Business Report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Report - Term Paper Example The founder was Ms.CarrollCaire who acted as the director. Co-founders included Johnson. P. K and Katherine Powell. Initially Katherine was the secretary general while Johnson was the manager. The hotel has twenty two employees and has two locations in the city(Ford, 2008). The company has experienced tremendous growth since2014 due to the increasing number of tourists in the city. The profit increased by a profit margin of 12% since its foundation. In 2013 the hotel was among the best hotels in the city in the 2009-2010 financial years. The main services and products include catering and accommodation services. Recreational services such as swimming and gymnastics are also available to the clients at a fee. There are some fast food shops that sell artistic assets to the tourists at a cheap price(Begley, 2006). Business report is a form of assignment that serves to analyze a using application of business theories to produce a range of suggestions for improvement of the business of a given client or firm. This business plan will thus demonstrate my analytical, reasoning, and evaluation skills while identifying and weighing-up possible solutions and outcomes of the personalized customer service in Pacino Sky Fall Hotel. The business plan will also examine available and potential solutions to solve problematic situations or issue arising from customer’s feedback information desk(Taggart & Publications, 2009). In an attempt to make customers delightful a hotel company need to find out what makes their clients tick. There is a great need to monitor the service users and learn what they deem important by setting up metrics to measure their behavioral changes. The main agenda is to increase customer’s engagement and service fulfillment(Begley, 2006). Personalized customer service is a system that focuses on customer’s

Standalone vs networked computers Essay Example for Free

Standalone vs networked computers Essay This report will clearly explain the differences between standalone and networked machines, as well as give a brief insight into the basic components of the network. Also, it will state the possible advantages and disadvantages to keeping the current standalone set up opposed to the idea of creating a network. A synopsis shall be included to summarise your options, and give a professional opinion on what would be the most beneficial for your small furniture business. STANDALONE ENVIRONMENT WHAT IS IT? A standalone environment is when a computer is used independently without connection to any communication devices. Each computer will need a copy of the operating system and software being used. If you need to transfer data between departments, it will have to be done manually. They vary from networked computers which are able to communicate to other computers because as soon as a computer is attached to a communication device, it instantly becomes in a network. The main characteristics of a standalone computer are: * It has no connection to any other computers * It does not have an internet connection * Data would need to be manually transferred via CDs, etc COMPUTER NETWORK WHAT IS IT? A basic network consists of several computers and hardware devices such as printers and scanners that are linked together so that they can communicate with each other. It features four distinct elements in addition to the computers themselves. These are: * Communication devices * Networking Software * Data transfer media * Standards and procedures Communication devices are pieces of hardware that are needed to turn standalone computers into networked computers. Before a computer can be connected to a network it must have a network interface card (NIC). This is a card that contains essential circuitry and a plug-in socket that allows a connection between the computer and the cabling. The NIC basically prepares and convert data to a form that can be transmitted through media (such as a metal cable or fibre optic cable). Networking software varies dependent on the size of the network. Because your furniture firm is only a small business, the networking software on Windows XP shall suffice, but take note of this information in case the business planning future expansion. Specialised network operating systems coordinate the activities of all the computers and other devices connected to a network. Popular network operating systems include: UNIX owned by the SCO group as 2000, Linux and Novell Netware, a popular client-server network operating system. Data transfer media is the physical material through which data travels from one computer to another. The main data transfer media an offer in todays market are metal wires, and fibre optic cable which add the cost of creating/installing a network, or alternatively wireless. Standards and procedures are important because without them one device in your network could be sending data to another device in a form that the other device may not be able to interpret. In order for a network to run properly it must adopt certain procedures. Without procedures the security of the network might be comprised, as well as the health of the employees. Legislation such as the Data Protection Act and Computer Misuse Act may accidently be disobeyed. ADVANTAGES OF STAYING STANDALONE The advantages to keeping the current 5 machines set up as they are, as standalone machines are: * It would be a cheaper option in terms of hardware and software. The cables, especially high speed fibre optic cables can be money consuming, as well this NIC and data transmission media can be costly * Less ICT knowledge is needed to keep the systems running efficiently, hence qualified network managers/administrators do not need to be employed * Training costs (such as money and time) on how to maintain/operate a network are unneeded if every member of staff knows how to use a basic standalone machine * The spread of viruses and bugs can be keep minimal as each of the computers arent communicate, meaning the virus cannot be transferred from computer to computer * Hard is less of a necessity, as servers arent needed. This is beneficial in two ways: * If a piece of hardware malfunctions, it doesnt affect every machine whereas, say, if a file server crashed the whole network would be sabotaged * Initially purchasing costs and maintenance costs do not need to be funded if the complex hardware for a network isnt needed * Standalone machines can operate a lot faster as if they are only need for a specific task (e.g. Word processing) other software doesnt need to installed on the hard drive, hence making the machine more efficient ADVANTAGES OF CREATING A NETWORK The advantages of setting up a network far outweigh the advantages of staying standalone. There are however disadvantages which will be covered on the next page of this report: * Manual file transfer is rendered inept if the network operates using a file server, which holds all the important documents an organization needs, where every computer has access to instantly * Hardware such as printers can be shared between multiple computers, meaning a separate printer doesnt need to be purchased/installed to every machine * Software such as application are shared, meaning its easier to control software maintenance and making sure the software is up-to-date is easier and more efficient * Costs of purchasing software is reduced as you can purchase a single copy which can then be installed the server so every machine has access, which would be cheaper than the alternative of purchasing the software multiple times * Network managers can control what websites employees do and do not have access to, so distracting game websites can be blocked from every computer * Downloaded material can be checked with the latest virus checking software universally, so individual scans do not need to take place * Backing up files to save loosing valuable documents can be done automatically or by the network manager so less responsibility is placed upon the work force and the likelihood of lose is reduced * Internal business communication can be made easier throughout the means of e-mail, which will improve communication between workers DISADVANTAGES OF STAYING STANDALONE When there are advantages, there are usually disadvantages to go with it. The disadvantages of keeping the current layout format are as follows: * File transfer is time consuming and frustrating, as documents cannot be directly sent to each computer, hence file transfer media such as USB memory sticks or CDs need to be purchased * Communication when working on a joint computer project can be fussy, as e-mails cannot be sent, so the employees will have to engage in face-to-face communication * Information is hard to keep up-to-date as two or more users could be updating the same piece of information unaware the other is doing so, hence two or more documents will be produced causing confusion * Software needs to be installed individually on each of the 5 machines, which can be costly as the software needs to be replicated enough times and wasteful of businesses time * Back-up of files isnt centrally done, hence each machine need to be backed up and checked regularly to ensure to lose of data * The internet or intranet cannot be accessed by employees, meaning topics cannot be research, information cannot be posted in a bulletin, etc, hindering employees efforts DISADVANTAGES OF CREATING A NETWORK The disadvantages of creating a network are scarce as networks are beneficial to almost every organisation in todays society. However, they include: * The task of running and maintaining a network, ensuring that it is fully functional requires expertise, so a professional shall need to be hired * If hardware fails or malfunctions, every computer is faced with the inconvenience. For example if the network file server goes down, no computer can gain access to the shared files * The initial costs involved in setting up a network are high as all the hardware and software need to purchased, although a network will save money in the long run, in the short run it is costly * Viruses can be spread more easily and quickly to every computer on the network, whereas if it happened to a standalone computer only one would be affected SYNOPSIS Overall, the advantages to your small business of creating a network far outweigh the advantages of keeping the machines standalone. The ability to share files such as orders, receipts, etc would be drastically improved as a file server could be emplaced for ease of access. Providing you have the funds to invest in the highly priced equipment, the option of setting up a network would be beneficial in the long term for the business especially in major growth happens which can be foresaw with the increasing mass of technology used. You could use the internet research competitors prices, to offer your customer the best quality service available and even start trading online using e-commerce. Make sure sufficient antivirus software is in place to protect from the risk of hackers or viruses; this may cost extra money, as it needs to be updated. The ICT department may need to consider employing highly qualified employees to run and maintain the network to make sure its operational on a day to day basis. So the options are to keep the 5 standalone machines and be faced with the disadvantages of them, or set up a network of computers and experience the change.

