The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Final Paper: â€Å"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down† By: Anne Fadiman Meghan Maloney 26 April 2013 To understand the struggles that the Hmong people face living in America it is important to understand where they come from and what they have gone through. The majority of the Hmong people originate from the mountainous country of Laos. The mountains created isolation from the neighboring cultures and cultivated a clan identity. They were part of a society where everyone worked together and lived off the land. They also practiced oral tradition since they could not read or write any language.Unfortunately, in the 1960’s Laos became the battlefield for the Vietnam War. The land was destroyed and the Hmong were forced to move or fight. Many evacuated while many were trained and armed by the U. S. as a secret guerrilla army. During this time of war, the Hmong lost all self-sufficiency, and became dependent on the U. S. for food as well as survival. An exodus of Hmong from Laos to Thailand was the death of many. The Hmong were hunted and forced to leave everything behind. The clan identity was left behind as well for it was everyman for himself. Those that were lucky enough to make it to Thailand were faced with assimilation.The Hmong saw assimilation as an insult and a threat to their culture. In order to resist oppression, the Hmong took the United State’s promise of land and government support, and moved to America. Still resisting assimilation in the U. S. , the Hmong were faced with culture shock. One of the biggest differences between Hmong culture and American culture is the practice of medicine. Anne Fadiman in â€Å"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down† tells this clash as the story of Lia Lee and her American doctors. Lia Lee is a Hmong child that was born in the U. S. n July 19, 1982, after her parents, Foua and Nao Kao Lee, moved to America. She was delivered at a hospital in Merced, California they way Americans th ink is normal-on a metal table, scissors to snip the placenta, washing the baby with soap, and putting the baby in a heated box. Normal childbirth for the Hmong would be the mother pulling the baby out herself in silence on the dirt floor of their hut and then burying the placenta under the house. The Hmong believe that when you die your soul will come back to get your placenta. When Lia was three months old, her sister, Yer, slammed the front door in her face.Moments later Lia’s eyes rolled up, her arms flailed over her head, and she fainted. Lia’s parents believe that the noise of the door had been so frightening that her soul fled her body and became lost. The resulting symptoms are recognized as Quag Dab Peg, â€Å"The spirit catches you and you fall down†. Having Quag Dab Peg gives the person the power to perceive things others cannot see, and is a prerequisite for the journey into the realm of the unseen. Quag Dab Peg is considered an honor and blessing in Hmong culture. It allows the person the opportunity of becoming a txiv neeb, or spirit healer.It also confers an enormous amount of social status in the community because the txiv neeb is seen as a person of high moral character since the spirit chose them. In Hmong culture, saving face is of high importance. Foua and Nao Kao Lee brought Lia to Merced Community Medical Center (MCMC) after she had 20 of what Americans call seizures. At times, the Lees believed that Lia’s epilepsy wasn’t as much of a medical problem as a gift. The Hmong believed in shamanistic animism, which asserts that malevolent spirits are constantly seeking human souls, especially those of vulnerable or unloved children.Their hope was that if the spirits decided to keep hold of Lia, that long-term she would become a tvix neeb, and if she did not become a tvix neeb, then their hope was that the sickness would be short-term. The American doctors in MCMC view the Hmong as problematic patients and were not empathetic with the traditional Hmong lifestyles. Because there are no interpreters, communication is always an issue, they bring lots of family members with them as well as animals, and they make loud noises. When Foua and Nao Kao arrived at MCMC Lia had stopped seizing and was coughing.The doctors were forced to as they put it â€Å"practice veterinary medicine† since they couldn’t talk with the Lees, and treated Lia for her cough. They diagnosed Lia with early bronchiopneumonia because she exhibited those symptoms. The doctors had no way of knowing that the bronchial congestion was caused by aspiration of saliva or vomit during her seizure without trying to communicate with the Lees. The doctors put a pen and paper in front of the Lees and had them scribble on it. The doctors assumed the Lees would be able to buy and administer the medications that the paper described in detail.In reality the Lees had no idea what they just signed and walked out. This same situ ation happened a few more times until one time the Lees brought Lia in when she was still seizing and Dr. Dan Murphy was on shift. Dr. Murphy had some knowledge of the Hmong and could certainly diagnose her with epilepsy. In Hmong-English dictionaries Quad Dab Peg translates to epilepsy. Lees parents and the American doctors both knew what disease she had but to different cultures it meant different things. As stated above, in Hmong culture it was a privilege and was caused by Lia losing her soul.In American culture, we believe epilepsy is caused by a sporadic malfunction of the brain due to a head injury, tumor, infection, etc. We view it as a disease and that it needs to be taken care of by giving the person anticonvulsant drugs since there is no cure. This is just what Dr. Murphy did. Lia was discharged with specific instructions on what medications to take, how much of each, and what time of day they were to be taken. Considering Hmong don’t have the same time keeping sys tem as Americans, can’t read, don’t know how to measure medicine, and don’t believe in all this medication, Lia did not receive any medication.The Lees believed a txiv neeb could help Lia, so they had one come over and sacrificed a cow for her. It did not help and the American doctors continued to see Lia not getting better when her parents kept bringing her to MCMC. The American doctors thought that because Lia had no levels of medication in her blood her parents were guilty of child abuse. If they would have seen how much the Lees loved and cared for Lia at home they would have known this was not the case. Instead, they got the government involved and took Lia from the Lees and sent her to a foster home.The Lees welcomed Lia home after a year apart and lots of work with a social worker, Jeanine, whom was very interested in the Hmong and helped with administering the seizure medications. Hmong have many customs and folkways that are contradicted by those of the American mainstream and medical communities; for example, upon Lia’s arrival home her parents sacrificed a cow to propitiate ancestors and cure her illness. They performed traditional Hmong medial practices like coin rubbing, pinching Lia, gave her an herb necklace, and tried changing Lia’s name so that the spirit would leave her body and not be able to find her.On Nov. 25, 1986 not long after being home, Lia had another seizure episode. After ten minutes had passed, Foua and Nao Kao got in touch with their nephew who could speak enough English to get an ambulance. By calling for an ambulance Lia was given more attention upon arrival in the emergency room, but it delayed her treatment. Lia continued to seize for two hours and was barely breathing. A twenty-minute bout of status elipticus is considered life threatening. Lia was transferred to Fresno Intensive Care Unit for Pediatrics.Foua and Nao Kao thought that Lia was being transferred because the doctor at MCMC was going on vacation, but in fact it was because Fresno had a pediatric unit. At Fresno Lia was diagnosed with septic shock, the result of a bacterial invasion of the circulatory system that triggers the failure of one organ after another starting with the lungs and then moving to the brain. She also developed a condition in which her blood cannot clot. Lia’s EEG was flat. She had no brain activity left. The doctors decided to discontinue the anticonvulsants because she was dead to them.The doctors explained that her seizure medicines lowered her immune system responses, which allowed a bacterium to take over and stop brain activity. Foua and Nao Kao were somewhat right; the doctors were giving too much medicine and not enough neeb. It is most likely though that if the Lees were still in Laos, Lia would have died before she was out of her infancy, from a prolonged bout of untreated status epilepticus. Foua and Nao Kao finally got permission to bring their daughter home as they had been insisting the whole time. Lia went home on Dec. , 1986 as a quadriplegic, spastic, incontinent, incapable of purposeful movement, and in a persistent vegetative state. To Lia’s parents she went home as their little princess that they loved with all their heart. At home, Lia’s parents adored her and never left her side. They fed her teas from powdered roots and herbs, made several pig sacrifices, and bathed and dressed her multiple times a day. Because of the quality care Lia was receiving, she was stable and her medical check-ups decreased. Lia did not die but did not recover.Examination of this unfortunate story of a clash of two cultures has led to the discovery of what can be done to facilitate cooperation between cultures. Dr. Arthur Kleinman from Harvard Medical School designed a series of eight questions to elicit a patient’s explanatory model and enable the understanding of other cultures. The questions include: â€Å"What do you call the proble m? Why do you think it started when it did? What kind of treatment do you think the patient should receive? What do you fear most about the sickness?If the doctors at MCMC had taken the time to find a translator and sit down with the Lees to ask these questions, Lia might not be in a vegetative state. Other suggestions that could have aided in cooperation between the doctors and patients are female doctors for female patients, involvement of the patient’s families in all decisions, the use of interpreters who are both bilingual and bicultural, and the practice of conjoint treatment. The doctor using Western allopathic medicine can cure the disease but the indigenous healer heals the illness. This strategy promotes trust between the cultures.One person’s worldviews should not dominate another’s because they feel it is right. We need to realize our view of reality is only a view, not reality itself. In the U. S. , the medical community rarely has ways to communica te with people of cultures so radically different from mainstream American culture; even a good translator will find it difficult interpreting concepts between the two different cultures' world-concepts. Doctors need to be able to transcend culture and practice cultural responsiveness where they listen to patients and respond to them both as members of their cultures and as un-stereotyped individuals.A whole doctor-whole-patient approach is imperative: Ask not what disease the person has but rather what person the disease has. I am glad to hear that we have been moving in this direction as an American culture since 1995. Medicine in the U. S has been teaching students to separate emotions from the patient; dissociation is part of the job. In the last decade, efforts have been made to correct this way of thinking, and realize you are treating another human being not a universifiable body. Classes incorporating culture studies are being required as part of medical school and undergrad uate school curriculum as well.

