An Indian Farmer Essay

* Introduction- India is an agriculture country. It is a land of farmers. They live in village and die in village. They lead a very simple life. Their houses are made of mud and straw. They are very small and simple. The farmers are the true sons of the motherland. Gandhiji said India lives in village. * His Dress- the farmers do not wear fashionable dresses. They wear simple clothes. Generally they wear dhoti, kurta and a cap. The women wear cheap and simple dhotis. * His food- The food of the farmers is also very simple and cheap. They eat rice, pulses, green vegetables and chapaties. Very poor farmers get only dry bread and mirch-masala. A few rich farmers take sufficient milk curd and butter. * His work- The work of a farmer is very hard. They have to work in their fields in all the seasons of the year. In rain or sunshine they must work. They work from morning till late in the evening. They plough fields, sow seeds and raise crops. Their woek is really very hard but very useful. Our farmers provides us food, vegetable and oilseeds. * Fairs and festivals- farmers take part in fairs and festivals with full enthusiasm. They wear colorful dresses, take rounds in merry-go-round, and buy some fancy goods and toys. * Bad habbits- some farmers have bad habits also. They drink wine. They are superstitious. They have bad customs. They are illiterate as well. We must try to remove their bad habits. * Politics- previously there was no politics in village. The life of villagers was simple. They loved and co-operated with each other. The elders of the village were the punches who settled their disputes. But now the politics of the cities has reached the villages too. It has spoiled the atmosphere of the villages. The elections of the punchayats are contested with much bitterness and quarrels. This situations needs reformation because villages are the roots of nation. If they are poisoned the whole of our nation will be destroyed.

Mcdonald’s Environmental Factors

McDonald’s: A Giant Marketing Success Story in APA style (your name) (your school) McDonald’s 2 Abstract When it comes to marketing a business domestically and globally, a lot of environmental factors come into play. These can involve finances of a foreign country, customs, culture, and trends. McDonald’s has been a worldwide corporate success, and much of this success has been due to their marketing decisions. Here, we will find out what exactly McDonald’s has done to beat the competition and grow as a company worldwide.McDonald’s 3 Worldwide, Ronald McDonald is one of the most recognizable characters to this day. The first McDonalds opened in 1937 (Colonel 66, 2003). In just a little over seventy years, McDonalds has become one of the biggest corporations in the world. This success did not happen overnight. McDonalds has made great decisions in marketing and advertising over the years. There are many factors that contribute to global and domestic marketing, and McDonalds has seemed to tackle each and every one.When McDonalds first launched, the two McDonald brothers had to decide how to market their product. The environment and culture of the United States during the 50’s were becoming more and more fast-paced. People wanted quality food for a good price and in a timely manner. The McDonald brothers then came to the idea of using the new technology of assembly lines in order to make quick hamburgers (Wikipedia, 2008). Soon, word of mouth spread the popularity of cheaper hamburgers and faster service compared to traditional diners.During the beginning of the McDonalds legacy, the United States was booming with new technology and a faster-paced lifestyle, and McDonalds learned how to incorporate this with their marketing. Soon after, in 1955, Ray Kroc took interest in the McDonald restaurant and established the McDonald’s System, Inc (Wikipedia, 2008). This served as the legal structure for the entrepreneurâ€⠄¢s planned franchises. It wasn’t long before the McDonald brothers sold their business rights to Ray Kroc.Although the brothers may have founded the idea of assembly line burgers and fries, Ray Kroc had the marketing plans to take McDonalds into the global direction. McDonald’s 4 As the baby boom began, and families seemed to revolve around the busy lifestyle of work and taking care of children, Ray Kroc decided to market McDonalds to children. It’s not surprising that after the Great Depression subsided, family became the focal point in the American environment. Marketers of McDonalds were smart to hire Willard Scott, formerly known as Bozo the Clown, to play the role of Ronald McDonald (Wikipedia, 2008).The idea of Ronald McDonald stuck, and a few years later, the whole family of McDonaldland was developed. These characters enticed children, and after the hard times America endured, American parents wanted to make their children happy. It is no wonder McDonal ds became a nationwide success. After becoming a phenomenon in the United States, McDonalds had to deal with global marketing and different environments and cultures in foreign countries in order to grow. When expanding to another nation, a company must have a deep knowledge of the needs of potential customers.Culture and custom plays a big role in marketing for any company, and McDonalds has achieved success despite many environmental factors in different nations. In India, many people are vegetarians due to religious beliefs. This may seem like a dead-end to a fast-food restaurant that specializes in hamburgers, but McDonalds developed the â€Å"Maharaja McBurger,† in Indian stores. This is a burger made from assorted vegetables and mayonnaise prepared without eggs (Associated Content, 2005). In addition, McDonalds has promoted various items throughout the world to celebrateMcDonald’s 5 foreignevents. For instance, in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, McDonald s sells a â€Å"Prosperity Burger† during the Chinese new-year (Associated Content, 2005). In addition to culture, financial situations in different countries also affect the way McDonalds operates. It would be impossible to have a set value for a Big Mac worldwide. Instead, McDonalds compares prices to local competitors in order to set their prices. This makes McDonalds infamous burgers affordable to most everybody in a variety of different nations.Technology has also played a big role in the global market for McDonalds. China’s first drive thru opened in December of 2005 by McDonalds. This new dining experience excited the Chinese as well as confused them. It took a strong team to teach employees how to conduct traffic through the drive thru (McDonalds Corporation, 2005). The success of McDonalds is greatly impacted by staying up to date with technology and equipment in all of their stores. While marketing in terms of profit, a company must also look into social and ethic behaviors.It’s not enough to provide a great product if the customers do not approve the methods of production. This has been a huge factor for McDonalds. One of the biggest social issues tied to McDonalds in the United States is obesity. According to Michael Russell (2006) over 60 million people are obese. McDonalds has been a target of concern for unhealthy eating habits. As a result, marketing turned away from the traditional core products of McDonalds: the hamburgers, shakes, and fries. Instead, McDonalds has focused attention on new, healthier products such as salads and fresh fruit.This healthful concern McDonald’s 6 even spreads over to the United Kingdom. Shiv Singh (2008) reports that McDonalds has launched a new national advertising campaign. These advertisements show parents that only healthy, high quality ingredients are used in Happy Meals. It’s clear that the marketing giant McDonalds is staying on consumer trends in all nations. To conclude, McDonalds has shown a successful path in marketing. Their decisions have been based on local culture and environment, and it’s shown that McDonalds has a deep understanding for the concept of environmental marketing.By treating each location as a local focal point, McDonalds has succeeded in becoming the global corporation that it is today. McDonald’s 7 References Associated Content (2005, March 3). McDonald’s Strategic Marketing Mix. Associated Content, Inc. Retrievedon July 30th 2008 from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/263943/mcdonalds_strategic_marketing_mix. html? cat=4 McDonalds Press Release (2005, December 10). First McDonalds Drive-Thru Opens InChina. McDonalds, Inc Retrieved on July 30th, 2008 fromhttp://www. mcdonalds. com/corp/news/corppr/2005/cpr_12102005. tml Russel, Michael. (2006, May 21). Obesity in the United States. Ezine Articles. Retrieved on July 30th, 2008 from http://ezinearticles. com/? Obesity-In-The-United-States;id=202439 Singh, Shiv. (2008, July 1). McDonalds and Social Influence Marketing. Going Social Now. Retrieved on July 30th, 2008 from http://www. shivsingh. com/goingsocial/2008/07/heres-another-example-of-socia. html Wikipedia. (2008, July 1). History of McDonalds. Wikipedia, Inc. Retrieved on July 30th, 2008 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/History_of_McDonald's

Operations Management, ABC & Co Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Operations Management, ABC & Co - Case Study Example They were expecting a vehicle of standard quality. When the first manufactured vehicle came into the market, customers were informed through a massive advertisement through television, newspapers and magazines and it made a great business. After launch of the 1st manufactured car, the company decided to introduce new models of the car every year by making amendments in form of colors, gears, wheels, design of wheels, head lights, improved quality of the silencer, etc. the company did not feel any need to make a heavy advertisement of these changes but an advertisement in few magazines. The reason behind this policy was the trust of the customers who they have gained through their performance. Moreover there was not so much important changed model of the car that it should be advertised at large scale. The company is committed to the quality products and quality services. The company emphasizes over the safety of environment and surroundings. The plants of the company have been established according to the modern technology to recycle the waste and prohibition of smoke and chemicals to the environment. The vehicles sold by the company contains slogan of environment safety as well the manuals of the vehicles contain directions for provision from environmental pollution. The customers of the company are spread all over the world as the company started its services by importing the cars from different regions of the world for different regions. Mainly the customers of the company fall into two categories: 1- The customers buying the imported vehicles. 2- The customers purchasing the company's own vehicles The customers of 1st category are the older clients who purchasing the vehicles of any kind from the company. They never switch towards the other companies in seek of different vehicles as they order their required vehicles through theior orders. They can be categorized as loyal customers. The company focuses to sustain them as loyal customers are much important for any company. They bring more customers for the company as well they describe their demands and suggest beneficial recommendations for the company. The second category customers are temporary purchasing vehicles. They are attracted by new models and low prices. But they can switch to other companies as ell for bargain. The company is trying to gain their trust at such level that they also fall in the category of loyal customers. CHALLENGES: The company has been facing many challenges in the past. The management has been dealing with these challenges very well. The current challenges faced by the company are: to provide services in 5 more countries to manufacture two wheel vehicles for developing regions of the world to provide their

Foundations of Academic Writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Foundations of Academic Writing - Assignment Example This paper examines the moral obligation human beings have towards other non-human animals within the ecosystem in order for them to enjoy their rights as living creatures. Animals are part of the ecosystem within which human beings live and thus, it is the obligation of people to conserve their surroundings. Preserving their surroundings in this context implies that they should strive to ensure the animals and other living things within that proximity are protected from any form of damaged or destruction to ensure perpetual lives hence save them from extinction (Linzey and Clarke, 2005). Biologically, human beings are regarded as the highest creature in terms of reasoning and making rational judgement thus they ought to preserve the other creatures that are under them. However, those creatures should not be subjected to uncouth activities for the benefit of man but should be guided in the best ways to live and interact with other creatures. The issue, of non-human beings being accorded rights, is both limiting to people and at the same time tends to defy the logic of common sense. For instance, with animal rights in place those who subscribe and pledge to uphold them should not use animals for food, transport, recreation as well as not harm them in any manner (Regan, 2003). It is right for a man to handle other animals with dignity and all the activities that they subject them into must be within a moral context. This will aid to solve numerous cases in which animals have fallen victims of torture in the name of satisfying the needs of man. For instance, it cannot be justified when a person loads tonnes of luggage on camels for transport purposes just because he/she can afford to own that animal (Regan, 2003). It is prudent to understand the fact that just like a human being animals also have feelings of pain, anger and even can die. Thus, they should be accorded with the utmost respect even in the event