The Great Gatsby and the tainted American Dream Essay -- essays resear

Benjamin Franklin coined the phrase, â€Å"American Dream† during the early infancy of our country, proposing this dream as, â€Å"That pursuit of a better existence †¦ [and] a higher quality of life through hard work, determination, and devotion.† While this may be what many of the characters in The Great Gatsby believe (Jay Gatsby in particular), one critical ideal is discarded in Fitzgerald’s twisted refinement of Franklin’s definition: morality. It is apparent that Jay Gatsby achieves his wealth and social status through illegal and immoral means, such as bootlegging alcohol. The irony becomes remarkably stunning when one realizes that the section of Franklin’s autobiography, which outlines his method for achieving this dream, is entitled â€Å"Moral Perfection†. Fitzgerald presents a dark satire by portraying the immoral Jay Gatsby as an icon for the decay of the dream Franklin proposed and promoted so avidly. Fitzgerald masterfull y allows the reader watch the evolution of Franklin’s American dream from its fertilization in the ambition of James Gatz to its dominance over Gatz’s life, eventually spawning Jay Gatsby (Gatz-bye) a self-destructive man holding on to a dream that can never become a reality. In addition to Gatsby’s delusional pursuit of happiness, Nick Carraway, our narrator, suffers from the same addiction to a dream, which, if made true, will never live up to its expectations. It is obvious that Nick envies Gatsby, hence the title of the novel. Nick is in awe of Gatsby’s wealth, social power and moreover, and most of all, the carefree lifestyle it allows. Nick, at the same time he is completely unaware of the illicit means by which Gatsby has gained his wealth. Following Gatsby’s death at the end of the novel, Fitzgerald shows Nick’s awakening from his dream to persuade the reader to walk away from his novel understanding the lesson that Nick learns from Gatsby’s folly. Fitzgerald strives to expose a striking realization that the American dream that Franklin proposed will never be able to deliver its promise of â€Å"a better existence† in a society where morality is tossed aside so casually. Fitzgerald litters the novel with a cast of characters who are struggling to chase either emotionless dreams or impossible ones. All of these other characters suffer from this plague of disillusionment that has come to be known as a staple in modernist writing. Morality... ...ended up had he followed Gatsby and taken that â€Å"job† offer. Tom and Daisy both suffer from the sins of gluttony and avarice that dominate their dreams of happiness, they can’t get away from thinking that the more they own the happier they’ll be. This can be seen in the way Tom mourns little for Myrtle, but only worries about himself when George comes to see him after Myrtle’s death. If he feels a little hurt it’s because he’ll have to go out and find another mistress, and we can’t say for sure whether or not he will. Fitzgerald is bent on making sure the readers take away one message, there is no more American dream. He doesn’t stop there though, he goes on to warn his readers that if you don’t believe him and decide chase your personal American dream and shoot too high or too low, you will end up miserable, possibly for the rest of your life. Lastly, there is no doubt that this novel’s message about the d ecay of the American dream is solely focused on an audience facing some of the most vastly changing times in our civilization’s history and a warning that just like Jay Gatsby found out, there is no way to reclaim the past, that American dream, Franklin’s American dream is gone.

Equity :: Papers

Equity In 1066 when William the conqueror came to England the law was very different from today. Itinerant judges who would travel around the country settling any disputes administrated it. They started out using local laws and applying these to cases before them. However, the Normans were keen to develop a law which they could apply to the whole country, a law which would be common to every one. So they gathered what was considered to be the best of different local laws and developed a common law. Soon though many problems were found with common law. It soon became too ridged. Two of the main problems with common law were, that it didn’t offer sufficient remedies and, a civil action could only be taken by use of a â€Å"writ.† A writ was used to set out the cause of the action and the grounds for the claim. The writ became a problem because it had to be made to fit and existing writ. To start with a new writ was created when a suitable previous case could not be found however, it was soon stopped and no new writs could be issued. This meant that some cases were unable to be pursued, as an existing writ that suited the case could not be found. This made many people unhappy with the common law system. The other main reason people were unhappy with the common law system is that insufficient remedies were offered in some cases. The only remedy available was damages, this meant compensation, which was not always satisfactory. As a result of these problems many people became increasingly dissatisfied with the common law system. More and more people began to petition to the king as a â€Å"fountain of justice† for a more suitable

2- Religion Does Not Cause Wars

Religion Causes War. † So often is this sentiment heard in the best sellers from Richard Dawkins to Sam Harris that it has almost become a proverb. It is said so often that people believe it without question. But, in fact, religion does not cause war. If you are an atheist, I ask for your intellectual honesty in evaluating this question. You have every right to believe what you will, but we should all be honest and not sling mud where it is not warranted. Laying war at the feet of religion is just not honest, warranted, fair or accurate. War is people (usually men) fighting, usually for a bit of territory or desired resource.One party wants something another party has. The leader of the first party will use whatever he can to galvanize his entire party, usually connecting to any group identity he can think of, which includes but is not limited to ideology, nationality, ethnicity, class and yes, religion. War is two groups (of any definition, but of which the group designation i s incidental) fighting over something one has and the other wants. Blaming only religion is as incorrect as blaming only ethnic groups, ideologues, persons identifying with a certain country or class struggle.The two most destructive wars in history, World Wars I and II both had nothing to do with religion. WWI was the unfortunate culmination of dangerous levels of Nationalism. In WWII Hitler used nationality and ethnicity to galvanize his group to take what he wanted that others had: the whole of Europe. The millions who died under Communism were under a specifically atheistic ideology that explicitly proscribed religion and decried it as a delusion. All wars in American history from the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, and the World Wars all had absolutely nothing at all to do with religion.Ah, but the major one cited by atheists is the Crusades. Once again though, one group (this time, yes the Christians) galvanized under that group bec ause they wanted something someone else, the Muslims, had. It is important to keep mind two things though 1) that the Christians had been in possession of the land until the Muslims seized in the 700s AD and thought they were just taking it back and 2) that it was not just Christians versus Muslims. Neither Christian nor Muslim leadership was united. It was different bands of Christians versus different Muslim cities and leaders.Several times during the fighting actually, Muslims would ally with Christians against their own Muslim enemies and vice versa. It was not straight Christianity vs. Islam. But regardless, the point is that it was one group wanting something another group had. Yes religion was the galvanizing factor in this case, but it could have easily been something else, like Europeans versus Arabs, and in the actually fighting those identities broke down as people allied with whomever would be most helpful in achieving their ends. Clearly, religion was not the only thing motivating those who fought.Eliminating religion would do nothing to eliminate war. There are so many other group identities which may be/are equally, if not more so, abused that the elimination of one, if even possible, would have no effect on the amount of fighting in this world whatsoever. This whole thing is not to say that group identities are bad, just that they, like anything existing, may be abused. I would not advocate an attempt to dissolve all group ties simply because they are not inherently bad in the least and I do not believe it possible to destroy them at all.They are true, not made up or purely subjective. They are natural, are usually very good and are part of the human condition. We desire to associate, as Aristotle and so many others have acknowledged, we are social creatures. â€Å"Man is a political animal. † Forming groups and identities is just what we do. And those communities become true expressions of self, a group self that has just as much potent ial for affirming true ideas as philosophy or science.Some may say that Europe, particularly France have effectively done away with public religious sentiment, but does not France identity as secular just as strongly as another country identifies as religious? Secularism too is an identity that has just as much potential to encourage war as religion or any other identity. Communism is an all too perfect example of that. In conclusion, there is a distorted story of history floating around in which religion causes everything. This is actually far from the truth.So in closing, here is just a brief list of examples of wars not caused by religion. 1. World War I 2. World War II 3. The Cold War 4. The American Civil War 5. The American Revolution 6. The Hundred Years War in Europe between England and France from 1337 to 1453. It was over a claim to the French throne 7. The Napoleonic Wars 8. The Rwandan Genocide (ethnic) 9. The Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta in Ancient Greec e (over territory and power) 10. Every Roman battle ever, such as the Punic Wars against Carthage Image Source

The Most Powerful CoSchedule Calendar For Solopreneurs

The Most Powerful Calendar For Solopreneurs Attention solopreneurs, freelancers, and bloggers! I’d like to introduce you to the brand NEW Essential + ReQueue Plan†¦ the last editorial calendar you’ll ever need ðŸ™Å' get the deets We’ve added some great new features + slashed prices on some of our most powerful features. We’re calling it the Essential + ReQueue Plan, and it’s the most powerful plan we’ve ever offered  and it costs less than ever before.The Most Powerful Calendar For SolopreneursWith our NEW Essential + ReQueue plan, you get: ReQueue (for FREE).  No need for add-on expenses. With our new Essential + ReQueue plan, you instantly get ReQueue! That means you’re gettin’ a $150 social automation toolfor FREE. Our best integrations package (yup, literally all of them). Every  pricing plans now includes our best integrations: Google Docs, Evernote, Google Analytics, Bit.ly, every social networketc. All your WordPress sites on ONE calendar (w/ one price).  No more jumping from calendar to calendar to keep track of every WordPress site. Quickly access all your sites  (and every associated task, piece of content, and deadline) in the same calendar. 😎 Built-in social message analytics.  Our built-in social message analytics are included with the Essential plan, plus (coming soon) a new series of Social Network Reports. AND saved calendar views (by default). With the new Essential plan, you can create multiple calendar views, save em, and quickly access your content whenever you need it. Why it’s the BEST plan for Solopreneurs, Bloggers Freelancers: You get WAY more for less.  Before our Essential plan, it took $79/month to gain access to ReQueue feature. We’ve cut the price by $30. Now, you can get ReQueue plus a ton of other features for only $49/month. You can add users + social profiles whenever you want. You will never need to pay for users or profiles that you don’t need. Now you can add additional users for only $9/month or social profiles in packs of 5 for only $2 per profile. You have ONE bill (for everything).  With our old plan, many users were required to pay for multiple calendars with multiple bills. This was hassle and could get expensive quickly. We’ve fixed that. Now you’ll have one subscription and one bill to manage. Huzzah! And there’s MORE! Of course, we’ve updated all our pricing plans. Creating custom plans focused on flexibility (and giving your the features that MATTER MOST to you!). This update has simplified our pricing tiersfrom 10to 4 easy-to-understand  pricing options. We also have a lot of NEW features on the roadmapincluding  Social Network Reports (scheduled to release late Fall 2017). These reports will be accessible at every plan level  and will give you a glimpse into your social activity on a per network basis. In addition, we’ve got some exciting improvements to a few of your favorite features! NEW + improved mobile app  for social scheduling Updates to your favorite content curation tool: Chrome Extension NEW ReQueue 2.0:  the only social automation tool with  built-in intelligence is getting an update! Stay tuned! We’ve got a lot on the docket AND its all focused on making you the best kick-a$$ blogger, solopreneur, and freelancer out there! Check out the Essential + ReQueue plan today.