Bullet in the Brain” by Tobias Woolf Essay

In â€Å"Bullet in the Brain† (1995), Tobias Woolf conveys the story of a man named Anders, a book critic, who experiences one final memory after being shot in the head by bank robbers. The story begins with Anders entering a Bank in the closing hours and criticising the long lines and bad service. Then, two bank robbers hold up the bank and end up shooting Anders in the head for his arrogant behavior. Woolf then goes on to explain his last memory as he is dying from his wounds. The bank robbers dialogue is important. The different ways that Wolff depicts the Robber’s dialogue greatly influences the tone of the story. Wolff’s way of using peculiar responses from the bank robbers is almost like a death trap for the critical Anders. He dares to taunt the robbers and makes ironic remarks on their usage of words. â€Å"Hey! Bright boy! Did I tell you to talk.. Did you hear that. Bright boy. Right out of the killers†(Anders202). Anders finds their words distinc tive enough that he needs to make a comment about it. By ignoring what the robbers do and say he makes the situation worse as the robbers start to lose their head because of him. A nervous robber is much more dangerous than a calmed one and Anders would consider this but he does not. He doesn’t realize that he just put the  people in danger as well as himself, even when he was asked to be quiet by a woman next to him. The woman is aware of the seriousness of the situation unlike Anders and tries to save her and maybe the others’ life as well. A person who does not take care of a dangerous situation is foolish but in this case Anders does not take care of the others’ safety as well and considers the criticism more important than the people’s life around him. Wolff also brings out a humorous tone with the robbers dialogue. He uses explicit words that give readers a more vivid image of the robber’s personalities. The words let readers get a sense of the persona they have. In one scene the Wolff writes, â€Å" You like me, bright boy?..You want to suck my dick†(202). Obviously, this shows the robber has a childish type of humor. One can also say this type of humor is more consistent with someone young rather than an older person. Instead of Wolff explaining the characteristics of the robbers, he lets the readers figure it out  themselves. Wolff gives little detail about the characteristics of the robber. The ammoniac smell coming out of his mouth gives a sense that he is under the influence of some type of drug. His twitching eye rather reveals that he is just extremely nervous or he is just high on drugs. Lastly, The way the robbers address the people inside the bank is important to the topic. It brings out the aggressive tone. It was a good way to act like professional robbers and make people think if they try to be a hero in this situation they will be  shot. â€Å"One of you tellers hit the alarm, you’re all dead meat. Got it?† (201). The robbers uses really demanding words to terrorize the people. They are also able to take down the security and put him on his knees. This strategy not only takes down the banks best line of defense, but it also lets the customers and workers acknowledge that they mean business and will hurt somebody that gets in their way. Nobody thinks they are a hero and can break up three or more people especially if they are holding guns in their hands so this tactic works very well except that Anders is there. Anders is there and makes them really adrenalized as he also makes the situation more dangerous. Anders’ behaviour is clearly blameable for the actions taken by the robbers. The aggressive tone did not even pass through Anders’ mind and he did not hesitate to make a remark. His own happiness and joy in finding imperfectness in everything led to his downfall. It would be very reasonable to say the Anders triggered his own downfall but the robbers style of communicating also ignited the situation. Anders criticizes everything and the style of talking that the robbers conversate with was clearly distinctive enough for Anders to have a comment about it. Their dialogue provoked Anders. Who knows if there would have been a different approach of conversating from the robbers, then the story could have had a different ending.There will be no happy end for this story and Anders behaviour adds oil to the fire and make him responsible for his own death.

Video games may make children fat

Children have been gaining weight excessively over the last 20 years. In 1980 6.5% of the children aged 6 to 11 were obese, but by 1994 that number had climbed to 11.3%. Currently over 30% of children are overweight, while 17% are considered obese (Parker-Pope, 2008). What has caused this epidemic like increase in child obesity? There are many proposed causes that have been linked to child obesity. However, if we examine children’s lifestyles over the last 25 years it appears that video games may be the primary contributing factor to the increase in weight and obesity rates amongst children When video games were first introduced to family households they were considered just another form of entertainment for children, not unlike radios, record players, or televisions. However, video games have evolved into media traps that promote sedentary lifestyles. Children now sit glued for hours to video screens rather than performing physical activities. In a study researchers from the University Hospital of Zurich present a strong association between playing video games and obesity in school-aged Swiss children (Edell, 2004). Their research supported the notion that when children are preoccupied with playing video games, they are not performing physical activity consistent with a healthy lifestyle. Playing video games is a sedentary activity that has a direct affect on weight gain in children. Some believe that video games have little impact on child obesity rates because children today are more aware and independent than previous generations. As a result, children are more conscious of their lives and are able to make healthy choices regarding exercise and video game playing. However, video games have developed from simple pixels and basic animation to the advanced life like games we see today. The advances in technology have made it difficult for children to stay away from video games, and some researchers believe it has psychological and addictive qualities. These powerful qualities make it difficult for children to monitor the amount of time they spend playing video games. In addition, children may also find it difficult to pull themselves away from video games in exchange for healthier physical activities. Dr. Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University, an expert on video game addiction, believes that the games of the 21st century may be more psychologically rewarding then the games of the early 1980s (BBC news, 2000). Subsequently, children may not feel fulfilled until they reach the next level of the game, or beat a high score. The addictive qualities of video games were revealed in a recent study of children in their early teens. The study revealed that one third played video games daily, and 7% played for at least 30 hours a week (BBC news, 2000). Video games are able to capture children’s minds and start the path to poor health at extremely young ages. Dr. Griffiths suggests that children as early as the age of seven are drawn to video games. The strong addictive qualities of video games may prevent a child from exercising and being active even if they wanted to. It may be easy to argue that the television is the culprit for overweight children. However, televisions have been in North American households for over 65 years, but the increase in child obesity has occurred within the previous 25 years. Televisions have remained relatively unchanged, but the video game has mutated into an interactive child magnet. Children are able to play on line, play with multiple players, and interact with gamers globally. Today’s video games are also portable, recordable, and are easily rented. In addition, video game advertising is focused at luring and capturing a child’s impressionable mind. Some studies corroborate the findings that video games, not television, are associated with overweight children. Researchers at the University of Texas surveyed almost 3000 children and found that children who played video games were more likely to be overweight than children who only watched television and didn’t play video games (Levin, 2004). Al though, televisions have made some technological advancements it appears the attraction to video games may have lead to the weight increase in children. It was not long ago when children’s laughter echoed from playgrounds and the announcement of â€Å"car† was heard from children racing to clear hockey nets from neighbourhood streets. Rather than playing on the streets and schoolyards children now lock themselves indoors playing video games. Some suggest that it is the lack of programs and green space that prevent children from being active. However, physical fitness, health, and sport have never been so accessible. Private enterprise and governments have joined forces realizing the importance of moving children from behind the video screen to the field. In addition, building developers work with city planners to ensure that housing designs represent communities with playgrounds and schools rather than concrete mazes. An excellent example of the private sector promoting fitness rather than video gaming is the Canadian Tire Jump Start Initiative (City of Hamilton, 2005). This private program, like many others, encourages fitness by providing children and youth with access to sports and recreation. In addition, government programs such as the provincially funded Communities in Action Fund provide after school programs and sport clinics to youth. The possibility of physical activity is all around us, but video games have made it difficult for children to see outside their locked doors. Of course, it may be easy to blame the fast food industry for the weight increase in children. Fast food restaurants have been in our communities prior to the 1950s, while the most recognizable fast food restaurant, McDonalds, has been in business since 1960. However, the weight increase appears to be steadily increasing within the previous 25 years; consistent with the introduction of video games rather than hamburgers. Interestingly, fast food restaurants have gone through enormous strides to provide healthy menu alternatives such as: soups, salads, lean sandwiches, fruits, and juices. Burger King for example, offers products for children that are consistent with healthy dietary choices, limiting calories, fats, and sugar in their children’s menu (Bissonnette, 2007). Blaming the restaurant industry for the weight increase may appear obvious, but upon a closer inspection it seems restaurants have done more to promote healthy weight in children than the video game industry. Most of the research measures any correlation between increases in video game playing compared to increases in weight. What would happen if video game playing was reduced? Recent research at the University of Buffalo measured the effects of limiting video game playing (University of Buffalo, 2008). The university experiment was conducted over a 2 year period and revealed that when children restricted their video game playing by an average of 17.5 hours per week they lowered their body mass index significantly. In other words, they lost weight. In summary, this topic will initiate many theories and possibilities, but there is no arguing that children’s weights have been steadily increasing over the last 20 years. When we examine children’s lifestyles and habits it appears video games may be the primary contributing factor for the weight increase. Reference http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1036088.stm http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/60891.html http://www.buffalo.edu/news/9197

