Tourism and Environmental Conflict

Introduction Tourism is the activity of people travelling from their home or usual environment to other places where they stay for a period of not more than a year primarily having fun with the new environment. The purpose of the travel varies from group to group. It may include travelling for leisure, for business purposes, for educational purposes, and for work purposes.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Tourism and Environmental Conflict specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are two types of tourism, outbound tourism and inbound tourism. Out bound tourism is when residents of a given area travel to areas outside their home areas whether as local tourists or as international tourists. In bound tourism is when people, local or international, come in to visit a local area. As the paper reveals, tourism and the environment within which it takes place are ever conflicting. How The Routledge Handbook of Tour ism and the Environment by Holden and Fennel is a popular source that addresses the issue of tourism and the environment. According to Holden and Fennel, the two issues cannot be separated when one is discussing the issue of tourism because tourism affects the environment both positively and negatively with the later taking precedence in most discussions (23). Whenever there is tourism, there is always environmental conflict at a certain point of the tourism activity because the movement of people from one area in to the other area always upsets the balance of the destination environment no matter what the precaution that might be taken. The environment in this case can be described as something real with a life of its own. It can be something perceived in the minds of people having its own natural existence. Negative tourism impacts can be categorized into three major categories as follows: natural resource usage, pollution, and behavioral considerations. Natural resources are usua lly limited in nature. As an example to support the thesis, as pointed out by Nygard in his article, when an area is a tourist attraction point, it becomes an interest to people from outside who, in their pursuits of satisfying their interests of visiting an area, will also have to share in some of the resources like clean water (387). Some of these resources are common pool resources. Therefore, additional users might cause a strain in their availability to all other people in particular those the resources ought to be benefiting the most. This argument is informed by reason that most attraction areas usually attract tourists in droves at a particular time of the year.Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If tourists in some of these areas were distributed all year round with consideration for the existence of these resources, the resources would be easily manageable. This has so far been difficult to achieve because tourism is a profit-oriented business. As a result, players in the industry tend to pull so much towards their own interests to the extent of influencing policy issues so that they can have their way. The need to accommodate tourism leads to the destruction of some ecosystems for building resorts and other facilities that are to be used by the tourists. Accommodation of tourism comes with an opportunity cost towards the available resources. Local people may be denied the use of their own resources so that they are made available for tourism use. Thus, other sectors of the economy might stagnate because of this provision. An example of this case is when the local people in an area are moved away to give some space for constructing a facility like an airport. It also happens when beaches in some areas are closed from locals so that they act as preserves for tourists, in Goa India, for instance, where there has been a lowering of the l ocal level of water wells due to a strain on them. Human behavior by the tourists towards the environment of their destinations is also a source of environmental conflict. Most items that tourists use are usually the disposable type, which come in disposable packaging, which is more often not the eco-friendly type. Most tourists usually discard these packages to the environment without care. In support of the claim made about tourism and the environment, Buckley points out the impact of tourism on flora and fauna. He says, when tourists visit the natural habitats of wildlife to see wildlife in its natural settings, they tend to disrupt the wildlife patterns like their eating and breeding habits (404). Some species of wildlife tend to be extremely sensitive to foreign invasion. Thus, when their breeding is interfered with, it tends to subject them to the endangerment of extinction. Most natural settings that are an attraction to tourism are often introduced to pollution when tourist trucks and other vehicles drive into the expansive natural settings. Therefore, their exhaust emissions normally contaminate plants and other fauna. Tourist activities lead to both direct and indirect pollution of the environment. The mass movement of tourists during tourism seasons leads to air pollution due to the use of planes as a mode of transport.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Tourism and Environmental Conflict specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Planes emit fumes that are left in the air. The fumes contain lots of carbon dioxide, which is a major contributing factor to the degradation of the ozone layer. Therefore, the degradation of the ozone leads to climatic change, as pointed out in the BBC article by North, which adversely affects life on the earth surface (Para. 6). Therefore, tourism directly or indirectly contributes to environmental pollution and degradation in this case. Noise pollution happens in areas like the Serengeti Plain in Tanzania where tourists use hot air balloons to fly and see wildlife. This disturbs the peace and tranquility that animals are supposed to enjoy. As a result, some of these animals tend to move away in search of peaceful places. This therefore directly leads to an upset of the natural environmental settings and the interrelationship between flora and fauna. Another risk caused to the environment through tourism is the use of luxury cruise ships for voyage. Most of these ships are fossil fuel propelled, which produce much fumes that are discharged in the air. They also pose a risk of spilling fuel into the sea in case of an accident. When this happens, it is usually a major environmental disaster because the ships are usually loaded with tones of fuel for their propulsion. Although there are measures in such cruise ships on waste management, there is no guarantee that the crew of ships or the passengers will keep the required standards of waste management. They may thus be tempted to dump wastes into the sea. Game hunting, as a form of sport, is also detrimental to the environment. This is usually a tourist activity (Nygard 384). Hunting game for fun depletes the game in their environment. In some cases, it has led to the near extinction of some species thus altering the environmental set up. On the other hand, tourism is as important as the environment. It has also led to the conservation of the environment by funding this purpose. Therefore, tourism is important to the environment, as well as to the economy of nations as an economic earner.Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Refuting the afore-made thesis in his article, Korstanje says that too much emphasis on the protection of the environment tends to slow down tourism thus stifling the income of a nation (94). He points out how tourism leads to infrastructural development of nations thus opening up most countries’ economies to the greater world (95). With the income from tourism, they are able to trade with other countries economically. A strong balance of trade, as well as a strong balance of income, will always boost a country’s economy against issues such as inflation. Some countries of the world, especially most third world countries, are not as industrialized as the first world countries. Therefore, they cannot compete on the industrialization platform with them. The only way for them to earn foreign exchange is through their environment, which is unique in its natural setting. Therefore, if environmentalists are left to have their way, some of these economies will die. The people of these countries will also suffer more than the environment the environmentalists are trying to save. Thus, it will be illogical to save the environment and sacrifice humanity in exchange. If people compare the amount of pollution caused by the industries through massive emissions and the pollution caused by tourism, they find that the pollution by tourism does not generate any reasonable threshold of environmental pollution when put to scale as the industries do. Therefore, it is unfair to project tourism as a major enemy to the environment on the same scale as industries. Too much emphasis on the environment has made it very expensive to invest in tourism. Thus, when it happens, the packages are made to be very expensive as a way of recouping the investment. This usually turns off many potential tourists thus denying a given area so much economic boost that might have come with tourism. It also denies a given area the much-needed money in it that can be used to protect the same environment. Environmental protection is a big package that includes educating the community, putting in place infrastructure that will stop other natural forms of degradation, and the general supervision of the same environment as pointed out by Faraji (46-7) in his opinion. Funds for such projects are not easily forthcoming. If the environment is not allowed to be used as an income-generating project, there will be nothing to be used to save the same environment. Some arguments that have been used to make a case against tourism as being environment damaging are at times farfetched. As an example, the existence of the ozone layer so far is still a matter of debate because it is hypothetical. Thus, there is no proof of its existence. Therefore, the use of the ozone as a measure of tourism pollution when the ozone’s existence is still a conjecture does not hold water as an argument. Conclusion In conclusion, tourism and environmental conflict are issues that have become a big topic for debate. On one hand, tourism as an activity is ever expanding day by day as many people in the world over aspire for leisure moments in their lives. More and more people are saving for holidays nowadays than before. What used to be an indulgence for the rich has turned into an indulgence for almost everyone who can save. This massive increase of tourism traffic causes a strain to the environment at a very alarming rate. At the same time, proponents of tourism argue for tourism. Their arguments are valid thus creating a never-ending debate between tourism and its impact on the environment. Works Cited Buckley, Ralph. â€Å"Tourism and the Environment.† Annual Review of Environment and  Resources 36.1(2011): 397-416. Print. Faraji, Abdoreza. â€Å"The Relationship between Tourism and Environment.† Iranian  Journal of Tourism and Hospitality 1.1(2010): 37-48. Print. Holden, Andrew, and David Fennel (eds). The Routledge handbook of Tourism and the  Environm ent. London: Routledge, 2012. Print. Korstanje, Maximiliano. â€Å"Can tourism be considered ethical?† Journal of Travel   Tourism Research 11.1(2011): 91-104. Print. North, Andrew. Protecting Afghanistan’s Environment and Tourists’ Future, 2012. Web. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-20038511 Nygard, Mikael. â€Å"Opportunit y or Threat: Finnish Hunters attitudes to hunting tourism.†Ã‚  Journal of Sustainable Tourism 19.3(2011): 383-400. Print. This research paper on Tourism and Environmental Conflict was written and submitted by user Trevon D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Confederation of Ontario University Staff Associations and Union

