Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Theory Of International Relations - 1402 Words

There are different theory of how international relations should operate, such as Liberalism, Realism, Marxism, Constructivism, the English school often called the international society, Feminism, Green theory, Hegemonic stability theory, Postmodernism and Post colonialism. This essay will be focus on realism and how relevant the realist perspective is in the 21st century international relations. Historically, Realism is the most important approach to discipline of international relations (Nicholson, 2002). The origins of realism can be traced all the way back to â€Å"Thucydides the chronicler of the Peloponnesian war† (Griffiths, O’Callaghan, and Roach, 2007). Realism is a dominant school of thought in the theory of international relations and for conceptualizing world politics, it is a highly diverse body of thought. Several past philosophers such as Plato, Niccolà ³ Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin and Max Weber, were also regraded as realist (Griffiths, O’Callaghan, and Roach, 2007). Jà ¸rgensen (2010) hold the view that the congenializing of realism was in Europe, it emulates the 19th century European â€Å"REALPOLITIK†. Although the theory of realism was born in Europe it was adapted in the United states of America where it has become a dominant tradition. Realism is also one of the most important theory in internationa l politics, it describes the relations between states and how international politics works. Realist are unified by the believe that conflict isShow MoreRelatedInternational Relation Theory And International Relations Theory1395 Words   |  6 PagesInternational relation theories can be used to explain the meanings of the songs and articles. Through music, the international relation theories can relate to the hidden messages about the song through the language. The two theories that best explain the songs, Imagine by John Lennon and Only Prettier by Miranda Lambert are neoliberalism and constructivism. Neoliberalism is an international relations theory in which, states cooperate together to reach a common goal. There is also the belief thatRead MoreA Theory Of International Relations Essay1100 Words   |  5 PagesTheory, in general has various meanings in Social Sciences, most in particular in, International Relations. That is the term â€Å"Theory† can be defined in various ways and means. Simply put, theory can be defined as a concept of explaining something. Furthermore, theory can be defined as a series of propositions about political behaviour inductively derived either from empirical studies or the comparative examination of case materials from the past (Akinboye Ottoh, 2005). It can also be defined asRead MoreThe Theory Of International Relations1535 Words   |  7 PagesWhen studying International Relations, there are various theories involved, three of these theories being: realism, liberalism, and constructivism. A theory is fundamentally ideas and complex con cepts that have their own way of understanding something. These theories are used in evaluating world politics, by coming up with a unique way of identifying and explaining the events that occur around the world (Mingst 5). The theories help explain different perspectives on how the world system functions;Read MoreThe Theory Of International Relations Essay1384 Words   |  6 Pagesgroups around the world, the international orders emerged to set how states relates to each other based on the amount of power that they have and the interests they share at different moments of the history. With the evolution of societies, international orders changes because of a major clash between great powers where it is necessary a zero sum situation. To explain this, the paradigms of international relations will be the main tool. The rise of an international order is a result of the accumulationRead MoreThe Theories of International Relations2314 Words   |  10 PagesINTRODUCTION The theories of international relations are the end results of good international relations and system in the world today, most of this theories are not well implemented in most countries which has resulted on conflicts among nations, political instabilities, secessions and all other political unrest. This essay will shed more light on the phases of international relations from the individual stage to the international stage. Firstly, this essay will explain what the theories of internationalRead MoreMarxist Theories Of International Relations903 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Since the Cold War came to an end and capitalism stood victorious, it was generally accepted that the ideas of Marx could be declared irrelevant. Marx’s theories were excessively concerned with the role of economics in defining social and political relations. These were also exceedingly pessimistic in their approach, offering hardly any viable option to replace the capitalist system. The core principle of Marxism is that the world is divided not into politically determined nations butRead MoreThe Realist Theory Of International Relations1545 Words   |  7 Pagesviolence through civilians and changing the regime. However, unlike other interventions in international area, it was quick and sudden. Therefore it was obvious that other than providing good life conditions to Libyan people, there were also other purposes of the coalition states through Libya’s rich resources. Realism theory On the realist theory of International Relations, the basic assumption of this theory is that states in their foreign affairs, must pursue power, and ensure that they act rationallyRead MoreComparison of International Relations Theory1788 Words   |  8 PagesContemporary international relations is a complex field. Understanding events and attempting to make sense of them can be a daunting task. There are, however, tools available, which can assist in providing clarity to these complex issues. The first of these tools is historic knowledge. Without historic background of an issue, it is nearly impossible to understand the events driving that issue in modern times. A second tool, the one which will be the focus of this paper, is international relations theoryRead MoreThe International Relations Theory That Best2071 Words   |  9 PagesThe international relations theory that best explains Operation Provide Comfort would be the constructivist theory. However, Turkey’s inv olvement in the operation may also be explained through subaltern realism. The fact that the nations that comprised the coalition, save for Turkey, conducting Operation Provide Comfort went through the official channel of the UN shows that the intention was to act within the norms of the international community for conducting humanitarian interventions. Had theRead MoreGames Theory in International Relations2695 Words   |  11 PagesGAMES THEORY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1.0 INTRODUCTION The field of game theory came into being with Émile Borel s researches in his 1938 book ‘Applications aux Jeux des Hazard’, and was followed by the 1944 book ‘Theory of Games and Economic Behaviour’ by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern. This theory was developed extensively in the 1950s by many scholars. Game theory was later explicitly applied to biology in the 1970s, although similar developments go back at least as far as the

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Managing A Successful Business Management - 1244 Words

There are many challenges to running a successful business. Management in a business takes careful planning, organizing, leading, and controlling the organization’s resources. A big part of having good management in a business is having exceptional managers. Managers need to be efficient and effective. To be an efficient manager you need to use your resources people, money, and raw materials. To be effective managers need to achieve results, make the right decisions, and successfully carry them out to achieve organizational goals. Managers have four main functions they carry out in the management world. Managers plan which requires setting goals, and decide how to accomplish them. They need to organize which means they arrange†¦show more content†¦Top managers are going to be the Board of Directors (BOD) and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Chief Executive Officers are also known as General Managers (GM). They determine the objectives, policies and plans o f the organization. They prepare long term plans and have the maximum authority and responsibility. Middle managers are the Department Heads (HOD), Branch managers, and the Junior Executives. These managers give advice to the top managers, and executes the policies and plans. They also prepare short-term plans and co-ordinate the activities of all the departments. The lower level managers also known as the first-line managers are the Foreman and the Supervisors. They direct workers, develop morale, and maintain a link between the other levels of management. As a general, there are roles all managers must do successfully. When they rely more on verbal communication than written communication. When they also work long hours at an intense pace. Also when they work by characterization by fragmentation, concise, and diverse. There are also three different types of roles managers do. Interpersonal roles are when managers interact with people inside and outside their work units . Informational roles are when managers receive and communicate information. Decisional roles are when managers use information to make decisions to solve problems or take advantage of opportunities. Besides tasks, and roles

Friday, December 13, 2019

Mark O’Connor Imagery Free Essays

Poet and Environmentalist, Mark O’Connor, expresses his admiration for the cyclical and resilient aspects of which nature is comprised. The persistence of nature depicts the ideas that nature is just as, if not more, dominant as man. His poems Turtles Hatching and To Kill An Olive explore these themes and elucidate O’Connor’s compelling perspective of nature. We will write a custom essay sample on Mark O’Connor Imagery or any similar topic only for you Order Now These two poems hold distinctively visual images that enable the reader to envisage the scene presented. Turtles Hatching’s poetic recount encapsulates the trials and tribulations of the turtles. O’Connor describes the turtles as â€Å"high revving toys†, ready for their chance at life. He elucidates the persistence of the turtles by using distinctively visual images describing how determined these turtles were at reaching their safe haven: â€Å"Scrambling in sand, scrabbling in slime, or sculling deluded through sand-pools to beaches of death†. This alliteration of the visual images highlights the desperation of the turtles on their fight for survival. O’Connor has created a distinctive image to aid readers in creating an idea of just how determined and persistent, not only the turtles were, but also just how determined the crabs were at preventing the turtles from reaching their goal. â€Å"Queued up crabs† gives readers an image of an army of crabs; so many as they wait for the turtles to come. Not only was natures tenacity evident in Turtles Hatching, O’Connor has also brought this theme to the readers attention in To Kill An Olive. O’Connor has started out To Kill An Olive, diving straight into the resilience and persistence of olives trees. He has accumulated the many things that are incompetent of killing an olive tree elucidating just how determined they are at overpowering man. â€Å"Hack one down, grub out a ton of main root for furl, and next spring every side-root sends up shoots†. O’Connor has described visually these connotations of just how in destructive these trees are, despite are the treatment it is being subject to. O’Connor has made reference to the prolonged period of time these olive trees has been persistent in overcoming mans many obstacles. â€Å" Burnt-out ribs  of siege machines† not only highlights how long these olive trees have been standing for, but also how the tree has overcome the old-timed machines and gone and lived another age. The distinctively visual images used here can encapsulate this theme and gives readers a deeper understanding of the tenacity these olive trees are willing to relinquish. O’Connor is fascinated by just how much humans underestimate nature. The smallest creatures can overcome any adversity and the dullest of trees can overpower any man. Nature, if it wants to, can be just as powerful as man. In Turtles Hatching, Mark O’Connor has done just this. How to cite Mark O’Connor Imagery, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Marketing Principles A Case Study of Coles