Impact social class in consumer behavior Essays

Impact social class in consumer behavior Essays Impact social class in consumer behavior Essay Impact social class in consumer behavior Essay Brief summary on Social Class Impact on Consumer behavior in Peru The classes Status: to be understood as the position of the individual within a social system, as perceived by members of society. The status depends not only on the social class to which they belong but individual characteristics. The social class structure are generally divided into five groups: high, medium high, medium, medium low, low. The profiles of each of these classes indicate that socioeconomic differences are reflected n differences in attitudes, leisure activities and consumption habits. Research has revealed difference between the class as to the habits of clothing, home decor, telephone use, use of leisure time, preferably purchase locations and saving habits, spending and credit use. This can be used strategically for marketing. Studies of consumer dissatisfaction reveal a relationship between the type of problems posed by the consumer and social class. Each society establishes subjectively set of values ND ideals reflected in the types of the members thereof, that apply to that ideal are respected and have prestige. In this aspect, the possession of certain products are considered in many cases as a status symbol , like the automobile , the type and location of housing, etc.. In complex societies where wealth determines the status, possessions become an indicator of the value of wealth; here in Peru occurs almost the same. However, there has been a weakening of the traditional symbols of status, cause with the advances in technology and communication, has increased the desire and the availability of material goods in all classes. The middle class is refined tastes holding the luxury goods market. The symbols and not necessarily an indicator of social class, so the upper classes adopt other symbols, and these vary by geographic region, for example, in the mountains of Peru, wealth can be measured by the amount of land or livestock that one possesses. Social classes are multidimensional: People often associate the money with the idea of social class, but also the occupancy generally provides indication of the class to which it belongs, since certain occupations enjoy greater prestige. Here in Peru, the occupations that create this image are administrators, industrial engineers, miners, some lawyers, among others. The house also has considered another important indicator of social class, especially the installation site.

Gig

Gig Gig Gig By Maeve Maddox A reader objects to the expanding use of the noun gig beyond the meaning it has for musicians: I have received an invitation to attend a revegetation gig at a local riverside park in Brisbane Australia. I know that music bands play at gigs, but to use gig to mean a getting together of people for  any communal effort, seems pretty sloppy to me. Where does that gig come from anyway? The word gig, as both noun and verb, has a long history in English. Its etymology in any of its applications is unknown. In the 15th century, a gig was a child’s spinning toy. In the 18th century, a gig was a light one-horse carriage. When I was a child, I heard fishermen speak of gigs used to spear frogs and fish. Not until I went to college did I learn about the musical type of gig. Some definitions stress that a gig is of short duration: gig (noun): An engagement for a musician or musicians playing jazz, dance-music, etc. Specifically, a ‘one-night stand.’–OED gig (noun): A single professional engagement, usually of short duration, as of jazz or rock musicians.  Ã¢â‚¬â€œDictionary.com Here are examples of this use of gig: One of the biggest bands in the world, the Foo Fighters, are set to play two massive gigs in Australia and New Zealand to raise money for the victims of the floods and the earthquake. Welcome to the wonderful world of professional church and temple gigs in NYC. Gig to mean any kind of job is documented in the OED as early as 1964 in a citation that refers to a man (presumably a musician) who has to work â€Å"a mail-handler gig at the Post Office† to supplement his income. Nowadays, any kind of job–of long or short duration–is referred to as a gig: I quit that cushy job, sold my sports car, and hitchhiked to Louisiana, where I landed a spiritual gig working tugs and barges from Galveston, Texas thru Venice, Louisiana. The Green Rolling Hills, ed. V. J. Banis, Wildside Press, 2008. A college professor who lost his [tenured] job over anti-Semitic tweets is angry about losing the gig, but not sorry about his Twitter missives. Former Windows boss lands teaching gig at Harvard This housekeeping gig isn’t so bad. I get continental breakfasts every day and discount hotel rooms. Had my  first big catering gig  for 150 people Saturday afternoon. Gig is also used in the sense of session or appointment: The all-night study gig: a rite of passage Olympic womens hockey goalie scores practice gig with Edmonton Oilers Batting-practice gig with Bonds a dream Musicians may have introduced it into the language, but gig has caught on in colloquial speech as a useful word for everyone. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Avoid Beginning a Sentence with â€Å"With†Social vs. SocietalOne Scissor?

Globalisation and Small Medium Enterprises Essay

Globalisation and Small Medium Enterprises - Essay Example executives are required to make frequent visits to foreign markets to meet foreign distributors and to participate in trade missions and trade shows. Global strategic planning is increasingly becoming essential for SMEs. Introduction Globalization as a business concept came to the forefront some twenty years ago. There is much more to globalization than just business conducted through export-import activities and foreign direct investments (FDI). Globalization of enterprises means the set of operations or coordinated actions, which an enterprise may take to make its presence felt in other markets or to benefit from resources originating from other markets. And for the SMEs, with their limited resources, it is one of the toughest choices to make because of the numerous risks inherent in it. A number of SMEs, which are quite prosperous locally, fail to rise in foreign markets.Emerging SMEs in the new economic order in most of the growing market economies as well as in countries in transition are constantly in pressure to cope with the challenges of the opening market economies, especially in wake of the enlargement of the EU. For instance, Austria's inclusion into the EU brought fresh opportunities for the Austrian SMEs, however it brought considerable threats as well, for they come into confrontation with a more complex and dynamic environment. This demands an adapted system of planning and control-tool to secure and strengthen their competencies on part of the marketing-management in SMEs. In recent years, a slew of international strategies for the SME have been analyzed and forwarded by OECD countries, however, there exist a considerable variance regarding the importance and the utilization. Yet, an area, which deserves a fair...They are worried, that there will be an effect of exclusion of SMEs, which will be pushed to the margin of this process to the advantage of better financed and more internationalized giant corporation. In some cases this risk may be a real one." "the majority of our sample enterprises have experienced an evolution in line with the Internationalization Stages Theory, they equally use many other types of inter-enterprise accords (strategic alliances).These more flexible methods insert themselves between the more "popular strategies" within the Internationalization Stages theory (see figure 2). It is plausible to believe that the utilization of accords, as well as alleviating the problem of constraints on resources, which is a frequent problem among SMEs, opens the path towards the adoption of more important strategies as the enterprises commits itself more and more in the foreign market."5 "Often their (that means Entrepreneurs) first attempt at moving outside their local market is to Europeanise their activities. At a European level we are trying to make it easier for them to make that leap forward. It began with the single market process that generated a great deal of excitement at the beginning of the 1990s.

LexisNexis Legal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LexisNexis Legal - Research Paper Example By definition, a statement of limitation refers to the enactment that exists in the legal system of common law, which puts a limit on the maximum time, that a person may seek legal proceedings after an event occurs that warrants the start of the legal proceedings. There are reasons why the statements of limitation are put in place. Among them, is that evidence may be corrupted if so much time passes by before the legal proceedings begins or are started. The section that follows in this report summarizes the statutes of limitations for the different states in which the bulk of the clients do business. The State of Michigan Personal Injury The statute of limitation against the cause of action on the grounds of personal injury can best be understood through the case laws covered in the state of Michigan. Personal injury actions must be within the first three years from the time the injury happened. If this is not pursued in time, the case may be invalid from thence onwards. The time pro vide for the limitation of action based on â€Å"injuries to a person or to property,† applies generally, to acts of negligence, financial loss claims, and the recovery of payments from third parties because of the personal injury. In addition, it applies due to the denial of a person’s civil rights given by the state, or by the federal government law, the invasion of privacy, and many more. When there is, an action for recovering of the damages incurred to the property and to the person, this three-year period of limitation applies. This is regardless of whether recovery of compensation for the damages experienced is sought in assumpsit or in tort, if the circumstances come up from a negligent action that constitutes a breach of express or implied contract. An action for injury to a person or to property has to be brought inside three years and not six years, so long as it is not a breach of an express promise 29 M.L.P. 2d STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS  § 18. Breach of Con tract The statute of limitation on the cause of a breach of contract legal proceedings is six years in the state of Michigan. This is the amount of time limitation applied to contract actions. Under this statute of limitation, a claim that is based an express provision provided by a contract between two or more parties, rather than one implied by law, has to be subjected to the limitations period of six years applied to all contract actions. On the other hand, the breach of an obligation, which the law implies on the part of one of the parties to a contract, which is owed to the other, falls under a tort, and is subject to the statute of limitations for torts, which has a limit period of three years. However, this statement of limitation does not cover fraudulent misrepresentations to the existence of a contract 29 M.L.P. 2d STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS  § 22. The case of Case v. Goren, 43 Mich. App. 673, 204 N.W.2d 767 (1972), is the perfect example of how this works. Conversion A caus e of action for a conversion accrues on, and limitations start to run on or after, the day of the conversion. The time limitation period for conversions is three years. This happens when authority is wrongfully acquired by a person over the other person’s personal property. Wisconsin State Personal Injury In the state of Wisconsin, actions to recover the damages that result from the injuries to