The Confederation of Ontario University Staff Associations and Union Background information about COUSA The Confederation of Ontario University Staff Associations and Union (COUSA) is an umbrella union that was formed in 1974 by a group of unionized employees working at Ontario University in Canada. COUSA is made up of workers from clerical jobs, administrative, technical and professional occupations. There are different types of groups under the COUSA umbrella.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Confederation of Ontario University Staff Associations and Union specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They include employees from Ontario University- from independent, non-unionized groups, provincial groups and international unions- are members of COUSA. All member unions under COUSA shared a common aspiration: that all employees of Ontario University need a common platform to collect information and work together with the government. In addition, the umbrella organization does not rival other unionized organization; on the contrary, it is willing to collaborate with them to the benefit of workers (COUSA, 2011, p.1). There are many benefits one can get by joining COUSA. For example, members of the Confederation attend three seminars organized by the umbrella body every year to network and share valuable information about emerging issues in labor unions. COUSA offers avenues where non-academic employees at Ontario University can share knowledge and experience about trends or activities that touch on employment issues. In addition, COUSA organizes workshops where members discuss and share knowledge on crucial topics for example: pay equity; reforms on labor laws; lobbying approaches; negotiating skills; and benefits costing. The Confederation also lobbies and advocates on behalf of Ontario University staff to the public and government. It also offers a platform that enable member groups to collaborate on a short term basis (COUSA, 2011, p.3). Legal issues and obstacles faci ng COUSA There are a number of legislative reforms in Canada that are likely to impact on the way COUSA runs its affairs. For example, in 2004, the parliament enacted Labor Relations Bill 144 that altered a number of labor relations laws in Canada. COUSA has several trade unions that are registered under the Ontario Labor Relations Act.Advertising Looking for essay on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result, the introduction of Labor Relations Bill 144 is bound to have an effect on the activities of the trade unions under COUSA. In addition, the new regulation will have a negative impact on academic workers hired on a part-time basis by the Ontario University. For example, the Bill requires unionized organizations to submit the income disclosure requirements. This is one of the new changes introduced by the law and contradicts the public view about the objectivity of labor law (Slinn, 2003, p.367). The effectiveness of COUSA is also constrained by lack of a strong financial base. Labor unions are denied financial aid from the government under the new law. COUSA does not have enough financial resources to mange cases related to violation of the Labor Act. A swift decree is the only viable cure to the adverse effects of the Act on the union. Also, lack of ample financial resources has limited the ability of COUSA member unions to access reconciliation services. This has severely limited the ability of the COUSA to bargain on behalf of its member unions (Slinn, 2003, p.369). Bargaining process COUSA has a number of elected representatives that bargain on behalf of its members. For example, the COUSA Salaries and Benefits Committee is mandated to negotiate on behalf of staff at Ontario University on matters related to compensation (David Stiff, 2007, p.1). The Confederation also supports a number of legislative changes that enhance working conditions and seek minimum wages for its m ember unions (Fanelli Meades, 2011, p.12). For instance, COUSA supports the restoration of several key powers that were formerly granted to Ontario Labour Relations Board. It has been noted that many employers engage in unjust labor practices to prevent their staff from exercising their democratic rights with respect to certification process. It is thus vital that OLRB is granted authority to certify all unions (Slinn, 2003, p.370).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Confederation of Ontario University Staff Associations and Union specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More COUSA also supports the resolution to re-empower OLRB to endorse a trade union in cases where the employer has engaged in unjust labor practices. It is worth to note that the OLRA was previously an influential body that deterred employers from violating the Labor Relations Act. Thus COUSA supports reforms proposed by the Ontario Federation of Labor regard ing labor laws in the interest of simplicity and certainty. COUSA is convinced that the card based system used for certification is the suitable way for selecting union officials. When the card based system was abolished in 1995, the Conservatives stated that compulsory votes were democratic and thus fair. However, COUSA pointed out that compulsory voting disregarded the genuine resultant power disparity between employers and workers. The main reason for this transformation was to make it difficult for the unions to receive certification and also to reduce the speed at which unions could put in order their new bargaining units. Studies show that this move was successful since there was a significant reduction in the rate of certification of unions in 1993 after the endorsement of Bill 7. Thus COUSA has employed a number of bargaining strategies such as information leverage, offers and concessions; and long-term tactical thinking to gain an upper hand when bargaining on behalf of its members (Trotman, 2011, p.4). References COUSA. (2011). Confederation of Ontario University Staff Associations and Union. Retrieved from cpwo.ca/about-us.php David, S., Stiff, B. (2007). Queen University Staff Association. Ontario: Betty Pollard. Fanelli, C., Meades, J. (2011). The Case of Carleton’s Capitalist University. Retrieved from https://socialistproject.ca/2011/01/b450/Advertising Looking for essay on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Slinn, S. (2003). The Effect of Compulsory Certification Votes on Certification Applications in Ontario. Canadian Labor and Employment Law Journal, 10, 367- 397. Trotman, V. (2011). Building Union-Management Partnerships. Toronto: Federated Press.

Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt Essay NDTV 247 is a premier English language television network that carries news and current affairs in India, it is owned by New Delhi Television Ltd. NDTV 247 won the Asian Television Award for Best News Channel in 2005. NDTV 247 is home to a team of award winning journalists who spearhead the news campaign, including Dr. Prannoy Roy and Barkha Dutt. NDTV 247 is also available outside of India, broadcasting in the UK on the Sky Digital platform, in the U. S. n the DirecTV platform, in Canada on the ATN platform, in Australia on the Vision Asia platform, in Europe on the WorldTV platform, and in Singapore on the mio TV platform. We the People is a television talk show in India and running over NDTV. TV journalist Barkha Dutt hosts this show. The program broadcasts every Sunday. About the show It is a discussion-based programme on burning issues. Seven to eight panelists are invited for every discussion. It is an audience-based show. This Show airs in New Delhi Television network. The programme can generate controversy, but showcases a diversity of views thanks to its host. Barkha has been awarded as the most intelligent TV host by Indian Television Awards, and also as Best Talk Show Anchor. We The People has recently won the 14th Asian Television Award for Best Talk Show for the year 2008. The show has received critical acclaim and has won several key awards {{{{{{{{{{{{{Barkha Dutt is a television journalist. Her frontline reporting of the Kargil conflict in 1999 raised her to prominence in India. She has reported on many conflicts, ranging from Kashmir to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Currently, she is Group Editor-English News, NDTV, a leading Indian television network, and the host of We the People, a weekly discussion show on current events. Barkha also writes a weekly column for The Hindustan Times and Khaleej Times. Some awards she has won: Global Leader of Tomorrow Award from the World Economic Forum, 2001 Commonwealth Broadcasters Award, 2002 Broadcast Journalist of the Year by the Indian Express, 2005 Padma Shri Award (Journalism), 2008}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} The channel airs one of Indias most successful opinion-based shows: We the People with Barkha Dutt. .. s india an english speaking country? Were all of us educated in elite schools and fashionable colleges? Do all of us have fancy,phirang accents that would put the real angrez to shame? Is Barkha Dutt the ultimate arbitrator of all things bright,beautiful and otherwise. Indeed this famous programme called ’We the people’ on NDTV 24*7 is certainly not for a common person. Certainly not for a per son who has not read all the correct books and magazines. Barkha Dutt uses this opportunity(as always) to emphasize just how talented she is. How greatly our wretched country needs her services as the super-judge of anything that she sets her eyes on. Indeed the program is supposed to be a free,open discussion between people whose voices are not otherwise heard. What it actually is,is a kind of drawing room discussion between celebrities. These celebrities pretend to become very humble and approachable. They are surrounded by some doctorates and super specialists who are sometimes allowed to make a few noises. What the show turns out to be in the end is a weekly meeting of th

Analyzing a key business leader. (Jack Welch, Henery Ford) Essay

Analyzing a key business leader. (Jack Welch, Henery Ford) - Essay Example His thinking in this direction helped him in coming up with the line assembly model. The first wonder of Henry Ford was to produce an affordable car. He is considered as an industry leader in the car manufacturing niche. He was the owner and founder of Ford Motor company, and till this day he is considered to be the most revolutionary and successful leader in the car manufacturing industry. He was not only a genius when it comes to thinking of the ways to produce cost effective cars, he was a perfect human resource mobilizer as well. In the times when industry was suffering from great economic depression, he managed to come up with increased wages policy of labor and still mange to scrape a lot of profit. This was all due to his participatory leadership approach. Ford’s approach towards leading was to lead from the front. Yet he was fond of participatory approach. As for the niche n which he was better than many, he introduced the concept of line assembly of cars. The concept itself is a proof that he believed in the perfectly finished product with the combined effort of all who are involved. This was his style of leadership. So in general we can say that his approach towards leadership was participatory in nature. Also, he was a firm believer of the fact that if you have some reward for those who perform better than the others, you will keep your workers motivated. This was the reason that his leadership was successful. His labor laws were just wonderful. (Kraft, 43) As a leader, one of the most important rule and policy for which Henry Ford is known was his labor laws. He was one of the very strong believers of welfare capitalism. He was one of those very few industrialist leaders of his times who believed in improving the conditions of his workers to get loyalty from them in return. At that time after the World War I employee turnover was great and the great depression was

Mobile Video Internet Search and Summary Research Paper

Mobile Video Internet Search and Summary - Research Paper Example Mobile video, which encompass smart phones, Iphones and other gadgets of similar caliber were handheld components mostly preferred by protesters and demonstrators as they agitated for the elimination of tyrannical powers, for instance, in Egypt (Boughelaf). People were capable of sharing ideas, slogans, videos and frustrations they so far endured while under tyrannical individuals who due to the sycophancy of traditional Medias made the majority ignorant by threatening them (Stoughton, India). Therefore, through mobile video gadgets, the then incumbent powers did not have any limitation, which they can impose on people except to terminate phones’ supply from western states, but they had already made their citizens’ hands (Shanley). For instance, Duffy (54) in his study cites how most handheld phones now evident among middle class society contributed to effective communication in such a way tyranny powers cannot limit users’ freedom. In Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and L ibya people besides being protesters, almost all of them turned out to be â€Å"journalist reporters† though not in acting it. Since, they took pictures and videos only to flood them in FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube, which currently have large pool of fans (Duffy 53). This helped to disseminate Arab Spring information incomparable to other authorized state Medias (Duffy 54). Hence, being a significant factor that contributed immensely in overturning tyrannical icons especially in Arab regions. Since, it only took the courage of an individual to update an observed repression state then followed by numerous comments of similar caliber expressing frustrations, which then resulted to active action like in Egypt. What are the possibilities now for viewing TV shows on mobile devices? Mobile knowhow has not only perfected its varied applications with the aid of phones but also extended in airing TV shows (Heather). Therefore, fans of diverse shows do not have to part with what they can watch while in the comfort of their homes but also while travelling with the aid of their handheld Iphones, Galaxies and smart phones (Heather). Presently, it is not a shock to find some Wi-Fi enabled public buses installed for passengers to access internet with their phones, which is a marketing strategy in some of Third states especially in Kenya and Uganda (Okwii). This is due to low-priced gadgets, which respective corporations have offered thus enabling even middle class people be in possession of them besides installed in public vehicles. Consequently, this avails masses with large pool of information irrespective of their place and time such that despite being out of residential confinements can still enjoy TV shows they normally love. Presently, the argument concerning â€Å"possibility† of watching TV shows via mobile gadgets is not a future anticipated enjoyment but already realized goal. This is because the knowhow despite being new to some states especially in Middle East is already rampant in other states whereby users they only need to have an internet connection (mostly wireless). In some states, this is already a realized goal whereby some mobile subscribers especially in Kenya, which even offer bundles for internet fanatics via their mobile gadgets (Okwii). Hence, they are capable of watching not only TV shows but also global matches of their favorite teams. PR Newswire