Question: Discuss about theMarketing Principlesfor aCase Study of Coles. Answer: Introduction As explained by Deloitte (2012), the promotional mix is one P of the four Ps of marketing mix and it can be evaluated as a combination of sales promotion, advertising, personal selling, and publicity of the products and services of the organization. The following report would argumentatively analyze the two elements of promotional mix namely advertising and sales promotion for the retail store of Coles. Some suggestions for the further improvement of the strategies used for the advertising and sales promotion of Coles has been highlighted in this report. Selection of Retail Outlet: Coles Coles is an Australian supermarket that had been providing excellent services and products to its customers since April, 1914 (Coles.com.au 2017). The outstanding services to the customers and value benefits to the millions of people of Australia has made the organization to grow in its long term commitment for developing sustainable future and development for their operations. The organization has been providing quality, value and services to its customers. The company has developed and grown with the help of rise of technology and their commitment for providing best of services. Selection and Analysis of Two Promotional Mix (Advertising and Sales Promotion) The advertisement and sales promotion are two elements of the promotional mix that can be used for promoting the operations of the Coles supermarket in Australian continent (Ward 2014). These two elements have been defined below, Advertising: Advertising is the most prominent and effective promotional strategy to attract customers. The advertising consists of the strategy for reaching huge numbers of people with the help of mass communication means to promote their services and products (Muralidharan and Xue 2015). The benefits of advertisement strategies include the encouragement of mass production of goods, mass notification to all the customers and people is possible, and economical means for promoting their products and services. Figure 1: Various types of Advertisements (Source: Muralidharan and Xue 2015, pp-226) Sales Promotion: The sale promotion is helpful for providing various offers, discounts and other attractions to the customers for making them utilize the services of the organization (Santini et al. 2015). The sales promotional offer is validate only with the sale of the goods to the customers. There are several types of sales promotion strategies that are been used by the retail outlets such as coupons, gift cards, vouchers, loyalty cards, etc. The use of these types of strategies allows the organization in making customer more happy and satisfied. Figure 2: Various types of Sales promotion (Source: Santini et al. 2015, pp-188) Discussion on Selected Promotional Mix at Coles The marketing strategies of Coles include the print and media methods for advertising and year round lower prices of commodities for their operations (Nenycz-Thiel 2012). It had been helpful for making people attracted to the visit and shop at Coles. Advertising Promotional Strategy Analysis of Coles According to Deloitte (2012), the advertising promotional strategy of Coles includes the use of Print and Media technology. Coles has been using the various magazines, newspaper and banners for advertising their supermarkets. Various places of Australia have been decorated with the holdings and road side banners of Coles. The flyers of the supermarket allow advertising the supermarket to the normal passerby people (Dwivedi 2012). The newspaper and magazines also serve the purpose of advertisement of Coles. Probable Drawbacks: The influence of digital media like Television, Online Websites, and various Social Medias has made the impact of Print and Media for advertisement very low. Most of the people nowadays prefer to look online for any commodity or services. Sales Promotional Strategy Analysis of Coles The sales promotional strategy of Coles includes the implementation of low prices of products and commodities (Hattersley 2013). The lower prices of the products and commodities from the local market have been helpful for attracting more customers for buying and shopping from Coles. The organization has been providing best quality of products at the most optimized prices to its customers all the year round. Probable Drawbacks: However, in the present scenario the lower prices of products have not been helpful for making any increase in the sales of Coles (Santini et al. 2015). The competitors of Coles have been using seasonal sales and various discounts and offers for gaining competitive advantage over Coles. Recommendations The development of technology has made it evitable for using technology for the advertisement and sales promotions of Coles. Some recommendations for improving the advertisement and sales promotion of Coles have been provided below, Use of Digital Media for Advertisement Social media and Web based platform: The various social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter and online ads on different websites (like Google, Yahoo, etc.) can be used for promoting the supermarket products among general people. Television and Covert advertisements: The broadcast advertising of Coles by using Televisions commercial ads would also help in improving the advertising promotions of Coles. Covert advertisement is the latest trend of advertising any product in which the ad of the product would be displayed in movie theatres before the initial credits of the movies. Providing Various Offers for Sales Promotion Offers and discounts: The various offers and discounts on products and services at Coles would also tend to attract people for shopping from the supermarket. Seasonal Sales: The festival and seasonal sales at Coles would also help in attracting more number of customers for shopping at the shop. Gift Vouchers and Loyalty cards: The inclusion of gift vouchers and loyalty cards for the regular customers would also help in diverting larger crowd of customers at Coles. Conclusion It can be concluded from the report that the use of promotional mix would help in providing increased number of customers and improved operations at Coles. The organization had been using print and media for advertisement and low price strategy for sales promotion. However, the report had shown that the use of digital media and provision of various offers and discounts would serve the purpose of improved strategies for advertisement and sales promotion. References Coles.com.au, 2017.About Coles. [online] www.coles.com.au. Available at: https://www.coles.com.au/about-coles [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017]. Deloitte, 2012. Analysis of the Grocery industry; Cole Supermarkets Australia, Sydney, Australia: Deloitte Access Economics Pty Ltd. Dwivedi, A. M. 2012. Brand, value and relationship equities and loyalty-intentions in the Australian supermarket industry..Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.,19(5), pp. 526-536. Hattersley, L. 2013. Supermarket power, own-labels, and manufacturer counter-strategies: international relations of cooperation and competition in the fruit canning industry. Agriculture and Human Values, pp. 1-9. Muralidharan, S. and Xue, F., 2015. Influence of TV endorser types on advertising attitudes and purchase intention among Indian rural women: an exploratory study.Asian Journal of Communication,25(2), pp.213-231. Nenycz-Thiel, M. 2012. Value-for-money perceptions of supermarket and private labels.. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 20(2), pp. 171-177. Santini, F.D.O., Sampaio, C.H., Perin, M.G., Espartel, L.B. and Ladeira, W.J., 2015. Moderating effects of sales promotion types.BAR-Brazilian Administration Review,12(2), pp.169-189. Ward, M., 2014. Coles focuses on everyday lower prices in new campaign. [online] Available at: https://mumbrella.com.au/coles-focuses-261305 [Accessed 17 Feb. 2017].

Thursday, November 28, 2019

When I Have Fears.... Essays (338 words) - Sonnets,

When I Have Fears.... ?When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be? There are many aspects of the world today that give us reason to overthink and be fearful. John Keats', ?When I Have Fears that I May Cease to Be,? discusses this and warns the readers of what may happen if this is taken to an extreme. The narrator goes through life until finally he understands the inevitability of time and realizes the things most precious to him. In the first quatrain of the poem, Keats uses a substantial metaphor comparing the gathering of grain with the gathering of his thoughts. The speaker is concerned that he wont complete his poetry. To die young is to die before one has the opportunity to harvest the fruits of the mind that have been ?ripened? from old age. Keats then goes on showing how the speaker doesn't want to die ignorant. The night's starr'd face? (line 5) is symbolic of the ultimate questions in a person's life and the speaker is fearful that he may die before he discovers them. The third quatrain helps to discuss the transience of things. The ?fair creature of an hour? (line 9) is probably a lover. The speaker is addressing the lover but it is evident that she is not the main concern. This unreflecting love the only love he may get. ?Then on the shore/ Of the wide world I stand alone, and think/ Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink? (lines 12-14). In Keats' rhyming couplet he is saying that if the speaker has fears, then he is alone. He is standing on the ?shore,? on the edge, separated, and far apart from the rest of the world. The things the speaker finds precious, ?Love? and ?Fame,? in the end are insubstantial and dissolve to ?nothingness? because he never did anything about them. Thinking will lead to a person's destruction. Being too self-conscious takes away from living one's life. Keats' speaker warns us that if we live in fear then this will lead to death both physically and mentally. Bibliography keats when i have fears that i may cease to be Poetry Essays

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Earthquakes

Earthquakes Free Online Research Papers On October 17, 1989, as my family and I were preparing to watch game 3 of the World Series, a special news break announced that there had been a devastating earthquake that had struck the San Francisco bay area. News cameras quickly began showing the devastation that this magnitude 6.9 earthquake had wrought. Buildings were on the verge of collapse and the two tier bay bridge had partially collapsed trapping hundreds of motorists. 63 people lost their lives due to the earthquake, 3,500 were injured and over 100,000 buildings were damaged (bbc.co.uk, 2005). Earthquakes are notorious throughout history as devastating phenomena, but what causes them? In order to understand what makes the earth tremble so violently, you have to delve deep under the Earth’s surface. At one time, scientists thought that the earth’s crust or Lithosphere was continuous without any breaks or cracks but in the 1960’s, new research showed that the lithosphere was actually a fluid puzzle of irregular segments, or plates. These plates are made up of cool, solid rock that is four to forty miles thick. These enormous blocks of Earth’s crust vary in size and shape and cut through continents and oceans. There are nine major plates. Six of them are named for the continents they are embedded in: the North American, South American, Eurasian, African, Indo-Australian, and the Antarctic. The other three are oceanic plates called the Pacific, Nazca and Cocos plates. These plates are in constant motion and it is along their boundaries that tremendous energy is released changing the earth’s surface. There are three types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform. Although the plates appear to be moving independently of each other they are connected and a plate cannot move without affecting the other plates. The plates are either pulling apart or coming together. For example as the South American plate pulls away from the African plate, making the Atlantic Ocean larger in a divergent boundary, the pacific sea floor is being consumed in deep subduction trenches or a convergent boundary. The â€Å"Ring of Fire† around the margins of the Pacific Ocean is caused by a convergent boundary or subduction zones found around the edge of the Pacific plate. These are plate margins where one plate is overriding another, thereby forcing the other plate in to the mantle beneath it. All the old oceanic crust is going into these systems as new crust is formed at the spreading centers. In this way the Earth recycles its self. And it is why crust older than the Cretaceous cannot be found in any ocean basin because it has already been destroyed by the process of subduction. Subduction zones are the location of very strong earthquakes, which occur because one plate is overriding the other. The third type of boundary or margin is called a transform boundary because plate material is neither created nor destroyed, rather the plates slide past each other along faults. The San Andreas Fault in California was responsible for the World Series Earthquake, and it occurs as the North American plate and the Pacific plates move past each other. There are many earthquakes along this fault which are caused by the accumulation and the release of the strain as the two plates slide past each other. Faults are surfaces along margins in which rocks have fractured and been displaced. The tectonic stresses caused by plate motions build up over time and eventually cause breaks in the crust of the Earth along which the rocks grind past one another. When this happens, an earthquake occurs. The stresses that are released along these faults are what cause the movement we feel when the Earth trembles during an earthquake. Earthquakes are measured and detected by using seismographs. Inside a seismograph used to measure horizontal motion, a weight is freely suspended. As waves from the earthquakes reach the seismograph the weight stays in the same place, while the ground and support move around it. This movement is recorded on magnetic tape by a pen attached to the weight or mass. In a seismograph designed to measure vertical motion, the weight is connected to a spring, so as the ground and support move up and down, the pen on the weight measures the vertical motion. The metal tape which the motion is recorded on is marked with lines that correspond to one minute intervals. When motion is recorded, a seismogram is created, which tells about the waves, how big they were and how long they lasted. Using information from the seismogram, the epicenter and focus of the earthquake can be determined. The focus is the point on the fault at which the first movement occurred. The epicenter is the point directly ab ove the focus. Waves, or the motion that seismographs pickup are created when stress is released as energy in earthquakes. There are three types of waves. The P wave, or primary way, is the fastest of the three waves and the first detected by seismographs. P waves are able to move through both liquid and solid rock. P waves are compressional waves which mean that they compress and expand matter as they move through it. S waves or secondary waves are the waves that directly follow the P waves. As S waves move they cut the rock they travel through sideways at right angles to the direction of the motion. S waves are the most dangerous type of wave because they are larger than P waves and produce vertical and horizontal motion in the ground surface. Both S and P waves are called body-waves because they move within the Earth’s interior. The speed of these waves varies depending on the density and the elastic properties of the material they pass through, and they are amplified as they reach the su rface. The third type of wave is called the surface wave. This type of wave moves close to or on the surface of the ground. Earthquakes are measured in several ways. Intensity is the measure, in terms of degrees, of damage to the surface and the effects on humans. Intensity records observations of effects on the curst, not actual ground motion or wave amplitudes which can be recorded by instruments. The second type of measurement is called the Magnitude of the earthquake. Magnitude is measured by wave amplitude and distance. Magnitude is determined using mathematical formulae and information from seismograms. The Richter scale is a magnitude scale that is logarithmic, which means each step in magnitude is greater than the last. To determine the Richter magnitude, a seismograph is used. Using a seismogram, the time difference between the recording of the P wave and the S wave is determined and matched to a corresponding distance value. The single maximum amplitude recorded on the seismogram is calculated and a line is drawn between the amplitude scale and the distance scale. The line crosses another scale, which corresponds to the magnitude. A new type of measurement, called GPS, allows scientists to monitor the movement of the Earth’s crust all over the world, between and during earthquakes. From these measurements, maps and models can be created to show how fast and in what direction the crust is moving due to both plate and fault movement. Through using GPS technology, it will be possible in the future to reduce the risk of damage caused by earthquakes. Although scientists have gained a lot of knowledge regarding earthquakes and the other forces that shape our planet, they are still unable to predict impending earthquakes the way they are able to predict other natural disasters such as hurricanes, or tornados. There is still much to learn. Only through research and the development of new technologies, will man finally be able to understand the destructive forces that are churning away beneath our feet. References bbc.co.uk. (2005, October 17). 1989:Earthquake hits San Francisco. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from On This Day: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/17/newsid_2491000/2491211.stm. Earthquake. (2008). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: search.eb.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/eb/article-9106195 Research Papers on EarthquakesHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and AutumnQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XTwilight of the UAWLifes What IfsThe Fifth HorsemanAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Genetic Engineering

