dai tr? ng tinh khoi mang d? n c? m giac thanh thoat cho cac n? sinh trung h? c. Khong ai co th? quen du? c hinh ? nh n? sinh D? ng Khanh ngay xua m? i khi tan tru? ng v?. Hinh ? nh ? y cung la ngu? n c? m h? ng cho r? t nhi? u cac thi si tru? c day cho t? i t? n bay gi?. Co th? net hi? n d? i va tr? trung c? a nh? ng ki? u d? ng ph? c m? i khi? n cac b? n n? inh yeu thich, nhung d? v? n v? a th? hi? n tinh nang d? ng, hi? n d? i c? a n? sinh th? i nay ma v? n gi? du? c net d? p khong th? nh? m l? n c? a ngu? i ph? n? Vi? t, ao dai v? n luon la s? l? a ch? n t? i uu nh? t. 3. Cu? i cung, hon b? t c? m? t lo? i trang ph? c nao, ao dai khong ch? ton vinh v? d? p ben ngoai ma con nang cao cai d? p tam h? n ben trong c? a ngu? i con gai Vi? t. B? ng cach nay hay cach khac, trang ph? c ta m? c luon co ? nh hu? ng t? i hanh vi c? a ta. Ao dai co tinh giao d? c theo cach nay. Trong nh? ng ta ao dai tr? ng d? p nh? nha ng, y th? c v? c? ch? , thai d? cach di d? ng va l? i noi c? a cac b? n n? sinh cung du? c nang cao. Do chinh la y th? c v? vi? c gi? gin m? t hinh ? nh d? i di? n c? a m? t dan t? c, la b? o t? n va phat huy nh? ng gia tr? van hoa c? a d? t nu? c. Tinh giao d? c c? a ao dai con co tinh ch? t lan t? a b? i khong ch? rieng cac n? sinh ma toan th? xa h? i d? u du? c giao d? c y th? c. B? i l? , hang ngay, c? m? i gi? d? n tru? ng hay tan h? c, ngu? i ta d? u co th? b? t g? p m? t ta ao dai tr? ng nao do tren b? t ki m? t n? o du? ng nao trong thanh ph?. Do khong ch? la m? t hinh ? nh d? p ma con la bi? u tu? ng nh? c nh? m? ngu? i v? cai d? p van hoa truy? n th? ng d? c trung va long t? ton dan t? c sau s? c. Nhu v? y, b? i tinh dan t? c, tinh th? m m? , va tinh giao d? c th? hi? n ro qua chi? c ao dai n? sinh, chung toi d? cao vi? c duy tri s? d? ng ao dai nhu d? ng ph? c h? c sinh ? tru? ng THPT. D? t nu? c cang d? i m? i va h? i nh? p, chung ta cang d? dang m? t di nh? ng net d? p truy? n th? ng. V? y nen d? ng d? nh? ng thi? t k? th? i trang ngo? i nh? p lam ao dai n? sinh c? a chung ta b? lang quen. Hay t? lam d? p chinh chung ta va lam d? p c? thanh ph? nay v? i nh? ng chi? c ao dai tr? ng c? a cac b? n!

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Health-related program for HLP Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health-related program for HLP - Assignment Example Notably, this gives the user an opportunity to work out their muscles when they are taking a break from the running sessions. During this time, on can do a few reps with the dumbbell as he or she catches breath after having run on the treadmill. Its structure consist of a usual treadmill machine with an extension on the front where one can use to place the dumbbells A user gains various benefits from the multifunctional treadmill such as: strengthening the heart of the user thus lowering his or her blood pressure, improving the circulation of blood in the body as well as protection from blood vessels and heart diseases. It may also be used by diabetic patients on a regular basis to reduce the blood sugar levels. The one outstanding advantage that comes with using the multifunctional treadmill is that it enables the user to acquire and maintain a good body shape. The heart needs to be kept in good condition and status as it is argued to be the most important muscle of the body. Other parts or tissues of the body, however, should not be left out during exercise. The muscle tissues of the arms, as well as legs, should be well maintained to maintain a good stature. The facility has some programmes that enable a user to achieve an improved or maintained health condition in as far as health and exercise are concerned. These programmes are as follows: first it has time location for the warm up period. Therefore, this enables a user to warm up before commencing on the actual exercise. It is an allowance of one minute that the user gets before he or she starts the exercise. Secondly, it has a speed control that enables a user to set his or her desired speed. Thirdly, it has an inclination control which one uses to adjust the treadmill to an inclination that they desire either steep or slope as the extremes. Fourthly, it enables a user to choose the type of exercise he or she wishes to do and

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Disc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Disc - Essay Example 1 book (246), there is a gender bias that exists in virtually every aspect of science instruction This results in the under-representation of women in related industries, including education, which only serves to further the problem. Methods to overcome this issue must therefore be focused on removing the bias from the classroom, rather than attempting to eliminate a non-existent weakness among females. This is no easy task, as inequality has permeated practically all fields of science and math, requiring the evaluation of everything from the delivery of education to the validity of the information that is presented. Removing the gender bias in classroom science can (and should) be addressed in many ways. Including a feminist pedagogy to the instruction approach will help to identify problem areas that need to be altered, while ensuring equal considerations to famous females in the field provides a tactical approach. These methods should help all students by setting the example that they do not need to fit a particular stereotype in order to succeed in science and

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Developing an argument (gobal warming) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Developing an argument (gobal warming) - Essay Example The argument I am going to build in this essay is that the global warming will not be a continuous phenomenon and that the mankind will handle this issue in order to secure the long term survival of our future generations to come and since global warming is a natural phenomenon therefore it will stop the same way it was started by the nature. Over the history of mankind, we have successfully battled the gore threats from nature which were threatening to our survival on the earth. These threats included floods, earth quacks, tsunamis, viruses etc and through all these, we, as mankind has successfully emerged as winners. It is simple human nature that we want to evolve and in that process we come up with innovations and methods which allowed us to handle these. Since the main causes of the global warming are greenhouse gas concentrations, therefore plantation of new trees and especially those that have the capability of absorbing heat can significantly contribute towards reducing the i mpact of global warming on the planet earth. Scientists have discovered that plants with short life cycles or quick growing plants like weeds have the capability to cope with the global warming.(sciencedaily,2007). Similarly corals adopt to cope with the global warming more than any other thing as the studies suggest that corals may be able to sustain the extreme heat by forming new relationships with their algae’s to take on more heat.(Hect,2004). What we as humans has to do is to continuously search and find out methods which can help us to cope with the global warming. Some studies have even suggested that the global warming has stopped and it is no more hurting the mother earth (Lynas, 2008). However there are concerns that the global warming may not be stopping and that it is a continuous phenomenon and will bring in the downfall of humans eventually. There is evidence which suggest that global warming still has to unfold however

Monday, August 26, 2019

International Management Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Management - Scholarship Essay Example Kluckohn and Strodtbeck’s theory of culture points out six dimensions of culture that are there. These dimensions include identifying the nature of people, the person’s relationship to nature, person’s relationship to other people, the modality of human activity, the temporal focus of human activity and the conception of space. These six orientations were not clearly defined as well as they were not basically focusing on management. One's useful way of characterizing differences in cultures is the low context-high-context approach developed by Edward and Mildred Hall. Hall's Low-Context-High-Context Approach. In a low-context culture, the words used by the speaker explicitly convey the speaker's message to the listener. Anglo-Saxon countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and Germanic countries are good examples of low-context cultures. In a high-context culture, the context in which a conversation occurs is just as important as the wo rds that are actually spoken and cultural clues are important in understanding what is being communicated. Business behaviours in high-context cultures often differ from those in low-context cultures.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Psychology. Diary Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Psychology. Diary Activity - Essay Example Submissive Diary Exercises: 1. I should more aggressive in fulfilling what I want to achieve in life. I should be assertive of my rights, and I should be submissive to the rule and policies of the schools. 2. I should be more assertive of my right to be heard when I am accused of something that I have not done. I should be less passive when I feeling that my rights are being trampled. 3. I should be more assertive in expressing what I want to do. I should be less aggressive when explaining my points. Activity: 1. When you were late for the third time and I feel all right because you were always apologetic. 2. When you raise your price in the clinic, I feel unhappy because I cannot afford the price anymore. 3. When you complained of not getting the result, I feel frustrated because you did not implement what were recommended. 4. When my partner leaves his dishes in the sink after coming home late from work, I feel irritated because he continued to do so for a week. 5. When you borrow my car, I feel irritated because you left it without petroleum. Diary Exercise: 1. A situation where I said yes but would have wanted to say no was when I was asked to donate some money for a non-governmental organization. 2. I wished to say no because I was afraid I will be short of money. 3. I decided to say yes because I do not want to disappoint the expectations my classmates. 4. I felt good because I have something good for humanity and that I did not embarrass my classmate. 5. I feel that I earned his respect. 6. I would have preferred saying yes. After all I can ask from my parent additional allowance for school. Page 43 1. Active listening reduces the defensiveness of the other person because when one is actively listening he can effectively employ...Where in her childhood a woman experienced humiliation or never appreciated or recognized for what she had done or said she will not feel comfortable of expressing her thoughts even when she becomes older. 3. Language is a barrier to assertion. When a person cannot express his thoughts and his ideas because he does not have ample language facility he cannot assert his point. It is important therefore that a person must have a rich world bank so that he can competently express what he has in his mind. 1. Active listening reduces the defensiveness of the other person because when one is actively listening he can effectively employ different skills that would physiologically and psychologically encourage the speaker. The listener can be persist, or negotiate or employ the three-part messages of assertion. Scenario 1: There is the need fro active listening and assertion. As soon as the client is ready to listen there is the need to explain the process and explore on the needs. The client must collaborate and must be patient undergo the process of treatment. He should be willing to put his trust. Mapping can be utilized in this situation. Scenario 2: There is the need to come up with an action plan that must be implemented or carried out so that it would be clear who would work on it, how it should be done, and when it shou