Alcoholism in Lebanon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alcoholism in Lebanon - Essay Example The genes that are responsible for alcohol addiction interact with one another as well as with the environment. Different variations of this interaction result either in temperance or in addiction. There is also one more variant possible when alcohol addiction is not predetermined by heredity. Alcoholism can be surely called the curse of the 20th and 21st centuries. With the increase of the life rate, with the emotional stress caused by surplus of information people are prone to seek ways of getting relaxed. The main deceiving point of alcohol is that it is delusive. Being in the state of intoxication all the difficulties and problems slacken and there is a temporal short-term state of carelessness and relative happiness. The state described above is connected with the discharge of endorphins in blood. Endorphin, also called the hormone of happiness, is produced by a special area of brains and leads to the feeling of relaxation. Not only alcohol or drugs can lead to the effect of the short-term happiness, though it is the fastest method to stimulate the production of endorphins. It is known that bananas and chocolate have the similar effect, though the number of endorphins is rather small. The investigation on alcohol addiction proves that daily and continuous consumption of alcohol even in small portions can lead to chemical addiction. Due to the exchange processes of the organism, the chemical addiction of the cells arises. This addiction is characterized by the need to increase the dose from time to time. The most striking fact is that according to the hereditary theory (that is proved by statistical data) if one of the parents is alcohol addicted then one of their children or grandchildren is sure to have the same problem (Plant 2006). The fact is that the gene responsible for alcoholism addiction can reveal itself even in several generations. There are two types of alcoholism that are distinguished by the scientists: male and female. Female alcoholism, tho ugh not so often met, is more dangerous and is hardly to be cured. Women get addicted to alcohol much quicker than men do and in this way they become drunkards very quickly. The reasons that force a woman to take alcohol can vary. The first place is occupied by hereditary addiction, but then come the reasons of the unhappy private life, problems with children, the absence of family etc. However, for a man the main reason after hereditary are problems at work. It has been established in such a way in the evolution of the mankind that a woman has always realized herself at home and in the family, while a man always strived to make a career and achieve something at work. Alcohol influences the organism in a negative way; though scientists still argue weather there is a minimal doze of alcohol that is useful for an organism. It has always been believed that a small doze of red wine a day will be very useful for health. Though, nowadays some scientists argue that even such doze can lead to the dying-off of brain cells. Alcohol influences the brains in such a way that the organism knowing that something harmful is happening to it starts to defend. As a result the cells of the brains die off in the process of battle. Soon the dead cells leave the body via uresis. A person who is alcohol addicted gradually losses his/her intelligence and degrade. The only thing that interests them is taking another doze of alcohol. All their actions through the day in

Business Proposal Photo Travel App Research Paper

Business Proposal Photo Travel App - Research Paper Example They have become ideal companion to traveler as it enables them to not only access information but also services and booking while on transit. Tablets have emerged as effective devices for concluding purchases (Mark 3). However, the increase in use of mobile in the industry has encountered challenges such as little or lack of 4G and Wi-Fi coverage; bad experience of the user design; and frictions that hamper users from concluding transactions through the mobiles. There has been no pressure for marketing apps since users tend to focus activities on some few applications. Moreover, the retention of these users has proved to be quite challenging. The expenses obtaining and user retention is sky rocketing (Tony 3). Interestingly, the cost of retaining the users of the apps is proving to be higher than that used in the acquisition of new users. Despite the above glaring challenges, there are some techniques that can be employed so that apps have a competitive advantage in the climate of business arena. It is advisable for app developers to market the apps just before new devices such as phones are availed into the market. The cost of apps tend to heighten when devices are availed hence there is usually a lot of competition for consumers to download the various applications in the market in the launched new gadgets. It is for these reasons, that when consumers purchase the new launched devices then they have higher chances of downloading the apps that were previously in the mind (Brandon 6). App developers should also use a strong attractive nutritious name that enables the visibility of their apps. The popularity of the install apps through ads is high and optimizes the visibility of through means that are not paid for. The ideal strategy to retain users who already have the app downloads; the developers can incorporate the

Segregation of Schools on the Basis of Gender Research Paper

Segregation of Schools on the Basis of Gender - Research Paper Example Smyth (47) observes that several countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, continue to have a sizeable number of single-sex schools, where boys and girls receive education at separate classrooms. However, some of the educational centers vehemently turn down any possibility for the mixing of genders at schools. Consequently, they recommend and enforce segmentation of the children on the basis of their gender. In few of the most developed countries, such as the UK, USA, Canada, and India, the students obtain learning classes under one roof without their segregation on a gender basis. The co-educated schooling is actually exercised on the foundation of the Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments as of 1972, which vehemently outlawed discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programmes receiving federal funds (Halpern et al.) Thus, the U.S. law absolutely rejects the possibility of segregating the schooling of the children in the light of their gender difference s. Theorists maintain different opinions about the co-education and segregated patterns of education for adolescents and young students. Some of the critics declare segregation of educational centers on gender basis as strictly against the norms, values, traditions, and customs which have been prevailing in the contemporary world for the last several decades. They also cite the example of the division of society on the basis of race, ethnicity, and religion, where people get their children admitted to the schools that belong to their own ethnic-racial background. They stick to the opinion that segregation of boys and girls at schools not only paves the way towards the further splitting up of the already divided society but also disables the young generation from comprehending the challenges they are to undergo as professionals in future. The supporters of co-education schooling declare segregation of the students on the basis of gender as strictly against the principles of gender eq uality. Since the statutes of law condemn the practicing of any ethnic, racial, religious or gender discrimination, depriving the children of getting admission into the schools of their choice is absolutely against the basic rights the Human Rights Charter bestows upon them. Since all boys and girls are free to enjoy their human rights and their potential as individuals in economic, socio-cultural, civil and public life, no law can forbid them to enter into the learning process of their choice altogether. In addition, since boys and girls are to become partners at domestic and career life, they have to be able to enter into decisions making in collaboration with one another so that to secure peace and harmony in their homes, communities, and societies. Schools have an important role to play in preparing girls and boys to listen and communicate effectively with each other in order to build this respectful partnership (UNESCO, 2007). Thus, since men and women are to perform all obliga tions and activities, in political, economic, social and cultural fields, they should learn to behave with each other under healthy and competitive environment principles.

Review of One Film Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Review of One Film - Research Paper Example This paper assesses the film for its cultural and historical value by examining the movie from the idea for the film, the drafting of the script, production and post-production exposure and results. Film critic and freelance journalist, Josh Winning (2010) provides thorough insight into back story for Back to the Future. According to Winning (2010), the idea for the film originated with producer Bob Gale and writer/director Robert Zemickis. Both Gale and Zemickis had produced a few films together and had always wanted to produce a time travel film. The idea for Back to the Future originated with Gale back in 1980 when he visited his parents and came across his father’s high school yearbook. Gale found himself wondering what kind of a high school teen his father was and speculated over how he might have reacted to his father had he attended school with him. It was this thinking that gave birth to the idea for Back to the Future (Winning, 2010). Upon his return to Los Angeles, G ale pitched the idea to Zemickis, who speculated over what Gale’s mother might have been like in highschool and the idea for Back to the Future was complete. Together, Gale and Zemichis took their idea to Columbia Pictures and a developmental contract was signed and the two began working on drafting a script. The script was designed to transport 17 year old Marty back to a time when his parents were teens in high school. This meant that Marty would have to go back to the 1950s, an important time in American history and culture development. This was an era in which teens gained some form of economic power and freedom and became empowered (Winning, 2010). The first draft for the script was completed in 1981 and featured Marty as a video pirate and the time machine was largely a fridge. A second draft in 1981 changed Marty to a â€Å"wannabe rock star† and modernised the time machine (Winning, 2010). Ian Nathan (2010) of Empire magazine provides insight into the making of the film Back to the Future by interviewing Gale and Zemickis and executive producer Steven Spielberg who worked with the draft scripts. According to Spielberg, the first draft was a bit too clean and would not hold up against the raunchy comedies that were currently dominating the box office. Moreover, the time machine seemed so stationery and would have had limited mobility for the time traveller. On this basis, the first draft was rejected by Columbia Pictures and a more mobile time machine with wheels was devised for the second draft which was shopped around. The script went back and forth between studios and Gale and Zemickis at least forty times before a final draft with an acceptable level of edginess was achieved. Spielberg acted as an advisor, mediating between various studios and Gale and Zemickis, trying to preserve the integrity of Gale and Zemickis’ ideas and helping them to finally sell the final draft to Universal Pictures (Nathan, 2010). Upon accepting the dr aft, Sid Sheinberg at Universal made three notes to the script. First, the character Dr. Emmett Brown could not be called â€Å"professor† as that would be â€Å"too corny† (Nathan, 2010). Secondly, Brown’s mascot could not be a chimpanzee as no movie with a chimpanzee in it has ever been a hit. Thirdly, the movie title had to be changed from Back to the Future to Spaceman from Pluto. However, Gale and Zemickis would not agree to a movie title change and with Spielberg’

Advantages and Disadvantages - Studying Abroad Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages Studying Abroad Essay Nowadays, there are many people continuing their studies outside their country. They think that educations in other countries are better than in their own country. Studying abroad offer so many life-changing and enduring academic, career, and social benefits, therefore students consider studying abroad. Studying abroad lets you experience things you have never faced them before. It gives you the opportunity to communicate with different people who have different religions and speak different languages. This will improve your social skills. In addition, when you graduate from a university in a foreign country, It will make you more prestigious. In work life and in your personal life, It will bring more respect for you. To them, you are a person who experiences a different world with different inhabitants. . Exploring cultures and civilisations, which may happen when studying abroad. Few other experiences in life have proven such a positive and sustainable impact on the youth . Overseas education offers many good foreign universities to international students. These universities often have advanced teaching facilities and other resources. In addition, teachers also have higher professional standards On the other hand, when the youth leaves his hometown and migrate to another country to continue study, some obstacles may show up. he must be away from the family and intimate friends for a while. No doubt, the relationship will fade away if he dont try to keep in touch with them. Moreover, the person is exposed to an environment where everybody else acts and behaves different from what the student has learned before. So far the costs of living and studying are most likely higher then your income in the country and you barely find an appropriate job with a high salary at first.

The English Subject Essay Example for Free

The English Subject Essay English has been a big factor to my being as an educated person and as a Lasallian student. I take pride that I go to a university which offers an outstanding quality of English education. During the third term of my freshman year in college, I took up ENGLCOM which was a subject that was divided into reading and writing class. At first, I found the two boring because I thought that I was already confident with my stock knowledge about English Communication, so I intentionally did not attend the first few meetings. I just relaxed and did other useless things to kill time for my scheduled class. After summing up my free cuts, I decided to go to class so I could catch up with the lessons. I surprisingly found myself lost. I did not have any clue about what was going on or what was being discussed. I started asking for help from my classmates. I tried studying about all the things I missed in class, and I saw that what was being tackled that time was not clear to me even if I had already graduated from high school. I quickly found myself very interested in what I was dealing with. I learned that academic reading and writing are fun and interesting. I was able to improve my vocabulary and the way I write essays since we were taught about words which were unfamiliar, and we were also consistently being asked to write essays about certain topics. There were even times when we were taught how to properly analyse commercial ads and how to correctly write certain types of letters. All of my first impressions disappeared; I found the subject very interesting and from then on, I regularly went to class. During our writing class, we were asked to compose four essays: an extended definition essay, an argumentative essay, an entry and an exit essay. I honestly had difficulty in writing. My thoughts were not complete, and I had a lack of supporting ideas. While we were writing the entry essay, I had somewhat an easy time writing using my stock knowledge. Same thing happened with the exit essay. When it came to the argumentative and extended definition essays, I found myself having a very hard time. It was kind of difficult for me to think of a topic that I could argue and add more definition to. I had a few mistakes at first, but I was able to correct them by improving my vocabulary and researching for more supporting ideas. I also applied the lessons and techniques that were taught to us until it also became a habit for me to keep updated with all the things around me. I became patient and specific with my writing. It was really surprising to me how much more I needed to know. As the term ends, I can say that ENGLCOM has helped me improve my writing and reading skills. I became more proficient in writing, analyzing, reporting and reading. I will try to compile all my works so I could set them as guides as I keep up with my life in college when I start with thesis papers and other things that involve reading and writing. I met my objectives because of everything this subject had to offer. It was indeed a very fun and interesting experience of learning more about English Communication.