Thursday, November 21, 2019

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 88

History - Essay Example It is at this point that one could say that the Author is trying to establish an impression that the book is supposed to descriptively tell something about the Baroque period, and the ultimate way of understanding it is to look at the common trends or patterns in politics, economics, religion, arts and sciences at that period of time. In this case, the Author simply did not try to single out the basic concept of understanding history. In fact, there is a use of the same methodology of establishing or creating clear ideas of a certain historical period. The book starts to talk about â€Å"The Patteru of Politics and Economics† (Friedrich 1-67) in Chapter I, then down to religion, war, science and so on. The discussion specifically ends with Bibliographical essay (Friedrich 3271). In other words, the book is organized in a way that the readers can learn many things about social, political and economical issues associated with the Baroque period. It is interesting at some point, because the book does not only focus on artistic expression, but rather the descriptive events during the period as far as the association of the arts is concerned. The Author simply pointed out at some point that there are many things to learn about the Age of the Baroque aside from the art and relevant artistic expression. There were primary sources involved in the discussion, supporting the Author’s main argument. These also include some supporting materials like secondary information from credible intellectual works. In other words, the Author tried to establish a significant justification so as not to defeat the purpose of the entire book. The supporting details were necessary requirements in order to come up with the better perspective and descriptive thought about the Baroque period. At some point, considering that the entire work is quite exploratory in its nature, there might be remarkable

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example I would like your amplification on an issue that is not clear to me in your post. How can you use your strengths and those of the nurse to foster trust between her and her colleagues?. Effective communication skills as a manager are important in terms of communicating organizational as well as individual objectives within organizations. Therefore, your post has helped me understand this clearly Kinsey Weathers. Offering a listening ear as well as your full attention as you do when employees come to your office is a strength that could propel you far in your career. I am in agreement that eye contact is imperative when communicating with others. Advising the nurse and helping her address her personal problems affecting her work is a form of coaching. Tyra (2008) supports your application of your strength through coaching and asserts that "The coaching relationship provides support and accountability for clients to help them change feelings, and beliefs that are blocking them" (112). In my organization, we use trainings, either on-the-job training or holding seminars, to coach employees on how they can apply their strengths in dealing with difficult situations. This has enabled them to improve their performance

Monday, November 18, 2019

Wall Street Journal Executive Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Wall Street Journal Executive Summary - Essay Example This lending has brought a new life to Ms. Mathews’ family business and also to her bank. â€Å"For a lot of the big regional banks, the future is a return to the past, â€Å"says Eric Wasserstrom, an analyst at Guggenheim Securities LLC. ’’It’s more like their traditional lending, more balanced† (Sterngold Web). After the recession, some businessmen and lawmakers, said banks were not playing their part in economic growth, although they received a lot of funds from the government. Banks increased their lending across the country in the second quarter of 2012.since then they have increased their lending. However, not all banks accelerated their lending. Some local banks increased their lending to businesses earlier than the national banks in past recession period. The volume of commercial and industrial loans at the major street banks is larger in dollar terms than at regional lenders, although the loans only make a small amount of their total share. For example, Bank of American Corp. made $233.6 billion in loans in 2014 which was 26.5 percent of its total and Citigroup Inc. 6.4 percent of its total. Large banks are mostly concentrating on giving the other types of loans; smaller banks put much emphasis on loaning business persons. KeyBank, for instance, increased its commercial and industrial loan by 12.3 percent in 2014, taking a lion share among its peers in 2014. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its bank loan by 4 percent last year and PNC Financial Services grew hers by 10 percent. KeyBank is established in 12 states, from Maine to Alaska. In July it announced that it had agreed to own Pacific Crest Securities, a technology focussed investment bank. The stock price for KeyCorp, the holding company which consists almost entirely of the banking operation has out competed most of its competitors. During the recession of 2008 and 2009, KeyBank just like the other banks was affected by the economic crisis. It