Speaking Tests Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Speaking Tests - Assignment Example The OPI is a face-to-face or telephonic interview that consists of three phases: a warm-up phase, a series of level checks and probes, and a wind-down phase. This is one of the most widely accepted tests for speaking ability and is used by government agencies (The Defense Language Institute, The Peace Corps), testing institutions (Educational Testing Service) and the Federal Interagency Language Roundtable. There are many advantages to the OPI system of testing. It is easy, quick and apparently accurately forecasts the degree to which a foreign-speaker will be able to communicate in English. Unlike written tests, it actually tests English speaking ability which, as with all languages, is completely separate from the ability to read and write. The test can be performed quickly and the tester can interview multiple people in a single session. This is particularly importance within the context in which this test is often given. Thus graduate students from foreign countries are often given the test before they can perform grading and/or teaching duties in American universities. Resources for such testing are limited, and so the ability for one tester to perform multiple tests in one day is vital. There are, however, detractors who ... Basically, Messick suggests that the OPI tests do not actually represent real-life conversations. Part of the problem with OPI tests are that they do not really reflect the sheer range of speaking that occurs in actual life. Thus there is monologic speaking (one person), dialogue speaking (two people) or multiple speakers, such as in a meeting with several colleagues. The OPI tests tend to test only one of these: the dialogue. As Brown (2003) and Bonk (2003) have suggested, some speakers do better with dialogue and some with discussion activities. A test that tests one over the other is bound to be somewhat limited in its scope. Another basic problem with this type of test (although it may in fact be shared with all speaking tests) is the variability of the interviewer and his/her affect upon the test results. Each interviewer will have a unique speech style, pattern and intonation that may help (or hinder) the interviewee (Brown, 2003). Thus the test result may be seen as a co-score reached by both the tester and the subject, rather than an accurate measure of the non-native sp eaker's communication prowess. This tendency may be countered by careful training of the tester and the equally careful process of self-evaluation and objective supervision which must occur. Within one center periodic test interviews can be undertaken in which the same candidate is tested by all the testers (with suitable renumeration of course) and the tests and then compared. If test results vary too much from the mean then some additional training etc, is perhaps needed. As McNamara (1997, 2002) suggests, the more educated, skillful and eloquent the

Economic Policy Recommendarion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economic Policy Recommendarion - Research Paper Example Relative poverty on the other hand, refers to the economic inequality that is experienced in a particular society. In the early times, poverty was a common social problem not only for the developing countries but also for the currently developed nations. The increased poverty level was not only due to insufficient and inadequate methods but also it was largely caused by the low demand of the products thus causing low production in the factories. Absolute and relative poverty are measured in different ways. According to the World Bank, $1.25 per day is the threshold for measuring absolute poverty. However, the threshold has been controversial based on the various thresholds used by some countries. For example, in 2010, the US maintained its threshold at $15.15 per day while China placed its threshold for absolute poverty at $ 0.55 per day (Banerjee and Esther, 2011). During the same year, India maintained that its threshold was standing at US$ 1.0 per day. On its part, relative povert y is depicted by the level of income inequality. It is measured by the percentage of individuals with income that is less than the median income. This paper seeks to discuss the impact of poverty and give policy recommendation on how this social problem can be solved using an economic policy. Impacts of poverty to society Poverty affects a society in different ways. One of the key effects is hunger. Due to lack of adequate funds to purchase food produce as well as lack of sufficient factors of production that includes land, labor, entrepreneurship and capital as a result of poverty, members of the society experience reduced food. The problem of hunger especially in some African countries results to illnesses that are caused by lack of vital nutrients for body growth. Another impact of poverty is unemployment. Despite the increase in population, poor countries have not adequate financial resources to initiate investment that acts as major sources of employment. As a result, high perc entage of the members of the society remains jobless thus leading to low households income and low purchasing power (Babb, 2009). Similarly, due to low income that the poor families are get either monthly or annually, they do not see the need for education. They in most cases use their low income to purchase cheap food products. As a result of lack of adequate education, and vital skills, the poor members of the society are not eligible to be employed thus raising the level of unemployment in a country. Poverty causes discrimination within a society. For example, due to their strong financial position, high income earners segregates their poor counterparts both in schools, hospitals and even in making decisions that affects the entire society. On their part, the poor individuals experiences low self esteem and inferior aspects that deteriorates their condition (Kerbo, 2006). Based on the increased cases of illnesses among the poor countries, the governments incur high costs in the f orm of low productivity and high financial expenditure on health care. Ultimately, such governments have to seek for grants from other countries or by increasing domestic taxes thus exerting more pressure on their economy. An economic policy solution to the poverty problem Based on the negative implications of poverty to the society and to a country as a whole, it is fundamental for

Sustainable Development of the Happy Planet Index Assignment

Sustainable Development of the Happy Planet Index - Assignment Example The firm that is analyzed in the paper is Happy Planet Index (HPI) that was designed in the year 2006 to evaluate the certain condition of the human life and the association of the humans and the environment. The previous indices like the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Human Development Index (HDI) have lost their worth, as the most of the people agreed to be happy and healthy instead to being rich. In other words we can say that the Happy Planet Index (HPI) is the measure of how healthy and happy the humans are leading their lives and how is the activities of the humans affects the environment surrounding them. Moreover, the rate of consumption of natural resources also matters a lot in determining the Happy Planet index (HPI). The carbon foot prints produced by the humans largely affects the index and in this way, it encounters the ecological footprints bet unit person residing in a particular locality. The lower the value of ecological foot prints, the larger will be the Hap py Planet Index (HPI). Happy Planet index contributes much in the sustainable development of the planet as the Happy Planet Index tells about the growth of the ecological foot prints per person residing in the certain locality. In major cities of the world and the bigger and progressed countries of the world, it is seen that the ecological foot prints per capita is more as compared to the some of the underdeveloped countries. Moreover, such areas, which have forest and green fields in the vicinity, have the higher Happy Planet index. It can be noticed that most of the people want to have a healthy and happy life instead of a lavish life that is full with money but lacks health and happiness. The major strength of the HPI over other types of indices like GDP etc is that the economic perspective attached with the GDP and others is replaced by the Happy Planet Index and provided a Satisfied and happy life to the people. It associated the humans well being to the ecology. The previous i ndices have pity less information about the health and happiness of the persons. The methods involved in the evaluation of the index are simple enough to be understood by the common public as well as politicians. The factors like the Ecological footprints and the life expectancy can be calculated and utilized in the calculating the Happy Life index that is then compared to other regions of the world but the results might have some minor errors particularly when considering the ecological footprints. The index is the way to encounter many factors, some soft as life satisfaction and hard as Life expectancy and ecological footprints. It covers both state wise factors as resource consumption and individual’s factors like individual’s well being. However, Happy Planet Index (HPI) has some limitations, as the Happy Planet Index has a major factor associated with it is the ‘Happiness’ and it is hard to measure the happiness as the complexity of the term is heavil y discussed among social reformers. In different regions of the world, the ideas related to the term may vary and it depends on the metal status of the person to define the term. In this way, the policy building step becomes more complex that is a limitation in the Happy Planet Index (HPI) (Schepelmann, Makipaa & Goossens, 2007). Moreover, as the index is named as the Happy Planet Index (HPI), many people got the wrong idea of the index and considered it only an index that depicts the happiness of the country while the Happy Planet Index covers the environmental, ecological and Longevity factors. The biological indicators or the biotic indicators are the organisms or organism or community’s aspect, which are the part of the environment and as some alteration in the environment occurs, the organisms correspond to the change and show some special characteristics. Some biotic indicators prove the purity of the water through their presence in the water, while show that the water is not ideal for drinking. Some organisms