MARKETING ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MARKETING - Essay Example Segmentation constitutes the first step in Brand Development; it is referred to as the process of dividing and sub-dividing the entire population into ‘meaningful segments’. The word meaningful can be elaborated upon to mean segments that have distinct needs and characteristics, which different products can cater to (Kotler, Armstrong, Saunders, Wong, 1998, pp. 185). This segmentation is not done arbitrarily rather it initially was done on the basis of the demographics that match with those of the ideal consumer of the product, however over the years the focus of segmentation has changed from demographics to more qualitative measures such as psychographics. Unilever Ltd, one of the leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods Company has developed its own model of psychographic segmentation, that is, VALS (Values and Lifestyles). Market Segmentation is done in order to channelize the Organizations resources towards a targeted population instead of aimlessly squandering them on the whole population, majority of which does not form a part of its target market. A few years ago market segmentation was taken to be an unquestionable theory of marketing. Recently however, its validity has come into question by many researchers and critics such as Yankelovich and Meer (2006, pp. 1-10), Hoek, Gendall and Esslemont (1996, pp. 25-34). Amongst a few of the arguments presented by the afore mentioned researchers against market segmentation was the fact that market segmentation involves a lot of subjective judgment that is practiced on behalf of the researcher, the psychographic market segmentation tactics have led to all the advertising emphasis on the emotional appeal, thus rendering product functionality as insignificant as a result of which product innovation is declining and so forth. Yankelovich quoted the example of Miller Lite as an example to state that the emotional appeal used due and lack of focus on the product functionality led to an unsuccessful advertising campaign,

Paraphrasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 39

Paraphrasing - Essay Example During the process of decision-making, there is evidence to the effect that there was a lack of delegation and communication among the health professionals. However, there was a demonstration of prioritization as a nurse bought a tracheostomy set. That was a show of decision-making on the part of the nurse. Unfortunately, the nurse was ignored. There was an insufficient number of health professionals present in the room. There were just three experienced anesthetists present. That hampered decision-making as they were not able to consult with other medical officers or nursing staff. Time had a big impact on the outcome of the situation. In the beginning, when there was a sudden decrease in the patient’s oxygen levels, time acted as a limiting factor. Although it was beyond the health professionals’ control, they failed to maximize on the little time they had. That played out in the gravity of the outcome for

Proposal of master project in The differences in the Quality of life Essay

Proposal of master project in The differences in the Quality of life of young old,vs mid-old, vs old-old - Essay Example The 2001 census proved that for the first time there were more people over 60 than under 16 (Dean 2003, p.1). While, the above mentioned statistics can be one of the greatest advantage of the over all improvement in the twentieth centaury, it puts forward immense challenges for the new generation. The existing social and cultural trends make it beyond doubts that older people are mostly bound to stay confined between the four walls in most cases. In a methodological study by John baldock and Jan Hadlow has examined the process of aging from within. The results showed that the old age is indeed a time of ‘identity work’ in which people search for ways to sustain their self-images and to link their present existences to their previous lives (2002). Age-related reduction in muscle strength and power, cardiovascular function and neuromuscular response times, all contribute to the declining physical ability with age Activity and exercise improve health status, muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and reduce fracture risk as well as improving quality of life. Increasing habitual exercise can assist older people in maintaining functional performance (Rajeski W& Mihalko S 2001). Such type of a circumstantial environment is of at most important as the common themes concerning the quality of life, mentioned by participants as important, were concerns with regards to the conditions associated with health, family and home (Kenealy and Beaumont 2003). The quality of life changes along with the deference in the quality of diet as explained by Stephen Burk when he said that meals are not just about refueling, but can really improve someones quality of life (2005). The above mentioned studies have highlighted the variation between the qualities of lives in different age groups. The researchers have been successful in determining the relevance of belief to well-being in later life, and the need for secular welfare organizations to be more prepared to work with

Are Drug Courts in United States Successful in Reducing Drug Crime and Term Paper

Are Drug Courts in United States Successful in Reducing Drug Crime and Recidivism - Term Paper Example Drug related crime is a vital issue which leads to injustice and curtails socio-cultural and economic development in the society. Within this context, drug related crime in America curbs the development process of the society as a whole. When individuals indulge in drug related crimes, the best possible way to get rid of the same is rehabilitation and follow up programs. One can easily identify that severe punishment cannot reduce drug crime because the individuals who are indulged in drug related crimes is not aware of its seriousness. Within this context, the drug courts in United States play an important role in reducing drug crime and recidivism. Thesis statement: The innovative measures adopted by the drug courts in United States prove successful in reducing drug crimes and recidivism (special references to the measures adopted by the drug courts to reduce drug crime and recidivism). I. Brief introduction to drug crimes and drug courts in US As pointed out, drug abuse leads to a number of crimes but it is not the grass root level cause for crimes. In general, illegal drugs like crack-cocaine, morphine etc leads to a number of criminal acts within the society. Within this context, drug trafficking, production and distribution leads to increase in organized crime. Stimmel (1996) opines that â€Å"Among the most prominent social effects of both illicit and licit drug use is its relationship with crime† (p.13). When more and more individuals consider drug trafficking as an easy way to earn money, the problems related to the same show increase. From a different angle of view, the drug crimes in US are interconnected with lack of economic and social support to the needy (say, the victims of drug abuse). But the traditional mode of treatment provided to the defendants is insufficient to meet their needs because it is based on punishment and long time sentencing in prisons. But Goldberg (2009), opines that â€Å"In gene ral, people are in favor of treatment for drug abusers but do not want drug treatment centers in their neighborhoods† (p.299). Besides, the victims of drug abuse are not in need of sympathy. But effective treatment can help them to the re-enter the mainstream society without further problems in their personal and public domains. Within the context of drug crimes in US, the drug courts play an important role in reducing drug abuse related crimes. Franco (2010), states that â€Å"Drug courts were quickly adopted by communities and states struggling with the challenges that stemmed from the growing abuse and trafficking of illegal drugs† (p.5). The drug courts in US consist of number of committees, which help the offenders to have easy recovery. For instance, the judiciary, mental health department, social service organizations etc co-operate to help the offenders to be away from the clutches of drug abuse and crimes. The history of drug courts in US is interconnected with the drug court in Miami- Dade County, which was established in the year 1989. One can see that the primary aim of drug courts in US is to provide drug treatment services to the needy and to promote public safety. Besides, rehabilitation services and evaluation of the measures adopted to reduce drug related crimes are other functions of drug courts in US. Within this scenario, local support and community support are important for the smooth functioning of drug courts. In short, the drug courts aim to provide treatment facilities to the non-violent offenders and help them to re-enter the mainstream society. II. Measures taken by drug courts in reducing drug crime and recidivism First of all, the traditional legal processing in US was inefficient and inadequate to reduce drug crime and recidivism. For instance, the traditional legal processing system in US gave importance to punishment, not treatment for the victims. Within this context, treatment provided by the traditional system wa s effective, but high rate of dropping out reduced the

Economics in a Global Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economics in a Global Environment - Essay Example By analyzing internal opportunity costs we can define in what these two guys should specialize in order to provide maximum output To identify who should specialize in a particular activity I have calculated the internal opportunity cost for Phil and Frances. For example, if Phil shifts more resources into higher output of phone calls, the opportunity cost of each extra phone call is of financial statement. For Frances the same decision has an opportunity cost of 1/10 of phone calls. Therefore France has a comparative advantage in financial reports. Were Frances to reallocate resources to financial statements, the opportunity cost of one extra financial statement is 10, meanwhile for Phil the opportunity cost is 4 of the phone calls. Thus Phil has a comparative advantage in phone calls (please refer to the Appendix 1) On the other hand the comparative advantage theory is not consistent with the current economic reality. The evidence shows that comparative advantage is human made rather than natural. Many economists argue that there is no such thing as free trade. Countries use industrial strategies and trade tactics in order to create human made comparative advantage, which will guarantee their success in the global economy1. Nowadays, comparative advantage is human made. Natural resources are international commodities and therefore each country can easily acquire them in the market without producing them locally.