Friday, November 15, 2019

Impacts Of Mass Tourism On Ecotourism Sites

Impacts Of Mass Tourism On Ecotourism Sites soft ecotourism often occurs on a large scale within certain accessible areas leading to the observation that ecotourism can and often does occur as a form of mass tourism (Weaver and Lawton, 200: 362). Critically evaluate, using examples, the social, economic and environmental impacts of mass tourism on ecotourism sites. From my studies and research in this subject area of geography it is evident that there is a link and indeed a relationship between ecotourism and mass tourism. In order to understand this relationship however we must take into account what exactly tourism means, and subsequently what is meant by ecotourism and mass tourism. What essentially is tourism? Undoubtedly there are many varying definitions to describe tourism but essentially tourism . . . is the temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations, and the facilities created to cater to their needs (Alister Mathieson and Geoffrey Wall 1982, p.1) Tourism is unquestionably a leisure activity and there are many various forms of tourism including; Cultural tourism. Sex tourism. Adventure tourism. Geotourism. Event tourism. The tourism sector has experienced significant increase in later years due to higher incomes and greater transport amenities and accessibility. According to the Central Statistics Office Ireland website, www.cso.ie the number of trips by Irish residents on domestic travel has increased from 7,001 in 2004 to 8,340 in 2009.  [1]  The increase or enhancement of tourism within certain areas has varying impacts, both positive and negative, on the economic, social and environmental aspects. Ecotourism or ecological tourism essentially refers to travel to an area possessing natural, physical or cultural beauty for example rivers, beaches, mountains and wildlife ecosystems. The main purpose associated with this form of tourism is to maintain, protect and respect the value of the area. According to Mike J. Stabler et al, ecotourism refers to . . . a sustainable, non-invasive form of nature-based tourism that focuses primarily on learning about nature first-hand and which is ethically managed to be low impact, non-consumptive and locally orientated (control, benefits and scale). It typically occurs in natural areas, and should contribute to the conservation of such areas. (Mike J. Stabler et al, 2010, p.360). Ecotourism incorporates a wide range of activities from visits to natural ecosystems for example the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, physical activities such as mountain climbing and visits to see wildlife animals for example gorillas which I will discuss later in thi s essay. There are two main types of ecotourism; soft ecotourism and hard ecotourism. Soft ecotourism is generally the more popular form of ecotourism and usually involves short-term experiences which are nature led by a tour guide and in which the individual returns to a facilitated area. Due to the popularity of soft ecotourism it is more likely that mass tourism could develop as a result. Hard tourism on the other hand refers to the individual involving themselves in an intense experience devoid of amenities like accommodation, restaurants and shops for example The Hollies Centre in County Cork. Mass tourism can be quite difficult to determine as there are no insights as to how many tourists would classify as mass tourism. However it fundamentally refers to large scale tourism where there is a great or large amount of tourists in a given area at any one time. Mass tourism has come to the fore due to higher incomes and accessibility as previously mentioned and in addition to these the introduction of package deals has also played a vital part in this form of tourism. It is essential to note that there is a relationship between these two forms of tourism and one can influence the other hugely. Throughout this essay I will discuss the impacts, socially, economically and environmentally of mass tourism on ecotourism sites with reference to various examples. By controlling and managing potential mass tourism on an ecotourism site the negative social and environmental impacts are significantly reduced, ensuring the overall preservation and conservation of the site. Rwanda is a small country which is located in central Africa and is famous for its beautiful geographical scenery such as the scenic beaches at Lake Kivu and its vast series of mountains. In addition to the beautiful scenery, it also boasts an abundance of wildlife including various species of birds and the rare mountain gorillas. (Figure 1) Rwanda is known worldwide for these mountain gorillas and this undoubtedly is a main attraction for tourists. According to the Rwanda Tourism website, www.rwandatourism.com, the number of visitors in Rwanda increased from 826,374 in 2007 to approximately one million in 2008.  [2]  In addition to this gorilla tourism in Rwanda has grown significantly and reached a peak in 2008 when 17,000 tourists were recorded visiting the Volcanoes Nat ional Park alone (Neilsen, H. and Spenceley, A. 2010, p.2.), with peak season being the months of July and August. Although the increase in Rwandas tourists would not be classified as mass tourism on a global scale, it is essential to note that this increase has had significant impacts in Rwanda. The Volcanoes National Park is located in northern Rwanda and lies on the border of Virunga National Park in the Congo and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The Volcanoes National Park enables tourists to experience the extraordinary gorillas up close. The level of tourism certainly has impacts on the ecotourism site socially, economically and environmentally. The local community in Rwanda has experienced both positive and negative impacts as a result of the increase in tourism. In relation to social impacts Rwanda has undoubtedly benefited. The income received in the country as a direct result of tourists in the park has meant that the local communities have socially grown. Under the ORTNP and with the support of the government, a tourism revenue scheme was initiated in 2005, meaning that 5% of revenue from park fees goes towards supporting local communities and projects. The following are examples of projects undertaken in Rwanda as a result of the revenue scheme; Schools; the construction of ten schools within the locality has dramatically cut down on travel time for locals to school. This enables pupils to focus on their studies, thus improving the quality of education in the area. Water Tanks; over 5,000 families within the locality have benefited from the construction of water tanks which provide 20,000 litres of water per person per day. (Neilsen, H. and Spenceley, A. 2010, p.11) The Rwandan community possesses a rich cultural society which is present in their arts and crafts for example woven baskets, pottery and painting. Tourist expenditure on such cultural crafts shows interest in local traditions and rituals and ensures the native culture survives amongst the varying cultures of tourists. Environmental impacts are a considerably important feature when referring to gorilla tourism in Rwanda. Due to the fact that these mountain gorillas are rare and endangered species conservation and protection of these animals is a priority. One can argue that tourism itself can have a detrimental impact on the animals and this undoubtedly is a fair argument. Gorilla tourism can and does present a threat to gorilla conservation as tourists can put stress and disturbance upon the gorillas. This can adversely affect the behaviour and health of the gorillas. (Neilsen, H. and Spenceley, A. 2010, p.16) Evidentially these factors could be responsible for a decline in populatio n size. However, as people in Rwanda have realised the potential danger, they are now managing mass tourism in the following ways in order to conserve the eco-site; Anyone who wishes to take part and experience closer contact with the gorilla species must purchase a permit which is expensive and limited. Tourists are willing to pay high prices for these permits and this essentially means that tourists are aware of and are supporting the ecotourism code of minimising ecological impacts. In addition to the high cost of permits and as briefly mentioned earlier, the revenue scheme means that 5% of this money is fundamentally re-invested back into the conservation and protection of the national parks. A set of rules and regulations have been introduced which prohibit risk to the gorillas. These rules are enforced by staff employed within the park. The following are some examples of rules and regulations enforced; Tourists have to keep a distance of 7 meters between themselves and gorillas. There is a daily limit of one group of tourists per group of gorillas, a limit to the number of tourists within that group and they are required to remain together. Visits are to have a limited time span of one hour. Minimum age requirement of 15. (Neilsen, H. and Spenceley, A. 2010, p.4) If we are to imagine this ecotourism site without any means of managing tourist numbers what would be the impacts environmentally? Undoubtedly the gorilla species in the Volcano National Park would become extinct. The population of the gorilla has already decreased in recent years and there is no question that extensive large scale tourism (larger than what Rwanda is currently experiencing) would decrease it even more. In terms of economic impacts with reference to tourism in Rwanda we can see that tourism is acting as an economic asset to the local communities. Employment in gorilla tourism is very significant and at least 180 employment opportunities have been created within the park including tour guides, anti-poaching teams and gorilla groups trackers. (Neilsen, H. and Spenceley, A. 2010, p.12) Benidorm is a coastal town situated in the province of Alicante in Spain. It is home to beautiful sandy beaches which attract numerous tourists every year. Originally prior to the 1960s it was a small village where farming and fishing were the main sources of income. During this time period Benidorm experienced little or no tourism.   Since then however Benidorm has developed tremendously and attracts as much as ten million tourists per year. As a result of this dramatic change the lives of the local people and indeed the landscape have changed dramatically. Tourists are attracted to Benidorm due to easy accessibility, cheap package deals, abundance of accommodation, the beautiful sandy beaches, nightlife and golf courses. The town of Benidorm developed rapidly in order to cater for this large scale tourism and this development has had social, economic and environmental impacts as a result. The construction of tourism related infrastructure has negative environmental impacts in the vicinity of Benidorm. Over consumption, over development, pollution and artificial reconstruction are amongst these negative impacts. Many high rise hotels were constructed in order to cater and maximise tourism within the town which immediately diminishes the beauty of the town and decreases attractiveness.   Pollution is an ongoing problem in the area. Tourism leads to extreme litter and extreme pressure on sewerage systems. Cheaper package deals have led to an increased level of air travel, thus increasing the levels of nitrous oxide, hydrocarbon and lead in the air. Over consumption of natural resources for example water is another negative impact of tourism in Benidorm in the past with tourists exploiting the resource in hotels and swimming pools. Reconstruction of beaches, and production of golf courses decreases originality, portrays a modern town and drains images of the picturesque fishing village that was once there. (Figure 2) According to an article on the BBC news website however, www.bbc.co.uk/news/ , Benidorm is now highlighted as the new face of ecotourism. The author describes the recent environmental positive impacts which were acknowledged and have occurred as a result of the initial negative impacts of mass tourism. In one hotel the lights immediately turn off upon vaca ting the room and many of the taps are foot-pump operated in order to save water which in turn tackles the overconsumption of the natural resource. In addition low energy street lighting is used. In relation to the economy of Benidorm there are both positive and negative impacts. The tourism industry is worth an impressive amount to the economy and is a vital asset in terms of job creation. The restaurants, pubs, hotels and shops employ a large amount of people from Benidorm and the surrounding areas which would perhaps be unemployed if it was not for high tourism levels. The majority of food is locally sourced which essentially means that money earned by local businesses is essentially going back into the local economy. However tourism in this town has negative impacts also. Many of the hotels in Benidorm are chain hotels and are foreign owned. This acts as a drain on the local economy as money leaves the country. The cost of living increased as a result of mass tourism with prices of houses and goods and services putting pressure on the locals. Socially, the huge numbers of tourists visiting Benidorm has resulted in a wide range of cultures which can have has both positive and negative effects. The wide multicultural society as a result of mass tourism indeed positive yet this can have strongly influence negative impacts. It can simply drown out the Spanish culture of the town and with such a diversity of cultures anti-social behaviour has occurred and remains a possibility when misunderstandings or insulting of different cultures occurs. In addition to this mass tourism can have adverse impacts socially for the locals. Mass tourism has led to a rise in inappropriate behaviour with tourists engaging in such activities as drug use and excessive drinking. Tourism also interrupts local access to amenities such as shops, roads, public parks and sporting facilities as well as public transport. From the examples I have discussed throughout this essay it is evident that there is indeed a relationship between the two forms of tourism- ecotourism and mass tourism. In relation to my two examples, gorilla tourism in Rwanda, Africa and tourism in Benidorm, Spain, it is essential to note that I took two different approaches in terms of discussing them. When referring to ecotourism in Africa, I discussed the impacts that managing tourist numbers has had on the ecotourism site. It is evident from this example that ensuring the impacts of tourism numbers on this destination are monitored and managed is vital for sustainable tourism industry. Without the management gorilla numbers would decrease and would eventually become extinct. Therefore the ecotourism site would not be viewed as a must-go destination and tourism would possibly cease. With specific reference to the tourist destination of Benidorm in Spain, I discussed the impacts which mass tourism had initially created on the are a. In contrast to this, in more recent years I have given an insight to how Benidorm has evolved from an area of mass tourism to an area portraying potential eco-touristic qualities. Tourism management in a destination that is in line with local communities preserves and enhances the environment and protects its wildlife, while providing a more authentic tourist experience and eliminating the negative social and environmental impacts of mass tourism on ecotourism site.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Balances Of Values And Academiic Freedom Of Inquiry Essay -- essays re

Balances of Values and Academiic Freedom of Inquiry Dear Mr. R. Kirby Godsey,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the process of life we face many challenges and many crossroads. We have many choices and many decisions to make. In making these decisions we must keep in mind the moral values our parents have taught us since we were born. Those Christian values should guide our lives and the choices we make. These same values should also guide at school as well. In our pursuit of knowledge, we should keep these values in mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In our never-ending road of learning, we are granted with many academic freedoms. We have the freedom to question and try to learn new ideas. We also have the freedom to disagree with the material presented to us. We can disagree and voice our opinions, but in an orderly fashion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In exercising those freedoms, we should do so with maturity and responsibility. As students, we are responsible for learning all the content of any course we study. We are free to take exception to the views or information presented to us, and we are free to reserve judgment about matters of opinions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sometimes, in our quest for knowledge, there becomes a conflict between our beliefs we are accustomed to and the material presented to us. When there is a difference, we should not ignore the idea or block it out. We should feel free to learn and question new ideas. Just because we learn somet...

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Recession in American economy Essay

The economic meaning of the term recession is, â€Å"A period of economic decline in a Country, characterized by reduced trade and industrial activity, production decline and increased levels of unemployment. It normally lasts between one and two quarters consecutively†, (Tremblay; 2007). In the US, incidences of recession have occurred since 1854. This paper, seeks address the reasons for recession in the US, with reference to the principles of consumer behavior and the firm as a whole. Observers were not expecting an incidence of recession this time round. Most observers have been persuaded to expect moderate economic growth rates in the US, of about 2 to 3 percent and a moderate inflation of around 2 percent (George. S, 2008). This is due to the fact that the US economy has proved to be the most resilient in the world. They however (the observers), have good reasons to back their predictions; 1. They have placed their hopes on relatively stimulative monetary policy to keep consumption and investment spending up and expect the worst of the housing decline to be over. 2. With stock prices making new highs, some point out that presidential and stock market cycles are favorable to higher stock prices since investing during 27 months before a US presidential election has proved in the past to be more Profitable than investing during 21 months after elections. In the October 16th issue of Headwinds, 2007 for the US economy, it is explained that macro-economic conditions make it a matter of months before the US economy and the dollar begun to experience some downward pressure (recession). This is probably the time for this recession. The US is the country with the highest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world, with a GDP of $13 trillion . This has however reduced in the recent past. Employment levels have also declined. Production levels have gone down owing to cut-throat competition from emerging world producers like China and other Asian Countries. An attempt by the households to save more from a given income led to the decrease in actual amount they succeeded to save-paradox of thrift, (Lachman, 2008). Different reasons can however be put forward to explain the causes of this recession; 1) The outgoing administration’s short term reaction that they gave the economy before the 2004 and 2006 elections through a combination of large tax cuts and large increase in military spending. This ended up being a waste as billions of dollars were spent on a futile war (Trembley, 2007) 2) Record budgetary and current account deficits have severely neutralized the federal monetary policy attitude, because interest rates cannot be reduced substantially for fear of a collapse of the US dollar from the federal budgetary deficits as they are being reigned on. (Lachman, 2008) 3) With all this taking place at the same time that the construction industry is in disarray and housing prices have tapered off or are declining. Be that as it may, it is important to note that home ownership is more widespread than stock ownership; slightly more than two thirds of Americans own their homes, while less than half own equities. The objective of the households is to maximize utility. By spending more on home ownership than on stocks, utility is attained quickly and it is within the consumers budget space (Ingdahl, 2008). 4) This rules the question of how long the American consumer will keep up the high pace of spending in such a context. During the years of the housing boom, consumer spending was driven by the accumulation of wealth and record consumer indebtedness, most of it in the form of mortgages as the price of houses increased. Now that the reverse is occurring and banks and other loaners are reclaiming property for unpaid debts, a retrenchment in consumer spending cannot be ruled out (Trembley, 2007). 5) Protectionist push from the Democrat controlled congress, risks putting in jeopardy the flow of capital of about $2 billion a day that the US economy is borrowing from abroad (mainly from China and Japan). Trade frictions between the US and China could force banks to raise interest rates and not lower them. In any case, the banks would not lower the interest rates as expected to make up for the housing crisis (Trembley, 2007). 6) Collapse of one and possibly several major financial institutions under the pressure of bad loans and record foreclosures (take possession of somebody’s property usually because they have not paid back an agreed part of the loan). Particularly at risk is the sum $2. 5 trillion mountain debt concentrated in sub primes and loans. One major sub prime lender, (New Century Financial) filed for bankruptcy protection. Others are likely to follow suite because 2007 was the year when a large number of sub prime real estate locus had to be renegotiated at higher interest rates. Foreclosures rate is bound to shoot upwards. This will culminate in the next few years into a financial hurricane (Trembley, 2007). 7) The seventh and final reason is a geopolitical factor. The outgoing US administration has created some tension between the US and some countries in the Middle East. The Middle East, is the world’s largest oil producing region. In the coming years, the world economy will have to adjust to a peak in oil production and higher prices after the current lull. Geoplitical mistakes made by the outgoing administration have turned the richest oil producing region into a hot war zone making the US economic situation disastrous (Lachman,2008). The above listed reasons shed some light on why the US economy could be undergoing some kind of recession. They however do not provide a conclusive explanation or reasons as to why the American economy could be in recession. Unlike other forecasts, one can only tell when recession started and ended after it has ended. The determination of recession is left to the National Bureau of Research (Campbell. R. M & Stanley. L. B, 2005). However, it is possible to tell whether or not the economy is in recession by looking at past cases of recession. The great depression was the worst economic slump ever in the U. S history. It began in 1929 and lasted for close to a decade. Just like a recession, many factors led to the great depression; however, the main cause for the great depression was a combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920’s and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part of the same decade. Money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U. S and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy. The excessive speculation in the late 1920’s kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes, (Gusmorino, 1996). Almost eighty years later, the U. S might be facing the same situation though not as severe as it was then. Wealth disparities are all over the world today. Although the worst cases are not experienced in America, cases of unequal distribution of wealth are still in America. As mentioned earlier, the American household does not invest much on stocks but in acquisition of homes. Speculations in the stock market are relatively high though not as high as it was then. It is not easy to conclude that the American economy is in recession. Whether or not there is a recession, depends on both on actual economic activity and economic analysis in the future. The facts as they are right now, show that the American economy is in recession. REFERENCES. Campbell, R. M. & Stanley, L. B. (2005). Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Gusmorino, P. A. (1996). Main causes of the Great Depression. Washington: Planet Press George, S. (2008). The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What It Means. Chicago: Public Affairs. Furchgott, D. (2007). The Great Recession of 2008. New York: An over view of the US economy, (22) 9:31-35 Ingdahl, W. (2008). Global Financial Markets Want an Immediate, Bold, and Coordinated Policy Response. New York: London Press Lachman, D. (2008). What can global policymakers learn from the Swedish financial crisis of the early 1990s? Washington: US economic crisis, (31) 11:67-90. Trembley, R. (2007). A Slowdown or a Recession in the U. S. in 2008? Carlifonia: Global financial crisis, (14)6:101-143.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on The Sun, The Moon, And The Stars