Economic Policy Recommendarion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economic Policy Recommendarion - Research Paper Example Relative poverty on the other hand, refers to the economic inequality that is experienced in a particular society. In the early times, poverty was a common social problem not only for the developing countries but also for the currently developed nations. The increased poverty level was not only due to insufficient and inadequate methods but also it was largely caused by the low demand of the products thus causing low production in the factories. Absolute and relative poverty are measured in different ways. According to the World Bank, $1.25 per day is the threshold for measuring absolute poverty. However, the threshold has been controversial based on the various thresholds used by some countries. For example, in 2010, the US maintained its threshold at $15.15 per day while China placed its threshold for absolute poverty at $ 0.55 per day (Banerjee and Esther, 2011). During the same year, India maintained that its threshold was standing at US$ 1.0 per day. On its part, relative povert y is depicted by the level of income inequality. It is measured by the percentage of individuals with income that is less than the median income. This paper seeks to discuss the impact of poverty and give policy recommendation on how this social problem can be solved using an economic policy. Impacts of poverty to society Poverty affects a society in different ways. One of the key effects is hunger. Due to lack of adequate funds to purchase food produce as well as lack of sufficient factors of production that includes land, labor, entrepreneurship and capital as a result of poverty, members of the society experience reduced food. The problem of hunger especially in some African countries results to illnesses that are caused by lack of vital nutrients for body growth. Another impact of poverty is unemployment. Despite the increase in population, poor countries have not adequate financial resources to initiate investment that acts as major sources of employment. As a result, high perc entage of the members of the society remains jobless thus leading to low households income and low purchasing power (Babb, 2009). Similarly, due to low income that the poor families are get either monthly or annually, they do not see the need for education. They in most cases use their low income to purchase cheap food products. As a result of lack of adequate education, and vital skills, the poor members of the society are not eligible to be employed thus raising the level of unemployment in a country. Poverty causes discrimination within a society. For example, due to their strong financial position, high income earners segregates their poor counterparts both in schools, hospitals and even in making decisions that affects the entire society. On their part, the poor individuals experiences low self esteem and inferior aspects that deteriorates their condition (Kerbo, 2006). Based on the increased cases of illnesses among the poor countries, the governments incur high costs in the f orm of low productivity and high financial expenditure on health care. Ultimately, such governments have to seek for grants from other countries or by increasing domestic taxes thus exerting more pressure on their economy. An economic policy solution to the poverty problem Based on the negative implications of poverty to the society and to a country as a whole, it is fundamental for

Caterpillar Restructuring Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Caterpillar Restructuring - Assignment Example The company is having the revenue of US $ 36.339 Billion in the year 2005 and is currently employing 77000 employees approximately. The company was founded in 1925 as a result of a merger with Holt Manufacturing Co. and it started struggling and established it self because of the lack of competition, they were the pioneers in manufacturing the construction equipments of that time which were also used in the world war I and II effectively, the company sooner captured the market by providing products that were useful for construction which was taking place at its maximum as that era is highly admired for the construction in US, the company kept on moving and did manage to have contracts with leading construction companies, the company was running fine in 50s and 60s and 70s due to wars started by the US and also the world wars, but after some period when the stagnant construction took place, it was assured that the products were having a fall from growth towards the maturity, this Medvedev said in 1987, "Before the war the most widely used tractor was a wheeled 15-horsepower model with iron wheels without tires"(290). The company identified a number of problems in their products, and also this brought them to loss, also there were problems faced in the exports of the tools manufactured by the company. "Construction equipment industry net exports were $7.2 billion at their peak in 1980 and Caterpillar was the world's dominant manufacturer, exporting almost half of its 1981 U.S. production. This U.S. dominance was sharply eroded by the strength of the dollar in 1982-1984 as net exports dropped steadily to $2.2 billion in 1986. Japanese construction equipment manufacturers invaded the U.S. market in this period, pricing 50% below Caterpillar, Komatsu in particular gained 18% of the U.S. market and was able to establish a significant dealer network" (Wigmore, 143/44: 1997). This is showing how well the competition was growing and Caterpillar failed to identify the problem prevailing in 80s, the sales was only 15% from Caterpillar and 85% from Komatsu, and also the problems appeared in the company's operations as a result of the stock problem. "Caterpillar's stock dropped from a high of $73 in 1981 to a low of $30 in 1984. Capital expenditures were cut from $836 million to $229 million, and capital expenditures net of depreciation were negative from 1983 on. Plants were closed in Mentor (Ohio), San Landro (California), Burlington and Davenport (Iowa), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Dallas (Oregon), Newcastle (England), and Glasgow (Scotland). Employees dropped from 89,300 in 1979 to 54,000 in 1987. Costs were cut 22% through salary reductions, layoffs and early retirements, plant consolidations, and manufacturing efficiencies. Heavy price pressure was put on suppliers, worldwide sourcing was instituted, and 25% of production was moved abroad"(Wigmore, 172: 1997). The company was desperately looking to bring back its