Housing Need Supply And Demand Economics Essay

Housing Need Supply And Demand Economics Essay West Somerset is one of the smallest local authorities within England with a population of 34,675 Office for National Statistics 2012. It is largely rural in nature with two thirds of the area being within Exmoor National Park. The coastal town of Minehead is the largest settlement with a population of 12,084 (Office for National Statistics 2012). 1.3 By far the largest age group within West Somerset are those aged 60 and over making 38% of the total population (Office for National Statistics 2011). This group is well provided for within housing with a large number of sheltered and supported housing schemes and nursing homes both within the private sector and social housing sector. 1.4 Young people aged 20 to 29 make up approximately 9.5% of the total population of West Somerset (Office for National Statistics 2012) however they are one of the largest age groups registered for Social Housing within West Somerset with 23.3% of active applicants (Homefinder Somerset 2012). 1.5 The economy of West Somerset relies heavily on tourism, agriculture and the care industry with the majority of work being found within one of these areas. The largest employer is Butlins in Minehead (West Somerset Council 2011). The majority of work within tourism and agriculture are seasonal resulting in fluctuating benefit claims and relatively low wage levels within the area making affordability of housing a problem. 2 A Profile of West Somerset 2.1 The total population of West Somerset has decreased from 2001 census data to the 2011 data however the proportion of this population that is in the age range 20 to 29 has increased during this time from 7.7% to 9.5%. In England as a whole the percentage population of people aged 20 to 29 in 2011 is 13.7%, higher than in West Somerset. The largest age group within West Somerset is those over age of 60 making a total of 38% of the population in 2011 in contrast to a percentage population of 22.3% for this age group in England as a whole (Office for National Statistics 2012). Table 1 Population of West Somerset Age Range 2011 Population 2011 Percentage 2001 Population 2001 Percentage 19 and under 6 264 18.1% 7 225 20.6% 20 29 3 293 9.5% 2 687 7.7% 30 59 11 925 34.4% 13 442 38.3% 60 and over 13 193 38.0% 11 715 33.4% Total Population 34 675 35 069 Source: Office for National Statistics Table 2 Population of England Age Range 2011 Population 2011 Percentage 2001 Population 2001 Percentage 19 and under 12 712 275 24.0% 12 327 688 24.9% 20 29 7 246 202 13.7% 6 307 052 12.8% 30 59 21 221 173 40.0% 20 584 021 41.6% 60 and over 11 832 806 22.3% 10 230 985 20.7% Total Population 53 012 456 49 449 746 Source: Office for National Statistics 2.2 A large proportion of homes in West Somerset are owner occupied approximately 67% compared to a national average of 63% (Office National Statistics 2012) and the average price of a house in Somerset as of October 2012 is  £160,349 very close to the national average for England and Wales of  £161,605 (Land Registry 2012). The migration into the area by people wishing to purchase retirement homes or second homes has pushed the prices up to very close to the national average. Private rented housing makes up 16% of accommodation with social housing approximately 15% (Office National Statistics 2012). 2.3 Average earnings in West Somerset are  £523.00 per week which is below the average for England of  £609.50 per week (Somerset County Council 2011). The majority of work is within the tourism and agricultural industries and is seasonal in nature and hence low paid. This below average earnings coupled with high cost of housing makes home ownership very difficult for local people and especially for young people. 2.4 In West Somerset social housing is supplied by Housing Associations of which Magna West Somerset holds the largest stock. Of the 1921 properties owned by Magna West Somerset, 1439 of these are general needs properties with the rest being sheltered or supported accommodation. Of the 1439 general needs properties only 161 (11.2%) are 1 bedroom properties. 3 Housing Need, Supply and Demand 3.1 Everyone has a need for housing of some sort, the type and availability varies around the globe. In the UK the need for housing is measured by the local authority using various facts and figures available to them such as number of homeless applications or numbers registered for housing as well as the demographic profile of the area (Lazarus 2012). 3.2 Housing demand can be described as the desire for housing along with the ability to pay for that desire. Housing supply would be described as the amount of housing produced at a price. The demand and supply of housing can fluctuate with various factors influencing both but in the long term, the supply of housing should equal its demand, because price will provide the equilibrating mechanism linking the two (Harriott Matthews1998 p23) 3.3 The demographic profile of an area along with the economic factors will have an effect on the supply and need of housing. Within the West Somerset area the population as a whole has reduced since 2001 however a larger percentage are over 60 requiring specialist housing and also young people who are looking to get onto the property ladder for the first time as homeowners or by renting in either the private or social housing sectors. The need for starter housing by young people has increased however financial pressures often mean that they are unable to own their own home or rent within the private sector. 3.4 Homefinder Somerset is a choice based lettings allocation scheme for affordable housing in Somerset. Within West Somerset in 2012 there were 1363 active applications for housing registered a total of 3.9% of the population. Of these registrations 318 are applicants aged 20-29 which is 23.3% of total number registered, a much higher proportion than those aged 20-29 of the population as a whole (Homefinder Somerset 2012). 3.5 Of the 318 registrations from applicants aged 20 to 29, 109 (33.3%) of these state that they are not living in their own property at the moment and are living with family or friends (Homefinder Somerset 2012). Increasingly young people are finding it more difficult to move out of the family home for the first time due to financial pressures so are still living with parents up to a much older age. 3.6 The Rural Housing Project in Exmoor National Park is an independent project which seeks to help local people to remain living and working in the area (Exmoor National Park 2012). They identify the level of housing need through conducting surveys and also holding consultation events. They then work in partnership with developers and housing associations to deliver affordable housing for local people. 3.7 After a consultation by The Rural Housing Project a need for rural housing in Exmoor National Park was identified for young people. A scheme was developed in the village of Wheddon Cross in June 2011 and consisted of a mix of affordable private housing and social housing. This scheme of 10 properties for social housing included 2 one bedroom properties. Of the 10 properties 9 of these were let to young people and of these 9, six were to young people with no children with 3 of these being let to siblings (Rural Housing Project 2012). 3.8 Funding for building of new properties by housing associations needs to be raised by either loans or from rents. Magna West Somerset, the largest housing association in the area has made a decision to not develop any new properties once those currently being built are finished. This is due to interest rates for loans being unfavourable coupled with the uncertainty of rental income with the introduction of Universal Credit in 2013 when the housing element of benefit will be paid direct to the tenant and no longer straight to the landlord. This means that very few new properties will be developed in the area in the foreseeable future. 4 Economic Factors 4.1 In 2007 the economy in the UK suffered what is known as the credit crunch where the availability of credit and mortgages was severely cut causing a crisis in the housing market and recession and an increase in the demand for social housing (Lazarus 2012). The economy still has not recovered from this completely and although this caused a fall in house prices, the demand for housing within the private sector is also not there as buyers are unable to access finance. Building firms faced financial difficulties and some went into receivership so the supply of housing has also been drastically cut. 4.2 Unemployment levels are high especially amongst young people. Job Seekers Allowance for a single young person under age of 25 is  £56.25 per week and for those 25 and over it is  £71 per week (gov.uk 2012). Although they can also claim housing benefit many young people struggle to finance a home on their own with the rising cost of utilities and food. 4.3 An important part of economic success for an area is the ability to retain young working people. There is a very short supply of affordable housing in rural areas for young people so they either remain at home for longer or leave to seek affordable accommodation in more urban areas (West Somerset Council 2009). 4.4 West Somerset is a predominantly rural area which adds extra expense to living costs. There is very little public transport except along the coastal corridor from Minehead to Taunton with a bus route. The nearest railway station is Taunton and the only railway running within West Somerset is a steam heritage railway. Most people therefore have the added expense of having to run a car. 4.5 A large section of West Somerset is also not served by mains gas, including a great number of social housing properties in Minehead. This means that heating costs are higher due to using either electric or oil heating. According to figures published in 2010 by the Department of Energy and Climate Change 21.5% of households in West Somerset are in fuel poverty (Department of Energy and Climate Change 2010). A household is said to be in fuel poverty if it needs to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain a satisfactory heating regime (Department of Energy and Climate Change 2012). 4.6 These increased expenses of travel and utilities experienced within rural locations mean that affording housing in these areas is almost impossible for young single people on a low wage or not working. 5 Legislation 5.1 The Welfare Reform Act 2012 will bring in many changes to benefits. One of the main things that will affect young people is from April 2013 any person of working age under occupying a property and claiming housing benefit will have their benefit cut by 14% for one spare bedroom or 25% for two spare bedrooms commonly known as the bedroom tax (national Housing Federation 2012). This is already causing a strain on the demand for one bedroom properties by people who will be affected by this cut wanting to downsize which is causing more competition for these properties with young people wanting to get their first home. 5.2 The Local Government Finance Act 2012 removes council tax benefit and instead puts the responsibility on councils to develop their own scheme called Council Tax Support (Turn2Us 2012). The new scheme will be different in every council area however the government funding for each scheme has been cut which means that each council will have to find savings. Elderly and vulnerable people will be protected so working age people will probably have to pay council tax whether they are in work or not. 5.3 In West Somerset proposals have been put forward which include all working age people who are not working and so claiming Council Tax Support to pay 20% of their council tax bill and also for higher rates of non depended deductions. This will probably preclude young single people who are out of work from being able to afford to have their own home. Those that stay at home or with friends and family if the household is claiming council tax benefit will also find that there is a larger non dependent deduction charged to the household they are staying with (West Somerset Council 2012). 5.4 The government in the Chancellors Autumn Statement announced that benefits will only rise by 1%, a below inflation rise (Brown 2012). This means that benefits for unemployed young people will stay at a low level and with the cost of housing and living increasing the chance of obtaining and sustaining a tenancy is getting harder for them. 5.5 The Localism Act 2011 gives new rights and powers to local authorities with regard to a variety of issues including housing. Before the act almost anyone could apply to live in social housing, whether they need it or not (Department Communities and Local Government 2011 p15). Social housing however is now more than ever in greater demand due to the economic climate within the country. This act gives local councils the ability to agree on policy that can restrict who can qualify for social housing in the area. At this time, Homefinder Somerset the choice based lettings system used by West Somerset has not made any changes to its letting policy with regard to the Localism Act to restrict applications for housing. 5.6 Young people who wish to rent privately within West Somerset if they are on a low wage would be entitled to claim assistance with their rent through Local Housing Allowance. Since January 2012 any single person up to the age of 35 can only claim local housing allowance for a room in shared accommodation rather than a self contained 1 bedroom property. At present this rate is  £66.50 per week in West Somerset. From April 2013 the Local Housing Allowance will only be increased by the Consumer Price Index rather than market rent as previously (South Somerset District Council 2012) so a lower increase will happen each year so making it harder for young people on a low wage to rent privately. In his Autumn Statement the Chancellor then announced that after next April the Local Housing Allowance will only rise by 1% for the next two years (Brown 2012). This will make many private rental properties out of the price range of people on benefits and also those on low wages. 6 Conclusion 6.1 The issues surrounding housing of young people in West Somerset are mainly of affordability and availability. 6.2 The availability of 1 bedroom properties for young people without children is not good especially as these properties are now also in demand from other people wishing to downsize due to welfare reform changes and very little new building taking place. 6.3 Affordability due to low wages or unemployment and of high costs of living due to rising utility costs and food. 6.4 West Somerset Housing Strategy recognises the need to keep young people within the area for a sustainable community however more needs to be done to assist with the low wage base and affordability of housing. 6.5 More affordable housing needs to be provided for young people that is near to employment so that travel costs are kept to a minimum and also that is low cost to run with regard to utilities by using new technology. 6.6 Strategies to assist with training for work and also attracting new business into the area to help increase the number of people in work and the average wage for the area should also be looked at.