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Business law - Essay Example When dealing with fraud, reliance refers to the fact that one party would not have entered into the agreement that constitutes the fraud if the other party had not made the misrepresentation or made the silent fraud (Clarkson, Miller and Cross 157). In the case at hand, the material fact was the overstated inventory, and the reliance was the decision by ABC to purchase the company on June 1. Despite the fact that Zulu discovered the overstatement of the inventory 15 days after the financial statements have been presented, and ABC Corporation discovered the overstatement after purchasing the company, silent fraud had still been committed. ABC can prove silent fraud since it can prove that, prior to the purchase, Zulu failed to disclose a material fact, Zulu had actual knowledge of the material fact and the failure by Zulu to disclose the material fact gave caused ABC Corporation to have a false impression and, therefore, buy the company. ABC Corporation can also prove that, when Zulu failed to disclose the material fact, which is the overstatement of inventory, they knew that ABC Corporation would have a false impression and/or they intended ABC Corporation to have a false impression. ABC Corporation can also prove that they rel ied on the false impression to make the decision, and as a result of the decision made, ABC Corporation suffered a loss (Clarkson, Miller and Cross

Friday, August 23, 2019

Book Review How Did That Happen by Roger Connors and Tom Smith 2009 Coursework

Book Review How Did That Happen by Roger Connors and Tom Smith 2009 - Coursework Example Something we go to when we are very close to pulling all our hair out from sheer frustration. Summary In most cases, we just need a surefire way to fix our problem, something that will guide us to the step of recovery, to save us from what has gone incredibly wrong and probably made us lose more than just our money. In such situations, more than the financial losses, we are worried about the amount of time, effort and energy we had put into the project. More often than not, we stress over our projects and spend sleepless nights wondering if our plan will be accepted by our targets and if we would achieve the success we had set out to. And when our project fails even a little bit, we can all but hang our heads in shame and disappointment. In How did that happen Roger Connors and Tom Smith address such situations. In the scene of the global economic crisis and where it was born, all managers have at some point or the other asked how all their plans went awry and how everything they had done was washed down the drain. But it’s not often that one can get answers to such questions. For one, the answer to every how did that happen is completely different. And another, no one will take the onus to explain to you what went wrong when you executed a particular plan. It is almost always up to you, the designer of the plan, to figure out what went wrong in your master plan, and where. In this day and age, we have the option to outsource our problems to consultants. They do an in-depth study of our plans and arrive at what went wrong and give us suggestions on how to rectify it. â€Å"Successfully holding others accountable to deliver on expectations, and doing it in a way that make others feel good about it, requires real effort and skill.† (Connors & Smith, 2009, pg.15-16). In spite of this, organizations may find it quite embarrassing to hand over their failures to random strangers. It makes the most sense to find the loopholes in the plan we have worked s o hard on. Review They say prevention is better than cure. But when the disease strikes, we cannot sob over not having taken the prevention. It is time for action. However, in most cases, when such crises strike, we have no clue where to begin to clean up the mess. We know that we have to do something to save our company from drowning, to keep ourselves afloat, but when disaster strikes, we lose our cool in all the panic. We need guidance, someone to tell us exactly what to do, when to do and how to do it. The only problem is, no one ever wants to take the responsibility to be that someone, probably out of fear of flopping out again. This is when smart people decided to write about foreseen crises when they were in a sober state of mind, so that when the problem showed its ugly face, people would have somewhere to turn to - a guide, a direction to move in to rectify what has gone horribly wrong. In How did that happen, Connors and Smith have defined in a very simple and comprehensib le manner what one must do in case of such outbreaks. Rather than giving us vague illustrations and long, complex instructions that no one will understand and confusing us even more, they have managed to break down the whole concept and give us step-by-step instructions that are definite, as opposed to the ambiguity one usually finds in such books. This may be the most important factor of this book, that even in spite of being a self-help book, it actually

Communication and Motivation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Communication and Motivation - Research Paper Example mmunication and motivation is widely considered to be one of the most effective leadership styles in the contemporary real world organizational management. Many recent empirical researches have revealed that employees normally feel disengaged from their organizations or work when they do not have feelings of emotional connection. On the other hand, proper communication and motivation of the workers and subordinates not only allow them to effectively carry out their day to day activities but also inspire them to challenge themselves and each other to greater performance. According to Yukl (2002), leaders and managers are increasingly incorporating communication and management in their leadership styles to enable them develops conditions in their workplaces that generate commitment, excitement and energy. For example, in most cases, managers, supervisors and top executives normally spend a significant amount of their time communicating to others in their day to day activities. . Some of the key potential benefits of this leadership style include allowing followers to work while informed of the organizational goals thus making them work better; making employees feel more appreciated thus resulting into increased productivity and providing leaders with an avenue to exert influence over their subjects. In addition, it is widely believed that employees tend to respond more enthusiastically to the leadership when they feel motivated, respected and inspired. Contrary to just giving orders, managers should develop tactics of helping their teams and the company to achieve its strategic goals. Generally, through communication, executives can easily build employee confidence in their leadership, enable them understand the general strategy of the company and identify their areas of contribution to the organization. However, different organizational cultures require different leadership styles in order to effectively communicate and motivate their workforce. This paper

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Jacksons Building Centres Essay Example for Free

