Are Parents Really to Blame for Their Kids’ Behavior?

Vanessa Olson Mrs. Novak September 17, 2012 Final Draft Are Parents Really to Blame for Their Kids’ Behavior? Watching how children, or even teenagers my age, act, I wonder how or why their parents let them get away with their behavior. What causes some kids to talk disrespectful to others or throw temper tantrums for the littlest reasons? My parents would tell me how, when they were my age, no one acted out like how children do today; that parents do not have the morals or values that the earlier generations have.After all, I personally would never allow my children to act in such ways. I started to research if parents were really to blame for the way their children act, or if kids act in their own ways no matter how their parents raised them. At first I searched through Google to see if I could find articles debating whether parents were really to blame for how their children behave. Most of the results came out to be that parents were responsible and that children acting ou t is usually because there is little discipline at home.I was not satisfied with only these results; I felt that there are exceptions to how children behave that are not solely in result of how they were raised by their parents. School, location, ethnicity, age, and religious factors all influence how we behave. Children are like sponges-they model everything a parent does and incorporate what they see into their own lives (Erikson 5). Reading this article, I was almost convinced that parents were actually really the main reason for children to act in the ways they do.After all, negative examples can be unhealthy as a child will mimic these and lead them to bad behavior. I continued to read on what types of factors would influence negative behavior. I found out social skills, stress, discipline, fighting, and child abuse are all major factors that children are exposed to that result in their behavior. Social skills, such as a simple â€Å"please† or â€Å"thank you†, c an be positively influential to kids; they will model what they witness their parents doing.According to the website More4Kids info, a parent’s reaction to stress affects the way a child reacts to stress (Erickson 6). If they believe they are the reason for yelling or lashing out, the child will sometimes shut him or herself down. Discipline, such as spanking or physically harming one’s child, does not teach that child how to modify their behavior; time-outs are alternate forms of punishment that can change their behavior in a calm manner. Verbal and physical fights are extremely hard on kids.Children may develop low self-esteems and may even behave violently toward other children (Erickson 6). Sometimes when children are abused, they shut down and try to understand why they are getting abused. Reading through this article on how all these factors really influence how children act, I started to believe that mouthy children are the result of bad parenting. Still questio ning if there were any other reasons for children to act out I continued to look at other articles online. According to Oxford University, poor parenting is not the reason for increased problem behavior in kids.They found out that there is no general decline in parenting. Parents and teenagers are choosing to spend more quality time together than in 25 years ago (Oxford 3). The most recent studies show how parents now a-days are more likely to know where they children are compared to what they are doing in the 1980s. I found this information to be particularly surprising because I feel that parents were much stricter in earlier generations then compared to now. The most interesting article I found on who is to blame for children’s behavior is on The New York Times website.Dr. Richard A. Friedman, M. D. , talked about a patient he had that dealt with depression and anxiety due to the fact that her son that had been a generally rude and unkind person his entire life. â€Å"I h ate to admit it, but he is unkind and unsympathetic to people,† said his patient (Friedman 1). When tested, the results came back saying he was in the intellectually superior range and that there was no evidence of any learning disability or mental illness. These same parents raised two other children who were socially and intellectually normal.How do parents raise two other well-behaved children while their other one turned out to be so misbehaved? When I read this, I felt that this was the truth. As I began to read the article Accepting That Good Parents May Plant Bad Seeds, part of me agrees with Dr. Friedman; sometimes good parents do have toxic children. Reading multiple articles arguing why parents are to blame for how their children act or how other factors can influence kids, I feel that both are to blame. On one hand, parents are to blame if their kids have no self-control and get away with acting out.But on the other hand, I feel that some kids are just bad kids; the y choose their own path to follow. For better or for worse, parents have limited power to influence their children. This is why they should not be so fast to take all the blame or credit for everything that their children become (Friedman 3). Vanessa Olson Mrs. Novak Annotated Bibliography 22 September 2012 A Selected Annotated Bibliography on Parents Influence on Kids’ Behavior Friedman, Richard A, M. D. Accepting That Good Parents May Plant Bad Seeds. 12 July   Ã‚   2010. Web. 13 July 2010. http://www. nytimes. om/2010/07/13/health/13mind. html? _r=0 This article was published in the New York Times and Richard Friedman, M. D. , explains the experience he had with one of his patients. She claimed to be depressed due to her son’s behavior. He talks about how their one son is not a nice person but they managed to raise two other well-adjusted children. I think this article is helpful; it explains how parents are not always the reason for how every child behaves. Also there is information of another set of parents who have been ignored by his son, having no phone calls or e-mails returned.The best part of this article is that it says that not everyone will turn out nice and loving, and that it is not necessarily because of parental behavior or their environment that they grew up in. Erickson, Rose. Parents Effect on Child Behavior. 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 14 Sept. 2012. http://www. livestrong. com/article/75282-parents-effect-child-behavior/ In this article, parents are to blame for how their children act. It states how negative examples from parents have a great effect and can cause children to develop bad behavior. The author gives particular topics in day to day life that influence how one behaves.I think this article is useful because out of all the articles about children’s bad behavior being a result of their parents, this has the best reasons why. I like how she used examples to show how each topic is the cause and that she backs up her statements. Also I like this article because Rose does not use words that exceed the average reading level. Oxford University. Today’s Parents ‘Not to Blame’ for Teenage Problem Behavior. 31 July 2009. Web. 14 Sept. 2012. This website talked about how most people believe that parents are much worse now than they were in earlier generations.It has statistics on how even though most believe it to be the other way around, teenagers and parents are much closer now than in earlier generations. Parents are more likely to know where their kids are and what they are doing. I found this article to be useful because it talks about how there are other factors, such as cell phones, television, and the internet, that can influence one’s actions no matter how they were raised. I like this article mainly because it talks about what most articles do not; the comparison between earlier generations and this current one.

Patients Dealing with Poverty Essay

Poverty affects almost half the world. Over three billion people live on less than $2.50 a day (Global Issues). The United States, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, accounts for almost 12% of these statistics. In addition to these people, another 50 million are â€Å"near poverty† level. Even more alarming, according to the 1999 Census Bureau, over 16% of all children in the United States live in poverty verse the recorded 12% of adults (Yahoo Health). I chose to write about people living with poverty because God has really placed the issue on my heart this year. Last May, my father lost his job and became homeless. I am happy to say he is now employed and looking for housing. After seeing the effects of poverty first hand, I have felt tremendously compelled to reach out to those in need. I have applied for an Episcopal Urban Intern Program through AmeriCorps and if I am accepted, I will be working with them starting in August. God has really blessed me with a heart of compassion and understanding, and I want to use that gift to serve others to the best of my ability. Poverty is a global issue that affects every corner of our world. There are an endless amount of people suffering in every county and many issues to be discussed. Because there are so many people affected worldwide, I am only going to focus on the effects in the United States for this essay. So, what is poverty? Poverty can be defined in several different ways. According to the US Census Bureau, poverty is measured in numbers. Any person living on a yearly income of $11,136 or under (add $2,820 for each additional person in the household) is considered to be in poverty (US Census 2010). However, the social definition of poverty is any person living with a lack of essential items such as food, clothing, water, and shelter (Think Quest). Minority racial and ethnic groups are much more likely to live in poverty. Also, poverty is much more prevalent in single, female-headed households (Yahoo Health). It is extremely important to be educated about the kinds of people living in poverty, especially if you are a healthcare worker, because the effects of their financial status greatly impact their well-being. Individuals living at or near poverty level suffer a variety of chronic ailments. They often have no health insurance so they rely on emergency rooms for care and often do not fill their prescriptions. They frequently postpone getting medical care due to lack of insurance and also have shorter life spans (Society of Teachers of Family Medicine). For every small decrease in income we see a significant decrease in health outcome. Another big concern of poverty-level individuals is that they are more likely to smoke and to live sedentary lifestyles (Hope Through Healing Hands). In a study done in year 2000, researchers found that more than one third of people living in poverty had a drug or alco hol problem. Also, more than half (56%) of those studied reported not having enough to eat at sometime in the last year (Society of Teachers of Family Medicine). Lack of nutrition, for any period of time, can cause detrimental effects on the body such as weight loss, bone deterioration, and even death (Merck Manuals). Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety were also very prevalent in this study of poverty-stricken people. Something very interesting to me about this study is that in response to interview questions about issues in daily life, personal health and/or access to health care services were the third most commonly cited concerns (employment and housing were the top two concerns). Among these health concerns, costs and health insurance coverage were the biggest issues raised. Nearly half of Americans whose incomes are below 150% of the poverty level are without insurance coverage. In contrast, only about 40% of those with incomes below 100% of the poverty level are without health insurance (Society of Teachers of Family Medicine). This is due to the target income range of government programs. Federal and state programs (such as Medicaid) help tremendously with insuring those at poverty level. However, there are many others considered the â€Å"working poor† who do not qualify for these programs. These people all too often have to choose between paying for meals and paying for health care. Those living in poverty that do have health insurance from government programs often have very limited coverage. Prescription medications and medical supplies (such as eyeglasses) are often not included. Healthcare professionals often mistake those in poverty, especially those between the 150% – 200% level range, as non-compliant patients (Society of Teachers of Family Medicine). Because people living in poverty often do not come in for preventative care, do not fill prescriptions, and fail to adhere to other recommendations, they can easily be mistaken for â€Å"bad patients.† It is a common misconception that they are ignorant to the importance of health care. It is imperative to understand that these individuals are doing the best they can with the finances and resources they have available. The main solution to health care problems those living in poverty face is a change to our health care system. Coverage needs to be available to all members of society for all health needs. As healthcare workers, we are not all called to be change agents in the world for this cause. However, we can educate ourselves to better understand poverty so we can deal effectively with those patients experiencing it. Americans almost always seem to be informed of poverty in under-developed countries. They also seem to be well-aware that poverty causes poor health. Still, many in the U.S. remain unaware that this problem exists in our country as well (Hope Through Healing Hands). Healthcare providers can communicate effectively with poverty-stricken individuals by showing a genuine desire to assist and serve them. Developing a sense of empathy, not sympathy, for the person shows that you care for them rather than feel bad for them. It is important to understand that these individuals’ sense of time occurs only in the present. They rarely think of the future or what effects their present actions might have on them later in life (TFC Association). They live for today because that is all they have. It is best to project kindness to these individuals, as with any group of people. Another very effective tool for helping those living in poverty is providing resources. Researching free or low-cost programs in your community and sharing them with these patients is a great way to help. Using appropriate humor is also a great way to lighten the mood and bring a smile to someone’s face that may be experiencing financial hardships (TFC Association). There are so many problems poverty brings upon an individual. Living with this burden can truly effect a person is so many ways. As a healthcare worker there is only so much we can do to assist people at these low-income levels. Although we can not provide a means for them financially or fix the living situation they are in, it is important to understand the impact we can have just by being compassionate. If you work in an office with ignorance to this issue, it is vital to inform those around you about the effects of poverty on health care. Before jumping to conclusions about a patient who is non-compliant, you may want to ask questions to find out if it is due to poverty. The key is to treat them with dignity and respect, regardless of their social status, and you really will make a difference. Works Cited 1. â€Å"Poverty Facts and Stats — Global Issues.† Global Issues : Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues That Affect Us All — Global Issues. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 2. â€Å"Poverty.† Yahoo! Health. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 3. â€Å"Poverty Data – Poverty Threshholds – U.S Census Bureau.† Census Bureau Home Page. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 4. â€Å"Finding Solutions to Poverty.† A Dollar a Day: What Is Poverty? Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 5. â€Å"Understanding the Culture of Poverty.† Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 6. â€Å"Poverty and Healthcare: Fatefully Linked.† Hope Through Healing Hands. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 7. â€Å"Undernutrition: Disorders of Nutrition and Metabolism: Merck Manual Home Edition.† Merck & Co., Inc. Is a Global Research-driven Pharmaceutical Products Company. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . 8. â€Å"Health Needs of People Living Below Poverty Level.† Transplant Fi nancial Coordinators. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. .