When life pulls you down into the darkest hole you’ve ever been in, insecurity seems to get the best of you. You start to do things that you never thought you would do before, and it is all just to make yourself feel better. You feel yourself wrapped up into a ball wondering what part you are supposed to play, why god brought you into this world, or why you even exist. You find your relationship with the person you love falling further into the hole with you, and you need someone to make you feel like you are important. Because the person you love more than anything has already become one with you, it’s even to the point where they can’t pull you out. That’s when you start to feel insecure, like you need something else, just as Yunior does with Magda. Because as you start to start to think about the beginning, it’s the end, and your life is revolving around the one decision you didn’t make for yourself, your insecurity made it for you. â€Å" I’m like everybody else: weak, full of mistakes, but basically good.† Yunior describes himself to be naturally a good person, who has made a costly mistake. In the selection, The Sun, the Moon, the Stars, by Junot Diaz, Yunior is a Dominican man that has cheated on his girlfriend Magda. Magda has an extremely hard time understanding why Yunior has made such a mistake, and although she appears to be trying, the relationship is drastically failing. Although I believe that cheating is wrong, I do not believe it makes you a bad person, and therefore, I believe in the statement Yunior made. Cheating is a form of insecurity. When two people are together for a long time, at some point in their relationship it is natural for them to feel insecure. They are expected to know how important they are to their lover, and expected to feel ok with the fact that their lover may be the only person that feels that way about them. It all depends on how strong you are as a person, or how you feel about... Free Essays on The Sun, The Moon, And The Stars Free Essays on The Sun, The Moon, And The Stars When life pulls you down into the darkest hole you’ve ever been in, insecurity seems to get the best of you. You start to do things that you never thought you would do before, and it is all just to make yourself feel better. You feel yourself wrapped up into a ball wondering what part you are supposed to play, why god brought you into this world, or why you even exist. You find your relationship with the person you love falling further into the hole with you, and you need someone to make you feel like you are important. Because the person you love more than anything has already become one with you, it’s even to the point where they can’t pull you out. That’s when you start to feel insecure, like you need something else, just as Yunior does with Magda. Because as you start to start to think about the beginning, it’s the end, and your life is revolving around the one decision you didn’t make for yourself, your insecurity made it for you. â€Å" I’m like everybody else: weak, full of mistakes, but basically good.† Yunior describes himself to be naturally a good person, who has made a costly mistake. In the selection, The Sun, the Moon, the Stars, by Junot Diaz, Yunior is a Dominican man that has cheated on his girlfriend Magda. Magda has an extremely hard time understanding why Yunior has made such a mistake, and although she appears to be trying, the relationship is drastically failing. Although I believe that cheating is wrong, I do not believe it makes you a bad person, and therefore, I believe in the statement Yunior made. Cheating is a form of insecurity. When two people are together for a long time, at some point in their relationship it is natural for them to feel insecure. They are expected to know how important they are to their lover, and expected to feel ok with the fact that their lover may be the only person that feels that way about them. It all depends on how strong you are as a person, or how you feel about...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

A Peoples History of the United Zinn A Kind of Revolution Essays

A Peoples History of the United Zinn A Kind of Revolution Essays A Peoples History of the United Zinn A Kind of Revolution Essay A Peoples History of the United Zinn A Kind of Revolution Essay Alana Martin October 18, 2010 APUS-3 Strong â€Å"A Kind of Revolution† If one were to look back on most of the tales of the American Revolution, they would see stories of full of patriotic heroes and colonists risking their lives for their country. Zinn on the other hand realizes that these stories are too good to be true and exposes the truth of the American Revolution. The fighters in the American Revolution all had purposes behind their gunshots, however very few of them were for independence. John Adams broke the colonists into thirds in their viewpoint of the war, one third in approval, one apposing, and the other neutral. However this did not include every single person, in what would later be known as the Unite States, at the time because Indians, free slaves, white servants and free poor white men were not approved to fight. Only in the most desperate times were the poor white men called in to battle. Even then the colonists were not all fighting for the same reasons. Howard Zinn recognizes that patriotism was not sweeping the nation rather peoples own self agenda. While the struggle between upper and lower classes was still occurring in the colonies, the lower classes were given an incentive to fight due to the possibility of being able to climb the social ladder. People were risking their lives not for the benefit of their country, but for themselves. Also Zinn points out that the great unity between all the colonists didn’t exists. Rarely were upper class citizens rushing to the battle fronts, they sat back comfortably as the lower classes worked to achieve that kind of comfort for themselves. The beginning battles were not won by the colonists, but the smaller and more essential ones were which eventually lead to the defeat of the British. In the end the upper classes push on the lower classes to join the war and even going so far as jailing those who did not fulfill their military duty paid off with their victory. The victory looks great in the textbooks, but Zinn points out it did not bring what most colonists believed they were fighting for. Although equality was promised, it wasn’t really true equality. Slaves were nowhere near equal o the upper class and the class structure that already exists didn’t change radically. Even farmers who were promised land for their military services I not receive what they expected on the other side. In addition the now free colonists were hungry for land and took this as their opportunity to seize all Indian land and never look back. Blacks also struggled to make their way in a white society while the whites struggled to get what they believed they deserved from this new government that they fought so hard to create. Howard Zinn exposes the American Revolution for what it was and not what it appeared to be. While it may seem that the colonists were fully united as one, each individual seemed to have their own reasons for why they actually fought the war for independence. Even after the war concluded, life did not result in what was promised and everyone seemed to be working at fighting just as hard as they were before the war. This story of the American Revolution may not be as glamorous but it is the undying truth.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Personal statment Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Statment - Personal Statement Example Artists retrieve satisfaction and motivation from their ability to transpire their ideas into reality so that they can be appreciated and used by the audience. During my school years, I nurtured my art skills by indulging in all sorts of art ranging from sketching to modeling. My work is greatly inspired from the themes of love, life, mortality, and beauty. I experiment with colors, tools, and ideas to come up with unique models and systems. During my art journey at the university, I once had a workshop with the famous Italian artist Fabarizio where we studied the movements of dunes rather than water. Living in Dubai has nurtured my appreciation for art in many ways. I have been privileged to live in a city where art exhibitions, performing arts functions, and world’s most luxurious and aesthetically mesmerizing structures are omnipresent. Even the interiors of almost every house have been heavily inspired by the awe-inspiring state-of-the-art designs and aesthetic elements and practices being adopted outside. Being in Dubai, one is constantly surrounded by the most fashionable forms of art, one way or the other. The contemporary market is very competitive and it is hard for the newcomers to set their foot in it. In order to have a secure future, it is imperative that I am educated at least till the Master’s level, which is why I want to do Master of Fine Arts oriented around graphic design from PSU. Having the degree of PSU in my hand will make me potentially trustworthy and reliable in the eyes of the clients and open doors to new opportunities in my field. I shall find plentiful opportunities even in my homeland which, as a developing country, primarily depends upon the young generation for development and economic growth. In my quest to find the right university to graduate from, I have scanned through a number of reputable universities but PSU has been second to none because of the depth of the course it offers, the level

Friday, November 1, 2019

Economics for Business and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 2

Economics for Business and Management - Essay Example Market is a distributed system and can be effectively used in taking decisions. These people think so because they believe that the market based system can really attend to the features of new world system. The following issues are addressed by market system: The market system is responsible for supporting a dense set of social goals. Social goals of people also include taking resource allocation decisions by people. The participants take their investment decisions by quantifying the benefits perceived on each of the investment options. It is the market that provides its participants initiatives to take the decisions wisely. Thus market system is such that it helps the investors maximise the overall value and take efficient investment decision. The prevalence of a currency in the market helps the participants express value for the decision variables. The currency is used as a medium of exchange between the economies of the world. For example if the currency is open, it is generally assumed as a mean to acquire huge amount of goods and services. In such situation, it can be used as an incentive for resource providers to increase their services and vice versa. Thus currency can be used as a medium that allows market to admire those who provide valuable resources to the market. Market system is a platform that provides the investors the set where they can express their desires and holdings. Markets are broadly used to take complex resource allocation decisions. The examples of difficult decision situations can be the wireless spectrum auctions, energy market and airline landing slot exchanges. These are the situations of extreme intricacies where market system has worked effectively in resolving problems. The market system provides scope for those systems that run in parallel and help offer various access to unique resources such as many scientific tools. For example, a situation can be imagined where a physics researcher