Jacksons Building Centres Essay Introduction: A large to medium sized business such as Jacksons need quite a big Human Resources department. They perform a key role in the companys day to day operations. This department cover many areas such as, recruitment and training, organisation at department levels and looking at competition, these are just a few aspects of the department but are all needed so make the business run efficiently. This Human Resource based project I am going to base on Jacksons Building Centres. The main aim of this study is to investigate the five main areas of Human Resources which are: * Human resource planning * Recruitment and selection * Training and development * Performance management * Motivational theory Human resource planning: In an ideal world businesses should plan ahead when it comes to human resources. A well-organized business will have forecasts and projections of its future staffing needs. These will then be matched to forecasts and projections about the local labour market, which means that the business can develop appropriate strategies for the recruitment, training and development of its staff. Projected Levels of Employment in Lincolnshire: Work Force Lincolnshire Total Number in Employment 219,085 % of all working age in employment 75.2 % of Male Full-Time 42.7 % of Female Full-Time 6.6 % of Male Part-Time 23.4 % of Female Part-Time 27.2 The types of jobs that are in decline in Lincolnshire: The two main types of jobs that are in decline in Lincolnshire are: * Farming this is due to more to increased mechanisation so the ratio of work complete by machines to human is decreasing, thus less man power is needed. * Heavy Engineering the majority of heavy engineering companies have left the area only leaving the largest which is Alstom. Due to Jacksons not being involved in these sectors the decline in certain areas of employment does not have an effect on the business. Technological advances, changes in social behavior, demographic shifts and economic conditions are driving fundamental changes in the structure of the labour market and the playing field on which competition is laid for labour. The competitiveness with other employers is affected by general labour market forces. Recruitment and Selection: Recruitment and Selection is a well-worn topic, whish is traded fully in all major texts. There is always a tension between getting the right person for a job and how much resource in terms of time and money is devoted to recruitment. The main ways in which Jacksons recruit is via Job Centres and Local News papers. This encourages people who live in the local area to apply for the job. The Selection Process for the management scheme: Requirements: Between the ages of 18 and 24. 4 GCSEs 2 A Levels Application: * Approximately one hundred people apply for four positional available, * They then look for suitability for the position in Jacksons case Energetic and hard working, * They then select the definite nos: * not complete application forms, * poor handwriting * poor literacy * They then look for the applicants that they like: * Sociability quality * Good Motivational qualities * A Spark! They then invite the selected applicants to an assessment centre where they undergo a series of tasks. They are first split up into groups of around twelve for around half a day where the do exercises based on: Motivation Sociability Team Work During this time they look for the Contribution of the applicant or domineering and no contribution, within this they look for a balance between them. They then have a half an hour paper base study where they have to figure an appropriate solution to a given problem. From the assessment centre they narrow the candidates down to 2 or 3 which will be interviewed. The interview will be based and assessed on: A Balanced approach Halo Effect Avoiding bias Describe personalities Numeracy Questions Case study during interview (customer service problem) Move away from Psychometric tests Looking at objectives An interview report is then compiled. If the applicant is successful then they will be asked back to another interview with Branch managers and other high status employees. They will then offer 4 to 6 placements within a month to 6 weeks. Included in the next few pages are examples of the Application Form and the Employment Interview Report. Training and Development: Jacksons run a management trainee program which has been running for around twenty years. Jacksons say it has been a strong contributory factor in their continued success, providing their branches with a steady stream of capable Merchant Managers. The programme consists of two stages. The first lasts for two years, in which time trainees will gain a valuable insight into the running of a busy Builders Merchant. The programme will be agreed at the beginning of the course and is designed to acquaint the trainee with a merchants environment, as well as learning and developing valuable personal competencies, such as time-management, assertiveness and communication skills. Knowledge will be developed from grass roots level where the trainee will work in a number of departments, building up an understanding of both the products we sell and customers we deal with. Progress is assessed regularly, both verbally and by written appraisal. Upon successful completion of the first phase the trainee will move onto the second stage of the programme, where there will be more specific management development lasting up to one year. Transport/Warehouse Building Materials Plumbing and Heating Sales Plumbing Office Heating Office Ironmongery Bathroom Showroom Kitchen Showroom Jackson Hire Timber one month three months three months two months two months three months three months one month three months three months In addition to the above, you will also spend time in the following areas: a. Accompanying a Company Representative b. Accompanying a Lorry Driver c. A period in the Accounts Office As a trainee manager you will also take part in special projects such as trade shows, corporate promotions and careers conventions. You will also spend time working at one other branch. This gives you the opportunity to work with people from around the group. Motivational Theory: Training in motivation is important in helping learners develop self-regulatory skills to set their own goals and manage their own learning and performance. Evaluating motivational levels in a learning situation also allows the instructor to determine the clarity of their units directions, and measure the effectiveness of varying consequences to either success or failure of individual students (Driscoll, 2000). Keller adds curiosity and its measure and promotion are a key to promoting knowledge seeking behaviour (Keller, 1987). A prevalent model in motivational theory is credited to John M. Keller. The ARCS theory of motivation corresponds to each of the four letters of the acronym (Keller, 1984): A- Attention R- Relevance C- Confidence S- Satisfaction Attention Kellers Attitude of Inquiry (1987) is a phrase used to describe the attention level desired to promote learning. He recommends varying presentation styles in order to maintain student attention (Keller,1983). Driscoll suggests presenting some materials through varying media, alternating lecture with demonstration, small group discussions, or class debates (2000). Relevance Instructors should relate lessons to their learners experiences by providing concrete examples and analogies. The more familiar something is, the more likely a student is to see it as relevant to their learning and use (Driscoll, 2000). Keller states that people enjoy learning more about things they already believe in or are more interested in (1987). Elementary teachers who used all four categories of ARCS found that relevance bore the strongest positive relationship to on-task behavior (Newby, 1991). Confidence Students gain confidence in their own abilities when experiencing success at challenging tasks (Driscoll, 2000). Students can be shown that seemingly unreachable goals can be attained through a series of organized, manageable sub goals and attainable small steps. Even failure can build confidence if the learner attributes failure to the poor use of strategies inherent to learning (Clifford, 1984). Satisfaction Students base satisfaction on the comparison of their achievements on balance with the achievements of those involved with them in the same learning environment (Keller, 1987). Elements increasing satisfaction can be verbal praise, incentives, and awards (Driscoll, 2000). The above four are the main sections that are obtained under the title Motivational Theory. Different Theories: Many theories have been established within the last one hundred years and it is not possible to consider each one of these. What is important in the study of motivation are the key names that have influenced todays approach. Four major theories have remained at the forefront of motivational techniques and each one is linked to a different style of management they are: * Frederick Winslow Taylor * Douglas McGregor * Abraham Maslow * Frederick Herzberg. Performance management Performance Management refers to different strategies designed to get the best of a businesses work force. Different techniques are employed which attempt to relate performance with pay, or promotion or training. Such schemes are not always popular with workers. A method of creating fair individual and team will be used by the Human Resources department and this could be done by the SMART model: Specific use a clear language to describe exactly what is required Measurable identify numerical targets and outputs which can be counted and assessed Agreed agree these with the employee so that they take responsibility for their own output Realistic set targets that are attainable for each individual, according to their skills and competencies Time-related state specific dates when targets must be achieved and will be measured External Labour Market The external Labour market is important to the running of the Human Resources department of Jacksons. To attract people to the company they need to compete with other companies. This means that Jacksons have to be able to offer the best package for them to attract new workforces. One of the main things that Jacksons offer is the Management training course. This is a very sort after employment opportunity due to incorporating management and other valuable skills fitting for later employment opportunities. Another aspect of importance to the external labour market to the Human Resources department is the way jobs and such are advertised. This in many cases is what a potential employee is looking at. So the Human Resources department look at other companies methods and take the good points from them to increase efficiency of attracting potential employees.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Environmental Issues Facing Future Of European Car Industry Marketing Essay