Alcoholic beverage Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic beverage Essay Is the End of the German Beer Industry Near? 1. Discuss how the changing technological environment present international threats and opportunities to the German beer industry. To discuss how changing technological environment presents international threats and opportunities for the German beer industry, the term of changing technological environment has to be explained. The literature distinguishes between a micro environment and a macro environment. Micro environment concludes factors, which are directly influenced by a company. These factors are organizational – Marketing-Mix, Structure, processes etc. Macro environment contains political decisions, cultural and social changes and technological changes (Lee and Carter, 2009). Technological changes can include three sections to improve business processes of companies. The First is through technological innovations in products and processes. For instance producing processes in different Industries are much easier and faster today than before 30 years. Product life cycles are less long today – modern technology allows permanent improvements and innovative new products detach older products. That is a Development of modern Industries, which can be observed (Dicken, 2011). The second one is through communication and information. Technology increases productivity by time saving devices and allowing companies to work in collaboration with team members within a Network, who are not present or the ability of fast access to data from anywhere of the world (Obele, 2004). Furthermore modern Technology allows companies to do consumer or market research in a very short time, especially through the internet which provides opportunities for companies to enter new markets across several countries and regions in a very fast and easy way now (Litan et al. , 2010). The third one is through mobility and innovation in transportation. Today manufacturers are able to transport products with the help of airplanes, trains and ships in a geographical freedom without losing quality of products (Dicken, 2011). By increasing productivity generally through time and space saving devices modern technology provided the German industry opportunities to increase general production output. Improved Information and communication technology (ICT) and innovative transport systems results a less complex of processes to enter new markets by aimed communication and fast distribution. But one of the most important international opportunities that changing technological environment presents to the German beer industry is the improvement in production processes. Process optimisation and increased efficiency are priorities of the most companies. For Instance high-gravity wort fermentation or efficiency of wort sugar uptake are process activities resulting in reduced capital expenditure and gains in economies of scale (Stewart, no date). Economics of scale eventuates when a decline in average cost can be achieved through an increase in output of one product (O’Sullivan A.and Seffrin S. , 2003). In addition many of the big global players are leveraging from innovated brewing and fast fermentation processes. There are heavy investments in brewing development to produce more efficient for instance to exploit ingredients or save water and gain economies of scale. In the USA breweries like Anheuser-Busch, Miller and Coors managed to dominate the mass-producing sector and gained in economies of scale (Tremblay et al. , 2005). World market leader AB InBev from Belgium owns more then 200 beer brands today, undaunted Becks, a German beer. Local breweries did not attempt to expand in the past and today they are suffering from acquisition of big global players. The device of big breweries is to produce efficient and cheap. But many German customers are struggling against this mass-production provided by modern technology. Most of them argue that the quality of the beer is suffering from mass-production and decide to buy local German beer brands, which are more expensive (Schimansky, 2012). In times of cheap mass-production there are still customers, who are ready to pay more for quality – according to the case study the same applies to emerging markets. So local German breweries could use their quality as a unique selling proposition and start to cooperate and get together by mergers for instance to share costs and risks of overseas operations. It is logical, that only a few German breweries will be able to invest in international operations, because of small financial resources. Therefore maybe only 100 of the 1300 German breweries will stay alive in future – but these breweries will be strong enough to create an availability of German beer internationally. One opportunity for German breweries is to expand to emerging markets like China then, where according to the study customers are ready to pay for quality, as we mentioned. Producing towards the Reinheitsgebot promises that required quality. Referring to the Paper that most of the small German breweries got small financial resources and no experiences in overseas markets, so cooperation with another famous German brewery, as we mentioned, or a joint venture in a foreign country like China to reduce certain risks, costs and gain specific market knowledge, could be profitable. The infrastructure, especially communication and information channels to gain knowledge about local preferences will enhance the way of doing business there. But new technologies and innovative processes provide rival producers new opportunities and form new threats for the German beer industry. By producing more efficient and creative with support of modern producing opportunities beer companies adapt their product following new trend of the new generations. Example is given in the study by offering alcopops or mixed beers etc. Eventually global players, who enter the German market by acquiring German breweries and are close to the market, will be in a position to adapt their own products in the future with support of modern technologies in research methods etc. to gain knowledge of local preferences by ongoing efficient industrialized mass producing processes. And if German breweries still stay small in distribution, big global players will be able to dominate more of the almost saturated market. This is especially because of modern efficient way of brewing and the declining costs involved through economies of scale for example. 2. Discuss the impact of the current economic global crisis upon the operations of the German Beer industry, given that it appears to be fractionalised and has smaller financial resources than its main competitors. According to a publication of the new economics foundation (nef, 2012), the world is in the second phase of an economic crisis, which has a global reach and affects nut just only the world’s major institutions, but also the established ways of thinking. The nef asserts that the contemporary global economic crisis is a continuation of the financial crisis of 2008. In 2008 the world’s third-largest investment bank at that time, Lehman brothers, bankrupted and led to eventual a collapse of the whole financial system. The nef explains that the crisis of 2008 was halted but not resolved. Now the results of the second phase of the global economic crisis are stagnation and austerity to cut public spendings, so the nef. Furthermore the nef argues that austerity is hindering economic growth, because firms sell fewer goods and services and therefore this creates job losses as we can see in Ireland, Greece and now in the United Kingdom. That global economic crisis impacts the beer industry in several countries proves a declining number in annual per capita consumption of beer in Greece, which has been hit hardest among the countries by the beer recession and by the crisis itself (Ewing, 2011). The main impact of the economic global crisis upon of German beer industry is, that more and more people loss their jobs worldwide within the crisis (BBC, 2009). Therefore they are not able to spend much. Because of that they fear about the uncertain future and want to save money. This fear impacts their customers buying behaviour. There is a strong resistance to buying and therefore prices have to be lowered (Herrmann, 2009). In addition more and more people are drinking at home rather then in bars or restaurants to save money. This in turn leads to that more people loss their jobs, especially in the hospitality industry, like Hotels, pubs or restaurants. Furthermore governments are hindering productivity by value-added taxes, which lower consumption and cots jobs (Ewing, 2011). That means that there is a declining buying power and changing careful buying behaviour, especially of price sensitive German customers, like it is told in the study. The paper shows already a declining number of beer consumption, because of some factors, like Trends, demographic changes and government decisions against alcoholic drinks etc. The fact that the people spent less money, as mentioned before, will accelerate this process. The general economic crisis in Europe, like in Greece, Italy and Spain intensified the situation (Bloomberg, 2013). So this countries import less to overcome the crisis and are out of the question of a potential markets. There is one matter occurred within the global economic crisis especially in Europe that could have a huge affect on the German beer industry in future. The European Union follows a common policy outwards in interests of each country. But in times of economic crisis like in Greece, the idea of a common Identity of several nations within the European Union failed. Many Greeks for instance are blaming Germany and France to benefiting from their spending for Greece in order to help (The Independent, 2012). Both are the main supporters for Greece attempt to overcome the crisis by attempt to support investment and economic growth there (RTE, 2012). But as mentioned, not only Greece; Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy are heavily indebted countries, who are next to face the economic crisis in an extreme kind (BBC, 2012). Situations like these can destroy a common relationship between countries within the EU, because everyone seeks for reasons for the fail of the economy in each country and as it had been said especially Greece is blaming the policy of EU about that. This fact forces countries and governments to shut themselves off from the EU and concentrate on local policy, economy and matters instead showing common interest in the EU as a whole. This could lead people to think more nationalized and consumption could concentrate on domestic products instead of expensive imports, like of a good quality German beer, to save money. These happenings, particularly in Europe, show a negative initial situation for German beer industry and as we said above potential markets in Europe in the future. According to the case study the German breweries are fractionalised and got smaller financial resources than their competitors, which is hindering the Industry to expand overseas an enter new markets to gain sustain success and profit. Like Koenig says in the study the German market is saturated and as I said before the economic crisis in Europe precludes a potential market there. Emerging markets are potential markets because for instance of several factors like the market size in China etc. and according to the paper the fact that customers are ready to pay more for quality in emerging markets. Economy in China for example has continued to grow, while the economy in Europe has fallen into a critical situation. Increased consumer spending and the open business policy of China provide really new opportunities for western companies (B2B International, no date). The expansion to such markets is related with new costs, which complicates the operations of the German beer industry, because of small financial resources. Grave et al. (2012) analyzed the beer industry in China in a journal article in the case of Carlsberg. The paper argues that Porter’s (1980) differentiation or focus strategy may work in western countries, but not in emerging ones. The challenge is, it says, to maintain value proposition as a quality beer while responding to local demands. The Five forces industry analysis resulted that there is a high competition in the Chinese beer market, high supplier power, low buyer power, medium threats of entrants with high entry barriers, i. e. language barriers, and low to medium threats of substitutes. So no matter how attractive emerging markets are, it might be risky to enter China; but first you are established, you will gain big success. This success requires financial resources, which German breweries can only gain by consolidation with associated German breweries or joint ventures with Chinese companies. Carlsberg gained big success by Chinese acquisitions and undergone little affects of the economic crisis, so the journal article. So certain German breweries should get together to share costs and try to enter new emerging markets – as we mentioned European and German markets are almost saturated; if they do not try to find new markets, most of them will collapse, raddled from the impacts of the global economic crisis by declining numbers in consumption, less buying power and changes in buying behaviours. 3. With reference to the EU market only, explain how contemporary cultural and social changes might affect the future development of the German Beer industry. Cultural and social changes are macro environmental matters that businesses have to adapt on to stay competitive. Consumer preferences are dynamic and invariably changing. As consumer preferences have to form adaptations, companies have to consider trends to produce goods which satisfy consumer needs in real. Not only demographic changes, on which I will be come back later, but different ethnical, religious, racial groups and changes in proportion of gender within a society can affect companies in their businesses (Richards, no date). By referring to the Paper an important social change is that more and more people in Europe and in the world become more health conscious. This includes government decisions about penalties related with alcohol in public and suggestions, like it says in the study, to general lifestyle and nutrition of the public. Science and medicine promote this trend by distribute the opinion that long term use of alcohol leads to cancer, liver failure, neurological, psychological and social problems (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Wellness products are shaping food markets, especially in Germany. Health is status symbol for newly olds and young people are interested in healthy products, as well to prevent illness (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2010). Further drinking beer has a bad image today. We associate beer drinking with lushes and riots in football stadiums. In an era in which apparently health and wellness plays a significant role, especially people who cares about their outward appearances, do not drink beer, because they do not want a beer-belly (Reilly, 2012). These described trends can have a significant affect on German beer industry, especially in a shrinking market, like the paper says. According to the Study besides this there is a declining number of consumption of beer. A low birth rate in Germany, within a declining number of population impacts every area in life and influence economy, as well. (Bundesministerium des Innern, 2011). Particularly demographic changes in Germany and Europe lead to a cease of the core target group. A low birth rate in Germany, within a declining number of population impacts every area in life and influence economy, as well. In addition the case study provides that younger generations prefer to drink alcopops and mixed beers instead of traditional beer. The beer industry recognized the demand and for example the German brewery Schofferhofer gained a big success in 2007 with Schofferhofer Grapefruit – a mixed wheat beer with grapefruit extract. Bitburger, another famous German brewery introduced Copa, a Caipirinha flavoured beer and a pomegranate flavoured one, containing less alcohol to satisfy health awareness of customers (Strohmaier, 2007). Therefore more German breweries have to adapt their beers to local consumer preferences and trends to gain sustainable success in future, which is associated with new costs, like for research and development. Small breweries are threatened, because of small financial resources. Besides that the sophisticated choice of alcoholic drinks is wine, as the study says. At this end the low consumption of beer, changing buying behaviour of German price sensitive customers and less buying power of customers in Europe within the economic global crisis reduce chances of German beer industries of a positive development in the future at the moment. In addition cultural and social changes, like demographic changes, health consciousness, trends of new generations and government behaviour against alcohol consumption, argued above, are threats for the German beer industry, especially in the case of small breweries.