Pride and Prejudice Essay

The novel Pride and Prejudice was written during the middle of the Romantic period in western literature, but it is itself rather uncharacteristic of other fictional works of the period. Unlike the great Romantic novels and poems of the period, which usually praised youthful passions, Austen’s work minimizes them. Austen’s works are models of restraint. Instead of the wild force of nature, Austen concentrates on family life in small English towns. Instead of rampant emotionalism Austen emphasizes a balance between reason and emotion. Instead of suicide and unrequited love, Austen offers elopement and marriage. â€Å"Austen’s prime theme of marriage is far from trivial† (Walder 1996, p. 52) as it is considered today as marriage was an important issue in Austen’s time and it was the only time when a woman had the freedom to get upward socio-economic mobility [though some critics thinks that she considers that considering money as the criterion for marriage is highly terrible. (Collins p. 161)] This extract explains this correlation between socio-economic status and marriage. Irony or the contrast between the expected and the actual is the chief literary device Austen uses to comment on the manners of English gentry in Pride and Prejudice. Her irony takes different forms for different. Another stylistic feature that one can observe in this extract in general and throughout novel in particular is her formal style. Perhaps the first thing about Jane Austen’s style that strikes the reader is its formality by modern standards. This is a characteristic of her time, and of the outlook she shared. The decorum of her prose represents a disciplined habit of mind and a disciplined attitude towards life. But the formality has about it nothing of the pomp us or verbose. On the contrary one of the chief qualities of her narrative style is precision, lucidity, and economy. With these is combined a habitual tone of irony. The irony is the cutting edge, as it was an instrument of moral perception which was Jane Austen’s sensibility. Mr. Collins speaks about his conception of a true marriage. He takes the conventional notions about marriage of true minds where partners have similar dispositions and ideas about life in general. Mr. Collins philosophy of marriage reminds Charlotte’s reminds Charlotte’s matrimonial ideology as she also consider the harmony of characters and minds as the ultimate source of matrimonial bliss and place no importance to money or fortune. She says in Chapter 6; â€Å"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar before-hand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always contrive to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life. † Mr. Collins also suffers from the same fictitious idealism like Charlotte. That’s the reason he says; â€Å"My dear Charlotte and I have but one mind and one way of thinking. There is in everything a most remarkable resemblance of character and ideas between us. We seem to have been designed for each other. † (Chapter XXXV) Furthermore, he longs for same matrimonial felicity for Elizabeth in her married life without knowing what is her ideals of marriage and what she wants to be come out of marriage. Jane Austin has beautifully employed irony as Mr. Collins wishes something for Elizabeth that she does not like. Furthermore, Jane Austin juxtaposes this conception of matrimonial bliss with his own conception of marriage and its preconditions that prevail throughout the novel. Jane Austin has Marxian conception of marriage and she considers wealth and socio-economic well-being as the foremost pre-condition of marriage. For the author, in the persona of Mr. Bennet’s daughter Elizabeth, however, irony’ is potent toy and a defensive weapon in the war against stupidity. The author uses Elizabeth to skewer self-important characters such as Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennet. Yet Elizabeth is also blind to her own character faults, and her very blindness is another example of Austen’s use of irony. In her misunderstandings with Darcy, she (who is blind to her own pride in her ability to read character) accuses him false and excessive pride, while he (who is prejudiced against people with less money than he has) accuses her of prejudice. The rest of the episode shows the haughtiness and pomposity of Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins is a type of character that Jane Austin uses to highlight the posing and pretensions of English society of the time and the vain self-importance of an individual. His acquisition of fortune by chance to get an approval of Lady Catherine de Bourgh has made him to think of himself in higher terms and opinion. All his haughtiness and snobbery in the extract is a manifestation of this high opinion of his own self. His high opinion of Charlotte is also a product of this imagined high placement in society. He earns a handsome income and owns a house, so he requires a wife at this stage that can enrich his own fortune. Here Jane Austin elaborates the interrelation of marriage and money. If Mr. Collins would not have owned a house and would not have made a good fortune by chance, he would never think of having marriage. So he imagined conception of marriage as a bond between tow souls that are alike in their dispositions and character, seems only a caprice of imagination only. Establishing a correlation between marriage and social status is an important theme of Austen in this extract. Jane Austen also makes her reader see the correlation in the light of her contemporary social conventions. Earlier in the novel, when Elizabeth refuses the proposal of Mr Collins, he is unwilling to accept it. It was highly improbable that a woman of Elizabeth’ social status would reject the proposal of a well-off person. His self-importance is another factor that contributes toward his un-acceptance if her refusal. He disapprove of Elizabeth’s social status in these words that Elizabeth’s â€Å"portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of [her] loveliness and amiable qualifications†. His social status reassures himself by saying that; â€Å"you are not serious in your rejection of me, I shall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females. † There is a dichotomy of Elizabeth’s refusal to Mr. Collin and her manifestation as an ideal woman of Austen who thinks marriage in terms of money. Walder (1996) has rightly pointed out; â€Å"In a social world where only possibility of movement in a women’s life was through marriage, choice of partner was as serious a business as choice of career was for a man. † Seen in this light, Elizabeth’s refusal of Mr. Collins is as brave an act as that of a young man who refuses to enter the family firm. † (Walder, 52) Jane Austen used Elizabeth as her mouth-piece to ridicule the fictitious idealism of various characters throughout the novel. In this case, Elizabeth does not directly say any word about Mr. Collins viewpoints but only show her contempt by feeling sorry for â€Å"Poor Charlotte† but she revisits her thought about her and says that she is not innocent as she herself has decided to marry Collins and choose a pretentious society. Jane Austen reflects here that if someone is placed in this situation, then it is tragic but someone has consciously decided to go for a vain marriage proposal, he ore she should be fully responsible for it. So it was Charlotte own disposition rather than chance that her placed her in that situation. But when Elizabeth herself refuses the proposal of Mr. Collins, she was also caught in fictitious idealism. She is of the view that as her father is a gentleman; she is on equal terms with Darcy and Bingleys. (Brooke, 1999. p. 158) Jane Austen beautifully shows her fictitious idealism as well. Jane Elizabeth also shows, through the character of Maria, the vainglory of English gentry. Unlike Elizabeth, Maria is amazed and amused by the social decorum. She was still startled at the nine dinners at Rosings and several teas. This extract further another aspect of Jane Austen’s art i. e. handling of dialogue. She had a remarkable ear, and must have been a shrewd observer of mannerism in speech. The speech of her characters is always consonant with their personalities yet it never approaches caricature. In the extract, Mr. Collins dialogues are true reflection of his personality yet it does not portray him as a caricature. Maria’s dialogues are equally expressive of her self and her tender age. So this extract and other textual examples from Pride and Prejudice clearly manifest that Jane Austen has skillfully conveyed her basic theme of money and marriage through her subtle style. She does not waste her words and there is uncommon clarity with economy in her art. References Austen, Hane. (2006). Pride and Orejudice. New York: Poenguin Classic. Brooke, C. (1999). Jane Austen: Illusion and reality. Rochester, NY: D. S. Brewer. Walder, D. (1996). The realist novel. Approaching literature. London: Routledge.