Environmental Issues Facing Future Of European Car Industry Marketing Essay The European Car industry has been continuously evolving from its early years. The world economic recession leading up to World War II led to strengthening of the uneven automobile manufacturing market, while in the postwar period, improved economic growth, marketing, and an expanding road structures increased sales for auto manufacturers in many developed countries. Design, service, and speed became trademarks of the thriving car producers, as evidenced by the every growing range of car models and the increasing popularity of Formula 1 racing all over Europe. In todays modern society the car industry is beginning to show signs of struggle due to the challenges that the industry faces in the new era. Issues such as congestion, rising oil prices, traffic jams and air pollution are some of the reasons that have forced the car makers to rethink its marketing, its goals, its objectives, and all the other unforeseen consequences. In total car makers produce almost 60 million vehicles every year, and provide employment to millions and millions of people all over the world. Average profits have been on a decrease from 20% or more in its first days of the 1920s to nearly 10% in the 1960s and way less than 5% in this present day. In fact some volume car makers such as Fiat, GM, and Ford all have actually been losing money. EUROPEAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY The European industry is the worlds largest car manufacturing region and the worlds largest market. In addition to that the industry is considered a leader in the worldwide market, with incorporated operations consisting of design, research, development, production and sales (BERA 2004). The market is made up of a concentrated and refined universal network, which includes different joint-ventures, special productions, many cooperatives, and assembly sites. European car manufacturers have a combined productivity that exceeds that of the United States and Japan; but no one single European manufacturer produces more than its Japanese or United States competitor (BERA 2004). There are more than 20 vehicle producers in Europe, with the largest carmakers producing numerous brands, such as VW, GM, Fiat, DaimlerChrysler, and Peugeot Citroen (McLaughlin, Maloney 1999, p. 193). There are also independent carmakers, such as Porsche, BMW and Baritone (McLaughlin, Maloney 1999, p. 193). The vehicle production of the European automotive industry has shown a great increase over the last 10 years. According to recent studies the largest car manufacturing country in Europe is Germany which is estimated at 30% of regions total production, followed by France at 19%, than Spain at 17% and UK at 10% (BERA 2004). Similar to the other markets in the global car industry trade, European industry has undergone an important restructuring, consolidation and reorganization, which comprises of mergers, such as Chrysler and Daimler-Benz, General Motors acquisition of Saab, BMWs hostile take over and then sale of Rover, Jaguar and Volvos passenger car division are now all under Ford, Volkswagens acquisition of Lamborghini, Bentley, SEAT and Skoda (McLaughlin, Maloney 1999, p. 193). Presently there are many other supply arrangements and co-production efforts amongst the European carmakers and other manufacturers all over the globe. Trends and issues in Europe: Increasing challenges Sustainable development for European Car industry requires sufficient and capable, economically feasible, socially adequate and environmentally sound transport systems (UNDESA 2010, p.1). Urban population is growing rapidly, in particular in the developing countries such as Turkey, Poland, Croatia and Ukraine. By 2050, two-thirds of people will live in mega-cities and other urban areas. Cities in developing countries urgently need better and affordable public urban transport systems (UNDESA 2010, p.2). With increasing income and prosperity many city dwellers aspire to own their own motor vehicles. Rapidly growing use of private motor vehicles and of freight transport, limited space and inadequate infrastructure result in urban traffic congestion, lost time, wasted resources, polluted air and negative health impacts through emissions of sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds and particulates, including black carbon (UNDESA 2010, p.2). Motorized transport depends almost entirely on oil products for its energy needs. Many developing countries are energy importers. Inefficient use of motor fuel in congested urban transport imposes unnecessary costs on countries, which can contribute to foreign trade imbalances and hamper economic development (UNDESA 2010, p.2). At present, the transport sector is responsible for almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emission from fossil fuel sources worldwide. It is the fastest growing sector with respect to green house gas emissions, yet is has received so far little attention from international climate initiatives and support programmes. For increasing resource productivity in transport, both for passenger and freight transport, a comprehensive approach is required that seeks (UNDESA 2010, p.2): to avoid or reduce transport demand, where possible, to encourage a shift towards less polluting and more efficient transport modes, and to improve and deploy clean transport technologies. EXISTING LITERATURE REVIEWED The automobile sector, is very important in the European economy, but is currently facing a number of problems. The lack of funding creates difficulties for the consumer to finance the purchase of a new car. European markets are also in overcapacity, and the evolution towards an aging and a no car society is predictable on the structural long-term (EJCIC 2009, p.4). To address these issues European Union has adopted a number of policies as well. To finance the sector in the short-term, to elaborate short-term schemes to favour demand, to restructure the sector on the long term, also to finance RD and clean cars, and finally to improve traffic flow and promote efficient use of transportation (EJCIC 2009, p.4). The car industry is one of the main manufacturing sectors in the Europe and remains important in terms of production, wealth and jobs: it produces 15 to 18 million cars a year, about 1/3 of the world production, and employs directly and indirectly 12 million people (EJCIC 2009, p.4). Many suppliers depend on the automobile industry (steel, aluminum, plastic, glass, textile industries, etc.) and its investments in RD benefit also to other sectors (EJCIC 2009, p.4). Once a symbol of social and industrial development, the automotive industry is now facing a multitude of severe challenges: fight against climate change, oil price volatility and the financial and economic crisis that has caused a significant decline in demand and, therefore, jobs (EJCIC 2009, p.11). Automotive industry is considered as a vital sector for growth and competitiveness in the EU, and it figures prominently on the political agendas of the European Commission (EJCIC 2009, p.11). THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND MARKETING The business environment of the firm or an industry consists of all the external influences that affect its function, decision making and its performance. When given the measureless number and range of external influences, how can companies expect to analyze, let alone monitor, environmental situation? This organizing of information can be done by using some form of system or framework. Environmental influences can be classified by PEST analysis into political, economic, social, and technological factors (Grant 2005, p.68). Also environmental influences can be sorted by the micro-environment or task environment that can be distinguished from the wider influences that form the macro-environment (Grant 2005, p.68). Although systematized and constant scanning of the entire range of external influences is always desirable by most companies in the industry, such extensive environmental analysis is expensive, because it creates an excess of information (Grant 2005, p.68). The condition for efficient environmental analysis is to differentiate the vital information from the information that is less important. To do this, we must look at primary principles of most companies (Grant 2005, p.68). In order for the firm to make profit it must first create value for its customers. Thats why; it must understand its consumers. Second, in creating value, the firm must acquire goods and services from suppliers. Thats why; the firm must have a good understanding of its suppliers with whom they should form good business relationships. Third, the capability to generate income from value creating activity entirely depends on the intensity of rivalry amongst firms that compete for the same value creating opportunities. Thats why, the firm must be aware of competition. Hence, the core of the industrys business environment is formed by the relationships that the firms in the industry have with three sets of players: customers, suppliers, and competitors (Grant 2005, p.68). These make up the industry environment. At the same time one cannot say that macro-level factors are unimportant to environmental analysis. Macro-level factors consist of general changes in demographic structure, economic or social and political trends (Grant 2005, p.68). These factors are also critical determinants of the threats and opportunities companies in the industry will face in the near future. The main concern is how these more general environmental factors affect the firms industry environment. Strategically speaking the threat of global warming, for most industries, will not be an important issue, at least not for next few hundred years (Grant 2005, p.68). However for European car industry, the implications of global warming are a vital issue because of restrictions on burning fossil fuel and rising taxes on oil. To analyze the strategic implications of global warming, the automobile manufacturers need to trace its implications for the industry environment (Grant 2005, p.69): What will be the impact on demand, will consumers favor more fuel-efficient cars or will there be a shift from gasoline-powered to electrically powered vehicles? Will there be substitution of public transportation for private transportation? Will there be new entry by manufacturers of electric vehicles into the car industry? Will the heavy RD costs associated with adapting cars to the new environmental challenge cause the industry to consolidate? P.E.S.T. A technique thats used to identify, assess and evaluate external factors affecting the performance of firm in the industry is known as PEST analysis (Gregory 2004 p.49). PEST analysis is done to help an organisation gain knowledge and understanding of the broader business environment and may be carried out as part of a continuous process of environmental scanning (Campbell, Stonehouse Houston 2002, p.118). PEST analysis may be used to evaluate firms expansion into a new market or to evaluate the feasibility of a new product or service (Campbell, Stonehouse Houston 2002, p.118). There are a large number of factors that may be included into PEST analysis, few of which are outlined below. Political factors Political and legal factors play a critical role on the development of any industry. Political and legal factors shape the rules of rivalry, supply chain requirements and operational costs (Jones 2010). International instability has led to an increase of oil prices that has created a sturdy trend towards smaller engines, hybrid engines as well as lighter diesel engines (Jones 2010). Present high level of oil prices has damaged the sales of larger engine-sized cars that are more then two litres in capacity, most of which are luxury and premium vehicles. There are also various quality controls and operation requirements for safety standards and emission levels that have a negative impact on the costs of production which in turn reduce the operating profit margin of companies (Jones 2010). A new legislation for car parking has been implemented in various European countries due to the threat of high congestion with the extreme traffic load of road networks. The foreign ownership regulations also form a part of political and legal factors. Currently the UK, France and Spain are considered as one of the most FDI welcoming countries in Europe. Automotive industry is being deregulated, which means that foreign car makers have a flexibility of choosing between various entries into the market and expansion modes in doing business with European companies (Jones 2010). The political relations between countries of operations imply certain benefits in a form of reduced tariff and non-tariff barriers, for example India and Japan work together with the UK within the regime of favorability (Jones 2010). Economic factors The countrys present and future demand situation is one of the most important determinants of location, because demand influences operations margin, the pricing strategy of the