The Catholic Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Catholic Church - Essay Example The spiritually demeaning practices included the sale of indulgences and relics. Further erosion of the spiritual righteousness of the Catholic Church occurred through the corrupted clergy of the Catholic Church exploiting the pious laity, as a natural consequence of a corrupted papacy. These defects in the Catholic Church led to the attempts of St. Francis, Peter Waldo, Jain Hus, and John Wycliffe seeking to address these defects of the medieval Catholic Church prior to the Reformation Movement of Martin Luther. Growing Protestantism was threatening to eclipse the Catholic Church as the central religious authority in Europe, leading to the reform initiatives within the Catholic Church. These initiatives were based on a three prong strategy, and history has demonstrated that this counter of the Catholic Church arrested the growth of the Protestantism at the expense of the Catholic Church. The first prong was The Council of Trent set up under the Pope Paul III. In essence The Council of Trent was tasked with improving the discipline and administration of the Catholic Church through identifying appointments of corrupt bishops and priests, the traffic in indulgences, and any other financial abuses. The Council upheld the basic structure and dogmas of the Catholic Church, but also tacitly identified the presence of legitimate complaints. The second prong was to address these tacitly accepted legitimate concerns. Politically motivated appointments of Bishops were stopped and the Bishops given more powers to address the problems of the Church. A basic problem of poor theological education levels among the priests was identified and steps initiated to remove this deficiency. The Catholic Church took an aggressive posture through the Inquisition against the Reformers, declaring them as heretics The third prong was the beneficiary role played by the new religious orders led b y the Jesuits and

Individual Happiness Contributes to the Harmonious Society Essay Example for Free

Individual Happiness Contributes to the Harmonious Society Essay If you have a chance to choose a life, what will you choose? The rich but unhappy life or the ordinary life with lifelong happiness? Most people will choose the latter, because it is the essence of the life. The pursuit of individual happiness is being acknowledged as a world right. People often assume that happiness is an individual thing, but the meaning of happiness shifts across the life course. Therefore, happiness contributes to the harmonious society because it has a positive impact on social life and commercial development. First of all, individual happiness makes a contribution in enhancing social relationships. Individual happiness can invisibly influence the social behavior. If a person feels happy, that will result in positive behavior. Generally speaking, happiness will affect his character and his subjective well-being. Apparently, a happy person will be kind to the people around his social circle. According to Dixon (2011), â€Å"The happiness participants felt about their past generosity, the more likely they were in the present to choose to spend on someone else instead of themselves†. People are willing to share happy feelings; they will be kind spending on others. Individual happiness creates a virtuous cycle between happiness and kindness. Likewise, in the case of people being more kind, the relationship of friends and family will be strengthened. On the other hand, â€Å"happiness is as essential as food if a child is to develop into normal manhood or womanhood: the purpose of bringing-up in all its phases should be to make the child as happy as possible. † (Stearns, 2012) parents have a special bond with their children. A negligible emotional change may have a significant impact on children’s growth. Children will grow up healthily and comfortably in a relaxed and happy environment. Vice versa, parents will become happier when they witness the growth of their children without any trouble. Hence, individual happiness makes a â€Å"positive feedback loop† (Dixon, 2012) that sets an important bond between people. It enhances the relationship and it is beneficial for everyone of each side in the small social circle. Secondly, individual happiness improves the social working atmosphere in the commercial area. More and more businessmen are trying to add the element of happiness into their goods. As Stearns stated, â€Å"Harvey Ball, created in 1963 the yellow smiley face, which took off even in the wake of the Kennedy assassination and whose annual licensing revenues exceeded $50 million within the decade. † Admittedly, Life and work are tough for workers in modern society. In addition, businessmen used happy gimmick in their goods, is actually helping people go out of the dull life due to busy work. Their idea finally made it, because individual happiness is contagious and easily accepted. Thereby, individual happiness has a huge commercial potential compared to ordinary sales systems. Correspondingly, people generally lack the happiness because they are under enormous pressure. The gimmick of happiness will set up a â€Å"positive feedback loop† that benefit to both sellers and customers. Moreover, individual happiness can contribute to a relax work atmosphere. According to Stearns (2012), happiness inspired new workplace standards that instructed white-collar employees and sales people in the centrality of cheerfulness†. Working for a optimistic boss or a serious boss? Most people will choose the former one. No one can tolerate the tough words and face of the boss day by day. Conversely, employees find it easier to accept a happy employer who can mobilize the enthusiasm of the staff. Emotion of employers plays an increasing important role in the work place. Hence, individual happiness can enhance the performance of the company. When employees working in a workplace that is full of happiness, they will be cheered up, the internal thought will drive them to enjoy their work and greatly improve the work efficiency. Individual happiness thereby is beneficial to the commercial development. Some public opinion suggested that the society needs to be more serious, so individual happiness will distract the people’s major goals. This statement is obviously not logical because it is a historical trend that individual happiness accounted for a large proportion of life. It builds a positive circle that promotes the development of society. Serious emotion does work some occasions, but in the whole environment, it will make people become rigid and less creative. To conclude, individual happiness not only enriches the relationship between people, but also brings more benefit in the business process. Truly, the happiness plays a neglected role in some cultures. They are still trying to hiding their people’s feeling. However, dull and serious words have far less influence than many smiling faces around you. Individual happiness gives people the latter feeling; those smiling faces can affect other’s lives in the broader society. All in all, the spreading of individual happiness will lead to a tremendous improvement that will enable more people to live in a harmonious society.