Eddie Vedder Is A Vampire :: essays research papers

Eddie Vedder Is A Vampire Although at first he may seem to be just your average angst ridden lead man for a popular rock and roll band, Eddie Vedder, the vocalist and lyricist for Pearl Jam, may very well be a vampire. Although it is impossible to tell, everything points to his being an immortal. An in depth analysis of his lyrics shows that Pearl Jam's second album, â€Å"Versus†, has been used by Vedder as sounding boards for the complex emotions and change of perspective that come with one's transition to vampirism. Other lyricists have used vampiric images before - for instance Sting, in Moon Over Bourbon Street, which was written in first person - but Vedder is unique in that his lyrics evolve over time as being indicative of his vampiric state. Either he has become a vampire, he believes himself to be a vampire, or he is leading a fictional double life, from which he draws inspiration for his lyrics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What exactly is a vampire? Numerous myths, folk tales, and works of fiction exist on the matter of what makes up a vampire, but if they do exist, vampires have been incredibly careful to conceal their presence from most people (supposedly following a law known as the Masquerade), and very little is known about them definitively. However, some basic facts are common to most sources. These are: vampires drink blood, vampires live forever if not killed, and vampires undergo grievous bodily harm if exposed to sunlight; this normally kills them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many other things about vampires, such as their aversion to garlic, their superhuman abilities, and their prohibition on entering abodes unless invited, are mentioned in some sources and not others, and so it is unclear as to how much of this applies to real vampires, and how much is pure myth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eddie's vampiric tendencies became apparent in the lyrics to â€Å"Versus†, Pearl Jam's second album. Pearl Jam's first album, â€Å"Ten†, contains no real evidence of vampirism, and his lyric writing style is subtly different from that in â€Å"Versus†. In â€Å"Ten†, the lyrics are often in ballad form, generally relating tales of normal people. The songs Jeremy, Alive, Deep, and Black were all number one hits in the U.S. from â€Å"Ten†. Eddie was not writing about himself in these songs, and was only assuming personas for the narrative, a standard device for composers of fiction of any kind. Thus, the lyrics were simply Eddie's view of the world around him, incorporating characters and situations which he could relate to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eddie's lyric writing style had change considerably in the second album, â€Å"Versus†.

Chinesse Education :: essays research papers

China has a long and rich cultural tradition in which education has played a major role. In 124 BC the first university was established for training prospective bureaucrats in Confucian learning and the Chinese classics. Only members of the upper class could attend school. Peasants and factory workers did not have the time to attend school; therefore as of 1949 only 20% of China was literate. The Communists who controlled China considered illiteracy a major stumbling block in their promotion of political programs. They then combined political propaganda with educational development. During the first few years (1949-51) of this push on education, over 60 million peasants enrolled in winter schools, or sessions, established to take advantage of the slack season for agricultural workers. Mao, the Communist leader of China, felt that the ultimate goal of education was to eliminate class distinction. After Mao’s death in 1976 a review of government policies concerning education was started. Out of this review came standardized testing and the reinstitution of entrance exams to get into schools and these exams were also used to get in the civil service.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chinese children entered school at age six and stayed for six years. They would study the Chinese language, math and other basic subjects. After going to an elementary school children would enter a middle school. The subjects the Chinese taught were particularly important for the advancement of the country. During the Ming dynasty Chinese novels became very popular. There were many poems and collections of short stories. The Ming also established free schools for the public hoping to expand education in china.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gifted students were selected for studying abroad especially in the United States. As these students finished their education and returned to China some of them teaching at Chinese Universities a major political unrest began to place.

The important of unity in Malaysia Essay

Malaysia is a country populated by various ethnic, racial and religion. The success of integrating Malaysia’s various ethnic groups would be established in a united Malaysian society. Thus, the national unity plays an important role in progress of Malaysia. Before the Malaysia successfully achieves independent, our ancestries which come from different background cooperate in order to demand for independent. The result for their unity among them has lead Malaysia as a self- governing country. Hence, we could say that no unity, no Malaysia. Secondly, the occurrence of unity in Malaysia has created a harmony and peaceful society. As we know, Malaysia is a nation which group by diverse culture and religion. If the Malaysia people doesn’t implement with the quality of unity, conflict and quarrel will occur among them and thus the stable of political of Malaysia will be corrupt. The visitors from other countries will be attracted by the unity that shown by the Malaysian peopl e. The visitors would like to identify more closely with the Malaysian culture of various races and religion which can live harmony under one society. The presence of the visitors to Malaysia has led to the development of tourism industry and hence increases the nation income. Another importance of unity in Malaysia is the development of economic. The stable of political in Malaysia due to the unity of Malaysian people will attract the foreign traders to make investment in Malaysia. The attendance of the foreign traders will not only cause the economics of Malaysia to increase, it may also raise the status of economic of Malaysia in the world. As conclusion, unity among the various races is vital for the progress of the nation as the saying goes, ‘United we stand, divided we fall’.

Manifest Destiny and Foreign Policy Essay

The term â€Å"Manifest Destiny,† which American writer John L. O’Sullivan first used in the New York Democratic Review in 1845. , describes what most 19th-Century Americans believed was their God-given mission to expand westward, occupy a continental nation, and extend U. S. constitutional government to unenlightened peoples. The idea was the driving force behind the rapid expansion of America into the West from the East, and it was heavily promoted in newspapers, posters, and through other mediums. While the Manifest Destiny was not itself an official government policy, it had a critical impact on the foreign policy of the U. S. and encouraged Westward colonization, territorial acquisition, and American thought during the 19th century. Westward expansion A. K. A. â€Å"Manifest destiny† led to America’s rapid acquisition of the old Mexican Southwest and the Oregon Territory that marked the fulfillment of President James K. Polk’s expansionistic campaign promises. Polk ran on only one platform — westward expansion. He wanted to officially claim the southern part of Oregon Territory; annex the American Southwest from Mexico; and annex Texas. Thus, Polk’s desire for land would eventually cause a great deal of suffering for many Mexicans, Native Americans and United States citizens. Following the earlier Texas War of Independence from Mexico, tensions between the two largest independent nations on the North American continent grew as Texas eventually became a U. S. state. Disputes over the border lines sparked military confrontation, helped by the fact that President Polk eagerly sought a war in order to seize large tracts of land from Mexico. The war took place mainly on Mexican soil. Partially because of disorganization and instability in the Mexican government, the war resulted in and American victory. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the war, made the southern boundary of Texas the Rio Grande, gave California and New Mexico to the United States, and gave $15 million to Mexico in compensation. Furthermore, the Manifest Destiny affected the foreign policy of the U. S. through Polk appointing John Slidell of Louisiana as minister to Mexico, and instructing him to offer up 30 million dollars to settle the disputed claims and purchase California and New Mexico—the territory between Texas and California. Like Polk many Americans during the 1840s-1850s were motivated by the spirit of the Manifest Destiny. Specifically, â€Å"Oregon Fever† seized thousands of western Americans hit hard by the economic depression (known as the Panic of 1837)—triggered largely by an over-speculation in federal lands. Missouri was the starting point of the 2,000 mile Overland Trail, traveled by Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger, and other mountain men. Commonly referred to as the â€Å"Oregon Trail,† the route ran along the Missouri and Platte Rivers, across the Great Plains, and through the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains. By, Americans moving that far west in Oregon only further supports that the Manifest Destiny impacted American thought and Westward colonization. Lastly, President James Polk used the cry of â€Å"Manifest Destiny† during his 1844 election, calling for the annexation of â€Å"All of Oregon†, and â€Å"Fifty Four Forty or Fight†, both popular rallying cries supporting annexation. James K. Polk’s used the Presidential bully pulpit and the cry of â€Å"Manifest Destiny† at different times, first with the British in attempts to gain Oregon and a couple years later to force Mexico to settle in 1848 and compromise, selling California and New Mexico to the United States to help end the war between the US and Mexico. Through the Manifest Destiny, Americans were motivated to seek economic and land opportunities especially in California. For example, the Gold Rush attracted an abundance of Americans to strike it rich. James Marshall found gold while working for John Sutter at his ranch in northern California on January 24, 1848. He had been hired to build a mill for Sutter. This place would enter American lore as ‘Sutter’s Mill’. Word quickly spread through California, the rest of America and eventually the world and people flocked to California to make their fortune. In fact, according to some estimates, the population increased by 86,000 people in two years. Most of these treasure seekers left for California in 1849, hence our name for them: 49ers. Next, the first lucky arrivals were able to find nuggets of gold in the streambeds. These people made quick fortunes. It was a unique time in history where individuals with literally nothing to their name could become extremely wealthy. The gold was free for whoever was lucky enough to find it. It is no surprise that gold fever hit so heavily. Yet the majority of those who made the journey out West were not so lucky. The individuals who became the richest were in fact not these early miners but were instead entrepreneurs who created businesses to support all of the prospectors. However, the Gold Rush reinforced the idea of Manifest Destiny. America was destined to span from Atlantic to Pacific, and the accidental discovery of Gold made California an even more essential part of the picture. Furthermore, the U. S. started an act called the Homestead Act. The Homestead Act stated that any White American that is over the age of 21 could move to the West side of the U. S. and own 160 acres of un-owned land if they wanted to. It also stated that a White American could get 160 acres of un-owned land and build a house on it then after 5-years it could be your land. The Homestead Act helped the western expansion in which was fueled by Manifest Destiny through the concept of how it’s the people’s â€Å"God Given Right† to own land. The Manifest Destiny also brought a strong feeling of Nationalism amongst the peoples. Nationalism was the key point in the west ward expansionism. Without this feeling of â€Å"unity† in our country we never would have made it. The spirit of â€Å"Manifest Destiny† pervaded the United States during the Age of Reform—the decades prior to the Civil War. John L. O’Sullivan, editor of the influential United States Magazine and Democratic Review, gave the expansionist movement its name in 1845, when he wrote that it is â€Å"the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. Manifest Destiny was stimulated by nationalism and an idealistic vision of human perfectibility. It was America’s duty to extend liberty and democratic institutions across the continent. Underlying this divine American mission was a feeling of cultural and even racial superiority. All in all the overall concept of the Manifest Destiny, impacted the United States’ foreign policy through territorial acquisition and influenced American thought in which led to an abundance of Americans to move west because of economic, agricultural, and nationalistic beliefs.