Development strategy to increase overall capacity at Mumbai Dissertation

Development strategy to increase overall capacity at Mumbai International Airport - Dissertation Example Moreover, it will also displace 65000 people. Even the land is not in the government’s possession as yet. Better sites are available yet the government insists on the same place. This research has been conducted to study the strategies adopted to satisfy the demand for the expansion of the airport and whether these strategies are viable in the future also or not. The methodology is the questionnaire and interview methods. Findings reveal that the government may have vested political reasons to insist on the same site. The environment is being damaged, it has safety issues and the size of the airport is not sufficient for the next 25 years. Moreover, the land doesn’t have room for further expansion. Suggestions like taking the matter to the supreme court, looking for new sites, reassessing the current project plan, media involvement and making efficient use of the current airport have been given along with other suggestions to resolve this politically afflicted issue. TA BLE OF CONTENTS Chapter1-Introduction 1 1.1 Chapter introduction 1 1.2 Background 1 1.3 Problem definition 1 1.4 Aims of the Research 2 1.5 Motivation of Author 2 1.6 Hypotheses 3 1.7 Methodology and sources of the data in the research 3 1.8 Layout of the research report 3 Chapter 2-LITERATURE REVIEW 5 2.1 Introductions 5 2.2 Pestle Analysis 6 2.2.1 Political 6 2.2.2 Economic factor 8 2.2.3 Social Factor 9 2.2.4 Technological Factor 9 2.2.5 Legal Factor 10 2.2.6 Ecological Factor 11 2.3 Swot Analysis 12 2.3.1 strengths 12 2.3.2 Weakness 13 2.3.2.1 traffic routes 13 2.3.2.2 increase in fares 14 2.3.2.3 flight landing delays 14 2.3.2.4 Destruction of the environment 15 2.3.2.5 political agendas 15 2.3.3 Opportunities 15 2.3.3.1 better utilization of the current Mumbai airport 15 2.3.3.2 Pouring of FDI 16 2.3.3.3 Development of the tourism industry 16 2.3.4 Threats 17 2.3.4.1 No focus on detail 17 2.3.4.2 airport site 17 2.3.4.3 Future expansion 18 2.3.4.4 Environmental threats 18 Chap ter 3-Methodology 19 3.1 Introduction 19 3.2 Researcher’s role 19 3.3 Method 20 3.3.1 Subjects for the research 20 3.3.2 Questionnaire research method 21 3.3.3 Questionnaire type 23 3.3.4 Interview method 24 3.4 Collecting and arranging the data 26 3.5 Trustworthiness of the method 27 3.5.1 Reliability 27 3.5.2 Validity 27 3.5.2.1 Ethical validity 28 3.5.2.2 Generalized validity 28 Chapter 4-Findings and result analysis 29 4.1 Introduction 29 4.2 Hypothesis 1 29 4.3 Hypothesis 2 32 4.4 Hypothesis 3 33 4.5 Hypothesis 4 36 Chapter 5-CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 39 5.1 Conclusion 39 5.2 Recommendations 41 5.2.1 Reassess the project plan 41 5.2.3 Improving the overall commuting system 42 5.2.4 Relocate the airport 42 5.2.5 Environmentalists 42 5.3 Limitations 42 6. Appendix 44 7. References 46 Chapter1-Introduction 1.1 Chapter introduction In chapter one, the introduction to the research paper is given. Along with the introduction, a brief background is also given with the prob lem definition, hypotheses, aims and objectives, methodology and the layout of the entire paper. 1.2 Background The research is on the strategies that have been applied for the expansion of the Mumbai airport. According to Jog (2011), the current airport is reaching exhaustion, as it is not able to accommodate more than 30 million passengers annually. Thus strategies have been formulated to either use this airport more efficiently

Future of American Transportation Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Future of American Transportation Policy - Essay Example Transport is very important for any society to flourish, and in advanced countries like America, the demand for automated or motorized mobility has evolved and increased significantly since the 1970's. Due to the fact that the transport sector is highly dependent on carbon fuels, it is expected to account for a large portion greenhouse gas emitted into the air in developed countries like the U.S.A. in the future, and contribute greatly to global climate change. However, about 70% of world population lives in developing regions, where per capita travel demand is currently low. Future trends in mobility-both passenger and freight-in these regions will be of critical importance for the world's fuel supply and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over the 21st century. Many previous studies dealing with travel demand have tended to focus on a very detailed level and short time horizon, and are therefore of limited use for examining the long-term issues outlined above. This paper will also analyse the future demand for motorized transportation. Since the 1980's, when the Just-In-Time (JIT) practices were popularised, the companies have strived to decrease inventory levels and increase overall production costs. The JIT programs have had a good effect on service and production processes, and this success has also caused some changes in the transportation industry. Since Transport is often an activity that is induced either by production activities or by socio-cultural functions, it can be assessed within these categories, and it can also be assessed as a separate system. The demand for transport involves more than moving people and freight across certain distances; it also has to do with speed. For example, looking through history, the amount of time that people are willing to devote to travelling seems to be rather constant, across various world regions, and these days, the distances covered continue to increase, while the total amount of time spent on these distances remains constant, because of increased speed brought about by switching to faster means of transport.In all honesty, most people in the richer countries of the world would agree that we do enjoy our transportation systems. Our transport systems enable us to travel exactly when we want to, usually from door to door, whether we want to travel alone or with our family and friends, and we want to travel with our baggage or not. We get our goods delivered routinely by the freight distribution network, which supports our lifestyle, and satisfies our delivery needs, so why should we worry about the future of the transportation network and how the energy that drives our transportation might possibly be affecting our environment The reason is that the size of these transportation systems, and their seemingly relentless growth cannot be overlooked.These systems consume fuels that are petroleum-based, like gasoline and diesel, on a very large scale. During combustion, the carbon that these fuels contain is oxidized to the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, due to the fact that they are used so massively, the amount of carbon dioxide that gets

Auditing Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Auditing - Literature review Example lified public accountant to an organization during the period of the audit engagement but are not connected to an audit or checking of an organizations financial statement. Auditor’s independence is the foundation of the auditing profession (Miettinen, 2008). Non-audit services largely affect the auditor’s independence. Due to the non-audit, services conducted in an organization, the accuracy of the information given by the auditors’ will increase compared to when they give information without non-audit services being done (Adelopo, 2012). There also exists a relationship between non-audit service fees and auditing quality. Non-audit services increase the quality of auditing in any organization (Reckers, 2003). The quality of auditing is increased, as the auditors are aware that the documents in the organization have been scrutinized. Since the no-audit service and auditors pass through the information, number of errors containing the information is reduced (Beattie, Fearnley, and Hines, 2011). Non-audit services and auditing independence are somehow related. The non-audit services affect the independence of auditing directly as they affect how the audit is carried out. The practices are similar as both try to improve the quality of information given by scrutinizing the information of the financial statements and the report given to shareholders (Dunne and Morris, 2008). Strohm, C. (2006). United States and European Union auditor independence regulation implications for regulators and auditing practice. Wiesbaden, Deutscher Universitäts-Verlag.

WACC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

WACC - Essay Example On the other hand, understating the WACC will result in overstatement of future cash flows and net present value, causing a negative net present value project to be accepted. If the project is a financing project, meaning that the cash flow at time 0 is positive and the cash flows in future periods are negative, overstating the WACC will result in understatement of future cash flows and overstatement of net present value, causing a negative net present value project to be accepted. On the other hand, understating the WACC will result in overstatement of future cash flows and understatement of net present value, causing a positive net present value project to be rejected. In the discounted payback period approach, WACC is used as the discount rate for deriving the present value of future cash flows if the investment is financed by both debt and equity. The investment is accepted if payback period of the investment is less than the cutoff time. Overstating the WACC will result in understatement of future cash flows and overstatement of payback period, causing a project that pay backs within the target payback period to be rejected. On the other hand, understating the WACC will result in overstatement of future cash flows and understatement of payback period, causing a project that pays back after the target payback period to be accepted. In the internal rate of return approach, WACC is used as the hurdle rate for deciding whether to accept the project. If the project is an investment project, the project is accepted if the internal rate of return exceeds WACC. If the project is a financing project, the project is accepted if the internal rate of return is smaller than WACC. If the project is an investment project, overstating the WACC will result in the internal rate of return smaller than the WACC and an acceptable project to be rejected. On the other hand, understating the WACC will result in the internal rate of return greater than the WACC and an unacceptable project to be accepted. If the project is a financing project, overstating the WACC will result in the internal rate of return smaller than the WACC and an unacceptable project to be accepted. On the other hand, understating the WACC will result in the internal rate of return greater than the WACC and an acceptable project to be rejected. In the profitability index approach, WACC is used as the discount rate for deriving the present value of future cash flows if the investment is financed by both debt and equity. The investment is accepted if ratio of the present value of the future cash flows divided by the amount of investment is greater than 1. Overstating profitability index, causing an acceptable investment to be rejected.

Literature Review Are Wound Vacuum Devices Healing Wounds Essay

Literature Review Are Wound Vacuum Devices Healing Wounds - Essay Example VAC was even compared with the traditional WM dressing method and proved to heal better. This only proves that VAC is indeed a promising and faster way to heal wounds. The main purpose of this research is to look through the new way of wound healing. In the United States, over 2.8 million patients have chronic wounds and treatments cost billions of dollars per year. Wound healing is a complex process which starts with removal of debris, control of infection, clearance of inflammation, angiogenesis, deposition of granulation tissue, contraction, remodeling of the connective tissue matrix and maturation. This sequence of events should be undergone by the wound for proper healing whilst if it fails to undergo these events, a chronic open wound without anatomical or functional integrity results (Joseph, 2008). Chronic wounds should be healed at a faster rate in order to decrease hospitalization days and thereby reduce costs. A product which delivers improved healing process could help in decreasing infection, amputation and length of hospital stay thus entails potential annual savings for healthcare cost. The introduction of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) which utilizes subatmospheric technique may be the answer in this medical challenge. In VAC, placing an open-cell foam dressing is involved. It is placed into the wound cavity and controlled subatmospheric pressure is applied. The technique was observed to remove chronic edema which increases local blood flow and enhanced formation of granulation tissue (Joseph, 2008). VAC applies negative pressure to wounds hence fluid is removed and growth of granulation tissue is stimulated. Acute, subacute and chronic wounds may be applied with VAC. Argenta, et al. have previously described the use of the VAC device to enhance healing and promote closure of a variety of open wounds FDA cleared VAC for clinical use. Frequent dressing changes which required when using WM, could be lessen by using VAC which requires dressing changes only every 48 hours (Joseph, 2008). Review of the Literature Senchenkov et al. (2007) conducted a study on the use of vacuum assisted closure (VAC) dressing for irradiated wounds. This study aimed to examine the outcomes of split-thickness skin grafts (STSG) secured by VAC during the early part of the postoperative period. Reviews were done on the records of 17 preoperatively radiated patients with extremity sarcomas that was reconstructed with STSGs combined with VAC to assess the efficiency of VAC in this purpose. Through January 1997 and December 2005, there have been 19 patients identified to base on their records to have undergone STSG reconstruction of irradiated extremity defects with VAC. These patients had soft tissue sarcomas. External beam radiation was used to treat the tumor bed and added with intraoperative radiation or brachytherapy. This was done before skin was grafted. Two of these patients however were excluded in the study because one had necrosis of the underlying irradiate muscle flaps while the other had 40% skin graft placed with epidermis which faced the recipients bed. This left 17 patients (9 men and 8 women, age 42 to 82, mean 65) to be