Factors Which Affect The Travel And Tourism Industries Tourism Essay

Factors Which Affect The Travel And Tourism Industries Tourism Essay Introduction to Hospitality Industry Hospitality Industry, historians have traced the development of the hospitality industry through of thousands of years and many cultures. The term of hospitality industry can define as an age-old industry because historians speculate the first overnight lodging structures were erected along Middle Eastern. Viewing the industry through the e lens of history is helpful because it reveals the strong relationship between the shape of hospitality and the needs and want, the hospitality industry will continue to change in what they need and want, the hospitality industry will also continue to change. The hospitality industry encompasses a wide range of businesses, each of which is dedicated of the service of people away from home. (Chon, 2010) The hospitality and tourism industries are the largest and fast-growing industries in the world. The hospitality industry consists of wide category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging industry components, food industry components, recreation sports and entertainment components, transportation industry, and supplementary fields within the tourism industry. (Chon, 2010) Advantages in the hospitality industry From the simple origins as privately owned, independently operated businesses are the hospitality industry because has grown in complexity and size. Todays hospitality businesses interact with one another on a global basis, and must stay aware of what is happening around them. For an example, management companies and hotel chains now spread across the world; economic conditions in Singapore affect a companys holdings there and elsewhere. Hospitality businesses are closely intertwined with those in the travel and tourism. Tourism is travel for recreation or the promotion and arrangement of such travel. Tourism and the hospitality industry so strongly affect one another that some associations and industry leaders, including the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and institutional Education (CHRIE), consider the combined industries of hospitality and tourism as one large industry- the hospitality and tourism industry. The components of this large industry include: (Chon, 2010) Food and Beverage Service Lodging Service and Ski Resort Recreation Service Campground and Theme Parks Travel- Related(Tourism) Service The Gaming industry Product provides with personal service in conjunction with the first four components. Because these components are separate and often competing industries, this group industries will be referred to in this text of an interconnected set of parts or components. Channel Distribution is one of the important uses in hospitality industry. Channel distribution is used to transfer merchandise from the manufacturer to the end user. An intermediary in the channel is called a middleman. Channels normally range from two-level channels without intermediaries to five-level channel with three intermediaries. For an example, a caterer who prepares food and sells it directly to the customer is in a two level channel. A food manufacturer who sells to a restaurant supplier, who sells to individual restaurant, who then serve the customer, is in a four-level channel. Intermediaries in the channel of distribution are used to facilitate the delivery of the merchandise as well as to transfer title, payments, and information about the merchandise. For example, a manufacturer may rely upon the workforces employed by a distributor to sell the product, make deliveries, and collect payments. The channels used by a marketer are an integral part of the marketing plan a nd play a role in all strategic marketing decisions. Global distribution system is the worldwide computerized reservation network used as a single point of access for reserving airlines seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, and other travel related items by travel agents, online reservations sites, and large corporations. The premier GDS are Amadeus, Galileo, Saber, and World span owned and operated as joint ventures by major airlines, car rental firms, and hotel groups and also called automated(ARS) or computerized reservations system(CRS). 1.3 Disadvantages in the hospitality Industry The disadvantages of Globalization on the hospitality industry are as follows: Language Barriers Due to Globalization, the hospitality industry can employ people from different countries- as it is usually cheaper they may sometimes have problems in communicating with the customers. Many customers get quite irate as a result of this. (Chon, 2010) Cultural Barriers: As there are people from various cultures, one needs to be careful not to offend them. For example, a Muslim will not eat pork one needs to make sure not serve food which contains pork. (unless specifically asked). Whats acceptable by one culture may be frowned upon by another. Events/Disasters in other Countries: A disaster or even taking place in one country may affect our country (the home country) also. For example, the financial crisis makes less people want to spend money or travel; due to increase in terrorism some visitors get are not ready to travel to certain countries. Seasonal Employment: During peak periods, a lot of jobs are available but as soon as the tourists go back the jobs disappear as well. For example: Goa India; the locals in Goa get their income only during the peak season, (Dec-Feb and April July) after which they have no jobs and no income. Increasing use of technology to communicate: Due to international barriers, there has been a steady increase in the use of technology for communication (through the internet, voice recordings). This removes the human touch. Developing Countries: Countries that are unable to keep up with the advancement in technology tend to lose out. Example: Africa does not have the infrastructure or technology as yet to welcome a large amount of foreign visitors, though it does have a lot of natural attractions. To increase the flow, it would have to improve conditions; otherwise tourists have a vast sea of areas to choose from. Increase in Crime Rate: With the increase in tourists, crimes increase too. Example: pick-pocketing, hustling, rape, smuggling. Bad Habits: People from other countries sometimes influence the local youth in a bad way. Increase in drugs and promiscuous behavior, etc. Environment Depletion: Globalization causes an imbalance in the eco system. People usually throw their garbage around everywhere which could cause sickness, to encourage more visitors, areas of greenery are cleared and wildlife killed which is a major cause for global warming. Loss of Cultural Pride and Values: To suit customer needs to change or modify various services and products. For example: Certain food dishes are changed ( in taste, names become more westernized ) to make them more attractive to visitors. This, in a way, leads to the loss of culture as one wants to become and behave like the tourists that come into our country. 1.4 Conclusion Hotel business is growing and developing a career centre, Includes travel, tourism, restaurants and recreational facilities and the government more and more people are turning to industry to make money. For those planning to venture into the hospitality industry, it helps to know the common terms and words of a particular industry.If we manage a restaurant in the street with heavy tourist traffic for example, we wound want to stay current with local attractions and question beyond the experience of visitors to our restaurant. This will enable our customers to get the best service the focal point of the hotel industry. Experienced travelers may want to know the abbreviation for the hotel industry, the industry stands and password in order to plan the best possible vacation. Beginners may want to be informed about the latest jargon in order to make their trip go more smoothly. QUESTION 2 Find out the factors that affecting travel and tourism. Explain in detail. 2.1 Introduction to Travel and Tourism The travel and tourism industry is the largest individual industry in the world and the largest contributor to global economic development. Worldwide, this rapidly changing industry generates more than $2.5 trillion annually and provides jobs for more than 112 million people. In terms of total revenues, investment and employment travel is also the fastest-growing industry. (Chon, 2010) The components of the hospitality network may be independent and competitive businesses, yet they share an interdependency that has evolved over the centuries. The relationship can be seen in the roles that destinations and hospitality facilities play in motivating people to travel. Although travel encompasses all movement or displacement of people, not all travel involves tourism. Refugee, migrants, explorers, nomads, soldiers, and commuters certainly travel, but they are not tourists. Tourism-related travel involves the movements of visitors to a place to enjoy attractions, special events, hospitability, lodging, food, and entertainment. The tourism industry is concerned with attraction and events that draw tourists and excursionists to an area. (Chon, 2010) 2.2 Factor which support the growth of tourism The most effective factors that inspire the growth of tourism of a country are the stability of Politics of a country. This is because the country is safe from crime, wars and helps to protect the safety of tourism. For an example, Singapore the fast growing country is focusing more on safety of tourist, so that the political stable will be respected and impressed by the tourist and also will generates the growth of a country. Furthermore, one of the important aspects is Economic development of a country. To relate this, if the economy of a country is stable, there will be more investors to invest in our country as well joint ventures. For an example, if the economy growth is higher than, the number of tourist will be also increase. Besides that, more strategic tourist spots are being built to attract the tourist to come over to experience as well as to have leisure time. Also, this is mainly to promote the entire region or city as either a business or pleasure destination. In addition, one of the strongest factors in choosing destination is the desire to visit family and friend. Although people visiting other people often do not need commercial lodging, they probably will take advantage of other hospitality and tourism service such as transportation, recreation, food, museums, entertainment, and product during their trip. As a final point, the most imperative dynamics that can boost the growth of tourism is through Education. In todays world, education plays a vital role for every individual to be successful in life. In addition, the Ministry if Higher Education can come out various types of education plan in order to promote the eminence of education of our country as well as to be hub for foreign countries to twin-up their educational programmes. 2.3 Factor which effecting Travel and Tourism There are quite a number of factors that could most likely to contribute to boost up the Travel and Tourism Industry of country. A healthy tourism trade benefits countries Economically, Sosioculurtrally, and Environmentally. Of course, some effects the travel tourism also exist. Careful planning and management can help lessen negative impact. 2.2.1 The Economic Affect of Tourism In a narrow sense, tourism refers to the activity or practice of travelling for personal enlightenment, education or pleasure. In a broader sense, tourism is the business of providing information, transportation, accommodation and other service to all types of travelers, whether travelling for business or pleasure. Tourism is now firmly established almost where in the world, from the high mountains of Tibet to the Amazon jungle of Brazil. Whether the sites are ancient ruins, mountain, forests, or beaches, tourism development has inevitably followed discovery. The Economic benefits of tourism are undeniable. The most visible economic benefits of tourism is employment. Tourism provides jobs such workers as hotel employees, taxi drivers, tour guides, construction workers, entertainers, restaurant employees, and transportation workers. Many such jobs would not exist if tourism had not been developed. Foe example, if taxi drivers in Malaysia could not transport visitors to hotels, they might not have a livelihood as taxi drivers at all. (Chon, 2010) Besides employment, tourism also generates revenue that benefits the local population by increasing economic activity. Taxes paid by tourist help local government fund education, health are and other service. Money spent by a traveler at a hotel or restaurant help to pay employee wages and support other business. Eventually, the same money is used to by food, clothing and other products and services, further benefiting the country. (Chon, 2010) 2.3.2 The Culture Affect of Tourism One of the most positive effects of tourism is cross culture awareness, the fostering of understanding between people of different nations and culture. The opportunity to exchange knowledge, ideas, and tradition is more available today than at previous time in history. Aside from merely satisfying curiosity, tourism promotes international good will and the exchange of culture values. For statistical purpose, the United Nations divides countries into two broad categories: developed countries and developing countries. The developed countries include all North America and European countries, as well as Japan, Australia, New Zealand. Developing countries are nations that have relatively poor economic and lack advanced Technologies. They are located in Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and the Asian mainland. (Chon, 2010) Tourism is a major economic factor in most developed countries. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO, 90 percent of all tourism are concentrated in 15 Countries in North America and Europe. To support a thriving tourism industry, airports must be built or expanded to accommodate jet aircraft and tourist facilities such as hotels, restaurants, and recreational sites must be constructed for visitors. The underlying framework of facilities and systems required to support a tourism industry is called tourism infrastructure. Particularly in developing countries, the creation of a tourism infrastructure can have a profound social, culture and environmental affect. 2.3.3 The Sociocultural Affect of Tourism The affect of increased hospitality and tourism activities on the ways individual interact with other members of their society also may be positive or negative. Changing family lifestyle and cross- culture contacts may result in either positive or negative influences. However, most concern surrounds the social ills that can results from countries. (Chon, 2010) Changing Family Lifestyle Many local residences find their lives changed when obtain tourism- related employment. Young people may enter the job market for the first time when tourism development occurs. On the positive sides, this may contribute to increased family income, allowing families to buy products that were previously beyond their means. The changes in lifestyles may also lead to demands for better housing and change in dress and eating habits. When local people adopt practices from tourists, this is known as the demonstration effect the demonstration effect can have a negative outcome, though if local residents come to realize that, even with their increased income, they cannot afford to live like the tourist. A feeling of envy or resentment toward affluent visitors may results. This situation tends to occur most in those destinations where the economy is based primarily on tourism. (Chon, 2010) Social Ills Social ills include such problems as crime, displacement and discrimination. Organized crime and prostitution are sometimes associated with tourism. Indeed, research studies show a correlation between growth of tourism and increased crime. Promoters, law enforcement officers, and other stakeholders may have to deal with the facts that tourists who do not know their way around a city may be targets for criminals. The negative publicity from such attacks may be difficult to overcome. (Chon, 2010) The negative effect of tourism may be included discriminations. Hiring and promotion practices of corporation new to an area may be discriminatory against local employees. A community may be discriminate agents transplanted corporate employees. When there are not enough local workers to build and manage the tourist business, workers may be brought in from outside the area or even the country. A sudden wave of large numbers of outside workers may cause resentment in local workers. This is especially true if the incoming employees occupancy menial jobs to local workers. For an example. If local worker see a higher standard of living for the newcomers, they may actively discriminate against them. On the other sides, if the culture and lifestyle of the local residents is very different from that of the newcomers, the newcomers may by uncomfortable in theirs situation. (Chon, 2010) 2.4 The Environmental Affect of Tourism Protecting the environment is now one of the most talked about and hotly-debated topics across the globe. Many companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to create products or make their products environmentally friendly. An example is the electric car that is being looked at as a viable option to that of the present gasoline powered car. In 2009 world leaders met in Copenhagen to discuss ways in which they can prevent global warming and reduce on the effects of climate change, in effect protecting the environment. The travel industry too has nit been left out of this issue. In a industry where the number of people engaged in international travel has been predicted to reach the billion marks in 2010, there is concern about its contribution to the damage bone to the environment. Also like every other industry the travel industry needs to be concerned about ways of doing business that are environmentally friendly. Outlined below are some of the environmental issues affecting the travel industry which stakeholders need to address and in some cases seek out long term solutions? Aviation which ferries hundreds of thousands of tourist across the globe is of great concern to those seeking to protect the environment. A major concern for the industry is greenhouse gas emissions. One way the aviation industry is working on this problem is by rolling out newer planes that have fuel efficient engines which means less carbon emissions. However not all airlines especially in the poor countries cant afford buying new aircraft. Mass Tourism, with the cost of travel becoming cheaper and more and more people venturing away from countries to place that were previously inaccessible but can now be reached because of air transport, areas of environmental and historical significance are becoming crowded. This is putting pressure on ecosystems within these areas and threatening the flora and fauna. Also climate change is going to mean that certain place will not favor visitors because of weather conditions becoming extreme which will lead to overcrowding in other place with more favorable weather conditions. Again this presents a danger to the ecosystems in the overcrowded areas and to the tourism of the area. (Chon, 2010) Deforestation, in spite of the worldwide call to protect the environment there are still areas where massive logging is taking place. This is also contributing to destruction of flora and fauna and is a threat to the tourism of the area. Besides that, with the call to go green affecting all industries across the globe the tourism industry has not been left out. There is pressure on those who are in the industry to find methods of doing business that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. For example, can the hotel industry builds hotels that are more environmental friendly? What methods can they use to conserve energy and reduce on chemicals that are in the dry cleaning of tons of laundry used in the industry? Human Encroachment, with populations continuing to grow worldwide there is mow competition between man and animals for space. Human are now encroaching on areas like National Part that are protected and marked for wildlife. This has led to reports of people and their livestock being killed by wild animals which in turn leads to people hunting and killing these animals that are considered to be a threats this is a threats to be tourism of the area. Human encroachment is also forcing animals to move away from their habitat to other areas where they cannot survive leading to the extinction of certain species. 2.5 Conclusion The travel and tourism field is the fast growing paced and rapidly growing in world. Each year, the tourism industry is increasing seems more difficulty to employees to undertake the trainer of new entrants to the fields. The parallel growth in the use of sophisticated technologies has complicated this situation. At the same time, travelers throughout the world have becomes more sophisticated, more knowledge and more demanding. Bibliography Websites Reference Scribe(2011), Hospitality Industry, Retrieved on February 12,2011 from http://www.scribd.om/doc/8691190/discuss-the-impact-of-globalization-on-the-hospitality-industry Business Dictionary(2011), Global Distribution System, Retrieved on March 13,2011 from http://www.busineedictionary.com?definition/global-distribution-system-GDS.html. Bized(2011), Factors Affecting the Travel and Tourism Industry, Retrieved on March 13,2011 from http://www.bized.co.uk Book Reference Kaye Chon, Thomas, A. Maier, 3rd Edition, Welcome to Hospitality and Introduction, USA: Delmer.