product, potential growth of the market, and the potential of return on investment (Jones 2010). Since early 2000s the target market size in Europe has experienced steady growth by size and value. There has been growth in size as every day current car parking capacity is being increased. The steady increase of average price level of parking contributed to the growth of market value (Jones 2010). European market is viewed as extremely mature. The present maturity has led to the overcapacity issue and an evident drop in sales of particular car segments. In general due to the maturity issue the market is experiencing negative growth. Even so, there is still an enormous significant growth potential for the sales of certain car segments due to the impact of technological factor as well as socio-cultural factors (Jones 2010). The strong growth of GDP, personal disposable income and consumer expenditures reveal the soaring level of consumer confidence. But when looking at the purchase of new cars, consumer confidence has fallen a lot. Nowadays consumers in Europe have been very unwilling to take out new debt and instead been choosing to service their existing debt. Also there has been a decline in the levels of mortgage equity withdrawal, which indicates that European consumers do not seek other funds to buy pricey items like cars (Jones 2010). The current strong position of Euro against other currencies has created many benefits for manufacturers consumers operating in Euro zone such as certainty of operations and reduced currency fluctuation risk. When highlighting the outlook of the automakers industry, it is evident that one of the key concerns with establishing and maintaining the competitive advantage is the cost factor, to be more specific, it is the ability of the firm to manage its direct and indirect costs (Jones 2010). Furthermore, when a decision has to be made with regard to the location of operations and the establishments of factories, industry specialists say that the key determinant here is labour-specific costs. A major emphasis is being put on the labour-specific cost saving (Jones 2010). According to the survey, more than 85% of industry specialists agreed that not only in Europe but all over the world, in the next coming five years there will be a very big increase in labour specific costs, such as legal services, cost of pensions and medical benefits for the employees (Jones 2010). According to predictions as the target market for car makers, the attractiveness of Europe will stay high (Jones 2010). The reason why European region will remain attractive for car makers is the potential increase of its market size and value, due to the expansion of the European Union and their strong currency. There are however suggestions that the share of markets in Europe will drop, because of the present maturity of the market, excessive competition and the demand trend. Social factors Whenever social factors are discussed the key factor that always comes to mind is a demographic factor, because it involves the lifestyle, the trend and the spending power of the consumer. The type of risk aversive behavior and value per customer all fall under a demographic factor (Jones 2010). The use of particular type of products and its projections can be determined by looking at the status of demographic trends. For example, the sales of family cars have been damaged by the current European demographics. The changes of routines, lifestyles and habits have a direct impact on the consumer spending. For instance, there has been a recent increase in preferences for secondhand car ownership instead of brand new vehicles. Additionally, the impact of trend factors such as fashion ability and luxury preferences can be so strong that it can remove and neglect the negative effects of oil prices and maturity of the market in some car segments (Jones 2010). Thats why, despite the predictio ns, luxury cars and many SUVs can experience strong growth, while the sales in other car segments experience dramatic fall. Technological factors New transactional capabilities are now open with the current development of Internet. Continuous development and growth of technological solutions, particularly in the area of digital technologies and communication create fresh operating opportunities such as innovative marketing mix channels, latest market research tools along with new purchase environment known as e-commerce (Jones 2010). To counter the problem of overcapacity, a number of leading car distributors make use of e-commerce. There e-exchange channels linking supply chain agents have undergone major improvements and have become the source of strategic advantage since it creates the aptitude of better value chain quality control and faster market response (Jones 2010). Porters Five Forces of Competition Framework When it comes down to it, there are many tools that can determine the level of profitability and the amount of competition in an industry. A helpful, commonly used framework for analyzing and categorizing these factors is the one developed by Michael Porter of Harvard Business School (Grant 2005, p.73). Porters Five Forces of Competition framework analyzes the profitability and the fertility of an industry, as indicated by its rate of return on capital relative to its cost of capital, as determined by five forces of competition (Grant 2005, p.73). These five sources of competitive pressure fall under either horizontal or vertical competition. Three sources make up horizontal competition namely: competition from new entrants, competition from substitute products or services, and competition from established rivals. And two sources make up vertical competition namely: the bargaining power of buyers and the bargaining power of suppliers (Grant 2005, p.73) Competition from Established Rivals The European automotive market is highly collective. The main rivalry involves Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot, BMW, Citroen, Honda and Toyota. There is a threat of intense price wars and a strong requirement for product differentiation because of this presence of powerful competitors with established brands (Jones 2010). This competitive pressure leads to an increase in promotional costs; and overcapacity introduces a significant price pressure. The current market conditions are so intense, that some manufacturers had no choice but to close certain plants to slash the costs and stay alive on the market. There are three major competitive strategies that firms use to survive; the first one is to serve and satisfy the needs of emerging market segments, new product development strategy, and lastly the supply chain improvement strategy (Jones 2010). Any opportunity that might arise requires an immediate operational responsiveness as there always is little space till market opportunity is leveraged by competitors. Bargaining Power of Buyers Because of the increasing overcapacity issue and high intensity of competition on the worldwide scale, European buyers experience very strong bargaining power (Jones 2010). It is said that buyers have a high level of bargain seeking behavior. Competition from Substitutes Apart from straight competitors such as public transport, cars compete with other forms of transport: air, sea, and rail. The ever-increasing importance of door to door transportation as well as environmental concerns has decreased the present threat of other forms of transport as substitutes. The main source of substitute threat comes from the sales of used cars. The steady accumulation of secondhand cars is one of the major reasons for the dramatic fall of the sales of new cars (Jones 2010). Bargaining Power of Suppliers Although carmakers have formed large entities it did not make a noteworthy shift of bargaining power in relations between original equipment manufacturers and the suppliers. The consolidation in the original equipment manufacturers sector has generated the equivalent consolidation between different groups of suppliers (Jones 2010). In the light of the overcapacity issue, demand chain partners and especially large car dealers do experience large bargaining power. Competition from entrants There is a high level of entry barriers when an industry is extremely consolidated and there is a well-developed value-added chain, RD and marketing capability. All of these minimize the threat of new entrants. However, due to global nature of the automotive industry the idea of new entrant is not that straightforward, since existing companies may enter new geographical markets. For example there is a huge potential for Chinese manufacturers to flood European markets in case safety measures and protectionist laws are not introduced by European countries (Jones 2010). Attractiveness of the industry for Foreign Direct Investments The value of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) per annum or per capita is one of the most common indices used to compare the attractiveness of countries (Maksymiuk 2006, p.4). The attractiveness of any country for FDI consists of many factors (which are valid also for sectors): low transaction costs, low risks for investment, a developed capital market, assured property rights, high expenditure in research and development, a highly developed infrastructure, a liberal economy, a lack of barriers for the entrance or exit from the market, a high quality of institutions supporting entrepreneurship and innovations, low taxes for employees, highly qualified specialists, a big domestic market, positive perspectives for the development of the country and political and social stability (Maksymiuk 2006, p.4). The attractiveness of the automotive industry can be increased by additional factors: the number of automotive suppliers qualified by quality management systems, the close proximity of car manufacturers, and the access to raw materials, a good climate guaranteed by government, operational clusters and co-operation between the industry and universities as well as RD institutions and consulting companies (Maksymiuk 2006, p.4). Information technologies are essential in all phases of development of the product, through manufacturing, logistics, purchasing and up to sales and after-sale services (Maksymiuk 2006, p.18). IT reduces the period of implementation of solutions and the costs of implementation. It supports the transfer of data around the world and makes it easier for transnational corporations to develop their products in a country that offers the most favorable conditions for FDI. IT is also one of the first tools which helps during mergers and acquisitions. The automotive industry could face some issues in the future. There could be a fall in the popularity of cars because of increases in car prices, increases in maintenance costs, and the appearance of substitutes for the car (Maksymiuk 2006, p.19). Another threat for the automotive industry could be triggered by an increase in transaction costs. It would be rather difficult to find such a situation in all automotive regions in the world, however decline in one of the regions (e.g. nationalization or a change of law against FDI in a big country) would bring higher losses and an extension of profits from investments in the longer term Many companies could be stopped because of a lack of components. Europe (especially the countries that have recently joined the European Union), with its strengths and opportunities reduces the risk of losses and is an attractive place for future investors (Maksymiuk 2006, p.19). SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Out of all the main manufacturing car industries in the world (Japan and US), the European is the largest and the most competitive. European automotive industry is a complex one and at the same time very diverse. It is basically dominated by German manufacturers. Although there has been a rise in sales and manufacturing from France, Spain and UK, German car makers still dominate the market. The market is also further divided by manufacturers that produce mass volumes of cars, than the manufacturers that focus on specializations and finally those that target niche markets and only cater to those specific customers. I say that the car industry is a complex one, because the state of industry affects many markets that are related to it, such as car parts, accessories, fuels and many more. Another reason why the industry is complex is that there are changing regulations of the car production, such as issues of global warming, safety and reliability. Also, companies must continuously consi der political, environmental and technological concerns in order to succeed. However despite the complexity of the environment of the automotive industry, European car industry has many favorable business and environmental factors such as the future growth potential within Europe, also there is an economic stability, positive growth of certain car market segments and finally theres relatively medium entry barriers which makes it an excellent place for FDI investors.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