Business Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Writing - Essay Example Like a summary notes, paraphrase notes retain the approach, tone and message of the original quote or text. It only differs from a summary that it isa restatement of about the same length of the original but in words are different from those used in the original. Paraphrasing is the best way by which the act of intellectual dishonesty (plagiarism) is avoided. Plagiarism is the act of intellectual dishonesty of a person, related to writings, plagiarism are acts in which the work on both printed and not printed materials that are used and had been copied by another without the owners consent is consider to be a crime and against the copyright law. There could be ways that student can intentionally plagiarize. One, by copying assignment from others. Two , copying form a text book, which are used in school, or it can be also by using the words of others. In the article entitled "Jefferson in His Time", Jefferson is now looked upon as a racist and somebody who is ruthless, self-righteous, and not concerned with the basic civil liberties, though he is one of the most revered American founders and early president ( Wilson Quarterly 36-51) William H. Calvin (1990) stress, "There are easily a hundred features by which humans differ from the apes.

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example reason and feel when they are faced with the different alternatives of products and how they get influenced by their environments (HAWKNIS, MOTHERSBAUGH & MOOKERJEE 2011, pg31). Other benefits that accrue from this study to organizations would include; the understanding of the consumers’ behaviors relating to how they make decisions while in the market for what they need, and also in coming up with the appropriate motivation and decision strategies relating to products they offer their customers. Product use is of utmost importance to the marketers as it influences a lot of the marketing decisions most of which involves improving and increasing its usage and consumption (KARDES, CRONLEY & CLINE 2011, pg55). In consideration to this target market, most organizations would tend to align themselves to offering the courses that would be attractive to the students. These students who achieve the ATAR score of 70% or above, according to the Australian education system are eligible for University admission. The ATAR system has been used to rank the student’s scores relative to that of the other students taking into account the total number of student who partake the WACE examination in any year and the number of those students who leave school in their final year. Some of the various important factors that have influenced the consumer behaviors over time can be grouped into the following categories: i) The cultural factors; of essence includes the consumers’ subcultures, their buying behaviors and social classes. The marketers dealing with this target market should be able to go out of their way and determine their different buying cultures, and what informs their decisions. This would help them in their market segmentation strategies so that the services they offer are tailored to ensure that these different groups of the students who attain these positions are served accordingly. This would also be vital in shaping the consumer’s perceptions, habits and the

Analysis of Interpersonal Relationship Development Essay

Analysis of Interpersonal Relationship Development - Essay Example to know each other, through first â€Å"forming an impression of each other, based on the outward look or perceived character†, and gaining interest in them (Beebe, Susan and Mark, 292) Acquaintance: It was the next stage after the pre-interaction, where we â€Å"began to form a connection.† It entailed approaching my partner, passing greetings and enquiring basic information like names (292). Exploration: This is the next stage we went through, where we started â€Å"disclosing self information and taking more interests in engaging each other, at a more personal level† (Beebe, Susan and Mark, 292). Intimacy: The state at which the relationship â€Å"blossomed to intimacy and communication became more personalized, where we talked about anything and everything.† It was marked by indulgence in intimate activities (Beebe, Susan and Mark, 293). Turning point: The relationship then reached a casual turning point, which is â€Å"the event that moves the partners apart† (293), when I realized that my partner had lied to me about status, claiming to have been single, yet there already was a previous engagement. The relationship started at the awareness stage where we noticed each other and formed an impression based on the physical outlook. This was followed by the acquaintance stage where we embarked on knowing each other more personally. Then followed the exploration stage, where we self-disclosed information to each other, and then jumped to the intensification and intimacy stages, both of which occurred simultaneously and the intimacy stage overshadowed the intensification stage through personalized communication and discussing anything and everything. The relationship then entered the stagnation stage, after realizing that my partner had lied to me, and eventually separation occurred, where the personal interaction was terminated completely. Interpersonal relationships are formed through a process that entails different stages, where one stage leads to the other.

Biggest problem in america is the economy Essay Example for Free

Biggest problem in america is the economy Essay Unfortunately, this topic has now been politicized, which means that you cant talk about it without being instantly cheered or jeered by fans of each respective political team. But the economy is much more important than this years election or either political team. There are several factors that have come together to produce a frustratingly weak economy that has persisted in the United States for more than a decade. One of those things are Globalization. It opened up a vast pool of billions of workers who for way less than Americans because theyre desperate. This messes up everything, it has resulted in companies shifting formerly middle wage paying jobs overseas. Another is Technology it has continued to increase productivity, allowing companies to do more with fewer employees. These and other factors have contributed to the most radical redistribution of wealth that the United States has ever seen. Since the late 1970s, the countrys assets and income have moved steadily from average Americans to the richest Americans. This has created a society with more extreme wealth inequality than we have seen at any time since the 1920s. Fairness aside, the problem with this state of affairs is that it leaves hundreds of millions of American consumers the real engines of the economy with little money to spend. With consumers having little money to spend, businesses suffer. As businesses suffer, they look for ways to cut costs. And this, in turn, hurts employees (consumers) even more. One thing to keep in mind as we think about how to fix this state of affairs is that this is not an era in which everyone is suffering. Everyone is not suffering. Big companies and their owners and senior managers are not suffering. They are doing great. Big companies and their owners and senior managers, in fact, are doing better that the have done at any time in  history, at least judging by the amount of profit they are producing. Its everyone else who is getting hosed. Now, in the current political environment, you cant make an observation like that without being pegged as an anti-business socialist or communist. So, its important to emphasize that there is nothing anti-business about this observation. I just dont believe that great businesses exist solely to capture profits and steer cash into the pockets of their owners. When a free-market economy is functioning well, as the American economy did for most of the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s, the benefits of the system accrue to all participants, namely: Owners and senior managers Customers Employees Society at large When the system gets out of balance, however, the benefits begin to accrue disproportionately to one or two of of the constituencies at the expense of the others and thats the situation were in now. The benefits of our free-market capitalist system which, by the way, is the best economic system on the planet, by a mile are accruing disproportionately to owners, managers, and customers, at the expense of everyone else. If we actually want to put some effort into fixing our economy, we have to fix that. Specifically, we have to persuade companies and their owners to hire more employees and share more of their immense wealth and profits with them. Most importantly, companies dont need to do this just for altruistic reasons (though no one would object if they did). If enough companies do this, they will not just help their employees. They will help their future sales growth. Because their employees and customers, the American consumers, will then have more money to spend. Bibliography sources Internet†¨Online ads Encyclopedia