E-business strategy

E-business strategy 1. Management Summary 2. Introduction Tesco is Britains largest food retailer, employing over 240,000 people worldwide and has net yearly profits of over  £1 billion. Its website is one of the most popular in the UK, with over one million registered users. [free-encyclopedia-online] Tesco started in 1919 when Jack Cohen started selling surplus groceries from a stall in the East End of London. The Tesco brand first appeared five years later in 1924 he bought a shipment of tea from a Mr T. E Stockwell. The initials and letters were combined to form Tes-co and in 1929 Mr Cohen opened the flagship Tesco store in Burnt Oak, North London. The brand sustained its rise in the 1930s when Mr Cohen established a headquarters and warehouse in North London and in 1932 Tesco became a private limited company. In the 1950s the retailer bought 70 Williams stores and 200 Harrow stores, followed by 97 Charles Philips stores and the Victor Value chain in the early 1960s. In 1968 Tesco opened its first superstore in Crawley, West Sussex. Supermarkets revolutionised the way people shopped and by the 1970s Tesco was building a national store network to cover the whole of the UK, which it continues to expand to this day, while also diversifying into other products. In 1974 Tesco opened its first petrol stations, and would become the UKs largest independent petrol retailer. By 1979 total sales topped  £1bn, and by 1982 sales had doubled to more than  £2bn. In 1987 Tesco effectively completed a hostile takeover of supermarket opponent Hillards for  £220m. In the 1990s Tesco continued to tighten its grip on the UK with more store openings and an aggressive marketing campaign in an attempt to surpass Sainsburys as the UKs leading grocer. In 1992, the company launched is slogan every little helps, followed by the Tesco Value range in 1993. This was followed by the launch of the Tesco Clubcard scheme in 1995, helping Tesco to overtake rival Sainsburys as the UKs largest food retailer. 1996 saw the retailer introduce its first 24-hour store while it also expanded overseas opening shops in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Tesco.com was launched in 2000 and the supermarket continued to expand its range of products, which now includes clothes, electrical and personal finance products. In 2004 Tesco entered the broadband market. In 2006, the retailer announced ambitious plans to open stores in the US under the name Fresh and Easy and funded by existing resources. Tesco now operates in 13 countries. Group sales were  £51.8bn in the year to February 23 2008. In 2008 the retail giant took its conquest of the UK one step further by buying up some competitor Somerfield stores on distant islands in Scotland, giving Tesco a existence in every single postcode area in the country. More than 50p in every pound spent on food by the citys 66,000 residents is done so at a Tesco checkout and similar dominance in other towns has sparked controversy. Because of their size, supermarkets have been accused by some of abusing their position by forcing smaller local shops out of business. Clark, T, (2008) Below figure 2.1 shows a graph of Tescos profit over a five year period from 2003 to 2008. Figure 2.2Graph showing the improvement of Tescos product range Grocery home shopping service, toys electronics, sports equipment, cookware home finishing Financial services (Visa card, saving accounts, banks, insurance) Gas filling station Gasoline retailer Clothing, household Food 1919 1960 1990 199   1997 2000 Year 3. Situation Analysis In crafting a strategy it is important for a company to analyse the environment. All organisations operate within an environment that influences the way in which business is conducted. Situation analysis involves the review of the internal resources and processes of the company to assess its e-business capabilities and results to date in the context of a review of its activity in the market place. It also involves the review of the immediate competitive environment or micro-environment and the review of the wider environment or macro-environment in which a company operates. The micro-environment includes customer demand and behaviour, competitor activity, marketplace structure and relationships with suppliers, partners and intermediaries. The macro-environment includes economic development and regulation by governments in the form of law and taxes together with social and ethical constraints such as the demand for privacy. Chaffey (2009) 3.1. Present Position Analysis In this section the factors that impact Tescos strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats will be looked at. Figure 3.1 presents the factors that impact the SWOT analysis of Tesco. Strengths Advertising and marketing Strong customer base Product range Services offered International entrance Location Sale increase Brand name External economies of scale Product quality Cost reduction Weaknesses Transport cost Dependence on the UK grocery market Market dominated by another company Opportunities Online market Growth Product expansion Threats Tax increase Innovation of other companies Customer preference Internet security Tescos success in the market stands firm due to their product range which allows customers to choose products from different market segments. With this strategy Tesco establishment a strong customer base. They also kept and grew their customer base by introducing new services within the organisation and by way of their advertising both in store and online. They introduced a clubcard that encouraged and continues to encourage customers to shop online with rewards. To keep their customer base strong they use different advertising and marketing methods such as sending customers mails using effective mediums which include both direct mail and electronic mail. Advertising is can be done in store and is even more effective using the online medium such as advertising on Google or sites that are used regularly by general web browsers. Services such as insurance, visa cards, saving accounts, music downloads and gas filling stations where some of the services introduced by Tesco. The products and services offered by Tesco meets or at times exceed the expectations of customers. The brand name Tesco uses allows customers to identify them and the products and services they provide even though other companies provide similar products and services. Tescos strategy of branching out into different locations was a major move which allowed them to target all groups of customer wants and needs with the products and services they offered. They also branch out into international markets and expand their products and services into different cultures. Tescos move to the online arena allowed them to target all groups all at once and allow their customers to purchase items that are in or out of season and are not available in store. They also grant them five dollar discounts to encourage them to shop on the online market. Tescos have an advantage over their competitors and due to this fact the prices they offer for the same products are much lower allowing more customers to come into Te sco instead of the competitors. Dependence on the UK market is considered a weakness because of their dependence on UK suppliers for their products. Tesco can turn their dependence on the UK market into strength by outsourcing products with equal or superior quality than the products they currently offer. Tesco dominates the market but in certain cities, Tescos competitors have monopolised the cities. In order for this monopoly by their competitors to be destroyed Tesco needs to open more branches within the cities and boost up their services to gain a wide range of customers in those cities. 3.2. Industry Analysis Porters Five Forces for Tesco.com 4. E-Business Strategy Strategy development should be strongly influenced by considering the environment the business operates in. The most significant influences are those of the immediate marketplace of the micro-environment that is shaped by the needs of customers and how services provided to them through competitors and intermediaries and via upstream suppliers. Technological innovations are vital in providing opportunities to provide superior services to competitors or through changing the shape of the marketplace. Chaffey (2009) 4.1.E-Business strategy 4.2. Implementation 5. Legal and ethical issues Privacy of consumers is a key ethical issue since many laws have been enacted. Data protection legislation is enacted to protect the individual, to protect their privacy and to prevent misuse of their personal data. This affects all types of organizations regardless of whether they have a transactional e-commerce service. Chaffey (2009) When gathering information Tesco.com needs to take in mind what the Data Protection Act states concerning personal data and the use of that data. In schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 1998, it states eight principles by which data must be protected. These eight principles are: Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular, shall not be processed unless— at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 is met, and in the case of sensitive personal data, at least one of the conditions in Schedule 3 is also met. Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed. Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date. Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes. Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this Act. Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data. Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data. [opsi 2008] According to the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 above Tesco must ensure that: When Tesco.com collects information from a data subject, the data subject must be aware that their information is being captured and because they agree to it. This information is obtained when a customer registers an account with Tesco.com. This information will be used by Tesco.com to create a profile for the individual. Tesco.com must let the data subject know why they are collecting this information and how it will be used both now and in the future. They need to let the data subject know if they data will be sent to third parties or not and how long they will keep this information stored. The data requested by Tesco.com must be relevant according to their needs. It must also be information that a customer will feel comfortable disclosing. Tesco.com must ensure that the data being collected and processed from a data subject is accurate and up-to-date. When a customer requests the closure of their account Tesco.com should delete all data concerning that customer or they will be in violation of the fifth principle in the Data Protection Act 1998. Tesco.com should supply information to the data subject without hesitation once they request it. In gathering information Tesco.com must ensure that the data stored is safe and secure. In distributing data Tesco.com must ensure that the data subject agrees to it or the country to which the information is being transferred to must have proper data protection or else there will be a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 principle 8. According to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations Act, Tesco.com must see to it that the e-mail sent to customers where based on the customers opt-in or consent to receive e-mails and should also have the option for them to opt-out or un-subscribe to getting e-mails. Tesco.com should also supply the customer with some contact information so that they can contact if they feel the e-mails being sent is spam. 6. Conclusion