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Research paper in Internet Activism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research paper in Internet Activism - Essay Example Thus besides entertainment, such information is critical for education and informative purposes. The use of social networks has particularly had diverse impacts on the populations’ perceptions of relative social themes. The objectivity and reliability of relative information has been in most cases compromised by the subjective nature of the contributions made by various factions of the society. Most importantly, this tendency has had direct impacts on the social ties that the society holds in high regard. Through face-book, you-tube, my space and other social networks, important information has been relayed to populations across the globe. Apart from educators, activists have employed social media to reach various factions of the population and communicate important issues to these. Through these, they have been able to understand and appreciate the views of the global populations about emergent social issues. Perhaps the most critical information pertains to that relating to sensitive issues that affect the populations in different ways. Besides being instrumental in informing the public, these social networks have in most cases undermined the credibility of the information relayed across. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of internet activism in light of the Kohn 2012 video. To address inherent concerns, it greatly relies on secondary research. The internet has become the latest technological tool through which information is passed on to the population within the shortest time possible. According to research, it only requires a single click to publish important information about emergent issues and concerns within the society. It is pervasive as exemplified by Giridharadas who cites the Kenyan Ushahidi initiative stating it has â€Å"been used in India to monitor elections; in Africa to report medicine shortages; in the Middle East to collect reports of wartime violence; and in Washington† (Giridharadas, 3). Through social networks, this is visible to a diverse population who have subscribed to the relative services. Likewise, these are able to present their views on the particular issue within the shortest period possible. It only requires access to internet and knowledge about its use to utilize this facility. The first world countries have taken immense practical steps to ensure that their populations have access to the electronic infrastructure. Although the third world countries such as Kenya and Uganda have not readily succeeded in enhancing the use of internet, use of phones has really been useful. According to Zuckerman â€Å"the most important activist technology of the last five years is the mobile phone â€Å". Specifically, the use of Short Text messaging provision has been important in information dissemination in third world economies. Through this, populations are able to communicate useful insights regarding wide ranging issues to a diverse population base. The lau nch of Kony 2012 video in March, 2012 triggered various arguments and controversies about the credibility of use of social media in activism. Initially, the intention of this online video was to raise awareness about the leader of Lord’s resistance army, Joseph Kony. Towards the end of the video, viewers were requested to help in different was to capture the war lord so that he could face the law. The video spread so fast and within six days, it had been viewed by a significant one

Monday, October 28, 2019

Tension Built Essay Example for Free

Tension Built Essay Arthur Miller was an American playwright who was born in 1915. Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953 during the McCarthy period when Americans were accusing each other of Pro-Communist beliefs. His purpose through writing The Crucible was to express his own views on McCarthyism, and he does this through the main plot, the 17th century Salemwitch hunt, which has a stark similarity to the trials during the McCarthy period. The citizens of Salem were against each other in every way, and one accusation would lead to the arrest and murder of another person, unless they told of other names. At the end of the play, the two most honest and noble people are killed, Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor. This is an exact replica of what was happening in America during the 1950s and this play is an attack upon the McCarthy period of America. The setting of Act 3 can be understood as an attack on the harshness of the authorities in Salem and 1950s America. Act 3 starts with the stage directions and these go on for a few sentences, each one being quite specific about the situation. The language used is negative and disheartening, creating an unwanted feeling throughout the audience, almost as if they are not meant to be there; even forbidding. We are told that sunlight (is) pouring through two high windows in the back wall but is being swallowed by the darkness beneath. In the play, these stage directions can be understood as the two windows being Giles and John Proctor, who tell the truth, but Danforth, the darkness beneath, is hiding the truth. This is also an attack on McCarthy and the 1950s American society, the two windows representing the innocent people of America, who refused to name names, and the darkness, Senator Joseph McCarthy and his communist supporters, the people who refused to put up with citizens who went against his views. Also, the light is shown to be outside, and the darkness inside, which represents the ignorance of the American people, as the truth is shown to be distant, and the lies near. The opening lines of Act 3 are said by Hathorne and Martha Corey. Hathorne is questioning whether Corey is a witch, a claim that she denies. Throughout their argument, there are regular interruptions, predominantly by Giles, the village idiot. This attacks McCarthy and his laws, as Miller is showing the village idiot clever enough to know that the allegations are false, and yet Danforth is unable to realise this. Because of the fact that Giles is threatening Danforths position, he is ordered to be taken away, Remove that man. This shows Danforth, and McCarthy, to be weak, as their only power is the fear they put into peoples hearts, not their education or their understanding of the case. Danforth is repeatedly shown to be weak throughout this act, as well as in the play on a whole, degrading him and McCarthy. The language Danforth uses towards the characters is very humiliating, Your old age alone keeps you out of jail. He does not want to be argued with, and sticks by his rules no matter what. By doing this, Miller is showing McCarthy to be weak, as people who stick by their rules often have nothing else to say, and control people by their only source of power-authority. This suggests that the citizens of Salem and in America during the 1950s were very naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, and would follow whatever they were told to do, but the ones who stood up for themselves, lost everything-including their lives. This shows any individual would die, but if groups of people were to stick together and lie, then, and only then, would they able to live. This puts fear into people, and they feel as if they have to lie in order to live, There are wheels within wheels in this village, and fires within fires. Proctor, the tragic hero of the play, dies at the end, saving the life of his wife and his unborn child. This shows what an unselfish and noble character he is, but is lead to death because of the injustice of the court. Miller is attacking the McCarthy courts by killing the two most noble characters at the end, and the ultimate evil, Abigail, is shown to live till the end of the play and further. In the movie, we are shown the scene where John Proctor is privately taking to Elizabeth, about what he should do. This scene is probably the most moving scene in the movie, and we are made to feel sorry for the situation he is put in. As well as sympathising with proctor, we are also angered, as to why he should die. By showing this scene, and perhaps lengthening it-it was about 4-5 minutes in the movie-Miller is expressing his anger towards McCarthy and his laws.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Women in India Essay -- Gender Roles, Misogynistic Societies, Oppressi

Historical records show evidence of a continuing trend of women across the globe becoming victims of misogynistic societies. The oppression faced by women on a continual basis has led to a fight for equal rights in each sphere of society. However, there has been limited success and more failures than one wishes to recall, and women continue to be oppressed in nearly all aspects of life, from political to personal and from public to private. It is essential to address and comprehend that the foundation for women's inequality today, is patriarchal cultures, which are majority of the time, founded on patriarchal religions. Women are not considered to be fully equal human beings deserving of the same dignity, rights, and treatment as men. Women are, instead, valued for providing sex to men — whether as wives or as prostitutes — and then for their ability to spend their entire time keeping house, preserving the family, and raising children (Cline, 2007). Most cases of inequ ality to this extent are present in third world and developing countries such as India where women are victims from birth as they are marginalized as second class citizens in the patriarchal community. The patriarchal culture of India is an excellent example of a culture where a woman has always been the sole property of her father, brother or husband without any will of her own. The majority of the time, women in India are victimized at the hands of these relatives. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, every hour that ticks by in India inflicts more brutality on women, with two rapes, two kidnappings, four molestations and seven incidents of cruelty from husbands and relatives (The Times of India, 2008). Such staggering statistics are rooted in a combina... ... involvement in disputes over dowry transactions may result in members of the woman’s own family being subject to criminal proceedings and potentially imprisoned. Moreover, police action is unlikely to stop the demands for dowry payments (Hitchcock, 2001). Married life is something that young women around the world look forward to, but for most women in India it results in being a nightmare through which they have to fight to survive. Majority of the women are brought up with very orthodox morals, so they are not very likely to ever defy the male figures in their lives even if it means that it will cost them their lives. The newlywed brides who bring with them an adequate dowry or are fortunate enough to find good in laws do not go through the horrors that some face, but could possibly have to deal with other pressures which are pushed upon them by their in laws.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Hamlet Virtue vs. Villainy Essays -- Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet Virtue vs. Villainy   Ã‚   The legendary drama, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare is a play illustrating the theme of virtue vs. villainy. The 17th century tragedy is plagued with treachery and deceit as it opens with the news of a foul murder in the kingdom of Denmark. Prince Hamlet, by word of his late father's ghost, is informed that his uncle Claudius is to blame for his father's sudden demise. Prince Hamlet's mission is to uncover the secrets surrounding the murder and to avenge his father's death. Thus, the insidious web of disease and corruption is formed. The relationship between disease leading to the greater corruption of Denmark plays a significant role in the lives of the principle players.    The literary piece, Hamlet, is riddled with an abundance of seemingly diseased attitudes, perceptions, schemes, and acts. Disease is an impairment that interferes with normal bodily function. However, as demonstrated throughout the play, disease takes on many forms, not only in a physical sense, but in a mental sense also. The young Prince Hamlet conveys his secret thoughts of helplessness and suicide. "To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them" (Act III, i, Lines 64-68). He contemplates whether it will be deemed nobler to intentionally take one's life than to face the struggles he is forced to endure. The prince is torn between his diseased mentality that drives him to express his thoughts of suicide and the promise of more corruption by avenging his father's death.   Before her suspected suicide, Ophelia gives evide nce of her mental d... ... are obviously diseased; for it is neither commonplace, nor sane to kill other people. Corruption evolves from disease.    In the renowned drama, Hamlet, the association of disease leading to greater corruption is prominent and plays a key role in the lives of the principle players.    The reader is afforded a glimpse into the tragic lives of the characters that openly deceive and betray those considered most dear to them. The murder of King Hamlet sets the stage for the disastrous ruin of the kingdom, along with the lives of those living in it. The tragic lives of the characters, whose diseased method of thought clearly illustrate the fact that disease leads to eventual corruption.    Work Cited Shakespeare, William. The New Cambridge Shakespeare: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Philip Edwards. Cambridge: Cambridge U P, 1985.   