Swot South Beauty Essay Example for Free

Swot South Beauty Essay A SWOT Analysis is a tool that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. This basic, straightforward model assesses what an organization can and cannot do as well as its potential opportunities and threats. The method of the SWOT analysis is to take the information from an environmental analysis and separate it into internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external issues (opportunities and threats). Once it is completed, SWOT analysis determines what may assist the firm in accomplishing its objectives, and what obstacles must be overcome or minimized to achieve the desired results. Strengths * Brand Strategy and positioning. The Group’s branding strategy focuses on brand differentiation to cater a wide range of customers. The newest brand of the group, SUBU focuses on innovative healthy food for younger and more fashionable office workers, the LAN Club is the luxury brand that targets the upper-class dining segment of successful businesspeople aged over 45 years, and South Beauty, the Group’s flagship brand that targets upper-middle class segment of businesspeople aged from 30 to 45 years. No competitor in the Chinese restaurant market has such brand format. Almost all of them operate their single brands without clear brand positioning so their brand image is quite inferior to the Group’s. * Consistent brand identities. The company has built consistent brand identities by launching some outdoor and print advertisement. The company also explore cooperation with certain international airlines, including Air France and KLM Royal Dutch airlines, to provide business travelers flying between China and Europe with South Beauty-branded Chinese dishes. * Innovation. The company is regarded as an innovative company, with 55 percent annual growth. The South Beauty restaurant also introduced several innovations and improvements with regard to traditional Sichuan food, not only in terms of new raw materials, but also the process of preparing the dishes and the customer experience. The Group developed a range of innovations with regard to Sichuan cuisine but also added certain Cantonese cuisine and other flavors to its menu. One of the group’s biggest and most ambitious innovations is the combination of Chinese and Western cuisine that breaks with tradition and creates original new flavors. It is the first Chinese restaurant to offer Chinese food in a western style, and the first to mix food presentation with artistic views. * Differentiation in cuisine. Some of the factors that make the Group’s cuisine different from others are the strict requirements placed on raw ingredients, the innovation on traditional cuisine, the exacting criteria placed on a dish’s nutritional value, and the strong emphasis on the visual appeal of each dish. * Location and Pricing. The Group’s restaurants are located in top-notch office buildings in key cities. Meals are also expensively priced to cover costs, but because of the brand’s reputation and image, consumers are willing to pay the high prices. This combination of high-end location and high pricing were helpful in developing the upper-middle class brand image. * Interior decoration and ambience. Each South Beauty restaurant had a different decor, designed by well-known artists in the field. It is Zhang Lan’s belief that people should come to the restaurant not only for the food but also for the ambience. * IT applications. Advanced IT applications enhanced the image of the restaurant and improve efficiency. For example, the Group built its own CRM system to record customer information and use that information to provide tailor-made services and make promotional communications. These IT applications give the Group an edge because they are quite innovative for the traditional Chinese catering industry as most restaurants remain committed to their old ways of operating their businesses. * People management. Zhang Lang was a firm believer that a dedicated workforce could overcome challenges pertaining to financial capital and market potential, so the Group strove to apply performance management techniques with regard to the management team. It also worked with a consulting firm to design a new people management system to motivate the staff. The group also initiated a large-scale training program for the staff. * Synergies. The use of the company’s central management to achieve synergies has caused the South Beauty Group to develop functional management expertise at its head office with a view to coordinating the management of its restaurants, all of this helps brainstorm ways to differentiate the Group from its competitors to capture market share. * Expansion. South Beauty Group is not only looking to expand further in China ut is also looking for an international presence. * Right target group. Because of the booming economy in China, the business meals had more potential than the other segments because they could absorb higher prices. These business-people were not satisfied with simple eating and drinking- they required more in terms of the restaurant’s environment or ambiance. These businesspeople are the target consumers of the South Beauty Group. * Leader in the niche market of high-end Chinese dinner: South Beauty’s share was more than 7%  Weaknesses * Ranking in the high-end Chinese dinner segment. Among the top 100 restaurant companies in China in 2007, 10 were in this segment, with the leader being Shanghai Jingiang (ranked 4) and Beijing Shunfeng (Ranked 18). South Beauty’s ranking was 72. * Poor diversity on types of cuisine. The high-ranked competitors focused on various Chinese cuisines, but South Beauty only focused on Sichuan cuisine, so it could not compete with these restaurants in terms of cuisine. * Fake Restaurants and inability to protect its brand. The most crucial issue for South Beauty was that of restaurants claiming to be South Beauty franchisees. In 2005, there were at least 16 â€Å"fake† restaurants in cities South Beauty has not penetrated. The imposters used the same Chinese name as South Beauty with one or two additional Chinese characters to attract innocent customers and provided them with poor service and atmosphere. The unhappy customers however, complained to the â€Å"real† South Beauty. This hurts the brand image and reputation of the Group. * Authenticity of Sichuan food. In cities with higher incomes (where South Beauty’s target customers are mainly located), consumers had more choices of restaurants and made selections based on word of mouth. 63 percent of consumers obtained restaurant information from word-of-mouth publicity, so while a restaurant review web site state that South Beauty promoted â€Å"Refined or Improved Sichuan Food†, in other places, such as Chengdu, the birth place of Sichuan food, customers were of the opinion that the Sichuan food offered by South Beauty was not as spicy as the original cuisine. Other did not view South Beauty as a genuine Sichuan food restaurant. If consumers were looking for authentic Sichuan food, after hearing these opinions on the street, they were more likely to pick another restaurant. * Inability to do things in a standardized way to cut down costs and improve efficiency. The management team did not halt their efforts to improve the Group’s operational efficiency through standardization, which was also the foundation for scaling up. * Minimal market share in the Chinese Restaurant Market. The market share in South Beauty in the total industry was less than 0. 1 percent. Opportunities * Expansion. The Group is seeking to expand its operations from the existing 20 restaurants in China to a total of 100 worldwide (35 in China and 65 in the international market) over the next three years. * Standardization. The standardization of the process of preparing the dishes is a big opportunity to increase efficiency and quality. * Entry into new businesses. The Group wants to diversify into business of partially cooked frozen foods for retail outlets and airline catering. The Group’s market share in the Chinese dinner category was an estimated 2 percent in 2006. There is great to room to increase this market share. * Ability to invest heavily in various elements, interior decorating being one of them. No competitor is able to invest so heavily. * Cuisine diversity. South Beauty only offers Sichuan cuisine. While a typical Chinese restaurant offers one or two cuisines, expa nding into more than 2 different cuisines could give the Group a source of differentiation. * Becoming an international brand. According to Zhang Lan â€Å" (†¦) Now is the time to expand. We have met success in China, and now we wish to build an international brand, which will have a presence in New York, Paris, London, Milan, Geneva, Tokyo and other important international cities of the world. † it is projected that the Group will have 30 restaurants in short term and 100 outlets in the next three years, of which 35 restaurants would be located in China and 65 in the international market in cooperation with strategic partners in Tokyo, New York, and other cities. Threats * Some competitors of South Beauty have been able to overcome the obstacle of production and prepare Chinese dishes in a standardized way faster than South Beauty, so they are able to cut down costs and realize bigger profits. * Belief among certain consumers that the Sichuan food that South Beauty serves is not authentic because this can cause consumers to search for more â€Å"authentic† options in competitors. * â€Å"Fake† South Beauty restaurants. They make the brand look bad and downsize the brand’s reputation and positioning. * With such large ideas for expansion, if the capital needed is not raised, this could pose a threat not only for future expansion but also for future growth in China. * Operational efficiency that needs to improve: the management team did not halt their efforts to improve the Group’s operational efficiency through standardization, which was also the foundation for scaling up. Each South Beauty restaurant carried 380 items on the main menu. Raw materials depended on local suppliers, and the quality of each dish relied on the experience of the chef. Although there was a team with three main chefs at the head office to develop new dishes and control the quality, the process of standardization is still in its beginning phase. If standardization is not achieved soon, the Group may lose some of its market share to competitors that do achieve it soon because they will be able to cut down costs that will translate into cheaper prices.