Bribery & International Monetary Fund

The end of twentieth century and the beginning of new millenium have seen the emergence of bribery from a predominantly political, national or regional concern to an issue receiving global attention. In 1996, the leadership of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) publicly denounced bribery and corruption as an obstacle to economic growth and development.Both institutions vowed to focus on the role of governance in growth and development and to give greater priority to combating bribery in their own programs. That same year, the Organization of American States (OAS) approved the Inter-American Convention against Corruption while the United Nations General Assembly called on member states to â€Å"take effective and concrete action to com ¬bat all forms of corruption, bribery and related illicit practices in international commercial transactions† (Elliot, 2).Elliot defines bribery as â€Å"practice by which an individual who can take decision or action on behalf of others by virtue of his authority or position is influenced by paying or offering monetary benefits for influencing him to take an action or decision which he would not have done otherwise† (Elliot, 4). As a result of the resurgence of interest in bribery as a major global issue, there has emerged a considerable research effort devoted towards detemiining the causes, costs, and consequences of bribery.From the macroeconomic perspective the literature for the most part has focused on the impact of bribery on investment, growth and development, in its analysis of the consequences of bribery. For example, Shleifer and Vishny argue that bribery impedes development and lowers economic growth by discouraging productive investment while Mauro provides tentative empirical evidence for this negative impact of bribery on investment and growth (Shleifer and Vishny, 601, Mauro, 683).There is considerable evidence to indicate that bribery and corruption are common in foreign trad e. The payment of bribes by firms and the receipt of bribes by public officials in the procurement and award of export contracts is a standard business practice in foreign trade. As a high-ranking corporate official has noted, â€Å"All of us involved in international business are aware that certain payments to government officials are quite common and an accepted method of doing business in many parts of the world† (Basche, 2).The US Department of Commerce, National Export Strategy Report (1996), states that since mid-1994, â€Å"we have learned of significant allegations of bribery by foreign firms in 139 international commercial contracts valued at $64 billion†¦Bribery continues to be pivotal in many export competitions, with the bribing companies still winning an estimated 80 percent of the contract decisions† (Tanzi, 363). From practical perspective, bribery manifests in a variety of forms. The bribe need not always be a monetary payment. There are more subtl e forms of bribery such as â€Å"entertain ¬ment expenses†, gifts in kind or gifts of services.The bribe to influence a favorable decision could be the provision of a â€Å"rent-free villa on the French Riviera or an expense-free weekend in Las Vegas† (Jacoby et al, 28). It could be a gift of a house or property or it could be the financing of a relative's education in the university. In addition to such payments, contacts and networks estab ¬lished though ethnic or language links or past dealings may also play a part in influencing the decision to award export contracts. Moreover, the bribe paid in order to obtain an export contract is sometimes regarded as a fixed cost of doing business overseas.Corruption on the federal level is a pervasive and universal phenomenon. It is a rare industry that has not been tainted by a corruption scandal involving the payment or receipt of bribes in the procurement or award of trade contracts. Incidence of bribery has spanned a n umber of industries, ranging from the aircraft, pharmaceutical, machinery and equipment, and chemicals industries to electronics. For instance, a byproduct of the Watergate investigation of the 1970s was the discovery by the Special Prosecutor that US companies were involved in making illegal contributions of corporate funds to domestic political campaigns.This led the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate these corporations to determine if there had been a violation of federal se ¬curities laws. The SEC investigation revealed a number of corrupt practices including the payment of bribes to foreign officials in order to secure business abroad. Over 400 US compa ¬nies, including 117 of the Fortune 500 companies, were disclosed to have made questionable or illicit foreign payments in excess of $300 million (Sheffet, 290). One of the more prominent investiga ¬tions centered around Lockheed Aircraft.The SEC found that Lockheed had paid millions of dollars in bribes t o high-ranking foreign officials in order to secure aircraft export contracts. Other firms involved in the disclosure of questionable payments associated with export sales were Johnson & Johnson, Colgate-Palmolive Co. , Pfizer Inc. , American Home Products, and others. It was such disclosures that prompted the US Congress to enact the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (FCPA) which outlaws the bribery of foreign government officials by US firms in order to obtain or maintain business abroad.On a state level corrupt state government is more likely to be involved in transactions that are more personally lucrative rather than those that are more profitable for the state (Shleifer and Vishny, 614-615). In other words, corrupt state officials tend to spend the state budget on sectors which have more bribery and bring more personal gain to them than sectors which have less bribery and less beneficial to them (Shleifer and Vishny, 615).As a result, state can even change â€Å"an invest ment away from the highest value projects, such as health and education, into potentially useless projects, such as unnecessary infrastructure† (Shleifer and Vishny, 616). Shleifer and Vishny point out that this tendency of corrupt state government suggests that many corrupt bodies of power spend more on defense and security than on public services and interests such as education since the former allows larger opportunities of bribery.Thus, according to these researchers analysis, corruption shifts an investment from public services to construction contracts; as a result, corruption reduces spending on education, healthcare and other social projects. WORKS CITED Basche, James R. Jr. , Unusual Foreign Payments: A Survey of the Policies and Practices of U. S. Companies, New York, 1976 Elliot, Kimberly Ann, (ed. ) Corruption and the Global Economy, Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics, 1997 Mauro, Paolo, â€Å"Corruption and Growth,† Quarterly Journal of E conomics, Vol.110, No. 3, p. 681-711, August 1995. Sheffet, Mary Jane, â€Å"The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988: Did They Change Corporate Behavior? † Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Vol. 14. No. 2, p. 290-300, Fall 1995 Shleifer, Andrei, and Robert W. Vishny. â€Å"Corruption. † The Quarterly Journal of Economics 198(3): 599-617, 1993 Tanzi, Vito, â€Å"Corruption around the World: Causes, Consequences, Scope and Cures,† IMF Staff Papers, Vol. 45. No. 4, p. 559-94, D

Open Boat Analysis on Naturalism

In this story, four men, known simply as the captain, the oiler, the correspondent, and the cook, become stranded in the sea in a small boat. Together they are forced to bare the torments of one of Mother Nature’s toughest challenges, the open sea. In this process these four men learn much about nature and just how little they are on Earth. One of the characters, the correspondent, comes to the realization that nature is indifferent despite the struggles of the individuals, â€Å"When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The captain, who is seen as a symbol of strength to the other men on the boat, has doubt as to whether they can make it to shore safely, â€Å"Then the captain, in the bow, chuckled in a way that expressed humor, contempt, tragedy, all in one. â€Å"Do you think we’ve got much of a show now, boys? † The men in the boat are still upset with what fate has dealt them and seem to have the same opinion that they are still in control of their outcome, â€Å"If I am going to be drowned—-if I am going to be drowned—if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees? Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I was about to nibble the sacred cheese of life? † The men are in a desperate situation, but nature continues to go on as if they were not there. This unsubstantial state is evident in the story when a shark swimming next to them doesn’t even take notice of their existence. All four men in the boat are searching for some sort of miracle to happen, but neither nature nor fate sends anything their way. All they have to comfort themselves is each other. Throughout the story the men in the boat are working together for a common purpose, to get to the shore. The correspondent remembers a verse about a soldier of the Legion dying in Algiers, and realizes that he and the other men in the boat are like the soldier, alone and they only have each other to get through their crisis. These men must work together to form a unity amongst each other, if they are to survive what fate has given them. This comradeship is evident throughout the story by the men sharing the chore of rowing the boat, â€Å"The correspondent wondered ingenuously how in the name of all that was sane could there be people who thought it amusing to row a boat† When the men of the boat came to the realization that they may parish, the will to live was stronger than what nature or fate had in store for them. At this instance is when the men seem to come together, and through their companionship, they have the ability to make it through any obstacle fate or nature puts in front of them. At the conclusion of the story, the survivors in the boat feel they understand natures language, â€Å"When it came night, the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea’s voice to the men on the shore, and they felt that they could then be interpreters. † When I read this I remember a saying my grandmother use to say, â€Å"When life gives you sour lemons, make lemonade. † This is true but it would be better if shared with another. In the end, no matter what life gives you, you always have your fellow man to share your experiences.

Analyse the Causes and Consequences of the Arab-Israeli war of 1967

Foreword Throughout history, the result of the regional / world war, at least politically, changed the way of the nation. War is not usually done without reasons and reasons; for reasons or for other reasons. Sometimes they struggle to expand territory, economic problems or even the existence of the country. The end result of any war will affect the country concerned, its population and the area where it occurs. This also applies to the 1967 Arab - Israel war. This document as a whole analyzes Zionism as the three main causes of the 1948 Arab - Israel War, Arab Nationalism, British foreign policy, and the conclusion of the 1948 Arab - Israel war. It is a very complex conflict with its origins dating back to the Bible era. The influence of World War I and World War II led to the British foreign policy of delivering the Palestinian Council to the United Nations. And it led to Israel's declaration of independence. This declaration caused confusion between Jews and Arabs and caused war. The outcome of this war was disastrous in shaping Middle Eastern politics to this day. Hinchcliffe pointed out that since 1982, there has been no massive military confrontation between Israel and its alabas and lack of meaningful peace continued until the end of the century ( Hinchcliffe 2001, p. 9). The 6-day war was also known as the June War or the Third Arab-Israel War, but from June 5 to 10, 1967 and the third short war in the Arab-Israel war . Israel's decisive victory included occupation of the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank district, Old Town of Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, but the status of these territories subsequently became a major problem of the Arab-Israel conflict . Before the war started, Israel's retaliation costed a great deal, as Palestinian guerrilla groups led by Syria, Lebanon and Jordan increased attacks on Israel. In November 1966 Israel attacked Alsam village on the western coast of Jordan, Israel Air Force shot down six Syrian MiG fighter plane in the air battle with Syria in April 1967 when 18 people were killed and 54 people were injured did.

Ethical sourcing in retail industries and the problem of sweat shop Essay

Ethical sourcing in retail industries and the problem of sweat shop labour - Essay Example Only with the consumer’s strong convictions can this movement be taken ahead and for this communication of ethical issues including their damaging contribution to environment needs to be highlighted. The expansion of civilizations has been largely based on trading practices. Trade and Commerce have been drivers of extension of territorial forays in the past and, in modern days, with the royalty become defunct, even extinct in some cases, the role has been ably taken over by large companies, the Multinationals. The twin objectives of war for territorial gains of the former kingdoms and the present day Multinational remain the same; expansion of markets to cater to larger populations and obtaining cheap labour for work from the new territories. Whereas formerly they made use of slave labour, often not caring about their survival, today they pay subsistence or even less for running their factories and establishments. All the high talk of Human Rights is meant for conference tables and for the populations of the victors and not the vanquished. In the present context the Multinational need to expand their markets and in search for consumers globally they are attracted by the huge populations of the developing or the under-developed world. They take advantage by offering them the goods that they have developed for their own affluent populations. However where they face the possibility of lower sales due to the high prices they tend to manufacture their products locally for local sales at lower prices compared to their home markets. The other angle to the story is that when they face competition from their rivals who are as big and as powerful, they need to lower prices to face such competition. The obvious way out is again to manufacture their products in the underdeveloped or developing markets at lesser cost and consequently be able to lower prices to their home markets. With the demise of colonialism democracy became the chosen form of governance, barring

Lean Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lean Management - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that objective of lean management is to be an efficient, effective and customer focused organization with least cost and zero wastes. Customer satisfaction plays a vital role in developing and retaining new markets in any business and one good method to gauge it is getting feedback on different aspects from the customers. Major businesses employ customer contact center concepts since these solutions provide businesses with the flexible and strong infrastructure to interact with their customers and effectively manage ongoing projects. Based on these feedbacks, improvements in products and business strategies, development of new products, increase in customer satisfaction and loyalty, and exploration of new markets is sought to devise the swift response to global competitive markets. In the recent past, a number of companies have invested considerably in managing and maintaining contact center to get a competitive advantage by analyzing custome r experience and company performance; however, due to recent economic downturn companies are finding it difficult to manage the contact centers due to increased operating expenses. The as lean principle has effectively been applied in the manufacturing sector, in a similar way this concept is equally well applicable to a service industry. In doing so, Hines cautioned that organizations may miss a strategic aspect of value creation while focusing merely on cost reduction and lean tools while applying lean principles. To reduce the operating costs associated with contact centers, a lean management approach would help in creating a greater value demand while reducing the failure demand. IT businesses recognize that customers lean to support companies providing better services within a given price range. In this report, the company realized that its competitive position in the market is no longer secured. Therefore, a shift to lean management was attempted to reduce wastes and costs and increase revenue. This report is an attempt to study the significance of adopting and applying lean management concepts to Contact Center Industry using academic rigor while focusing on Averatec Contact Center and how it can effectively be applied to achieve zero defects with increased customer satisfaction. Averatec Contact Center 2.1 Company Description Averatec, established in 1984, is a company offering a broad range of computer products including desktop PCs, Laptops, and Servers, networking, storage and peripheral accessories. IT services including infrastructure technology, consultation, and business process development are few other services offered by the company which is engaged in a number of project in these areas. The company supports its entire operations with total 6000 employees and one design, development and manufacturing facility, and more than a hundred service centers located across the globe.