New Ice Cream Product Launch Action Plan

New Ice Cream Product Launch Action Plan A comprehensive action plan to launch a new product in the Dessert segment, a delicious Ice-Cream called Delice Executive summary The essence of this comprehensive action plan broadly reflects the present market scenario. Its competition level, a brief insight about our product, its distribution channel. And of course a strategic planning that will certainly reflect business portfolio and functional plan forms a vital part of this report. Our marketing plan is for our new product launch, in the dessert segment. A delicious, Ice-cream which we have named Delice. We have also discussed its marketing mix to make it look unique from conventional market offer. Hence translating the marketing mix into action we are able to launch this product successfully. This action plan also define a systematic approach to get a good market share with high sales and profit, by strong promotional program and using effective tools like advertisement and product campaign like road campaign, free distribution in the shopping mall as a sample and through strong poster in retail shops etc. The market is dynamic, and therefore problems and obstacle are there, it therefore become compulsion to discus the issues related with this launch as well. Introduction: Nowadays, the demand for better living and a better life style is a core to our product. The consumer is always looking for new and delicious products, and big market giants are always coming up with products to cater the need of their customer. Amidst this rat race for a want of a healthier life and a pocket the benefit by taking care of good taste bud, we are coming up with an extremely delicious Ice-cream Delice at a very affordable price, in the existing market where the price are soaring in this food business. With the budget of  £1 million, I have also planned where this amounts is to be allocated, and in what proportion respectively. According to the latest market trend, even local ice-cream is selling like hot cakes. ACTION PLAN Action Steps What Will Be Done? Responsibilities Who Will Do It? Timeline By When? (Day/Month) Resources Resources Available Resources Needed (financial, human, political other) Potential Barriers What individuals or organizations might resist? How? Communications Plan Who is involved? What methods? How often? Step 1: Analyse the market Survey team 01/09 A. survey team/Finance B. information data of ice-cream shop and sales A. Locals B. Not letting the survey team do the work Planning team Phone, emails, etc everyday Step 2: collecting data Survey team 15/09 A. survey team/Finance B. information data of ice-cream shop and sales A. shop owners B. not providing the info Planning team Phone, emails, etc everyday Step 3: Advertisement Advertisement team 01/10 A. Ads team/Finance B. Place and permission A. shop owners, TV channels B. permission Ads team Phone, emails, etc everyday Step 4: Launching of the products 15/10 A. The whole company B. Political support, etc A. Rival company B. Putting barriers, etc Directors, Managers etc Personal visit, phone , emails, etc I make sure that any ice-cream product of successful when presented along with marketing strategy market I need to market segments. These targeted customer segments that I had my ice cream consumers product. Despite the fact that my ice-cream products can be directed to a single, all of them, and my market research analysis showed that most people age of me between 5 and 20 of some-not-to-to-eat some ice cream. Ice-cream Product Marketing will be on my blocks: -For families with children-as that of ice-cream after being always should be during such as food Ministry dessert, it is during such as food for children after completion of believes. Families with kids as it is taken or eaten after diner it is a good treat for the kids and the children, desserts also plays an important role as bit o digestion Families- A family without kids are good, because u get to see the adult as kids, as they lick ice- cream and it always brings out the kids in adults. Teenagers these would be in the age group 7 to 20. Launching of my successfully ice-cream product price, I will be no need of the Budget. My target to monitor the budget will be for it to my producer and marketing strategy. This is the only way would be about the product can be started investigation in the best of luck market opened. In the budget for my new menu d Or ice-cream products will be marketing mix 1 million pounds being five major elements that are as marketing strategy for the Delice. These are based on the Delice is to achieve the target. Are these five elements, sometimes five passed through the, are: -price -place -promotion -product -period price In that it is necessary to stop an appropriate price of 62 my ice cream. The sale price of that is my ice cream, medicine is that the user to a drug bought a large amount in the price of the product is good taste the standard. Price of ice cream product for me is being determined in the low income and business behavior than is part of the Delice company but I will determine my ice cream product of  £2.75 price of local health charter of 500 ml ice cream. I selected because the price is as part of the price of the Delice price effect of a strategy. Due to the Delice in the launch of ice cream market, as Cadbury, Hagen Dazs, etc. But I started to use sliding calculation is the price. As a new flavour carte my product, or the desire of people can try and the tincture free if it is, it means that consumers will be ready to pay the price of which the government claims product ice cream. My research market analysis I told people that I tried in 3900, he said that my questionnaires spent on average 1 pound a time on four pounds ice cream. I know that the price of my ice cream product Hanguraja inherits and suitable for the price PLACE For my ice cream medicine are low income in the areas of all good and links or restaurant speeding lunch were present. It is also in selling to the United States and European countries. From the ice cream factory Delice police special attention in missing, ice cream product England ended around the rest of the division and Britain. In 8300 the trucks of ice cream which products to low income in the areas of the motorway. This easily, if ice cream in England is distributed in Scotland and Wales, while on a truck In Ireland of ferry. However, if my product foreign selling, which will be imported, the import of expenses and pay taxes to export. My ice cream from medicine could also be sold directly to the internet user to the Delice or from the user a Super market. The ice cream items to come straight from the doors frozen are a machine. Like the Delice a delivery service, which will be small straight customer, a large delivery and service provided in the wholesale sellers and retailers . As per my market research sample that most of my people for regular use of the questionnaire on their home shopping tesco. I am therefore Tells that this is a good step. My ice cream products sold in tesco Store, as that tesco is that UK. The. Most of supermarket chain and therefore more people in comparison shop tesco of any other reserves. PROMOTION Ice cream for the promotion of my product should be recognised in the market and I will be successful in to carry out and pursue with some heavy advertising and promotion. This is because when I started product is in direct will be converted into making market and it should be the sale. BRANDING. Already including a Delice of the brand name in the ice cream market, so It is in recognition of excellence for the Delice of ice-cream as its leading in ice cream brand. Delice of the brand name is being very useful for me ice cream products, as my products produced by the Delice. This is my product gives a head start when he is in the market has been initiated. This is because, it will be given recognition to the brand name and consumers with Delice-that they can purchase with my ice cream product was because of this fact is that it was produced by the Delice. Ice cream also my part d Or range of products, it proves, because as a benefit that consumers can avail of Anand, which already eat d Or want to have to try to ice cream of new flavour was introduced. Has been established. So My ice cream brand name product may prove useful for my product. As I found that my Market Research Analysis, a very large number of people on the Delice I preferred Ice Cream of objection to any other b rand. I have decided to use the media to advertise their product mix. I am used to mix of Media in more detail has been stated below. Television Advertisement The Delice already advertise their ice-cream Tea. V. Products on, and also from that of or D category are also its advertising. So I have decided that, limited budget because of the Delice to have this product will be submitted to the proper bridle on a new knowledge about the total fund for the already existing d Or from advertising. It will be very good instead of creating a new advertisement for the new taste, as a large amount that this will start. That will be advertising a slot in a time between the children of programmes in the afternoon and in any films or plain in the evening soap night and my market research according to analysis, the specimen to meet the people for that I have asked my questionnaire said that they had seen that they advertised on buying V. ice-cream to encourage them for therefore for the purchase of products. Magazine. Delice my ice cream in product will be advertised weekly/monthly food magazines, because it can prove to be about if the food of reading-title magazine. In as an additional bonus, to attract the additional for readers to buy ice cream, I can be a place was on some of food-cuisine day. May be made desserts that is using my ice-cream products. It is perhaps just to encourage the, go out and buy ice cream that if they want to make dessert. Posters- I also produce posters to advertise for ice cream. The consumers of these products it agrees to the objective to purchase their products through attractive pictures of the use of ice cream, and some basic simple words to congratulate the picture. These many times can prove very effective cinema Cinema from the place will be fully WBHRC ice cream, as the people that love and joy whilst eating ice cream are watching a film. If advertising is also come, beginning on screen film on the people watching adverts would be encouraged to buy the cream of a film next time, when they are coming. Radio This is a good place for me that would extend my ice cream product because it has proved that most a 15-24 years of age to hear the people of commercial radio. It is good for my ice-cream products most because he is believed to be fit into my part market. Therefore, advertising on radio I capital by my ice-cream disease-carrier products should be considered in the market is my part. Billboards Advertising my ice cream products will be a full billboard manner to get the attention of the people, my ice cream products will be advertised on billboard in shopping centres are busy. I would not have this because many people in shopping centres more people will therefore notice of my product advertising billboard. Period This product of ice cream is very popular because my ice cream products, this additional popular in the summer, when it is hot. While it is not sell as well as in the cold weather. So I would say my launch ice cream products in the summer will not, where ice-cream of a high demand. This high demand of ice-cream products make my firm in market place. As per my Market Research Analysis of ice cream is sold in the summer mostly, so My launch also suitable for my period ice cream product. I am Excise tax on products of my ice cream a marketing strategy. The film makers as a product of my Delice, is that in the Delice leading brand ice cream. Ice cream product part of my train on the Delice or D category, where they have a different types of different flavours. In my products from being a new knowledge-from the Fund or D category. This will be called taste D or to fly banana Division says. From this as a mix of original pink-red fruits, chocolate and vanilla ice cream with fly a ripple through the ice-cream is going on. In packing my ice cream products from d Or very similar to existing would be to d Or products are available. Only one change in colour will be the packaging. Ice cream is going to be cut in will understand, where ice-cream and will be anti protectionist through the bath is visible. The ice cream will cover the bath of the picture as it should see how that when crib is opened. The Gold will cover rim and around it as the existing d or from ice cream product. The Unique Selling Point (USP) will be in my ice-cream product fact is that it is produced by Delice and Part D or range. This is because, to d. can be advertised is ice cream or any high quality products, such as this is also an expensive image while at the cost is not all that is more. Below is a picture of an existing d Or from ice cream products; my ice cream products will be exactly the same view but only in a separate name of the colour and flavour. I am the picture of the revised so that it looks like my ice cream products will be how to view. SWOT analysis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats SWOT Analysis is to a measure that I can use their internal match strength and weaknesses of trade with the search of opportunities and outer environment which is in danger. Strengths The brand image of a Delice of ice cream brand name products. It is the new producer and ice cream at international level nationally, or good quality is known to the ice cream a good high quality product. These gives rise to unpredictable demand the demand of ice cream products should be unpredictable, particularly during the autumn and winter, to where the consumption of ice-cream is not very popular. Weakness Revised new product-because a lot of my new products, as it has been modified by just to be implemented by a new taste, it has not been tried. So Ice cream vote on the product is not known because this product has not been tried. I for to remove this test could be my products on a sample collected people and their views and ideas in the products. Any improvement or what needs to be modifications. It was made clear that more detail in fraternise Marketing clause in the place. Low market share in the market share of the Delice less; this can be no impact on the success of my new ice cream product, possibly as a result in a market outside the return. Opportunity The opportunities of market share in high-my products desire to be successful in the Delice of high market share of market need. Good marketing-I also take to ensure that my ice cream products from the start good advertising and marketing in the market so that consumers are aware of my product launch market. There are many ways that is what can I like this, above the Internet, billboards, television, radio, etc. Threats The threats of the competitors including walls, Delice ice cream has a number of competitors also, Nestle, Mars, and Hagen-Dazs. These company constantly introduce ice-cream ranging of different flavour and taste in the market. Because these company has already a brand image it is bit difficult to change peoples mind, therefore, I have to be aware of my competitors every time, and I change in prices of ready, advertising and products with my contestants have to compete. In price-ice cream, ice cream market many growers in a by-run very similar product from one another, it encourages companies to be on the price Happy-hour. So To compete with companies to start the price on the basis, as they feel that when consumers to see a uniform they are often not a purchase products at cheap rates, in fact considering the quality. Conclusion I have chosen the ice-cream product considering the interest of people and their taste of mouth bud. Because they need something additional after the food. And these dairy products or the desserts is such item that it can stretch to any group ranging from a five years children to eighty years old man. So the market segment is wide and big for such products. It has is own advantage and it own threats as well. As we have already discussed.