Why I Have No Hero Essay -- essays research papers

Why I Have No Hero   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is a hero? Does one have to have superpowers, special abilities or incredible talent to be considered one? Well, some of us seem to think so. Then there is the everyday teacher or local figure that is considered a hero to selected individuals in their community. To me a hero has to have a few selected qualities, and I haven't met anyone who can fulfill all three.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, a hero must be good at heart. A hero has to know how to give and take accordingly. When he/she is needed to make a great sacrifice to help the community, their closest friends, or even their greatest enemies, they need to know that it is okay to make that sacrifice and know they did the right thing. That person also needs to go out and make a difference in their community and not need any more motivation than the good feeling they feel when they've made a positive impact on the few people they met with and helped. A person that is to be considered a hero must be naturally good and work for good and be there when they are needed most. They should not have to feel guilty about the negative effects of something they have done if the good it causes out weighs the bad.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Honesty is a good trait to have if you want to be a hero. A hero needs to be honest with the public so that he/she will get the public's support to retain that hero status among them, and possibly gain that stat...

Essay --

Step 1. Provide a summary of the scientific article addressing these questions: The publication Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society from the United Kingdom claims to be a publication devoted to a specific area of the biological sciences that aims to define a research frontier that is advancing rapidly, often bridging traditional disciplines. Hand before foot? Cortical somatotopy suggests manual dexterity is primitive and evolved independently of bipedalism, published October 7, 2103 by Teruo Hashimoto et al, certainly seems to support this publication’s claims. 1. What issues in physical and biological anthropology are addressed and why are they important? This newly published research from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute addresses a long-standing question in physical and biological anthropology; did manual dexterity evolve first in early hominins, as a requirement to make and use tools with their hands, or did it evolve in response to bipedal locomotion, after their hands were free to use? This mystery in human evolution is important to solve because by knowing what evolved first (dexterous hand or agile foot) researchers can better learn how early hominins lived and how they evolved into modern humans. This newly published research also addresses another very important issue in physical and biological anthropology; it introduces new scientific testing methods available to study evolution that can be used to re-evaluate long-standing evolutionary theories. In this case the study of comparative brain physiology for humans and monkeys was used to help establish the study findings. 2. What is the hypothesis or main question being tested? -The hypothesis/main question being tested is what evolved first, dexterous... ...arranted based on the new comparative brain physiology research methodology that was performed, and the study of the more recent hand and foot fossil remains of the species Ardipithecus ramidus support the findings. Step 2. Compare scientific article with press report addressing the following questions: How well did the press report accurately reflect the research article? I believe that the press report reflected the research article very accurately. The hypothesis was stated and was accurately answered. Is the information present correct or misleading? The information that is present in the press report is correct and does not mislead How would you have presented this report differently? The way in which I would have presented this report is I would have done more research along the lines of other evolutionary traits of monkeys and humans and then looked at

Qutans Case Study Essay

Qantas is an Australian icon. Australia’s national airline has enjoyed a long history as a profitable business, a respected brand name and has a deserved reputation for safe and reliable travel. For a small country of 23 million people, the Australian domestic airline industry is significant. The high level of urbanization of Australia’s population, the long distances between major urban centres, the lack of high speed trains and the importance of Australia’s tourism industry all spurred growth in air travel in Australia. Qantas has always been the dominant player in the industry. In the years prior to 1990, Qantas operated within a duopolistic industry with Ansett Airlines. After 1990, a variety of short lived challengers entered the Australian market, but none until Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia) survived. A few days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Ansett also went bankrupt, leaving Qantas the dominant Australian airline largely untroubled by a much smaller Virgin Blue and a number of insignificant competitors. The years after 2001 were relatively good for Qantas. Its dominance of local airports and landing ‘slots’ made it difficult for Virgin and new entrants to assail its dominant position. For example, when Tiger Airways sought to fly to and from Melbourne, it was required to use a converted shed at Tullamarine Airport as its base. Qantas’ profits between 2001 and 2008 were good. Unlike most of the world’s airlines, Qantas made substantial profits in the years after the 2001 attacks. This was largely because of its dominance of the lucrative Australian domestic market, and most especially its effectively monopoly on domestic business class travel within Australia. In recent years, however, the company has encountered turbulent times. Like all airlines, the global financial crisis of 2008 severely dented demand for Qantas travel, especially leisure travel. The stubbornly high value of the Australian dollar also made Australia a relatively less place to travel for international tourists and students. The airline industry in Australia has become significantly more competitive. After the collapse of Ansett, Virgin Blue had around 10% of the Australian domestic market, while in 2013 in exceeded 30%. Importantly, Virgin has introduced its own business class services domestically while also reducing their fares in this segment. The international airline industry has seen the fall of a number of well-known airlines and the rise of a number of new carriers. The vision of the Qantas group is to be one of Australia’s great businesses and among the world’s great airline groups. However, in the 2012/13 environment, Qantas faced a number of setbacks to this vision. In 2013 Qantas is struggling on two fronts. The first front was the declining profitability of international operations. This problem culminated with Qantas reporting a $257 million dollar loss for the year ending on 30th June, 2012. This was the first loss for the airline since it was fully privatized in 1995. Internationally, Qantas faced tough challenges. New entrants on the Pacific route to the US and the ‘Kangaroo Route’ to Europe constrained fares. The entrance of highly subisidised middle-Eastern carriers like Emirates, Ethihad and Gulf Air also placed pressure on the profit margins on European routes. The emergence of low cost carriers in Asia (like, for example, Air Asia) also brought new capacity to Australia and lowered the market price of economy flights to cities like Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The airline is, however, profitable in the domestic market, maintaining a 65% market share and keeping its commanding lead over Virgin Australian in the highly profitable domestic business class market. The most profitable activity for Qantas is flying business class passengers. Flying economy between Sydney and Melbourne, for example, can often be less than $100 return. A business class, return flight on this route costs more than $1300 on Qantas. Domestic business class travel thus has very high profit margins, and these premium travelers generally don’t pay for their tickets (this being a perk of senior managerial jobs in many organisations). Qantas has been keen to develop loyalty among this group, investing extensively in lounges and loyalty programs to keep this key customer group content. In an ominous way, John Borghetti (the Virgin Australia CEO, and former Qantas executive) signaled a strong intention to pursue Qantas’ customers in this key segment in 2012 and launched a full-service, business class offering at a 25% discount to Qantas on key routes. Qantas explained the 2011/12 loss in the context of record high fuel costs of $4. 3 billion for the 2011/12 financial year. The airline’s fuel bill was $645 million greater than the previous financial year. In the annual report, the airline also announced a one-off cost of $398 million for a turnaround plan for the airline’s international network. The high Australian dollar and global economic uncertainty also played a role in the airlines woes. Qantas had been a key purchaser of new aircraft from the major manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, being one of the first customers for Airbus’ A380 and Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. As one of the few profitable airlines post September 11, 2001, Qantas was able to build its fleet while negotiating strong discounts on new planes. These purchases had improved Qantas’ fleet efficiency and image in the marketplace, but had also driven an escalation in the company’s fixed costs. The second front where Qantas was struggling was continuing industrial action that culminated in the airline locking out some employees and then grounding the entire Qantas fleet on 29 October 2011. Qantas has traditionally been highly unionized – especially in comparison to its new competitors like Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways. Qantas locked out engineers, pilots and baggage handlers from their place of employment. Aircraft were immediately grounded when the lockout announcement was made, and passengers who on board aircraft were ordered to disembark. Some aircraft turned around while they were taxiing for take-off, however aircraft in the air continued on to their destination and were then grounded. This specific industrial action stemmed from difficulties with negotiations commencing in 2010 on a new enterprise bargaining agreement, however the relationship between Qantas and its unions had been troubled for many years. The aircraft grounding ended on the 31st of October when Fair Work Australia ordered the cessation of all industrial action taken by Qantas and the relevant trade unions. A number of issues prompted the industrial action, including the airline’s plans to establish Jetstar Japan, a low-cost subsidiary based in Tokyo. The airline also announced plans to establish Jetstar Hong Kong in partnership with China Eastern Airlines. When announcing Jetstar Japan, the airline also announced the loss of 1000 positions, and so the strategic moves were linked to job losses in Australia. This announcement influenced employees in deciding to take the industrial action that led to the employee lockout. The airline justified its move to establish new bases in Asia as part of its strategy to become more competitive internationally. The strategic moves followed earlier, successful initiatives in establishing Jetstar Asia based in Singapore and Jetstar Pacific Airlines based in Vietnam. In 2012, Qantas has a minority shareholding in both of these airlines. The damage to the Qantas brand by the airline lockout and subsequent grounding of the fleet is difficult to ully quantify. Understandably, there was widespread anger amongst passengers, despite the airline offering refunds and reimbursement for additional passenger accommodation costs. In their annual report for 2011/ 2012, Qantas states that the grounding and industrial action cost the airline $194 million. The impact on staff morale is difficult to quantify. During the period 2011/12 in the industry environment, Qantas faced challenging competition from foreign government backed airlines and the rise of successful middle eastern airlines such as Emirates. The airline industry can also be characterized as a battle of rival world hubs, with Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries vying for supremacy in the East Asian region. The hub battle, however, is one that Australia cannot win on home soil as it is ‘at the end of the line’ in terms of airline route geography. In recent years the industry has also been characterized by the rise of the low cost carriers such as Air Asia and RyanAir. The Australian domestic market, however, has been relatively positive for the airline, with Australia’s economic strength and the growth of the resources sector in the country providing a solid revenue base. The airline is also positioned in the high growth region of Asia, and the related opportunities for the company in this region are numerous. In countering these environmental challenges, Qantas has successfully developed a multi-brand model of operations. The model operates with the Qantas premium brand is the flagship, QantasLink for regional operations, Qantas freight (for freight) and Jetstar as the low cost carrier. In addition, Qantas has a relatively effective frequent flyer program and a relatively dominant domestic market position with corporate clients and business travelers. The company’s codeshare arrangement with airlines in the Oneworld alliance has helped it to overcome the limitations of Australia’s geographical position. On the 6th of September 2012, Qantas announced a new major deal linking its international operations with Emirates and moving away from their previous arrangements with British Airways. This 10-year deal provides Qantas with better access to Europe and Africa, and moves some flights away from Singapore as a stop-over hub for flights to Europe. Dubai would be the new hub for Europe. However Qantas flights to Asia are expected to increase as the move will allow Qantas to focus on Asian airports as destinations rather than as stop-overs. Basically the deal will reduce travel times for passengers on many flights and provide more one-stop destinations for Qantas. It remains to be seen, however, if these initiatives can help to repair the apparent damage to the Qantas brand following the fleet grounding in 2011. In theory, the potential operational efficiencies from the deal should help Qantas to return its international operations towards profitability; however the move comes at a time when there is a degree of political instability in many of the countries near to Dubai. Whatever the outcome, the flying kangaroo of Qantas is likely to continue to retain its dominant position in the Australian aviation market, regardless of the performance of the international division.