Advantages of Establishing a Chemical Production Plant in Bhopal India Assignment

Advantages of Establishing a Chemical Production Plant in Bhopal India - Assignment Example The researcher states that each foreign country has its own statutory safety and environmental guidelines which could affect the success or failure of a manufacturing company. As an engineer who has been a successful corporate manager for a chemical production company, I have written this report to guide the management before establishing at least one production company in Indonesia within the next ten years. Based on the gathered ethical and legal issues in each target country, recommended solutions on how we could effectively decrease the risk of losing the large sum of money due to the difference in business and cultural practices will be tackled in details. Expanding the business in Bhopal India could offer the business more competitive advantages as compared to its competitors. Aside from the relatively low cost of labor, other operational necessities such as raw materials, electricity, taxes, and transportation costs are also competitive. Basically, the cost savings that the co mpany can get out of establishing a chemical plant in Bhopal or Kazakhstan will enable the company to sell the finish products at a more competitive price without the need to sacrifice its quality. As a chemical manufacturing plant, it is but ethical for plant managers to learn more and train employees regarding the socially and legally accepted staffing policy, health and safety management, the health and social consequences of establishing the chemical plant close to a densely populated geographic area, the toxicity of chemicals being manufactured at the chemical plant, and the proper way of handling and disposing the chemicals. Â  Likewise, it is equally important for the plant managers to develop proper emergency response strategies and train employees on how to cut down the harmful effects of these chemicals in case of emergency. All these are necessary in order to avoid unnecessary law suites which can be filed against the company.

The latest technology in wireless Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The latest technology in wireless - Essay Example In the world of wireless communication you contribute each time when you make use of your cellular telephone for calling, tune your television to a soccer game being played on a diverse continent, or listen to satellite radio despite the fact that sitting in your car. Wireless devices, collectively with smart pagers, cellular telephones, PDAs, Tablet PCs, and notebook computers with high speed internet access, make things easier and spread out your communication services. Wireless communication is not new or modern; more than hundred years ago, Guglielmo Marconi sent the earliest wireless message by means of radio waves (Shelly, Cashman and Vermaat, 2005). At the present time, Marconi’s findings consent you to attach peripherals to your computers devoid of using wires and put together a wireless network. Wireless technology has accomplished a shining impression on people and quickly has won accepted agreement wide-reaching. Even the casual examine notices remarkable transforms in the way computers users correspond devoid of wires in the home and offices. The facility to work wirelessly is well thought-out by some, as the most noteworthy preference in computing. This technology also facilitates you to check your email as you take a trip all the way through your town or other countries. Even though the wireless basis was placed more than a century ago, up to date wireless technology corresponds to a development of products and standards. Each day, there is an increase in number of wireless devices on the other hand the costs of connectivity decreases. This extraordinary eminence looks at an extensive assortment of these wireless products and demonstrates how an assortment of segments of life makes use of this technology (Shelly, Cashman and Vermaat, 2005). At the present time, there are a variety of ideas globally that try to express the 3rd generation personal communications network, which is acknowledged as a

RESEARCH PAPER ON JAPANESE AMERICAN SEGREATION IN THE PERIOD OF Essay

RESEARCH PAPER ON JAPANESE AMERICAN SEGREATION IN THE PERIOD OF BOMBING OF PEARL HARBOR - Essay Example For example, the FBI, along with the Office of Naval Intelligence and Military Intelligence Division, wrote Sonia Shah, had conducted surveillance of the Japanese American community since the early 1930s, a decade before the Pearl Harbor bombing. (p. 179) Anti-Japanese immigration has been present ever since in communities and in the media. And, finally, the success of the attack highlighted the â€Å"racial inferiority† of the Japanese in the American point of view. Barry Dean Karl (1983) offered us an account: The training of the young Japanese air pilots to fly aircrafts was to crash and explode was taken as an example of Japanese racial character rather than military patriotism. Suicide was acceptable to Japan†¦ That the attack on Pearl Harbor was a sneak attack, was also taken as demonstrating a character defect, and it was presumed to have been necessitated by another Japanese defect: that they were shoddy manufacturers whose equipment could not stand up in a proper battle. (p. 202) Pearl Harbor as the worst defeat ever suffered by the American Navy was unbelievable to Americans. The American racism which fueled the previously outlined American perspective towards Japanese led many people to believe that Japan could not have pulled off their stunning raid without inside help of some sort. Here, we also see that American prejudice played a role in the base being unprepared: Commanders at the base refused to focus on what the Japanese were capable of doing and instead focused on what seemed to make sense for them to do. 3 Anti-Japanese sentiment eventually obscured any Japanese-American efforts to display loyalty to the United States. Swiftly, only three months after the bombing, President Franklin D. Roosevelt codified the hatred towards the Japanese when he issued Executive Order 9066 which mandated the exclusion and confinement of 120,000 Japanese-Americans in internment camps.4

How increased unemployment is playing a role on the increasing poverty Essay

How increased unemployment is playing a role on the increasing poverty levels - Essay Example For instance, the level of unemployment in China is 4.3 % while that of Japan is at 4.5%, nevertheless the unemployment rate of these countries does not remain constant; it keeps changing with time (trading economics, 2011). Below is a graph indicating the difference in levels of poverty among countries. Fig 1: 2011 unemployment rates of different countries. Needless to say, there are a number of reasons that cause unemployment in the world. First, some individuals lack the required skills and knowledge to tackle tasks, hence hindering their chances of acquiring a job. Secondly, the welfare payments and unemployment insurance are believed to contribute to the increasing levels of unemployment. The unemployed continue benefiting from these governments’ assisted programs, hence becoming reluctant to search for jobs. This paper will discuss the issue of unemployment, its impact to the society in causing poverty, and the possible solutions at length. Major impact of unemployment t o society The Increasing levels of unemployment are continuously contributing to the level of poverty among nations, which negatively affects the economy and the society of these nations as well. There are various types of unemployment. Cyclical unemployment is one of them, which is influenced by the business cycle, for example, the higher the growth of domestic product, the lower the levels of unemployment, and vice versa (Hartley, 2010, p.29). Structural unemployment involves launching new products in the market, therefore changing the demand of certain goods. In return, unemployment rate in certain sectors increases, whilst jobs are created in other sectors. According to Kim (2010, p.57), one third of the world’s... Unemployment as an Economic Problem Unemployment can be defined as the number of people in a nation without jobs, including those that are seeking for employment (OECD, 2003, p.32). Unemployment is a problem that affects many countries, to an extent of reducing productivity and loss of income opportunity. When the level of unemployment is high, the growth domestic product is lower compared to when the levels of unemployment are low. On the other hand, when the growth of domestic product is low, the levels of unemployment increase, the living standards of individuals are reduced, and the nation’s productivity decreases. Unemployment also contributes to loss of human capital, as the unemployed individuals do not contribute their skills and knowledge to the workforce. Moreover, unemployment does not only contribute to poverty, but it also reduces the levels of consumption and the ability of purchasing, and as a result, slowing down the potential of the market. Nevertheless, unemployment levels differ among different countries, taking different forms; however, the developing nations are highly affected by the unemployment issue compared to the advanced economies (OECD, 2003, p.32). For instance, the level of unemployment in China is 4.3 % while that of Japan is at 4.5%, nevertheless the unemployment rate of these countries does not remain constant; it keeps changing with time (trading economics, 2011). Below is a graph indicating the difference in levels of poverty among countries. Needless to say, poverty increases as the level of unemployment increases; this is evident since the unemployed have no source of income, making them to struggle in providing basics needs for their families.

Aircraft Crash Analysis & Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aircraft Crash Analysis & Design - Essay Example All of the 297 passengers and 12 crew members evacuated the aircraft before the fire reached the escape doors. All of the passengers and crew members survived with only 12 were seriously injured. People called it a miracle and the role played by the highly trained crew members in an emergency situation was appreciated. The passenger cabin had eight emergency exit doors. Six of the doors are used in Type A emergency and the other two doors are used in Type l emergency. All of the doors were similar in operation. They had a design to be opened either from interior or the exterior. According to the operating manual of Airbus cabin crew the instruction states that opening the doors from interior in normal operations, the door control handle must be completely up. All of the doors were equipped with door assist system which had an emergency operation cylinder and a damper. Damper helps in limiting the travel of the door in normal operations especially when the conditions are windy. But in an emergency situation the damper acts as an actuator in order to open the door automatically. The damper is operated by compressed nitrogen gas which is stored in specially designed cylinders which have pressure gauge. Slide arm lever controls the release of nitrogen by and actuating device. When the arm lever is at armed state as normally it is during landing as a result the door assist opens the door automatically. Each emergency door also has a prismatic lens. The plane had 8 evacuation escape devices to help in fast occupant way out in state of an emergency. It had 2 single lane slides at emergency doors R3 and L3 and six double lane rafts at emergency doors R1, R2, R4, L1 and L2. The deployment and inflation of the rafts were automatically started when the emergency doors are opened. Normally the deployment and inflation time of rafts is 16 seconds but on Airbus A340 it is 8 seconds. There is no sign that the international