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Coopers Creek Wine Management Essay

1.0 Introduction Coopers Creek, established in 1982, became one of New Zealand’s more successful medium-sized wineries by following a strategy of resource leveraging via networks of co-operative relationships with other New Zealand winemakers in the domestic and export markets. This strategy allowed Andrew Hendry, the managing director, to consciously manage the growth of the company to retain the benefits of small size. However, with increasing globalisation of the wine industry, the changing nature of export markets, the early maturity of the New Zealand industry and the constrained supply facing New Zealand wine makers, Andrew Hendry was faced with the decision of how to position a smaller company for the future. He had to decide whether the network-based strategies that served the company so well continued to be appropriate under conditions of industry concentration, increasing competition and emerging globalisation. (Robbins S, 2006) 1.1 The NZ wine industry When Andrew Hendry established Coopers Creek, the New Zealand environment was highly regulated. By 1984, the New Zealand government had initiated a programme of deregulation, which included devaluation of the New Zealand currency, exchange rate flotation and general anti-inflationary measures. (Porter M, 2001) The opening of New Zealand’s domestic market meant that businesses had to improve their efficiency substantially over a short period. The agricultural sector sought out new markets, to replace the loss of their traditional dependence on the UK market with its increasing commitment to its European trading partners, and new products, reflecting a growing awareness that much of New Zealand’s exports were of a commodity nature. This period saw growing exports to Australia, the United States, Japan and the rest of Asia and exports of predominantly sheep meat and dairy produce being accompanied by more fresh fruit, venison and wine. A further response to fiercer competi tion at home and in overseas markets was an increasingly strong focus on quality, a case in point being the New Zealand wine industry. The New Zealand wine industry accepted the consequences of the liberalisation  of the domestic economy and recognised the need to understand how on-going changes in the international economic environment affected its prosperity and how to plan accordingly. Building from a low international base in the 1980s ($4.5 million in exports in 1987), New Zealand wine exports achieved phenomenal growth and accounted for $168 million in 2007, comfortably exceeding the $100 million by 2007 target set in 1999. The UK market was the most important export market for the industry in 2007, and at $84 million it accounted for around 50.22 per cent of total exports by value and 54.28 per cent by volume. Europe accounted for 66 per cent of exports with 85 per cent of that going to the UK. Four large firms, namely Corbans, Montana, Nobilo and Villa Maria, dominated the wine industry in New Zealand in 1999. The following year, Montana purchased Corbans and Nobilo was bought by BRL/Hardy of Australia. Between them, these large firms accounted for around 80 per cent of all exports in 2007, with another 17 medium-sized companies, of which Coopers Creek was one, handling 16 per cent in combination. For the most part, industry participants exported between 30 and 35 per cent of their production, but a few producers had much higher export intensity. (Wheelen, 2006) 2.0 Key Issues The key issues are: (Study Guide, 2008) (1)Despite entering early maturity, coopers creek remained constrained by issues of supply. (2)The cost of new land for grape planting was rising and more previously marginal land became economic to grow on, the problem was still one of access to capital for these resources. (3)A possible over supply of grapes in New Zealand, which could lead to heavy discounting. (4) A contraction in ownership within distribution companies in New Zealand and in USA, which could lead to certain markets being effectively closed to coopers creek. (5)Protection of strategically important grape supplies so the can insure they still get a proportion of the very highest quality grapes. 3.0 Planning 3.1 Life Cycle From a demand perspective, the worldwide wine consumption has stagnated. According to the Wine Institute, there is only a 2.04% growth in wine consumption from 1997 to 2001. In fact, worldwide consumption dropped from 227,875 hectoliters to 226,646 between 1999 and 2000. Generally there is a drop in consumption from the traditional wine drinking countries like France and East European countries, whilst demand has growth significantly from China. (Grant R, 2005) The production of wine has shifted from the traditional vineyards in France to the rest of the world. There are New-World Wines from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. These wines are generally thought to be of moderate to high quality and are essentially challenging the traditional wine producers on the quality front. Furthermore, there are wines coming out from China and India. Because of the lower wages in these countries, wines can now be produced at a fraction of the costs of the French vineyards. Price has now become a big challenge that the traditional wineries have to face. Some author’s even suggest that the Old-World producing countries like France has followed growth & decline and now has entered a second life phase. While the New-world countries are in an emerging or growth phase As the industry moves towards maturity phase of its life cycle, the pace of consolidation will increase. (Times of India,2007) 3.2 PESTEL Analysis The following is a review of the major environmental factors, which will impact the industry to a large extent. A closer examination of the more important factors amongst them will allow for a tighter integration between the external environmental factors and the corporate strategy chosen for Coopers. Political factors Government regulation has always played a major role in the WI. There are increasing concerns that there will be new barriers and trade impediments to trade in the WI. One such example is the trade disagreement between US and European Union in the level of farm subsidies that the US alleged that the EU farmers receive. The same allegations may also be similarly levied on the European vineyards. In the Wine Institute report on International Trade Barriers to U.S. Wine 2006, European wine producers were noted to have received certain subsidies . Tariffs also have been the most important barrier to the international wine trade. Some governments impose unusually high tariffs on wine imports. Recent announcement in the media like India opening its market and slashing duties on imported wine and spirits bring good news to the industry, as this will allow them to enter this lucrative untapped market. Though due to WTO pressure the tariff has been reducing, which has lead to major wine producing countries imposing various non-tariff trade barriers. One such non-tariff trade barriers are research fundings made available by local governments to improve the overall harvest yields and quality of the country’s grapes . Economical factors The rising number of middle class worldwide has led to an increasing appreciation of wine and demand for wine. In developing economies of China and India, this class of consumer is expected to increase significantly over the next decade. With the continued increase of economic growth rates for both countries, these consumers can now afford to consume wine is expected to grow significantly as well . The effect of currency fluctuations on the WI will continue to play an integral part in influencing the WI. The proportion of wine being exported outside the wine producing country has increased. Even in a traditionally large wine consuming market, the proportion of wine, which ends up in foreign land, has been increasing. The continuing trend of exporting to new markets such as India and China is going to increase as wine producers cope with the declining wine demand in traditional home markets As a result, the wine producers’ exposure to fluctuations in currency exchange rates wil l increase further. Socio-cultural factors The increased spending power, sophistication of the middle class in many countries with increased tendency of copying the west has helped to increase the demand for wine consumption. This growing group of earners from various countries is often well traveled & highly educated consumers with needs and wants for the better things in life. The number of middle class across Asia is expected to grow by 1 billion in the next 8 years . With the shift in demographics in the developing countries, there will be more wine drinkers in the future. Increasingly, there are also more scientific evidences that there are health benefits to be derived from moderate drinking of wine especially red wine. As a result, there is an increasing acceptance of the beverage as â€Å"health-product† leading to a healthy heart. Technological factors Innovation and technological factors continue to drive improvement in production yields and better storage of wine. The Australian WI today has transformed itself from a small cottage industry to one of the largest exporter of wines internationally, even to the extent of eclipsing some of the older Old-World countries. The great leap forward for Australia can be attributed to the Australian wine producers clustering to innovate and improve existing processes. (Read C, 2006) The growth of e-commerce infrastructure and the increasing acceptance of buying things online have led to new opportunities for wine connoisseurs and wine producers alike. With this new technology, niche wine growers are able to reach out to the individual wine consumers without being drowned out by the marketing noise generated by the large wine producers. The ability to ship small quantities directly to individual wine drinkers without passing through layers of middlemen may mean that small niche growers may be able to find their position in a market dominated by large brand names . Environmental factors Within the Food and Beverage (F&B) industry, the WI is markedly different from the other products due to the fact that F&B products are limited by market, while the WI is limited by resource (land and grapes). Reason being wine is grown in moderate climates and on certain types of soil. Sudden climatic changes may adversely affect production yields or may even destroy crops all together. The significant changes expected in the environment from global warming, rising sea levels, rising carbon emissions and increasing acidity in the waters will all add to contribute to the adverse conditions for which growers will find themselves in. These conditions together with a scarcity of good arable land may act to constrain or even reduce the industry’s supply. On the positive side, in one of the rare articles published in Newsweek on the positive effects of global warming, the author highlights that fast melting of Artic glaciers and increase in global temperatures may lead to opening o f new vineyards in many parts of the world with weather conditions similar to the France’s Champagne region. Legal factors External environmental legal factors have acted in line with other environmental factors changes. For example, the advent of the Internet e-commerce has resulted in changes in legislation for wine sales, which crosses state lines in the United States . In addition, the origin of the grapes used to make wines also became a contentious issue for many wine-producing countries. The origin of these grapes and the proportion of local grapes used became an issue for branding and labeling of wines; as governed by new local legislation controlling wine labeling. 4.0 Organising 4.1 Porter’s 5 forces analysis We have analyzed Coopers internal environmental factors using Porter’s Five Forces analysis. Being in a specialized industry, it is not easy for another player to just come in wanting a portion of the pie. The WI requires specialized skill sets, special knowledge and extensive experience to stay competitive. It also needs very high investment especially for equipments used for processing of wine. This indirectly induces high entry cost which  is work as a barrier of for new entrants. There is also the expected retaliation faced by new entrants from existing players. Coopers together with other existing players may collaborate to deter competitors from coming in. For example, Coopers may start dropping its price and the other existing players may follow suit leading to a price war. On the whole, the force of threat of entry is low here. 4.2 Threat of Substitutes This industry faces stiff competition from not only other wineries but also from other alcoholic drinks such as beer, spirit and pre-blended mixed drinks and carbonated drinks. Product-for-product substitution is also possible should customers of Coopers decide to try out other brands/types of wine. For the health conscious, bottled water, energy drinks and natural fruit juices also provide competition. Possibility of generic substitution is also there where as customers may prefer to spend on purchasing cigarettes rather than drinking wine. Thus, there is a high force of threat of substitutes in this industry. 4.3 Threat of entry Competitive rivalry among existing firms is evident in this industry. Larger companies are acquiring smaller wine producers to monopolize the market resulting in dynamic competition amongst these companies. As the WI is at its mature stage, companies start to take market share from competitors to survive. As there are too many wine producers, adding on to the high power of buyers, companies may decide to go for price wars due to high fixed costs to gain market share. This industry has high entry and exit barriers due to the extensive capital investment and knowledge & skill set needed. In addition one must have sustainable resource, as it takes several years for wine to mature. This means that industry players do not have many choices. Again this induces competition amongst them and price wars and low margins situations are likely to happen. Based on the information above, the groups came to the conclusion that the industry is â€Å"Medium Attractive†. 