Adaptation To Climate Change In Mauritius Environmental Sciences Essay

Adaptation To Climate Change In Mauritius Environmental Sciences Essay Climate change has been the most debated environmental issue in the political ecology arena in the last two decades. After initiating global discussions in 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio, the United Nations established the Framework Convention in 1994 on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Subsequently, the Kyoto protocol was signed in 1997 by nations except the United States. Many rounds of negotiations have been going on to combat climate change since then. Among other problems resulting from climate change, sea temperature rise in addition to modifications in the intensity and extremes of precipitation patterns and storms are of great importance. Consequent floods and droughts as well as rises in sea level are affecting water quality and aggravating water pollution. Observational records and climate projections provide abundant evidence that freshwater resources are vulnerable and have the potential to be strongly impacted by climate change, with wide-ranging consequences for human societies and ecosystems.(Bates et al., 2008, p.3). Mauritius forms part of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) which are among the least responsible for climate change (UNFCCC, 2005, p.2.) but are more prone to suffer from its adverse effects. The UNFCC report also reveals that 60 per cent of the water supply for domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes in Mauritius comes from groundwater and boreholes found near the coast might be adversely impacted by saltwater intrusion (UNFCCC, 2005, p.17). Current solutions to climate change impacts vary from mitigation, which implies reducing the level of human activities that cause climate change, to adaptation, namely by finding ways to lessen vulnerability and minimise harm caused by the impacts. While mitigation is the most suitable solution, it will not bring immediate results and adaptation is consequently a heavily discussed option. As an institutional endeavour to handle adaptation to climate change in Mauritius, the government has an ongoing project under the Africa Adaptation Program, the ultimate goal being revision of policies and identification of adaptation measures for further implementation. However, for successful achievement of policy measures about adaptation to climate change, much public acceptance, understanding and participation is needed. The aim of this research is an understanding and analysis of the perception of undergraduates in Mauritius regarding climate change and adaptation to it, principally with regard to the water resources sector. The findings are meant to help the ongoing governmental program of adaptation to climate change in Mauritius by exploring in particular the perception of young academics with regard to the water sector, identifying their preferred adaptation options and assessing their willingness of participation in implementing measures. Introduction The threat from further global warming has catapulted the environment to the summit of the political agenda with climate change as a major concern. The environment envelops an extended range of inter-reliant troubles: flood, drought, desertification, water shortage, deforestation, storm surges, food and malnutrition, species extinction, human health, soil erosion and waste to name a few. As such, the link between the natural and social magnitude of environmental problems can be clearly made. The degree of impact of climate change upon different bionetwork and state economies will depend not only on the sensitivity of those systems to the problem, but also on their aptitude to climate change adaptation. Climate change in itself is a massive crisis and encapsulates several spheres such as impact on Food and Agriculture, Land usage for settlement, tourism, the fisheries sector, Human health, and water resources among others. Water is indispensable to human life and many activities. Our climate, our biosphere and our socio-economic systems are interconnected in an intricate fashion, such that a change in any one of these induces a change in another. Anthropogenic climate change adds a major pressure to nations that are already tackling the issue of sustainable freshwater use. The challenges related to freshwater are: having too much water, having too little water, and having too much pollution. Each of these problems may be aggravated by climate change. For that reason, the correlation between climate change and water resources is of primary concern and significance. So far, water resource issues with respect to climate change have not been adequately tackled pertaining to policy formulations. Consequently, adjusting to or dealing with climate change will become necessary in certain regions and for certain socioeconomic and ecological systems. The need for adaptation may be scaled by ever growing populations especially in areas susceptible to these extreme events. Adaptation now appears to emerge as a new potential solution to the climate change but is not always very comprehensive. From definitions, adaptation refers to adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts (IPCC, 2007). In other words, it refers to changes in normal processes, customary practices, and structures to restrain likely damages or to profit from opportunity related with climate change. It should be however highlighted that adaptation to environmental change is not a new concept. Our civilization has demonstrated throughout History a strong adaptation capability to different weather conditions and natural changes. T his recent global and local issue of adaptation requires a scientific, economic, political, social and cultural approach and is a multifaceted situation that calls for understanding and recognition by all stakeholders, including decision-makers and the society in general. The island of Mauritius forms part of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) with special needs and concerns and is highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Human induced climate change such as global warming as well as natural disasters like tsunami and storms have a direct impact on the water resources of SIDS. Being categorized as high priority, freshwater quality and quantity in addition to management and planning demands urgent adaptation action and financial resources to support such action. (WGII TAR Chapter 17). According to the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDFC) established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), countries should prepare and submit a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) which enumerates ranked priority adaptation activities and projects to facilitate the development of proposals for implementation. Under the Water Sector priority, SIDS which have already submitted their NAPA (as at Septembe r 2008) have been taken into consideration, to be able to derive similarities and consequent adaptation and mitigation actions to climate change planned by them. This will be used as a basis to analyse their applicability in Mauritius, which has not yet documented its NAPA. SIDS taken into consideration are : In the region of Africa: Cape Verde, Comoros, Guinea Bissau, and Sao Tome e Principe In the region of Asia and the Pacific: Kiribati, Maldives, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu In the region of Latin America and the Carribean: Haiti Analysis have resulted into specific key problem areas namely, the unavailability or limited availability of drinkable water due to changing weather conditions and the lack of proper infrastructures to manage and sustain water resources, the deterioration of the quality of potable water owing to several factors (for e.g. saline intrusion from sea level rise, soil erosion, unplanned sewerage development, bad waste water management amongst others in underground water sources), poor agricultural production and the negative effects on food security (for e.g production shortages, disruption in the vegetative growing, traditional irrigation methods etc) and other problem factors related to water specific to each SIDS (for example airports of Maldives suffered significant damages due to flooding in addition to impending threat of sea level rise, tsunami caused destruction of the poor sewerage systems, use of traditional sources of water for eg in Sao Tome e Principe) Various global and SIDS adaptation options being either implemented or proposed and which can be considered for implementations in the local context are listed below: Development of water harnessing, collection and storage infrastructures by building reservoirs and dams, encouraging use of individual water-saving devices and promoting safe rainwater harvesting through ground catchment and roof catchment systems, Elaboration of decentralized management plans on water production and distribution infrastructures, Elaboration and implementation of legislation and regulation, with practical modalities of application very defined, Design and construction of suitable sewage treatment and disposal systems to safeguard water resources, Establishing modeling maps and an information and monitoring system on water resources Institutionalization of management system, with the purpose of putting in practice the national politics of the water resources, Reducing leakage in supply systems, Carrying out participatory research on the knowledge of traditional practices of adaptation to the variations of the water cycle. As an institutional endeavour to handle adaptation to climate change in Mauritius, the government also has an ongoing documentation project under the Africa Adaptation Program, the ultimate goal being revision of policies and identification of adaptation measures for further implementation. However, according to Breton et al. (p.15), political measures regarding climate change will require a certain degree of acceptance and public understanding to be able to be implemented. What is climate change in the eyes of the public? What do citizens believe can be done to lessen damages caused by adverse impacts? A study by Leiserowitz in 2007 on international public perception states that social scientists have found that public risk perceptions strongly influence the way people respond to hazards (p.1). Thus, comprehension of how the public perceives climate change and adaptation is a key element in directing the actions that enable both raising awareness and motivating behavioral changes in the population at large. The study of public perception on climate change is of major importance nowadays, as Leiserowitz confirms Since 1988, numerous public opinion polls have found that Americans, Europeans, and Japanese are increasingly aware of and concerned about global climate change and supportive of a wide range of mitigation and adaptation policies (2007, p.3) and different international studies agree on the point that citizens concern for climate change is high. If we look again at the study carried out by Leiserowitz, the conclusion is that large majorities worldwide already believe that climate change is a very serious problem and are growing more concerned (2007, p.34). Globescan (2000 cited in Leiserowitz 2007, p.29) adds that on rating the seriousness of eight environmental issues, water resources ranks first and the results of a survey of 34 countries demonstrate very high levels of public concern about a wide range of environmental issues, from local problems like water and air pollution to global problems like ozone depletion and climate change. In a new survey of 30 countries, Globescan (2001 cited in Leiserowitz 2007, p.11) also finds that Worldwide, the potential impacts of climate change on human health were the single most cited, followed by drought and water shortages, species loss, and extreme weather events whereby drought and water shortages hold a second place as being one possible impact most concerning people personally. According to findings of another survey carried out on climate change belief in Britain (Poortinga et al., 2006, p.19) in 2005, an overwhelming majority of respondents (91%) believe that the worlds climate is changing. The survey concludes that a clear majority of respondents (62%) also indicate that every possible action should be taken against climate change (2006, p. 19), and almost half of the respondents would be prepared to take part in a public discussion or hearing about climate change (2006, p.13). A study by Maddison in 2007 of the public perception of agriculturalists in 11 African countries regarding climate change mentions that When temperatures change farmers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ practice increased water conservation (p. 2). This research will be focusing on the perception of Mauritian university undergraduates on the topic of climate change and adaptation to it, particularly with regard to the water resources sector. The findings of the research would be made available to policy-makers to enable them to propose more practical, focused policies and measures and to deal with the priority level that academics give to adaptation. The background of the proposed study is of great interest because the university students will be required in the future to participate in the implementation of various adaptation and mitigation measures both as citizens and decision makers. Aims and objectives The aim of this research is an understanding and analysis of the perception of undergraduates in Mauritius regarding climate change and adaptation to it, principally with regard to the water resources sector. This research is meant to help an ongoing governmental program of adaptation to climate change in Mauritius by exploring in particular the issue of perception of young academics. Awareness of the perception of climate change and adaptation as well as attitudes and preferences of young academics in Mauritius can help in setting up adaptation priorities specific to the island. Fostering the involvement of young people can facilitate better design of guidelines to adapt to the concerns of the population and aid in producing more effective communication policies. The objective of the study is to discover the view of the university students with regard to climate change and its associated events and whether they perceive implementation of any adaptation measure in the water resources sector to have taken place by now. Another objective will be to ascertain the preferences of those youngsters on the subject of adaptation and mitigation options with respect to the water resources area. The paper will also target to find out whether academic youngsters notice any obstruction to adaptation and will attempt to discover the proportion of youngsters that are aware of climate change but have not yet reacted. Matters considered would be whether they believe climate change to be a very serious problem, their extent of concern for climate change, their view on the duty of institutions to overcome barriers to adaptation, their level of knowledge and information and their preferences regarding different adaptation options. Their rating of seriousness of wa ter resources compared to a range of environmental issues will also be assessed in addition to which extent they consider droughts and water shortages to be a personal concern. The research therefore endeavors to improve our understanding of the links between undergraduates perceptions on climate change and its impacts with regards to water-related issues on one hand, as well as adaptation and mitigation response options preferred by those youngsters, on the other hand. The research will also be carried out in an attempt to inform policymakers and stakeholders about the implications of climate change and climate change response options for water resources, in order to facilitate better design of guidelines to adapt to the concerns of the population and aid in producing more effective awareness campaigns and education policies if necessary. . List of hypotheses Based on several researches that have been done at global level regarding the public perception of climate change and adaptation in the field of water resources, our first hypothesis for this study is that large majorities worldwide already believe that climate change is a very serious problem and are growing more concerned (Leiserowitz, 2007, p.34). The second hypothesis of our study is that when rating the seriousness of a range of environmental issues, water resources problem is ranked first, as confirmed by the findings of the survey of 34 countries carried out by Globescan (2000 cited in Leiserowitz 2007, p.29). The third hypothesis is based on the survey of 30 countries carried out by Globescan (2001 cited in Leiserowitz 2007, p.11) whereby among a list of possible impacts of climate change, drought and water shortages ranked first and second respectively, as being one most possible impact concerning people personally. Methodology The study will be based on a structured questionnaire survey to be carried out at the University of Technology, Mauritius, and the University of Mauritius. The targeted respondents would include some 240 fulltime students, equally divided between each university. A batch of 60 undergraduates studying environment and sustainable development subjects at Level 1 will be selected, as well as a group of 60 level 1 students following other courses, as a pre-survey tactic. To get data on their level of knowledge, another set of level 3 students, 60 learning environment and sustainable development subjects and 60 studying other subjects will also be interrogated. The respondents will be selected considering gender equality and there will be no age limit, so long that the students are either at Level 1 or level 3 of their studies. The questionnaire will be prepared by considering the significance of the knowledge of the academics and to ensure that our objectives will be met. The feedback form will be in English language, which undergraduates will have no difficulty to understand. The interviewers will assist the participants by discussing all questions in the survey document. Survey questions will cover several topics linked to climate change and adaptation in the water resources sector, including: Awareness of climate change and its associated events; Awareness of adaptation measures that exist or can be proposed in the water sector; Perception that implementation of any adaptation measure in the water resources sector has already occurred; preferences regarding adaptation and mitigation options with respect to the water resources area; perceived obstruction to adaptation; Perception of the duty of institutions to overcome barriers to adaptation; Perception on degree of availability of knowledge and information on the matter; Degree of agreement to participate in public debates on the issue of water resources, and Proportion of youngsters that are aware of climate change but have not yet reacted to that, including grounds for action and non action. Open-ended questions will be used regarding grounds for action and non action as well as to gather any personal adaptation proposal not listed in the feedback form. The data obtained during the questionnaire survey will be summarized by making use of computer software for statistical analysis. Benefits of the research Policy-makers at the level of the State and local Government and local authorities will benefit from the findings of the research as they will be able to propose more practical, focused policies and measures which will help in solving the problem of adaptation to climate change in the water resources sector locally. The study will also help in setting up adaptation priorities specific to the island. The Ministry of Renewable Energy and Public Utilities, the Central Water Authority and the Waste Water Management Authority will benefit from the findings of the study when drafting their policy document regarding water resource and its sustainable management. The undergraduates themselves and the academic society in general would benefit from the findings which will indicate the priority level tertiary level students give to this question of adaptation in the field of water resources. Fostering the involvement of young people can also facilitate better design of guidelines to adapt to the concerns of the whole population and aid in producing more effective communication policies, which will be advantageous to the general public. The future generation would gain from the study as the findings would help the current generation in devising practical solutions which will foster sustainable development, given that adverse climate change impacts, if not mitigated, prevent a country from succeeding in the implementation of its sustainable development goals. Time plan The duration of the project is of 12 weeks starting as from Saturday 13 March 2010 till the Saturday 29 May 2010. Figure 1 shows a Gantt chart that has been prepared in this respect to illustrate the project task duration against time. The Gantt chart allows up to date monitoring of the project at any point in time and should the project digress against final plan, remedial actions can thus be taken without delay. Figure 1: Gantt chart for research project Cost Estimates Project Component Total Costs 1 Questionnaire Printing: Photocopy costs Rs 1500 2 Questionnaire distribution and Collection: Transport costs Rs 1000 3 Communications Rs 3000 4 Miscellaneous costs (stationery and others) Rs 500 Total costs estimates Rs 6000