Urban Regeneration Essay Example for Free

Urban Regeneration Essay The nature of urban policy in United Kingdom (or at least in England) in recent years seems to have set the agenda for the commentative literature to an unexpected degree. Writers on the subject (mainly urban specialists or geographers) appear to have become preoccupied with the same presentational and promotional matters to which the government devotes so much of its energies. Certainly, there is no want of critical discussion of competition as an allocative mechanism, but what is striking is the volume of wordage devoted to partnerships, synergy, community empowerment, sustainability, exit strategies and the like, with precious little reference to how they are to connect with the problems of poverty, unemployment, the never-to-be employed, the demoralisation of long-term or possibly permanent dependency, the intractability of the dependency ratio, the enormous social and economic divisions opening up between minority ethnic groups and between some of them and the white majority, the exclusion (both forced and voluntary) of some groups (definable on a number of dimensions) from civil society and effective citizenship and the denial of social rights that this entails. All these manifestations have spatial dimensions; all of them ought to be the subject of urban policy as well as social policy. And yet the urban policy literature is devoted (metaphorically speaking) to the synergistic qualities of multi-participant partnerships. (There are of course notable exceptions, but the literature that treats urban policy as social policy is very small; Dily Hills most recent work (1994) is one example. ) Any attempt to make sense of the direction that inner-city policy has taken in recent years and of the way the commentative literature has added its gloss, must therefore pay regard to the apparent gap between policy form and strategy on the one hand, and the substance of what needs to be done on the other. Does the seeming preoccupation with form in fact reflect, contrary to appearance, a considered interest in strategies and structures that are genuinely and strictly problems-directed? Is the gap between problems and policies, in other words, more apparent than real? The following paragraphs therefore will consider a number of key components (both organisational and conceptual) of urban policy in England to see how close they bring us to making at least some potential impact on those aspects of urban life that we consider undesirable (if not unacceptable). Community Empowerment There is a clutch of related concepts, each of which is difficult to discuss in isolation from the others. Besides community empowerment there are sustainability, capacity building and exit strategies These last three are more closely related to each other, however, and community empowerment has been around for much longeralthough under a number of different guises. For ease of discussion therefore we shall deal with community empowerment first. More rhetorical fluff attaches to community than to most other words in the social science lexicon (with the possible exception of empowerment). We still seem to have a romantic conception of community; all unitary values and communitarianism. It is far more likely that the first thing a family living on a ghastly peripheral estate would do were it to be empowered (like winning a million on the lottery orbetter stillfinding a permanent job) would be to get out. Does community empowerment really connect with peoples everyday lives? How do they feel when they have been empowered (or not)? Davoudi and Healey, commenting on the manner in which local issues had been discussed with residents in a City Challenge project, observe that Community participants often remarked on their sense of discursive marginalisation' (Davoudi and Healey, 1995, p. 173). Just picture it. There are so many possible interpretations of community empowerment that it would be pointless to enumerate them. Its rhetoric derives from the earlier rhetoric of powerlessness as being possibly the main functional disadvantage from which some of the urban deprived suffer (Cockburn, 1977; Sills et al. , 1988). However, since there was never any clear analysis of in relation to whom and in respect of what they were powerless, what is required of any subsequent process of empowerment remains unclear. Some of the uncertainties concerning empowerment in relation to the current debate about urban policy would include the following. What sort of communities are we mainly concerned with? Much of the literature, and most of the practice, assumes that it is spatial communities that need to be empowered and this must in part be driven by the fact that practically all regeneration policy requires the specification of a locus in which resources will be used. A number of consequential questions then arise. First is the point noted above about whether empowerment (whatever it means) would override commitment to the spatial community. Is it not more likely that given more power, and hence presumably more choice, people would exercise it by moving out? Secondly, it is at least debatable that peoples community attachments and allegiances are increasingly with interest rather than with spatial communities. The ties that bind for many religious, ethnic and racial groups are only incidentally spatial (proportional to the extent of their residential segregation). Thirdly, the argument for community empowerment, to the extent that it assumes . the acquisition of more power, influence or choice (or any combination of these) by the community vis-a-vis other agents and agencies outside the community, necessarily entails the existence of a community interest or value that is to be promoted in the face of external agencies. Now whilst there will be some interests around which all or most of the communitys members may unite, there will be many other interests over which members will be in opposition. The idea that a spatial community can be empowered in any significant way assumes the existence of a unitary set of values and interests. That simply is not plausible. Even in socially and ethnically homogeneous council estates, it would be naive to assume that everyones interests were common and it certainly would not be plausible in an ethnically and racially mixed area. In such a case, the empowerment of some may be at the expense of the influence of others. It follows thenand this is our fourth pointthat in heterogeneous communities or groupings, either someone has to exercise a bit of paternalistic influence over who gets empowered (with any luck, not self-styled community leaders) or you allow a hands-off, free market in internal power struggles and let the weakest go to the wall (again).