Analysis of Singapore’s GDP and Inflation figures Essay

According to the above forecast of GDP growth of Singapore, we know that it stand at 5.3% instead of 6.2% earlier. Therefore, it clearly indicates that the forecast of Singapore’s GDP growth downgrade. Gross Domestic Product, it refers that during a period of time, the production of all final goods and labor value from the economy of a country or region, it is often recognized as the best index to measure national economic conditions. It not only reflects a country’s economic performance, but also reflects a country’s national strength and wealth. The importance of GDP can not be ignored, especially when it is mentioned in the same breath with market expectations, the actual economic growth rate or recession rate often affects the trend of financial markets. The higher the data shows that the more driving economic growth. GDP represents all the economic activity within the country, reflects the basic situation for economic growth, it is used to analyze current status of the state’s economic development. GDP growth decelerated, indicating that the economy is in contraction phase, consumer demand of the production will decrease. In general, the higher GDP of Singapore means the better economic development, rising interest rate, its currency exchange rate is strong. There are so many different elements that affect the GDP growth of Singapore, in my opinion, one of the reasons is global economy. As a result of the global economic downturn, the economy of Singapore has been shrinking dramatically. Singapore’s economy can not maintain the pace of strong growth in 2010, because Singapore’s economy is mainly dependent on exports and exports of non-oil products and services, they occupy for more than half of its GDP, which makes the economy vulnerable to changes in global economic growth. Moreover, recent GDP data revisions in the US showed that economic conditions were not as robust as previously thought – indeed, aggregate activity had stalled since 2010. Uncertainty of U.S. economic recovery and the relative recession in the global electronics market has also led to further downturn in Singapore’s export demand. As reduction of global demand, as the pillar industry of Singapore, exports of electronic products sharply shrinking is the main reason of the country’s economic downturn. Singapore is one of Asia’s fastest growing economies. This year, the U.S. economy maybe decline in growth rate and the global electronics industry may decline are the main danger facing by Singapore’s economy. The Monetary Authority of Singapore states â€Å"domestic economic activity fell by 6.5% in the second quarter of 2011. The contraction was led by a slowdown in trade-related activities, due to supply-chain disruptions from the Japan earthquake and weaker demand from the advanced economies†(MAS, 2011). Economic growth was weak in the 2011, reflecting the impact of transitory shocks such as higher oil prices and the Japanese earthquake. â€Å"A strong dollar will stimulate GDP by discouraging exports and encouraging imports,† says Bob McTeer, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Monetary factors also affect GDP. The U.S is one of Singapore’s major trading partners, the U.S. dollar exchange rate continued to decline, the relative value of Singapore dollar increase, but Singapore is a country need to reserve more foreign currency, which means it needs more exports, exporting more production needs to undervalue its own currency. Therefore, the decline in the dollar also affected Singapore’s exports, led to GDP growth declined. Question 2 In my opinion, I agree with the statement without a doubt. The main aim of the government is to reduce high inflation to keep balance. Inflation, a monetary phenomenon, is an increase in money and credit. Its major consequence is raising prices. Inflation occurs when the economy’s aggregate volume of money expenditures grows at a faster rate than its total real output grows. Inflation is thus an increase in the supply of money without a corresponding increase in the supply of goods and services. (Edward, 2000) The official measure of the inflation is the increase of the general level of prices measured over a period of time, and RPI or CED is used as a measurement. To explain how it does this I must first explain the main two different causes of inflation. First type of inflation is called cost-push inflation. It basically means that increasing costs of factors of production (wages, rent interest, cost of raw materials, increased normal profit requirement) push up the general level of prices. This applies to the aggregate supply side of the economy and arises partly because general wage costs arise, for example the powerful trade unions might have pushed up wages without increasing the productivity. Import prices play a role as well, because nowadays no country is independent of the others. When a country has lower inflation than others it tends to â€Å"import† inflation with its foreign trade because foreign goods get more expensive. Also, for example, the massive rise in oil prices affected western oil-importing economies and caused inflation. The changing exchange rates also cause inflation. As the production costs of the firm rise it has to increase its price to cover the costs. Then in turn, as the goods are expensive, labour demands wage increases that will increase the production costs even further. Another type of inflation is demand-pull inflation. This occurs when aggregate demand exceeds the value of output at full employment. The role of government is to ease pressures from inflation; it takes appropriate monetary policy or fiscal policy to reduce high inflation based on different types of inflation. The government has several ways to control inflation. It can do this by using fiscal policy that manages the aggregate demand by using government spending and monetary policy to reduce investment, consumption and the circulation of the currency. Fiscal policy: government should raise tax rate and reduce expenditure, for example, raising consumption tax, it makes goods more expensive, so you need to pay more consumption tax when you buy something, it will make you reduce the number of purchasing things. Thus, the total market demand will reduce at a certain level, making the overall price fall, playing an alleviative role to high inflation. Main weapon to fight against inflation after 1970 has been monetary policy, widely used by Conservatives. The main policies have included controlling interest rates and medium-term financial strategy. Also the real inflation is much caused by people’s expatiation on future inflation, reducing the expectations of inflation in the future has been one of the governments’ aims. The consequences of inflation are quite serious. It has bad effect on growth, because it increases uncertainty and discourages savings. It is also damaging for the balance of payment, because it makes imports cheaper. It distributes incomes in favour of profit earning, away from fixed earning pensioners, whose real income will fall. Therefore, government must play active role in managing high inflation rate by an economy all the time. References: 1. The Monetary Authority of Singapore, Recent Economic Developments in Singapore, 01 Sep 2011, pp 01 [01 Dec. 2011] 2. Bob McTeer, Impact of a Weak Dollar by Admin, Posted in: Financial Planning, 03 August 2011 [01 Dec. 2011] http://ourbusinessnews.com/impact-of-a-weak-dollar 3. Edward W. Younkins, HOW GOVERNMENT MANIPULATES MONEY AND PRODUCES INFLATION, 28 Oct. 2000 [02 Dec. 2011] http://www.quebecoislibre.org/001028-11.htm 4. Walter E. Williams, Syndicated Columnist, The government’s role in inflation, 06 Sep. 2009 [02 Dec. 2011] http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/524850/The-government-s-role-in-inflation.html 5. Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. New York: Dubleday Dell Publishing. [17 October. 2011]