5.0 Directing 5.1 Porter’s Generic Competitive Strategies Using Porter generic competitive strategies, we find that Coopers has the ability to outperform its competitors by adopting a strategy of â€Å"Focus Differentiation†. Porter proposed that a firm’s competitive advantage in an industry is determined by its competitive scope – i.e., the breadth of company’s target market coupled with company’s unique resource (product range, distribution channels, target market etc.), For Coopers the scope of the target market is narrow. It is mainly targeting niche markets for premium wines in the wine drinking markets of Europe, US, Australia, Japan and a few emerging Far Eastern Asian markets. When targeting niche markets, the company either can go for â€Å"Cost Focus† or â€Å"Differentiation Focus†. Coopers should not be following the Cost focus strategy as NZWI compete in the high quality premium category wines. Reduction of overall cost is achievable only to a certain extent, as this industry is highly capital intensive with many inherent costs along the supply chain. Instead Coopers should concentrate either on particular market segment, or product line segment or geographic market with high growth potential or all three. By following a differentiation strategy Coopers would be able to better focus its resources & capabilities to the serve the special needs of a narrow strategic target more effectively than its competitors. 5.2 Bowman’s strategic clock Using â€Å"Bowman’s competitive strategy clock† too, Coopers falls under category 5, â€Å"Focused Differentiation†. This strategy is similar to the Porter’s generic model, which tries to provide high-perceived product benefits justifying a substantial price premium usually to a selected niche market segment. Coopers can use this strategy in new markets, by targeting sales into the same niches in more countries. While in established markets Coopers could even adopt Category 4 â€Å"Differentiation –with price premium † by offering better wine at the same price or by pricing it slightly higher than competitive brands in the same price bracket, to take advantage of the fact that â€Å"fine quality wine will always demand a premium† and at the same  promote it as premium category. (Meredith R, 2007) Cost Leadership may not be sustained for Coopers because of some of the following reason: – Competitors can imitate – differentiation may not be sustainable it can easily replicated by competitors like South African or South American wine producers – Bases of differentiation become less important to buyers – Competing on just quality to demand high price may not be enough. For example in price conscious markets like UK, Holland and Germany, wines from South American and South were seen as better value than NZ wine – Target segment can become structurally unattractive: – Structure erodes – This could happen for Coopers’ target market in US, restaurants and boutique retailers. They may form a group for centrally sourcing activities to drive down costs, somewhat similar to what happened with Tesco Supermarket Chain (UK). (Aylward, 2006) – Demand disappears – there may be new research findings in future that may lead to lower consumption of wine. Or even they may be new legislation banning consumption of alcohol products in public places similar to that of smoking, which may lead to total disappearance of a target segment. From the evaluation of Coopers core competencies, the followings were recognized. – Coopers is a typical entrepreneurial venture in that the founding entrepreneur, Andrew, had driven its development and growth. A critical factor of success of Coopers is Andrew’s ability to build relationships, within the context of an innovative and flexible approach, in order to leverage critical resources to pursue growth. – Coopers strategy was based on having a carefully controlled but finite quantity of wine to sell every year. With Andrew’s commitment to quality, it has earned itself a relatively good reputation in the industry. From the evaluation of the KSF of the WI, the followings were recognized. – Historically, the NZWI had focused on the production of premium wines, given its constrained supply, small scale, high cost structures and distinctive ‘clean and green’ growing conditions. Availability of consistent high quality products that has strong brand value and recognition are highly sought after and considered KSFs. 6.0 Monitoring 6.1 Wineries Both management & employees of wineries play a key role and yield great power in terms of the quantity & type of wine to be produced. Great deal of collaboration exists between the local wineries to share knowledge & costs. 6.2 Grape growers Being key players, they control the quality and quantity of grapes grown. Many of the wineries are backward integrated by owning lands or having long-term contracts with individual producers. Power of suppliers is low. 6.3 Industry Associations Wine Organizations in NZ like Wine Institute, former Wine Guild with backing of the NZ government are very powerful. All Wineries have to take up compulsory memberships and contribute towards funding & running of the organizations. These key roles of these organizations are promoting NZ wine in international markets, lobbying with foreign governments to open new markets, lowering of trade restrictions and tariffs etc. They also initiate research programmes and training for the entire industry, funded by the wineries. (Zalan T, 2005) 6.4 Consumers The final end user, this group needs to be well informed & kept satisfied by providing high quality premium products with consistent quality and availability at affordable prices. Power high. 6.5 NZ Government NZ government is a key player with considerable power who has played a  pivotal role in the development of the NZWI. The government has been implementing new legislations in consultation with NZWI to meet the current market requirements. Some examples would include changes in government policy in the 1980s making it favorable for local manufacturers to export to foreign markets . (Harvard University, 2007) 6.6 Distributors, Retailers, Buyers Buyers like Supermarkets are powerful players who dictate the price & type of wine stocked on shelves. WI is a buyer driven industry, where buyers hold a lot of power. 6.7 Domestic and Foreign investors This group needs the minimal amount of effort. They are satisfied as long as they get a good return on their investments. 7.0 Critical Analysis 7.1 Competitor Analysis The world WI is currently experiencing a situation of over-production. In the EU alone, it was reported by Food & Drink.com that there is a surplus o f 1.5bn litres of wine, enough for every European Union citizen to take roughly four free bottles each. Millions of Euros have been spent to turn these excess wines into industrial alcohol. (All Things, 2006) The WI is a highly fragmented, with over â€Å"a million wine companies† around the globe. None of the firms control more than 1% of the retail sales, with top 10 players controlling 11% of the global market share (based on volume) . These industry competitors come from different wine growing countries and continents. This is especially true for Old-World Countries in Europe (France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany) accounts for 60% of the world wine production and 80% of world trade . In contrast, the New-World Producers (Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, USA, New Zealand) wines are more consolidated. On average these countries appear to be more structurally attractive compared to Old-World Countries. Moreover, in the last decade the industry structure has been undergoing dramatic change. There is a growing trend of consolidation. Cash flow rich alcoholic beverage  companies are investing in the WI as their own markets of beer and spirits are maturing. 7.2 Stakeholder analysis The WI being a competitive industry has a varied, vibrant and balanced group of stakeholders, with frequent and varied channels of communication. All the forces involved try to build consensus within which the primary decisions in the industry are made. 7.3 Life-Cycle Analysis We have identified Coopers to be in the phase of â€Å"Mature† stage in the life-cycle model. In view of its competitive conditions, we also identify there may be many competitors which are likely to resort to price-cutting strategy for volume. Therefore one of Coopers directive is to differentiate its product portfolio through leveraging on its enhance brand equity to promote customer’s retention and loyalty within its existing customer-based and new customer groups whilst consistently driving cost efficiency through economies of scales and innovative & efficient ways of bringing cost down. (Pape E, 2007) 7.4 Positioning analysis Coopers currently enjoy relatively good brand equity amongst its market segment. To infuse the same branding principle across distinctive first label allows them to capitalize on its already successful branding strategy, further maximizing the returns of their marketing investment especially for the second label. 7.5 Value chain analysis Through new ways of doing things such as possible bottling in import markets to reduce shipping costs, backward integration either through ownership or long term leasing with good quality of vineyards across NZ and beyond, could potentially reduce their overall cost per unit yet enabling them to utilize cost advantage strategy to expand the perceived value for the brand. 7.6 Business profile analysis This growth strategy do not require a complete reinvention of wheels, it  capitalizes on the existing goals and values of the group, its resources and capabilities, its structure and management systems and its industry environment to further produce enhanced features and products thus major increase in expenditures is not expected, instead an increase in financial perform is forecasted due to the additional opportunities from new market penetration. (Heijbroeck, 2003) 8.0 Recommendations: 1.The expansion of the cooper’s creek network of export markets and the development of second labels. These second label wines could generally be sold at lower prices thus protecting the price status of the Coopers Creek labels but gaining extra sales volume for the company. In most cases the second labels will sell through different distributors. 2.The above strategy will also help with over reliance on a few key distributors. In the case of the rapidly growing US market, coopers creeks have not appointed one exclusive national importer. Instead they will sell to some 20 independent importer/distributors in different states either by direct shipment from the winery or out of a warehouse in California. This will ensure the company doesn’t become a victim of the rationalisation of a large importers or distributors catalogue of wines carried. (Kogut B, 2006) 3.The steady acquisition of control of the vineyards producing their best grapes. That has taken the form of either complete acquisition by purchase, long term leases or the establishment of joint ventures with the vineyards under cooper creek’s management and tied up under long term supply contracts. In the last two years they have purchased three vineyards, leased one and entered one joint venture with an existing contract grape grower. They are currently looking at two further existing vineyards with a view to purchase or lease. 4.Continue to produce consistently high-quality products. 5. Maintain and increase its brand equity and recognition as a premium wine producer. 6.Establish international supply management to facilitate its global market operations. 7.Maintain or improve its already good relationships with stakeholders. 8. Ensure there is cost efficiency in its operations so as to maximise profit with minimum cost. 9.Last but not least, continue innovating in terms of its product and marketing. †¢Current  turnover is NZ$5.5M †¢Current production is at 1100tonnes per year (approx 85,000 cases) and aiming to be 1800tonnes by 2008 †¢They should purchase more of their own vineyards in the Hawkes Bay region in the last few years which would prove beneficial to them. †¢They should increase production of Pinot Noir which is one of their best vineyards by 400% and this will become a feature varietals alongside Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay for the future †¢All wine is made on site at their Auckland vineyard. On site facilities include Cellar door tasting room and retail shop, Plant buildings (tanks) and bottling line, warehouse and barrel store, landscaped gardens with picnic areas and children’s playground. (Johnson, 2005) A cellar/courtyard wine bar will open for lunches and private group bookings late 2003. Plans have been drawn up for a cafà ©/function centre but as yet no time frame as to when maybe initiated, which should be implemented soon. (Nielson A, 2006) 9.0 Conclusion It can be concluded, the NZWI is still considered to be at an early maturity phase of its lifecycle, as evidenced by a small number of takeovers and increasing concentration. As the industry matures, there is a need for NZ wine producers to retain focus on quality, differentiated products, while holding their premium price position. In addition, they need to play to their strengths in white wines and introduce more red wines into their portfolio. (Ghoshal S, 2007) As a company, Coopers needs to realize the trend toward deteriorating industry profitability is a constant threat in mature industries. As rivalry encourages overinvestment in capacity, international competition increases, and as differentiation is undermined by commoditization, attaining a competitive advantage becomes essential to achieving positive economic profits. Cost is the overwhelmingly important key success factor in most mature industries and three cost drivers tend to be especially important: Economies of scale, low-cost inputs and low overheads. Cost efficiency in mature industries is rarely a basis for sustainable  competitive advantage; it is typically a requirement for survival. Deteriorating performance among mature companies typically triggers the adoption of turnaround strategies, of which the company must choose the most suitable one for its profile. Coopers have so far maneuvered its way past the many problems that plague other producers. However, more emphasis might be needed in terms of differentiating itself from the other NZ brands. It would have to build on its brand equity, and continue to leverage on Andrew’s contact network. Most importantly, the establishment of a succession-planning project would also has to be included in future strategic plans so that the company will continue to prosper should Andrew decide to depart or retire. (Robbins S, 2006) ———————————————————————————————————— 10.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. (Johnson, 2005) Johnson, Scholes & Whittington , † Exploring Corporate Strategy†, Prentice Hall, 2005 2. (Porter M, 2001) Porter Michael E., â€Å"The Competitive Advantages of Nations†, The Macmillan Press Ltd., 2001 3. (Wheelen, 2006) Wheelen, Thomas L. and Hunger, David J., â€Å"Strategic Management and Business Policy†, Prentice Hall, 2006 4. (Grant R, 2005) Grant, Robert M., â€Å"Contemporary Strategy Analysis†, Blackwell Publishing, 2005 5. (Read C, 2006) Read, Charlotte, â€Å"Stakeholder Consensus Marketing. 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