Macbeth :: English Literature Essays

Macbeth Macbeth is presented as a mature man of definitely established character, successful in certain fields ofactivity and enjoying an enviable reputation. We must notconclude, there, that all his volitions and actions arepredictable; Macbeth's character, like any other man's at agiven moment, is what is being made out of potentialitiesplus environment, and no one, not even Macbeth himself, canknow all his inordinate self-love whose actions arediscovered to be-and no doubt have been for a long time-determined mainly by an inordinate desire for some temporalor mutable good. Macbeth is actuated in his conduct mainly by aninordinate desire for worldly honors; his delight liesprimarily in buying golden opinions from all sorts of people.But we must not, therefore, deny him an entirely humancomplexity of motives. For example, his fighting in Duncan'sservice is magnificent and courageous, and his evident joy init is traceable in art to the natural pleasure whichaccompanies the explosive expendit ure of prodigious physicalenergy and the euphoria which follows. He also rejoices nodoubt in the success which crowns his efforts in battle - andso on. He may even conceived of the proper motive whichshould energize back of his great deed: The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself.But while he destroys the king's enemies, such motives workbut dimly at best and are obscured in his consciousness bymore vigorous urges. In the main, as we have said, his natureviolently demands rewards: he fights valiantly in order thathe may be reported in such terms a "valour's minion" and"Bellona's bridegroom"' he values success because it bringsspectacular fame and new titles and royal favor heaped uponhim in public. Now so long as these mutable goods are at allcommensurate with his inordinate desires - and such is thecase, up until he covets the kingship - Macbeth remains anhonorable gentleman. He is not a criminal; he has no criminaltendencies. But once permit his self-love to dem and asatisfaction which cannot be honorably attained, and he islikely to grasp any dishonorable means to that end which maybe safely employed. In other words, Macbeth has much ofnatural good in him unimpaired; environment has conspiredwith his nature to make him upright in all his dealings withthose about him. But moral goodness in him is undeveloped andindeed still rudimentary, for his voluntary acts are scarcelybrought into harmony with ultimate end. As he returns from victorious battle, puffed up withself-love which demands ever-increasing recognition of hisgreatness, the demonic forces of evil-symbolized by the WeirdSisters-suggest to his inordinate imagination the splendidprospect of attaining now the greatest mutable good he hasever desired.

Julius Caesar Seminar Questions

Julius Caesar Seminar Questions 1. When Caesar says that Cassius thinks too much, I agree. Cassius tends to look into the details and over think simple situations. He becomes very meticulous about how the group of the conspirators is organized. Also, while Cassius is the one who originally comes up with the idea of the conspiracy and that he wants Brutus to be in charge, he thinks through the plan, yet does not want to take responsibility. Cassius just about argues with himself, due to too many thoughts running through his mind. He thinks about so vile a thing as Caesar! But, O grief, where hast thou led me?I perhaps speak this before a willing bondman. Then I know my answer must be made. But I am armed and dangers to me indifferent,† (1. 3. 11-115), proving that his thoughts are all over the place. 2. Brutus does not want the conspirators to swear an oath of allegiance because he feels that it is bad â€Å"to think that or our cause or our performance did need an oath; when e very drop of blood that every Roman bears, and nobly bears is guilty,† (2. 1. 136-139). Brutus obviously feels that if their intentions and motivations to carrying out the assassination of Caesar, they do not need an oath.An oath causes people to get lazy because they begin to lean on the idea that, no matter what happens. 3. Caesar’s response to Calphurnia’s fears adds credence to Brutus’ and Cassius’ fears about Caesar because he does not heed warnings. This response might add to the pattern Caesar might follow when other senators bring up new ideas. This can be very serious for others that want to have somewhat of a say when it comes to their opinion on a serious matter. Calpurnia notes that his â€Å"wisdom is consumed in confidence,† (2. 2. 49), showing that Caesar has the idea that what he thinks is what is to happen, without any other opinion. 4.The significance of Caesar’s â€Å"north star† speech at the Capitol is that Caesar establishes his ideals around his role in power. Caesar frames his arrogance and stubborn nature by stating â€Å"there is no fellow in the firmament,† (3. 1. 62). In his eyes, he walks on water to all of those that are his supporters and followers. Caesar is overly confident, providing reason to the motivations of the conspirators in their quest to assassinate Caesar. 5. The third plebeian’s cry of â€Å"Let him be Caesar,† (3. 2. 52) is ironic because, while the people do not know of the truth being the conspiracy, the goal was to take out Caesar, not replace him.While their quest seems successful, the true hardships have yet to begin. 6. In the play, Shakespeare portrays the common man as almost incoherent. The people constantly seem to be easily swayed by the words of each and every important character. Also, all of the common people are followers. Not one stands up to the officials. At one moment, they are saying, â€Å"This Caesar was a tyrant,â₠¬  (3. 2. 74) and the next they say that they must â€Å"tear him to pieces! He’s a conspirator,† (3. 3. 29), now angered with the retaliation against Caesar. 7. Shakespeare portrays the noblemen in the play as gallant but also cowards.While they follow through with what they originally decide to believe in, in the end, they are left questioning their motives. While I commend them for following through with their original endeavors, they begin to get rather brutal. An example is when Antony creates a hit list and says that, â€Å"these many, then, shall die; their names are pricked,† (4. 1. 1-2). The noblemen want to be noble and honorable, yet they go to such brutal extremes. 8. The idea that Brutus never gives in to Cassius shows a little bit of stubbornness, but it also shows determination. Brutus feels that he knows what is best for the conspirators.The difference between the ways Brutus is resilient and that of Cassius is how firm Brutus is. He makes his p oint, but shows its advantages to different members. He shows compassion when he says that â€Å"when every drop of blood every Roman bears, and nobly bears, is guilty of a several bastardy if he do break the smallest particle of any promise that hath passed from him,† (2. 1. 134-140). Brutus is saying that an oath would be pointless because if a man were held responsible for every promise he ever broke, the consequences would be endless. 9. Calpurnia and Portia both seem like protective and honorable wives.Calpurnia is more focused on her husband taking his warnings seriously. She is not focused on the details of everything that happens, but is focused on the main idea that Caesar’s, her husband, life is in danger. Portia, on the other hand, is more focused on what Brutus is doing. She wants to be informed of the action rather than simply protecting her husband from what is happening, whether she as an explanation or not. She is angered that, at the moment, apparently , â€Å"within the bond of marriage†¦it is expected I should know no secrets that appertain to you [Brutus},† (2. 1. 280-282). She feels wronged by this.Portia is driven by facts and information, while Calpurnia is driven by intuition and her feelings. 10. Cassius tells Brutus that if he himself fears the reign of Caesar, that he, Brutus, must stop it. Cassius provides Brutus with logical and emotional factors for reasons as to why Brutus should lead the conspiracy. Cassius informs Brutus that, â€Å"There was a Brutus once that would have brooked th’ eternal devil to keep his state in Rome as easily as a king,† (1. 2. 159-160). Cassius makes the point that Brutus would never let Rome fall by the hands of Caesar. Cassius is basically telling Brutus what to think and what to feel.While this is cleverly manipulative of Cassius, it shows that Brutus has some mental weakness due to the fact that he is even able to be subject to mind games. 11. Brutus and Cassiu s are both leaders. While Brutus takes charge and responsibility of the conspiracy, Cassius is the one who took responsibility of persuading Brutus to join in and become the leader. While this shows a manipulative side of Cassius, Brutus has the same. He manages to convince all of the conspirators that an official oath is not necessary, when, in reality, it is often used as a sacred promise to follow through with a plan.In my mind, a sacred oath would have been somewhat important to the success of the plan, but, as Brutus points out, â€Å"what other oath than honesty to honesty engaged that this shall be,† (2. 1. 126-128). In Brutus’ mind, honesty and honor is all that is needed in a group decision to proceed with the assassination of Caesar. Cassius strongly disagrees, but, while both men have conflicting ideas, their core values are quite similar, showing in their agreement to create the conspiracy. 12. Cassius wants to create the conspiracy for more personal reason ing.Cassius, speaking about Caesar, notes that â€Å"this man is now become a god, and Cassius is a wretched creature and must bend his body,† (1. 2. 115-117). From this, one can tell that Cassius is more focused on his personal aspirations to be free of Caesar’s grip on politics. Brutus, on the other hand, is more focused on the well being of the people of Rome. He wants them to have a fair, focused, and just ruler. While Brutus and Cassius’ motives for enabling the conspiracy could not be more different, the men find common ground on which they agree to attempt a successful assassination of Caesar.