Irish Campaign in America :: essays research papers fc

Early Modern Scotland Darien Company: A Necessary Disaster?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 1690s were a time of much unrest in Scotland. The Glencoe massacre had served to discredit the monarch somewhat. Recent crop failures had led to a famine which was affecting much of the country. There was also a serious downturn in Scottish trade which greatly affected the economy. In the aftermath of this came the Darien Expedition. The Darien Scheme, as it is commonly referred to today, is one of the greatest failures in Scottish history. It was poorly planned, over ambitious and doomed, not from the start as one may think, but from the moment it was taken over by Scottish businessmen. The Scottish turned what could have been an extremely successful and lucrative company into a massive controversy which was to change the face of Scottish politics forever. Despite its massive failure, it can be argued that it was a necessary disaster. This episode was the talk of Scotland from its conception until its failure. It was the controversy of the day, and it undoubt edly contributed to the necessity of the Union. As will be explained below this tragic, yet farcical, episode in Scottish history made it obvious for both the English and the Scottish, that a re-evaluation of their relationship was required. While it would be an exaggeration to claim that the Darien incident alone led to the formation of the Union, it can be said to have been the icing on the cake, the straw that broke the camel’s back or numerous other clichà ©s. Either way the importance of the Darien Company in Scottish history cannot be denied.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As mentioned above, Scottish trade had seriously begun to deteriorate. Past trade links were hampered by new foreign policies. Scotland currently had no choice but to follow England’s lead. As a result of purely English interests, the Scottish took part in wars to the determent of their own economy. The Scottish found that two of their best customers; France and the Netherlands, were now their enemies. The three Dutch wars of the seventeenth century and the two more recent wars with France had made it difficult for Scotland to maintain friendly trade with either. This greatly affected the Scottish economy which was already fragile to say the least. Also England had drawn Scotland into their economic war. Since 1660 the English had forbidden foreigners to take part in trade with English colonies, under their Navigation and Staple Acts. Irish Campaign in America :: essays research papers fc Early Modern Scotland Darien Company: A Necessary Disaster?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 1690s were a time of much unrest in Scotland. The Glencoe massacre had served to discredit the monarch somewhat. Recent crop failures had led to a famine which was affecting much of the country. There was also a serious downturn in Scottish trade which greatly affected the economy. In the aftermath of this came the Darien Expedition. The Darien Scheme, as it is commonly referred to today, is one of the greatest failures in Scottish history. It was poorly planned, over ambitious and doomed, not from the start as one may think, but from the moment it was taken over by Scottish businessmen. The Scottish turned what could have been an extremely successful and lucrative company into a massive controversy which was to change the face of Scottish politics forever. Despite its massive failure, it can be argued that it was a necessary disaster. This episode was the talk of Scotland from its conception until its failure. It was the controversy of the day, and it undoubt edly contributed to the necessity of the Union. As will be explained below this tragic, yet farcical, episode in Scottish history made it obvious for both the English and the Scottish, that a re-evaluation of their relationship was required. While it would be an exaggeration to claim that the Darien incident alone led to the formation of the Union, it can be said to have been the icing on the cake, the straw that broke the camel’s back or numerous other clichà ©s. Either way the importance of the Darien Company in Scottish history cannot be denied.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As mentioned above, Scottish trade had seriously begun to deteriorate. Past trade links were hampered by new foreign policies. Scotland currently had no choice but to follow England’s lead. As a result of purely English interests, the Scottish took part in wars to the determent of their own economy. The Scottish found that two of their best customers; France and the Netherlands, were now their enemies. The three Dutch wars of the seventeenth century and the two more recent wars with France had made it difficult for Scotland to maintain friendly trade with either. This greatly affected the Scottish economy which was already fragile to say the least. Also England had drawn Scotland into their economic war. Since 1660 the English had forbidden foreigners to take part in trade with English colonies, under their Navigation and Staple Acts.

Bioluminescent Fungi :: essays papers

Bioluminescent Fungi INTRODUCTION What is Bioluminescence? The current paper main focus is on bioluminescent Fungi but the basic features of bioluminescence discussed are common to all bioluminescent organisms. Bioluminescence is simply light created by living organisms. Probably the most commonly known example of bioluminescence by North Americans is the firefly, which lights its abdomen during its mating season to communicate with potential mates. This bioluminescent ability occurs in 25 different phyla many of which are totally unrelated and diverse with the phylum Fungi included in this list (an illustration of a bioluminescent fungi is displayed in figure 1). One of the features of biological light that distinguishes it from other forms of light is that it is cold light. Unlike the light of a candle, a lightbulb, bioluminescent light is produced with very little heat radiation. This aspect of bioluminescence especially interested early scientists who explored it. The light is the result of a biochemical reaction in which the oxidation o f a compound called "Luci ferin" and the reaction was catalyzed by an enzyme called "Luciferase". The light generated by this biochemical reaction has been utilized by scientists as a bioindicator for Tuberculosis as well as heavy metals. On going research involving bioluminescence is currently underway in the areas of evolution, ecology, histology, physiology, biochemistry, and biomedical applications. History of Bioluminescent Fungi The light of luminous wood was first noted in the early writings of Aristotle which occurred in 382 B.C.(Johnson and Yata 1966 and Newton 1952) The next mention of luminous wood in the literature occurred in 1667 by Robert Boyle who noticed glowing earth and noted that heat was absent from the light. Many early scientists such as Conrad Gesner, Francis Bacon, and Thomas Bartolin all observed and made notation of luminous earth(Johnson and Yata 1966 and Newton 1952 ). These early observers thought that the light was due to small insects or animal interactions. The first mention that the light of luminous wood was due to fungi occurred from a study of luminous timbers used as supports in mines by Bishoff in 1823. This opened the way for further study by many other scientists and by 1855 modern experimental work began by Fabre ( Newton 1952). Fabre established the basic parameters of bioluminescent fungi, those being: †¢ The light without heat †¢ The light ceased in a vacuum, in hydrogen, and carbon dioxide †¢ The light was independent of humidity, temperature, light, and did not burn any