Monday, August 19, 2019

HIV and AIDS :: STD, HIV, AIDS

AIDS/HIV   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, better known as AIDS, is caused by the incurable HIV virus. AIDS is a deadly disease that deteriorates the immune system. There are two groups of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), HIV-1 that occurs throughout the world and HIV-2 that mainly occurs in Africa. The HIV virus enters the white blood cells and takes over the reproductive system of that cell and uses the system to reproduce itself. The white blood cell dies and the new HIV cells infect other white blood cells and repeat the process. The Person with the disease will eventually die because the white blood cell dies off tottally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you have become infected with the AIDS disease you may not have any symptoms of the disease for the next ten years. People with the HIV virus usually look and feel healthy and may not even know that they are infected. Even though they don't look or feel sick, they can still infect others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the symptoms do start to happen they can be like the ones of many common sicknesses such as swollen glands, coughing, fever, and diarrhea. It is usually characterized by severe weight loss and fatigue.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The AIDS disease makes the less serious conditions harder for your body to control or get rid of because of the loss of many of the white blood cells in your body. The most common causes of death for the people with AIDS are pneumonia and Kaposi's sarcoma. Kaposi's sarcoma which shows up as purple lesions on the skin and tumors known as B-cell lymphomas have affected 70% of the infected people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  AIDS is transmitted in three main ways. Intimate sexual contact such as having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who is infected with HIV is the most common. While direct contact with infected blood, like sharing needles for injecting drugs, HIV also can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during pregancy or childbirth. Although some people speculate, you cannot receive the disease from kissing on the cheek and it is very unlikely that you could get HIV even from open mouth kissing, you also cannot get the disease/virus from close hugging, touching, cuddling, and massages as long as there isn't any open cuts or abrassions. HIV also cannot be contracted from using toilet seats,telephones, drinking fountains, straws, spoons, or cups or mosquitoes, air, food, water, coughs/sneezes, sweat or tears.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  AIDS is a life and death issue. To have the AIDS disease is a sentence of slow but defininate death. There currently is no cure or vaccine for this disease but there are drugs that have been proven effective in slowing the

Sunday, August 18, 2019

AIDS/HIV Research :: essays research papers

AIDS Research All A.I.D.S research should be funded by the government. Today A.I.D.S has become a large concern within society. Sexually active youth are constantly threatened with the chance of getting A.I.D.S.. A.I.D.S is everyone's problem and a cure has to be found. With funding from the government, it will provide the capital necessary for the research to find a cure, to stop the spread of A.I.D.S; eventually bringing down the number of people contracting and spreading the disease. Presently, many people have contracted the A.I.D.S virus, and it has become close to an epidemic. People who are sexually active have this constant threat of the disease looming over their heads. The people that contract the disease are normal people just like you and I. This disease does not favor any race or sexual preference. Many more people than you might believe have this disease, and the thing is many of these people, don't even know that they have the virus. Although many people may consider A.I.D.S research as costly and ineffective it is extremely important as a cure is found. Research requires a lot of funding whether it be private or government funding. This money is exceptionally important, as it provides the equipment, and the peoples salary who are doing the research. The amount of money needed for the research may seem like it is a lot, but it is worth it. It is worth it because if you consider the amount of money that we give to foreign countries to aid their economy we could be using this money to save peoples lives all around the world. People are dieing everyday, and many more are in hospitals; so if we find the cure we will save lives, and get these people who have contracted the disease out of hospitals, and living on their own again. Furthermore, research to stop the spread of A.I.D.S must be done. Meanwhile, in the search for a cure, research has to be done to find better methods of stopping the spread of the disease.

Changing Roles of Managers at Corporate Insurance Essay -- business, m

Over the course of the past two years, I have worked in a call center environment within the Corporate Insurance Company. A typical day is fast paced, yet structured. Up until recently, I had the responsibility of taking anywhere from 70 – 100 inbound calls daily from either troubled agents or inquiring customers. Of these calls, a few are monitored on a monthly basis to ensure the accuracy of the information that I am giving out. Customer service representatives here are also held accountable for our time on and off the phone as well as any data entry or what we call â€Å"after call work†. Again, this job family has operated with full structure and accountability. One of the repeated issues facing all phone counselors in this job family is the changing of the roles of managers. This is due in part to Corporate being a growing Fortune 500 company. Lately, about every four to six months, there has been a need for restructuring and reassigning of managers and team mates. We strive to work cooperatively as a team and just as we begin to effectively motivate one another, things change. Personally, in two years I have had five different managers and three different teams. Each manager has their own management, leadership and coaching styles and within each team there are ever changing inter and intra-personal dynamics. As I eluded, I have also changed job families and again, have had to become accustomed to a new manager, as well as the inter workings of a new job family all together. I now work diligently as an Account Processor, processing 70 – 100 policy changes daily. In this role, there is greater flexibility, less structure, and less support. However, the responsibility to provide the best service for the customer has no... ...ze our natural talent, and bring this out. They also have the skill to put their self in the shoes of those they manage. This will help them understand what employees are like and what motivates them, and then they can slowly work to mold them and help them to do their best. Those are some of the primary differences between leadership and management. I’m the type of leader or manager who would lead by example. As a leader I would eliminate potential barriers my employees couldn’t see. Also I would expand my vision with the insight of others, and this would potentially create a better vision and end result. As a manager, I would delegate work to my employees, so they felt as though they were apart of the big picture. Also I would get to know each of my team members, both personally and professionally. All in all I think I would do just fine as a leader or manager.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 13

I walked back to my room, unsure what to think. Vampiros. Vampires. The word sounded wrong, no matter what language it was in. Coyotes. That was a word that made sense. After all, a coyote was just like a wolf, a wild animal drawn to the confusing tangle of the deep Virginia woods. If Rosalyn was killed by a coyote, it would be tragic, but understandable. But for Rosalyn to be killed by a demon? I laughed, the sound coming out like a short bark as I strode into my bedroom and sat with my head in my hands. My headache had returned with renewed vigor, and I remembered Emily's request that I not eat Cordelia's cooking. On top of everything else, it seemed the servants were turning on each other. Suddenly, I heard three soft raps on the door. The sound was so slight it might be the wind, which had shown no sign of stopping since we got back from the woods. â€Å"Hello?† I called hesitantly. The raps started again, more insistently this time. On the other side of the room, the cotton curtains blew violently in the wind. â€Å"Alfred?† I called, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Father's tale had definitely affected me. â€Å"I won't be needing dinner,† I called affected me. â€Å"I won't be needing dinner,† I called loudly. I grabbed a letter opener from my desk and held it behind my back as I headed cautiously toward the door. But just as I placed my hand on the doorknob, the door began to swing inward. â€Å"This isn't funny!† I called, half hysterical, when all of a sudden, a figure in pale blue slipped into the room. Katherine. â€Å"Good, because humor has never been one of my strong points,† Katherine said, her smile revealing her straight, white teeth. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I blushed and hastily dropped the letter opener onto the desk. â€Å"I'm just †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Y ou're still recovering.† Katherine's brown eyes locked with my own. â€Å"I'm sorry to startle you.† She sat down on the center of my bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. â€Å"Y our brother's worried about you.† â€Å"Oh †¦,† I stammered. I couldn't believe that Katherine Pierce had come into my bedroom and was sitting on my bed, as if it were perfectly normal. No woman, except my mother and Cordelia, had ever been in my sleeping chambers. I was suddenly embarrassed by my muddy boots in one corner, the pile of china dishes in another, and the Shakespeare volume still open on the desk. â€Å"Do you want to know a secret?† Katherine asked. I stood at the door, clutching the brass doorknob. â€Å"Maybe?† I asked hesitantly. â€Å"Come closer and I'll tell you.† She beckoned me with her finger. Townspeople were scandalized if a couple went walking to the Wickery Bridge without a chaperone. But here Katherine was without a chaperone–or stockings, for that matter –perched on my bed, asking me to join her there. There was no way I could resist that. I gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. Immediately she flipped onto her hands and knees and crawled over to me. Pushing her hair over one shoulder, she cupped my ear with her hand. â€Å"My secret is that I've been worried about you, too,† she whispered. Her breath was unnaturally cold against my cheek. My leg muscles twitched. I knew I should demand that she leave, right away. But instead I inched closer to her. â€Å"Really?† I whispered. â€Å"Yes,† Katherine murmured, looking deep into my eyes. â€Å"Y need to forget Rosalyn.† ou I shivered and glanced away from Katherine's dark-brown eyes toward the window, watching a fast-moving summer storm sweep in. Katherine took my chin in her ice-cold hands and turned my eyes back to hers. â€Å"Rosalyn is dead,† she continued, her face full of sorrow and kindness. â€Å"But you aren't. Rosalyn wouldn't have wanted you to shut yourself away like a criminal. No one would want that for their betrothed, don't you agree?† I nodded slowly. Even though Damon had told me the same thing, the words made infinitely more sense when coming from Katherine's mouth. Her lips curved in a small smile. â€Å"Y ou'll find happiness again,† she said. â€Å"I want to help you. But you have to let me, sweet Stefan.† Katherine laid her hand against my forehead. I felt a surge of heat and ice converging at my temple. I flinched from the force of it, disappointment welling in my chest as Katherine's hand dropped back into her lap. â€Å"Are those the flowers I picked for you?† Katherine asked suddenly, looking across the room. â€Å"Y ou've shoved them into the corner without any light!† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. She imperiously swung her legs off the bed and bent to take the basket from under my desk. She drew the shades, then stared at me, her arms crossed over her chest. My breath caught in my throat. Her light-blue crepe dress highlighted her tiny waist, and her necklace lay at the hollow of her neck. She was undeniably beautiful. She plucked a daisy from the bunch, removing the petals one by one. â€Å"Y esterday I saw a servant child play a silly game–he loves me, he loves me not.† She laughed, but then her smile abruptly turned solemn. â€Å"What do you think the answer would be?† And suddenly, she stood above me, her hands on my shoulders. I inhaled her scent of ginger and lemon, unsure what to say, knowing only that I wanted to feel her hands on my shoulders forever. â€Å"Would the answer be he loves me †¦ or he loves me not?† Katherine asked, leaning toward me. My body began quivering with a desire I didn't know I possessed. My lips were mere inches away from hers. â€Å"What's the answer?† Katherine asked, biting her lip in the impression of a shy maiden. I laughed despite myself. I felt as if I were watching the scene unfold, powerless to stop what I was about to do. I knew this was wrong. Sinful. But how could it be sinful if every fiber of my being wanted it more than anything? Rosalyn was dead. Katherine was alive. And I was alive, too, and I needed to start acting like it. If what Father said was true, and I was about to fight the battle of my life between good and evil, then I needed to learn to have confidence in myself and my choices. I needed to stop thinking and start believing in myself, in my convictions, in my desires. â€Å"Do you really need me to answer?† I asked, reaching for her waist. I grabbed her and pulled her onto the bed with a strength I didn't know I her onto the bed with a strength I didn't know I possessed. She shrieked in delight and tumbled onto the bed next to me. Her breath was sweet, and her hands were cold and holding mine, and suddenly, nothing else–not Rosalyn, not my father's demons, not even Damon–mattered.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Economic Theory Essay