Nursing Ethical Values and Definitions Essay

This essay will consider ethics in nursing, discuss values and morals and how dignity and respect in patient care is influenced; considering the importance of reflection and the implications it has on effective practice from the perspective of a student nurse. The scenario â€Å"Call Me Joe† provided by Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2010a) highlights concerning issues and bad practice that are happening in modern day nursing practice, and using the Driscoll and Teh (2001) reflective model: What, Now What and So What, to consider the care that Joe is receiving; considering how the nursing practice affects him directly and the implications of the nature of knowledge in nursing practice. Part of the way in which nursing practice is developed is through evidence based practice. Evidence based practice informs modern practice by using reliable, valid and relevant research and clinical experts to inform and improve nursing practice and patient care, enabling care that improves and makes a positive difference (Malloch & Porter-O’Grady 2010). It is through evidence based practice that pre-registration nurses are informed and trained and how professional development is maintained (Adams 2009). Nurses must use evidence to improve the standards of care to achieve higher standards in the nursing profession; evidence based practice improves the quality of nursing care guiding practice to ensure best practice is attained and is supported by literature and evidence (Brooker & Nicol 2003). It is evidence based practice that healthcare practitioners often draw upon to support clinically based reflections. Reflection is a process which enables healthcare professionals to improve practice through continuous monitoring (Daly et el 2010). Throughout the pre-registration nursing programme, the importance of reflection in practice is taught and is developed throughout, extending into post-registration to become a vital part of a nursing career and portfolio development. Reflection involves breaking down individual processes, considering what was successful, how practice can be enhanced and how this can be achieved; this also includes situations involving patient interaction and communication, enabling a greater understanding and an increase in self-awareness (Lundy & Janes 2009). By evaluating and reflecting, the practitioner is self-educating, improving clinical practice as well as their personal approach to nursing care that they provide; the main outcome of reflection in nursing is to improve and encourage best practice (Bulman & Schutz 2004). The Driscoll and Teh’s (2001) reflective model is made up of three parts, What, Now What and So What, and this model is appropriate to reflect upon the care that Joe is receiving as it enables the scenario to be deconstructed and analysed in detail to recognise and understand: What is wrong? So what are the implications? Now what can be done to resolve the situation? Using the model as an aid, the implications of unsatisfactory care and poor practice in the scenario can be explored and exploited to recognise that although there is a code of conduct produced by the NMC (2010b) that governs nurses, in some instances the care that is delivered fails to meet the expectations of the NMC, the patient and other professionals. WHAT?  From the scenario provided by the NMC (2010a) it is apparent that Joe lives in residential care, he is no longer able to care for himself so the decision for him to reside in the home was made; he is not unhappy about it, and feels lucky to live in there. Joe is a very proud man and until recent years was very able and self-caring. Since moving into the care home; Joe has begun to notice things about his environment, his carers and himself. Initially when Joe moved into the care home, he was mobile with a frame, as time has passed in the home Joe is no longer mobile and unable to get to toilet, reduced mobility can effect personal hygiene and toileting, but also social interactions and daily living (Brooker & Nicol 2003). Joe seems to accept his loss of mobility as part of the normal aging process; however from the scenario it is apparent that Joe now has a catheter, from which the bag does not get emptied regularly as Joe explains that it â€Å"pulls†. Joe does not complain and states â€Å"it’s just the way things are†; Joe has not recognised that he is suffering at the lack of competency of the care provider and that his needs are not being tended to and he is being neglected (Department of Health 2000). Joe then reminisces about his life before the care home; it becomes apparent that since moving into the home, Joe’s life has changed drastically; the things he used to enjoy prior to his admission are no longer considered or even talked about. He explains that when he first moved he filled in a form on which he stated his meal preferences; nevertheless this has not been acknowledged and each day Joe has porridge to eat and â€Å"lukewarm tea† to drink. This is not the only preference of Joe’s that is being overlooked. Joe explains that although his name is Joseph, he prefers to be called Joe; however it appears that the care providers do not recognise this and do not accommodate Joe’s choice, despite him requesting that they call him Joe on numerous occasions. Joe is being disrespected and his choices are not being honoured or considered; nurses should consider each patient as an individual and empathetically deliver the appropriate care (Lipe & Beasley 2004). Joe also remembers how he used to dress in his youth and through his life before entering the home. He implies he was a smart dresser and a well-kept man; even combing his hair. From Joe’s expression whilst sat, unshaven wearing his pyjamas which he implies are unclean and unchanged, it is clear that he does not feel that way anymore, he has accepted his life as it is now. He is unable to dress himself; he spends his time in his pyjamas and explains how the staff are always busy with the other residents. Joe has low self-esteem after losing his mobility and his independence, dignity and self-worth. Social role valorisation is where somebody is perceived by their role in society, a person may be deemed of value or devalue dependant on their role in society and this influences the way in which others behave towards them (Wolfensberger 2000). In social role valorisation Joe is considered to be of a lesser value, as he is elderly and can no longer care for himself, he has a low social status; this is reflected with in the scenario (NMC 2010a), Joes behaviour reflects that of little self-worth or respect, mirroring the way in which he has been treated. Through a lack of communication, it is clear that Joe feels lonely, he does not verbally communicate this but it is apparent that he feels this way: his facial expressions suggest he is unhappy, he frequently loses eye contact and sighs; frowning a lot. He is slumped in chair, his body language suggesting he lacks confidence and self-esteem. Communication is a means for a practitioner to build security and trust with a patient, begin to establish a therapeutic relationship in which important information is shared (Lloyd et al 2009), however the communication process has been ignored, Joe is uncertain of any boundaries devised, and does not want to appear as a nuisance and as a result of this he does not ask for things, voice his opinion or disclose his discomfort. Joe’s individual needs are not considered as he has minimal support in the home from staff and independence is not encouraged. Through the lack of assistance and promotion Joe has minimal mobility and is no longer able to maintain his lifestyle in a manner he deems appropriate. Nonetheless Joe is accepting of his new life; and is oblivious to the bad practice he is subjected to and the neglect he is incurring as a result. SO WHAT Ethics in nursing are centred on individual worth, respect for patients and autonomy. Individual morals impact upon ethics in nursing, considering what is right, wrong, good or bad. Morals are personal, so each individual has their own interpretation of what it right, wrong or acceptable (Rumbold 1999). The care that Joe is receiving is unacceptable, it is clear that the practitioners who provide the care either failed to consider the principles of ethics in nursing, or are influenced by ruthless morals. In nursing practice, what the nurse must and ought to do are defined by morals; the duties of a nurse involve moral and legal dimensions (Young et el 2009). Joe lacks independence, and the practitioners offer little support or opportunity to encourage and enable independence: promoting independence is an essential part of nursing practice (Alexander et el 2006); it enables the patient to feel of use and can build self-esteem, encouraging a patient to be actively involved in a task and enabling them to carry it out or assist the practitioner enables both physical and physiological independence to be achieved (Acello 2005). As a result of a lack of stimulation and social interaction, Joe has low self-esteem and little self-worth. All patients are individual and will have individual care needs. Care needs are patient specific, when providing care respect for the patient’s dignity should be anticipated, providing the patient information can help to relieve anxiety or confusion and honouring patients preferences can assist in delivering comfortable care (Gerdin et el 1997). Joe’s care is not specific to him, the care he is receiving is generalised, it is essential that the care provided is on an individual base: personalised to each patient’s specific needs (Kneedler & Dodge 1994). As a result of reduced mobility, Joe has a catheter in situ. Due to poor catheter care Joe is left in discomfort and at a higher risk of infection, all catheter bags should be emptied regularly to maintain infection control (Royal College of Nursing 2008). Joe is not considered as an individual person and his needs are not being tended to: nursing philosophy advocates patient centred care whereby the nurse establishes a rofessional relationship with the patient, treating them with dignity and respect, involving and empowering the patient allowing them to convey their needs and preferences, actively engaging the patient within their care and the decisions surrounding their care (Falvo 2011). Joe is not actively involved in his own care, he is tolerant of the care as he is lacking in dignity (NMC 2010a). It is apparent that within the home that there are issues of neglect and that Joe is the victim of neglect and possible abuse. The Department of Health (2000) describes abuse as â€Å"a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by any other person or persons†. Joe’s individual needs are being neglected, he is suffering institutional abuse meaning that the care he is receiving is of a poor standard, and the practitioners lack in positive response to his complex needs, in the home there are rigid routines where individual needs are left unconsidered, and the practitioners with in the establishment lack knowledge (Department of Health 2000). NOW WHAT  Joe is a vulnerable adult; he is unable to take care of himself and is unable to protect himself against significant harm or exploitation (Department of Health 2000) and safeguards are necessary. Safeguarding consists of protecting and supporting vulnerable people and adults; the successful prevention of adult abuse and neglect depends on the service providers identifying and approaching the factors which contribute to the issues and result in neglect and abuse occurring, and tackling and dealing with these situations appropriately (The Association of Directors of Social Services 2005). Therefore to begin to tackle the issues raised in the scenario by the NMC (2010a) immediate positive action must be taken to assess the risks and increase the safety for the service users (The Association of Directors of Social Services 2005). Best practice as outlined by the NMC (2007) emphasises the importance of anti-discriminatory practice in promoting parity in patient care acknowledging the difference and the beliefs people have. Implementing this in the home would enable Joe to be treated as an individual and his needs and preferences accommodated. It is suggested that promoting independence in the elderly improves quality of life, and emotional wellbeing (Fisk 1986); if Joe’s independence was supported and encouraged he would become happier stable and able to continue with some level of independence and control over his life. Dignity is a human right protected by international law, all individuals are entitled to the right to life, free from torture and degrading treatment (Human Rights Act 1998) therefore Joe’s human rights, dignity and safety have been compromised. On entering the care home to protect Joe’s dignity, a care plan should have been put into place. A care plan outlines the care an individual needs; it identifies the actions the nurse must implement as per the nursing assessment (Carpetnito-Moyet 2009). Documentation should be clear and up to date (Department of Health 2010). Also a risk assessment should have been carried out to ensure Joe’s safety; recognising his mobility needs and if he is at risks of falls, reviewed and amended as necessary. Joe also needs a catheter care plan to monitor the progress of his catheter to ensure that is maintained correctly, changed regularly and to ensure that Joe is aware of personal hygiene and cleaning his catheter (Royal College of Nursing 2008). Joe’s food and fluid intake should also have been recorded to monitor his input, output and his weight, ensuring he was maintaining a healthy balance (Brooker & Nicol 2003). Having investigated, researched and reflected upon the scenario using the available material, the above should be the minimum requirement; Joe should be treated with respect, honouring his choice whilst maintaining dignity and encouraging independence for a better quality of life; whilst supporting him in establishing friendships and outside interests.