Defining Success in Project Management

Defining Success in Project Management EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The report focuses upon the constituents of project success and provides key recommendations to enhance the company’s policy manual and understanding. The constituents are: Timescale Cost Quality Health and Safety Legacy Case studies examining projects which are established as being excessively flawed in one or more area feature: The Boston ‘big dig’, USA (timescale, cost, quality, safety) Qatar 2022 World Cup (safety, legacy, quality) Sydney Opera House (timescale, cost) In contrast, the London 2012 Olympic project is regarded as a major success. This expansive project was delivered safely on time, on budget and boasts a positive legacy. Failures common to the flawed projects are compared to the success of the Olympics. These company qualities constitute project management success: achieving ambitious performance targets developing partnerships Having a trained, integrated, experienced and motivated workforce placing value delivered over costs saved THE CONSTITUENTS OF SUCCESS Project management is a continuously evolving discipline. There is no golden formula to ensure perfect success (Smith, 2008). However, understanding gained through experience, investment in training and development of targets helps realise a project as successfully as possible. The constituents of success may be identified as: Timescale. A successful company adheres to defined objectives, plans effectively, anticipates problems and delivers a project to the client by an agreed deadline. Finance. This is not just about keeping costs low and within a defined budget, but about delivering the best value. Waste should be minimised and labour efficiency maximised. Margins are traditionally low in the industry (Egan, 1998): a successful company does not merely survive but makes a good enough profit to: Continue delivering the best value for clients and stakeholders Attract long term shareholders Invest in training, research and product development. Be honest and realistic about budgets Quality. There should be no building defects and through value management, client expectations should not only be met but exceeded. Through quality, a successful company retains and grows their client base and develops partnering arrangements. Partnerships with major clients reduce cost and timescales (Egan, 1998). Health and Safety. A successful project ensures a paucity of injuries and avoids fatalities. Legacy. A successful project leaves an appropriate, lasting imprint in the following ways: Political – promoting infrastructure and industry improvement. Economic – generating income for the area. Environmental – sustainability, adhering to low carbon construction. Cultural – benefitting all stakeholders. Technical – pushing the boundaries of achievement. Ideally succeeding on all levels, projects may instead succeed in one or more area but fail excessively in other areas. Three cases deemed overall failures are examined. FAILURE CASE STUDIES THE ‘BIG DIG’, BOSTON, USA Figure 1 The Big Dig or Central Artery/Tunnel Project (Geotimes, 2002) The ‘Big Dig’, launched in 1991, was the most expensive construction scheme in U.S. history designed to replace an outdated highway costing the economy $500 m/year (Silverman, 2015). The project was originally estimated at $2.6 billion due for completion in 1998 (National Academy of Engineering, 2003). However, delays pushed the project completion date to 2007 with cost overruns of $12.2 billion (Silverman, 2015). There were numerous reasons for the project delays: Tunnel leaks caused by lack of due diligence Program delays due to numerous revisions of the signature cable stayed bridge Change of management and communication issues Failure to manage client and stakeholder involvement Challenges of undertaking construction alongside daily public use Additionally, a tragedy occurred when ceiling panels in a tunnel collapsed, causing a fatality and resulting in extensive litigation for management. Federal investigation blamed inadequate materials and the projects escalating budget (LeBlanc, 2007). The excessive failures of the project led to extensive evaluation. Figure 2 shows the changing total project cost. Inflation contributed heavily approximately $6.5 billion. However, the true impact was difficult to assess due to the dynamic interplay of scope, schedule and construction costs. Mitigation costs were inadequately quantified (National Academy of Engineering, 2003). Figure 2 Cost History and Scope Evolution, in millions of dollars (Data from Edwards, 2002) 2022 WORLD CUP, QATAR Figure 3 Stadium construction site (Bhatia, 2014) The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is another prominent example of management failure. It remains to be seen whether the project will finish on time and on budget, although the figure reported by Deloitte is an excessive $200 billion USD (Figure 4) (Deloitte, 2013). However, regardless of final performance in these regards, the project will be remembered as an appalling failure in safe and responsible construction. Reports have emerged exposing unethical (and in some cases, illegal) practises on the part of contractors responsible for the various sites and developments. Despite the colossal spending involved in the project, the cost of construction work has been minimised through cheap migrant labour subjected to poor working conditions and minimal pay. Workers’ payslips reveal that some labourers were paid as little as  £4.90 a day, or 45p an hour. In other cases, pay has been withheld for up to one year (Booth and Pattison, 2014). Beyond financial exploitation, there has been disregard from contractors regarding safety on-site: controls are often lax and additionally, labourers are required to work in extreme temperatures for long hours. Both of these factors combined resulted in a reported death toll of over one per day for workers in 2014 (Gibson and Pattison, 2014). Figure 5 illustrates the death toll in comparison with equivalent sporting events. Figure 5 – Construction deaths in recent sporting events (London Loves Business, 2014) It should be noted that this performance can be attributed primarily to the contractors managing the projects – an international law firm’s report confirmed that â€Å"it appears clear to us that the legislation is in place to ensure migrant workers wages are paid and to preclude unauthorised deductions. It is, therefore, an issue of the proper monitoring and enforcement of such legislation.† The same conclusion was also expressed regarding worker safety considerations (DLA Piper, 2014). Regardless of deadlines or commercial performance, a key managerial role must be to ensure a safe, ethically run site. For this reason the construction of Qatar 2022 will always be considered a failure. 3.3 SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE Known globally as the symbol for Australia, Sydney Opera House is arguably one of the world’s most breath-taking structures, floating effortlessly atop the Sydney Harbour. However, the task of realising the project was far from effortless. Figure 6 Sydney Opera House (SOH) (Enochlau, 2006) In 1957, architect Jà ¸rn Utzon won the competition initiated by the New South Wales government for the building. Construction started in 1959 with Utzon as project manager. The first failure stemmed from biased judgement tending to architectural form rather than feasibility. The judging panel also failed to evaluate how much experience the competition entrants had with large-scale design projects. The incomplete, untested structural strategy proposed to achieve the complex roof design was the second failure; the project started without a full set of completed drawings (MIT, 2011). This was one of the first major projects to be designed using CAD software, thus imposing challenges in itself. Furthermore, there was no clear program, resulting in major design changes being made on a daily basis during construction. These changes included the demolition and reconstruction of parts of the structure and consequently the budget soared to an unprecedented level. Stakeholders began to get involved and demanded alterations be made for financial reasons. For example, the Australian Broadcasting Commission wanted the proposed larger opera hall to be converted to a concert hall because to increase revenue through larger audiences (MIT, 2011). Figure 7 SOH under construction (Martin, 2012) In 1966 Utzon resigned as project manager, taking the majority of the designs with him. The new management subsequently struggled to replicate them which had significant cost and program implications. The project took 14 years to complete, which was originally planned for 4 years. The total cost amounted to $102 million AUSD; the initial estimate was $7 million (Martin, 2012). The scale and complexity of the project was unprecedented and the original cost estimate was highly unrealistic. A SUCCESS STORY: LONDON OLYMPIC GAMES 2012 The London 2012 Olympics was undoubtedly a management success. This can be attributed to two key factors ambitious targets and foresight in planning. Figure 8 Queen Elizabeth 11 Olympic Park, London (Inhabitat, 2010) The Olympic Design Authority (ODA) had clearly defined targets concerning environment and sustainability, health safety and design legacy. PICTURE The ODA began planning the Olympic bid and brief well in advance of construction. They utilised the knowledge and experience of specialist government departments (e.g. Health and Safety Executive) concerning: The commissioning of studies to identify contractors with relevant experience Setting targets for each phase Monitoring and developing partnerships with contractors On site health and safety management (HSE involvement) Despite a multitude of challenges arising from the enormous scale, the project succeeded on many levels: Delivered on time final works completed in September 2011. Exemplary health and safety record – the plan was to set a new standard in construction, to research educate the industry to develop a health and safety conscious and proactive culture. This was achieved emphatically; there were no work related fatalities on the whole of the construction programme. Injury frequency rate as reported by the HSE per 100,000 hours worked was 0.16, well below the industry average of 0.55 (Bolt et al, 2012). Legacy – The project provided: re-use of world class sporting facilities, affordable housing to a now prime area, implementation of modern infrastructure and a massive urban regeneration programme. Cost The original cost of the games in its entirety was advertised at around the  £2.4 billion mark. This was revised to  £9.3 billion in 2007 (DCMS 2012). Despite being initially over budget, there was openness and transparency concerning financing. This resulted in a revised, realistic budget which delivered a successful venue for the games. COMMON FAILURES AND COMPARISON WITH SUCCESS Considering the constituents of success in section 2, table 5.1 compares common themes found within the failures to the success of London 2012. Table 5.1: Comparing common failure themes with success. It is clear that a project may be deemed a success if the above criteria are achieved with the exception of sticking rigidly to an original budget. Ultimately, the British Government was correct in spending more to entirely achieve the other four criteria. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS This report concludes that having control and command of the five areas outlined in sections 2 and 5 constitutes success. If a project is a technical success but fails on other levels, then it may be deemed an overall failure. Equally, saving money does not equate to success or delivering the best value for stakeholders and spending money does not guarantee safety. The policy manual should therefore state that the company: Establishes and adheres to a system of clear performance targets. Allowing evaluation of quality and performance. Pursues a culture of establishing partnering relationships with clients offering repeat business. Improving efficiency. Decreasing the need for tendering and contracts (Egan, 1998). Employs an integrated, trained, safe and motivated workforce. Sharing and pooling experience across disciplines. Working together on numerous projects. Avoiding fatalities and major injuries. Considers finance by value delivered rather than money saved. Exuding financial honesty and transparency. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bolt, H. Haslam, R. Gibb, A. Waterson, P., (2012). Pre-conditioning for success. Loughborough: HSE, (RR955). Booth, R., Pattison, P. 2014. Qatar World Cup stadium workers earn as little as 45p an hour [online]. Doha: The Guardian. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jul/29/qatar-world-cup-stadium-workers-earn-45p-hour [Accessed 21/02/15] Booth, R., Pattison, P. 2014. Qatar World Cup: migrants wait a year to be paid for building offices [online]. Doha: The Guardian. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jul/28/qatar-world-cup-migrants-not-paid-building-office [Accessed 21/02/15] Bust, P. (2011). Learning legacy. Loughborough: Loughborough University, (ODA 2011/269). Deloitte, 2013. Insight into the Qatar construction market and opportunities for real estate developers. Middle East: Deloitte Corporate Finance Limited. Department of Culture, Media and Sport. (2010). November London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic budget report published Anticipated final cost down  £29m. Gov Announcements Online. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/november-london-2012-olympic-and-paralympic-budget-report-published-anticipated-final-cost-down-29m2 [Accessed 25/02/2015 Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (2012). London 2012 Olympic And Paralympic Games – Quarterly Report. London: DCMS DLA Piper, 2014. Migrant labour in the construction sector in the state of Qatar. Qatar: DLA Piper UK LLP Egan, J.,The Construction Task Force. Rethinking Construction. 1998. [online]. Available from: URLhttp://www.constructingexcellence.org.uk/pdf/rethinking%20construction/rethinking_construction_report.pdf [Accessed 16 February 2015]. Egan, J.,The Strategic Forum for Construction. Accelerating Change. ISBN 1 898671 28 1. Rethinking Construction, Construction Industry Council. ENOCHLAU. (2006) Sydney Opera House Sails. [Online]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sydney_Opera_House_Sails.jpg#filehistory . Wikipedia. [Accessed on: 26th February 2015]. Gibson, O., Pattison, P. 2014. Death toll among Qatar’s 2022 World Cup workers revealed [online]. Kathmandu: The Guardian. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/23/qatar-nepal-workers-world-cup-2022-death-toll-doha [Accessed 21/02/15] IRVINE, J. (2013) Why Sydneys Opera House was the worlds biggest planning disaster. [Online]. Available from: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/why-sydneys-opera-house-was-the-worlds-biggest-planning-disaster/story-e6freon6-1226744769556 . [Accessed on: 26th February 2015]. LeBlanc, Steve., 2007. On Dec. 31, It’s Official: Boston’s Big Dig Will Be Done [online]. Available from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/25/AR2007122500600_3.html [Accessed 13 February 2015]. MARTIN, C. G. O. (2012) The Sidney Opera House construction: A case of project management failure. [Online]. Available from: http://www.eoi.es/blogs/cristinagarcia-ochoa/2012/01/14/the-sidney-opera-house-construction-a-case-of-project-management-failure/ . [Accessed on: 26th February 2015]. MIT. (2011) Project Evaluation. [Online]. Available from: file:///C:/Users/staples/Documents/Bath%20University/3rd%20Year/Semester%202/Management%202/The%20Sydney%20Opera%20House.pdf . [Accessed on: 26th February 2015]. National Research Council Committee for Review of the Project Management Practices Employed on the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel (Big Dig) Project, National Research Council, National Academy of Engineering., 2003. Completing the â€Å"Big Dig: managing the final stages of Boston’s central artery/tunnel project. National Academies Press, 2003, pp, 1,3,7,8,10,12,14,17. Silverman, Jacob., 10 Construction Projects That Broke the Bank [online]. Available from: http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/10-construction-projects.htm#page=9 [Accessed 13 February 2015] Smith, N.J., 2008. Engineering Project Management. ISBN: 978-1-4051-6802-1. Blackwell Publishing, Third Edition. http://www.geotimes.org/oct02/bostonsandgravel.jpg (Source: W.Edwards, â€Å"Project History,† Presentation to the Committee on October 21, 2002) Qatar World Cup preparation expected to invite deals worth $150bn Bhatia, N. 2014. http://www.bigprojectme.com/news/qatar-world-cup-preparation-expected-to-invite-deals-worth-150bn/ http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2014/06/24/world-cup-price-tag-multiplies-with-time http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/business-news/london-2012-olympics/this-graph-shows-the-sickening-extent-of-the-qatar-world-cup-deaths/8120.article Vinter, R Image Available http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2010/10/ukolympic-ed01.jpg