Two of the primary tasks in the world of Economics are prediction and evaluation. This assignment illustrates, at a rudimentary level, how models, techniques and methods constructed or borrowed from Economic Theory or other Sciences respectively are used to help accomplish these tasks. To do so, we consider a standard theoretical model of consumer choices in an economy in which the only activity is the exchange of goods. Due to the above-mentioned we can say that the most powerful technique used to predict the consequences of policies or future trends is modeling. A model is an abstraction intended to convey the essence of some particular aspect of the real world. Most economic models assume the existence of adequate information, yet information is a costly and scarce resource. Good models predict well enough to increase our understanding of certain situations, even though they may not predict them perfectly and there may be related situations in which the same models do not predict as well as expected. Last but not least there are models that constructed without using any numerical data; these are based entirely on economic theory. We shall begin by looking at some of the ways in which forecasting techniques can help us to predict future trends. Most business and economic decisions rest upon forecasts of future conditions. Methods of forecasting may be roughly categorized as follows: * Opinion polling * Mechanical extrapolations * Barometric techniques * Statistical and econometric methods Finally, forecasting techniques vary widely in their accuracy and sophistication. The most accurate technique is to be preferred, subject to the availability of data, expertise and finance and to the nature of the  forecast required. OPINION POLLING The assumption here is that by asking people who are likely to be directly involved, such as consumers or the sales force, attitudes and opinions which affect economic decisions can be assessed and predicted in advance. Opinion polling is a subjective method of forecasting made up largely of a weighted or unweighted averaging of expectations and attitudes. This general idea of developing informed and deliberated polling opinion has had a relatively length history successful experimentation beginning roughly during the 1970s in the U.S.A. In statistics polling is about probability sampling. A good poll: locates people who fairly represent the population we’re interested in; asks them fair, comprehensible and useful questions; calculates results fairly, without reaching beyond the data; and  is reported so people can understand where it does and does not apply. The importance of opinion polling and the way it can be done is shown in the below Figure: Opinion polling is a very powerful technique used to predict future trends. Based upon probability sampling it can give people many answers upon many problems in the society. Depending on the size of the sample, the results are relatively accurate, scientific representation of the entire public’s considered opinion on perplexing issues. Today there are a lot of companies which provide a wide variety of consultancy services and offer top quality research based solutions to their clients’ problems. They also provide full service market research process, from defining research objectives through analysis and presentation of data. To achieve their goals they use research methodologies, advanced statistical analysis and strategic relevant and decision reports. Their credibility and reputation is reflected in the fact that their publicly released findings are regularly quoted by the media (press, radio and television). Additionally, these companies are leading agencies in Socio-Political public opinion polls and Political Candidate Evaluation research. Another aspect of opinion polling is exit-poll. For example scientists use exit-poll method to predict who is going to win in elections. The exit-poll method is not 100% accurate, but the error between the real results and the one’s from exit-poll is very-very small. Asking a small sample of population inside a society it can predict whether the conservative of socialist party is going to be elected. Finally, opinion polling is also used by companies to know which product of theirs is more consumed by people. Asking a small sample of people using questionnaires (more often) they can realize which product of theirs is more consumed by people, which product are less consumed and tries to find means of improvement for others. MECHANICAL EXTRAPOLATIONS This is probably the most frequently adopted method of forecasting. It involves the basic assumption that past patterns of economic behavior continues to the extent that past behavior can be used to predict the future. It has the attraction of also being relatively cheap in that the company is likely to posses most of the relevant historical information. Last but not least, the mechanical methods of forecasting rely on future conditions being an extent of past ones. Also, this method might consist of taking a time series of historical sales figures, and fitting a trend line to it by eye as shown in the figure below: This can then be used to read off sales predictions for the required future dates. To produce this line between the dependent and independent variables of data, as shown in the above figure, the ordinary least-squares (OLS) technique uses a mathematical formula to illustrate this line. However, the technique also produces a measure of the explanatory power of the relationship on the basis of the relationships observed in the original data. A mathematical formula for producing this line is: Where a and b in this equation have been estimated using regression analysis (a set of statistical techniques used to quantify the relationship between two or more variables). BAROMETRIC TECHNIQUES In addition with mechanical extrapolations, barometric techniques assume that present happenings can give an indication of future events. Also, this technique is based on the observation that there are lagged relationships between many economic time series. Moreover, to give an indication of future events, there are three types of indicators as far as economic activity. Leading indicators are those which tend to herald future changes in the course of business activity. Coincident indicators move in step with the cycle; examples of these might include aggregate levels of sales, employment and industrial production. Finally, there are lagging indicators, which trail behind the level of economic activity. Although it is possible to isolate various leading indicators the direction of movements in each does not presage movements in economic activity with complete accuracy. The reason is that the lead-time between their behavior and the ensuing change in economic activity is not likely to be constant. Nowadays, many companies who want to see which of their product is more consumed by people, they make a statistical figure in order to calculate this. Using barometric techniques they can find which product of theirs is more consumed by people, which is not going too well and try to give improvements for others. So, they can indicate from present happenings, how a product can be in the future. STATISTICAL AND ECONOMETRIC METHODS Science is given as â€Å"truth ascertained by observation, experiment, and induction†. The purpose of science known as â€Å"statistics† is to provide the means for measuring the amount of subjectivity that goes into the scientists’ conclusions and thus to separate â€Å"science† from â€Å"opinion†. Hence, statistical and econometric methods, similar to those used in time series regression can be used to analyze the economic relationships between variables. Many of the firms forecasting problems can be solved with a single equation econometric model. Laws of probability are applied to this model in order to determine what â€Å"chances† are for the various possible outcomes of the experiment. The first step in the construction of such a model is to specify the hypotheses, which purport to explain the relationships between the variables. Hypothesis testing is the process of inferring from a sample (a collection of some elements of a population) whether or not to accept a certain statement about the population. The statement itself is called the hypothesis. When the model is constructed it gives the businessman the opportunity of experimenting to test the predicted results of various strategies. There is a vast variety of companies offering a full-service market  research which means the capability to successfully undertake any research project from the conceptual stage through the design, data collection, tabulation, analysis, interpretation of findings, recommendations, and presentation. The projects they undertake span a broad array of industries, types of studies, experimental designs and analytical statistical techniques. They are skilled in the wide variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques, providing their clients with a seamless connection between all phases of the research program. Their full range of custom research for Consumer and Business to Business research includes the following: * Tracking studies * Product testing * Taste testing * Home-use tests * Advertising research * Strategic research * Product Positioning research * Concept tests * Customer satisfaction tests * Etc.