Research Paper on Chocolate

Research Paper on Chocolate The Day Chocolate Company was set up through the efforts of Twin Trading Company (TTC) in the UK and Kuapa Kokoo Ltd (KKL) from Ghana. In 1992, TTC assisted cocoa farmers in Ghana to form a co-operative, Kuapa Kokoo Ltd, to trade in cocoa. The whole idea was to enable the cocoa farmers to obtain a better price from their cocoa in the world markets, particularly, the fair trade market. KKL later decided to own a chocolate bar. The main aim here has been to maximize returns to their members. In 1998, TTC and KKL established the Day Chocolate Company (DCC) to realize their dream. Both KKL and TTC have inter-laced missions. KKL’s mission is to get a fair or higher price for the cocoa farmers on the international market. TTC’s mission comes from their belief that primary producers should get a better deal for their products on the international market. DCC does not actually have its own mission statement but its aim is to send fairly traded chocolate onto the mainstream market with the aim of maximizing returns for Kuapa Kokoo farmers. Though DCC does not have its own mission statement, we are bound by our parent companies’ vision statements. TTL’s mission was mission was to assist small-scale farmers, through trading, to achieve:   Greater awareness and ability to plan and think strategically, to be protagonists in the market   Greater bargaining power through this knowledge and the ability to gain access to resources and infrastructure through ownership or negotiation with third parties   Greater income at the village community level and thus greater capacity to invest in human capital for the future. The DCC has, since its creation, produced three chocolate bars. These are Divine Chocolate, Divine Black Chocolate and Dubble. A new product, Divine Instant Chocolate Drink, will be launched latter part of 2002. The name ‘Divine’ was retained because of the value our customers attach to it as a chocolate product as well as its heavenly nature. DCC does not own any production facility. It contracts manufacturers to produce its products for a fee. This arrangement would be maintained for the new product. ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE PRODUCT Every year, in Britain, a combined total of Ј4 billion pounds is spent on chocolate. It would be nice to think that a proportion of this could find its way back to the families currently living in Ghana with no electricity, no running water, no transport, no schools and no medical facilities. All Divine products are known as the chocolate with a heart. The main idea behind this is the fact that for every time we buy and drink a cup of Divine Instant Chocolate Drink, we are helping to support farmers in poverty-stricken parts of Africa, pumping money into a poor economy, enabling village-folk to educate their children, and giving women the chance to make something of their lives. Plus it tastes good too! TARGET CONSUMERS Divine Chocolate, Divine Black and Dubble, have been aimed at specific targets. These being mid 20’s women, adults and kids respectively. Our initial market research indicates that, the product to be launched, Divine Instant Chocolate Drink should primarily be aimed at kids and expand the link Divine products have with kids. In the long term, other groups will be targeted. Initially, the focus is the English market. As a first step, the chocolate drinks, sold through dispensing machines, will be launched. At a later stage, a powdered form Divine Instant Chocolate Mix in containers will be added. BRAND MANAGEMENT Brand management should recognize that every product has a limited life. Products go through a series of four life cycle stages. These are: introduction, growth, maturity and decline. The Introduction phase is characterized by low sales, high costs, innovative customers, negative profits and few competitors. The Growth phase is characterized by rapidly increasing sales, costs stabilize, rising profits, customers are early adopters and competition is growing. At the Maturity stage, sales peak, costs are at their lowest per consumer, the stable number of competitors and profits begin to decline. The Decline stage has declining sales, profits, competition, costs are still low per customer. We are aware of the fact that the chocolate market is saturated and that there is the need to build on our core competence. Brand management, in this project, is considered in relation to the life cycle of the Divine Instant Chocolate Drink in the next sessions of this report. INTRODUCTION STAGE Product   Divine Instant Chocolate Drink is a delicious, sweet-tasting, sink-in the- heart chocolate drink. It is a drink for all. It contains cocoa beans, skimmed milk and sugar.   The drink will be sold hot or cold all the year round according to customers’ preferences. Price The drink is priced by cup sizes as follows: smaller size 79p: larger size Ј1.49. Even though the prices are bit higher than traditional chocolate drinks, the money accrued will find its way to the primary producers who live in poverty. Promotion Intensive promotional activities will be undertaken. These will cover the following:   Television adverts   Features articles in newspapers   Posters and leaflets   Road shows   Exhibitions   Co-branding with Starbucks and Cafe Nero   Free samples   Fair Trade fortnight activities   Internet advertisements   Competitions on Cartoon Network and Fox Kids to draw the awareness of our prime target to our products. This has already started and will continue.   Our special message about the need to ensure a fair deal for farmers from developing countries will be stressed in all our promotional activities Packaging   The drink comes in disposable cups of two sizes, namely, small and large, through dispensing machines. The smaller size is aimed at kids and first time buyers. The larger size is for adults and existing buyers. The Divine logo and DCC logo are embossed on the cup. The cup will also carry the Fair Trade Mark . Place   Presently all Divine products are available at Sainsbury’s, Iceland, Co-operative Shop, NUS shops, Body Shop and Tesco.   The new product will make use of Divine’s existing channels of distribution.   In addition, agreements have been made with Starbucks, CafÐ ¹ Nero, Waitrose and Morrison to sell the new product.   The distributors will provide their own dispensing machines. These machines will bear the Divine, DCC and Fair Trade logos. This will save DCC the cost of investing in dispensing machines.   The distributors will earn a commission on sales. GROWTH STAGE Our objective here is to maximize our brand equity. Product   Intensive market research will be undertaken to identify new target consumers.   A new concept for chocolate drinks will be developed. New flavors will be introduced to push the image of the product up.   The drink in powder form will be introduced.   Will seek to become a market leader of fair-trade chocolate drinks.   The powdered form of the chocolate mix will be introduced. Packaging   New and innovative designs will be made in response to consumer preferences. One of our aims here is to increase volumes and to maintain high-quality packaging solutions. A conversion from standard disposable cups to a niche type of cup may occur during this stage, if volumes warrant. Place   Review existing distribution channels to address any problems.   