Impact of Technology on Tourism

Impact of Technology on Tourism Technologies are factors that impacts on how any business is operated. Therefore, for each development of new technologies, a business may have to totally change their operating process. The change of technology will affect the way a company carries out business. Through the ages the travel and tourism industry has developed significantly with the development of new technology. On a global scale new technology has changed the way of tourism. In the dark ages travel on land was in litters or chariots and small boats was used to travel on sea. Tourism and pleasure travel was in existence but otr active during this time, but by the middle of the Middle Ages, large numbers took on a new life with the main purpose of traveling to Europe for religious purposes. Travel in the 18th century was by high society people mainly to visit spas a major attraction which also provided social events, games, dancing, gambling and sea-bathing. With the development of railway in the late 1830s, direct contribution of major seaside resorts was established and gave everyone an opportunity to travel as demand for vacation travel grew. The first publicly advertised excursion train developed by Thomas Cook, who was then looked upon as the first travel agent and now own s one of the largest travel agency in the world. As the need for technology grew throughout the years, various inventions took place and increased the travel and tourism industry. Leading into the 20th century where introduction of motorcar and the first twin engine aircraft which allowed for the travel of large number of people in 1958. Tourist discovered increasing access to a growing array of destinations with the great increase of technological advancements in the mid and late 20th century. Communicating technology aid in making airline increasingly accessible from the promotion of destinations to attracting travelers attention to enabling instant reservations and payment collections. Through the significance of communicating technology, modern tourism is fully equipped with the ability to communicate their benefits and to sell themselves to potential visitors. On return those potential visitors can reach points of interest at their chosen destination. In 1953, through the introduction of communication technology airline reservation way slinked directly with travel and booking agents. This brought about a generous increase in the tourism according to the learning and teaching network. this link made the entire booking process more easier and efficient as more airlines capitalized on it. As the improvement on technology increased modern internet allowed tourist quick and easy access to information such as travel destinations, lodging and dining options at the destination, up to the minute wait time and making reservations before departing for their chosen destination. The use of telephones also allowed travelers quick contact without ever experiencing a busy signal or getting out pf bed. It also allowed for the collection of payment from prospective travelers before departing for the destination. According to the journal of information technology and tourism, modern communication technology likewise 21st century developments in mobile telephone technology allows for advertising of attractions at various tourist destinations to target visitors. The impact of technology in the travel and tourism industry is enormous as more and more travelers can compare and look for all kinds of information available on the internet about potential destinations. As stated by China daily, according to John Liu , the executive vice-president and head of greater chins at Google, 85% of travelers do their research on the internet about potential destinations and the average traveler does 55 online searches for bookings, travel guides and visas before a booking. What seemed to be impossible ion the pas like the impact of global positioning  System on how airlines operate, self-check in of luggage, online bookings and so much mire is now at present become acceptable. Though technology has totally transformed the travel and tourism industry, according to the daily observer, it stills requires considerable financial investments and in addition tourist destination must continue to provide innovations in customer service, attractions and economic development to continue producing attractive destination despite the numerous avenues for promoting of the area. Identify the pros and cons of community based tourism A community implies individuals with some kind of collective responsibility and the ability to make decision by representative bodies. Community based tourisms that in which local residents of mainly rural areas invite tourist to visit their community with the provision of overnight accommodation. Although community based tourism has it advantage, there are also disadvantages which will both be outlined. As well as stating how community based tourism has impacted the country. Advantages of community based tourism Allows education and training growth of local people. Integrates the natural beauty and the daily life of rural communities. Allows tourist and locals a chance to experience other cultures. Promotes productive sustainable practices within its tourism offerings. Creation of job and economical development. Each individual in the community learns to work as a team in order to keep the community in welcoming and hospitable manner. Local people become educated in all aspect of managing the business of tourism. Persons no longer have to depend on livestock as a only source of income. Income generated can be used on national and local levels to better educate, improve infrastructure, fund conservation efforts, promote more responsible tourism  and aid in the benefits of tourism projects. Interest to conserve the living environment will be on the increase of local residents. Foreign exchange generated. Development of skills for local people. Local businesses, shops, restaurants, recreational facilities, natural attractions,, infrastructure and transport network all receive benefits from the gains. Wealth creation and access to essential services such as: water, sanitation, transport and telecommunications. Disadvantages of community based tourism Infections and diseased can be brought to a host destination. Inability of local business owners to compete with large corporations. Degrading of local infrastructure set in place due to the overbearing of heavy traffic of cars and tour buses. The host community left behind to pay for repair of damages as most of the profits return to their own countries in situations involving tourist oriented corporations Destruction to the natural habitat and resource in the community. May not be as medically advanced. Lack of respect for local cultures such as: tourist walking through local market in bathing suit. This not only offends but contributes to the undermining of social standards. Loss of potable water, loss of animal populations and the spread of disease and infection resulting from the over production in the form of water and air pollution, litter and frequent overflow of sewage systems. Increase in crime, mostly petty theft and pick pocketing and sometimes sexual assault. Luxuries such as: heated water for bathing that is not available to local residents in communities often cause tension between local population and tourist. Some large resorts take away from the small scale instead of giving to local communities. Impact of community based tourism on the country as a whole While it is important one widespread scale for the future development of the country as it open doors of opportunities for Jamaicans as a a whole. The effect on the developments of community based tourism has contributed positively and negatively on the country. The economic, socio cultural and environmental impacts on the country are as follows. Increase employment and technology Improved quality of life Better health care and education Improvement of the infrastructure Creation and attraction of foreign exchange Preservation of plants, botanical gardens, animal, etc Utilization of natural resources as attractions Creation of tours, hiking, ecotourism. Enjoying the natural environment without taking do exchanging anything Language barriers broken down encourage entrepreneurship Exposure to other cultures and social standards Cultural preservation Exposure with other music forms Black market trading Cultural erosion Exposure to STDs and stis Illegal vending Environmental degradation and depletion Pollution Damage to natural resources, illegal removal of plants, deforestation Uneven distribution of wealth Greater possibility for negative foreign influence on economy Neglect of local recreation facilities Is community based tourism an alternative type that can be used to diversify the Jamaica Tourism Product and provide Jamaica with a competitive advantage? A community is seen as individuals with some kind of collective responsibility and the ability to make decision by representative bodies. Though not having proper management bypass local residence the benefits gains from community tourism. As explained by Alicia Knight community tourism is a type of tourism owned and operated by the people in the community. Thought community tourism needs to work closely with mainstream tourism, it is the right type of tourism needed to provide Jamaica with a competitive advantage. The way forward is to get our own local people educated about their own cultures, heritage, environment and the tourism product. For example, most large resorts use foreigners at top level management post. By doing this the gains are not used in Jamaica as most of their earnings are returned to their host country. But when local people are trained with the requisite skills needed and sure are educated about tourism and its product. The tourism industry no longer have to view locals a sonly capable of doing lower level work such as, bellhops, laundresses, gardeners and waiters just to name a few. The income and gains generated from having employ more locals in the industry improve the infrastructure of the country, enhance the community and improve the quality of life of locals, thus the profits are spread within the country which also means that Jamaica would be facing less depth as there would be a balance in the national reserve. Who is better capable of teaching and introducing visitors to our heritage and culture? Who is best able to help protect the countrys natural habitat and resources? Certainly only Jamaicans can ensure visitor satisfaction in all aspect of offering them the opportunity to explore Jamaica safely and interact with our people through community based tourism. In leading the way for the future development of the country through the importance of sustainable development can only be achieved by diversifying the tourism product to include all the special interest types of tourism through community based tourism. Discuss the importance of delivering quality service in the hospitality industry According to Lazer and Payton 1999, the delivery of quality customer service is one of the major challenges facing hospitality managers and will be an essential condition in the emerging, keenly competitive global hospitality markets. For thru delivery of quality hospitality service, which involves people, management of people and interactions between staff and guest the building blocks of quality service in hospitality must have proper and effective management and maintenance. When quality service is being delivered, hospitality businesses gain in profit rewards that will unimproved the quality of the service been provided, increase the guests perception of them, enhance the market and guest satisfaction and word of mouth advertising. Thus, it is important to continue improving quality service delivery systems and train and empower staff, develop procedures to deliver what guest want, evaluate and modify service delivery systems, consider the guest being served, determine what the guest desires and implement revised systems which should focus on exceeding the guest expectations. For hospitality businesses to more effectively manage and maintain the delivery of quality of service, hospitality managers will need to identify and outline operational and significant strategy and in effect, focusing on the encounters that makes a difference to the experience of each guest. Raise to the point questions that are important to the quality of service such as; Is service limited to a luxury package or does it include budget travelers? Which staff members are involved in providing the service?What skills do they need? What training is been provided? How committed are they to service goals? Is team co-operation or individual empowerment required? What staff members deal with what guest? Are the staff presentations and appearances appropriate? What attitudes is appropriate, friendly, open, helpful, warm service, efficient, unconstructive, uninvolving or unthreatening service? Are the interfaces between different functional areas fully operations? Are the criteria for success clearly defined? Is everyone involved aware of guests needs and concerns? Is the information necessary to respond effectively to guests needs readily available? Is the appropriate technology being fully used? Are the necessary systems to support the encounter in place? Is there adequate spa ce to handle each of the activities such as; waiting, completing forms, storing or handling luggage and assembling tours? Did the dynamics of the exchange proceed smoothly? Have employees been given the training needed? Does the structure of the organization help or hinder performance/ Are the service providers given the facilities and financial and human support needed? Do service providers have the appropriate attitude? Is the right emphasis being place on service quality? Do any languages or cultural barriers exist? Is the management style and marketing orientation appropriate for the task? The importance of the delivery of quality service involves not only being specific of and for a particular thing but also involves giving the strength and encouragement needed to keep business from falling or sinking. It requires knowing exactly where the service encounters will occur and if the space is appropriately designed to facilitate the encounters. There also have to be a watt in which hospitality managers get things done and their ideas organized to work together. Most importantly, since the people who work in the industry are involved in providing quality service. It is of major importance to train and empower staff by providing incentives and reward systems for task performed. As read by Postma and Jenkins 1997 using internal and external measurements to monitor the quality of service in hospitality industry will outline the technical , process, functional and relational, and experienced quality in hospitality industries. For the importance delivery of quality of service in the travel and tourism hospitality businesses, it involves direct and to the point questions that will allow clear decision making by hospitality manager to improve services provided and to meet the challenges faced by hospitality industries. Identify differences between service delivery in hospitality industry and service delivery in other businesses Just as hospitality businesses, other business offers quality service delivery. There are no differences as for the delivering quality customer in any business as one would have to. Be visible as soon as a customer enters Greet the customer in a friendly manner and maintain professionalism Show that you are willing to help and listen carefully if the customer has an enquiry always be cheerful and courteous Make sure to end with a sweet note Recommendations Major players implement ways of using community based tourism as a solution for growth in tourism. Tourism industry fully utilizes all the developments of technology foe economic significance of Jamaica. Hospitality industries continuer the delivery of quality service to exceed their customers expectations which will result in rewards for them.