Marketing Plan for Tylenol

Marketing Plan for Tylenol Tylenol is a North American subsidiary brand of drugs under the parent company Johnson Johnson. Tylenol is advertised to help relieve pain, reduce fever, and relieve symptoms of cold, flu, sinus, arthritis, and allergies. It has become a trusted brand that parents turn to, to help relieve common ailments their children may suffer from. As a result, Johnson Johnson has gained immense respect from consumers everywhere due to the reliability and safety of their products. However, due to a series of ongoing recalls in the past couple of years, Tylenol has been suffering tremendously. Within the past year over five Tylenol product lines have been recalled: the cold liquid products, 8-hour caplets, extra strength Tylenol, Tylenol PM products, Childrens Tylenol, Childrens Meltaway Tylenol, and Infants Tylenol. There have been many more recalls by Johnson Johnson for their other brands-such as Benadryl and Mylanta-but so far, Tylenol has had to recall these aforementioned products, and they have stated there are more recalls yet to come. The loss of sales and more importantly, the loss of customer confidence in Tylenol is a serious cause of concern. Due to the enormity of the recalls, regaining goodwill seems difficult without creative marketing. Also, this is not like the 1982 recalls, where numerous deaths were caused by an unknown assailant who injected cyanide in the Tylenol bottles. Johnson Johnson was fortunately able to recover 92% of lost sales through the revolutionary creation of tamper proof bottles. And this helped them expand with 250 operating companies in 60 countries with annual revenues near $62.5 billion. By May 2010, however, Tylenol was forced to issue numerous recalls for their Arthritis Relief caplets and Childrens Tylenol products. The FDA confirmed the moldy odor coming from the bottles was due to a bacteria that was known to be resistant to common antibiotics. The high-quality, reliable family product has now been tainted due to a lack of quality control in various manufacturing plants. And the FDA investigations have only brought more attention to the internal quality errors. Since Johnson Johnson is losing millions of dollars each month due to lost sales and factory updates, it is imperative for Johnson Johnson to improve its brand image and regain consumer confidence. Through intense ad campaigning Tylenol can educate consumers about the quality improvements and portray Tylenols actions as highly responsible. Also, all internal quality control measures can be indicated on the bottles of all Tylenol products. Consumers have an increasing need to know where their medicines come from and Tylenol can provide that information and sense of security to their consumers. By providing a serial number on all products, Tylenol can allow consumers to go online and see where their products are made. Consumers can take part in the quality control aspect by providing pivotal information regarding the performance in each of their factories. This system will allow Tylenol to understand how well each factory performs and what, if any, changes need to be made. Although internal quality control changes need to be made within the company, Tylenol must simultaneously work on improving its brand image among consumers. By building strong consumer confidence, Tylenol can recover the sales it lost as a result of these recalls. 2.0 Situation Analysis McNeil Consumer Healthcare-the consumer drug division of Johnson Johnson and makers of Tylenol-has been caught up in a series of product recalls since late 2009. For a company that has been known for above average quality, this is a major setback to the companys image as their quality control and internal practices have been called into question by federal regulators as well as consumers and industry analysts. In an effort to counteract this issue, William C. Weldon, CEO, has made several public statements and appearances to quell consumers fears and describe the steps being taken to correct this issue. 2.1 Market Summary The McNeil line of consumer healthcare products are utilized by people of all ages from infants to senior citizens and includes various well known, over the counter names including Tylenol, Rolaids, Benadryl, and Motrin. Each is a top brand in its field and has had a nearly flawless quality record. The company allows its divisions a large degree of autonomy, which protects the others from being affected by any adverse situations within their sister companies. The current issue of quality concerns and recalls started with a 2009 incident concerning Motrin ibuprofen. McNeil held a phantom recall when they noticed the product had slightly defective dissolving properties and was bought back from stores by hired private companies. In this situation, no formal recall notice was distributed and the buy backs were handled quietly without bringing attention to the issue. It was stated by Johnson Johnson that there was no safety risk, which is why they handled the situation in this matter. In 2010 however, Johnson Johnson began to receive complaints that a musty, moldy smell was emanating from bottles of its over the counter medications which was making consumers sick with symptoms that included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Furthermore, the company found that several of their pediatric medicines contained too much of an active ingredient or foreign material. This led to a voluntary recall of 136 million bottles. Due to this decrease in product quality, Colleen Goggins, the senior executive in charge of the McNeil line, tendered her resignation from Johnson Johnson in an effort to provide consumers with a visible solution to their woes about Johnson Johnsons quality control. In addition, a production facility in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania and another in Puerto Rico have been closed down due to poor quality standards and are currently being updated to meet FDA standards. 2.2 SWOT Analysis Strengths For decades, Johnson Johnson was the leader in quality control. Their products and customer service had always been top notch and consumers have always trusted them. In light of the McNeil recalls, Johnson Johnson can recognize the following as positives in their business: Customer Service To handle the influx of customer questions and concerns regarding recent recalls, Johnson Johnson has set up a comprehensive section on their website dedicated to explaining the details behind each recall as well providing a FAQ list, dedicated phone lines, and email addresses. Review of Manufacturing Operations Johnson Johnson is publicly admitting to performing an internal shake-up of their manufacturing operations to ensure that all production facilities maintain the quality standards they have been known for in years past. In addition, quality control has been moved from individual centers to a centralized office. This will help build conformity among all of their products by upholding a specific product standard. CEO William C. Weldon His public admission of internal error and promise to restructure the company to fix their quality issues indicates that he understands the public concern and loss of good will that will result from this. He admitted to letting his customers down and resolved to make sure Johnson Johnson does not face poor quality issues again in the future. Company History  ­Ã‚ ­- Johnson Johnsons handling of the 1982 cyanide crisis is still considered the ideal way to deal with a disaster. The media, industry analysts and consumers alike all lauded the company for its speed, efficiency and honesty for the recall and their high involvement in the criminal investigation. Johnson Johnsons comeback was made possible due to regaining consumer trust during the crisis. This history can serve as a support for Tylenols current crises and provide a platform for them to make another comeback. Weaknesses Several actions as well as the sudden decline in quality are a huge blow to the image of Johnson Johnson. These areas include: Slow Reaction time to Consumer Complaints FDA documents have shown that when the initial reports of moldy odors came to Johnson Johnson, no action was taken to rectify the problem. This indicates a lack of acknowledgement of a potentially serious issue and not grasping the gravity of the situation. Violation of Manufacturing Standards FDA inspectors have found that since 2001, several manufacturing issues have come into play including drug mix-ups, lack of training, incomplete investigations of complaints, and failure to determine the cause and solution to problems. Unsavory Recall Practices In their attempt to confront the quality issue with Motrin in 2009, Johnson Johnson simply sent a hired group to buy back available products in all retail establishments rather than conduct a formal recall. This has come under contention from the FDA as an unsound practice since it did not properly notify individuals of a potential issue. This completely counteracts Johnson Johnsons highly responsible and reliable brand image and makes consumers feel they will continue to hide important information from its consumers. Johnson Johnson has since admitted to making a poor decision in this situation. Resignation of Colleen Goggins With the tendering of Goggins resignation from the company, Johnson Johnson will be losing the long term institutional knowledge she possesses. Having been with the company since the 1980s, Goggins has overseen and controlled several strong product groups that will now be subject to new leadership and potentially a new method of management. This can cause problems down the road if the new division head isnt as strong as Goggins and could lead to excessive turnover in that position if they cannot do the job as well as Goggins had to this point. Opportunities Although currently under fire from the FDA, business analysts and consumers, Johnson Johnson can identify several areas in which they can regain their image of quality: Analysis of Facilities and Stability Testing As Johnson Johnson overhauls its quality process and revamps its manufacturing practices, they can once again position themselves as an industry leader in quality who cares for consumer well-being. If they publicize their actions to right these wrongs, their consumer base will see that their dedication to quality remains resolute. Customer Service Portals By creating a comprehensive website dedicated to recall information and quality concerns, Johnson Johnson shows that even after a misstep, they still recognize the importance of customer needs. By quickly reestablishing their presence on retail shelves with new batches of recalled medicines, Johnson Johnson shows their dedication to providing customers with the medicine they need to maintain their health. Creation of New Bottles Johnson Johnsons creation of the tamper- resistant bottles became an industry standard after the 1982 crisis. Sales were able to bounce back as more consumers started to trust Tylenol again, and Tylenol gained a competitive advantage through this innovation. By creating new bottles with the Q.C. Passed label and the plant serial number on them, Tylenol can do gain that product differentiation it needs from its competitors and generic brands alike. Threats Recalls and FDA investigation will seriously impact Johnson Johnsons image. In addition, their structure and quality control have become an area that has suddenly turned sour. Loss of Goodwill ­ Since Johnson Johnson had been a quality leader for so long; recalls of their medication will lead to a loss of consumer trust in their products. As a result, they will lose profits on these products as customers may turn to generic brands, which cost less and provide the same benefits as the name brand. Also, customers will be hesitant to go back to a product that they feel they can no longer trust. Representative Darrell Issa As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, he is an outspoken critic of the FDA and Johnson Johnsons recent actions and promises to watch this issue closely to ensure both groups correct and maintain higher standards in their practices. This can result in harsher terms against Johnson Johnson if their quality does not improve as Issa may push for the FDA to enforce stricter penalties. Competitors and Bad Publicity Competitor brands such as Advil are now exploiting Tylenols current quality issues through their ad campaigns and many loyal Tylenol users are turning to other brands. Advils recent ad campaigns urge customers to trash the recalled products and try Advil free of charge. The ads are directly aimed at converting Tylenol users to Advil. Triaminic-which competes with Childrens Tylenol-is also offering their Fever Reducer Pain Relief medicine for free as part of its launch of their new line extension. This negative campaigning will surely deter Tylenols ability to maintain consumer loyalty, and will hinder further progress if consumers start preferring competitor brands over Tylenol. 2.3 Competition With many of their products no longer being protected by government patents, Johnson Johnson faces increased competition from generic producers. Charging lower prices and providing the same benefits as name brand medicines, if customers of Johnson Johnson brands no longer trust them, theyre likely to go to an option that they can trust. In addition, other established brands like Pfizer or Bayer could take this as an opportunity to create, release, or push their competitive products which would be seen in a more favorable light if their quality is regarded to be higher than Johnson Johnsons current standards. 2.4 Product Offering Distribution As mentioned in the Market Summary, Johnson Johnsons over the counter medicines include Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, and Rolaids. Their other branches include consumer products in the Baby Care, Skin and Hair Care, Wound Care, Oral Health, Womens Health, Nutritionals and Vision Care. Since they own nearly 250 companies with so many other various products including medical devices, and prescription products, any impact from the McNeil group of products will have a small impact on their overall revenue. Due to this, Johnson Johnson as a whole enjoys wide spread distribution across the United States and the world. However, since the recalls affect so many of their products, Tylenol needs to introduce a new innovation that can help with their product differentiation. Since the current problems lie in the quality control of their products, Tylenol can offer bottles with the Q.C. Passed stamp on it with a serial number indicating which manufacturing plant the bottle came from. This will provide consumers with the information they desire and it will separate Tylenol from all other brands, because they will do something highly innovative. This will also help Tylenols brand image as a responsible and honest company, and can potentially win back lost sales and consumer loyalty. 3.0 Marketing Strategy 3.1 Objectives The first and most crucial step needs to be a complete overhaul of the quality control process within the entire company. Fortunately, Johnson Johnson is already working on updating each of its factories and these internal changes will continue until every factory meets FDA standards. However, as that continues Johnson Johnson needs to take this opportunity to build confidence in the market. By creating a new system that will help consumers track their medicines, Johnson Johnson can aim to recover 70% of lost sales within the next fiscal year. And in order for Johnson Johnson to stimulate these sales, they need to do an intense ad campaign showing that they are taking full responsibility for their actions. By targeting these ads to mothers and reconnecting to their family-oriented consumers, Tylenol can see an upswing in sales. However, it is imperative that the changes in the packaging be done in conjunction with the marketing campaign to ensure a quick recovery. 3.2 Target Market Tylenol is a product that is used by everyone and is available everywhere, so its marketing campaign has to address each of these market segments. This marketing plan focuses on three segments that were affected the most by the recalls: Families with Children: Tylenol has an entire line of products geared towards treating colds and flu symptoms specifically for children. Even though the children are the users of this product, the consumer purchasing decision lies solely in the hands of the parents or guardians in that household. Parents are generally willing to spend extra for their childs well-being, so they are not swayed by small increases in price if they find the brand reliable. However, parents will also stop purchasing a product immediately if they see it as being unreliable, unsafe or in any way hazardous to their child. Working Class: The working class is the biggest consumer of Tylenols Rapid Release pills because these consumers need fast pain relief caused by daily stresses at their jobs. Since this market segment consists of hard working, middle-class members, their purchase decisions are based more on pricing. The Elderly: Tylenols arthritis medicines are aimed to help relieve pain symptoms felt by the elderly. They are generally late adopters and once they find a dependable product are highly likely to stay loyal to it. Although these recalls may not affect sales for the arthritis medications too much, it is important to portray Johnson Johnsons sense of responsibility so any new products can be easily adopted by them. 3.3 Positioning Tylenol can position itself as a responsible company that has to perform these recalls in order to protect its consumers. This positioning can be achieved by enforcing its history as a reliable company and its constant passion to help its customers. Tylenol can use its past experience with the 1982 cyanide case to remind consumers that they replied effectively to the disaster then, and are simply doing the same thing now. Even though Tylenols quality control issues are in question, it can still position itself as a company that is honest and willing to take the actions necessary to fix any internal issues it may face. 3.4 Marketing Strategies The main marketing objective is to remind consumers of Tylenols responsibility and honesty. So, the marketing strategy will focus on raising consumer awareness of the recalls and use it as an opportunity to re-penetrate the shrinking consumer market. The message Tylenol will convey is that its recalls were necessary to protect and safeguard the public from any potential hazards. By stressing the fact that the recalls are just a precaution-and no deaths or illnesses were linked to the use of these products-Tylenol can garner more consumer support. Primarily this message will be conveyed through intense ad campaigns, in magazines, newspapers, billboards, and on the Internet. It will also be the means through which the public will be alerted of when the recalled products will be back on the shelves, and it will also provide Tylenol with a way to inform the public about the new Q.C. Passed stamp on it. However, Tylenol needs to first stabilize the recall issues so they can regain consumer confidence. Once there is more stability within the company, Tylenol can start telling the public about the new bottles in order to recover lost sales. Since the Tylenol brand is ubiquitous, it is important for the ad campaigns to be seen by consumers everywhere. The use of the Internet will be especially helpful because the costs associated with it will be relatively cheap. Print media, although costly, will allow the advertisements to be read everywhere, from homes to doctor offices to grocery stores. Along with these ads, Tylenol will employ its website to inform the public of its recalls-which it already does-and it will also create a forum for customer feedback. This is another cost-effective method for Tylenol to talk honestly about the recalls and prove their responsibility. Plus, this can generate future ideas the company can use to satisfy its loyal customers. 3.5 Marketing Mix The marketing mix for Johnson Johnson will mainly consist of the relaunch of recalled products, pricing and intense advertising. The distribution portion of the marketing mix will remain the same because Johnson Johnson has a strong network of distributors and stores to reach the target markets. Products: The main change that needs to be made for the Tylenol products is the quality of them. Johnson Johnson is focusing on the quality control systems at each of its plants already, and as the products are reintroduced to the public, their quality needs to be tested thoroughly to confirm there will not be any issues again. The Q.C. Passed stamps also need to be added to the new bottles to show the public that each bottle stands up to the high quality standards set by Johnson Johnson. Pricing: The prices of each product will remain the same but as Johnson Johnson is doing already, it has to continue providing coupons for its customers. However, the main issue with these coupons is that they are available online, which is not the most practical way to distribute coupons because most people do not remember to print these coupons when they are using the Internet. Also, this is extremely problematic for the older consumers who use Tylenol Arthritis Pain Relief because they are not active Internet users. So, it is important to provide coupons in stores so consumers can use them right away. Advertising: The advertising campaigns will focus on the target markets and will remind the consumers of Johnson Johnsons responsibility. They will work to provide consumers with the peace of mind that Johnson Johnson is doing everything in its power to fix these problems. The ads are directed towards, mothers, the elderly and the working class. It is imperative to advertise anywhere and everywhere possible so Tylenol can have more control over how the recalls are portrayed in the eyes of the consumer. 3.6 Marketing Research The website will provide a way for Tylenol to have a dialogue with its consumers, so new ideas can be suggested by the users of the products. This will also provide a way for Tylenol to better communicate with its consumers and alert them of any changes in their products. Also, by providing the serial number on the bottles, Tylenol will be better able to track any issues in the quality processes based on which plant any complaints are linked to. This will shorten the time it takes Tylenol to make changes because they will be able to pinpoint issues much sooner. Lastly, it is very important to understand the full effect of these recalls in the minds of the consumers. With each of the bottles of medicine Tylenol sells, it can provide a questionnaire for the customer to fill out and send back to Johnson Johnson for a 50% coupon. Even though the coupon provides a huge discount, the information the questionnaires will provide, will estimate how much damage control Tylenol really needs to do for its brand equity. 4.0 Financials Johnson Johnsons recall of several McNeil Healthcare products will have several negative financial impacts on the companys bottom line. The most direct impact is loss of income from lost sales of recalled products. With these products being off store shelves for various periods of time, consumers will not be able to buy these products and the company will lose money. Furthermore, future sales will be lost when customers turn to competitor products and decide not to go back to Johnson Johnson products because of loss of goodwill resulting from the recalls. The estimated loss is expected to be close to $200 million. Additionally, the company will lose sales from decreased production as a result of plant closings to reevaluate quality controls in an effort to deter this situation from happening again in the future. This loss is expected to amount to almost $600 million over the course of a year. Other yet unrealized losses will come from the reconfiguring and reconstruction of the plants, retraining employees to new systems and controls, and advertising dollars that will be needed to assure the public that Johnson Johnson products are safe again and still maintain quality standard they have. 5.0 Controls In order for Johnson Johnson to regain their status in the market, they will need to ensure that they do not have a quality mishap like this again. Several steps have already been taken to rectify the situation including closing two plants found to have severe issues, creating a dedicated website to inform customers of their rights and to provide general information under the recall, and exiting Collen Goggins from her position of overseeing McNeil health products. These actions show customers and the general public that Johnson Johnson is taking responsibility for their actions and doing what they can in the short run to make an immediate fix. CEO William Weldons numerous public statements about the companys dedication to quality and admission of making a mistake, should assist with gaining back some customer good will. 5.1 Implementation With all that is being done, Johnson Johnson needs to put other controls in place to guarantee increased quality among their line of products. First of all they need to innovate a new method for quality control. This can be something like indicating which plant products are produced to clarify where mistakes are being made if something were to go wrong again. This would also show customers that Johnson Johnson has a company-wide quality standard that each plant must follow. This will also make each plant function better because the tracking system will hold specific plants solely responsible for any problems in the future. Another factor in retaining or winning back customers will be strong marketing. The company needs to push their new quality regiment with a full press marketing plan. This should include print, TV, radio, internet, and billboard advertising. This campaign should show how Johnson Johnson values the health and well being of their customers and should also include an apology letting the public know how sorry they are for the inconvenience caused by not maintaining the quality they have been known for. By implementing these controls, Johnson Johnson should be able to regain potential lost customers and perhaps some new ones by showing their recommitment to quality after this mishap. After being a quality leader for years, the company needs to do whatever it takes to repeat history and make yet another comeback, or risk being defeated by its own negligence.