Increase the number of outlets for existing channels of distribution.   Introduction of new distributors e.g. work places, new supermarkets and schools. Promotion   Continue with intensive promotional activities to push the growth of the products.   Social marketing.   Will continue to emphasize our core message.   Fair Trade fortnight activities Price   Price review will be considered in response to competition.   Will, however, maintain our policy of fixing prices that are slightly higher than obtained in the normal chocolate drink market. MATURITY/STATIONARY STAGE Product   Analyze indicators through market research.   Diversify brands. Update and modernize current products.   Introduce more flavours e.g. Vanilla Flavour Chocolate Drink, Orange Flavour Chocolate Drink etc. Packaging   Depending on the product category and volume, enhanced disposable or re-usable cups are good packaging solutions during this stage.   Customized cups may be introduced.   The whole idea is to improve packaging Place   Undertake Intensive distribution to consolidate.   Non-profitable outlets would be withdrawn. Promotion   Discount offers.   2 for the price of 1 offer.   Competitions to be organized.   Co-branding e.g. we may co-brand with Orange Communications when launching our Orange Chocolate Drink.   Advertisement should also encourage brand switching.   Fair Trade fortnight activities Price   Price review will be considered in-depth in response to competition.   Will, however, maintain our policy of fixing prices that are slightly higher than obtained in the normal chocolate drink market. This would be to help the farmer in line with our mission. DECLINING STAGE Product   Will create new products to replace the old. This will bring new customers as well as the return of old customers who had shifted to other products.   Will continue to produce a limited quantity of old products. This will help to maintain our most loyal customers. Packaging With an emphasis on cost reduction and a decreasing emphasis on reusable cups, disposable cups packaging are an option. Place   Continue to consolidate our distribution channels while withdrawing from areas with no prospect. Promotion   Will promote our product at this stage by making attractive offers to consumers.   Will improve quality and upgrade our products in order to keep old and loyal customers. This is because, finding new customers costs more than keeping old ones.   Build relationships with customers.   Have newsletters on our website on our events and how to get involved.   Fair Trade fortnight activities Price At this stage price competition from dying products becomes more vigorous. Will stay in competition by stressing vigorously our core message and also keep our margins thin.

People of the middle east Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

People of the middle east - Essay Example The first word that was revealed to Mohammad (P.B.U.H) in the Koran was â€Å"IQRA† which means to read, recite and seek knowledge. The Koran repeats several words in order to embed key concepts in the mind of the listeners. The word Elm (Knowledge) has been used 750 times which has got the third position after the words ‘Allah’ and ‘Rab’. So Allah emphasized the importance of education and knowledge in the first word of his revelation and even throughout the Koran. Islam is a precious gift for the Muslims to attain salvation and success in this world. For this they need to follow the Koran and seek knowledge from it. Education is an ultimate criterion in recognizing a true Muslim and every true Muslim need to seek and spread knowledge as taught by prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H). The following hadith (Sayings of Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H)) demonstrates the importance of education in Islam. Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said that if anyone travels on the road with the intention of seeking knowledge then Allah will cause him to travel on the roads of Paradise. The inhabitants of heavens, earth and the fish living in the deep water will ask for forgiveness for the knowledgeable man. The superiority of the learned man over a devout is like of a moon, over a full night, on the other stars in the sky. The learned people are the heirs of prophet who do not leave dirham (money or currency of Arabia) but only leave knowledge and whoever takes it take in generous amounts. History shows that Muslims have rose to the zenith of civilization and it was just because they adhered to the Islamic law and the teachings of the Holy Koran. The Islamic Empire was once the most advanced and civilized nation of the world. Muslims were responsible for setting the fundamental concepts of different fields. The teaching of the Koran drove them to accomplishments in various disciplines of science. By the end of the tenth century

Police Training and Equipment during Budget Crisis Research Paper

Police Training and Equipment during Budget Crisis - Research Paper Example ions is that the existing police force is barely adequate to handle the volume of crimes andï€ ¬ thereforeï€ ¬ the menace of crime keeps increasingï€ ® This is especially so in the case of countries such as US and UKï€ ¬ which confront the threats of a large number of illegal immigrantsï€ ¬ criminal gangsï€ ¬ drug syndicatesï€ ¬ weapon smugglersï€ ¬ terrorists groups etcï€ ® These criminals, with their free availability of funding and other resources, operate with the help of modern technology and sophisticated gadgets. On the other hand, due to paucity of funds, the training and provision of equipment for police forces remain sidetracked on many occasions. Compromising on the training and equipment of the police forces can impact negatively on their performance and morale especially when they have to confront highly trained, motivated and well equipped criminals. Therefore, the budgetary constraints of government should not be taken as an excuse for cuttin g down on the cost of police training and provision of equipment. In order to analyze this issue, this study will evaluate the existing literature on the topic and data available on police budget and how budgetary cuts affect police training and provision of equipment. In the current scenarioï€ ¬ fighting terrorism is a most complex and challenging concern for the law enforcement agencies in USï€ ¬ as various terrorist organizations are being funded by foreign nations that have plenty of resourcesï€ ® Besidesï€ ¬ the members of such groupsï€ ¬ who are blind believers in religious faithï€ ¬ become committed followers that are ready to sacrifice their lives for the cause they believe inï€ ® They are also highly educatedï€ ¬ technology savvy and driven by fanatics to such an extent that they are prepared to go to any extend to unleash carnage in nations they believe are against the values they cherishï€ ® Therefore, in order to combat criminals of this kind, the police needs to be appropriately trained and well equipped. Ho wever,