The Political Climate of the 1950s Essay -- History Historical Politic

The Political Climate of the 1950s With the dropping of the Atomic bomb that ended WWII and the beginning of the Cold War, there was an irony of stability and turmoil in the United States. The start of the 1950s brought about many changes, from the Red Scare and threat of the possible spread of communism in America, to changes in political movements, civil rights movements, and another possible war, there were many significant events and people during this time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joseph R. McCarthy was a Republican Senator from Wisconsin with an enormous political agenda. With the fear of communism ignited by the Cold war, McCarthy and his supporters began to instill in the American people the fear that communism was taking root in the United States. In February 1950, McCarthy announced at a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia that he had obtained a list of card-carrying American Communists in the State Department (Davidson et al., 2002). For the next several months, often referred to as the Red Scare, McCarthy led a committee that investigated various government agencies and questioned a large number of people about their political associations. It was later found that the McCarthy’s charges were unsubstantiated, but the effects of this â€Å"witch hunt† would impact the United States even after the charges had settled. One the first impacts of McCarthyism was the win of Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower in the 1952 presi dential election. The McCarthy campaign, which has accused many democrats including Harry S. Truman of taking a liberal stance on communism, hurt many democrats in the election. The infringement of civil right on the American People was yet another impact of McCarthyism. By 1952, 32 states had laws requiring teachers to take oaths of loyalty and government loyalty boards were wanted to now personal details of their employees such as what newspaper they subscribed to and what music they owned (Davidson et al. 2002). It was not until hearings against those thought to have communist association were aired on ABC and the public had the opportunity to see the badgering and mockery of these proceedings that the McCarthy’s popularity fell quickly and the Red Scare receded as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Eisenhower presidency pursued dynamic conservatism or modern republicanism in his new term. In his own words, Eisenhower declared â€Å"I will be conservative when it ... ...nt, it is without doubt that it is more historically significant. Even though slavery had been abolished, equality was far from typical. The events of the 1950s seemed to say that minorities would no longer tolerate an unequal America. The strategies of the civil right movement made more of a statement than ever before in history and paved a way for civil rights activists to make a real impact on desegregation and equality. No one could have realized that what seemed as an insignificant gesture to partake in training South Vietnamese armies and America’s involvement in Southeast Asia would one day have the impact it did on America. Although at the time when Eisenhower was trying to stop of the spread of communism it seemed the right thing to do, the repercussions of that decision and the war it eventually led to was devastating to America politically, socially, and culturally. Works Cited Davidson, J. W., Gienapp, W. E., Heyrman, C., Lytle M. H., Stoff, M. B. (2002) Nation of Nations . The McGraw-Hill Companies. Schultz, S. (1999) American History 102: Civil War to the Present. Retrieved April 10, 2005 from http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture25.html.

Ethics of Human Cloning Essays -- Cloning Argumentative Persuasive Arg

Ethics of Human Cloning    On February 23, 1997 Dolly the lamb was literally made. She is not the work of nature or nature's God but of man, and Englishman, Ian Wilmut, and his fellow scientists. Dolly came into being not only asexually but also as the genetically identical copy of mature ewe, of whom she is a clone. When the startling news was heard throughout the world, there seemed to be substantial debate over the issue since it would open the doors for the possibility of human cloning. Most of the concerns that the opponents have emphasized in the debates have been ethical ones, yet there is not one clear answer to this issue. (McCarthy, 1999, 98) The first effect of the Dolly announcement was to fire the public imagination. Commentators were quick to speculate about the possibility of cloning a human. The Los Angeles Times opined that such a discovery" opens the door to a "blade Runner" world of human replicants. The Wall Street Journal asked business leaders and newsmakers whether they would like to have themselves cloned. Feminists observed that the technique finally made the men superfluous. (Wilder,1999,p180) Even though the cloning of Dolly seems to be unique to the public, yet not in the history of the scientific world. The word "clone" comes from the Greek for twig, and horticulturists have been taking cuttings and growing new plants from them for centuries. The word came into current usage when the renowned British biologist J.B.S. Haldane suggested in 1963 that it would be soon possible to create genetic duplicates of plants, animals, and even humans. The populace has neglected that roughly thirty years ago, it became public that a clutch of tadpoles was cloned in England through a... ...are to Hong Kong." From the government to the scientists, there is no clear answer in what they believe in human cloning, which this paper has showed. Even though I have researched this topic a great deal, I still have not figured out what the public as whole stand is on this issue,    Work Cited Burley, Justine; Harris, John 1999) Human Cloning. Journal of Medical Ethics v25 pg108 Edwords, Fred (1999) How Biotechnology is transforming what we believe in and how we live. Humanist v59 pg23. McCarthy, David (1999) Human Cloning. Journal Of Medical Ethics v25 pg. 98 Miele, Frank (1999) How close are we to cloning time. Skeptic v7 pg48. Wilder, Bruce (1999) From Bastardy to Cloning: Adaptations of Legal Thought for Unorthodox Reproduction. Human Rights Journal of the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities v154 p80.

Easyjet Casestudy

The elements of marketing process is referred to â€Å"As a set of controllable tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market, so it consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its product†( Kotler and Armstrong, Principles of Marketing 2004, Tenth Edition, New Jersey Pearson Education Inc. ). The Elements of Marketing or Marketing mix which is famously known as the â€Å"4P’s of Marketing†( stated by McCarthy in 1960) which include Product, Price, Placement or Place and Promotion. When these elements of marketing are analysed with the Easyjet case study, it gives a good example as how the 4P’s help an organization scale to new heights with increased sales and customer base. They are; Product:- In the respective case study as Easyjet is a airline industry, its main fleet consists of Airbus A320-200, Airbus A319 and Boeing 737-700. Easyjet is a budget airliner and intended to attract business customers and leisure travelers spending lesser time travelling between destinations. The company does not provide complimentary meals or refreshments on board to reduce costs and increase space to accommodate more customers, whereas customers can buy items on board by using Easyjet Bistro (buy on board programme). The onboard programme also helped the airliner to increase its revenue. Easyjet has also got other value added services like Eastcars, Eastjet holidays and Easyjet Hotels. With these services Easyjet can provide one stop shop for its customers, both Business customers as well as travelers on holiday. Price: In generally it is a conception that if a company lowers the price of its product, the organization would have expanded sales. Practically it is an invalid argument as the customers do not decide on price; they do look for other components such as quality, cost effectiveness, time, easy accessibility and value added services with also keeping in mind the customer relation management of a firm. The element â€Å"Price† of marketing mix could be divided into two categories, such as price determination and price administration respectively. Easyjet whose business model is similar to the Southeast airlines of US has kept its prices lower than that of other airlines. Easyjet reduced its prices to accommodate more passengers and to fill out empty seats on the flight. The reduced prices by cost cutting in various areas such as airport charges, direct sales to the customer and also reducing their advertisement costs. The per seat cost was cut down by 16% by increasing the seating density and no business class. Easyjet saved 64% of cost per seat by these strategies, which helped them to reduce their overall prices to the customer. Figure 1. (Referred www. corporate. easyjet. com) Placement/Place: â€Å"Placement or Place under marketing mix involves all company activities that make the product available to targeted customers†(Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). The Easyjet strategy has to serve all big continental European destinations such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, London and many more cities. They are also targeting the Asia Pacific market as there is a potential to grow business. Figure 1. b Promotion: Promotion is nothing but the means in which a company communicates to its customers about their product, values and benefits of a product. Easyjet used various strategies to communicate to their customers. They are: The company has mentioned its website address where ever it can. They have literally put the address on its Boeing 737’s. Easyjet also runs internet promotions on newspapers. Its first promotion was in â€Å"The Times† in February 1999. The result of this promotion ended up with Easyjet selling 20,000 out of its 50,000 seats in the first day and all other seats were sold in next 3 days. Using this strategy the company was able to cut down 250 jobs and saved money. Easyjet also follows first come first serve basis, the following table gives a clear indication. Figure 1. c The website was also used as a tool instead of paying the PR companies. Captions such as â€Å"The web’s favourite airline†, â€Å"Battle with Swissair† and the latest â€Å"come let’s fly†. Easyjet became a house hold name in the United Kingdom as it was listed in a Airline TV series which was aired on TV during 1999 to 2007. (b) Evaluate benefits and costs of marketing orientation for the case organization. Marketing Orientation means how a company develops new product considering the two approaches of orientation, which are product oriented and marketing oriented. Product Orientated† approach means a firm develops product based on its choice or what the company is good at delivering to the customer rather than keeping the customer in mind. This approach is not appreciated in competitive markets and may often lead to unsuccessful venture. â€Å"Marketing Orientated†, in this the businesses analyses the needs and wants of t he customer in developing a product. The product revolves round the information and data provided by research on the customer’s needs and wants and developing a right product. This type of orientation often leads to successful business. Easyjet uses marketing orientated strategy towards its customers into its business. The have researched and came to a conclusion that a business customer or a leisure customer do not like to spend more time in traveling and waiting at the airports. They also used the cost cutting strategy to reduce its cost and their cost expenditure per customer is about 15? per person whereas other competitors spend about 25? on each passenger. This strategy is very successful in the airline industry as there is another example of a similar airliner that operates in the US, called as the South West Airlines. The company is making a gross profit of 15 to 20% annually. The achieve this, they have hollowed various strategies. No refreshments served onboard except for snacks for which the customer has to pay. The above mentioned concept leads towards fewer cabin crews. Business class seats were removed to accommodate more passengers onboard Regional airports were used to reduce airport charges. Direct marketing, use of the internet, and saving commission by selling the tickets directly to the customer. 2. (A) Describe macro and micro environmental factors which influence marketing decisions. The â€Å"Micro Environment†, in these factors influences the business directly. This factor includes suppliers, employers, caterers, Financers and any other stake holders who directly influence the business. The Micro Environmental factors are relationship between the driving forces and the business that controls the above mentioned relationship. The management of the firm controls the relationship between the stake holders and the business. When Easyjet is taken into consideration, the micro environmental factors that influence its business are: Assets: Easyjet owns all of its planes and has complete control over it. They do not take any property or asset on rental basis. They go for 100% ownership. Hence complete control over assets. Employees: Easyjet has fewer staff due to no-flinch strategy onboard. Agents and vendors: Easyjet uses direct selling strategy and does not out source its ticketing or customer service to any other organization which means they have control over marketing and customer relation management. The â€Å"Macro-Environment†, these factors that indirectly influence the business and the company do not have a direct control over these factors. The company need to resolve round these as the company should be in a position to adapt to these factors. The factors include such as Political, environmental, social and technological factors. Easyjet has adapted to these macro factors. By keeping themselves advanced enough in technological factor by consistently upgrading there planes. They also use the internet technology to sell there products to the end users. When it comes to environmental factor, they have adapted a new process called the â€Å"Ecojet† in which they are using new engines which are environmental friendly which would be introduced in 2015. They are well ahead of there competitors like the BA and Ryanair. 2. (B) Propose Segmentation criteria to be used products in different markets. Marketing segmentation is nothing but to target specific customers in the market who give more value to the business. In business market segmentation there are 3 types: Geographic: Includes customer orientation, regional growth rate and macro economic factors. Demographic: â€Å"Includes age, gender, ethnicity, education, occupation, income and family status†. Psychographic: includes values, attitudes, factors such as loyalty and order size. According to the owner of the Easyjet who says that he wants only 6 million customers in a year rather than targeting all 56 million people in Europe to keep his airline seats occupied. Easy marketing segmentation is targeted towards business customer and leisure travelers in Europe. Easyjet flies to all major tourist and business destinations in Europe. Easyjet has segmented or concentrated more on business customer who’s tickets are normally paid by the companies and leisure travelers who fly to major European destinations with travel packages, which include easycar and easyhotel value added services. . (c) Choose and explain targeting strategy for the product/service in the case organization. Targeting strategy may be influenced with the following factors: Maturity of the market. Buyer’s needs and choices. Competition. Number of sales required for profit. In the case study of Easyjet, if you use the above template: When Easyjet entered market it was quiet mature as t hey had stiff competition with Biritish Airways and Ryanair but Easyjet understood the users needs and wants by research. In which they came to a conclusion which notes that business customers prefer cheaper flights for shorter destinations and value added services if customer is looking for leisure travel. Competition was stiff from Ryanair and British Airways, to a get better of these competitors Easyjet user various promotional campaigns using the internet and newspapers. They also used direct selling strategy to have control over there sales and eventually improved the sales. They worked towards having there airline seats filled up on any given day and ensured they pay as less a charge in the airports. 2. D) Demonstrate how buyer behaviour affects marketing activities in different buying situation. Consumer or End user buying behaviour is influenced by the following factors: Social factors. Psychological Factors. Personal factors. Social factors: These are the factors wherein a customer is influenced by other people in the market or other social factors that influence on the customer to accept or de cline the product. In the above case study, Easyjet used some of the captions like â€Å"Battle with Swissair† or â€Å"Low fares needn’t BA con! † on their website. This influenced lot of customer’s visiting Easyjet website. The more customers visited the website the more Easyjet became an household name. Psychological Factor: This factor depends on the individual customer who is influenced by motives, perception, learning, personality and attitude. When Easyjet had majority of users coming to their website, they introduced trivia’s, luck dips and questionnaires on their website which influenced the customer and made kept the users visiting back to the site. In 2002, Five thousand customers won 2000? each using the Easyjet website, but the company had sales over 2 million pounds from the customers who visited during this period. Personal Factors: This factor includes situational, life style and demographic factors. Easyjet entered the market as a low budget airline, which means its main target will be business customers by providing customers with good quality, affordable and quick service. They successfully achieved the above motive. 2. (E) Propose New market positioning for a selected product/service. Easyjet has started its venture in Asia-pacific market. There is a lot of potential in North America and in India. As Business customer in these mentioned countries are frequent flyers and use airways a median of transport for short destinations. Easyjet also has sister companies such as Easycar and Easyhotels which it can utilize in the new markets to stabilize its hold and attract new customers. They could also start a new venture for road transport or have a Joint venture with road transport and railway companies to offer a complete package to both its business and leisure customers. (A) Explain how products are developed to sustain competitive advantage. When a company sets standards and bench marks in a particular business over its competitors, is known as competitive advantage. All the companies work towards having a competitive advantage in the market. According to Michael Porter there are two types of competitive advantage, cost advantage and differentiation advantage. Cost Advantage: This advantage is gained by a company when it delivers similar products or services as their rivals at a lower cost. Easyjet attained this advantage by flying to the same destinations but at a lower cost as it is a budget airliner when compared with other airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France. Differentiation Advantage: When a company provides value added services and a better overall package to the end users at the same price as provided by the competitors in the market. Easyjet has always aimed at providing value for money for its customers by punctual flights and flexibility to the customers. Easyjet and Ryanair have similar price tags on their tickets but Easyjet flies to major European destinations whereas Ryanair lands at airports of smaller cities. (B) Explain how distribution is arranged to provide customer service. Distribution is a important part of marketing strategy. Distribution is the channel in which the company supplies or provides its products or services to its customers. The main functions of Distribution are Information (Market planning), Promotion (Spreading information and offers about the product), Contact (Communicating with buyers), Matching (Adjusting offers to fit customers’ needs and wants), Negotiation, Physical distribution (transportation) and financing. Easyjet uses a distribution channel called â€Å"Direct marketing†, as the company wants to reduce its costs by avoiding resellers and distribution partners. This approach of Easyjet has ensured that their ticket selling price to the customers is reduced and they also have a direct control over sales. The company also handles its own customer service. 3. (c) Explain how prices are set to reflect an organisation’s objectives and market conditions. Easyjet follows penetrating price strategy, wherein they have reduced the price towards the customers needs and wants. Here leaser the price the more demand for the product or service. Easy jet have also reduced their costs to gain more profits, hence lesser they spend the more profit they have. 3. (d) Illustrate how promotional activity is integrated to achieve marketing objectives. There are two main kinds of promotional strategy named a push strategy and pull strategy. Push strategy is a form of promotional activity wherein the company promotes the products to wholesalers and retailers. Whereas in pull strategy the company promotes the products or services directly to the customers. Easyjet is a service industry and also believed in direct marketing uses the pull strategy to communicate with its customers. The various forms of communications they followed were: The company has mentioned its website address and phone number where ever it can. They have literally put the address on its Boeing 737’s. Easyjet also runs internet promotions on newspapers. Its first promotion was in â€Å"The Times† in February 1999. The result of this promotion ended up with Easyjet selling 20,000 out of its 50,000 seats in the first day and all other seats were sold in next 3 days. Using this strategy the company was able to cut down 250 jobs and saved money. Easyjet also follows first come first serve basis, the following table gives a clear indication. The website was also used as a tool instead of paying the PR companies. Captions such as â€Å"The web’s favourite airline†, â€Å"Battle with Swissair† and the latest â€Å"come let’s fly†. Easyjet became a house hold name in the United Kingdom as it was listed in an Airline TV series which was aired on TV during 1999 to 2007.